More Than Bread

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For 1000's of years Satan has been thumming his nose at God, rejecting and ridiculing the wisdom and the grace of God. But when the grace of God flows (to us and through us) the wisdom of God is made known. Grace has a Cosmic effect. The importance of the church is that it's not just a place where worship services take place, it's a people through whom the purposes of God are fufilled.

In the heavenly places, where heaven meets earth, we become the "see I told you" of G...

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You have a seat at the table, in the heavenlies, with Christ. We've all heard that phrase before, "a seat at the table." We're looking for a seat at the table. When it's used in an organization, it's about having a place, having a voice. Usually when we say we want a seat at the table, it's because we feel we deserve a part; we deserve to be heard, to lead. We want a seat at the table. This is not that kind of seat. This is not the kind of seat...

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Ephesians 2 is a tough passage of scripture. But it also contains one of the greatest transformation stories of all time. I was a nobody. I was dead, doomed and  damned -- but God --. 

Oh, how I love those two words, "but God." Later on you should circle those words, highlight them, underline them in your Bible.  "I was dead, doomed and damned but God, is so rich in mercy. Those words are the turning point of my story and yours. They mark the point where God turned my story int...

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I love what Paul Miller writes in his book, "A Praying Life." He writes, "If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life. You'll always be a little too tired, a little too busy. But, if like Jesus you realize you can't do life on your own, then no matter how busy, no matter how tired
you are, you will find the time to pray." In other words, if I know I need help, I will pray. And perhaps...

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How well do I know God? If there was one and only one question we should ask ourselves as we start a new year...it would be, "How well do I know him?" Jesus once was overheard praying, he said, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3) How well do I know God? Moses spoke with God like a man does with his friend, and yet he cried out to know more of God. Paul said, nothing matters...

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In his book "The Prayer of Jabez" Bruce Wilkinson writes, "To bless in the Biblical sense means to ask for or to impart supernatural favor.  When we ask for God's Blessing, we're not asking for more of what we could get for ourselves. We're crying out for the wonderful, unlimited goodness that only God has the power to give us." 

I think the problem is that somewhere along the way, we quit believing that God's blessing matters, or maybe we quit believing that God really wants to bless us. But le...

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In this episode, you will hear Jesus ask a question, that on first hearing, you may be tempted to think, "That's the dumbest question I've ever heard." He walks up to one broken man lying in the midst of hundreds of broken people. They're all laying around a pool because of a legend that when the pool bubbled, the first one in would be healed. Jesus walks up to this man who has laid poolside for over three decades and Jesus asks, "Do you want to be made well?"

But...

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In Malachi 3, I believe Malachi, or rather God through Malachi, is trying to tell us that generosity ushers in heaven on earth, that generous people are the people who unwrap heaven.  So in this episode I'll dare you to take a NY's dare to be more generous than you ever thought possible. And actually it's not my dare.  It's God's.  "I dare you to test me." God says. "I dare you to try to outgive me. Care for the poor in your midst and in your circle.  See if I will not open...

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There is a light that shines in the darkness and in the end, Christmas wins. In the days after Christmas there there’s still darkness and we will still need light. We need the light of hope for the darkness of difficulty. Difficulty didn't take a break over the holidays. We need the light of hope. We need the light of generosity for the darkness of selfishness.  Christmas scratches the itch of grace deep within us. It gives us a chance to counteract that selfish streak we hate in ourselves. 

And...

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For the last episode of Come Lord Jesus, I just want to offer this post-Christmas question. What if Jesus had never come? What if it never happened? What if all we have for Christmas is Santa, elves, and the naughty-nice list. What if there was no Christ in Christmas? What if there were no ripples of heaven on earth that continued to this day?

What if Jesus never came?

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DON'T LISTEN TO THIS -- If you are going to Christmas Eve services at Calvary Harvest Fields. :) It's not exactly the same, but similar!

But if you aren't going to Christmas Eve services at Calvary, I hope that this episode encourages you with the Christmas truth that Jesus is on a mission to bring you home for Christmas!

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In this episode, we are going to talk about favor. That's an interesting word isn't it? Favor. It's used multiple times in the Christmas stories. When we think of the word favor, it's usually used in a sentence like this, "Hey would you do me a favor?" When we ask someone to do us a favor we're saying, "You don't owe me. I don't necessarily deserve this, haven't earned it, but I'm wondering if you would do it anyway. Do me a favor." 

Often that's the question behind our prayers i...

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In the end light wins, darkness loses. Why? Because we have Jesus.

He is our Unwavering Certainty in the midst of uncertainty. He is our Sacrificial Savior who covers us in his love when we are prone to fear. He's our Overflowing  Abundance when scarcity whispers,  "Protect what is yours, there’s not enough to go around." He is our Almighty King, our Righteous Redeemer and in the end He will be the one still standing and we will see Him with our own eyes and when we see Him, what...

