Shows
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Call of Abram - Genesis 12:1-4 It's been Jesus the Messiah from the beginning, interacting with man... Abraham is responding to both the Father and the Son. He's called out as a gentile, and never becomes a Jew. Israel was originally a gentile country.He sees us and calls us out for his holy purposes from the beginning of time! Joshua 24:1... Abraham wasn't merely a gentile, but an idolator. Yet God was able to use him!There's a separation between believers and unbelievers. Abraham was called out of his old l...
2025-11-3034 minCalvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Call of Abram - Genesis 12:1-4 It's been Jesus the Messiah from the beginning, interacting with man... Abraham is responding to both the Father and the Son. He's called out as a gentile, and never becomes a Jew. Israel was originally a gentile country.He sees us and calls us out for his holy purposes from the beginning of time! Joshua 24:1... Abraham wasn't merely a gentile, but an idolator. Yet God was able to use him!There's a separation between believers and unbelievers. Abraham was called out of his old l...
2025-11-3034 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsFeeding of the 5K - Mark 6:30-44 The good shepherd referred to back in Psalm 23 is Jesus... he is our Shepherd and King! We were designed to need a shepherd, to worship something, so we all follow some religion, be it politics, self-reliance, atheism. But the only worthy object of our worship is Jesus!The Good Shepherd lays down his own life for his sheep. He's always kind, faithful, compassionate. He appoints "under-shepherds," the first being the apostles, and now the leaders of the church, replacing the priests of Israel.Woe to the shepherds who scatter...
2025-08-1054 minCalvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsFeeding of the 5K - Mark 6:30-44 The good shepherd referred to back in Psalm 23 is Jesus... he is our Shepherd and King! We were designed to need a shepherd, to worship something, so we all follow some religion, be it politics, self-reliance, atheism. But the only worthy object of our worship is Jesus!The Good Shepherd lays down his own life for his sheep. He's always kind, faithful, compassionate. He appoints "under-shepherds," the first being the apostles, and now the leaders of the church, replacing the priests of Israel.Woe to the shepherds who scatter...
2025-08-1054 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 6:7-13 The term "apostle" is a special designation for someone to whom Jesus gave authority to teach on his behalf, even to write Scripture itself. Today we have bishops, presbyters, pastors, deacons and other offices, but the apostolic age ended with the twelve apostles. When the apostles stayed in a home, regardless of its comfort level, they were to stay there to be a blessing to that family. If the people of a town didn't receive the Word, they were to treat those people as pagans and leave, even if they were Jews; they don't b...
2025-06-3030 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsMessengers of Repentance - Mark 6:7-13 God called the apostles, and he equipped them; he will equip you for your calling as well. He brings us through the valleys to teach us not to fear. He sent his son to save the world, and that requires not acceptance of the world's sin, but repentance from it. So we must tell the truth in love, remaining faithful to God's message!
2025-06-2948 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 6:1-6 The people of Nazareth grew up with Jesus, so he was familiar to them; they didn't see him as any big deal. In our lives, we may know people who grew up knowing about Jesus and are very familiar with him, but who've never fully handed their lives over to him.Being near Jesus and knowing some things about him is not the same as believing in him. It's not enough; we must trust and believe! We must submerge our entire selves in the blood of Christ, for he is worthy!
2025-06-2331 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsHonor - Mark 6:1-6 When Jesus returned to his hometown, he was not valued as he should have been. He made no great outpouring of mighty works there, as the Holy Spirit hadn't opened the hearts of the people.As believers with discernment, we are to honor and glorify, value and acknowledge our God. Praise him and make him known! You were bought with a price: the blood of our Savior. So shine on his behalf, live faithfully with integrity. Our chief duty is to glorify him!At the end of today's message...
2025-06-2251 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsWord, Life, Light - John 1:1-5 Jesus is the source of light and life; he chases away the darkness of sin. He is the physical embodiment of God's Word, present from creation, bringing light and life to believers. We're called to live confidently as children of the light of Christ!
2025-06-1540 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Genesis 43-45 Joseph's brothers were jealous of their father's favoritism toward him, and left him to die, causing him to be sold into Egyptian slavery. After correctly interpreting Pharaoh's dream, he rose to second in command of Egypt. Years later, Joseph invited his estranged brothers for dinner and concocted a scenario that ultimately proved to him that his brothers had changed their ways: one brother, Judah, was willing to sacrifice his life for his brother Benjamin. Joseph then revealed his identity to his brothers, and they repented for what they did to him! They wept together, hugged and kissed, and talked...
2025-06-0923 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsEffective Prayer - 1 Peter Effective prayer begins with a life of walking the path of Christ. The prayer itself must be real, from your heart, not just giving lip service, or repeating canned prayers without meaning.With the Holy Spirit's leading, and because of the work of the Son, we pray with confidence directly to God the Father, in fear and awe of his holiness and authority, asking for what our hearts desire, but in deference to his perfect will!
2025-06-0846 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Psalm 24 There are many "hills of the Lord," both in the Old and New Testaments. Even in the very beginning, the Garden of Eden was atop a hill. Jacob met God at Mt. Bethel, Moses met him at Mt. Sinai; even Joshua was only allowed in its lower parts. David had Mt. Zion, a foreshadowing of the New Jerusalem, where God's people will live with him for all eternity. In Matthew, Jesus spoke from the Mount of Beatitudes.We intuitively know God is "above" us, and when he meets with one of us, it's usually...
