Calvary Chapel San Antonio: Recent Episodes
Pastor Ron Arbaugh
Recent Bible Studies, Church and Academy Events. Verse by verse Bible teaching, with an emphasis on practical application, from Pastor Ron Arbaugh of Calvary Chapel San Antonio
One of the keys to walking successfully with the Lord is to recognize quickly and clearly when you are not right with God. Decisions and choices that you made were wrong—just re-make them!
If we are to grow in our walk, we must learn to be content. Jotham did not try, as his father did, to do more than God asked. He was content with the privilege of being king. Jotham did not seek the position of priest—he left that to the priests God had chosen. Be content with your gifts and your calling…
This will always be true for every one of us. Success from God's perspective always depends on us seeking the Lord! There is no success (even worldly success will not satisfy) apart from being with Jesus ...
Whenever any of us stops short of everything God wants, it means that person has a divided heart… Let me say here at the very start of our study that whenever we are not wholeheartedly following the Lord, we will not finish well. There is no way we can finish well apart from being with Jesus and it doesn’t matter how well you started! Your walk with Jesus must be protected and grow as the years go by…
The Lord's model for prayer: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." The way I pray it is 'thy will be done in me.' Then, I ask God to help me be the man of God He desires, the husband He desires, the father He desires, and the pastor He created me to be. Tonight, I want to look at Jehoiada from that same perspective...
Joash was the king called by God and made by man—one man, Jehoiada. I told you last time that his life is important enough to devote an entire study to so, that's what we're going to do tonight. A study in leadership. Men, this is especially significant for you, however the principles apply wonderfully to women as well. Let's learn how to be a leader...
Our chapter tonight covers 40 years of Joash's reign as king. Joash was a young man, chosen by God and saved by Jehoiada from certain death. He was only 7 years old so obviously the real power behind his throne (at least until he grew) was the Godly Jehoiada. His life is a model in Christian integrity, leadership values, and excellence—really worth studying. As of now, I am considering doing an entire study on his life—that's how important he is...
I will tell you up front tonight that Joash is a king whose faith is shallow. He only does what is right in the eyes of God as long as Jehoiada is around. As soon as Jehoiada exits the scene (dying full of years at 130 years of age!), Joash's faith is revealed for what it really is...
Please, when you hear me tell you to do what is right and God will bless you and when you hear me say ‘stop sinning before things get worse,’ please listen. You see, the problems in our lives—many of them—never had to happen in the first place! Let’s learn from this lesson—this is prevention-theology…
Solomon was born to build this temple! It was his purpose in life. We focus on his wisdom, his wealth, and his extravagant lifestyle, and the other really important things he did (education reform, scientific discovery, writing Proverbs and the SoS, but this was the one thing he was created by God to do. We all have that one thing…
Our work is different than Solomon’s. Our work is different from individual to individual. But we all have work to do. This charge—to do the work—is vital for us to understand and apply. The work of God is why we have been left here on earth after being saved. We weren’t left here to have fun, be successful, or to pursue our dreams. We are here to do the work we were born to do.
When you are where God wants you to be, doing what God wants you to do, you will not give in to your own lust! That’s how easy it is not to sin!
Jesus talked about showing kindness (love) to our enemies. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. I know it’s hard but one key to a fruitful Christian life is to extend kindness to everyone! Not just to those who deserve it—anyone can do that—but especially to those who may not deserve it or who may not even appreciate it…
If we are to love other people as we are loved by God, doesn’t it necessarily mean that we must be willing—eager even—to forgive those who sin against us?
The Philistines had defeated Israel many times before but David didn’t care at all about the past! David knew God was with him and that the Philistines were no match for God…
No one sins when walking in the light. It’s when we start straddling the line between light and darkness that we find sin. Lots of sin would never happen if we were not where we are not supposed to be doing things we ought not to do…
God never says ‘no’ coldly or without love. Here’s what we have to understand by faith: when God says no, there’s always a good reason. It isn’t important that you know or understand the reason. What’s important is how you respond.
... if we claim to be Christians, we have to agree with God about what sin is! We have no right to negotiate with God or to try and alter His point of view regarding sin…
It always happens that we find out just how generous God really is when we recognize His presence in our midst…
I know you hear me say this a lot, but digging into the Bible before doing something is far better than doing it your way and failing.
It’s not enough to do things the right way; we have to do them with the right heart.
We must want to be spiritually (as opposed to earthly) minded people. We have to desire to serve God and God’s people.
This is where David’s future troubles begin. It’s always interesting to me that God will use a man/woman who continues to refuse to surrender certain areas of their life to God…I wonder why God would use them. I look around at all the false teachers and wonder why God allows them to find an audience. I hear that pastors have stolen money or been guilty of adultery and wonder why God would use them…
The answer is that we don’t really know. Perhaps it’s because God is patient, because He is giving the offender time to repent. Perhaps it’s just because God knows that His perfect will is going to be accomplished in spite of the sins of His people…
When God wanted to reveal Himself to the world, when He wanted to show the depth of His love, how did He do it? By becoming one of us!
As we begin tonight, it’s important to establish that when one is given great responsibility, as is the case here with David, there is also great accountability…
It’s not enough to want to do the right thing—one must do the right thing. It is not enough to do the right thing—one must do the right thing the right way. And with the right heart…
This is the beginning of a united Israel. Please note that this was the result God had promised through the prophet/judge Samuel. Every promise—though it may take longer than we thought it should—God makes comes to pass…
You have heard me say that 1 & 2 Chronicles (historically one book) give the history of the kings from God’s perspective. That’s why we begin with Adam in this first chapter.
Religion—observing rules and thinking yourself justified before God—is a trap of the devil. If he can’t get you to go back into your old lifestyle, he will try to make you religious. Paul says none of these things matter. What matters, is only this: where is your heart with Jesus?
...... the Bible says a man isn’t smart—no matter his/her intellect—if that man/woman doesn’t worship Jesus Christ. Ps 14:1 (and Ps. 53:1) says exactly the same thing: The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
In the Christian experience, we never stand still. We are either growing in the knowledge of God, His will, and His Word, or we are falling behind and into trouble. You see, the Christian who is not growing is the Christian the wolves flock to...
