Tag Archives: Pentecost

Where Do You See Yourself in the Good Samaritan Story?

Posted on June 7, 2025 by salooper57

…people who write Bible studies like to ask questions like, “Where do you see yourself in this story? Are you most like the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan?”
I think they should add, “Or are you most like the expert in the law?” Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Faith, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Gift of the Spirit (Acts 2)

Posted on May 29, 2024 by salooper57

I have been trying to figure out how to capture video from our streaming service so that I could post only the sermon on my blog. Two requests for help have gone unanswered to date. So, if any of you … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Sermons, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Why Coming Near God Is Both Risky and Redemptive

Posted on April 8, 2023 by salooper57

People sometimes ask, “Why doesn’t God just show himself? Why doesn’t he come near?” In the Scripture, God promises to come near, but that coming near is always a kind of judgment. The presence of God is a spotlight, revealing … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Peace with God, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Baptism of the Spirit (Wide Angle)

Posted on May 11, 2022 by salooper57

Reading time: Approximately two minutes. There are some things in Acts 2, regarding the coming of the Spirit, which we would do well to note. The first is the meaning of the word baptism as it is applied to what … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church, Church Life, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Holy Spirit and the Church (Wide Angle)

Posted on May 5, 2022 by salooper57

The Catholic Church has created a great deal of controversy, but is surely right, when it says, “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus – “Outside the Church there is no salvation.” That is because no one outside the church is inside Christ. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church Life, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

“What Does This Mean?” The Gift of the Spirit (Wide Angle: Acts 2)

Posted on April 17, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: approximately 3 minutes.) In Acts 2, St. Luke tells us that the sound of a mighty wind came from heaven and filled the house where Jesus followers were staying. What looked like “tongues of fire” separated and rested … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Spiritual life, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment