Give Thanks To God

November 28, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Happy Thanksgiving! Take time today to give your thanks to God. Amen.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

²    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

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

He Is Worthy

October 20, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Hello and welcome to another day to worship and sing praise to God. As we travel on the journey of faith, we will encounter questions and doubts along the way…that is natural and it is ok. We need to remember that the one simple truth of faith is that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself to save us and reconcile us to God because He loves us. His love for us will conquer every battle in our lives. He is worthy of our thanks and praise. Thank you God, for your Son Jesus Christ…Amen.

Is He Worthy? by Chris Tomlin

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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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17

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

Our Refuge In The Storm

October 12, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When danger is approaching, where should we go to seek cover? Where can we be safe? Who can help us in our time of need? God is our rock and our refuge…He shields us and delivers us from the things that try to take hold of us. Our emotional reactions can quickly escalate and get out of control…God can help us with self-control. A relationship with Jesus Christ is a strong foundation that can withstand anything in this world. Seek the Lord in prayer and pick up a bible…read God’s word and take refuge from the storm. Amen.

Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2

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

Sing To The Lord

September 15, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Music can be an expression of what resides deep within us. It touches on feelings and emotions. Music is a language that spreads across the world, to all cultures and to all generations. It is a gift from God and it is a beautiful way to offer praise to the Lord. Amen.

Lifesong by Casting Crowns

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“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”

Psalm 95:1-2

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Give Thanks And Praise

July 16, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Lord gives us blessings…He knows each of us and He cares for us. Some blessings are talents or natural skills we can use to share abundance with others…some blessings don’t feel like a blessing but are intended for us to learn from, in these times it can be difficult to stay true to faith and to look for God in all of it. He is right there with you, no matter what has happened, no matter who you have lost in this life. Spiritual maturity comes by walking with God and trusting in Him. Give thanks and praise Him for His love, His mercy, His forgiveness and His grace. Amen.

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“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Deuteronomy 6:5

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

His Love Endures Forever

May 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

All that is good comes from God. When darkness creeps in and fear takes hold, God is our strength. When you don’t know what to do ask God to guide you and your decisions. When life is going well give thanks to God for His blessings. Remember the Lord every day and know that with God all things are possible. Amen.

Forever by Chris Tomlin

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

Psalm 136:1

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

Give Thanks and Praise

March 16, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

It is crazy how quickly the attetntion of so many people is distracted. Today’s world is filled with so much information and so much more incorrect information that it is easy to get derailed or side tracked. We need to be able to be centered on something or someone to keep us level headed and not chasing every feeling and emotion as if we are the center of the universe. God knows everything about us. I did a brief exercise this morning that I read about in one of my devotionals today…think about your last 24 hours…God knows about every single thing and every single thought you have experienced…yes even that one…now think about the fact that this is true about every single thing and thought in your life…and after all that realize that right now, knowing all those things, God forgives you and God loves you the same today as He did the day you were born. To show you how much He loves and cares for you He sent His Son to take the punishment that we all deserve so that we can still have a relationship with Him. Give thanks and praise to God our Father and Jesus Christ, His Son, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

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

Philippians 4:4-7

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

Praise And Worship

February 17, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Tune your spirit to align with God. When you find yourself in that moment you will know it. There is nothing like it. I have very few words to share with you this morning as my faith is best expressed through song. May the love and joy of the Lord wash over you and bring you peace. Amen.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin

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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spriritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:16

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

We Believe

October 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Today is a day of worship and praise. The faith journey is often a struggle and feeling alone…we are not alone and we can never forget the foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ. We must persevere, be strong, have courage and believe. I offer praise and worship this Sunday through song. This one by The Newsboys, here are the lyrics and a link to We Believe

We Believe by The Newsboys

In this time of desperation
When all we know is doubt and fear
There is only one foundation
We believe, we believe
In this broken generation
When all is dark, You help us see
There is only one salvation
We believe, we believe

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He’s given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection
And He’s comin’ back again, we believe

So, let our faith be more than anthems
Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations
We believe, we believe!

We believe in God the Father!
We believe in Jesus Christ!
We believe in the Holy Spirit!
And He’s given us new life!
We believe in the crucifixion!
We believe that He conquered death!
We believe in the resurrection!
And He’s comin’ back again!

Let the lost be found and the dead be raised!
In the here and now, let love invade!
Let the church live loud, our God we’ll say
We believe, we believe!
And the gates of hell will not prevail!
For the power of God, has torn the veil!
Now we know Your love will never fail!
We believe, we believe!

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He’s given us new life!
We believe in the crucifixion!
We believe that He conquered death!
We believe in the resurrection!
And He’s comin’ back,
He’s comin’ back again!
He’s comin’ back again!
We believe!
We believe

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“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35

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

Music Fills My Soul

September 23, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Ever since my Dad passed away about 3 weeks ago, I have sensed there has been this constant bit of darkness hovering around me. No matter where I went or what I did, nothing could change the fact that life is different now everyday going forward. The thing is…different doesn’t have to be bad, do I miss my Dad, absolutely…but more importantly I am thankful for every day of my life that I had with him and I will see him again someday. The darkness was trying to tell me something different and send me into a downward spiral. Last night, my wife and I attended a Christian concert with tickets given to us as a gift back in July. The music and worship that these talented people provided last night was so uplifting, so encouraging and so refreshing for my soul. There is something very unique about music and christian music is a gift that soothes my soul unlike anything else. I offer my things to Danny Gokey, Tauren Wells and Riley Clemmons for wonderful evening of restoring music and praise. May you feel the joy of the Lord in your life on this day of worship.

Here is one from Danny Gokey: Give Me Jesus

Here is one from Tauren Wells: When We Pray

Here is one from Riley Clemmons: Broken Prayers

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