Calvary Baltimore Weekly Sermons

We need to trust and prioritize the authority of Christ above our own feelings, and learn to depend entirely upon his will. In walking on water, Jesus is demonstrating he is God; he also identifies himself as the "I Am" of the scriptures.  Mark seems to have been a scribe for Peter; Peter taught (mainly to a Roman audience) and Mark recorded it. The Romans likely would have understood the referenc...

After feeding the 5,0000, Jesus sends the apostles away and deals with the crowd himself. He didn't want the apostles to get swept up in what the crowd wanted from him (a political / military savior). He is our King, not a puppet of the people's agendas! As Jesus walks on water to rescue the apostles, we see that the only reason we make it through the rough seas is because Christ comes for his peo...

The focal point of Psalm 3 is David's confidence and trust in the Lord. He's on the run, likely from Absalom in this case. He's accused of not being a believer; his enemies are trying to discredit him. This forces them to discredit the prophet Nathan and the very office of prophet, discredit David's Psalms and the miracles God worked through him. To tear apart David, they have to tear apart all th...

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is indicative of growing hostility towards Christians today. This conflict is not primarily political but spiritual, a battle between good and evil. We must respond to hatred and violence with Christ-like love, patience, and steadfastness, while also warning of God's judgment on those who rejoice in evil. The only solution to this growing darkness is to shine bri...

God's timing is perfect, and we must always be ready to share our faith. When we're willing to step out in faith, he can use us, ordinary people, to accomplish the extraordinary! Philip's obedience to the Holy Spirit led to a divine appointment. The story of the Ethiopian eunuch shows us how God orchestrates encounters, bringing together those seeking truth with those prepared to share it.

If someone has betrayed you or deeply wronged you, there cannot be no real restoration until there's true repentance. verse 5: we must offer right sacrifices... Romans 12:1: we are as living sacrifices; we die to self and live for Christ. verses 6-7: David has more joy than that of the wicked when their grain and wine are plentiful. Deuteronomy 28... having an abundance of grain and wine was a sym...

If you've accepted Jesus as the atonement for your sins, God's grace is with you, and his face shines upon you! We will glow in heaven because we'll be covered with the light of God's face. Those who have trusted in Jesus as their only hope will worship him face to face, in his presence! His face will shine on us for eternity. The New Jerusalem will be built like a temple but without walls, no bar...

In Psalm 4, David is on the run, fleeing from his rebellious son Absalom. It's nighttime, and his mind is flooded with worries. He cries out to God for help. He's in a tight space (similar to Ps23, in the valley of the shadow of death), and God enlarges it for him, leads him through. The trap is to think our situation will never get better... we should do as David, and think of all the tight place...

We should be training in spiritual disciplines the way athletes train for their sport. Self-control, hospitality, uprightness. To pursue living righteously, we need the Holy Spirit. Be angry and don't sin. Anger is inevitable, but you can control how you respond. Wait before lashing out. As we're conformed to the son, our anger will lead less and less to sin. Jesus himself felt anger, indignation....

Zeal for Christ can quickly become zeal for works and legalism, leading to a lack of joy, and ultimately disconnection from God. Joy must be part of the Christian life! John 15, "...that your joy may be full." Romans 15:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy." In Galatians 5:22, joy is a fruit of the spirit. The ones objecting to Jesus' joyful feasting were the Pharisees. But when the apos...

Like the child who offered five loaves of bread and two fish to feed a starving crowd of 5000, we can offer our meager gifts to God and trust in his provision, because he provides abundantly for his people! As we work for his Kingdom, we must keep a balance between zealous service and restful celebration. There's significance to the numbers recorded in the feeding of the 5000, revealing the idea t...

This B-Side returns to the death of John the Baptist, taught in Sunday service on July 6th (linked here: subspla.sh/xxq2qhc )... We're sent out into the world to be known, so God's mighty works can be known. Not so everyone can see how great we are, but to point them to the goodness of God! Herod arrested John because his wife hated him, but also for power and political benefit. Herod and Herodias...

