in it to WIN IT - Part 2 [Watch Video]
From the "in it to WIN IT" series
Preached on July 17 & 18
by Pastor John Absher
How do we run the race to “win it”? We decide that Jesus Christ will be our number one priority in life and that we will live our lives according to his Word and his standards. As Pastor Keith said, “we must live in dependence on God.” Without God’s help, it is impossible to win the race to eternal life.
In order to win the race, we must keep our physical, spiritual and mental lives in great condition. We can keep our physical lives in shape by disciplining our eating and exercise habits and taking time to rest and relax. We can keep our spiritual lives in shape by committing time to prayer and worship, putting God’s Word in our spirit and faithfully taking advantage of worship and discipleship opportunities.
We also need to keep our mental lives in shape. Knowing and doing what is right can be a challenge. Pastor Keith reminded us that when we face decisions, we need the wisdom of God. The greatest way to throw off the sin that so easily entangles is to pre-determine our response when faced with the moment of decision so that we know how to handle temptation and opposition before we are faced with these challenges. Take time to pre-determine how you will respond to a temptation, and God will come to your rescue at the moment.
IN IT TO WIN IT [Watch Video]
From the "in it to WIN IT" series
Preached on July 10 & 11, 2010
by Pastor John Absher
Are you “in it to win it?” This was the question posed to us by Pastor Keith Boucher as we kicked off our summer sermon series this past weekend.
The writer of Hebrews compares eternal life to running a race. The imagery used in Hebrews 12 brings to mind athletes running in an Olympic stadium as a capacity crowd cheers them to victory. In fact, this great crowd is directly linked to the list of faith heroes listed in chapter 11. Pastor Keith reminded of the keys to winning in any race—including the race of life!
Remember your past victories.
Everyone has challenges in their Christian walk. When you face a challenge, you need to recall your former victories and remember that the God who helped you in the past stands ready to help you in the present and the future. Take time to write down a trial that you experienced and overcame victoriously, thank God for his faithfulness, pray for your new challenge, then praise God for his faithfulness to help you win.
Remember that you’re not alone.
Both past and present crowds of witnesses are cheering you to victory. The past witnesses are in the Bible. Read Hebrews 11 and consider the challenges that each of them faced and how God, through their faith, overcame great and difficult circumstances. Some present witnesses are at Calvary Church. You can find encouragement at a Community Group. These groups meet all over the area and are a great place to bond with others, be prayed for and be encouraged.
Remember to let go.
Take inventory of your life. Are some things slowing you down in the race with Christ? Do you need to repent of any sins and ask Jesus to cleanse you from them? Do you need to deal with any hurts and wounds? Thursday evening Encouragement Groups are great places for you to confront entangling sins or deal with hurts and wounds that you have experienced.
The goal of a race is to win. If you need encouragement (or if you just want to meet some fellow “runners”), plug into the opportunities at Calvary Church that will make you a faster, stronger runner. After all, you are “in it to win it”!
Independence Day [Watch Video]
Preached on July 3 & 4, 2010
by Pastor John Absher
Happy Independence Day! I hope that you and your family enjoyed celebrating our nation’s 234th birthday. We hope that our brief overview in services stirred a passion inside of you to learn more and understand how the Bible and Christian morals shaped the freedoms that we enjoy in a very unique nation. Most of us know how and why our nation was formed, but our nation has so much history that it was impossible to showcase it all in one weekend service.
While the United States has had some problems and has made its share of mistakes, it is still a nation that, for the most part, wants to live by good principles and morals. How do we ensure that our children and grandchildren enjoy the freedoms we have now? Here are a few things to consider.
Get on your knees and pray
Pray daily that our nation would do what is pleasing to God. Pray that we would honor the God-given freedoms that are outlined in our Bill of Rights. Pray that our elected officials would seek God’s mind concerning decisions facing our nation.
Get informed
One of my favorite websites for information on America’s Christian Heritage is www.wallbuilders.com. While Calvary Church does not endorse every advertiser or statement made on this site, this is a helpful place to find scholarly research and articles about the Christian background of many of the founders, as well as decisions that were made in forming our nation. I have also found a wealth of information about various historical occurrences regarding our nation. David Barton, founder of this website, has researched and owns thousands of original documents that are footnoted in detail for each article. I encourage you to also read other writings (even those with opposing views) and compare information. Do your best to understand your role as a Christian in influencing national policies.