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The angels said to the shepherds, "For a savior has been born to you..." That to you was just for them, it includes us. Listen to me, the glory of Christmas is not that  God was born in a mess without a family, it's that He welcomes messy people into his family. This is Jesus' trademark. He wasn't born in a gated community or a palace with guards. He was born to us and there is no us that is not welcome to come home. Messy people have been drawn to Jesus f...

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I love the iconic manger images of little baby Jesus, but I have to be honest, it's full-grown Jesus with whom I want to be side-by-side. It's the one who stilled the storm, fed the crowd, healed the outcasts and noticed those in the margins of life. It's the one who could gather a crowd but loved you one-on-one. It's the one who
riled up the religious leaders, confused the politicians, scared the hell out of Satan, and loved his enemies all the way to the cross. It's his steps I...

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Revelation 12 does not describe a merry, little Christmas. Christmas is a holy war, a cosmic battle for the glory of God, with a vicious villian. Like Frodo and his fellowship against Sauron in the Lord of the Rings, or Iron Man against Thanos, even Little Red Riding Hood against the Big Bad Wolf. A cosmic battle agnst the hosts of darkness. We live in a culture that sees evil as a disease, a pyschological sickness, but the Bible describes evil as personal, malicious and dangerous.

That first Christmas led to war in...

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I used to pray, God put me in the place where you can use me the best, but these last few years, my prayer has changed, now it’s God put me in the place where you can love me the best. And isn't this what Jesus is saying is the reward of those who have little strength and keep his word and love his name? Yes, sure this is an open door to make a difference.  This is the church that will feed a hungry world and love their neighbors all the...

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So in this episode and the next we are going to hit the last two letters, but I’m going to deal with them together…because they go well together. They go well together because they both reference a door. The church of Philadelphia has an open door. The church of Laodecia has a closed door.

Will this Christmas bring you an open door, or a closed door?

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In this episode we will look at two "Christmas" letters, one to Thyatira and one to Sardis. With both churches there is this sense of unfinished business. There's a need to keep progressing, keep growing, keep become more of a force for good and God. With Thyatira, it was a bit more of a commendation and with Sardis it was a bit more of an urgent diagnosis. Both churches had good and bad; but both also have this theme of preserving growth. Sometimes in the church and perhaps even in our personal...

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Today we go back to our Calvary series...ONE CHRISTMAS. And it dovetails well with our regular series, "Come Lord Jesus." Because it's all about having one Christmas that Jesus will never forget. AND it's all about joy. 

You are pursued. You are invited. There are still empty seats around His table and around His table, the joy overflows! He's inviting us to a Christmas party that could change your world!

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This will be my 31st Christmas at Calvary. 31 years of reading and preaching from the same old stories of Christmas, but to be honest, they never get old. What we celebrate at Christmas is so wondrously holy. The heaven’s opened up and poured the uncontainable blessings and unmistakable presence of Immanuel God with us. Every year that I think I know it all, I’m reintroduced to the wonder and awe of that truth. And if you think about it, there are some pretty amazing Christmas stories filled with heaven on eart...

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The Christmas stories from the Bible are central to celebrating Christmas, not just because we need to know the story, we do. But even more so because John says in his Christmas story, that Jesus is the Word of God. In other words, it's not just about a book. It's about a person. It's not just about knowing the truth it's about loving the one who is true. 

So there are two equally valid and important statements that we need to understand. First we don't value Christ if we don't v...

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The cosmic Christmas was a military strike to the forces of evil. But those forces still operate, which is why, when it comes to the hard stuff that the church of Smyrna was going through Jesus peels back the curtain, in essence to tell them that as bad as things are, they are worse than you think. But he goes on to say, that they are also better than you can imagine! Suffering is coming, but the best is yet to come. So don't be fearful, be faithful!

And how...

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"Do not be afraid." That's the challenge giving to the church at Smyrna, and it was also a pretty common greeting that first Christmas. In Luke 1 – It was the angels greeting first to Zechariah in the temple and then to Mary when the angel brought this message of a baby and a virgin birth. "Don’t be afraid." In Joseph’s dream in Matthew 1, Joseph was told, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” In Luke 2, the shepherds were terrified and the angel said, “Don’t be afraid.” In fact, the most com...

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The Church of Ephesus was an amazing church! By every standard that we judge churches by today, it was the cream of the crop. But Jesus said something's missing. I have this against you; you have neglected, abandoned, drifted away  from, become indifferent to your first love. Passion for the person of Jesus had been diverted into passion for the projects of Jesus. Activity substituted for adoration. Hard work left no time for heart-work. But Jesus is looking for first-love followers. First in time, first in rank, before the church can be a...

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In this episode I'll ask you this question, "Do you believe God misses you?" I think we have this idea that God is love so God has to love us...because he's God.  But we aren't so sure He likes us; not so sure He misses us, when we are gone. But there is something about love that always desires to be with.  The Bible is not merely a moral instructionl book or a spiritual guidebook left behind by God for those who might want to make the trip up to Him. Th...

