Character

November 7, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Living life by faith is about who we are more than what we do. Our behaviors, how we treat others and our interactions with others say more about us than our job or career path. The world honors worldly things like wealth, awards, job titles and other self-oriented pursuits…these things are not considered to be wrong or bad…the issue is these things have become more important than God. When self-satisfaction is more important than our relationship with God, we are going off course…to be clear we are all guilty of this sin, it is human nature in a fallen world. The first step in repentance is awareness of the behavior and the next step is confessing to God and seeking to turn away from our sins, with God’s help. As humans we all suffer from the same types of trouble…how we choose to respond is up to us. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5

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

The Fruit Of The Spirit

October 18, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The way we think…the words we say…the actions and behaviors we put into practice in our daily life can be built on the nine qualities described as the Fruit of the Spirit. None of these things cost money, they are free. It is up to us to choose how we live. Our best life is one led by God and His Holy Spirit. Seek Him and live your best each day. Amen.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling through northern Colorado)

Holy Living

October 4, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

As we learn about Jesus and we read God’s Word, we find that the life God wants for us is not all about money…that message comes from sin and the world, that message is about selfishness. To live a holy life doesn’t cost money, it is about who you are and how you treat others. If you spend all your time comparing yourself to others and worried about what you don’t have you are setting yourself up to be miserable. Trust God, listen to the words of Jesus and live as God’s Word has taught us to live. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 while on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

The Fruit Of The Spirit

July 19, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we come to Christ and seek Him, we are renewed. The Holy Spirit within us encourages us to live by the Fruit of the Spirit more and more and to leave the evil, anger, hatred and darkness behind. The more we use the Fruit of the Spirit when thinking about ourselves and while helping others the better our life will be. Most of us are too hard on ourselves and too hard on others…things can be different. Pick up God’s Word and read about it, pray and ask for forgiveness of your sins and to have the Fruit of the Spirit stirred up in you. May God’s love, joy and peace be with you. Amen.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling through northern Colorado)

Prepare The Way

June 10, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. He gave up everything to save us and to reconcile us with God. Seek Him and prepare your heart and mind to follow Him in all that you do. In Him we will find peace, courage, strength, wisdom, joy and love. There is nothing on earth that can compare to Him. Amen.

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“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”

John 1:5-9

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

Developing Who We Are

February 2, 2019February 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The faith journey takes us on a road of self-awareness and growth. As we read God’s Word and the teachings of Jesus, we hear messages about our attitudes, our behaviors, our words and our actions. These are all things that we can control in our everyday life. Instead of wasting our time worrying and wringing our hands about what other people are doing, thinking or saying we would do well to focus that effort on developing the Fruit of the Spirit in our own lives and relationships. After all, we have the most control over one thing more than any other…how we choose to respond. May we strive to grow the Fruit of the Spirit in who we are in the world. Amen.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Living By The Spirit

January 31, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Life by the Spirit is a life that is conscious of our impact on others. It is not always looking inward and seeking to satisfy the self. It is a balanced life, aware of the present more then the past or future. It is a life that strives to put Christ in the center of everything…it is not easy to achieve in a dark and broken world nor are we able to do this alone. I pray we seek a life that is led by the Spirit. Amen.

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“The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Galatians 5:14-15

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 while hiking in Wisconsin near Lake Superior)

Be Generous

January 24, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To be generous is to be a giver, not just in terms of money. There are far more valuable things in life than money to give. A generous person has a certain mindset, an attitude and perspective about life and things. A generous person focuses very little time on what they receive or if they will receive, as that often takes care of itself because they are givers. Givers carry many of the characteristics related to the Fruits of the Spirit…they often exude kindness, goodness, gentleness, love, joy and patience. They are generous with their time and focus very little attention on what’s in it for me. To learn more about what it means to be generous, learn more about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ…you will find all you need to know in God’s Word. We are blessed to be a blessing. Amen.

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Hope For The World

December 26, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The birth of Jesus is proof of God’s love for us. God chose to send His Son to save us. We will have struggles, suffering and difficulties in this world, yet our hope in goodness, kindness, compassion and love comes from our belief in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We can’t control what other people will do, say or think and focusing all our time on trying to change someone else will only lead to frustration. We can only control how we respond to others and the attitude we choose to present to the world. Let us choose love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. By faith, we can be the hope for the world by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and His saving grace for everyone. May the peace and love of Christ be in us all today and in the New Year. Amen.

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“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Romans 5:3-5

(This photo was taken in December of 2018 at Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas)

Joy And Love

December 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Here we are back to discuss some more Fruits of the Spirit. Our relationship with Jesus Christ can help us get a better understanding of how these fruits show up in our lives. Let’s look at joy for a moment. The world’s definition of joy includes words like ‘good fortune’ or ‘possessing what one desires’…that sounds more like the emotion of happiness and satisfying the self. For me joy is more than a feeling, it is about comfort knowing that God is in control. It is about knowing God works for the good of all in every situation. Joy is as much about learning and growing in faith and sharing what we have learned with others. And love…show love to others in the same way God shows love to you. It is simple and yet it is not always easy. God never said life would be easy. I pray we seek to bear good fruit in the world according to God’s will. Amen.

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