2025-06-0238 minCalvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Psalm 24 There are many "hills of the Lord," both in the Old and New Testaments. Even in the very beginning, the Garden of Eden was atop a hill. Jacob met God at Mt. Bethel, Moses met him at Mt. Sinai; even Joshua was only allowed in its lower parts. David had Mt. Zion, a foreshadowing of the New Jerusalem, where God's people will live with him for all eternity. In Matthew, Jesus spoke from the Mount of Beatitudes.We intuitively know God is "above" us, and when he meets with one of us, it's usually...
2025-06-0238 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Ascension - Psalm 24:7-10 Jesus is the conquering King of Glory, mighty in battle, who has defeated sin, death, and Satan! As the ark was returned to Mount Zion in victory, Christ ascended into heaven in victory! He's the conquering warrior we need in spiritual warfare, and our key to heaven. If you don't yet believe, seek him now, while you still can!
2025-06-0142 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsWho Shall Ascend the Mountain? - Psalm 24:1-6 Who can approach the living God? One with clean hands, who neither plans nor does evil, whose soul isn't lifted up to the pursuit of false things or idols, and who is transparent, without deceit. David is describing the character of the godly!The reverential awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.Once we've come to Jesus, we are called to follow his ways, to live in holiness. In our humanity we do so imperfectly, and are certainly not worthy on our own to ascend the mountain...
2025-05-2549 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 5:25-34 The four miracles in Mark 4-5 all have this in common: God brings hope to hopeless situations. Jesus reveals himself as God, as creator. He is our refuge in times of trouble. In all the miracles, death was threatening, and Jesus brings life. He is the atoner!Structurally, the center of today's passage is the woman being healed, and power going out from Jesus. Jesus gives out, and we receive.Many thronged about Jesus, but few touched him. The woman must have believed him to be more than just...
2025-05-1927 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Atoner - Mark 5:25-34 Jesus is one with the Father, so the Old Testament laws of uncleanliness do not apply to him. The woman with the issue of blood simply put her faith in him to heal her, and Jesus not only healed her, but made her pure! Our Lord is the ultimate purifier; the unclean doesn't render him unclean, but is rather purified by his sheer holiness. As followers of Christ, we too were once in a terrible state and had to be purified. Just as the woman demonstrated her faith publicly, we're called to share with...
2025-05-1849 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 5:21-43 The stories of Jairus's daughter and the woman with the issue of blood are told together, and intertwined. The girl was 12 years old, and the woman's issue of blood had lasted 12 years. The girl experienced death, and due to Levitical laws, the woman was associated with death for 12 years. Both the woman and Jairus were desperate for healing, and Jesus's touch healed them both!Jairus may have been an acquaintance of Peter's, or was simply well-known due to his status as a leader in the synagogue. The woman with the issue of blood, however...
2025-05-1225 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsResurrection Power - Mark 5:21-43 When Jesus resurrects Jairus's daughter, he shows he is Lord even over death. He says she wasn't dead, "only sleeping"... Does that mean when we die, we go into soul sleep until the resurrection of the dead? The Bible says no in multiple places. Jesus says "sleeping" as a way of describing our eternity; it's more accurate than saying "dead". Because after death, we wake up! Fall asleep in the world, wake up in heaven. O death, where is your sting?After the girl wakes up, Jesus instructs them to give her some food...
2025-05-1146 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Lost Bride - Genesis 1-2 God's love for his lost bride (humanity) is profound. We can trace it through history: creation, the fall, Abraham and Isaac, the tabernacle and priestly garments, the Song of Solomon, and our redemption through Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection.God is committed to rescuing and restoring his people despite their unfaithfulness. His ultimate plan is to glorify us as he is glorified, bringing his bride back to himself!
2025-05-0428 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsTrue Glory - John 15 Following Jesus is challenging. The world may hate us, just as it hated him, but this persecution is essential for our spiritual growth. We're called to be the salt of the earth, preserving a decaying world even when it hurts. Our response to trials and persecution can be a powerful witness to others.Are we living for our own false glory or the true glory of God, who chose to humble Himself for our sake? Glory through humility is at the core of our faith, and calls us to a deeper relationship with God.
2025-04-2735 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - 1 Corinthians 15 Jesus' resurrection is centrally important to the Christian faith. The four Gospels offer distinct, non-chronological accounts of the resurrection, each highlighting particular theological themes. Mark ends with fear and confusion. Luke focuses on women's perspectives and eyewitness accounts. John emphasizes the garden setting, drawing parallels to the Garden of Eden and Jesus as the new Adam. Matthew presents the resurrection as a new beginning and a reversal, mirroring the themes in the book of Esther.In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul addresses those in Corinth who deny the resurrection of the dead. He reminds them of the...
2025-04-2124 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Atonement - John 20 On this Easter Sunday, we delve into Jesus' resurrection, as recorded in John 20. This pivotal event is not just a historical fact, but the cornerstone of our faith. The empty tomb proclaims that Jesus is who He says He is - the Son of God, victorious over death!The resurrection is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions. It's not about our works, but the work Christ has done for us. The atonement for our sins - God's work to reconcile us to Himself - is utterly unique to Christianity. We don't have...
2025-04-2039 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 5:1-20 Structurally, the focus of today's passage is verse 13: "So he gave them permission." Jesus has such authority that the demons need to ask him before they act! - Jesus has the authority. Same as the story of Jesus calming the storm. - The opposition to Jesus in the beginning was the demons... At the end, it was the gentiles. - At the end of Mark 4 (Jesus calms the storm), the disciples question who Jesus is... here in Mark 5, they declare it!