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My teaching series at Calvary is called, "One Christmas." It's all about getting Christmas right, if we only had one Christmas left before we meet the hero of Christmas face to face, how would we shape this Christmas?

If Christmas is the love story of God, how do we respond? How can we practically and tangibly love Jesus this Christmas? That's what this episode is all about!

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In this episode we take a break from Revelation, but still connecting to our Christmas prayer, "Come Lord Jesus." Jesus is the something more of Christmas. He is our Christmas treasure. He is the more our hearts long for. When it comes to the continuing story of Christmas...Jesus is written all over the pages of the book. It's so easy to focus on all the other elements. Shepherds and Wisemen and angels oh my. Mangers and Santa and Elves oh my. But nothing matters more than Jesus. Do we treasure him...

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I think a primary Christmas message of the book of Revelation is that Jesus is no longer a baby in a manger. In fact, Jesus is King of all the kings and presidents, every prime minister, tribal war chief or military tyrant globally. When Jesus appeared to his disciples post-resurrection, in triumph he proclaimed, "All authority and power has been given to me." And in his own timing, by his own strategies, he is guiding the world to the fulfillment of his purposes. What if this Christmas we let John's vision of...

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Christmas is nothing more than a shopping spree, if there isn't something more to come. Right? We celebrate the first waiting in hopes of a second coming? And in our world of chaos, confusion, and conflict, we need to be reminded that God’s not done. Come Lord Jesus! The story didn't end with a baby in a manger. It didn't even end with an empty tomb. God is still writing His story of redemption, and
there's more to come. Christmas is not just about what God has
done, but what H...

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When I ponder Christmas, and this story that Jesus told in Matthew 25, well let me turn it a bit and say this first of all. If you find yourself in need, if you find yourself in "least of these" kind of way, Jesus is so close. This story is a Christmas word of hope to every person listening who feels helpless, hopeless or homeless.  Jesus said, whenever you serve the least of these, you served me.  If you find yourself today in a least of these kind of way, Jesus is so cl...

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Lee Stroebel shares a Christmas story that ends with this summary. 

And at that moment, something inside of me wanted desperately to know this Jesus because, in a sense, I saw him in Perfecta and her granddaughters.  They had peace despite poverty, while I had anxiety despite plenty; they knew the joy of generosity, while I only knew the loneliness of ambition; they looked heavenward for hope, while I only looked out for myself; they experienced the wonder of the spiritual, while I was shackled to the shallowness of the ma...

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Christmas is an invitation to thirsty people to come and drink. But it’s also an invitation to people who have found the living water to become life-givers. Both invitations are open to everyone, with only condition; you have to be thirsty. Are you thirsty for life? If so, where are you going to get full? Where are you going to satisfy your soul thirst?

My prayer for this Christmas is that we will discover that Jesus can and only Jesus can quench our soul-thirst!

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We are beginning an advent series with this episode. At advent we celebrate the waiting that led to his birth. But Christmas is nothing more than a shopping spree, if there isn't something more to come. Right? We celebrate the first waiting in  hopes of a 2nd coming? And in our world of chaos, confusion, and conflict, we need to be reminded that God’s not done. The story didn't end with a baby in a manger. It didn't even end with an empty tomb. God is still writing His story of red...

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Psalm 77 is the heart cry of a person who is waiting for bad stuff to stop and good stuff to start. He has found himself in a season of deep trouble, days when God seems absent at best, times when he cries out to God but finds no comfort for his soul. But even in this deep trouble, he finds a way to practice gratitude. 

How about you, have you find a way, even in deep trouble, to still be grateful? That's the focus of this gratitude pause.

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As we enter the holiday season, I just want to focus for a moment on the word, bless. Psalm 67 uses that word alot. "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us." "God our God blesses us. May God bless us still." 
I'm sure that they aren't the only ones who use the phrase, but a family that used to attend Calvary, the Norwood's are the first ones who I heard use it, --BBB--  "Blessed Beyond Belief." It's not a bad phrase to carry ar...

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"Seek first the Kingdom of God." That's our final challenge for this series. We don't use the word Kingdom very much today, but in Jesus' day they used it all the time.  They understood a little bit better than we do, what a Kingdom was all about.  See in a biblical sense, everyone has a kingdom.  Your kingdom is whatever you  control. Your Kingdom is that part of your life where what you say goes. Dallas Willard calls it "the range of your effective will." Throughout life we have this inclination to prot...

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In this episode we going to focus on a promise and a challenge from Jesus. The promise is "Where your treasures lead, your heart will follow." The challenge is "so put your treasures in heaven, because your heart is made for heaven." Where your treasures lead your heart will follow. So where are you storing your treasures? Where is your heart? In the grand scheme of collecting stuff and counting stuff and saving stuff and spending stuff, whatever you do, don't lose your heart!