The good shepherd referred to back in Psalm 23 is Jesus... he is our Shepherd and King! We were designed to need a shepherd, to worship something, so we all follow some religion, be it politics, self-reliance, atheism. But the only worthy object of our worship is Jesus! The Good Shepherd lays down his own life for his sheep. He's always kind, faithful, compassionate. He appoints "under-shepherds,"...

When Jesus confronts his arresters in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see his power and his sacrificial love. He is the 'I Am,' able to knock an entire army to the ground with just a glimpse of His divine glory. He's the Good Shepherd, stepping forward to protect his flock, willingly offering himself in place of his disciples. Like the olive in an olive press, he was 'pressed' for our sake, allowing...

Hebrews was a sermon, probably by Paul, but its authorship is uncertain; could be Barnabas, Apollos or others. It's likely a transcription of a sermon written to a Messianic church.  Here the writer simplifies the gospel, as if for children. Know your audience! Adults need meat, but babies need milk; the simple, basic things bear repeating for them. They haven't yet grown into the knowledge of the...

Christians are to be always learning, growing, and desiring to grow. Come as you are! But don't stay as you are. We must grow daily in our faith, and in our skill in the scriptures. Christian maturity teaches us the balance in moral issues. We should be moving toward purity, toward Christ, but we must avoid the temptation of legalism, creating rules where God doesn't. A mature Christian recognizes...

Our God is the God who speaks to us, the God who sings to us, and the God who marries us. He's artistic and communicative by nature: he speaks creation into existence, and his communication continues with humanity. His creation is an artistic expression of his character and wisdom. Though mankind fell in Eden, he continues to pursue us, and redeems us with Christ's sacrifice on the cross! The Trin...

Sin begets sin: one sin leads to another and they compound. John the Baptist spoke truth to Herod and Herodias, which impressed Herod, but angered Herodias; some people are attracted to the Holy Spirit, but some are repelled. When Herod, weakened by fleshly desire for Herodias' daughter, offered her anything she wanted, Herodias used the opportunity to have John the Baptist killed. And so Herod's...

The term "apostle" is a special designation for someone to whom Jesus gave authority to teach on his behalf, even to write Scripture itself. Today we have bishops, presbyters, pastors, deacons and other offices, but the apostolic age ended with the twelve apostles.  When the apostles stayed in a home, regardless of its comfort level, they were to stay there to be a blessing to that family. If the...

God called the apostles, and he equipped them; he will equip you for your calling as well. He brings us through the valleys to teach us not to fear. He sent his son to save the world, and that requires not acceptance of the world's sin, but repentance from it. So we must tell the truth in love, remaining faithful to God's message!

The people of Nazareth grew up with Jesus, so he was familiar to them; they didn't see him as any big deal. In our lives, we may know people who grew up knowing about Jesus and are very familiar with him, but who've never fully handed their lives over to him. Being near Jesus and knowing some things about him is not the same as believing in him. It's not enough; we must trust and believe! We must...

When Jesus returned to his hometown, he was not valued as he should have been. He made no great outpouring of mighty works there, as the Holy Spirit hadn't opened the hearts of the people. As believers with discernment, we are to honor and glorify, value and acknowledge our God. Praise him and make him known! You were bought with a price: the blood of our Savior. So shine on his behalf, live faith...

Jesus is the source of light and life; he chases away the darkness of sin. He is the physical embodiment of God's Word, present from creation, bringing light and life to believers. We're called to live confidently as children of the light of Christ!

Joseph's brothers were jealous of their father's favoritism toward him, and left him to die, causing him to be sold into Egyptian slavery. After correctly interpreting Pharaoh's dream, he rose to second in command of Egypt. Years later, Joseph invited his estranged brothers for dinner and concocted a scenario that ultimately proved to him that his brothers had changed their ways: one brother, Juda...

Effective prayer begins with a life of walking the path of Christ. The prayer itself must be real, from your heart, not just giving lip service, or repeating canned prayers without meaning. With the Holy Spirit's leading, and because of the work of the Son, we pray with confidence directly to God the Father, in fear and awe of his holiness and authority, asking for what our hearts desire, but in...