Calvary BlogSharing our lives. Sharing the journey.

Full partnership: Lord, we agree with you for your purposes, promises, and prophetic words. We want to partner with you. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in usthat which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews ... Read More

Deep intimacy: focusing on the beauty of Jesus One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4). If we want the fires of love to burn within us, we must give ourselves to worship. Setting Jesus in His rightful place, through this expression of love, centers our hearts on the truth. He is our Beloved (Song of Solomon 6:3). He is ... Read More

Remember. Repent. Renew. We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). What better time to pursue the Lord, to remember, repent, and renew our commitment of love toward Him than here, at the beginning of a new year. It is solely by God’s grace and gift of love toward us that we are able to give and express love. Without that gift, we are incapable of loving. We need his help to love Him with our whole heart and to love others. Thankfully, His love is extravagant! He gives it freely. ... Read More

Friends: I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward with anticipation to the New Year. Back on December 8 and 15, I made an important announcement and issued an invitation. We are kicking off the New Year with a 21-Day First Love Fast. You can listen to those sermons by clicking here and here. Your staff and I believe that the Lord is asking us to seek him intentionally as a part of our First Love emphasis. We have been in a season of returning to our First Love. ... Read More

Calvary Family Devotion The Gospel of Luke and the Advent Season December 1 – 24, 2019 During the Christmas season, we want to continue to pursue our First Love. Together, we will seek to connect with the Lord and to hear what God is saying through the Gospel of Luke. We will also read and reflect upon other verses associated with the First and Second Coming of Christ. Our salvation is rooted in the life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and return of the Lord Jesus. In this ... Read More

Over the last number of weeks, we’ve been journeying through the book of Song of Songs. In this beautiful love song we see the beauty, the glory, and the tender leadership of Jesus as he gently, and with divine precision, draws His bride deeper into His heart.  Throughout her transformation from immature love to mature love, we see the Bridegroom-Jesus speaking words of life and affirmation over the bride.  Even though, at times, she stumbled and disobeyed, Jesus’ redemptive ... Read More

We are in a season of responding to the Lord who has called us to return to our first love. Here is a prayer from Brian Simmons to help us express the desire of our hearts to the Lord. Imminent O God-Enthroned in heaven, I worship and adore you! (Psalm 123:1) God, you are enthroned upon my heart. I’m consumed with desire—a longing to touch what is unseen, yet real. So incredibly real. You are the profound truth that guides me and purifies my motives. You absorb my failings and grant me ... Read More

by Russ Gressett In the world system’s economy, and in the study of economic theory in general, one of the first and foundational precepts or laws is this: As income goes up, consumption goes up. This is one of the primary predictions or building blocks proven out over time that modern economic theory counts on to be true. Without that precept operating, the rest of the world system's economic theory would fall apart ... and it would do so at a very high rate of speed. We see this ... Read More

Theology, like art, is never finished. There are at least four ways of loving God. Through his worldThrough his WordThrough his worksThrough his ways You exist for God. So what’s he like? Describing God: Infinite and personalLoving communityTimeless and perfectSuperabundant with life and joySolitude and society God created you to share life with him. Jesus calls us to prepare our lives for mystic, sweet communion with God. Henry Scrougal wrote:   The worth and ... Read More

If you have drifted away from the Lord, diminished in passion, or withdrawn from service, “today, do not harden your hearts...” (Heb. 3:7-8). To harden your heart, you do not have to do anything. Well, there is one thing-- do nothing! Simply allow your heart to lay barren, alone, and uncultivated, and it will harden in the sun of everyday life. God’s Word reminds us to “watch over your heart for from it flow the well springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Sustaining a fresh walk with ... Read More