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Sometimes we make prayer so complicated! And yes, there are depths to prayer that I may never fully explore or understand, because there are depths to God that will ever be mysterious to me. But at the same time, there is meant to be a simplicity and an ease to prayer that is the ease of a son or daughter coming to their Father, their Papa God.  Stop trying to earn it.  You can't anyway, but we don't come into His presence because we earn it.  We come in because He loves us...

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I believe that the most important part of Jesus teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:5-15 is the Father part. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray he
said, "Ok, when you pray...say Father."  Much of the Lord's prayer was not all that different from the standard Jewish liturgical prayers of the day; one big difference, "When you pray, call Him Father." When Jesus lived, what he had to say about God blew away the routine categories of God-pictures.  The father-truth shaped  everything Jesus said and did. It...

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I think our greatest problem is a Sin-Soaked Heart. It keeps us from thriving, leads to addiction, ravages marriages and breaks families, it hardens hearts & creates anxiety filled minds, it drains joy and reaps discouragement..it causes us to hate or even worse ignore our neighbors. We sacrifice our kids on the altar of success and we care about so much that matters so little.  Yet in the midst of my sin, my greatest hope is that we are relentlessly pursued by a lavishly gracious, greatly merciful, fiercely loyal, patiently loving God. A...

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How many of us have a problem? I wonder if you could make a case that we are defined, at least in part, by the problems we embrace. What's your problem? Sometimes we call it a holy discontent; an external problem so deep in your heart that it's hard to go to sleep without pondering it's solution. Maybe it's not just your problem, it's broader and you want to see it solved for others. What's your  problem? Perhaps it's lonliness, or depression or orphans or world hunger or racism, or fill-in the b...

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I know sometimes "the church" is a mess & right now it's nowhere near the center of attention in central PA (or wherever you live). But "the church" is where eternity is aimed. If you hate the church, heaven's going to be a bit awkward. The sermon on the mount is the blueprint for the life of the church because it's all about becoming like Jesus.

Could that be our greatest problem today? Can I tell you why we aren't the center
of attention in central PA? Why our neighbors are...

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When my daughter Katy was about 3, for a season of time, one of her favorite prayers was, "And God please help me fly."  She had watched the movie Dumbo. I  was just glad she wasn't asking God for big ears! But that's my prayer at the end of this episode. God please help us to fly. Give us a love that soars. This is the dream on the heart of Christ for his church. That our love would soar. That we would be known for the size of our hearts.

Li...

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Jesus once said that we would be known as His apprentices by how we love. You are not know as Jesus followers by how you dress or where you live or how successful you are, certainly not by how you vote, but by how you love. Some of you grew up with those four letters, WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). They were meant to be a guideline for life, but sometimes I think it's helpful to ask WIJD (What is Jesus dreaming). What is Jesus dreaming?

What matters to Jesus? What...

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As we finish the story of Louis Zamperini...let me say this, "I don't know your story, I don't know your life, I don't know your hurt, your trauma, or your sin, but I do know that the grace of Christ is greater and goes deeper and heals more." And when real-life grace flows into your life from Christ and out of your life to others, you will be a real-life blessing. Paul writes these words in 2 Corinthians 9:6,

"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and...

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Astonishing generosity. In the midst of NT Wright’s book, entitled, Jesus and the Victory of God, he uses those two words to describe a key characteristic that Jesus’ expected of his followers. Astonishing generosity. Let those two words roll around in your brain a bit, those who follow Jesus should be marked by astonishing generosity, not just marked by the astonishing generosity of Jesus to us, but because of his generosity to us, we should be marked by our astonishing generosity to others. 

Now Wright isn’t talking about money...

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My goal and prayer for this episode as we are coming to the end of Jesus' mountain-top message is that we would love His Words. It's that simple. There's no breakthrough without His Words. We won't thrive in the storms of life without His Words. So we listen to the words of Jesus, we learn His principles and practices, and then we lean in by relentlessly responding. Listen, learn and lean. Without His Words, we will not live different.

This episode is my message from this weekend at Calvary...I...

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Hypocrisy is hiding what's inside. Authenticity is transparency, revealing what's inside. But integrity goes deeper, integrity requires a transformation of what's inside. And here's the blessing of integrity; when we get real with God, the real God shows up. Can I tell you what I fear most? I fear missing out on the real God showing up. I want to experience God's presence.  I want to be a conduit of God's power.  I want to experience God at work in our community in supernatural ways.

I want to see the re...

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It's a question of integrity. When you see the brilliant reds of a maple tree in the  fall, you don't have to guess if they are hanging on an oak tree. When you are out hunting and you see horns, you don't need to guess the gender of the deer.  Because in God's creation, what's on the outside is a good indicator of what's on the inside. But when it comes to people, that's not always the case. Sometimes the outside lies. There's no integrity. Integrity is not only speaking the truth, it...