2025-04-1441 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsWho Is Jesus? Part 2 - Mark 5:1-20 The end of Mark 4 ended with a question... who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?Jesus and the disciples were already tired from the storm at sea, and they're immediately faced with a demon-possessed man! He was strong, violent, had a legion of demons, lived among the dead, and couldn't be contained. These demons know who Jesus is, even if the disciples don't yet. They beg him for mercy, not to be sent to the abyss, but to be sent into the herd of p...
2025-04-1351 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 4:35-41 Structurally, Mark 4:35-41 is a chiasm, with the central point being the disciples waking Jesus and his rebuking the wind and sea. This emphasizes the faithlessness of the disciples compared to the faith of Jesus.This passage begins as Jesus gets away from the crowds to rest with his disciples; he escapes the crowd to rest with us as well.The storm is reminiscent of the one Jonah encountered in the Old Testament. The disciples are acting like faithless people; they're depicted as imperfect human beings. And even though...
2025-04-0732 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsWho Is Jesus? - Mark 4:35-41 As he calms the storm, Jesus is the God of Genesis 1, whose voice brings order! Creation listens to his voice. In the beginning, the earth was without form, chaotic. God speaks and brings order to it all! As Jesus calms the storm, he shows that he is one with the Father.When life becomes chaotic, we need the Word of the Lord! Order will come about only through his mercy. If our finances are chaotic, we must work hard. Stretch the dollar. Don't forget to bless the church. God c...
2025-04-0646 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsInvestments This week, Mark Traeger teaches on the investments we're called to make in Jesus. God first calls us to invest our lives in him! In our Christian walk, if we want a better prayer life, we must invest time in prayer; if we want to know God's Word better, we must invest our time and effort into it. All the world offers is temporary, but an investment in God is eternal!
2025-03-3040 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsMonday B-Side In the parable of the lamp, the lamp is illuminating Gospel truth throughout the world. The Word should be proclaimed, and the light of Christ should shine, openly. The Kingdom will expand, shining God's light to the whole earth. As you share the light of his Word, more will be given to you! As you reject it, more will be taken from you, until you're in outer darkness. He's generous with us so we can be generous with others for the advancement of the Kingdom!Church growth comes not from man-made programs, but by...
2025-03-2434 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsParables of the Kingdom - Mark 4:21-34 The Kingdom is indeed eternal, but it's also here now. Jesus is Lord of the Kingdom, and Lord of all. Demons shudder over his authority! Satan doesn't want us to know about the Kingdom.Being in the Kingdom means we're under the King! He is our Lord! He brought the Kingdom down to us.In the parable of the lamp, we see he didn't give us a light to hide it, as he didn't give us seeds to hoard them but to sow. You've been given the light; be...
2025-03-2347 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 4:1-20 Part 2 Thorns (worldly concerns) grow up with the wheat; we must make sure not to let these concerns choke out our faith.Verses 10-12 are the chiastic focal point, showing that parables are like riddles, meant to teach God's people but confound unbelievers, conveying judgment on the hard-hearted.Jesus gives an allegorical interpretation of the parable of the sower, and understanding it allows the believer to unlock the meaning of his other parables. He's instructing the apostles and the church what to expect when they sow the Word.
2025-03-1726 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsParable of the Sower Part 2 - Mark 4:1-20 People who are like good soil...- They hear and continue to hear! They meditate on it, abide in it! They hear the word and keep hearing it.- They accept the word, welcoming the whole counsel of God, and keeping it. They don't want the word on their own terms... they adhere to its hard truths, trusting its veracity even if it doesn't agree with our human understanding.- They bear fruit! Good works do not equate to salvation. But good works arise...
2025-03-1650 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 4:1-20 Mark mostly tells us what Jesus did, more than what he said, but in Chapter 4 (as well as Chapter 13) he emphasizes what Jesus taught. Here Jesus is teaching from the water, protecting him from the encroaching mob.He commands his followers to listen!In the parable of the sower, he describes the various kinds of people who have encountered his ministry.Jesus says he's given his followers the ability to understand the parables, so it's easy to worry if you don't understand them right...
2025-03-1025 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsParable of the Sower Part 1 - Mark 4:1-20 In today's passage, Jesus teaches in parables, like riddles. Parables were a language of judgment on the hard-hearted; even the apostles didn't always understand them immediately.Jesus is the chief sower, but we also sow the Word of God, the truth of Jesus' story, God's Kingdom.1 - Seed along the well-traveled path... people have heard it before. Birds steal it, in one ear and out the other; truths will not take root. This is not the sower's fault; his job is simply to throw the seeds!
2025-03-0952 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 3:20-35 Why did Jesus' family think he was crazy here? They never saw him perform miracles, so they struggled to believe.Mark places the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit as the center of the story. Jesus has power over the demonic, and the scribes attack Jesus, attributing his power to evil. They're trying to undercut the claims that he's Messiah. He responds with a parable, as an indictment against them! Parables are given in such a way that believers will understand (even if not immediately), but nonbelievers like these scribes will miss the point.
2025-03-0325 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Family of God - Mark 3:20-35 Scribes accuse Jesus of being possessed by demons simply because he commands them. But he's binding Satan before plundering his house.Everything you've ever done can be forgiven. Christians today have the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, the only unpardonable sin, is the repeated and final rejection of Jesus. Biblically, if you're given over to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, you don't care. If you care whether you've committed this unpardonable sin, you haven't committed it. Your grieving over your sin is evidence that your heart is not permanently hardened!
2025-03-0244 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Seed of Joy - John 15 Pastor Rick explores the concepts of joy, peace, and fruitfulness in the Christian life, rooted in Jesus' teachings from John 14 and 15. It's essential that we as Christians abide in Christ, understand God's sovereignty, and experience the transformative power of God's love. True peace and joy come from trusting in God's plan, even amidst life's challenges, and this joy is a testament to the world of God's work in our lives!
