His Sacrifice For You

October 30, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But he was pierced for our rebellion,
    crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
    He was whipped so we could be healed.
⁶All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
    We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
    the sins of us all.”

Isaiah 53:5-6 NLT

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Romans 5:8 NLT

He came down from heaven and was born as a baby. He lived and taught…He was beaten, spit on and made to carry the cross He would die on. He comitted no sin and took the punishment for all of our sins. He suffered, He was crucified, died and was buried and He did it all for you. Thanks be to God for the sacrifice Jesus made for you and me. Amen.

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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. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

John 3:16-21 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Walk In The Light

October 26, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

1 John 1:5 NIV

Our faith is about more than what we believe…it is also about how we put what we believe into actions. A faith journey is best lived inside-out…start with you…what do you believe…what is your relationship with Jesus Christ…your sin…your confession…this isn’t a check the box type of thing, it is a daily surrender of self-centered desires. As we build our faith on the foundation of coming to the Cross, we can take the things we learn and put them into practice in our daily lives and interactions…this is a journey that requires commitment, it requires a willingness to sacrifice and it provides peace and joy that is beyond our imagination. May God’s peace be with you. Amen.

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“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[a] sin.”

1 John 1:6-7 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

The Promised One

October 25, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[a] a sign: The virgin^[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and^[c] will call him Immanuel.”^[d]

Isaiah 7:14 NIV

“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

God promised to send us a Savior, He kept that promise when He sent His one and only Son. We have a Savior who sacrificed Himself for us…and His name is Jesus.

What A Beautiful Name by Hillsong Worship

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“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴The 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 1:9-14 NIV

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling in southern New Mexico)

Growing In Faith

October 23, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Our faith can grow and get stronger only if we feed it and exercise it just like our bodies…if we don’t eat food or exercise our muscles our bodies become frail and weak. The same is true for our spiritual lives and our faith muscles, we need to feed on the Word of God and exercise our faith by how we live and interact with others in order for our faith to grow liek a tree planted by a stream of water.

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“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

The Joy Of The Lord

October 22, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:9-12 NIV

When you feel lost, discouraged and unsure of what to do or where to turn. Put you hope in God. Turn towards Jesus Christ and offer up your situation to God in prayer. Pray to the God of the universe who is with you and for you…no matter what. Priase Him and trust His way. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Joy Of The Lord by Rend Collective

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“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

Peace

October 21, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 NIV

“Lord, you will give perfect peace
to those who commit themselves to be faithful to you.
That’s because they trust in you.”

Isaiah 26:3 NIRV

Peace Be Still by Hope Darst

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“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:15-17 NIV

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Come To The Lord

October 20, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

There is only one place to find the answers we seek and that is with the Lord. He is good, His love endures forever. He wants a relationship with us. Nothing is impossible for Him. He is greater than any issue or circumstances in our lives…no matter what it is you are facing come to the Lord.

Come, Now Is The Time To Worship by Phillips, Craig and Dean

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“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2021 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Do Good Things

October 19, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.”

Micah 6:8 NIV

Do good things every day. Do good in the everyday things in life right where you are…not for others to see, rather because it is what God has asked us to do. Hold a door open for others, give a word of encouragement to someone, be willing to sit and listen to what someone is going through without trying to ‘fix it’ for them. Be present right where you are with whoever you are near. Don’t always be looking for the miraculous…for it is in combining the good work of the little things together that create the greatest moments in our lives.

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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Big Sky Resort in Montana)

Believe

October 18, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9 NIV

Believe. Believe in God and His Son. Believe that Jesus came down from heaven, was crucified died and was buried…believe that He has risen and that He did it all for you. It will change your life forever. Believe it!

We Believe by Newsboys

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“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Romans 10:10 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming)

God’s Love And Faithfulness

October 16, 2022 / 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

No matter where we go or what we do God’s love and faithfulness are always more powerful than anything in this world. We spend our days searching for something…happiness, justice, peace of mind and we believe we will find it somewhere on earth. Yet the whole time God offers a path to find these pursuits. It begins with a belief in God and His goodness. Every promise He made He has kept and the last promise has yet to come, and Jesus Christ will come again. I pray we have the courage to stop putting our faith in things created by mankind and put our trust and faith right where it belongs…In God We Trust. May you see God’s love and faithfulness at work in your life. Amen.

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