Forgiven

January 10, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

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

Redeemed

August 2, 2020 / mcalcagno / 3 Comments

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

“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

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

Romans 5:8

(This photo was taken in April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Redeemed

March 9, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We must be willing to give forgiveness, to let go of bitterness, anger and pain as our Father in heaven will forgive us. Forgive, be forgiven and you will find peace. Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Matthew 6:14-15

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

Prayer

January 25, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we have wandered off…messed things up…did things our own way and are feeling scattered and confused…the first step to reconnecting with God is to pray. When things are going well and we have a sense of courage and confidence…the first step of gratitude is a prayer of thanks to God. If we strive to make prayer a priority, we can move from reacting in prayer to proactively praying about each day and the events and issues we are facing every day. The more we pray the more our relationship with God will grow and the better equipped we will be for the journey. Amen.

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“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Psalm 19:14

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii)

The Cross Of Christ

January 22, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Come as you are…no matter where you have been…no matter what you have done or left undone…come to the Cross of Christ…you have been forgiven and you will find peace. Amen.

The Cross Has The Final Word by Newsboys

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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

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

A Prayer

November 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

There are many people written about in God’s word. They were people with lives on earth and time after time we read about the things they did in their life…they did some really bad things…lived sinful lives and hurt themselves and each other…scroll through your social media feed…turn on the a news channel…how are we any different today? We all have the same human sickness…sin and sinful behaviors. One person in the Old Testament, David, is described in Acts 13:22 as ‘a man after God’s heart’ this same man committed terrible sins when it came to a woman named Bathsheba. When confronted about his sin David wrote the words of Psalm 51 as a prayer for forgiveness of his sins. I find verses 10-12 of this Psalm powerful verses to memorize as a prayer when you are tempted by sin. May God’s grace and peace be with you. Amen.

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12

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

Forgive

November 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Forgive others as you have been forgiven. We are redeemed by Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. No matter how far off we have wandered or how long it has been you can return to Christ through faith and that is also true for all others. So, whether or not you are concerned about the path you are on or the path another is on you should pray and seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide you and/or your support for one another. May the grace and peace of the Lord wash over you. Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Past…Redeemed

August 23, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What has happened in the past is done and can’t be changed…we can learn from it…we can change today. Don’t let what has happened be chains around you that are dragged with you everywhere you go…Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins and He is our Redeemer…bring your past, your shame and your guilt to the Lord and He will set you free. Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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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.“

John 3:16

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

Forgiveness

May 21, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everybody makes mistakes, everyone makes poor choices. There are examples of this throughout history. The most prominent names in the bible committed sins, except for one. We are broken, we are weak, we give into temptation and the human race is responsible for bringing sin into the world. Even still we can be saved…Jesus Christ the one without sin who was crucified and died…He is Risen and He is our Redeemer. No matter what you have done or left undone, turn towards God and confess yours sins and you will be saved. Amen.

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“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Our Redeemer

April 30, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To redeem is to recover…reclaim…retrieve…return to…to get back…rescue. A price has been paid to return us to God. The way to find true peace is by inviting Jesus Christ into your heart. We all will encounter hardships in this world and in our lives, they may be different hardships for different reasons, yet we all have to endure something…even if it doesn’t look that way on social media. Through it all there is one who has suffered and endured the worst things in this world and He did it for you and for me…Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. Amen.

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