Calvary Church Podcast

Everything happens for a reason. Albert Einstein said that “Coincidence is just God’s way of remaining anonymous.” Proverbs 16:33 says “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”  If we were honest though, we don’t really live like that. We think we just happen to be here or in that job or living in that neighborhood or raising that family, rather than seeing our uniqu...

Special Guest speaker Sammy Rodriguez Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱 CalvaryChurchCLW <- Youtube 📹

Special message from Pastor David Rice Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱 CalvaryChurchCLW <- Youtube 📹

What does it mean to be the body of Christ in this culture? A culture that is coming apart needs to see a church that is coming together. Our culture is coming apart. People seem more divided than perhaps at any time, even during the Civil War of the 1800’s. These political and sociological divisions are impacting our churches and sadly some churches seem as divided as the culture.  Stories of peo...

One of the greatest comeback stories in the entire Bible is the story of Simon Peter. Few people have every failed so miserably at a critical moment and on so grand a stage as Peter did.  His boast...his failure...but everything changed when Jesus rose from the dead and Peter would learn what every one of us needs to learn, failure is not final as long as there is faith in God. Support the show Fi...

The book of Acts describes how the Spirit of God empowers, energizes and literally expands the church. The only Gentile Bible writer, Luke, who also gave us our third gospel, wrote Acts, which covers a period of about thirty years: early 30’s to early 60’s. Luke wrote in part to commend Christianity to the Roman world. He also made it clear to the Jewish people that the gospel was not their exclus...

What is Critical Race Theory and why are so many people talking about it? In this episode of the Ricecast, we talk about Critical Race Theory - its definition, its shortcomings, and how we should interact with those that support it.  Pastor Willy's Sermon from the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting: Transcript Link to watch Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calv...

“Where is Jesus?”, is a question that, if we’re honest, just about everyone asks when they experience something like this. If you’re not a Christian, this question is a big reason why you aren’t a Christian. Where is God at in this world? Thankfully, it’s a question that some people asked Jesus to his face in the first century. In fact, it takes us to an interaction between Jesus and two sisters w...

One week before Pastor Willy delivers the Convention Sermon at this year's annual meeting, we discuss the history, the controversy, and the importance of the Southern Baptist Convention. Watch Pastor Willy's Convention Sermon at sbc.net Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱 CalvaryChurchCLW <- Youtube 📹

What do you do when you’ve lost your treasure? What do you do when an enemy, especially a spiritual one, has ransacked your home and your love, your children, your future? What do you do when you feel like life has taken your joy away? Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱 CalvaryChurchCLW <- Youtube 📹

Is a revival even possible at this point, in our context? If it is, do we really want it? In this episode of the Ricecast, we dive into the meaning of the word "revival", what might be preventing it, and why we should continue to pray for it. Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱 CalvaryChurchCLW <- Youtube 📹

We have come through a challenging season as a country and as a church. It is time for a comeback. But the comeback we really need is not a return to normal but a return to something supernatural. We need to return to God. We need what the old folks called revival.  We find such a revival in the history of the Jewish people recorded in the book of 2 Chronicles 30. It took place under a king named...

What is a blessing? Is it a car? Is it a family? Is it a Tampa Bay Lightning closeout win against the Florida Panthers? Is it anything I post and tag #blessed? We tackle these questions as well as the intricacies of professional wrestling in this episode of the Ricecast. Last week's sermon Contact for more information - arusso@calvary.us Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website...

#blessed. We’ve all seen it on social media. A person as traveling in an exotic locale, dining at an exclusive restaurant, staying at an luxurious resort, or showing off their new digs, and they sign off #blessed. We all look with a sense of envy and admiration and privately long for the blessing ourselves. Who doesn’t want to be blessed? Every person wants the blessing. Every person wants a bless...

Now, this is not the end.  It is not even the beginning of the end.  But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. - Winston Churchill As we prepare to honor the class of 2021 graduates this weekend in our Worship Services, we look at the future they are heading towards. What is concerning? What is exciting? Why is there a reason to hope? Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Ca...

True religion isn’t just hearing God’s word but responding to His word demonstrated by a life of action Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱 CalvaryChurchCLW <- Youtube 📹

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.  In this episode, we talk about Saddleback Church's decision to ordain women as pastors, and the appropriate way to behave towards people who think, act, or believe differently than we do.  Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱 CalvaryChurchCLW <- Youtube 📹

The story of Ruth is the story of a comeback. Naomi came back to Bethlehem, but that we just the start. God had a plan and a purpose and the comeback to Bethlehem was just the start of one of the greatest comebacks in history.   In the book of Ruth we see 3 steps to a spiritual comeback and a future redeemed by God’s grace. Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <-...

Nobody can tell me what to do...more than a denial of absolute truth; this fierce independence is an assertion of personal autonomy. I am my own ultimate authority and the highest good and the most admirable life is that one that is independent of outside control. I am the boss of me. The modern assumption of life is that no one has the right to tell me what to do. True happiness and real freedom...

Identity is who you are at the core of your being. It’s what defines you intrinsically, at the deepest level. Tim Keller says your identity is “something sustained that is true of you in every setting.”  We all have an identity, but the question is, ‘where do we get our identity from?’ Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <- Website 💻 Calvary.us <- Instagram 📱 CalvaryChurchCLW <- You...

As part of our "Question Your Answers" sermon series, we will be tackling some of your faith questions here on the podcast. You can send your questions in through our Facebook , Instagram (@calvary.us), or email them to arusso@calvary.us.  Today we tackle these questions: What are your thoughts on re-dedication/re-baptism?  If God has already predetermined who will be saved, why do we ev...

The problem with living by the ethic of “whatever makes me happy” is that you will end up living a very selfish life and in the end that will not lead to great happiness. Jesus invites us to question our answers. Instead of doing whatever makes us happy, He calls us to see our great need for God and to seek God’s help. He calls us to manifest God character in our relationships with others. It is i...

The idea of truth is the main issue of our day and in reality it is the issue of every age. What is truth? How do I know the truth? And today people are wondering, “Is there even such as thing as truth?   Jesus was being questioned about His truth claims. He was, after all, making some pretty extraordinary claims, so we would expect some hard questions. Support the show Find us at! Calvary.us <...

As part of our "Question Your Answers" sermon series, we will be tackling your questions on the podcast over the next several weeks. You can send your questions in through our Facebook or Instagram (@calvary.us).  Today we tackle this question: "I've been a Christian my whole life. I made Christianity my own faith rather than my parent's faith at 12. That being said, I hav...

The big question of all questions really is “How can I know God?” If one presupposes that there is a God, like the Bible describes, one who created everything that exists, who exists as an eternal all-powerful being without beginning or end, and who will in the end judge us and rule over the universes, if one presupposes any part of that, then knowing this God, having peace with this God, becomes...