2025-02-2344 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 3:7-19 So many people from all walks of life are coming to Jesus, including Gentiles, that he retreats to the water to escape the dangerous crowd. The Pharisees don't know who Jesus is, but the demons do.Jesus calls the twelve apostles ("sent ones" or "messengers"), a select group of leaders chosen by Jesus, who met with him personally, and had authority over the local churches of the early church. They could write scripture! The early church hierarchy: Father - Son - Spirit - Apostles - Pastors - Church. Although in the broad sense we...
2025-02-1734 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsApostolic Calling - Mark 3:7-19 The apostles didn't choose Jesus; he chose them! Not for their skill, righteousness, wisdom or faith. We love him because he first loved us, because he is good!Jesus is calling us so we can be with him, have authority to preach, and cast out demons (resist Satan).The Christian life, to sum up: Draw near to the Lord, stay in him, be sent out, and oppose what comes against him!
2025-02-1648 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 2:23 - 3:6 Jesus doesn't excuse sin, but emphasizes there are weightier issues in the law. Lying is bad, but murder is worse, and choosing to lie to protect someone from being killed is the better choice.The Pharisees missed the spirit of the law on favor of the letter of the law.Exodus 4:5ff... one of God's signs of his presence to the people is his healing of Moses' hand. The people believed, but Pharaoh didn't... here in Mark, the man with the withered hand believed, but the Pharisees didn't; they...
2025-02-1045 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsBecause He Said So - Mark 2:23 - 3:6 The Pharisees were turning the law into a heavy yoke; they fell into the trap of letting tradition replace God's Word. Jesus expressed the spirit of the law. He heals a man on the Sabbath, and they plot to kill him.On judgment day, don't weep for the prostitute, weep for the self-righteous, weep for the unfaithful pastor. Jesus was willing to heal the man with the withered hand, but asked him to stretch out his hand, an act of choice, of faith. If you don't know how God's g...
2025-02-0946 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 2:13-22 Jesus eats with such deplorable people; shocking at the time. Like Moses in Exodus 10, he wants to save as many people as he can, and eating with them fostered intimacy and implied forgiveness of their sins.That said, we are still called to live holy lives; Jesus accepts us as we are but teaches us to not stay as we are! Ephesians 2:4-10 - We're saved by grace alone through faith alone; salvation is purely a gift, not attainable by works. But we are a new creation in Christ Jesus FOR good works! When...
2025-02-0333 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsFasters and Feasters - Mark 2:13-22 The scribes and Pharisees were self-righteous. They didn't see themselves as needing a savior. But the sinners sitting at the table with Jesus knew they needed help. And he wants sinners! We've all fallen short of the glory of God, and don't deserve to eat a meal with Jesus. But if God grants us entry into heaven, we'll feel the warmth of Jesus' glory for all eternity. Not because we're good, but because we recognized our condition and took a seat at his table, and our sins were forgiven! Jesus adheres to the old t...
2025-02-0249 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 2:1-12 Mark was at Peter's house, a large, nice home, for today's passage. He's among family when the paralytic is brought through the roof. In 2 Kings 13:20-21, there's a very similar story of healing in the Old Testament, where a dead man is revived after his body touches the dead body of Elisha.Even this early in Mark, the story of the paralytic establishes Jesus' authority over spiritual and physical death. Jesus isn't upset over the damage to the house, and is pleased with the fa...
2025-01-2733 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Son of Man - Mark 2:1-12 The Pharisees liked some of what Jesus said, but in rejecting some of it, they denied his authority. The paralytic and his friends had great faith. His friends carried him through the crowd for who knows how long, lifted him up to the roof, somehow got him through the roof to the inside... So much faith! And Jesus forgave him and healed him. Often the right road is unpaved, the narrow, rocky path. Just because something is hard doesn't mean it's against God's will. If he's calling you, you mu...
2025-01-2643 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly Sermons1 Samuel 8 We must never lose hope in the work of the perfect leader, Jesus Christ. People are fallible, but church is about God. The body of Christ points to him. Despite human failings, we must assemble together! Israel wanted a king. But God created Israel to have him as king! The Bible doesn't record the failures of the Hebrew people so we can judge them, but to show us his faithfulness and our need for him. In Revelation 2, the early church was repeating these old testament sins! We must be fiercely on guard against them. T...
2025-01-1942 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Holy Spirit and Cosmic Fruitfulness - John 14-15 Almighty God dwells within us; we inherit the perfection of his works. As he produces fruit in us, we are his example to the world. Our hearts are above all desperately wicked. We need Jesus; we can't live the Christian life without him. He lives in us, and is for us! He's the second Adam, perfect, without sin.We cultivate the garden by raising our families in God, by living according to his principles, by using his gifts to bear fruit!When God created the earth, he was marrying i...
2025-01-1242 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Psalm 5 Psalm 4 closes with David asking God to protect us through the night, and Psalm 5 opens with David meeting the Lord in the morning, giving thanks and worshipping him. He recognizes that it's only because of the goodness of God that he will enter God's house.There's evil inside each of us, and David asks God to keep him from it and make him righteous. The innermost self of evildoers is unfettered evil. David prays for God to judge evildoers, that they'd fall by their own foolishness. An evil man will reap what he sows...