It is in the church where God uses our gifts. It is in church where God teaches us to trust in Him. It is in church where God humbles us, teaches us, and equips us for ministry. It is in church where we comfort others and receive comfort from others. To have no desire to be a contributing (not a spectating) member of a local church is to disassociate oneself from Jesus—the very Head of the Body. It is very dangerous—and arrogant—to rationalize otherwise.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; ----Of all Biblical illustrations regarding the church. We become members of this body the instant we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Because He is before all things, because He has the preeminence over all things, He is, of course, the Head of His church. The head always determines how the body works! ------ Clearly, this points to Jesus as the One who directs us—individually and the church at—large. Sadly, there are Christians with their own agenda. Agendas that are different from the agenda of the Head.
It takes God’s supernatural power for us to manifest His power to endure through difficult trials. If we try to endure in our strength we will fail. Persevering is a sign of maturity as a believer. There is a great desire by many Christians for supernatural power from God but far too few ask God in prayer (as Paul is doing here) for the supernatural power of God to suffer through trials and attacks that may appear impossible to survive…
Pastors wives share their experiences with Jesus from the recent Pastors Wives Retreat.
When we think about God’s will, we think of the future. To really know God’s will (this is why it takes spiritual wisdom and understanding), we have to learn it one day at a time. His will for me today is what matters—it is the only thing that matters. And when I am in His will today, tomorrow I will find myself in the same place!
You don’t have to know the future to be secure in His future for you! That’s the most beautiful thing about God’s will—it is the only place we can really, truly rest. There should be no other option for any real believer…
The tabernacle is finished and the focus now shifts to God’s servants. God is setting His chosen servants apart for His glory. For us, because we are a royal priesthood, there is much in the way of application value to enjoy…
Washing comes first followed by serving. Isn’t that the same thing that happens to us? This was a public washing; it could be embarrassing, even humbling to be washed with all the onlookers. But I think that’s crucial as well; we must be humbled (publicly) before accepting this calling…
Trespassing is crossing a boundary. God has always set up boundaries for mankind and man has always tried to go beyond those boundaries. Life is richer staying inside of the lines God has drawn…
To make his point that legalism and grace have nothing in common, Paul concludes with an examination of motives. One thing we all need to do is examine our hearts to make sure our motives for serving are pure. Ministry done well but done with the wrong motive is ministry that earns no rewards in heaven…
We open tonight with a really important principle. In the context of stealing, it is obvious that we sin against people. But God emphasizes that this is first and foremost a sin against God! I know we spoke about this in an earlier study, but we need to be reminded continually that sins against people are sins against God! We cut ourselves off from the fellowship that God sent His son to accomplish. And since we are so focused on people (getting justice), we too often forget that it is God who is the real victim of our lying/stealing…
Let me also talk about lying. This is an acceptable sin because (yuk) ‘everybody lies.’ It is never OK to lie and we who are believers need to be known for always telling the truth in love…
Sin always costs and we need to be aware of it.
Paul was not seeking to be vindicated. He wanted to use this opportunity to show that the power of God to deliver was greater than the power of Rome to enslave and torture...
Timothy was a young man whose life was obviously pretty radical for the Lord...
(Acts 16:2) '2. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him'. They spoke well of him because he was committed to Jesus. Can't you always tell when someone is really sold out for God? Can others say this of you? I pray so...
We finished last week talking about the fruits of the Spirit. This chapter, in large part, deals with what it looks like when we walk in the Spirit…
Sin is sin. Intentional or unintentional. That’s why we need to be extra diligent in examining our hearts continually. God is serious about all sin even though willful sin is far worse and carries far greater consequences. It is still necessary understand that all sin separates us from God. Too many of us we think if we sin but didn’t mean to, it’s somehow OK. God is HOLY and even these sins matter to God…
James is making it a requirement of Christian life to be sensitive to the things that cause others to stumble. It’s true we do have freedom, but we are to use it with sensitivity...
"The word for fruit here is singular. It means that the singular gift of love is the fruit of the Spirit. The rest are the things that love produces..."
The grain offering speaks of our service to the Lord. This was NOT an offering for sin; it is an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord for His goodness to us. The grain offering was available to everyone, rich or poor, and only a portion of it was actually burnt before the altar. The rest was given to the priests as an offering for their service to God. The grain was ground (fine flour) and frankincense was added to insure that the offering smelled really good (evidently, God like good smells!)…
The grain offerings had to be prepared at home and brought to the priests. Our devotion to the Lord always begins at home! If your faith isn’t working at home, it’s not genuine. We need to insure that our lives are the same in public or in private. God sees it all…
This is the most fundamental truth in all Scripture! Why is grace, so beautiful, so simple, also so hard to accept?
In this book, God will invade your personal space. Personal hygiene, prayer, worship, even your sex lives will be fair game. Please don’t shut out anything/everything God wants to speak to you about… One thing I want you to take special note of is that worship and something dying always go together. God will remove any shallow-ness from your worship if you will let Him do so. Think about that as you contemplate your role in worship here at church. Sort-of sheds new light on the man/woman who says, ‘I don’t like the music part’ and come in late every Sunday to avoid it. Worship is sacrifice—that means we worship regardless of our likes/dislikes and personal preferences. We worship God because of who He is…
None of us likes hardship. But suffering is normal for every human! Christians are not immune from the things the rest of the world goes through; our difference is that we are never alone when we do go through these things!
Paul said that bad company corrupts good character. That’s why we need to be careful about who we spend time with, who we allow to be an influence in our lives, and what we listen to on social media. Un-holiness is contagious. It appeals to our sin nature—our flesh—and we are also told by Paul to make no provision for our flesh. We are to be separated for the things of God and remain separate from the things of this world. This is why there is always so much pain with unequally-yoked relationships…
Please indulge me one more time while I beat an old drum. Parents, I am speaking to you: you are allowing—even encouraging—your children to be defiled with social media. I will never understand why parents allow their kids this kind of access. We remember when the pandemic was in full-swing and we made our children wear masks, social distance, het vaccinations and boosters with unproven meds, avoid contact with their friends, even keep them out of school when we knew it was detrimental to them… Social media is doing infinitely more damage to them than COVID ever could. Yet we do nothing about it! Your kids have unfettered access to the very things which are destroying them. Why? Is it because we believed the authorities when it came to COVID but don’t believe God when He says it’s our responsibility to raise our kids in the fear of God? Your kids are being brainwashed and it seems we don’t really care…
"4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles". The cross of Jesus is the central focus-point of history. It is, always has been and always will be, a line in the sand. The cross divides families, friends, communities, even nations. We should not be afraid of the division caused by this message. It is inevitable, unavoidable...
