Calvary Golden Valley • calvary.org: Recent Episodes
Calvary Golden Valley
It's all about growing closer to Jesus! This mission inspires our worship, small groups and NextGen ministries. It motivates our service to the local community and the world. It serves as the foundation of everything we are, do and believe. We invite you to get to know Calvary—we look forward to getting to know you too!
Talking Points: Who's Side Are You On | Pastor Zach Thompson | 09.20.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Favorites: "Choose Your Next Words Wisely! | Greg Stephenson | 09.06.2020 by Calvary Golden Valley
Favorites: "Autopilot Faith" | Pastor Jason Roton | 08.30.2020 by Calvary Golden Valley
Dangerous Prayers • "Break me" | Pastor Zach Thompson | 07.26.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Dangerous Prayers • "Search Me" | Pastor Zach Thompson | 07.19.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Relationship Goals: "Great Families" | Pastor Zach Thompson | 7.12.2020 by Calvary Golden Valley
Relationship Goals • "Great Co-workers" | Pastor Zach Thompson | 07.05.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Relationship Goals • "Great Marriages" | Pastor Zach Thompson | 06.28.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Relationship Goals • "Great Parents" | Pastor Jason Roton | 06.21.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Relationship Goals • "Great Friendships" | Pastor Jason Roton | 06.14.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Finding Hope In Uncertain Times #3 | Pastor Zach Thompson | 06.07.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Finding Hope In Uncertain Times #2 | Pastor Zach Thompson | 05.31.20 by Calvary Golden Valley
Pastor Zach Thompson and Pastor Jason Roton | 3.29.20 | Greatest Example by Calvary Golden Valley
This is Us - Change Clothes | February 16, 2020 | Pastor Zach Thompson by Calvary Golden Valley
What do you want to be when you grow up? Every child has heard the question, and many adults are still trying to figure out the answer. In the second half of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we get a clear picture of what it looks like to grow up as individuals and the Church.
This is Us: Who are We? Ephesians 1:15-23 | Pastor Jason Roton | 1.19.2020 by Calvary Golden Valley
Who are you? What do you do? What are you living your life for? The Apostle Paul set out to write a letter to a church in a place called Ephesus. Even though it was almost 2000 years ago, they struggled with the same things that we do today. They faced temptations, doubts, and questions. In the first three chapters of the letter Paul reminds them again and again about who they really are in Christ. Paul's message is still relevant for us today: Don't forget your true identity! (Ephesians 1:1-14)
As we walk into 2020, we will undoubtedly set goals and make plans for the year ahead. And, for a few weeks we might even manage to pull off some of those plans and resolutions by shear determination! We want 2020 to be better than 2019. What to do when things don’t go as we have planned and what do we do when God changes our plans? God's Divine direction can make our lives everything we've ever wanted them to be. By leaning into God's Divine direction for our lives, He can lead us each to a life we've only imagined and dreamed of. He will take us to wonderful and unexpected places that only God himself could have planned for each one of us.
What Is Christmas All About? There are certain things we believe are essential at Christmastime. Cookies. Movies. Music. Decorations. Traditions. But what is Christmas really all about? When the angels appear to the shepherds on Christmas night, they share three important truths about Christmas that can change your life forever!
