Allow Christ to Change Your Perspective

March 24, 2023 / 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

Jesus Christ is born…the promised Savior has come! Now what? What difference is He making in your life? Are you aware of God’s presence in your daily life? Believe…seek Him…pray…read God’s Word…pay attention to how God is at work in your life. Choose to live different…allow Jesus Christ to impact every area of your life.

Different by Micah Tyler

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“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIV

(This photo was take in September of 2022 in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)

Rise Up

March 23, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The bible states things very clearly…it doesn’t say you may or might face trouble in this world, no…it is clear that we will face trouble and hardship. Jesus gives us the bad news and then immediately gives us the Good News when He says…

“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 NIV

He tells us take heart, which means be strong, be courageous and today rise up from the ashes of trouble and suffering because He is with you. Trust the words of Jesus, believe and Rise Up! Amen.

Rise Up by CAIN

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“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
²See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
³Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”

Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV

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

He Knows You

March 22, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

^“I know the plans I have for you,” announces the Lord. “I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come. ¹²Then you will call out to me. You will come and pray to me. And I will listen to you. ¹³When you look for me with all your heart, you will find me.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIRV

Have you had moments like this? “That’s not what I meant”…”I wish they knew me better”…”I don’t feel like I fit in”…”Nobody understands me.” I have been there before. You can be surrounded by people but feel like you are isolated. God knows who you are, He knows what you can do, He knows how you think and He cares for you. If you feel like you are off the rails in your life, it is time to get back to God. He is waiting to hear from you. He is the Creator, the one who formed you and has been right there with you every step of the way in life. Turn towards God. Trust in Him. May you see the blessings from God in your life each day. Amen.

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“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin)

To Know Him And To Make Him Known

March 20, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
²⁴but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV

Our purpose, to Know Him…our ministry, to make Him Known. Amen.

“Therefore 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 28:19-20 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Peace From God’s Word

March 19, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

The Bible is God’s Word given to us to lead us, teach us and encourage us in our lives. It is an instruction manual for life. Teaching us about how God wants us to live and about having a personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. It has been translated in to languages for people all over the world and it is continuing spread so that one day every person from any walk of life can connect to God through His Word. We can do our part by learning about what is says and putting it into action. Read God’s Word…Do what it says…and you will enjoy God’s peace. Amen.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4:8-9 NIV

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

His Sacrifice For You

March 18, 2023 / 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 demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 NIV

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. Then God raised Him from the dead and He is alive! Thanks be to God for the sacrifice Jesus made for you and me so that we can be reconciled to God. 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.“

John 3:16-18 NIV

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

Obedience…Walk In Love

March 17, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”

2 John 6 NIV

The commandments that Jesus himself recognized as the greatest commandments are about love. Jesus said…“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) One the most popular parts of the Bible 1 Corinthians 13 is all about Love. So what does it mean to walk in love? It is about attitude and behaviors towards God, yourself and towards others. It does not mean all behavior is permissible…sin is still sin. However, we are all guilty, we are all broken and we all do not deserve His forgiveness. No one sin is greater than another, that is worldly talk. When you want a reminder of what it means to walk in love go back and read 1 Corinthians 13, it speaks specifically to us about what behaviors constitute love. May we learn to walk in obedience to God’s Word. Amen.

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“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

Romans 5:19 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2012 on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Surrender

March 16, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

James 4:1-3 NIV

When we pursue goals to satisfy the self, we will become frustrated and disappointed…wondering why things don’t go our way. We must learn to surrender our desires for what God has planned. He can see everything; we can only see a small part of our lives. This doesn’t mean do nothing…our job is to learn from God’s Word and keep doing good things as best we can with what we have been given. Submit whatever you do to the Lord and you will find peace. Amen.

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“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. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

James 4:7-10 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Trust

March 15, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.“

Psalm 9:10 NIV

Firm belief…confidence…faith…count on…believe in…truth…certainty…love. The darkness and evil of the world are constantly working to turn us away from God and God is constantly speaking to us. Seek Him, seek His will, believe He has good things planned for you and be patient. Trust in God. Amen.

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2022 on a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Believe

March 14, 2023 / 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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