Revival has begun. The work on the temple has begun. Haggai found the people spiritually lazy, he delivered God’s word, they listened and they changed! That is all God needs…
The interesting thing is that God was rejoicing over this building. He doesn’t care about magnificent buildings; He care about joyful/grateful hearts! We remember that the Shekinah glory of God had departed that magnificent temple before the Babylon invaded. A beautiful building without the glory of God in it is, well, pretty ugly. God left but He will again inhabit this temple. From heaven, He would look at the work and rejoice in the workers and God is going to deliver a stern warning for them to get right and, for the workers, not to get discouraged—they were doing a great work…
It is common for people to put off making a decision about Jesus. It’s almost as though we think we have time to delay making a choice. Let’s begin today by reminding each of us about the urgency of the day/hour we live in...
Haggai is the first of the post-exilic prophets. His ministry began in 520 BC and the precise dating of this prophecy is crucial to understanding what was going on. There was no king. The remnant had only God to depend on and, as always, God is faithful to send His Word. He will do the same for/to you if you will grasp the message of this precious little prophecy…
This is Paul’s 1st missionary journey. He begins a pattern here of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen from the dead—a pattern that he will follow for the rest of his years! He has no idea how wonderfully/powerfully God is going to use him...
Ezra’s obviously broken heart has moved the hearts of those around him! God will use your faithfulness, your broken heart, to move His Spirit to affect the hearts of the very people you are praying for...
One of the reasons God disciplines us is so that we will remember that consequences can be avoided in the future if we learn the lessons from the past...
Special message from Pastor Ron and Mama Paula as we celebrate the church's 28th birthday.
Ezra is put in charge…
The prophet Haggai delivered a message to the people who were struggling financially at this time: the gold is mine and the silver is mine, says the Lord… Now, God proves it! I like considering how impossible this must have seemed to the people. They were barely surviving and this enormous, expensive task is given them to accomplish. ‘How can we ever do this?’ they would ask. ‘It’s impossible.’ But, as we know, nothing is impossible with God! I would love to have seen their faces when Ezra’s caravan pulls into town with more money than they ever dreamed about! Many would be broken (in a good way) for having ever doubted that God can do all things…
Ezra is about leadership. Like Nehemiah was about leadership. God always raises up leaders to do His work. When God wants to bless a people, He sends them leaders after His own heart. When a nation is deserving of judgment, well, He sends us our current crop of politicians (on both sides). God wants to bless His remnant and Ezra rides in to be used by/for God…
We simply cannot have divided loyalties. We must choose—and remain committed to—who we will serve. For whom we live. This is what we still see happen today when so many Christians (and much of the church) sees nothing wrong with dating/marrying people outside our faith. We must choose…
Separation does not mean that we crawl into caves and stay away from the world around us. No, it means we understand the world is our mission field and our job is to bring light to the world! Not to let their darkness influence us. We must be influence-ers rather than influenced. Leaders not followers. Thank God for strong leaders…
It’s amazing to think how much God might do for us if we understood that we are unable to help ourselves—if we were to depend entirely on Jesus instead…
Doing things, that give the appearance of spirituality, has no value in terms of our salvation
We all, when giving our lives to Christ, have to be told what to do! Then we have to recognize that we have no option—we are to obey unquestioningly whatever it is God commands us—a gift God gave me immediately and will give to all of you…
The gospel message delivered by Paul is the only thing we ever need, and the only thing we are commanded to share.
It’s pretty amazing how God can prepare people to do the right thing at just the right moment! Even a pagan king. Make no mistake here—Cyrus was not (never became) a believer. But God, we are told in Prov.21, is the One who moves the heart of kings. They think they are in control but it is always God pushing the buttons.
Jesus told the church to go into all the world; yet they remained comfortable in a thriving Jerusalem church. What Jesus told the church to do willingly (scatter, spread the message) had not been done. Sometimes God has to send trouble in order to get us to obey Him...
Get right or something worse will happen—restoration is God’s hope…
In the first chapter, Joel dealt with a real locust invasion that devastated the land. But here, he shifts down the corridor of time and space to an invasion in the future.
One of the things God uses to get our attention is disaster. Natural, man-made or otherwise. The idea is that when things are going crazy, we ought to look to God for answers and for help. The question here: ‘has anything like this ever happened?’ is designed to cause us to re-evaluate what’s going on and turn to God for help…
It is the job of leaders to provide opportunities for the people they lead to come to Christ. By that I mean it is our job, men (single moms) to make sure you establish a routine in your homes of going to church, of Bible study, and of prayer. It doesn’t matter whether or not your kids (or spouse) wants to participate; what matters to God is that you command (as the leader) them to participate. Their bodies are your responsibility and their heart is God’s…
When we fail in our roles as leaders, our families suffer. We can’t make people love God but we are obligated to make sure they have the opportunity to. To whom much is given, much (more) is required…
A man whose heart is truly for revival, re-Bible, is a man who 3 can’t wait to get the Word of God to the people! Maybe Josiah would have been told of the judgment prophesied against Nineveh and how God, despite Jonah’s objections, relented and all the people turned to God—pagan people! Josiah is most noteworthy (my view) because, not only did he respond to the Word, he wanted all the people to have the same opportunity…
You see, none of us just start out doing great things for God. We all need to grow; we all need to learn about God. The way we do it, the way we fulfill our purpose in life always begins the way Josiah’s did…
It always begins with seeking God. Josiah is 16 years old—a tough age to start talking to your kids about Jesus. In spite of all the wickedness he saw growing up, he began to seek God. The God of David, Hezekiah, Isaiah, even the forgiving God of his wicked grandfather, Manasseh…
Imagine hearing that God would grant forgiveness to those who are guilty of killing His Son! I hope you can imagine it because God will also grant forgiveness to any/all here today—no matter what you’ve done—if you will just ask Him…
The year is 702 BC (a flash-back; one year before the 185,000 Assyrians were killed), one year before the Assyrians invade Jerusalem and are destroyed by the angel from the Lord. Tonight is, in large part, about tests. How we respond to them. This miracle of healing is designed by God to prepare Hezekiah for the huge trial that lies ahead…
These tests in our lives are designed to show us and provide an opportunity to repent.
