A New Season at Calvary Life is Filled With Rhythms The Hebrew calendar had holidays in the spring: Passover, First Fruits, and Unleavened Bread. Then there were the holidays in the fall: Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. In between these seasons was the Feast of Pentecost, or Weeks. There were also the rhythms of the harvest. In the spring, barley and wheat were harvested. Then, in the summer, they harvested grapes, figs, and dates. Finally, pomegranates and olives were...
21 days ago • 2 min read
The Greatest Day of Labor How Christ Ties into Labor Day Labor Day is a national holiday that honors and recognizes the contributions of American workers and the role they have played in building our great nation. In the late 19th century, trade unions proposed a “Labor Day,” a day set aside to celebrate the contributions of workers. By 1894, thirty states were already celebrating Labor Day. On June 28 of that same year, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law as a federal holiday....
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Transformed By Christ Listen to Him The transfiguration of Jesus is a significant event recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9). The Church celebrates and remembers this event on August 6th. Although we don’t have a special service to commemorate it, it is certainly something worth thinking about. Jesus took His inner circle of disciples, Peter, James, and John, and went up a high mountain. While they were there, Christ was transfigured before them. His glory shone through...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Vacation With God Unplug from the Daily Demands of Life Americans love to go on vacation. We visit national parks and travel to scenic destinations like the coast of Maine, the Black Hills, the Grand Canyon, and the coast of California. Many also enjoy visiting places like Disney World, Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and even the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. Others simply like to escape to a quiet lake retreat or a cabin in the Adirondacks to unplug and recharge. Jesus often did the...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Celebrating America's Freedom One Nation Under God We are celebrating 250 years as a nation. Some believe America is beyond redemption and that the sins of our past are evidence that America should no longer exist. I have a different view. Our Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Our...
4 months ago • 2 min read
A Father's Quiet Influence "The Day I Realized My Dad Was Human" Father’s Day is upon us. It doesn’t receive the same fanfare and attention as Mother’s Day, but that’s okay. Fathers often serve in the background when it comes to nurturing and caring for our children. The Bible commands us to honor our fathers and mothers. In fact, it is a command that comes with a promise. Fathers are often our first protectors and providers. Kids tend to look up to their fathers with a sense of awe. I...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Honoring the Heroes of America Memorial Day Explained “Thank you for your service!” I hear this often on Memorial Day, and I am grateful for the recognition of my service to our country. However, there is some confusion about it with our holidays. Memorial Day is a time to honor those who gave their lives in service to others, reflecting the biblical call to sacrificial love. We remember with gratitude, pray with humility, and acknowledge that freedom is costly, pointing us ultimately to...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Honoring the Faith of Mothers The Influence of a Mother Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, grandmothers, and moms-to-be. Ann Jarvis began what would become Mother’s Day as a way to honor her mother’s faithful service to others. Years later, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially set aside the second Sunday in May as a day to recognize and give thanks for mothers. Mother’s Day began as a way to recognize the quiet, faithful service of mothers, which is something worth honoring. When we...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Give to God What is His A Message on Taxes from Pastor Ken When Christ was asked about paying taxes, He asked for a coin. They thought they could trap Him. If He said “no,” He would be accused of rebellion. If He said “yes,” He would be seen as a traitor. But Jesus responded, “Whose image is on this coin?” “Caesar’s,” they said. He replied, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” In other words, give to Caesar what bears his image, and give to...
6 months ago • 1 min read