Get involved
As part of a free nation, you are a powerful voice for change and freedom. If you do or don’t agree with policies, let your voice be heard. Contact your government officials and tell them what you think. You can call, write a letter or send an email. You can also be sure to do your civic duty and vote. Regardless of which party you join—or if you are independent—you should do your duty to ask God for guidance to vote for candidates who support freedom and godliness. Also (and this may be extreme), it could be God’s calling for you to run for office. That is definitely one way to get involved!
Let’s not forget that our founding fathers did not fight and die to start a nation so that once a year we can have a cookout and celebrate our independence; they expected us, the people, to create government for the people and by people. It is the responsibility of us all to secure our freedom both now and forever.
I close with a quote from one of the greatest Americans in our nation’s history, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’”
Anniversary Weekend [Watch Video]
Preached on June 26 & 27, 2010
by Pastor John Absher
Calvary Church welcomed home a family member this weekend: Pastor Trev Mahoney. Not long ago, Pastor Trev served on Calvary’s staff as one of the youth pastors, then as the outreach/evangelism pastor. He went on to plant a church in Goodyear, Arizona, and this church has been experiencing great growth and God’s blessing in a mighty way. In his own genuine way, Pastor Trev challenged us with the words and ministry of Jesus from John 6:26-35.
We were challenged to consider whether we are consumers or followers of Jesus. Do we forget the call of Jesus to serve others and, instead, just expect others to do things for us? A consumer is someone who follows Jesus for the benefits they receive; a follower is someone who gives their whole life to the mission and person of Jesus Christ. A consumer is someone who looks for an opportunity to take care of himself; a follower of Christ wants to give and contribute to the well being of others, as well.
Following Jesus is no picnic, but it is the most rewarding and fulfilling life that we could ever live. Jesus said and did things that were against the culture and the norms of society. He was not always popular, but doing the right thing rarely ever is popular. Jesus called his disciples to take up their crosses and follow him. One time, Jesus even questioned the disciples’ desire to follow him. They said, “Lord, who can we turn to? You have the words of eternal life.”
How do we move from consumer to follower?
1. Make a solid commitment to Jesus—more than just the sinner’s prayer. Make a commitment that says, “I will follow you no matter what.”
2. Find a place in the church to serve using gifts that God gave you. By serving others, we die to our consumer mindsets because we discover the joy in helping others. John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what can you do for your country.” Instead of asking what Jesus can do for you, ask what you can do for Jesus!
3. Join a small group so that others can hold you accountable to keep your commitment to be a follower.
Even when times are tough and our faith is tested, we must keep in mind that the end goal of the Christian life is eternal life.
The Gift of a Father [Watch Video]
Preached on June 19 & 20, 2010
by Pastor John Absher
This weekend’s message brought a humorous and encouraging look at the joys of Fatherhood. It was based on Malachi 4:5-6: "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”
Fathers can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising children to love God, live successful lives and be responsible citizens. God has tasked men with an extraordinary challenge, but he has provided practical ways to help in the task of being model parents.
Here are a few ways to enhance the God-given instincts of fatherhood:
- Make church a family a priority
- Get involved in the children’s ministry to spend time with your kids and help them to know God better
- Find an older man/mentor who you respect and has raised godly kids
- Read the Bible with your kids and have prayer time together
- Brag about your kids’ accomplishments in front of them
- Discipline their failures in private
- Get ice cream together and listen to them
- Ask them questions to see how much they know
- Make a buddy pact to memorize short verses of the Bible together
- Take your kids with you on an errand just to talk
- Let them help you with yard work, car repairs etc. … this is a great way to teach them how to do practical things
The Bible tells us to do everything as unto the Lord. Show your kids how to love God through everyday life! The best way for a kid to learn is not by your instruction but through your involvement. When God is the central focus of our lives, he empowers us to be good parents and to raise our children in an environment of faith and hope.
Dads, you are doing a great job. Keep on making the biggest investment for life in your kids!