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If I could say anything to you, that you will remember from this episode, it's simply this, "Just let God love you." That's where a life that thrives gets it's start. We love because He first loved us. Let Him love you. Don't put up walls, keep your heart soft.  Toward him and others.  Let grace heal wounds and even overflow in the broken places around you.  Let his forever-love be your journey's guard and guide.  Let His love give you boldness to approach Him on behalf of your marriage and any brok...

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In this two verses Jesus deals with an area of brokennes, sin and failure that is all too often all too common in our world today. Divorce. He goes from adultery to divorce. In this episode we'll start by talking about marriage and the heart of a wedding and from there will be a challenge to guard your heart. But here's the deal, we don't guard our hearts by hardening our hearts...because when it comes to the pain of divorce...

Everyone needs a soft heart.

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At Calvary in our current series "Live Different" we are nearing the end of Jesus' mountain-top message. Which means we are nearing the end of this podcast series, but...we still probably have 8-10 more episodes to go. So buckle up and enjoy the ride! :)

This episode is the most recent message I gave at Calvary. It's a look at the "narrow way with a narrow gate" and the "broad way with a wide gate." It's a challenge to make the "master-choice." It was a pretty powerful weekend at Calvary...

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As we get into this episode on sex, lust and adultery... you may be asking the question, "How far will God go to love me?" That's the question I'll be answering before we put this episode to bed. And to be honest, my best answer is simply this. The cross is our reminder that God will go so far as to come down and give his life for you to show you his love. God will go so far as a cross to pursue us with all our heart. 

Never f...

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Our next section of Jesus' mountain-top message is on sex, adultery, and lust. And let me just say upfront, that one of the reasons why this is such a tough and tender topic is because there are so many people crying on the inside. Something you did, something done to you, a decision you regret, sometimes there's this deep sense of hidden inner shame.  You're crying on the inside. And if that's you, you need to hear these words of Jesus within a context of knowing that he knew that this topic c...

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Do I truly value relationships? You will hear some form of that question over and over again in this episode. If you want to be the light of the world, if you want to be a real life blessing, if you want to be a reconciler with a heart that won’t quit, you have to make relationships a priority. If you know anything about religion in Jesus day, presenting a sacrifice was a big deal. The common people had the  opportunity to present a sacrifice maybe 2-3 times a year. It was...

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In talking about his football team, the legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said, "The difference between mediocrity and greatness is the feeling these guys have for each other. If you're going to play together as a team, you've got to care for one another." In some ways, he was just echoing the words of Jesus, when Jesus said that people would know; there would be an unmistakeable recognition that we are his apprentices by the quality of our love and the size of our hearts. When they see that they will know...

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If we look at Jesus' example we would have to say that of all his names, Father is God's favorite.  In the Old Testament God was called Father, only 7x.  Jesus refers to God as Father 17x in the Sermon on the Mount alone! The gospels record over 200x's that Jesus called God Father. God's our Father. In Jesus day, those words were  revolutionary. Never before had that been the primary way of viewing God, but it shaped everything Jesus said and did, especially his prayer life.  And then this amazing thing happ...

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Listen God is so good. I understand, every tragedy, every hurt, every funeral and every divorce; every disappointment seems to be marketing for unanswered prayer and unanswered prayers cause us to question the limits of God's goodness. But God's goodness has no limits. Not only can He help you, He wants to help you. Now I have to be honest, there are some prayers He will never answer, because He has something better in mind for us. But as we go back to Luke 18, we are going to see that there is...

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In Luke 18, Jesus tells a story with a meaning, often called a parable. But in this case, Jesus starts with the "why," the meaning.  Often when Jesus told a parable,
he wouldn't give the why. He wanted the listeners to grapple with the meaning without being fed the answer. But in this case, the why of the story is so important that Jesus tells it up front. "Don't miss this." He's saying. "I'm going to tell you a story and I want the story to always remind you of the fact t...

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We are God's children. We are not God's friends. We are not God's neighbors. We're His kids. That's what Jesus was teaching about prayer and that's why He said, "When you pray, say Father." Nobody else called God father. Jesus said, "When you pray say Father." Smtms we make prayer so complicated. There are depths to prayer that I may never fully explore or understand. But there is also meant to be a simplicity and an ease to prayer that is the ease of a kid coming to daddy. Papa God. 

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Make no mistake Jesus wants the church to be a place of active, life-giving service and overflowing worship. He  wants it to be a community of grace and truth.  But few things move his heart like prayer. That's why I imagine a smile came to his face one day when one of his disciples came to him. Jesus had been out praying.  In fact it wouldn't surprise me if Jesus had been praying for his disciples, something like, "Father, help them. Sometimes they just don't get it. Father I want prayer to matter...

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When it comes to prayer, I’m not sure what you are asking for, what you are seeking, or who you are asking Jesus to open the door for, but what if, Jesus message to you in this episode is simply this. Don't quit asking. Don't stop seeking.
Keep on knocking." The open door is coming.  Especially don't give up on someone you've been praying for...
      
