Category Archives: Spiritual life

Lead Us Not into Temptation

Posted on November 6, 2022 by salooper57

Understanding why you are tempted can help you overcome chronic, difficult temptations. The reason behind temptation may not be something you’ve ever thought about. This message helps us understand why we are tempted and what it means for us to … Continue reading →

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Image Protection Systems and Us

Posted on October 29, 2022 by salooper57

Because this is true, people will fight even to protect the images that thwart their happiness: the loner, the rebel, the outcast, and the curmudgeon. “Victim” is an unflattering image, but many people cling to it. It affords a kind of status to some and provides an excuse to others. Continue reading →

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Avoid the Shortcuts (Following Christ Today)

Posted on October 18, 2022 by salooper57

This class follows Jesus’s warning against using religion to build a reputation. The instruction he gives is straightforward: Be careful not to do your righteousness before people to be seen by them. The temptation to build a reputation – to … Continue reading →

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Loving People in a Loveless World (Matthew 5:38-48)

Posted on October 12, 2022 by salooper57

This is the part of the Sermon on the Mount that people find most difficult, yet it yields great insights and real help for living the Jesus way in the world.

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Following Christ Today: Anger and Lust (Matthew 5:21-33)

Posted on September 28, 2022 by salooper57

How can the addiction to anger or to lust be broken? How can Christians experience the righteousness of the heart in these areas? We think through these questions based on Jesus’s extraordinary Sermon on the Mount.

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Becoming a Person Who Can Pray the Lord’s Prayer

Posted on September 18, 2022 by salooper57

When I was a boy, I wanted to be just like Mickey Mantle. In 1961, he had 514 at bats and he hit 54 homeruns. That means he hit a homerun one out of every 9 or so at bats. … Continue reading →

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Don’t Use Religion to Impress People

Posted on September 17, 2022 by salooper57

One of the most influential teaching sessions in history took place on a mountainside – possibly because of the acoustics – and is known as the Sermon on the Mount. It is not a sermon in the modern sense of … Continue reading →

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Following Christ Today: The Heart of the Matter

Posted on August 31, 2022 by salooper57

Jesus understood how humans were designed and how they thrive and his teaching reflects this. Understanding what he teaches about the human heart is imperative for anyone who longs for spiritual transformation in Christlikeness. The foundational text for today’s class … Continue reading →

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Hope Is Not Pollyanna Positivity

Posted on August 27, 2022 by salooper57

Occasionally, I read or hear someone say something like, “Christians believe some really strange things.” They usually mean that Christians believe in miracles like a six-day creation, a man who was swallowed by a great fish (and spit out days … Continue reading →

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Come Follow Me (Following Christ Today)

Posted on August 21, 2022 by salooper57

What does it mean to follow Jesus? What is required? This class begins where following Jesus began: on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Seeing what discipleship meant for those first followers of Jesus will help us understand what … Continue reading →

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