Category Archives: Theology

Celebrating Hope at Easter

Posted on April 16, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: approximately 4 minutes.) The first time I heard the quote (attributed to Dr. Johnson), “Men live in hope, die in despair,” I was not in English class but in the Student Union. I was playing ping-pong with my … Continue reading →

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Daniel 7 (Biblical Theology Class #13)

Posted on April 10, 2022 by salooper57

Some people stop reading the Book of Daniel after the first 6 chapters. They love the stories, but the weird prophecies that start in chapter 7 seem impenetrable. Other people race over the first 6 chapters in order to delve … Continue reading →

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Death: Its Denial and Defeat

Posted on April 9, 2022 by salooper57

In 2013, Google launched “Calico,” a company headed by Arthur Levinson, whose goal is “to solve death.” The biotech company hopes to use technology to combat aging and, in Time Magazine’s words, “defeat death itself.” Google is not the only … Continue reading →

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The Coming of the Spirit: An Essential Part of Salvation (Wide Angle)

Posted on April 7, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 4-5 minutes) Today we’ll use our wide-angle lens to focus on the strange events that took place on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost during the same year that Jesus was crucified and resurrected.  The word Pentecost is a … Continue reading →

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What Was He Thinking? (Jesus on Death – John 11)

Posted on April 4, 2022 by salooper57

(Excerpt) Have you ever asked, “What was he thinking?” Or perhaps said, “I don’t know what I was thinking.” We ask these questions because something has been done that should not have been done, but the question is just as … Continue reading →

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Biblical Theology Class 12: Isaiah 53 (Where Law Meets Gospel)

Posted on April 3, 2022 by salooper57

Isaiah 53 is where Law meets Gospel. The Law spoke of covenant and sacrifice, including the festival sacrifices of the Passover and Day of Atonement. In Isaiah 53, these separate streams of covenant, Passover, and the Day of Atonement flow … Continue reading →

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A Different Way to Read the Bible

Posted on April 2, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: approximately 3-4 minutes) My family started reading the Bible together when I was in middle school. Hearing my dad read the Bible was a new and unexpected experience, one that left a lasting mark on me. We started … Continue reading →

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The Continuing Presence of Jesus (Wide Angle: Acts 1)

Posted on March 31, 2022 by salooper57

How must they have felt as they walked back to the city? What did they talk about? There was something final about Jesus’s departure. They probably understood that they had entered a new phase of life, but how were they to live it? “Witnesses to the ends of the earth”—how were they to do that? What would it look like?

As they walked back to their accommodations in Jerusalem, they had no clue about how to answer those questions. The future was a blank. They didn’t know what their lives were going to look like. All they had was Jesus’ instruction. Continue reading →

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Resistance Is Not Futile: How to Resist the Devil (1 Peter 5:5-11)

Posted on March 28, 2022 by salooper57

Both Saints James and Peter tell us to resist the devil. How does one do that? 1 Peter 5:5-11 gives us a quick-start guide. This sermon is for those who have joined the Resistance.

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The Psalms: Biblical Theology Class #11

Posted on March 24, 2022 by salooper57

The Psalms: the role they play in worship, personal devotion, and the attainment of wisdom. This class looks at how the psalms have been used by believers through the years and gives today’s believers ideas for benefitting from the Psalms … Continue reading →

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