Remember, when we pass judgement on someone, what are we doing? We're writing them off. We're giving up on-em. See in Jesus' Kingdom instead...

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I think if I lived in the days of Pharisees and Scribes, when I heard Jesus say, "Unless your righteousness exceeds the guys who do it for a living..." I would have heard, "Unless your righteousness goes to infinity and beyond, unless you get more righteous than you ever imagined you could be, you might as well forget it." But that's not Jesus message. Jesus wasn't just looking for a quantity of  righteousness, He was looking for quality of righteousness. He was looking for a different heart, that would love different.

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Tsaddaqim? What is that babbling? It's the Hebrew word for the "Righteous Ones." The next part of Jesus' teaching is all about the righteous ones. Who are the righteous ones? According to Jesus it wasn't the pharisees and the scribes (the proffesionally religious people). In this episode we'll unpack it with a look back at Isaiah's description of the righteous ones. Stuff like: Your light will break forth (sound familiar) and your gloom will be as bright as the noonday. When you call God will answer. He'll satisfy your deepest desires. In...

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You are the light of the world. And God has no other plan for the darkness. That's it.  No other plan.  Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit fills us up, we will have the power to become his witnesses. In other words, we will shine, and that's the plan;  the only plan, no back-up plan b. There are people in your neighborhood who are living in darkness. Paul said in Acts in 17:26-27, that God has set the times and the boundaries of where we live. Why? In the hope that whe...

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You are the light of the world. Isn't that amazing? Do you understand?  We're here to shine.  To be generous with our lives and do good deeds which shine the light on Jesus. You've heard this phrase before, but you may be the only Jesus that people ever see. What do they see when they see you? Think about the last few days, the last week, when people saw you, what did they see? How about in your home; or at church? What does your boss see at work? How about our ne...

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All my life I have been attracted to the overflow, without walls principles and  stories in the Bible. One of my all time favorite prayers in the Bible is Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 which ends with these words, "Now to God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all you ask for or can even imagine." That is so
without walls! Jesus lived a life without walls; a life where just a touch can heal a
heart; a life where forgiveness brings freedom and service brings joy; a life w...

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"You are the salt of the earth." Those are Jesus' words. Think about this, when salt is working, you can't see it. Where are you being salt? Salt-work is annymous acts of kindness. It's backstage work that doesn't mind missing the applause of the crowds; It's working hard and speaking the truth..in love; It's befriending someone who doesn't deserve a friend. It's being real, even when you think no-one's  watching. Salt work is living proof of a loving God. Salt work is simply what happens when a transformed heart comes into c...

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We need more than bread to thrive. Jesus said that we need every word that comes from the mouth of God! We need more than food-stuff for our stomachs,  more than comfort-stuff, more than significance stuff; we even need more than  relational stuff in order to thrive. A live that thrives will involve a live that is  continually feeding on the words of God. And remember, eating God's words  involves more than listening and learning. Both listening and learning are  important, but they are incomplete until we lean in. Leaning in, is the p...

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We've been talking about the beatitudes as a pathway to God's blessings. The blessings of God found in the Kingdom of God are amazing, but they rarely come easy. They require a "don't quit grit" that says, no matter what I'm going for it. And it all starts with "Blessed are the poor in Spirit." Blessed are the desperate, the begging poor in spirit. If you are poor in spirit, desperately broken, barely hanging on to a thin rope of hope, blessed are you. If you don't quit, blessing is on the...

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In the last episode, you listened to my message on worry. Well it was actually Jesus' message on trusting God so that we don't worry. But there is a six word challenge in Jesus' words on worry, and it's a challenge that we didn't uncover in the last episode. We’ll probably  hit these six words again in a future message, but they are so important, so before we go back to our review of chapter 5 and being the light of the world, I just want to give you this six word cha...

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At Calvary this last weekend, we dove deep into the subject of worry and we celebrated communion. You might be surprised how much those two are woven together. You know as I was working on this message, something occured to me. As we look at the whole of Jesus' mountain top message, the beatitudes take up 8 verses. Reconciliation and forgiveness gets 7 verses' adultery and divorce 6 verses. Prayer is really important, it shows up twice and in total gets 14 verses. Giving gets 7 and judging 6.  Worry gets 10 verses and they aren't short!

A...

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There is a booklet which has been used by God to lead many people to believe in Jesus. It's called the "The Four Spiritual Laws." Maybe you've read it. The first law is this, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." I believe that law is true, especially looking back. But what if the flip-side is also true? God loves you and has a difficult plan for your life.

Not too many Xtian best-sellers incorporate that into their title.  Not too many songs about the God w...

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As we come to the last of eight beatitudes we arrive at what I call the “Thanks-No-Thanks” beatitude. And listen I’m not saying that Jesus saved the best for last, I even hesitate to say that it’s the most important blessing, because they are all so important. Remember it’s a process, and as a journey, all the steps are necessary. But this one, #8, in our world today, it’s so key that understand it's a step to becoming the light of the world. We cannot shrink back from this last step, i...

