Bible Teaching from Andrew Calamaro

We live in a temporal world. But one thing is certain: the return of Jesus. He told His disciples that His coming will part the sky and every eye will see Him (Matt. 24:30-31). Human history is headed somewhere, and every day is one day closer to Christ’s return. This week we’ll discover that believers can live with confidence knowing that God’s kingdom is eternal. ESV passage Daniel 7:1-14

One of the benefits of walking with God for many years is seeing firsthand how He can be trusted and that the Bible is right about everything. The Bible is right about money, true contentment, sex and marriage, leadership, relationships, and so much more. Long-term believers who live by God’s principles see them validated again and again. In what areas of life do you find it most difficult to trus...

Pride is such an ugly word. We may even characterize ourselves as self-confident to avoid thinking of ourselves as prideful. Many of us live life as though we are the ones in control of what happens. Eventually, something will happen in life that causes us to wonder if we are really in charge. Believers must be careful to honor God in all things. Join us this week as we see King Nebuchadnezzar lea...

People declare their allegiance to many things—their jobs, families, or their favorite sports teams. However, God’s call to His children to demonstrate ultimate allegiance to Him far surpasses any other commitments we have. ESV passage Daniel 3:1-26

Daniel arrived in 605 BC as part of King Nebuchadnezzar’s first deportation of Jewish citizens. He wrote to encourage believers of his own generation and future generations. As we begin our study of the Book of Daniel this week, we’ll discover that believers can live with integrity when tempted to compromise. ESV passage Daniel 1:1-21

God brings life to His people, and we’ll see this clearly as we study Ezekiel 37 together. ESV passage Ezekiel 37:1-14

Aesop’s tale of a race between the tortoise and the hare—the persistent turtle beating the overconfident rabbit—often gets repeated in real life. The phenomenon is part of being human; we celebrate ourselves and, in the process, we lose sight of the goal. Ezekiel addressed a confident king who was counting his victories. Yet this proud king ultimately would fall. This week we’ll study the importan...

Most of us have seen a number pop up on our phone and ignored it. We may ignore the call not because we don’t recognize the number but because we do recognize it. Maybe we respond with a text message instead. We answer, but not the way the caller wanted us to. The caller may get frustrated, but we have our reasons for not responding. Ezekiel tells about some leaders approaching God expecting Him t...

We can do more harm than good by creating a false reality in the name of hope. This can also happen when we cross the line between hope and wishing or if we confuse those two things. The Bible describes hope as a confident assurance based on God’s promises. Those promises can be trusted because they originate with the One who is truth Himself. God offers hope in the midst of judgment to those who...

In 597 BC, during the second siege of Judah, the Babylonians took exiles from Judah. Ezekiel was among those seized and sent to Babylon. Even though His people were dispersed, the Lord would not forsake them. He used Ezekiel to let the people of Israel know He was not finished with them. ESV passage 3:1-21.

Christ changes people. He takes timid fishermen and makes them into courageous leaders. He takes critics and makes them into apostles. He takes what was once useless and makes it useful for His kingdom. That’s why the apostle Paul encouraged his friend, Philemon, to accept God’s transformative work in the life of a wayward servant named Onesimus. Such an act of acceptance would prove the gospel’s...

God wired us to relate to one another. We do life together as families, friends, and coworkers. So it’s no surprise that when Paul addressed practical Christian living, he spent a lot of time talking about our relationships. When we’re properly connected to God, the gospel transforms our connections with everyone else. This gives the lost world around us something to think about. ESV Passage Colos...

Most of us choose what we wear with purpose. We may pick an outfit that sets us apart or helps us blend in. Sometimes, what we choose to wear may make it harder for others to see Jesus in us. Paul challenged the Colossians to get rid of anything that distorted the image of Christ in their lives. We need to provide an accurate reflection of our Savior as well. Believers are to reflect Christlike ch...

History tells us of soldiers who continued to stand guard after a war had been settled and treaties signed. Some ignored messages about treaties and others simply were never told. They were fighting for something already settled. Some of the Colossian believers were fighting a war already settled as well. False teachers were trying to convince them they needed more than faith in Jesus to have a tr...

How do people try to deal with their sin apart from Jesus? God makes forgiveness abundantly available, but we must be looking in the right place. More specifically, we must be looking to the right person—Jesus. In Colossians 2:4-15, we learn that forgiveness of sin is found only through faith in Jesus. ESV passage Colossians 2:4-15.

This week we’re going to begin our study of Colossians by discussing the truth that the power of the gospel frees us from sin and Satan’s control. ESV passage Colossians 1:9-23

Imagine these two scenes. The first is of a mountain lake away from all the hustle and bustle. The motionless water acts like a mirror, reflecting the beauty and quiet of the moment. In the second scene, a bird calmly sits on her nest built in a small opening in a rock. Her nest is hidden by a raging waterfall with a storm approaching in the horizon. In both scenes, we find peace. God is present i...

In Philippians 3:8-21 we discover that believers gain joy through knowing Jesus and living in obedience to Him

Sometimes we see genuine humility as the enemy of joy. To be humble, we think we must consider ourselves unworthy and therefore not able to enjoy life. But Jesus was humble and joyful. For Jesus, humility was not about feeling inferior; He made some rather lofty claims about Himself. Rather, His humility was more a matter of putting others and their needs above of His own. ESV Passage Philippians...

Christians in some areas of our world face constant pressure. Intimidation, mob beatings, and government censure are just a few of the difficulties faced. These difficulties seem to encourage and not discourage believers, nor do they keep the gospel from spreading. These believers seem to have a greater focus, just like the focus of an athlete trying to improve or train for a sport. But unlike man...

This week we begin our study of the Book of Philippians. We know that friends who will pray for us are treasured. Their prayers encourage, direct, and challenge us in our spiritual lives. Their prayers create an unbreakable bond with prayer being one way of communicating love for another person. Paul had forged a special relationship with the believers in Philippi, and that relationship grew throu...

The wise person fears and obeys God. ESV passage Ecclesiastes 12:1-14.

The wise person gratefully lives all the days he or she is granted. ESV passage Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

The wise person realizes God offers wisdom to the imperfect. ESV passage Ecclesiastes 7:11-22

The wise person heeds the warnings gained from past mistakes & godly counselors. ESV passages Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 & 5:1-7