Calvary Church

In this message, we follow along with Jesus at his trial before Pilate in Matthew 27:11-26. Jesus shows us the positive value of silence; that silence truly can be golden. During His trial, we see Jesus is silent because of three things: because he knows his Father, because He submits to his Father’s plan, and because He is committed to his Father’s purpose for him. Speaker: Minister & Lead Pastor...

In this sermon, we read Matthew 26:36-56 depicting Jesus and his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. We get a peek into Jesus’ prayer life in one of his darkest of hours. Through this we see how he shares his big emotions and desires with God the Father in prayer. And ultimately, we learn how Jesus’ example can speak into our own darkest moments. Speaker: Minister & Senior Pastor, Jim Samra Pas...

In this sermon, we read Matthew 26:17-30 which describes Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. Through this text, we discover the important contrast between Judas and Peter. We looked at Jesus’ institution of Communion with a focus on the blood and the cup. There is significance in Jesus telling us to drink his blood, which is poured into us, not out onto the ground. Speaker: Minister & Senior Pa...

This message looks at Matthew 26:14-16 and 27:1-10. In it we see how Judas takes his eyes off Jesus; laying his gaze instead on one of the three Ps of temptation. We see how we should deal with our guilt by looking at how Judas dealt with his. This is an example of how our worship can become disordered. Content Warning: This message mentions death by suicide, as seen with Judas in Matthew 27. Spea...

In this sermon, we read Matthew 26:6-13 about Mary of Bethany's extravagant act of worship. We learn more about the source of Mary's worship, how the disciples responded to witnessing her extravagant act, and about how Jesus affirmed Mary in her worship of him. Speaker: Minister & Lead Pastor, Tom Olsson Passage: Matthew 26:1-13 This was recorded live in Grand Rapids, MI on June 2nd, 2024.

This message comes from Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus’ teaching of the sheep and the goats. Framed with a more positive view of judgement we are drawn deeper in love and knowledge of Jesus through this teaching. Pastor Tom draws upon the image of a courtroom where we see a judge, defendants, evidence, verdict and sentence, to help us better understand our position in this scripture. Speaker: Minister &...

In this Pentecost Sunday message, we look at the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.

In this message, we read and considered Matthew 25:14-30, which is the Parable of the Bags of Gold. We are reminded that God provides us as followers of Jesus with unique abilities and opportunities. We learned that God expects us to use them to serve His kingdom in this world.

In this message we are called to think deeply about what it means to be ready for the second coming of Christ. This is a posture that can be somewhat complicated and scary to consider. However, it doesn’t have to be. Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves in this matter, and through this text you’ll see that Jesus is for us and will help prepare us.

With this message, we are still in Matthew, but taking a detour through Romans 11. We want to better understand what Jesus is saying will happen in the end. And we want to feel God’s heart for the lost people of Israel; to be encouraged that he has chosen to be faithful to them and to those we love even in the midst of their unfaithfulness to him.

In this sermon we read Matthew 24:1-35 and hear Jesus’ words to his disciples about end times. We hear the answer to the disciples two questions: when will the end come and what will happen when it does?

This message looks at Matthew 23 wherein Jesus confronts the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus critiques their culture in three ways that we mirror in our current day through social media, influencers and brand marketing. As we examine these areas, we learn how God would have us not simply avoid culture but engage in it His way.

In this sermon we learn through Matthew 22:41-45 that instead of asking “how do I make the right decisions?” we should be asking “who is making the decisions?” We are reminded that our decision-making should be closely connected to who Jesus is, not only as Savior but, as Lord of all.

This message looks at the resurrection of Jesus as written about in Matthew 28:1-10. As we examine this passage, we learn how we can live without fear of death or fear in life.

In this message, we hear Jesus in Matthew 22:34-40 reiterate the two greatest commandments to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. We also learn that Jesus is more interested in having disciples than he is in having a crowd.

Calvary Church, Grand Rapids, MI Senior Pastor Dr. Jim Samra (616)956-9377

This message looks at Jesus’s response to the Pharisees attempt to trap him, in Matthew 22. As we examine this interaction, Pastor Jim helps us learn about the benefits of tax season when we consider it another opportunity to choose God’s way.

Calvary Church, Grand Rapids, MI Senior Pastor Dr. Jim Samra (616)956-9377

In this sermon, we read Matthew 21:33-46 – the Parable of the Tenants. We learn that God has something to say about current world events through the Bible. And, we are reminded of our need to view current events through a biblical worldview.

This message from Matthew 22:1-14 looks at the parable of the wedding banquet. We see Jesus telling this parable in the context of answering a question about his authority. The parable itself gives us a picture of how God is to rule and reign in this world and in our lives.

This message looks at the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21, teaching us about confession and repentance. Pastor Jim makes five observations to see a simple parable more clearly and answer the question, “which of the two sons are we?”

In this sermon, we witness Jesus teaching on His own authority and our repentance. Pastor Jim explains how these two truths are intertwined as we live out our walk as Christians.

In this message, we read from Matthew 20:17-34. The mother of the sons of Zebedee ask Jesus if her sons can sit at Jesus’ left and right hand. Jesus’ response tells us that there are positions in the Kingdom of God. We then learn what greatness in His kingdom looks like.

In this sermon we are reminded of God’s great generosity. Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time or short while, Jesus gives us a parable in Matthew 20 that fully demonstrates this aspect of God’s character.

In this sermon we walk through Matthew 19:16-30 and hear about Jesus’ exchange with the rich young ruler. Rather than simply answering the rich young ruler’s question: “what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”, we see Jesus emphasize ensuring God is the top priority in our lives.