Message: “The Testimony” from John Ploog

A message from the series “Christmas.” I asked a fellow-traveler, “If it were possible to know God personally, would you be interested?” How do you think he responded to my out-of-the-blue question? To many people it may easily seem like presumptuous thought. I mean, an ordinary human-being on a first name basis with an all-knowing, holy, and almighty God, has to seem like an unlikely possibility. Unless, there’s some hard data that such a notion is actually God’s idea. In fact, we believe God’s testimony about Jesus.

Message: “The only way out of the dark” from John Ploog

A message from the series “Christmas.” The good news for Christmas 2020 is that Christmas is for everyone. The bad news of Christmas is that darkness covers the earth. The good news is that Jesus is for everyone. The bad news is that our sin blinds us to the righteousness and lovingkindness of God, condemning every sinner to an eternity separated from the God who loves us. The really good news about Christmas is that God promised a way out of our awful darkness, and that way out is Jesus. In fact, Jesus is the only way out of the dark.

Message: “What was He thinking?” from John Ploog

A message from the series “Christmas.” It’s actually one of the great Christmas passages and yet it doesn’t talk about angels, shepherds, wise-men, mangers, or Mary and Joseph. But they are foundational to our understanding of who He is and why He came. It may sound like a question a parent might ask a child under various circumstances. “What were you thinking?”
What was He thinking? What does the answer have to do with what He is after from us? How seriously does He want us to take this and exactly where will our response take us? His message delivered to us from the pen of the apostle Paul is, “You must have the same attitude as Christ Jesus.”

Message: “Be Still, Think Deeply, and Thank God” from John Ploog

A message from the series “The Church and Our church.” This has been a year of unprecedented opportunity. Can I hear an Amen? Say what? Recognizing serious dangers in the face of this present pandemic, you may have discovered challenges and opportunities through it all. How would you characterize your thinking throughout this turbulent year? Knowing my love for sailing, a friend gave me a small plaque that reads, “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” No matter what life throws at us, God’s word lays out a persistent plan; “Be still, think deeply, and thank God.”

Message: “We Believe in Part 3” from John Ploog

A message from the series “The Church and Our church.” Today, we are focusing on the last few items of our Statement of Faith. What is your authority for what you believe? Can you articulate the what’s and whys of our shared faith? Pay close attention to these essentials. What difference do these make in your life?

Message: “We Believe In… Part 2” from John Ploog

A message from the series “The Church and Our church.” Last week we began to focus on the major items found in our Statement of Faith. As members of El Calvario Ministries become part of Calvary Baptist Church both English and Spanish services are going through our membership class. We pick up today where we left off last week, turning our attention to the doctrine of Man. Bringing two or more cultures together in one ministry is exciting but also requires a lot of work, and commitment to what we say we believe. Our relationship to God and to each other stands on the Bible, God’s Holy Word. We preach it, teach it, study and follow it. We organize our lives around our Savior, Jesus. Our full and final authority for faith and life is God’s revealed Word.