On Sunday, Pastor Babij took us through the opening salutation or greeting portion of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Considering the theologically significant language Paul uses in his greeting to the Colossians, I thought it would be interesting to compare briefly the other greetings we see in the New Testament letters to see what we…
This past Sunday, we began two new message series at church: Pastor Babij began preaching through the book of Colossians, and I began teaching the first module of a foundation-level church history course in our adult Sunday school class. It occurred to me that this time of new beginnings is also an appropriate moment to…
In place of this week’s midweek meditation, I’d like to share a fuller preview of what’s coming up in our different levels of regular Sunday school this fall, starting this Sunday, September 18, at 9am. Adult Sunday School: Early Church History Location: Sanctuary (also available by livestream and recording) Led by: Pastor Dave Capoccia In…
On Sunday, we finished our investigation of the spiritual discipline of the church, and I hope the study has spurred you on to pursue further mutual upbuilding. There are a few other construction-related thoughts I wanted to share with you, though. Rather than one midweek meditation today, we have three mini-meditations. Let’s Build While We…
Yesterday, our dear sister Aprel passed away. Though older in age and experiencing severe cancer, she was a Christian woman with a vibrant love for Jesus and an eagerness to put his word into practice. Even while on her deathbed, she was listening to the Bible/sermons and exhorting her sisters to trust in the Lord.…
Last Sunday, we were reminded from the Bible about how much we need the precious mystery that is God’s church. Yet there is a way of overreacting to the Bible’s teaching on the church to the point of becoming too emotionally and spiritually needy toward people in the church. Like Peter who went from wrongfully…
I am excited to announce the new fall ministry schedule! We have made a few adjustments from last year in an effort to better serve the families of Calvary and enable more participation. Our new ministry season begins the week of Sunday, September 11. The biggest change that we’re making this year is that we’re…
Some Poignant Counsel Shortly before getting married, I received poignant counsel about something to expect in marriage. A friend told me that, in the beginning, marriage to my wife was going to feel overwhelmingly exciting; everything would feel new, unbelievable, and thrilling. But, as I continued in relationship with my wife, this feeling would change:…
I used to be an avid American football fan, but there was one football game each year that I could not bring myself to watch: the Pro Bowl. In the Pro Bowl, the top players of each of the NFL teams are brought together onto two different teams to play against each other in a…
Something from Pastor Babij’s Sunday sermon that stood out to me was his statement about cultivated love: the real tragedy in a relationship is not a lack of love but a failure to cultivate love. How true this is! As a biblical counselor, I am amazed how much cultivation of love or lack thereof impacts…