2025-01-0621 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsLingering Trials - Psalm 5 Anything in your life that's contrary to Jesus is making your life worse. You may think it's not noticeable, but others will see and feel its effects. There is no such thing as a free sin. Satan wants this culture to believe that truth is relative... your truth, my truth, etc. Not true, there is only Truth!God blesses the righteous and covers us with his favor like a shield. He wraps us in a full suit of armor made up of his delight in us! He so loves his people!
2025-01-0540 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsStooping Love - John 13-14 In God's presence, we enjoy the abundance of his creation. We are reflections of the Trinity; we are a family. The tabernacle was a representation of a banquet, with the ark being the banquet couch, where God rests with his people. In Exodus 25, the showbread was called the bread of faces, laid before the face of God, with the wine, a glorified form of God's fruit. In Leviticus, we see ascension food, offered up to God. It is urgent we gather together regularly, dining together!At the incarnation, God is extending his family into th...
2024-12-2942 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsChristmas Eve 2024 - Matthew 1:18-25 Why did Jesus come into the world? To save people from their sins through his death and resurrection! At the virgin birth, deliverance is coming for God's people, and God's judgment is coming to those who reject him. We're born of sin; salvation must come from outside ourselves. That's why Jesus came!When we stand before God on judgment day, all we need is him. If we choose God's kingdom over the kingdom of darkness, we are born again and will live in that kingdom forever.If you think...
2024-12-2423 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Matthew 2:13-23 Matthew shows us how Israel has degraded to an Egypt-like state. Herod started as a courageous, capable leader, trusted by Caesar, but in his corrupt pagan heart, he became consumed with self-preservation and political power above all else. The star announcing the arrival of a new king meant to him that this king had to be killed.Though the world may be filled with leaders like Herod, God is still on the throne. He will outlast Satan himself. Though Satan is patient, laying snares, playing the long game, he will never be smarter than...
2024-12-2330 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsGood and Evil - Matthew 2:13-23 Trust and follow Jesus!!! You will NOT survive without him. We are prone to wander.There are people today like Herod, who are filled with the spirit of the antichrist. They will lie and flatter you because they live for themselves and want their own way. We are to be patient, forgiving, slow to wrath, but there is also a time to walk away, if you can't reason with someone or they won't listen to scripture. A godly man is a leader, self-ruled, held captive to the word of G...
2024-12-2253 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Matthew 2:1-12 Astrology was a sin in the old testament, but regardless, God knows this is how to reach the wise men from Arabia. God is using the star of Bethlehem to reach out to these gentiles even before Jesus is born!The wandering star is the Holy Spirit, similar to the glory cloud in the wilderness in Exodus, resting on the tabernacle. At Jesus' birth, the glory cloud has left the temple, is leading to and now rests upon Jesus. Paralleling Exodus, Jesus is the way for God's people out of Egypt and into the pr...
2024-12-1619 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsAdvent Light - Matthew 2:1-12 Fear is a horrible god; people can lose their minds over it. Proverbs 29:25: don't let fear run your life! Psalm 56:3: When you're afraid, trust in God! We must resist the temptation to fear. If we can trust and believe he can get us through, fear will evaporate!Calling Jesus King of the Jews was a political threat to Herod. Jesus is the King we serve, beyond any earthly authority.Choose Jesus as your Lord and don't sit on the fence. Be all in! You must choose whom you will...
2024-12-1540 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 1:35-45 Jesus becomes famous, then hides away from the public to talk with his Father.His focus was on preaching in synagogues, not on miracles; miracles were to lend credence to his teaching, to give weight to his message.Jesus prayed! If he needs to pray, so do we. We must set aside dedicated time alone with the Lord.Lepers were to isolate themselves (Lev 13:42). When they wanted to be around others, they had to announce their uncleanness. This leper risks it all, breaking the l...
2024-12-0933 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsWhy the Secrecy? - Mark 1:35-45 If you want to avoid terror at the second coming, you must accept the gentle first coming! This passage tells us where the church's focus should be: the Word of God. Faith is going to God, knowing he can do whatever he wills. True faith says, "Your will be done."Mark is all about action, showing Jesus as always moving; he's communicating what Jesus did, to show us what WE are to do.We had no interest in God before he called us. Like a leper, we were outside...
2024-12-0851 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 1:21-34 We must counter the devil's lies with God's truth, and fill our lives with worship. Peter spoke in love, but the devil spoke in fear.We must come to Jesus with not only our words or our thoughts, but our hearts. We must be all in.Mark is intent on showing Jesus as King. He shows many parallels between Jesus and David.When Peter was called into ministry, he didn't abandon his wife; he took 3 years to study with the Lord, and then embarked...
2024-12-0229 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Authority of Christ - Mark 1:21-34 The darkness hates the light! Jesus shows up and demons flee.If I want God to heal me or fix my situation, is it for good reasons, or just so I can go on sinning? Is it for his glory or my own comfort? The woman Jesus heals immediately gets up and serves her family. We too should have an eager desire to serve God in our healing.Jesus' name is above all names, all powers, all thrones. He's greater than the most spiritual of men. And we have...
2024-12-0147 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThanksgiving 2024 - Psalms 99 and 100 It's good to give thanks to God, walking in him and abounding in thanksgiving! Even in tough times, we grieve with hope, and rejoice. Continue steadfastly in prayer and be vigilant in thanksgiving! Find reasons to be thankful.God's word contains many examples associating thankfulness with sharing a meal. Every time we eat together dinner at the table is an opportunity to be thankful and worship God! He blesses us many times a day, in innumerable ways.Praise him for the great things he's doing and the great things...
