Category Archives: Theology

The Dehumanizing Sin of Greed

Posted on April 27, 2024 by salooper57

In the fifteenth century, the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella financially backed Christopher Columbus’ expedition, provided him ships to sail, and paid crews to man them. They were motivated, at least in part, by profits. Columbus’s voyage across the Atlantic … Continue reading →

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Talking About the Problem of Prayer Is a Problem

Posted on April 20, 2024 by salooper57

Pastors and Christian authors frequently speak and write about “the problem of prayer,” as if its problem was singular and well-defined. Prayer has many problems. It is not just the problem of unanswered prayer, but of answered prayer: why was … Continue reading →

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Hope Wins in the Battle of Worldviews

Posted on April 6, 2024 by salooper57

The battle for worldviews – religious, atheistic, and materialistic – is nothing new. Today, it is dominated by monotheistic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, along with materialistic atheism, and the postmodern rejection of absolute truth. In the first century, … Continue reading →

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Believing in Jesus: Not “For Once and for All,” but “For Once and for Always”

Posted on March 19, 2024 by salooper57

I preached this as a candidate for the pastoral ministry at California Road Missionary Church – my first time preaching a candidate’s sermon in 35 years! You can read the sermon below, or you can watch it on Cal Road’s … Continue reading →

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Whether Science or Theology, the Proof Is in the Pudding

Posted on March 9, 2024 by salooper57

Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, engaged in a decades-long disagreement over the nature of physical reality, and particularly over quantum mechanics. Einstein rejected Bohr’s idea of quantum entanglement as “spooky action … Continue reading →

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How to Tell People That a Friend Has Died

Posted on February 17, 2024 by salooper57

What is the appropriate way of letting people know that an acquaintance or friend has died? This can be a real problem. As a pastor for many years, it was too often my duty to announce to the congregation the … Continue reading →

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Should This Story Be in the Bible?

Posted on February 10, 2024 by salooper57

Why is it that some Bibles, including most modern translations, leave out John 7:53-8:11, the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery? If the events in this story did not actually take place, why did the King … Continue reading →

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The Roots of Christian Differences on Moral Issues

Posted on February 4, 2024 by salooper57

A wide variety of stances exists among self-professed Christians regarding the ethical and moral issues of our time, even though most of them Christians would agree that the Bible is an authoritative source for instruction on the virtuous life. How … Continue reading →

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From Caricatures to Hope: The Doctrine of Judgment

Posted on January 27, 2024 by salooper57

Judgment is the missing doctrine of the twenty-first century church. In the 1960s, TV shows and comedy skits would sometimes portray a deranged man with a long beard and a white robe declaring “The End Is Near,” or some other … Continue reading →

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Live Meaningfully in the Present by Learning from the Past

Posted on January 6, 2024 by salooper57

The biblical stories of saints and sinners are endlessly instructive for people wanting to live meaningful lives in the present, but there is a risk that we will miss what they have to teach us. The danger is that we … Continue reading →

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