Category Archives: Spiritual life

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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How to See the World Differently

Posted on August 20, 2022 by salooper57

I am currently co-teaching a class titled, “Following Christ Today.” Some may consider the “Today” in the title unnecessary for surely following Christ was not much different yesterday than it is today. They would be right in thinking that the … Continue reading →

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Following Christ Today (1): The Smartest Man Who Ever Lived

Posted on August 17, 2022 by salooper57

Kevin Looper and I have begun a class on real discipleship in the 21st century – what it looks like and what it takes. This introductory class reveals what we must believe about Jesus to actually follow him. (The video … Continue reading →

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Prayer: Where the Battle Is Won

Posted on August 8, 2022 by salooper57

I don’t think I’ve ever begun a sermon with a quote from The Art of War before, but I did this one. Sun Tzu said, “Every battle is won before it is ever fought.” Jesus proved it true through life … Continue reading →

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The Key to Knowing Oneself

Posted on August 6, 2022 by salooper57

The biblical writer cannot understand why God is interested in humans. Indeed, God goes beyond showing interest; he positively cares for them. In our era of self-worship, this seems an odd question. Why would God not care for humans, who are so intelligent, noble, and good? Continue reading →

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Abortion Is an Important, but not an Ultimate, Issue

Posted on July 23, 2022 by salooper57

With humans displaced from God (and, therefore, from each other), secondary errors are unavoidable. In the absence of God, humans invest penultimate things – many good and necessary in themselves – with ultimate standing, to their own detriment. As G. K. Chesterton noted long ago, “When a man stops believing in God, he doesn’t then believe in nothing; he believes anything.” Continue reading →

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The Prayer We Repeat Over and Over

Posted on July 9, 2022 by salooper57

In the church circles in which I have moved, and lived, and had my being, people sometimes speak of “a life of prayer.” They have in mind a person who prays more frequently than others. But beyond a life of … Continue reading →

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Is Christian Lifestyle Instruction Odd?

Posted on June 21, 2022 by salooper57

It is easy to forget how odd some of the things serious Christians say and do must seem to people who are not familiar with the faith. I suspect there are times when people think Christians must be from another … Continue reading →

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