2024-11-242h 05
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsSo That the Son of Man May Be Glorified - John 11, 12 Trust Jesus in the face of death. God allows trials because we're forced to go to him for help. He works on his terms, not ours; he uses people and experiences we wouldn't have chosen to allow us to grow.When we sin, we should feel shame; shame is holy!Often we need to be silent, be still, and wait for God to speak and act.Once you taste the glory of God, you can't get enough. He is love!
2024-11-1740 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 1:14-20 Jesus and the Father are one, bringing the same message! Mark is informing the gentile Christians that they are NOT a sect or weird branch of old testament believers; Jesus preaches with the same authority as the Father.Repentance is a gift. It means there's still time to come to the Lord and say you're sorry, and that time is now! In about 40 years, Jerusalem would be burned to the ground, so this message was URGENT.Wherever a believer goes, as the Spirit goes with him, the Kingdom is i...
2024-11-1122 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsJesus Preaches the Kingdom - Mark 1:14-20 The beatitudes (being meek, peacemakers, pure in heart, hungering for righteousness, etc.) are the Kingdom attitudes, how we should be living! As subjects of the King, he is either our Lord or our enemy.Jesus started a good work in us so we can be a blessing to each other. Our loved ones need us to act more and more like Christ! We are brought here to church for a purpose, to help each other, to strengthen each other for the race ahead.Don't be afraid to trust the...
2024-11-1053 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Mark 1:1-13 John Mark traveled with Peter and Paul, and was the cousin of Barnabas. He was a man of good character, according to Peter, and a man of useful skills according to Paul.The Gospel of Mark is not chronologically ordered, but split into 3 sections: Jesus in Galilee, Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, and Jesus in Jerusalem. Mark likes to write chiastically.The audience of the Gospel of Mark is gentiles, people who have little frame of reference for Jewish customs, likely Romans in particular....
2024-11-0437 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Son of God - Mark 1:1-13 Mark was written in the mid-to-late 60s AD by Mark, aka John Mark, cousin of Barnabas. He became Peter's follower, interpreter and transcriber. His writing was very accurate, though not in chronological order.He introduces John the Baptist, whose life parallels that of Elijah. John's words are full of sweetness and judgment, and his ministry points ahead to the coming Christ. When Jesus is baptized by him, it is the beginning of the tearing of the veil between heaven and earth!Mark describes Jesus as a warrior on the...
2024-11-0344 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - Luke 5:1-11 When Jesus appears to Peter, he was cleaning his nets, a long and laborious process... so it was a big deal when Jesus told him to trust him and let down the nets. The yield was supernaturally large, and Peter realizes his sinfulness in the presence of God.The concept of "fishing for men" is also found in Jeremiah 16:16, Amos 4:2, Habakkuk 1:17, in a military context. So Jesus may be saying he's raising up an army, to rescue men from Satan's kingdom.God takes Peter's existing talent as a fisherman...
2024-10-2822 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsBy What Standard - Luke 5:1-11 Peter, like Isaiah, suddenly realizes he's in the presence of the almighty God, and sees the depth of his own sinfulness. Jesus "fished" Peter before calling him to fish men. In Romans 5:8 we see that God showed his love for us while we were still sinners! He stepped into our lives because he first loved us-- not because we came to him. We should be the most grateful people in the world!As Peter discovered, the closer we get to God, the more sinful we realize we are. But we are transformed as we...
2024-10-2745 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - 2 Kings 2 Pastor Josh finds parallels between Elijah and Jesus, between Elijah and the sacrificial system, and between Elisha and Elijah's roles and the roles of the Jewish and gentile Church. All the parallels in scripture point to Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice!
2024-10-2122 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsElijah Part 9 - 2 Kings 2 The spirit of Elijah is the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, all about being a bold witness, a messenger. John the Baptist was a type of Elijah. In 2 Kings as Elijah passes the mantle to Elisha, Elisha is reluctant to accept, a good sign that he takes the office of prophet seriously. Elijah and Moses weren't great prophets in and of themselves; they thrived on God's grace and providence.Elijah was taken up to Heaven without dying, like Jesus was. Straight to the presence of the Father! This is how it will be...
2024-10-2043 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsMonday B-Side Ahab would not be broken, and he was removed.Ahazaiah wants to reach out to Baal, and he reaches out far away to Ekron, because Israel's messengers of Baal have been killed. He could have been healed like the widow of Zarephath's son if he only had the faith of the pagan widow.Structurally, the chapter is a chiasm. The central portion is verses 7 and 8. It hinges upon the king (Ahaziah) wanting to meet with Baal, and he's instead met with Elijah, the "Baal of hair".
2024-10-1441 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsElijah Part 8 - 2 Kings 1 The wicked king falls, never again to rise. Elijah, like Yahweh, rises again, never to fall! Ahaziah, when things got tough, went to false gods, just like his father Ahab. The best gift we can give our children is faith in the one true God!Elijah is described as a "Baal of hair"... Ahaziah wants to hear from a Baal, so God sends Elijah! The Lord needs to be our safety, our high tower!God will NOT share us. He is jealous for us!
2024-10-1344 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - 1 Kings 19:15-21, Luke 9:57-62 God's presence is not just found in grandiose signs and wonders, but in his voice— his Word. Elisha is anointed not by Elijah, but by God himself. These two things are what's needed for reformation in our society: God's Word and his anointing!
2024-10-0728 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsElijah Part 6 - 1 Kings 19:15-21 Elijah was "the one who came before," like John the Baptist. God even told him to appoint a new prophet to take his place. Our own effort is only a small part of the bigger picture. Every generation is tempted to think they're THE generation... humanity has finally arrived! No. We are all forerunners to those who will come after us! Elijah's job is to anoint those who will be there when he's gone.Our feelings are real, but not always true. Elijah isn't the only prophet left, despite how he's feeling. Just because...
