Calvary Church | Messages

This Christmas, we have focused on the reality that Christ came down. This truth isn’t just to be received, but it calls for a response. Today, we will explore how Jesus, through His prayer, envisions our response to this truth.

Jesus’ own words explain why He came down. Today, we will examine what Jesus meant when He said that He came to give His life as a ransom.

This year, we turn our attention from the “what” of Christmas to the “why.” Why did Christ come down to earth? Ironically, Jesus most clearly explained the reason for His birth just before He died.

This time of year, we focus on the events surrounding the birth of Jesus: Mary and Joseph anticipating, angels proclaiming, shepherds glorifying, and wise men worshiping. But, this year we turn our attention from the “what” of Christmas to the “why.” Why did Christ come down to earth? Let’s look to the very words of Jesus to find our answer.

In different ways and at different times, we all have experienced deep suffering and real loss. Yet, the apostle Peter encourages true believers to continually worship and exalt God, even through the trials of life. Come and see the reasons for Peter’s radical and counterintuitive expectation: we replace our sorrow with joy. 

Jesus closes His sermon the way any good sermon should end—with application. Through a metaphor not easily forgotten, Jesus tells us that hearing is not enough. To live our lives as faithful followers of Jesus, we need to hear and do.

In the last several weeks of the series, Jesus has provided a blueprint for the life God desires for His followers. Today, as He nears the sermon's conclusion, Jesus challenges us to commit to the narrow path of life – through Him – and warns us to beware in discerning those who attempt to lead us astray.

Jesus helps us understand how to help others when they have issues in their lives (specks) by first looking at the issues in our own lives (logs). Doing so requires wisdom from above, so Jesus invites us to persistently ask, seek, and knock, knowing our Heavenly Father will answer.

Jesus continues to help citizens of His kingdom know how to fully follow Him. In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, He addresses our worry by helping us see it is directly connected to what we prioritize.

Having already called us to examine our horizontal relationships with others, Jesus now calls us to reflect on our vertical relationship with God. Jesus commands us to examine the motivations behind our spiritual habits through a warning, an expectation, and a model. 

Jesus lists the characteristics of a disciple in the beatitudes. He then tells them they are a positive influence, salt and light, to this world who is set on persecuting them. In the rest of chapter 5, He encourages us to make sure our pure hearts are motivating our behavior.

In our series so far, Jesus has focused on the characteristics of a disciple, as outlined in the beatitudes, and emphasized the call to be influencers by living as salt and light. Today, we start exploring the defining standards of Jesus’ disciples, beginning with a life in pursuit of reconciliation.

Jesus lists the characteristics of a disciple in the beatitudes, and explains that they will be persecuted if they live that way. He then goes on to tell them that they are a positive influence – salt and light – to this world that is set on persecuting them.

As Jesus begins His teaching on what it means to be a citizen of His Kingdom, He starts with character, not conduct. Before unpacking how we should behave, He directs us toward our dependence upon God.

The Sermon on the Mount may be the best known of Jesus’ teaching, but it’s also quite possibly the least understood. Straightforward, practical, and countercultural, this text records Jesus’ description of the ordering of relationships and the expected behavior of a disciple. As we prepare to jump in verse-by-verse next week, let’s better understand the characteristics of Jesus’ most beloved sermo...

Today, we conclude our series by considering God's invitation to an ongoing journey focused on the Word, worship, and prayer. These elements, pursued individually and together as a church, transform us as we relate with God, enabling us to effectively engage the world around us.

We are good at forgetting, so God gives us physical, tangible reminders to help us remember who we are in Christ and what He has done on our behalf. Baptism is a one-time picture of our identification with Christ and His body. Communion is an ongoing opportunity to give thanks, remember, and proclaim the Lord’s death.

As we continue looking at what we do both AT and AS Calvary Church for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of the one, we understand God has entrusted us to steward our influence with others, both in and outside of His Church.

As we continue to look at what we do at Calvary Church, and as individuals, for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of the one, we all must understand that ownership is a myth, and embrace the reality of stewardship with everything God has entrusted to us. 

Today, we begin a new series which will launch us into our fall ministry here at Calvary Church. We will first understand what the gospel is, and then talk specifically about all we do for the sake of the gospel, both AT and AS Calvary Church.

Today, we will look at our value of going into God’s world. We want to consider how we go against our inward bent of living a me-centered life and grow in living sent (John 20:21). 

In this series, we've explored Calvary’s values and how God invites us to pursue life in Christ together by growing up. Today, we'll focus on the invitation to invest in God's work, and consider how to use everything He's given us as stewards and servants for His glory.

Today, we will look at our value of growing with God’s people. We want to consider how our relationships, grounded on pursuing life in Christ together, are essential to growing up.

Growing up is universal, but an increase in age does not ensure further wisdom and maturity. This morning we are encouraged to commit ourselves to spiritual transformation by living God’s Word as we Pursue Life in Christ together.