Praise

God’s Unfailing Love

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

1 John 4:7-12 NIV

God’s love is everything for us

There is nothing like it and there is nothing on earth that can separate us from it

Take time to worship and praise Him for His unfailing love

IMG_20141016_114909746 publish

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.”

Psalm 143:8 NIV

(This photo was taken at the Nakalele Blow Hole on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

We Believe

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9 NIV

Today is Saturday…the day after the crucifixion and the day before the resurrection

Imagine how the disciples felt on Saturday

A struggle with doubt and fear, and feeling alone?

How often have you lived a day like this?

It is times like this that we are left with the question

What do you believe?

Does death and darkness prevail or is He who He said He is?

Our hope and our salvation depend on how we answer this question

For me the answer is in the lyrics of a song…We Believe by The Newsboys

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 believeWe 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

DSC_1543 publish

“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 NIV

(This photo was taken at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Worship And Praise

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

3 For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7 for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.”

Psalm 95:1-7 NIV

The only thing in all the earth that brings about true unity among all people from all over the world is Jesus Christ…His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection and His never-ending love

Praise Him

My Only Response (Unplugged) by Eagle Brook Music

DSC_0035 publish

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.“

Psalm 98:4-6 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Trust In The Lord…Praise Him

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4 NIV

Father God, when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You

You are my source of strength and protection

You guide me and fight for me

When I draw near to You, I have nothing to fear, becasue I know You are in control

Thank You!

I put my trust in You and give You praise for who You are

In Jesus name, Amen

DSC_0081 publish

“I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.”

Psalm 86:12 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Worship And Praise

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:23-24 NIV

Father God, we want to honor, worship and praise You

So often, we fear people and circumstances more than we love You

Remind us that You are greater than any situation or person we encounter

You alone are worthy of our worship and praise

Help us put You first in everything

Remove any distractions or fears that hinder us and keep us focused on You

In Jesus name, Amen

DSC_0125 (2) publish

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150:6 NIV

(This photo was taken near the Black Hills in western South Dakota)

In The Midst Of The Storm

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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

No matter what is happening…no matter what has gone wrong in your eyes

Our God has promised to never leave you and never to abandon you, so don’t turn away from Him

Don’t ignore Him…seek Him because He is waiting to hear from you always…even in the midst of the storm

Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns

DSC_0765 publish

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

1 Peter 5:6-9 NIV

(This photo was taken in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Holy Forever

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:23-24 NIV

Father God, we want to honor, worship and praise You

So often, we fear people and circumstances more than we love You

Remind us that You are greater than any situation or person we encounter

We know You are Holy Forever

You alone are worthy of our worship and praise

Help us put You first in everything

Remove any distractions or fears that hinder us and keep us focused on You

Because You are Holy

Holy Forever by Chris Tomlin

DSC_0125 (2) publish

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150:6 NIV

(This photo was taken near the Black Hills in western South Dakota)

Give Thanks To The Lord

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Praise the Lord.[a]

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.”

Psalm 106:1 NIV

We are saved by grace

We cannot earn it nor do we deserve it

It is a gift from God

Let us give thanks to the Lord for all He has done for us

He is with us, He loves us and He will never leave us

Forever by Chris Tomlin

DSC_0597 publish

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

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

Psalm 100:1-5 NIV

(This photo was taken along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Seek First His Kingdom

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

Living a life with faith first…it sounds so simple, yet life in the world is hard

  The Bible is a great guide for life…the world will tell you it is not

There are those who believe it is an outdated book filled with stories that are more like fairy tales

People say the world is so different now than when it was written that it is not applicable to life today

That is exactly what Satan wants us to think

The fact is the Bible is the truth, based on actual events…it is the Word of God

Take time to read it every day and it will change your life

DSC07415 publish

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.“

Matthew 6:31-34 NIV

(This photo was taken while driving in northern Colorado)

Seek Him And His Kingdom

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:33 NIV

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:7-8 NIV

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to the world.  Give us courage and strength to follow Him.  Regardless of our trials or temptations, help us to seek Him.  Give us wisdom and endurance to pursue Him above all else.  In Jesus name, Amen.

We Believe by Newsboys

DSC_0005 publish

“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. 17 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 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)