"God needs leaders - men and women who strive to be like Jesus, to be close to Jesus, so that God can send others to follow!"
This chapter really begins with the last verse of ch.18; 37 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said…
The reason this is important is because these 3 men show us how to begin the process of fighting spiritual battles (remember, what happens to Israel in the physical realm happens to us in the spiritual)…
The first thing any of us need to do is humble ourselves before God and admit that we are powerless to help ourselves!
"...this chapter is about the spiritual mind and it's progression as we grow in our faith."
Hezekiah’s name means ‘the Lord strengthens. Tonight (and following weeks) is about an amazing man who accomplished much. He takes a throne that has been devastated by sin and rebellion. His own father, Ahaz, was a terrible king who had no interest in the things of God. He destroyed God’s house and the people with him. Judah was ripe for judgment…
But Hezekiah was different (being different is a breath of fresh air—for us). Way different. I wish we had some of the insights into why/how he came to love God (perhaps it had to do with Isaiah’s influence over his life along with his Godly mother—next verse). We just know that he did everything right. Hezekiah’s story is one of repentance, restoration, and return. There is a lot we can learn from Hezekiah; if you are here tonight needing to know how to get back to God, this man’s story is an absolute inspiration! Listen carefully over these next few weeks…
If you are here today and have disowned Jesus (with your behavior), please listen carefully because the same remedy that Peter offers this crowd is available to you...
This is a terrible chapter! In tonight’s tragic story, we find out who the land of Israel really belongs to. God has been a gracious landlord; He could have justly evicted Israel a long time before this. But in His patience and forbearance (it amazes me how patient God is). He is repeatedly described—even describes Himself—this way: Exod 34:6-7; "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.
Hoshea was not the worst king in Israel’s history by far. It appears that while he was pro-any god, he wasn’t opposed to worship of the real God. But he did fall short and falling short—by a little or by a lot—is still falling short…
Ahaz (possibly the worst king in Judah’s history—Manasseh the other) is one of those very troubling examples of a king who is difficult to understand. His father, Jotham, was a great—a giant of faith. And Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah, is also a giant—a great king. The question, naturally, is what happened to him?
I guess we begin tonight with a disturbing reality: sometimes people just choose to be evil! Though Ahaz had all the advantages possible, he chose evil! Sometimes a godly heritage simply doesn’t pay off.
Another thing we will see tonight (and in ch.17 next time) is the needless pain and suffering inflicted on many because of the sins of some. Sin has consequences that cannot be avoided.
Sin starts small and grows but, because our hearts get harder and harder, we are unaware sin is strengthening its hold on us. If you refuse to stop sinning and if you do not make peace with God, you may find yourself in a place you never dreamed.
As we begin tonight, we know Israel has less than 33 years before Assyria will wipe them out. The people are getting the kings their sin deserves and, as you’ll see, these are 5 really bad, terrible kings… This history of the kings (north and south) would make a great movie or an exciting novel. Lots of action, lots of intrigue, lots of bad guys, even a few good guys. Tonight’s story focuses on lots of bad guys and one good guy…
This is why arrogance is so dangerous: Jeroboam II became king in 782 BC. As they celebrate his coronation, what God knows—what the people have no idea about—is that the northern kingdom of Israel has less than 60 years left in its history! The Assyrians are gearing up to destroy Israel and the people haven’t got a clue. Arrogance, sin, pride, an unwillingness to repent before God, costs a lot more than any of us are willing to pay…
I said earlier that Israel’s history was about over. I find often that God pours out His blessings on those about to be judged. It’s His kindness which He hopes will lead to repentance. Now, I know God knows what people will do. He knew exactly when Israel would be judged. Still, by blessing them, He is taking one final chance to show them His love for them. It’s too bad they wouldn’t listen…
"If you confess Jesus as Lord, the point of Paul using Christ as an example to us is that we would imitate Him (Jesus Christ) in our relationships with other believers..."
Whenever any of us stops short of everything God wants, it means that person has a divided heart.
The Apostle Paul’s experiences in Athens, during his second missionary journey, and his speech to the philosophers in the Areopagus.
Because of Peter’s 3 denials of Jesus, some wonder why God would choose him to take the lead of the early group. This explains why: every time Peter opens his mouth, Bible comes out! He knew (and loved) God’s Word! If you want to be used by God, you have to know your Bible...
One thing I hope everyone here tonight leaves with is this: no matter how badly you’ve treated God, no matter how many willful sins you’ve committed, God’s heart is breaking over the direction your life has taken and He wants to deliver you from your pain! All you have to do is come to Him with a sincere heart, agree to agree with God (obedience), and He will deliver you…
The northern tribes had been worshipping golden calves now for more than 117 years. You would think that God’s patience was running out. It was… But God doesn’t act like we do when His patience is being tested.Instead of spanking His stubborn children, He first demonstrates kindness and gentleness toward them.
Joash was the king called by God and made by man—one man, Jehoiada. I told you last time that his life is important enough to devote an entire study to so that’s what we’re going to do tonight. A study in leadership. Men, this is especially significant for you, however the principles apply wonderfully to women as well.
Our chapter tonight covers 40 years of Joash’s reign as king.
I will tell you up front tonight that Joash is a king whose faith is shallow. He only does what is right in the eyes of God as long as Jehoiada is around.
The desire of Paul's heart, as a pastor, is that we would be sanctified (set apart) for Jesus Christ.
The Day of the Lord is referred to in the Old Testament many times and ALWAYS refers to Jesus coming to judge the world that has rejected Him!
Jews believed that the Messiah would be human, of course. But that He would also be God never occurred to them. How could a son of David be called ‘Lord’ by David? It is only possible if that Son of David is also God!