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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will resemble their Father in heaven. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will remind people of their big brother Jesus. Are you a peacemaker? Is the family resemblance growing? Take a moment and think of a hard relationship; someone who has hurt you, disappointed you. Do you look like Jesus to them? Will a point come when they can say to you...this is what I want to hear people say to me: "I...

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What do we need more in our world right now, than peace? We are so quick to draw lines, so easily prodded into conflict. We need peace. I think everyone is seeking it, but few attain it, and keeping it is all too rare. But here's the problem; we have difficulty finding peace, because we are looking for peace in the absence.  That's how we define peace, right? Peace comes from absence; the absence of noise or the absence of storms, or conflict. 

But when Jesus talked about peace, he ha...

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Perhaps the first step to purity is seeking God. As we seek God, we come near to Him, and discover how much He loves us and our hearts  begin to burn for Him. In fact to be pure in heart Soren Kierkegaard said is to want one thing, to be undivided.  Or we have said it this way, "To be pure in heart is to have an unrestrained affection for God.  

So let me ask you what is restraining your affection for God? When God comes close, He begins to bur...

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So let me ask you, when it comes to purity, what images come to your mind? What images, what thoughts, what emotions come to mind and heart when I say that we are diving again into purity?  There is a call to purity woven throughout scripture. It's all over the place. 

Let me tell you upfront. The primary issue of purity is where am i seeking life? If I primarily seek life in my job, or in friends, or in the adrenaline rush of adventure, or in my marriage, or in...

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Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. I want to see God. I believe that our world today desperately needs people who seek and see God.  Jesus said that the pure in heart will see God. The purity of heart that He is seeking is both a quality of heart and a quantity of heart. In this episode, we will dive a bit into the idea of a quantity of heart. In the Greek the word for purity in Matthew 5:8 is the Greek word Katharsos. It literally means "u...

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Mercy is what Erika Kirk showed last weekend at the memorial for her husband  Charlie. The choice to forgive is mercy in action. And in so many ways from my  perspective it was the highlight, the most holy moment of the memorial. I closed  the last episode with the question, "Does our mercy show?" And I challenged you  to take a survey, find out people’s perceptions of Xtians?" If you haven’t done that yet, you should. Some labels will be unfair. 

But listen carefully to how rarely our pictures...

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I am so in need of mercy. Have you ever felt that way? I think that's why..actually I know that's why I love this next step in the blessed life. It's the mercy blessing. Blessed are those who are merciful for they will be shown mercy. In some ways I think this is the first "blessed are" that really reveals the heart of God. The Mercy-Blessing describes the heart of Father God. Christ is what mercy does. I mean God's not really poor in spirit. He's not broken or desperate. God...

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So this episode, isn't current. I didn't preach at Calvary last week, I was visiting my mom and dad and celebrating my niece's wedding. In fact, might even be on my way home as you listen to this. So this isn't actually last weekend's sermon at Calvary, but in the past I have preached on Matthew 6:19-24. It is a crucial passage, so here is a message I gave from a couple of years ago. It hits the themes of generosity and simplicity and how those practices will help us get our...

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In the last episode we ended with the question, "What is righteousness?" Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. So what is righteousness? That's a key question right? I know what food is and I hunger for it. I know what success is, I have hungered for it, along with friendship and affirmation. But what is this righteousness that we should hunger for? 

We're going to deepen our definition of righteousness as we look at the beatitudes as not just a listing of eight different blessings, but as a...

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The beatitude for today is, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied." So the question that I will ask us is "Are you living a satisfied life?" Are you satisfied with what you have? But for the purpose of the notes here, I'm going to print the prayer I close with, just in case you want to pray for more than you have.  It's a prayer from A. W. Tozer; the response of a heart with a deep longing for God. 

O God, I...

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Jesus' mountain-top message is a blueprint for a life that thrives. And as I’ve been studying it this time around, I’ve also run into a number of pastors and theologians who think of the Sermon on the Mount as basic training for people heading into a spiritual battle. Knowing what his followers were going to face in the days and years to come Jesus took them on the mountain and said, “This is how you fight my battles.” Blessed are the meek. Not much like any battle strategy we’d consider o...

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Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth! Be honest, when is the last time you prayed for meek? Are you seeking meek? What comes to mind when you paint a picture of meek? Well meek is weak right? Blessed are the weak for they shall become the doormats of life and everyone will walk all over them. In fact Webster defines meek as TOO submissive. Blessed are the spineless, for they never stick up for their rights. Blessed are those who never take a stand. Webster calls them spiritless...

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Hey Folks, for those of you who download early, sorry this is coming a little bit late. It's the message from yesterday (Sunday) on Matthew 6 and it's all about fasting. Fasting focuses our hunger on Jesus. Fasting is a humble cry for Jesus. Fasting is a hopeful cry for more. 

