Seek First His Kingdom

December 29, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Portions of this post were originally published in February of 2021…

“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. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:7-8 NIV

What is at the center of your life? What do you value above all else? If you are unsure, look at where you spend your resources of time and money. As you reflect, where is God in your priorities? I began this type of review and reflection process over 10 years ago in my own life…I did not feel good about the answers I was seeing then and have been working on doing better ever since. This blog started in 2013 as a part of my journey and has grown and changed as I have over the years. One of the very first aha moments in my faith journey was when a clear thought came to mind…‘it’s not about me’…the it is anything and everything. When we strive to put Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him first in life, we will begin to discover a new life. During this season of reflection what do you see?

We Believe by Newsboys

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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.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

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

An Invitation To Worship

December 23, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 NIV

Christmas is a time to gather and praise the Name that is above every Name on earth…Jesus. Throughout the Scriptures He invites us to come to Him and it is only with Him that we can find peace. So, amid the busyness we bring on ourselves during this season…make time to stop…sit in the quiet and worship the coming of our Savior and Lord. He came so that we could be with God. In the spirit of the season, I extend an invitation to all of you. No matter where you are in the world you can come to worship service at Christmas at the church my family attends. Below is a link to times for both in-person or online worship services this weekend. May we all know the peace that God provides by sending His one and only Son for us. Merry CHRISTmas!

Eagle Brook Church

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John 3:16-17 NIV

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 while traveling on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

Waiting…

December 18, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

^“In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to come true. The Holy Spirit was with him. ²⁶The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard. Then Jesus’ parents brought the child in. They came to do for him what the Law required. ²⁸Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,

²⁹“Lord, you are the King over all.
    Now let me, your servant, go in peace.
    That is what you promised.
³⁰My eyes have seen your salvation.
³¹    You have prepared it in the sight of all nations.
³²It is a light to be given to the Gentiles.
    It will be the glory of your people Israel.”

Luke 2:25-32 NIRV

Oh, the waiting…our world is always sending out messages to hurry up…save time and literally “don’t wait” act now before…you get the point. Once again, the world pursues the exact opposite of what we hear from God’s Word. God wants us to walk with Him…not ahead of Him or on our own without Him. His timing is perfect because it is His plan. In Luke 2 we meet Simeon, who had been waiting his whole life to see God’s promise fulfilled in the Messiah…as he expected the promise was fulfilled just like every other promise God has made. The last promise to be fulfilled is when Christ returns…and so we are waiting for that day and while we wait let’s be like Simeon and be good, do-good things, be godly and be faithful to God’s Word. How are you doing while you wait?

While I’m Waiting by John Waller

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“Dear friends, here is one thing you must not forget. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like a day. ⁹The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.”

2 Peter 3:8-9 NIRV

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

Praise The Lord

October 13, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his holy temple.
    Praise him in his mighty heavens.
²Praise him for his powerful acts.
    Praise him because he is greater than anything else.
³Praise him by blowing trumpets.
    Praise him with harps and lyres.
⁴Praise him with tambourines and dancing.
    Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes.
⁵Praise him with clashing cymbals.
    Praise him with clanging cymbals.

⁶Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 150 NIRV

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“Praise the Lord.

Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good.
His faithful love continues forever.”

Psalm 106:1 NIRV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)

An Invitation

September 10, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is a follow-up on yesterday’s post…no matter where you are on your faith journey, now is the time to worship.

Here I Am To Worship / The Call by Hillsong Worship

This is an invitation for you to come to or come back to God in worship…my family and I came to find this church through an invitation and so this is what I am sharing with you. Our church is starting a new message series this weekend September 11-12 and I invite you to check it out online…no matter what your circumstances are in life, no matter where you are in the world, come to worship.

Eagle Brook Church

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
²Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

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

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

Psalm 95:1-7

Eagle Brook Church

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“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…”

Matthew 28:19

(This photo was taken in June of 2015 while traveling through South Dakota)

An Invitation

September 9, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Today’s post is an invitation for you to come to or come back to God in worship…my family and I came to find this church through an invitation and that is what I am offering today. Our church is starting a new message series this weekend September 11-12 and I invite you to check it out online…no matter what your circumstances are in life, no matter where you are in the world, come to worship.

Eagle Brook Church

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
²Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

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

Psalm 95:1-7

Eagle Brook Church

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“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…”

Matthew 28:19

(This photo was taken in June of 2015 while traveling through South Dakota)

Come As You Are

August 26, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28-29

Come, Now Is The Time To Worship by Brian Doerksen

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“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”

Revelation 22:17

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

Joy

August 14, 2021 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

“You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Psalm 16:11

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“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

1 Peter 1:8-9

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Praise And Worship

July 31, 2021 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

“Praise the Lord, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.
²For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord.”

Psalm 117

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“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. ²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:23-24

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