Time and time again in the OT, God delivers wicked men for no reason other than the presence of a Godly man. There is no limit to what God will accomplish just for the sake of one of His own…
From the heart of ministry to the feet of the ministers. The point is practical Christian living… - Live a life pleasing to God, walk with Jesus.
Prayer works! Jesus doesn’t care about moving mountains into seas. He cares about us. That’s why He wants us to believe Him regarding prayer.
When a Christian has come through the fire, people will listen to them and be strengthened and encouraged! Do not let your faith in God be shaken by your trials…
Marriage is the most important institution on the face of the earth because it is a picture of our marriage in heaven to Jesus…
God delights to use all of us but doesn’t need any of us! He could send angels to do what we are asked to do more effectively. But He doesn’t send angels; He sends us. He gets more glory from using humans to accomplish His purposes than if He used angels. That is why it delights God to ask us and even more so when we say yes.
Marriage, divorce, and re-marriage is the subject of the next 2 studies. ----- Today, our emphasis will be on marriage (God’s plan for it, not ours) and the reasons for staying married.
This book, though frightening for those who oppose God, has been about grace and nothing but grace. Jesus is grace! It began with a promise of blessing and ends in triumph!
God knew exactly what Elijah needed—he needed a fresh encounter with God! It is always the same thing we need when afraid, depressed, or feeling useless. When in trouble, get filled and re-filled with the power of the Holy Spirit…
God disciplines us, withholds things from us, in order to bless us when we return to Him! We too often forget that part of His nature…
Dan's most famous descendant was Samson. This prophecy was fulfilled when he became a judge and ruled Israel for 20 years.
Two people may have the same spiritual gift but that gift may be used in completely different ministries and may, from outward appearances, look completely different (unique)…
The seven lampstands are the 7 churches. God's plan has always been for His church to bring forth light in a very dark world.
Israel rallies his strength in the very throes of death. But really, it was God who enabled Jacob to find strength because God had one more job for him...
Men, I know we want our wives to submit to us. I also know wives don’t want to. But the principle is to submit to one another out of reverence for God!
This book is all/only about the absolute victory of Jesus Christ over His enemies in THIS WORLD!
Grace resides wherever Jesus is, thus JBWJ (Just Be With Jesus). When you are near Jesus, it doesn't matter where you are physically...
Freedom without responsibility is not really freedom at all. Accept that we are all one in Christ and we all have a responsibility to others.
There's no getting around it - if you claim to love Jesus, there is no choice but to obey Him!
We often think that no one else can understand our situation, that our temptations, our failures, are different? Not so according to this. Your situation is not unique at all…
One thing we need not to do is try to figure out what God is doing while He is doing it! Just trust that He is working and, one day, you’ll understand…
In every trial, every one of us has the covering, the shade, that protects us. Where can we find it? ONLY in the lane God chooses for us to run in...
Tonight's story is about the revelation of Jesus to our hearts individually, and anticipates the day when He will fully reveal himself to the nation of Israel at the end of the Great Tribulation...
Winning people to Christ was more important to Paul than any personal freedom he might enjoy. I hope it is for you as well…
Unless we truly know Jesus' character, we will wrongly judge many of the things that are happening in our life…
We need to remember that every work of God has enemies. Never be surprised that your stand for the Lord will stir up criticism...
The next time you get angry or frustrated with God consider what He has done! Then you will, like Jacob should have, come to the conclusion that you owe God everything in spite of your circumstances…
Helmet of Salvation: Tonight’s study is about protecting your mind, your intellect, and using the Word of God to make sure your mind is properly protected from attacks of the enemy…
Knowledge and love both make the Christian grow. Both are necessary for the Christian life. But knowledge without love is destructive.
Faith, our shield, is the most important weapon you have because the Bible says that when we are exercising faith, God is pleased with us!
Why did Joseph suffer unjustly? Why are you suffering? For a time only God knows about—the time when His plan for you will spring into action…
The first lesson for us to learn tonight is that when there are things going on in our life that we do not understand, we must hold on firmly to the things we do understand!
To wear the breastplate of righteousness we must first personally appropriate God’s forgiveness.
Paul is absolutely clear in his statement that, in terms of our service to God, being a single man/woman is better—advantageous—than being married.
Belt of Truth: Truth is always the place to begin when you feel yourself under spiritual attack. In fact, this is a great place to start every day—even before you feel any attack…
The chapter we are studying tonight is one of the saddest and most pitiful chapters in all of the Bible.
Satan focuses his attacks on our minds and our emotions. We are going to concentrate on 5 different areas of attack.
There are only 2 ways to fight any problem you may have. The way of the world or the way of Christ.
This is the sum of Jacob’s history. His story is now over and our attention turns to Joseph.
Marriage holds equal responsibility from both partners. A marriage that gets cold physically is a sign of a spiritual relationship with God that has grown cold…
Slaves: this is, for us, all about our work, our motives for working, and is very valuable in a practical way.
Let me begin by saying that if you have to ask if doing something is OK for a Christian (more honestly, for you), it probably isn’t something you should do.
Just like wives are to submit to their husbands (except when being asked to do something ungodly), children are to do what mom/dad says to do as long as it does not violate the Word of God…
This is our 14th week studying Jacob's life. This chapter proves that what Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6.
Tonight we are going to learn how devastating the consequences of allowing our flesh to lead can be!
God wants to tell us things that we should already know and, in case some of you do know but do not do, He wants to change that, too…
If you refuse to treat your spouse the way He has commanded you to, you are mistreating Jesus…
We worry about lots of stuff we don’t need to worry about. After every wrestling match with the Lord, He begins to teach us to become more like Him every day.
A pastor cares about each and every one of his flock. But he is far more concerned about the sin of the church—to ignore this sin is by far the greater sin!
We will learn exactly how Jesus loved the church the way He did and how we, as His personal representatives, are to love our wives.
Let’s get ready to rumble! Jacob became a believing man; tonight he becomes a broken man.
One key to success in ministry, business, or even just life, is highlighted here: set an example!
Tonight, we begin what should be the most important section of Scripture in this entire series—men acting like Jesus in their own homes!
Being a fool for Christ means we care more about what Jesus thinks than what people think.
