together.
Our scripture focus in this series is Paul's letter to Philippi, specifically Philippians 1:1-11. We take a look at what it is to be set apart for God, what it is to be His church, the church Jesus intended, following His ways and developing an "empathy radar" with an instinctive bias towards acts of grace, peace, mercy, and goodness for everyone.
together. | Oct 2, 2022
This morning we kicked off our new series, Together. Our scripture focus in this series is Paul's letter to Philippi and specifically Philippians 1:1-11. Pastor Dale unpacked what it is to be set apart for God and began the conversation about what it is to be His church, the church Jesus intended, following His ways and developing an "empathy radar" with an instinctive bias towards acts of grace, peace, mercy, and goodness for everyone.
Our invitation today is to seek the Father on what he is speaking to us today, what he is asking us to respond to in our own lives.
Questions we can ask:
Heavenly Father…what are you saying to me? What do you have set apart for me that you want to do with me and through me?
Father, what am I hanging on to that is more about me instead of others?
We invite you to write down what you hear and continue praying through it this week. Ask God what next step he's asking you to take and we encourage you to be bold and take that step.
together. | Oct 9, 2022
This morning Pastor Dale took us deeper into what Paul meant when he began his letters with "Grace and peace." Far more than a greeting, it is an instruction of how we are to be. The Greek greeting with the Jewish blessing is consistent with Paul’s instruction of how we are to engage with others, a church of people who seek to listen and learn with a posture of learning and compassion. We are to be people who live in awareness of the grace we have received, the grace we are given each day by our Heavenly Father through Jesus, and from that grace, we receive his peace and give peace to others.
together. | Oct 16, 2022
This week, Danny Busch took us through Philippians 1:5 as he unpacked the deep meaning behind the word "partnership." It's so much more than our dictionary definition of doing something with another. Paul used the word "koinonia" and it described the intimate bond that unites followers of Jesus, followers who share everything in common as the basis for developing community. This instruction, this way of life, wasn't written just for followers of Christ living at that time. It was also written for us, as instruction for how God is looking for us to live in community with one another today. It seems impossible in our modern culture. And yet it is entirely doable, in us, if we are in Him. It requires actively resisting the lure of individualism as a built-in desire of our flesh. It's an active choice to value unity over division and Kingdom values over individual perspectives. It starts with each of us.
Danny invited us to sit with our Father and invite Him to speak to our hearts. We invite you to do this today. Find a quiet space, or perhaps it's putting in headphones and playing worship music, while you sit with our Father and ask Him the following:
Heavenly Father, where have I let individualism take root?
Where has individualism taken root in my role at Calvary? In my life?
Father, what is my call at Calvary? In this valley?
How can I support others so they can fulfill their part in the body?
together. | Oct 23, 2022
This morning was significant in the life of our church and the work God is doing in us and through us. Pastor Dale taught on the paschal mystery, that in order to come to fuller lifeand spirit, we must continuously let go of past life and spirit. We see this in Jesus' teaching "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." (John 12:23-24) Pastor Dale referenced two kinds of death and two kinds of life.
Two kinds of death
Terminal death that ends physical life
Paschal death that is ending one kind of life and opens the person undergoing it to receive a deeper & richer form of life
Two kinds of life
Resuscitated life when one is restored to one’s former life & health
Resurrected life is the reception of a radically new life, better than the previous
This is a process of transformation, within which we are given both new life and new spirit.
It begins with suffering and death
Moves on to reception of new life
Spends some time grieving the old & adjusting to the new
When the old life has been truly let go of, a new spirit is given for the life we are already living
God’s work continues to move us forward. It is not a resuscitation work, it is a resurrection work – one that begins with renewal in us so that others can be renewed through us. Over the next 40 days, as individuals and as a church we are going to prayerfully seek our Father, identifying and surrendering what we need to let go of so that we can receive what God has for us today.
We invite you to spend time with our Father this evening and this week to seek Him on what He's asking you to let go of. What in your personal life is he asking you to let go of and for our church, what is he asking you to let go of? What is it you need to admit is dead, what is currently alive? What needs to be mourned, celebrated to be prepared to ascend?
We invite you to write down what you hear and continue to pray through it. In our worship lobby and in Parkside rooms, we have ascension walls. The ascension walls are there to post the things you need to let go of to receive the new. We invite you to bring a representation of what you're letting go of and post it to the board. It could be what you've written down on paper, a photo, an old bulletin or handout from a ministry. There's also paper and pens by the wall where you can write down what you're letting go of and pin it to the board.
together. | Oct 30, 2022
This morning we had our dear friend Pastor Steve Dang join us to teach. He taught on the hospitality of Jesus, where people experience healing, belonging, and the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. Hospitality starts with us. It's not about having a home and hosting others, although that's a wonderful way to be hospitable. Hospitality is a heart posture. It is meeting people where they are at, being present with them, listening to them, connecting with others, and giving grace to others, all from the grace we've been given through Jesus.
Pastor Steve challenged us this week to take a step and offer hospitality to someone this week. It could look like:
Being present with someone God is putting on your heart to spend time with
Making margin for interruptions. When your day is interrupted by someone, perhaps it's an opportunity God is providing to be hospitable, to meet the person where they are
Take a risk. Take a step in saying hello, having a conversation, or grabbing coffee with someone who has a different perspective than you and enter into that conversation by simply listening
Partner with Calvary to show hospitality by being a driver for the Send International conference. Transportation is needed in the mornings and evenings to drive the team to and from Calvary. We desire to host them well and are in need of drivers for the short distance each day.
together. | Nov 6, 2022
This week, not only did Pastor Dale bless us with his singing of Taylor Swift, but he also taught us about cruciformity. Cruciformity is the conforming to the crucified Christ. It is us dying to self, valuing others above ourselves, and in doing so, we bring heaven to earth. It is a process we are called to live out, but we must step into it. First by stopping and pausing to assess, to repent. Identifying what we need to let go of, repenting where it's needed, and letting it go, letting it ascend, so that we can receive what God has for us today.
This is resurrection work. We are in a period of 40 days whereas individuals and as a church we are prayerfully seeking our Father, identifying and surrendering what we need to let go of so that we can receive what God has for us today. We invite you to spend time with our Father this evening and this week to seek Him on what He's asking you to let go of. As a member of our church family, is there something he's asking you to release to him? Is there something that needs to be mourned or celebrated to be prepared to ascend?