2024-10-0647 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Good Shepherd - John 10 God's ultimate desire is for humanity to be with him and witness his glory, and to do that, he's willing to sacrifice his own life for us, his sheep. The Good Shepherd takes us from living as animals, to a glorious existence with him!The Holy Spirit reveals to us the deeper things of God, and when we pray, he's not distant; we are intimately connected with our Good Shepherd.
2024-09-2946 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - 1 Kings 19:1-14, Exodus 32, 33, 34 Jezebel is running the country, not Ahab. She's also running Ahab's life. This is a sign of judgment on Israel. In Exodus, we see many parallels between Elijah and Moses. Elijah's concern is that the people have forsaken the covenant, they are not coming to God. He's the only one actively opposing Jezebel.God speaks in a whisper. He speaks to us intimately! The presence of God is in the preaching of the Word of God! If Israel is going to come to repentance, it'll be through the voice of God, his whisper, his...
2024-09-2333 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsElijah Part 5 - 1 Kings 19:1-14, Exodus 32, 33, 34 Unless God awakens someone, no amount of education will bring them to Christ! The problem isn't the eyes or mind, it's the heart. Evangelism starts with PRAYER... Asking God to do what only he can do!King Ahab would rather have peace with his wife than with God. Many men are in this position even now. This is a toxic marriage. Wives, if you have a good husband, he desperately wants peace. He doesn't want lingering tension or strife. You must resist the urge to lord over your husband, r...
2024-09-2246 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - 1 Kings 18:20-46 The prophets of the false god Baal are entrenched in their wrong belief. The people of Israel are "limping" between worship of Baal and following the true God. But the events in this passage seem to be describing a coming restoration of Israel, as if God is opening the door for them to come back to him... unfortunately, we'll soon see this doesn't happen.
2024-09-1628 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsElijah Part 4 - 1 Kings 18:20-46 When it comes time to decide whose god is the real God, Elijah gives the prophets of Baal as many advantages as he can, so they can't complain of unfairness when Baal loses... and to show the people who the real, living God is! God demands undivided allegiance to himself alone.Elijah mocks the prophets as they try to get "Baal" to answer them. Then they cut themselves bloody in a last ditch effort to bring forth Baal, trying to stir up enough fervency to get him to respond... But Baal doesn't exist!
2024-09-1542 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - 1 Kings 17:10-24 NOTE: Due to streaming trouble, this B-Side was presented a week later than usual. It's meant to accompany the sermon from 9/1/2024, "Elijah Part 2". For the B-Side that goes with the 9/8/2024 sermon titled, "Elijah Part 3," Pastor Josh is hoping to stream that next Monday, 9/16. Thanks for bearing with us; technology is wonderful when it works! :-DThe widow of Zarephath is a woman of faith, a new convert. There are many parallels between Elijah and Moses; in fact, Elijah is like a new Moses.In her difficult circumstances, the widow is...
2024-09-0924 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsElijah Part 3 - 1 Kings 18:1-19 Obadiah was a godly insider in Israel's government, Ahab's right-hand man, who quietly protected pastors from Ahab and Jezebel. God has people everywhere doing his work, protecting his people! Yes, we need outspoken leaders like Elijah, but God uses all kinds of people to do his work. Be faithful where he's placed you!Ahab's concern for protecting his war horses over human life is similar to our country's wrong focus today. We have abandoned God in favor of what seems right in our own eyes. Apart from Christ, there is only chaos.
2024-09-0853 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsElijah Part 2 - 1 Kings 17:10-24 Our God is not limited by anything; he is on the throne!Jesus is Lord, whether you believe it or not. This is the realization the whole universe will come to eventually. And prayer is acknowledging that you are not God, and that he is able to provide. He deserves our time, attention, and humility!As Elijah stretched himself out over the boy 3 times and God brought him back to life, we witness an Old Testament picture of substitutionary atonement, pointing to Christ's death on the cross. Apart from J...
2024-09-0144 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - 1 Kings 16:29-17:9 Ahab was even more evil than his evil father. Israel seemed to be prospering by worldly standards, but God was disgusted. Ahab chose Baal because he thought that would bring more wealth and power. True wealth and power only come when you put God first.Though Ahab is constantly ignoring the Word of God, Elijah is consistently living his life based on the Word of God. Elijah's strength was drawn from his prayer life.Elijah is a type of Moses, Ahab a type of Pharaoh....
2024-08-2625 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsElijah Part 1 - 1 Kings 16:29-17:9 Our country isn't immune to the modern equivalent of Baal worship. We must stop pretending that Satan isn't constantly seeking to devour us, our children, our grandchildren. A nation is under judgment when the Word departs from society.God brings Elijah to a place of no food, with a brook that runs out of water, even though he was under God's grace. He was just a man like us. Tempted to question God's provision, like we are.So God brings us to a difficult place not because he hates...
2024-08-2547 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Promise - Genesis 49:8-12 If you love God (because he first loved us), you'll keep his commandments. He should be first in our marriages. In all things, submit to him and see how he works things out! Jesus says simply, "Follow me."
2024-08-1844 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly Sermons1 Corinthians 2:6-13 The wisdom and rulers of this age are doomed to pass away. Hidden wisdom in the Scriptures is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.As we are heart, mind and soul, God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We rely on the strength given to us by the Holy Spirit.Jesus' death and resurrection are a deposit, a guarantee of things to come: proof of our coming inheritance, the Kingdom of God! Along with the Son, we are heirs to the Father, guaranteed by the Spirit. We are...
