If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3. For more than two decades at Calvary we have taught that the needs of our cities create opportunities for the church. When peace and security go up in flames, there is a precious prospect for the...

Soon after Thanksgiving I make an annual pilgrimage to the crawl space in my basement to extract priceless containers of accumulated ornaments and strings of lights. The weather gave me no excuse to postpone the inevitable, so before I even had a turkey sandwich, I...

Two divorces. One untimely death. One kidney-cancer diagnosis. All in two weeks; all within my immediate circle of long-time friends. Beyond my own narrow experience, the world around us grapples with disease, division, distrust, disorientation, and outrage. It...

Proverbs 27:1Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Most of us are dreamers or planners. Always looking to the next big thing on our calendar, the next gathering for our family or an impending obligation in our work. Opportunities in...

Sociological tensions about politics, world events, and the appropriate response to a pandemic have tested the patience of all mankind. Never perhaps more than right now. What a time to be the church! Cultural pressures give rise to the opportunity for the church to...

Lucy and I sat together in church last Sunday. That is not necessarily an anomaly, but often when I’m preaching, I’m down in front, close to the stage. (Lucy prefers 10 rows back, where she alleges, she can see me better.) As we sang the words to “Goodness of God”, we...

Each Monday, the preaching team meets to reflect on Calvary’s weekend services across three campuses. We review the messages given and frequently talk about what was left unsaid. Portions of planned sermons often end up on the cutting room floor. There is never enough...

Winter left reluctantly this year. Late snows seemed an appropriate illustration of the stubborn year it has been. But finally longer and warmer days are producing buds on the trees and blooms in the garden. A welcome change and a reminder of God’s providential...

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5). Strong biblical teaching will produce a church that knows how to love. The better your understanding of the character of God the richer your love for...

I lied to my mother when I was 10 years old. One morning as we were heading out to school, she asked her four oldest sons, “Do any of you boys know what’s happened to all the matches that were in the cabinet above the stove?” No. No. No. “Maybe Ricky Brown took them,”...