Marriage is the single most effective way of demonstrating the type of relationship that God wants with humans on earth…
If there is pain in your life caused by people who are supposed to love you, God sees it, He is aware of it, and He has a plan in the works to take care of it!
In tonight's study, Jacob begins the long-process of learning that God, not he, is really the One in control—a lesson we all need to learn as quickly as possible!
Why did Jesus go dumpster-diving? For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whosoever believes would not perish but have everlasting life!
Tonight, Jacob gets born- again. Up to this point, we have no record of Jacob praying or even seeking God. God’s faithfulness changes all that tonight...
Anyone who chooses to visit CCSA may not be a real Christian but, still, they can physically see the temple of God because he/she can see us. But they cannot see, nor can they understand, the invisible bond that binds us together in Christ…
Jacob’s conscience, at first, is bothering him. Even though he is given several chances to repent, he refuses and gets drawn deeper and deeper into the scheme.
One thing we must never forget—whether you are church leader, church member or considering joining a church is this: the church belongs to God! Only to God.
The reason we do this terrible thing—submit to others—is because we LOVE Jesus! No other reason is compelling enough for us to submit to anyone…
What we have is a classic example of a dysfunctional family! Everyone in this chapter is doing everything wrong!
Can you be honest enough today—right now—to assess your own level of Christianity as that of a strong, mature adult or that of a baby?
If we do what God is asking us to do here, we won’t be very popular! You see, this is the dynamic at work. When light is hanging around in the middle of darkness, it can no longer stay dark. The light shines…
Yes, even when in the perfect will of God, there will be spiritual warfare! God puts us in places where we have to fight but He only does it after He has prepared us to fight!
The Holy Spirit is the life-changer! No life is changed permanently beyond His influence.
That we are dearly loved children is what the first half of Ephesians was all about. This is the one thing we should never forget because we cannot be imitators of Jesus until/unless we get it.
Isaac had the most famous father in the history of the world; he also had one of the most famous sons, Jacob. But Isaac himself is somewhat of a mystery!
God has shared a secret with you that comes directly from heaven! It is the secret of an eternal plan that extends far beyond the time we have here on earth.
Can you imagine getting up to share your personal testimony and then having someone else follow you only to correct your testimony? It would be infuriating! But that’s exactly what we do. We soften the message. We change parts that might not be appealing to those we share with. But this Bible, God’s story, is His!
If you’re honest, because Christ lives in you, you feel dirty, don’t you, when you are someplace Jesus isn’t welcome? PLEASE LISTEN: If you are really saved, there MUST be a clean break with the past…
What the world treasures, God rejects. What the world leans on, God crushes. What it means to you and me practically is that we all must serve God according to His plan, His will, or He will frustrate your plans, too.
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers." These are the gifts Jesus gave to the church to help us live lives worthy of our calling! He never leaves us without means of accomplishing the work He has for us.
Genesis 24 is one of the truly majestic, supernatural chapters in your Bible. It is the longest chapter in Genesis and for good reason!
If we can agree to agree with Jesus, and that He is in charge, opinions and perspectives don’t really matter. We can agree to be in submission to those Jesus has put in authority and we can all agree to be obedient to His Word…
Tonight, we head into the practical part of Ephesians. The first 3 chapters are devoted to doctrine; what God has done for us. The final 3 chapters are devoted to our response. Please take these studies seriously because God is going to show us HOW to live the life He prepared for us to live!
When you obey God in the most difficult times you will find that He was always there with you, will reveal how proud He is of you, and renew His promises to you!
There is nothing positive in this letter. Nothing. We will see they abused spiritual gifts—they even abused communion! They were a church out of order—again, that’s why this letter is so valuable for our time. Far too many churches in USA are out of order—caring little or nothing about what the Bible actually says about how to function…
What’s far more important than how we pray is the heart with which we pray. It is the position of the heart, not the body that’s important!
None of us will have great apostolic ministries like Paul did. But we can all have the same reward…
Being a servant is a gift—a good thing. How can that be? Serving teaches you to be more like Jesus! The way God teaches us to submit to Him is by asking us to submit to something far more difficult—humans!
This chapter is the ONLY place in OT, where God intimates that human sacrifice is required to atone for the sins of the world!
This is the 7th time in this short book that emphasis is on the Word of God! This is what ministry is about. This is what counseling is about. This is what one-on-one evangelism is about. Preaching (heralding, declaring) the Word! There is no substitute for the Bible! Only the Bible changes lives forever…
Do you remember, like Paul did, that God is in control? Do you remember who is really holding the cards when circumstances seem to be turning against you? Do you remember that you work for Jesus, not for your boss. Do you know that your kids belong to Him? Faith remembers who’s in charge…
There is only one way to stand in this wicked world, one way to stand against the forces of evil—the Word of God! You have to be convinced of and obedient to the Word of God or you will not stand! Continue in the Word we know to be true no matter what anyone else says or does…
Our study tonight is about contrast—the difference between being far away and near. When we were far away, we were without a mark, a sign of distinction. We were separated from God, we were homeless, hopeless, and Godless. We’ll see tonight that being near is better by far!
We move from Abraham's failure, repentance, and restoration to his greatest blessing of all, the birth of Isaac.
We live in a time where sin is exalted and even rationalized. Many people who are involved in immoral relationships claim to be Christians. All seem to believe God is OK with what they do. After all, most will say, God understands them.
It’s always good to remember who and what we were before we got saved. What, exactly, did God do for you when you were saved by grace? By remembering 5 terrible things about our past we will learn one glorious thing about our present and future…
How many times have we gotten ourselves into a situation we promised we would ever be in again?!
"...There will be terrible times in the last days." I believe it is even more urgent for those of us living right now to pay attention to this than it was for Timothy. It’s really important not to have a watered-down gospel—a counterfeit—when things turn ugly in this world! This is a mirror into life in the world in 2020…
We need to talk first about the subject of these verses—salvation. You see, that’s the mission of this passage—you/me being saved!
The story of Lot is intended by the Holy Spirit to make you think BEFORE choosing something God doesn't want for you!
If you want to be one of the instruments in the house that is for noble purposes, you have to run away from the things your flesh craves! Flesh leads to ignoble use in God’s church. But we also have to remember that false teachers are in view here as the ignoble vessels…
We ended our last chapter with Paul stressing the resurrection of Christ from the dead. It, according to Paul, was the ultimate example of God’s power. But there is 1 thing that rivals it—your resurrection from the dead!
