Saved By Grace

January 3, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we read in the Gospel of Matthew 26 and the Gospel of Luke 22 there is a section that describes Jesus taking 3 disciples with Him and going off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane…in these moments of prayer we get to see both the human side and the Godly side of Jesus…He prays “…My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” – Matthew 26:39 In these moments right before He is to be arrested, which He knows is coming, Jesus pleads with God the Father to find a different way to save us…and in the same breath He shows us humility and God’s grace by surrendering to God’s will. We have been saved from God’s wrath by God’s grace. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

The Name Of The Lord

December 20, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This time of year can be joyful and it can be painful…depending on your journey and the road you have traveled to get here. The message of Christmas is the same today as it was thousands of years ago back in that manger. Jesus Christ was born; the Savior has come to save us all from all of our sins. He came to save all of us no matter who we are or where we came from, He came to save us no matter what we have done or what we have left undone…it is never too late to turn towards Jesus Christ, accept Him as your Savior and Lord and confess your sins. He knows you; He loves you and He is waiting to hear from you. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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

Proverbs 18:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while exploring Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Jesus

December 8, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Immanuel…Light of the World…King of Kings…Lord of Lords…The Good Shepard…Bread of Life…Living Water…Prince of Peace…Wonderful Counselor…Lamb of God…The Truth…The Way…The Savior of the World. Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

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“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

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

Lay Down Your Burden

December 5, 2019 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

We have a Savior, born in barn over 2,000 years ago, because there was no room for Him in the world. Yet He came to save us…He loves us, He forgives us and He will carry us through anything we are facing. Turn to Jesus Christ and lay down your burden and trust in Him. Amen.

Carry You by Amy Grant

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“Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 55:22

(This photo was taken in Augus tof 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Jesus

August 1, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

He is all we need. He is the way to God for us. He took the punishment we deserve. The words He spoke when He was here are written in red in the bible. If you want to learn more about Him, pick up a bible and read the Gospel of John. Believe in Him, He is the Son of God, our Savior and our Lord. No matter what you are going through, no matter where you are and no matter what you have done, turn towards Jesus…He is waiting to hear from you. Amen.

Give Me Jesus by Danny Gokey

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“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

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

Gratitude

July 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There was only one way for sin to be properly punished and for the human race to have the opportunity for salvation. When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples, He hit a very low point as a human…He knew what was about to happen worse yet He knew it was the only way to salvation for the world. Jesus knows what it is like to struggle and suffer in this world and He prayed that God would remove Him from the situation…yet then He prayed something very few of us have ever prayed…He said, …“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42) He offered Himself to God and God’s plan, for that we can have nothing but gratitude for Jesus Christ and His willingness to die for us. Amen.

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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Come As You Are…

July 5, 2019July 5, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Come to the Cross…All are welcome…No matter what has happened or where you have been, Come lay down all your burdens and be healed. As it says in today’s song, “earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal.” Amen.

Come As You Are by Crowder

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“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:12-13

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

Our Hope Is Found

May 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In Christ alone. We are saved by His sacrifice, His mercy and His grace. Give thanks to God for all that is good. We can search high and low and all over this world for peace but our source of strength and hope and true peace will be found in Christ Alone. Look for where God is at work in your life today. Amen.

In Christ Alone by Brian Littrell

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“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

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

His Sacrifice Saves Us

May 7, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

No matter what you are facing…no matter what things are going on around you…no matter what decisions or worries you have…remember that Jesus Christ died once for all sins, for all people. We all are broken, we all need His forgiveness for our sins. God has shown us His grace and mercy through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Do not fret or be discouraged…trust in the Lord and you will find peace. Amen.

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Our Redeemer

April 30, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To redeem is to recover…reclaim…retrieve…return to…to get back…rescue. A price has been paid to return us to God. The way to find true peace is by inviting Jesus Christ into your heart. We all will encounter hardships in this world and in our lives, they may be different hardships for different reasons, yet we all have to endure something…even if it doesn’t look that way on social media. Through it all there is one who has suffered and endured the worst things in this world and He did it for you and for me…Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. Amen.

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