Seek Him And His Kingdom

October 21, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:33 NIV

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:7-8 NIV

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to the world. Give us courage and strength to follow Him. Regardless of our trials or temptations, help us to seek Him. Give us wisdom and endurance to pursue Him above all else. In Jesus name, Amen.

We Believe by Newsboys

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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Jesus Is Light In The Darkness

October 20, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 NIV

One of the most difficult things for many of us is being different from our surroundings

When our foundation for being different is rooted in God and the Fruits of the Spirit we can be sure we are standing on solid ground

None of us is equipped to judge the actions and behaviors of others

When we are confused or lack understanding that is a time to pray, listen and learn

It is hard to be different yet God created each of us to be unique so that together we could build community and use our gifts to strengthen the body of Christ.

I pray we all seek to learn how God wants us to use our gifts each day and shine the Light of Christ into this dark world

Different by Micah Tyler

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“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV

(This photo was taken while standing on one of the covered bridges near Winterset, Iowa)

God’s Presence Is All Around Us

October 19, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 NIV

God Is With Us by Casting Crowns

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“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

(This photo was taken in Big Sky, Montana )

Courage…Patience

October 18, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8 NIV

The pace of world keeps getting faster with new technologies all being offered in the name of convenience

Yet God is the same today as He was over two thousand years ago, He does not change according to popular opinion

His timing is perfect, our timing and our plans are based on our worldly desires

God is with you and God is for you

He is working in your life, even if you can’t see it

Have the courage to trust in the Lord and wait for Him to lead and guide you

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“I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

(This photo was taken while traveling in southern New Mexico)

Tell The World About Him

October 17, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

The Commission by CAIN

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8 NIV

(This photo was taken at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

The Goodness Of God

October 16, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

^{8 “}The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

God is good

He knows us

He knows everything about us

And He still sent He Son to die on the Cross to save us

God is good

He is with you and He is for you, every day, all the time

Thanks be to God for His Goodness!

Goodness Of God by Jenn Johnson

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“I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

(This photo was taken while traveling in northern Colorado)

Nothing Can Separate Us

October 15, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

1 John 4:7-12 NIV

There is nothing on earth in your life that is more powerful than the love of God…nothing

There is no situation or life circumstances that can separate us from God’s love

Trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior

He came down from heaven and sacrificed His life to reconcile us with God

This is the greatest gift you will ever receive

Nothing can separate us from Him

Trust Him with every area of your life and you will know peace

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Humility

October 14, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Pride leads to disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2 NLT

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others. Humble people are so focused on serving others, they don’t think of themselves.”

Rick Warren – The Purpose Driven Life

Who Am I by Casting Crowns

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“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you…”

James 4:7-8 NIV

(This photo was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Amazing Love

October 13, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:6-8 NIV

You Are My King (Amazing Love) by Newsboys

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“God made him who had no sin to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.“

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

God’s Faithfulness

October 12, 2024 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

Father God, You make all things beautiful in their proper timing. Nothing is too hard for You to accomplish. You are faithful to keep Your promises. So often, we forget this and grow discouraged when our situations don’t seem to change. In those moments, it’s easy to forget that You are not done working. Through Your Holy Spirit, please change the way we think and behave. When we start to grow weary, help us remember that You are near and You are faithful. In Jesus name, Amen.

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