But I also believe that there is a sense of urgency that fasting brings, that is desperately needed in our times. We need a heart that urgently desires more God, now, for us and others! We are hungry for more, s...

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Have you ever asked God to give you tears? There is so much pain and suffering and brokenness in the world today. But do we mourn for the brokenness? Perhaps we need to pray that God would help us be tenderly moved.  When we die and stand before Jesus and he asks us, "How did you feel about the suffering around you?" What will you say? Jesus felt enough cmpssn for Jerusalem to weep. He wept for every broken person in Jerusalem. He wept for their loss. He wept for people broken b...

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When Jesus showed up, on that mountain-top, the people who gathered around were going through a time of deep darkness. While some Jewish leaders  experienced an element of prosperity and security, most of them were politically, religiously, and economically oppressed by the Roman Government. High taxes, religious restrictions, crucifixions were common. Most people knew someone who had been crucified. And then Jesus shows up.  Remember the report from the last part of Matthew 4? Jesus is proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom; healing people, exhibiting the power of God and telling people ab...

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, the desperate, the broken. That's Jesus' first step to the blessed life. Blessed are those with open hands because they have nothing in them. That's hard stuff.  It's not easy for me to hear.  But do you know who this is good news for? This is good news for those who are broken and desperate; for those who just don't know where to turn anymore.  I have good news for you. You are so close to a life that thrives on God's blessings. Don't try to hid...

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As we dive into the beatitudes, we immediately run into the word "Blessed." The word is used 9x's in the first 11 verses of the Sermon on the Mount. The Living Bible translates it, "fortunate, or happy."  Eugene Peterson in The Message uses the word "lucky."  What is the essence of lucky?  It's getting something you don't deserve.  
In the Greek language, the word blessed is the word makairos. 

How do you describe, the blessed life? Makairos? What 2 or 3 things would you like to happen in your life, where...

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At Calvary we are currently making our way through Matthew 6-7, it's the last series of three that we are doing on Jesus mountain-top sermon. So every 5th episode of this series will by the teaching that I just gave the day before this episode drops. So it's also a bit longer than the other episodes.

In this episode, we are doing two things... painting a picture of God as our Father and making the challenge to live our one and only lives for Him, the One, our Father in...

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Jesus' sermon on the mountain connects the gospel with the Kingdom of God. The gospel is good news and here's the deal... The Kingdom of God is good news for  everyone, even people who don't believe in Jesus. It's good news because when people get it and become Jesus-apprentices; when an outbreak of the Kingdom happens; people start loving better and serving more and surrendering deeper. It's good news for your neighbors.  It brings better Sunday afternoon tips to waiters at the Waffleshop. The Kingdom of God in you, will be good ne...

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You have to understand, when Jesus came on the scene announcing that the Kingdom of Heaven was here. Now.  The people understood him to say, "It's a new day. I know life has been hard, oppression, poverty, crucifixions every day. Death  and disease are your constant companion. But listen to me, don't quit; a new day is dawning!" Something's coming; like a great light in the darkness, in the land of death's shadow a new day is dawning. It's better than you know or can even imagine. You are on the threshold of...

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You are seen, known and loved by Jesus. See in the end, the greatest blessing, the full description of the blessed life, it's not about lacking nothing, it's about having a shepherd. It's not about fearing no one, it's about having a champion. It's not about having a banquet, it's about being invited by God. It's not about having a house, it's about being part of a family.  It's about being pursued and found and loved by Jesus. It's not about having the gifts of the giver, it's about being had by t...

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I wonder if this might be true of you... "Somewhere along the way, you quit believing that God's blessing matters, or maybe you quit believing that God really
wants to bless you. But actually I believe that God wants us to be known as the people who are blessed by God. He is inviting you to get blessed! In this episode and the next, before we dive into the beatitudes, we are going to look at Psalm 23 to describe the blessed life!

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So starting today we are going to hang out in Matthew's version of Jesus' sermon on the mount. Each Monday (or if you aren't listening as they drop, every 5th episode, I'll leave you my most recent message from Calvary's teaching series going through Matthew 6-7...and in between I'll review Matthew 5...or at times given an addendum to Matthew 6-7. So anyway, the whole focus for the next 40-50 episodes well be Jesus' sermon on the mountain.

This episode is all about living different!

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The book of James has some of the most amazing prayer promises and principles of prayer. But more than anything it is all about making our lives a prayer to God. The practical wisdom of James gives us a picture of the life of prayer. In this last episode, I will read through the book with a few comments, encouraging you to listen, learn and more importantly lean in, one last time...with the prayer....

God, make my life a prayer to you!

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In Romans 8 we find that creation groans, (travails) we groan, even the Spirit of God groans in expectancy. See when we dive into the gospel and begin to understand the glory that awaits those who believe in Christ, we can't help but groan for those who don't. The gospel causes us to groan for the redemption of all creation. It causes us to travail for the salvation of all people. It causes to groan for glory to be revealed in our families, on our campus, in our city. So let me ask...