Walking with God

Walk In The Light

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

1 John 1:5 NIV

Our faith is about more than what we believe…it is also about how we put what we believe into actions.  A faith journey is best lived inside-out…start with you…what do you believe…what is your relationship with Jesus Christ…your sin…your confession…this isn’t a check the box type of thing, it is a daily surrender of self-centered desires.  As we build our faith on the foundation of coming to the Cross, we can take the things we learn and put them into practice in our daily lives and interactions…this is a journey that requires commitment, it requires a willingness to sacrifice and it provides peace and joy that is beyond our imagination.  May God’s peace be with you.  Amen.

DSC_1518 publish

“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.”

1 John 1:6-7 NIV

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

Run To The Lord

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

Life will be filled with times of joy and peace and times of struggle, frustration and sadness.  This is true for everyone in every season of life.  The one steady and stable thing we can cling to is Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  There is nothing He can’t handle, no circumstances or loss or celebration He is not aware of or walking us through.  We were never promised life would be easy, however, we were promised that God will be with us through it all.  Run to the Lord…He is right there waiting for you.  Amen.

DSC_0939 publish

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

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

Do Good Things

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a] with your God.”

Micah 6:8 NIV

Do good things every day. Do good in the everyday things in life right where you are…not for others to see, rather because it is what God has asked us to do. Hold a door open for others, give a word of encouragement to someone, be willing to sit and listen to what someone is going through without trying to ‘fix it’ for them. Be present right where you are with whoever you are near. Don’t always be looking for the miraculous…for it is in combining the good work of the little things together that create the greatest moments in our lives.

DSC_0499 publish

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Big Sky Resort in Montana)

Walking With God

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

A faith journey.  It begins with belief, confession and prayer.  It grows as we read the Scriptures, as we spend time in devotions, when we engage in our communities and serve others…it transforms us with a new attitude centered on God and His will for us.  Trust in God, spend time on your relationship with Jesus Christ and pray about everything, every day.  Amen.

DSC_0664 publish

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a] with your God.”

Micah 6:8 NIV

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

Prayer

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12 NIV

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6 NIV

No matter what the situation or circumstances, don’t stop praying about it.  Don’t give up when God doesn’t meet your timeline, He knows more about everything than we realize.  Rather choose to trust in Him and His Way…He loves you, He cares for you and He is with you every step along the way.  Amen.

DSC_0044 publish

“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

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

Integrity

/ 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. 2 Do 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

Honesty…honor…ethics…morals…decency…fairness…sincerity…truthfulness…trustworthiness.  It seems in the world of social media and the race to get more attention to the self; these characteristics have gone by the wayside.  The constant striving for likes, popularity, money and me first attitude have become overwhelming idols of this fallen world.  Now more than ever we need people turning towards God and transforming their hearts and minds to the purpose of life according to God.  It begins with a relationship with Jesus Christ, His Son, our Savior.  Wherever you are, whatever has been done turn towards Jesus and seek to know Him.  Amen.

DSC_0031 publish

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 near Boysen State Park in Wyoming)

The Truth Will Set You Free

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NIV

Faith in God means believing the truth.  The truth that God sent His only Son to save us from our sins.  If we allow temptation and sin to rule our lives…it will keep us away from God we will be inviting trouble into everything we do.  If we follow the truth and put Jesus in the center of our lives, we will know peace.

DSC_0460 publish

“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

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana)

A Foundation Of Faith

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.“

Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV

What is the foundation of your life?  What do you stand on?  Worldly beliefs and values that reject God or Jesus Christ and the Word of God?  We are all free to choose what we believe and our decision has a direct impact on our life in this world and in the life to come.  What is the foundation of your life?

DSC_1523 publish

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.“

Matthew 7:24 NIV

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

The Hope Of The World

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

1 Peter 1:3 NIV

“…the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.”

Colossians 1:5-6 NIV

God is greater than anything in this world.  It is in Him that we can find hope.

DSC_029 publish

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV

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

The Voice of Truth

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 NIV

In this world that is fallen and filled with sin and lies we have many thoughts and opinions speaking to us through many forms of communication.  Yet while Jesus walked on earth he taught using the phrase “I tell you the truth…”  He spoke this phrase more than 75 times as recorded in the New Testament.  With so much input coming at us in the world from so many sources it is important to seek the one voice of truth.

This is not always easy…in fact when Jesus spoke he knew not everybody would openly accept the truth.  In our lives, the hardest things to do are often really the right thing to do.  Truth takes courage, truth takes trusting that no matter what happens God has got you in the palm of his hand.  He knows what you are facing, He knows your fears and the temptations pressuring you…open your heart, mind and soul to Him.  He has the truth and His Son delivered the message of truth personally to us.

Voice Of Truth by Casting Crowns

DSC06710 publish

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’.“

John 8:31-32 NIV

(This photo was taken in the summer of 2013 at Falls Park on the Big Sioux River in South Dakota)