Waiting can be difficult. Simeon had waited for decades for God to fulfill a promise to him, that he would see and meet the Messiah. Then one day Mary and Joseph, along with their newborn baby, walked into the temple. And Simeon praised God for his faithfulness. Come learn some important lessons from Simeon. (Luke 2:28-35)
There are many reasons why we might be afraid. Fear is a common emotion in our world. In the Christmas story, there are many who are afraid. So, it is comforting that the angels' first words to the shepherds are "Be not afraid..." Then, they sing a beautiful chorus, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace..." Our world needs peace. We need peace. Jesus came to bring us peace with God and to overcome our fears. (Luke 2:8-14)
An angel shows up and tells a teenaged Mary that she is going to have a divinely conceived baby, who will save the world? What would you do? What would you say? Mary chooses to praise the Lord and to trust His plan. Mary's song begins with the powerful words "My soul magnifies the Lord..." No matter what you are facing in your life, because of who God is, you too can trust He is working for good. (Luke 1:46-55)
In the Christmas there are four songs that are sung. Each of them has profound meaning for us still today. We are introduced to Zechariah at the beginning of Luke 1. He is a priest in the temple, a very important man. He is married to Elizabeth, and they are not able to have a child. When they miraculously have a son, Zechariah breaks out into a song reminding us of the promises and plans of God. Even when God is silent, He is still working! (Luke 1:68-79)
God has generously given us time, talents, energy, and finances. How we invest those gifts says a lot about our priorities and what we are for. We have the opportunity to make an investment in eternity by how we manage our resources. What do you want your lasting legacy to be? (Matthew 6:19-21, 24)
God so loved the world that He gave His only son. God loved our world enough not to let it stay in darkness. Instead He found a creative and powerful way to demonstrate His love. As a church we are called to share God's love with the world. Come and see how you can be a part of what God is doing all over the world to demonstrate His love! (John 3:16-17)
God Is FOR Our Community! | Pastor Zach Thompson, Pastor Jason Roton | 11.10.19 by Calvary Golden Valley
Sometimes we think of God as an angry judge or an undercover agent, just waiting for us to mess up. What the Bible teaches us, and Jesus demonstrates for us, is that God isn't out to get us. In fact He is fully and completely FOR us! (Romans 8:31-39)
In a world full of pain and suffering, questions and doubts, sometimes it is easy to feel hopeless. Real, lasting hope ultimately comes from God. Our hope is in the sure certainty that God is who He says He is, and that He can do what He says He can do. (Romans 5:1-8)
We often have the tendency to create a faith like a house of cards. The problem is, when a hard question or critique is presented, our house of cards can easily fall. What we need to focus on first is what our foundation is. Following Jesus is the central part of our faith and foundation. When we keep Jesus at the center, then we are freed to ask the hard questions without losing faith. (Matthew 16:13-20)
God invites us to wrestle with Him on the things that happen in our life. He wants His people to ask “Who are you, God?” Following the story of Jacob, we are called as Christ followers to struggle, strive, and seek to know who God is. We must also not be afraid of struggling with deep questions and doubts.(Genesis 32:22-32)
Every one of us has doubts. Sometimes we wonder if it's OK to admit that. Doubt is often thought to be the opposite of faith, but it's not. The opposite of faith is unbelief. What if doubt is normal? What if doubt is a natural part of having faith? We will always have doubt about many big topics, because we are human and finite. But God’s character need never be doubted. (Luke 7:18-23, Mark 9:17-24)
Back To Reality | You Were Created For Community | Pastor Zach Thompson | 9.15.2019 by Calvary Golden Valley
Back To Reality: You Were Created To Worship | Pastor Zach Thompson | 9.8.19 by Calvary Golden Valley
Favorites: Stretch My Triple Grande Non - Fat Caramel Macchiato Faith | Pastor Dittrich | 09.01.19 by Calvary Golden Valley
Favorites: Babe Ruth Struck Out | Pastor Nathan Thompson | 08.25.19 by Calvary Golden Valley
We all go through seasons when life seems dry and barren. We might refer to them as dry patches or “soul” deserts. There are times in our lives when we are so thirsty for a drink of Living Water to quench the thirst of our souls that we cry out to God and ask “God, where are you? What happened to the rivers of Living Water that You promised us? This isn’t the way we thought things were supposed to be for us” A desert of the soul makes everything seems barren and fruitless. But, the Bible is filled with hope and assurance that God will meet us in the desert seasons of our lives and He will come and quench our thirst. (Deut 32:10 (MSG version); Psalm 63 (NIV))
Our world is so full of pain and tragedy. We all face personal hurts and brokenness. It is easy to feel hopeless. In the middle of that hopelessness and hurt, Jesus enters the story and shows us why and how we can still find hope!
So if evil is real, how do you oppose it, and how do you protect yourself from it? Fortunately, the Bible actually shows us how to prepare yourself for the little battles and the big battles you face in your life.
Throughout the Bible it is clear that no one can do the work of God without the Holy Spirit. Yet many Christians today don't understand the power they have through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in all Christians. But Paul tells us that not all Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us to "keep on being filled with the Spirit." To be truly Spirit filled is to be like Jesus. When the Spirit comes in, the life of Jesus goes out!
Stranger Things: Supernatural | Pastor Zach Thompson | 07.07.19 by Calvary Golden Valley
Jesus models for us what it looks like to rest and recharge in God. And never forget: Jesus promises that if we come to Him, He will give us rest!
When we hold grudges, we miss the power of the Gospel in our lives. Learn from the parable of the prodigal son and discover the sweet reality of forgiveness!
