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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“Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

Psalm 115:1 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2015 on the side of the road while driving through South Dakota)

His Love Endures Forever

October 15, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.”

Psalm 145:8 NIV

Trouble will come…we will experience suffering and loss in this world…yet we do not need to have fear and we do not need to be afraid. We are loved by God with a love that is greater than anything we face. Pursue a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord, meet with Him every day…He sacrificed everything to save you because He loves you and His love will endure forever. Amen.

Forever by Michael W Smith

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Prayer

October 11, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12 NIV

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6 NIV

No matter what the situation or circumstances, don’t stop praying about it. Don’t give up when God doesn’t meet your timeline, He knows more about everything than we realize. Rather choose to trust in Him and His Way…He loves you, He cares for you and He is with you every step along the way. Amen.

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“Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Christ-Centered

October 10, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV

One of the key elements in spritual growth is for each of us to learn and understand in life ‘it is not about me.’ Removing self-centeredness from our lives allows us to focus on being Christ-centered.

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

John 14:6 NIV

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“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20 NIV

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a park in Winterset, Iowa)

God’s Grace

October 9, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

Romans 5:8 NIV

God’s grace is greater than all of our sins. We know we are weak and we live in a fallen world…God knows us too. He knew we needed a way of salvation and He provided it through Jesus Christ. When temptation comes we need to turn towards God and His Word to strengthen us, the same way Jesus spoke the Scriptures when Satan tempted Him in the desert. When you do make a mistake or fail to resist temptation call on God because His Grace is greater than our sin. Amen.

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

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Jenny lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)

Peace That Surpasses Understanding

October 8, 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

There is one source for peace and we will not find it in anything the world gives. Only in Jesus will we know peace. Turn towards the Lord, bring your worries and concerns to Him. Be still and wait for the Lord. Amen.

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“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵Let your reasonableness^[d] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

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

Integrity

October 5, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ²Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Honesty…honor…ethics…morals…decency…fairness…sincerity…truthfulness…trustworthiness. It seems in the world of social media and the race to get more attention to the self; these characteristics have gone by the wayside. The constant striving for likes, popularity, money and me first attitude have become overwhelming idols of this fallen world. Now more than ever we need people turning towards God and transforming their hearts and minds to the purpose of life according to God. It begins with a relationship with Jesus Christ, His Son, our Savior. Wherever you are, whatever has been done turn towards Jesus and seek to know Him. Amen.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ¹⁴Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 near Boysen State Park in Wyoming)

Be Strong And Courageous

October 4, 2022October 4, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹Have 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 1:7-9 NIV

It is so easy to get caught up in uncertainty…we want to take control and try to force our desired outcomes. Many of us spend years trying to grasp that which is beyond our control and get anxious and worry when things don’t go the way we want. In the Old Testament Moses and Joshua are excellent examples of trusting God with uncertainty, being obedient to Him and trusting His way even though we have doubts. At the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of the book of Joshua, Moses dies and Joshua is being promoted to fill his shoes. Just like Moses was apprehensive to lead the people out of Egypt, Joshua is uncertain he should be the one to lead after Moses. In both situations God reassures them to “be strong and courageous because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) We would do well to listen to these words when we are uncertain and have doubts about situations and events in our own lives.

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“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 27:1-2 NIV

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

The Truth Will Set You Free

October 2, 2022 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NIV

Faith in God means believing the truth. The truth that God sent His only Son to save us from our sins. If we allow temptation and sin to rule our lives…it will keep us away from God we will be inviting trouble into everything we do. If we follow the truth and put Jesus in the center of our lives, we will know peace.

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