Category Archives: Spiritual life

Hope that Sustains

Posted on December 15, 2022 by salooper57

Hope is more than a feeling, more than a wish. It is more than “the thing with feathers that perches in the soul” (Emily Dickinson). Hope is an objective reality outside the soul which protects the soul. It is an … Continue reading →

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Do You Suffer from Spiritual Apnea?

Posted on December 3, 2022 by salooper57

For the past five years or so, I have been on a quest to sleep better. I have been sleeping poorly since my thirties, and it has only gotten worse as the years have passed. My three sons all followed … Continue reading →

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Never Fear (Following Christ Today)

Posted on November 29, 2022 by salooper57

Jesus was relaxed. He was able to speak truth in very difficult situations. He went through danger with poise and aplomb. How? He never let fear control him. Is it possible for us to be more like him in this? … Continue reading →

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Prayer in Action (Nehemiah 1:1-2:8)

Posted on November 27, 2022 by salooper57

We don’t know how long Nehemiah had served the king, but it was long enough for the king to notice that something was wrong with him, and he asked him about it. Nehemiah says that the king’s question made him “very much afraid.” Why? Because Nehemiah had resolved to ask the king to send him to rebuild Jerusalem, but it was on the king’s order that the rebuilding of Jerusalem had been halted.

Nehemiah was about to ask a Persian sovereign to do an about face, a 180 degree turn. The request itself might be taken as an insult. Nehemiah could be fired—or worse. He had good reason to be “very much afraid.”

But the God who had prepared Nehemiah had also prepared the king. Continue reading →

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The Golden Rule and the Narrow Gate

Posted on November 24, 2022 by salooper57
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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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