2024-08-1136 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsMonday B-Side The Great Commission in Matthew 28 is paralleled in the Old Testament books of Ezra and Joshua: in the Great Commission, Jesus is leading his people into battle. We must both speak and live out the commands of Jesus, constantly growing in him, as an example to others. We must be strong and courageous as we live out the Great Commission!
2024-08-0524 minCalvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsMonday B-Side The Great Commission in Matthew 28 is paralleled in the Old Testament books of Ezra and Joshua: in the Great Commission, Jesus is leading his people into battle. We must both speak and live out the commands of Jesus, constantly growing in him, as an example to others. We must be strong and courageous as we live out the Great Commission!
2024-08-0524 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsThe Great Commission - Matthew 28 As Christians, our mission is to point people to Jesus! Not to grow a church, but to ask how God wants church run. He honors faithful people serving faithfully, teaching what he teaches. Jesus obeyed, and from the cross, he rose to Heaven. As we too are faithful, we will follow him. Our purpose is to share the words of life with dying people!
2024-08-0445 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsBaptism 2024 - B-Side Pastor Josh considers the early church's views on baptism, and gleans some interesting insights from extrabiblical sources: the Didache, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian. Baptism was essential to the early church, and how to best practice it was considered very carefully by these early writers. The main thread: we should take baptism seriously, as God takes it seriously!
2024-07-2934 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsBaptism 2024 - Matthew 28:16-20 In baptism, we are baptized into God's Kingdom. We declare his authority over the world, and swear allegiance to God in front of him and his people, and the angels... and the demons. We declare war on the principalities and powers that come against God. As a Christian, if you have the opportunity to get baptized, you must. It's the consummation of Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-22... we all become one with him! Baptism means obedience: will you submit and do what he's asking?He...
2024-07-2843 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - James 5:13-20 Don't forget to praise God when life is good, and learn to find joy amid the suffering.What is a church? It literally means "assembly" - Christians together, not in isolation, with a biblical structure. We pray and heal and confess our sins to one another. He fills us with his spirit so we may be a light to the world, that shines back on him. We are to seek and save the lost, and bring those who wander back to the truth!
2024-07-2236 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsHow to Speak - James 5:13-20 Having told us how NOT to speak, James now tells us how TO speak. We should faithfully pray, sing praise to our Father, and confess our sins to one another.We're called not to perfection, but to be faithful, and to repent when we fail. Out of gratitude, we pull people from the fires of hell, so they can receive the same free gift of eternal life that we have received. We labor not for ourselves, but for our Father's kingdom. We wage war only by putting away carnal things and relying on God's...
2024-07-2146 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - James 5:7-12 How can we know we're going to Heaven? Not by swearing an oath, but by depending on God. He provides for us daily, moment by moment. We are lost without his provision. This steadfast reliance on him requires patience, exemplified in the life of Job.
2024-07-1531 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsPatience as the Path to Joy - James 5:7-12 As image-bearers of God, we should all have patience. We are to live in joy of Jesus' imminent return. His joy is our strength! It transcends our struggles. Wait for the Lord to act on your behalf. The better ending is connected to those who are not proud in spirit, but patient!
2024-07-1443 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - James 4:13-5:6 Today, Pastor Josh examines the timeline, context and origins of our passage in James to get at the meaning of some of the more difficult parts.Life is a vapor, so we're grateful for God's provisions while he gives them! Failure to do what God sets before us to do is sin. The sacrifices we think are pleasing to God are nothing compared to abiding in Jesus Christ! God will defend his people against the wicked.The resurrection was a sign of vindication of the Church, and the destruction...
2024-07-0832 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsHope and Ignorance - James 4:13-5:6 Non-believers aren't forced to come to Jesus or live for him. But anything else you give your life to will eventually be eaten up. Wake up and store your treasures in heaven. While there's still time, come and yield to him and he will radically change your life!As believers, we can rest assured that Christ is King and the God of the Bible is alive today. God's Church will outlast Satan! We stand as God's people, heirs of his kingdom.
2024-07-0748 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - James 4:6-12 Submit to Jesus, and not only will Satan flee, but God will draw near to you. Forgo self-promotion and let God exalt you in your humility. Rather than judging others as if we're God, even dehumanizing our enemies, we should pray for their salvation!
2024-07-0126 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsSubmission to the King - James 4:6-12 The problem with the human race is our hearts, and the treatment is humility! Satan doesn't fear us; he fears God. Submit yourself to God as your creator and master, and Satan will flee! We are to be joyful but mourn our sinful state.We must call out sin when we see it, holding each other accountable, but only when we ourselves are right with God! Our approach must come from humble obedience.
2024-06-3047 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsB-Side - James 4:1-5 As Christians, we must be "all in"-- with both feet in the Kingdom of God, not one foot in the world. God is jealous for us! He also commands us to be joyful. As we satisfy ourselves only in him, our joy increases. So we must die to ourselves daily!
2024-06-2429 min
Calvary Baltimore Weekly SermonsHedonism - James 4:1-5 Hedonism, the focus on making yourself happy, is never the path to peace; it leads to disorder and every vile practice. When we give our lives to him, we don't lose our life, but gain it. The closer we get to Christ, the more our joy is made full.In "Christian hedonism," God is most glorified when we're most satisfied in him! Pursuing worldly pleasures leads to dissatisfaction; in heaven, it just keeps getting better! We'll eternally grow in satisfaction.Note: the Scripture passage for today is James 4:1-5...
2024-06-2343 min