Category Archives: Spiritual life

A Life-Changing Principle for a Better World

Posted on July 8, 2023 by salooper57

The Golden Rule is not a moral instruction that can be followed thoughtlessly or, in most cases, acted on spontaneously. To follow the Rule, I need to put myself in someone else’s shoes and this requires thought, intelligence, and imagination. Continue reading →

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Expiration Date: The Paradoxical Impact of Knowing Our Mortality

Posted on July 1, 2023 by salooper57

Imagine that you were born with an expiration date on your wrist or scalp. Your parents would know from the moment you were born how long your life would last. When you became old enough to understand what the numbers … Continue reading →

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Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Posted on June 18, 2023 by salooper57

Many of us have been taught to think of “work” as a theologically dirty word. Work is what people do who don’t know Christ and are trying to bribe their way into heaven. But notice that Paul does not see faith and work as opponents but as friends. Faith produces work, as surely as fire produces heat, Congress produces deficits, and the Detroit Tigers produce disappointment. Continue reading →

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Embracing a New Life: Navigating Spiritual Transformation

Posted on June 17, 2023 by salooper57

Such talk about “natures” can be misleading. It implies that there exists a ready-made nature which one can slip into as one slips into a car – in this case an autonomous vehicle that is capable of driving itself. It makes the new Christian a passenger, rather than a driver. But “natures” do not come ready-made. Continue reading →

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What the Bible Says to American Culture About Work

Posted on June 9, 2023 by salooper57

In America, work is sometimes an idol and sometimes a bane. In the final session of this class, we look at what the Bible has to say about work, and we compare that to American ideas regarding work.

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Purposefully Distracted: What the Bible Has to Say to American Culture

Posted on May 28, 2023 by salooper57

Is there a difference between rest and distraction? Is it possible that we need rest but don’t need distraction? Might we be distracting ourselves to death? This class looks at what the Bible says about distraction, careful thinking, and rest.

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Understanding the Decline of Religion in America

Posted on May 27, 2023 by salooper57

According to the Public Religion Research Institute (PPRI), only 16 percent of Americans surveyed say that religion is the most important thing in their lives. This marks a 4 percent drop in one decade. Melissa Deckman of PPRI says that … Continue reading →

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Forgiveness: Doing What Cannot Be Done

Posted on May 21, 2023 by salooper57

Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the … Continue reading →

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Nurturing Faith in Times of Uncertainty

Posted on May 20, 2023 by salooper57

Ordinary people hate uncertainty. In a Dutch study, volunteers were separated into two groups. One group was told that they would receive twenty sharp electrical shocks. The other was told they would receive three strong and seventeen mild shocks, but … Continue reading →

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How to Do What Can’t Be Done (Philippians 4)

Posted on May 14, 2023 by salooper57

Some of the things that need to be done to make our relationships healthy are things we cannot do. But they are things we could do if we learned how to live “in the Lord.” The New Testament uses that … Continue reading →

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