God's Perfect. You're Not. Do we cheapen God's gift of Salvation and being washed clean when we strive for perfection? When do we get in the way of God's perfect plan for our lives by trying to live up to what culture deems as "perfection". There is no Instagram or snap chat filter that God can't see through. What would it look like if we embraced our imperfections and allowed God to help us press on towards His plan and live up to how God sees us rather than how we see ourselves.
With everything going on in our chaotic world and lives, there are many reasons to worry and fear. But where we turn and what we look to makes a big difference.
If we're completely honest, many of us struggle with control issues. Ultimately, every one of us is called to give up control—and follow Jesus!
How do we best love those who suck the life out of us? Scripture teaches us to give strategically, serve wisely and trust God completely.
Though we want to do the best we can in relationships, work, etc., sometimes we just don’t know what to do. God’s desire is to provide each of us with what we need to influence people and situations for generations to come.
What should we do when someone we trust is saying one thing but doing another? Why do we act like hypocrites ourselves? Jesus offers solid answers to both questions.
Relational Vampires Critical People Pastor Zach Thompson 4.28.2019 by Calvary Golden Valley
Part of the story of Easter is how Peter and the other disciples went from doubt and fear to faith and trust, all because they encountered the risen Christ. So, what do you believe about Easter? Because of what Jesus did for us, you can have that same confidence and assurance!
On the night of His arrest, Jesus gathers his closest followers to celebrate the Passover meal. Why was this meal so important for Jesus to celebrate with His disciples? What does it mean for us today?
On the night of His arrest, Jesus gathers his closest followers to celebrate the Passover meal. Why was this meal so important for Jesus to celebrate with His disciples? What does it mean for us today?
On Palm Sunday, the crowd thought they needed a powerful earthly dynasty, but what all people really need is a savior and redeemer. It's a vivid example of how far apart what we think we need and what God knows we need can be.
All of us have defining moments in our lives—some positive, some negative. The amazing thing is that God promises to use both our good and bad experiences for our own good and His glory.
God invites us to worship and serve Him with all we are, including our personalities. Embrace your personality to help you live out your God-given purpose.
Our hearts help show where and how we should apply our God-given gifts. When we follow our hearts, we discover where we can best make a difference in the world!
Jesus said that His followers would do things even greater things than He did! How is this even possible? Every believer has the gift of the Holy Spirit empowering us to live out the purposes God intends for us.
On Purpose: You Are a Masterpiece You were created by God on purpose for a specific purpose. And God uses your entire “SHAPE” to help you live out your purpose!
Paul's message to the Galatians can be summed up broadly as "Jesus plus nothing equals everything!" and "When you receive the gospel, you are truly free!" Now Paul says there are two critical questions that can help us take an inventory of where we are at: "What are you sowing?" and "What are you boasting in?" Paul is first calling us to think like farmers. Every day we plant seeds. So, what seeds will you choose to plant today in your everyday life? Paul is also saying we each have seeds of the gospel to sow. The church needs more workers and givers, not just consumers. God has given us countless resources to be sown like seed to further his love and grace in the world. If you only sow your seed for yourself, you're going to reap destruction. Then Paul says, "what are you boasting in?" Everyone boasts in something. So what should you boast about? Paul says, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." In Christ, your successes (which can near earn you God's love) and your sins (which separate you from God on their own) don't even enter into the equation! The best way to show our appreciation is to keep planting seeds!
After 4 chapters, Paul wants to remind us what is at stake, our freedom! Don't get tempted to turn around and backwards and miss out on the freedom you can have! Paul says, "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." If you are in Christ you are truly free. You are no longer on the performance plan. You are accepted. If your version of Christianity doesn't make you feel free, you're doing it wrong! So, how are you doing to USE the freedom you have in Christ? We often get pulled to two extremes: license and legalism. The Galatians kept getting pulled backwards, hanging on to old rules and traditions, instead of embracing the freedom they had in Christ. Paul says, "For you have been called to live in freedom...but don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead use your freedom to serve one another in love." Imagine if that was our focus as Christians, and as a church! When we live in love, led by the Spirit, we develop the family likeness (the fruit of the Spirit).
If we have faith in Christ, we can claim our identity as children of God! This privilege is not because of anything we have done, but only through what Jesus has done.
Losing My Religion: Covenant Living In order to understand the law and how God uses it, we need to understand the different kinds of covenants. They work together to lead us to Christ!