This is Paul’s farewell letter to Timothy, and his concern as he prepares to be with Jesus is that the churches he built are left healthy. Thus, this is counsel to Timothy, Paul’s heir-apparent…
"Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is how and why we persevere. We remember Jesus. Remembering is a great thing to practice. When we take time to remember God’s faithfulness to us—everything He’s done for us—we respond with gratitude and gratitude always helps us stay the course…"
Faith and love (from 1 Cor.13) are 2 of the 3 things that make up the most excellent way (love being foremost). A little later tonight, Paul is going to pray that they would know the 3rd ingredient—HOPE! This is what God wants for each of us: faith, hope, and love…
We learned that with this step of obedience, Abraham and Sarah were changed, indicating God’s plan for their lives from this point forward.
The first responsibility any Christian has is to remember healthy teaching and keep it as the pattern of your life.
It is sadly ironic that many Christians are ashamed of their Savior. They wouldn’t it characterize it that way, of course, but the truth is that if we aren’t active, visible Christians, if we are unwilling to share our faith even with those who may be violently opposed to Christ, we are ashamed...
God has chosen us to be His sons/daughters in love. Even though we are not natural children and could have easily been written off, He made us sons/daughters by choice!
This study is about the terrible things that happen when Godly people stop trusting God and begin to take matters into their own hands!
The value of this letter for us is that it shows Paul's heart is all for God while in impossibly difficult conditions. Paul is an inspiration by his example and not just by his words. We also see the heart of a man who fears for the future of the church—a church he would shortly give his life for…
God doesn’t care about how bad your past is if you will say ‘yes’ to the future He has for you…
This book, if you will really dig deep, contains truth so powerful that it can change a rebellious person into a willing servant! It can change a sinner into a saint! It can change YOU…
It is as vital as breathing that Christians hear from God. Now, God doesn't speak to us the same way He did to Abram; some people do dream, some have visions, but they are always word-pictures, or symbols, representing what God wants to say.
There is no sin you can think of that people won’t commit for money. Loving money—not money itself (neutral)—is a root (not the) of all kinds of evil, all kinds of insanity…
The question Paul addresses here to Timothy is regarding how a pastor should instruct those in his church to minister to slaves who were suddenly finding themselves free in Christ after receiving the gift of salvation!
In the early church, there were a group of men who devoted all their time to the work of the church. Likewise, today, there are men (like our pastors here) whose full-time work is committed to the church. This does not mean that a pastor who teaches the Bible should get paid twice the amount of everyone else. The idea here of double honor means the dual honor of respect and pay.
The world was at war—even though the outcome of this war could affect his great wealth, Abram was at rest worshipping God at an altar he had built! He was where God wanted him and could use him…
"In today’s study, Paul’s exhortation to blaze trails turn very practical, very loving and compassionate. While this instruction is very pastor-specific, it’s important to all of us because it reveals the true heart of God toward His body…"
When we fail, the only thing we can do is to leave our failure behind and move forward with Jesus!
"All of our lives are on display for everyone to watch, follow. No one will follow a pastor who doesn’t know where he’s going. Likewise, no one will follow you if you wander between Godliness and ungodliness, if your walk is not consistent. "
"This section has to do with focus. We could call it, ‘Keeping the main thing the main thing.’ Remember, in our study last time, Paul told Timothy that there would be deceiving spirits— demons whose purpose it is to cause Christians (leaders and others) to fall away from the plan God has for them… The problem when a leader loses focus is that those following him also lose focus. It works both ways. The same demons work in/through people in the body and they try to influence the pastor. It happens all the time…"
"In this study, we start learning to walk by faith. We learn from Abraham’s successes and his failures. We learn he is just like most of us; fearful of walking where God leads, often prone to mistakes, but even more fearful of not walking with God! I trust that statement describes most of us because, if it does, we can all get ready to follow Jesus on a most exciting journey…"
“ Just as He will later come to Sodom to see if the wickedness is as bad as it has been reported, it’s almost as though God cannot believe things have gotten to the point where man had become this wicked...”
"Jesus was vindicated in life and death. In life, He was vindicated by the power of the Holy Spirit through signs and wonders. Isn’t it funny that when He was alive, no one would even try to deny the truth of His miracles! They tried to attribute His miracles to the devil but they could not deny them. Yet, today, people deny Jesus the performer of more miracles than could be written about in all the books in all the world…"
"Our primary motivation for not sinning should be that Jesus loves us, He died for us, and He walks with us through life, both good and bad times. To choose sin is to be ungrateful to God for everything He has done. The time to process this information is BEFORE we make the choice to sin—before we see the looks of disappointment in the faces of people we love…"
"While pastors (overseers) have more responsibility, it does not mean they are better, or more spiritual, than deacons. These offices are a matter of calling and not a commentary on status or ability…"
"Our study ended last week with God smelling the pleasing aroma of Noah’s sacrifice and tonight God answers as He always does—with blessing. God didn’t leave Noah and his family in the ark nor did God leave Noah to fend for himself. In the same way, God never leaves us in the mess we’ve made and He is always looking for ways to bless us…"
"Immediately we can see some problems with the way pastors are selected in many (most) churches. Pastors are called by God, not by boards, not by congregations, and not appointed by denominations. Calvary Chapel has been criticized often for having pastor-led churches but it is, we believe strongly, the way God has said the church should be run…"
"One of the major problems within the church today (we can do nothing about what happens outside of the church) is that not enough Christians are convinced that God's perspective is the right one! Every believer has to choose who he/she is going to believe. Are we going to believe what God says is evil or will we believe the world we live in?"
"God is simply assigning roles in His church. Do you think He has the right to establish rules and order in the church He bought with His blood? I do. I really do. (By the way, the greatest liberator of women in history is Jesus Christ!). Jesus is the Head—we must never forget that. And, because He loves us, His order has specific purpose and mutual benefit for men and women. We need to trust the Lord..."
"God's response to vv.1-2 is an angry one! This is God's declaration of war, the only time in recorded history when God gives an exact date for judgment! The behavior of men and women on the earth had so grieved the Lord that He numbered their days! 120 years from the moment when this prophecy was given, rain would begin to fall on the earth and the judgment of the flood would destroy mankind."