We live in a world full of divisions, but Jesus unites all Christians of the world in freedom, mission and generosity. Let's focus on how we are one in Christ!
According to the book of Galatians, the Gospel is the good news that God sent his Son Jesus to live and die and rise again so we could have life—a free and complete gift of grace, not dependent on anything we do or say or earn.
Pollster George Gallup once observed, "Americans are among the loneliest people in the world," but God created us to connect with others. Life change and spiritual growth best happens in circles, not rows!
We all experience darkness in our lives. But Jesus, the true light, enters into the darkness—and offers us the gift of his light and love.
Sin creates division and conflict between us and God, but Jesus came to defeat sin and make peace between us and God.
The world tells us to be full of joy and happiness, but sometimes all we feel is grief and sadness. Joy is made possible by the promise that God is with us, and this is seen no more clearly than in Jesus.
Relationships can be messy. But because of God's grace and love towards us through the coming of Jesus, we can move from being bitter to loving others!
Advent(ure): Anxiety to Hope The world can seem like a dark place, but it is into the darkness that God sent Jesus to be the light. Light gives direction. Light offers protection. Light gives us hope!
Live Generously: Who's the Boss? When we have a plan, we manage our money instead of letting our money manage us. When God stays in charge, we manage our money His way!
Live Generously: Where's Your Hope? When our wealth becomes our hope, our lives get out of focus. But Paul tells us to "put our hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." So, where are you putting your hope today?
People matter to God, so they must matter to us. We need to always stay focused on reaching those who don't know Jesus. To have God's heart for people. To make disciples who go make disciples!
We often approach our faith and church like consumers by asking, "What's in it for me?" Instead, God is calling us to serve in and as His church. The church does not exist for us, and we as the church exist for the world!
Jesus didn't come to establish a new religion. Instead, He came to invite us into a living relationship. By God's grace, we can know Him more each day and invite others to do the same.
Many people see Christianity as a "once and done" thing. But we all have another step of faith we can take—we should never stop growing until we finally go to be with Jesus forever.
Living beyond regret is not a one-time decision—it is a way of life. Every day we can recognize our regrets, release our regrets and experience redemption.
God wants to turn our stories of regret into stories of redemption. What is redemption? Only God can truly and fully redeem, redemption takes time, and redemption takes many different forms.
One of the most powerful ways to release regret is to forgive—forgive someone you hurt, forgive yourself, forgive someone who hurt you... God brings redemption and healing through forgiveness.
King David's story from 2 Samuel 11 teaches us the importance of recognizing and dealing with our regrets. The most important step? Confession, which brings God's healing into even the most painful situations.
Too often, we allow our regrets to define us or to determine our future. The story of Peter and his denial of Jesus shows that, despite our regrets, we are loved and called.
Many people love to quote Jesus saying "Do not judge." But there's actually more to what He says: "...or you too will be judged." The most important thing is to be loving, gracious, forgiving and humble in order to preserve relationships just as Jesus did.
"Money is the root of all evil" is one of the most commonly misquoted and twisted verses of the Bible. What Paul actually says is quite different: loving money can become a deadly trap, while contentment, trust and generosity produce eternal returns!
In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord says He has "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." We often hear these words as a personal promise, but why do we continue to suffer and struggle from day to day? What is God really saying?
Life is similar to a game of Clue; we are all seeking answers to life's big questions. Meaning and purpose is ultimately found in Jesus and nowhere else.
Conflict. It's inevitable, but God teaches us how to resolve conflict in a healthy way. The Bible offers clear steps for our being agents of reconciliation wherever we go!
Scrabble reminds us of the importance of community and that we need each other—we are better together. Though each of us is made unique, we are called to come together to fulfill a greater, common purpose as the Body of Christ.
It is not enough to believe in Christ, then think that our spiritual lives will go on sort of automatically. We need to keep building up our spiritual reserves.
What does God’s Word have to say to us who are Christian citizens of this land? There are five things that every Jesus follower can do to have maximum patriotic impact.
In 1 Peter 4:8, we are told to "show deep love for each other." The key word is "show." Love is more than a feeling or words—we are called to take action.
In one of the most familiar stories in history, Jesus turns the focus from "who is my neighbor" to "how to be a neighbor." He tells us to love the one right in front of us, in whatever way we can!
Why don't even our closest relationships model the kind of love God desires of and for us? It's often due to three big problems.