"In our church culture there is vast disagreement in practice—how churches operate. One church says, ‘Everything must be done one way and only one way,’ while another says, ‘No, we must give the Spirit freedom to move.’ Paul provides the balance (a good word). The Spirit of God must be given freedom but He will never use that freedom to contradict His Word! (In this study), we begin with practical instructions regarding how God’s church works."
"God is never without representation. Though by now the world was overrun with wickedness, God's plan would prevail. There have always been times throughout history when it appeared that evil has won, yet God always makes a comeback!"
"I need to begin by declaring to everyone that the way of Cain is the way that leads to death, in spite of the fact that it remains the popular way of our world. Why is it so hard to do good, to do that which God says is right? As we continue our study in the evolution of sin, we will see 7 characteristics of sin which distorts our ability to accept sin for what it is. Sin is a killer!"
"Religion has always been man's attempt to reach up to God, to be acceptable to him! Relationship with God through faith in Christ is the way God reached down to man! Why aren't man's works acceptable to God? Why can't man come to God on his own terms? Because the Bible says (Rom 3:23) 'all have sinned (continually) and fall short of the glory of God'."
"I told you in our last 2 studies that a pastor/preacher has 3 main responsibilities. The 1st was to teach sound doctrine. The 2nd responsibility is this: proclaim the glorious gospel, the great news that Paul is about to share…"
"Tonight is all about consequences. Consequences that Adam could never have imagined. You see, from the beginning man has always been guilty of acting without considering what the consequences might be. We seldom think beyond the immediate temptation and, if we did, we would all save a lot of pain. Terrible, terrible pain..."
"There were false teachers telling convincing stories to authenticate their authority to teach. The genealogies were made up to give Jews authority by virtue of their family-line to teach. Paul says it’s not who you are but what you teach that matters. Things haven’t changed a lot, have they?"
One of the first decisions we must make as Christians is between doing what’s good for us versus just doing what is good.
"1 & 2 Timothy, along with the letter to Titus, are known as ‘the pastoral epistles.’ The reason is that these young men were especially chosen by God and developed under Paul’s ministry to lay a foundation for the early church. Because it was so new, the church, as you might imagine, was a little disorganized. It’s easy for us because so many faithful men have gone before us. But not so for the early Christians…"
There is no way to know how long Adam & Eve had been in the garden together and we do not know how long the devil had been plotting against them. The story makes it read like these things happened quickly but it is likely they did not...
Verse 4 says: "This is the account (generations; KJV—better) of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In other words, Moses is saying, ‘Here are the details (of ch.1),’ or the review of creation".
"God’s work is crowned by His greatest accomplishment—you and me. Everything God has done up to this point was done only to prepare His creation for the arrival of man!"
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Jesus not only created all things, He is sustaining all things.
The first theme is that God saw it was good and, later, everything multiplied according to its kind. No room for evolution nor baseless theories about how long it took God to complete His creation.
I am NOT going to approach this book as a scientist and make a fool of myself. We all need to be careful when talking about things outside our expertise. I am going to use my area of expertise only—believing God!
While God has revealed Himself to us in creation, we get a far more complete picture in His Word!
In this Wednesday evening service, Pastor Ron teaches from Daniel 5 which is tangentially related to Isaiah's prophecy.
There were issues with last nights recording // Only the teaching part of the video is available // Video starts in the middle of Pastor Ken's intro
"God spoke so clearly to my heart these past 12 days about how He wants us to share—really share—His burden for the lost, hurting, hungry, broken, needy, and confused. If you will share this burden, God will use you. I am talking about a personal revival first followed by a revival in the hearts and lives of others. Nehemiah was in a secure, comfortable position. He didn’t need to be trouble by the troubles of others. But he chose to be! Jesus is asking if you and I will choose to bear His burdens."
"Notice that Paul says here that none of us can have a full (complete) understanding of every good thing we have in Christ UNTIL we are active in sharing our faith! Being a Christian IS NOT a spectator sport! This is the outworking of faith and love—sharing to win others."
A message for mature audiences. In this special message, Pastor Ron explains how much Jesus is crazy for His bride the Church.
Gayle Erwin reminds us that we have hope in the freedom and ministry of Jesus Christ - no longer are we bound to the ministry of the Law which resulted in death, we now have life in Him.
Youth Pastor Nelly leads the congregation in expounding the full book of Haggai; in his words: though a book that barely takes up a page of the Bible, the hope is that it would take up our whole heart.
Each year when Pastor Ron returns from vacation he has a special message for the fellowship relating how God has been speaking to him.
We had technical difficulties with both the audio and the video portions of this study so there may be missing portions of both.
Pastor Peter takes the congregation through the book of Obadiah. This minor prophet's book, though the shortest in all of the Old Testament, has much to say that can be applied in New Testament believers lives.
Guest speaker Pastor Gayle Erwin speaks on the two greatest commandments. Loving the Lord with everything we have; and loving our neighbor as ourselves. The entire word of the Lord hangs upon these two greatest truths.
The Holy Spirit comforts us through Pastor Ron as we endure a sudden loss within the congregation.
Pastor Samuel from Calvary Chapel South Anchorage shares what God has been doing in His far north outpost.
Raul Ries in San Antonio! Pastor Raul Ries gives a special message in this KSLR Radio Event.
Pastor Tim Burns from Calvary Chapel Tyler Texas was our guest teacher at the 2017 Men's Retreat.
Each year after Pastor Ron returns from vacation he has a special message for the fellowship.
Pastor Phillip, from Calvary Chapel Lawrence, Kansas, was formerly on staff at CC San Antonio for 10 years.
Lachelle Ortiz, Michelle Van Sickle, Elvira Garcia, and Paula Arbaugh with reflections on the Pastor's Wives Conference that they recently attended.
May Cruzado, Sundra Aguilar, Natasha Shank, and Jocelyn Macasadia with reflections on the Pastor's Wives conference that they attended in California last week.
Sunday Morning 3rd Service Audio Spanish Translation. 20th Anniversary Calvary Chapel San Antonio. May 31, 1995-2015