1 Chronicles 24:1-2 “Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests.” NKJV

Life Lesson

To live spiritually fruitful lives we should read and apply all of God’s Word, not just selected parts.

One of the hallmarks of Calvary Chapel as a movement is a commitment to teaching the Word of God verse by verse and chapter by chapter. I’ve said this before…one of the best things about teaching through the Bible verse by verse is that nothing is missed. You wouldn’t read a book by skipping the beginning and reading the middle, to the back and to the beginning again would you? No, certainly not. So, why do so many pastors teach the Bible that way? The Bible is the full counsel of God. When pastors pick through the Bible and choose the things they want to teach, it does a disservice to the body of Christ. Think about it. God tells us…

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” NKJV

If God gave His Inspired Word to equip you for the task He’s placed before you, then what an unprofitable servant you would be to teach or instruct only part of His Word. If God holds me accountable as a teacher of His Word, I want to be able to say that I taught the entire Bible, not just part of the Bible.

So, if you listen to the teachings here at Calvary Chapel, you are receiving the full counsel of God. What are you doing with it? Are you picking and choosing what you want to receive? I can only teach the Bible. I cannot make you do the Bible. That’s your choice. My prayer is that you experience the complete joy that comes from applying the doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness you receive from the Bible.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for desiring to have a relationship with me. Thank You that You chose me not because of what I have done, but in spite of what I have done. I am grateful You give me a choice and Lord, I choose You!  Lord, empower me to receive Your Word and experience all that You have for me. I am adopted, I am yours, and I am a child of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 6:4-6 “If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers!” NLT

Life Lesson: We should try to work out our differences with other Christians, if needed, with spiritually mature people.

A large number of lawsuits will be filed this year in state courts throughout the United States. The statistic equals out to somewhere in the ballpark of 15 million lawsuits. That is one new lawsuit every two seconds or one lawsuit for every 12 adults in America. Truly, that is a large number of lawsuits!

I believe it all began in 1992 when a U.S. woman sued McDonald`s, after being burned with a coffee purchased at the famous fast-food restaurant. Everybody laughed about it, until she received 2.9 million dollars as compensation. The frivolousness of this is obvious even to the least discerning, yet we consistently allow these suits to move forward and even reward those who file them. What a laughing stock. That’s precisely the impression when the church gripes and complains against itself. It’s been said that the Christian army is the only army in the world that shoots its own wounded. How many times in the past decade have we seen Christian leaders fall only to have the rest of Christians pounce on them like hungry jackals? The answer is pretty much every time. Instead of seeking to restore the fallen, they are cast aside by the church. When your hand makes a mistake do you cut it off? The church is the body of Christ…every member important.

So then, why do Christians seek non-Christian counseling? Why do Christians pursue and even pay for secular (worldly) advice?  Well, I think a huge part of it is that Christians know what answer they will receive from Christian counselors and that’s not what they want to hear. They seek out someone who will give them the answer they want to hear. Don’t do that. Seek out Biblical counsel and heed it. First, pray and read your Bible. If you do not receive your answer, speak with an Elder or Pastor at your church. But, if you do that, honor the time that they spend seeking the Lord for your counsel and heed it. It could be that, indeed, you were wronged by another Christian. It could be that you could see some kind of victory in a secular court. What harm will it do to the body of Christ? What impression will non-Christians looking in get from your actions? Sometimes, you may have to just let an issue drop for the good of the whole body.

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You that even though you did nothing wrong, You were willing to suffer for my wrongdoings. I am the one who deserves what You have received for me. Through Your sacrifice, my sins are forgiven. Thank You for taking my punishment so I could declare innocence. Help me to walk in the joy, peace and grace that You extend to me and give me the power to be a kingdom-builder and a world-changer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner— not even to eat with such a person.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Our main problem is the sin inside us not the people around us.

No, my friend, your problem is the sin inside you. Seinfeld made light of the classic break up line, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Maybe you’ve been handed that line before, but you know what? There’s some truth behind it. Deep inside, you know it’s the sin inside you. Relationships are complicated. They are complicated even more by the sin in your life. Are there rocky relationships in your life? Own the problem; look at yourself.

Whether at work, home or church, relationships are everywhere, and you are to be stewards of them. Relationships can promote your walk with Jesus or they can derail you – if you allow it. You are called to love the unlovable, but there are times when you will have to decide which relationships are healthy and which relationships are not. A relationship that is promoting you to sin and wander from your walk with Christ is not a good relationship.

There are some who think that if they get away from other people they will get away from the sin that’s in the world. Convents, monasteries and the like have all been built with this mindset. That’s not a solution. This only walls them in with their own sin while denying the world of the “salt” in their lives. Jesus told you to be the salt of the world. You know what salt does? It makes people thirsty. You are to make this world thirst for a relationship with Jesus. If you withdraw from the world, this doesn’t happen.

You are a steward of the life God has blessed you with. Whether you participate in wrong activities or not the decision is yours to make. God has called you, Christian, to be active in other’s lives and a part of that is confronting sin, with a heart of love. When this fails to happen, everyone gets hurt; feelings get bent, anger festers, and relationships become whack. Confrontation is uncomfortable. It’s not fun. But love requires us to step beyond the bounds of comfort because we love others. This, my friend, is the calling of all Christians … to be leaders in the world.

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for the forgiveness of my sins. Even though I have done wrong things, You ask me to come to You. It is through Your payment for my sins that I can come to you in repentance. Lord, I am sorry. I ask that You help me to own up to the things I try to hide from You. Empower and equip me with the knowledge or Your will for my life. Lord, give me the power to live for You, and help me to walk in the newness of life. I choose to be a kingdom-builder and a world-changer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jonah 1:5b “But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Stay true to what you know is from God.

Valentine’s Day is designated as a special day of love. Greeting card company conspiracy or not, most married men have learned that on this day with their wives, actions matter. Some days, you might be able to slide by on words alone but not this day. This is a day where, quite literally, actions carry a bullhorn. But why is that? Shouldn’t every day call for a special demonstration of love? Absolutely! I am sure that most people reading this, in some way, demonstrate love for someone else daily.

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. NKJV

Are you forgetting someone? God expects us to express our love for Jesus by doing the things Jesus asked us to do. Yet, so many Christians are asleep on the job. Fall asleep at work and what happens? You get fired. God knows who is faithful and who is not. But God is a God of second chances; even third, fourth and fifth. Wake up and show Jesus you love Him. How many days have passed without a demonstration of love for your spouse or loved one? Probably not many. How many have passed without a demonstration of your love for Jesus?

1 John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.” NKJV

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You that You speak to me through Your Word. It is so amazing how the scriptures from long ago speak to my life today. Lord, You are so good, gracious and merciful. Thank You for Your forgiveness of my sins. Lord, help me to live a life of action. I know there are times when I put things or others before You. Lord, You are my True Love. Help me to put You first and give me the power to love others just as You love me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Luke 9:2 “He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” NKJV

Life Lesson: It is important to know God’s will for your life.

What is God’s will for your life? That’s the ten thousand dollar question, isn’t it? Well, it’s really very simple. You see, many times when we ponder God’s will for our lives we get very self-focused and miss the point. God’s will for our lives isn’t so much about us as it is about Him. Living for God, is that so hard for us to do after He died for us?

God revealed His will for all through His Son, Jesus. Through repentance and forgiveness we can live a life of service and sacrifice. It is God’s will for you to love others and be a living testimony to the world. Do you have a concern, care and compassion for a world of people dying without Jesus? God’s will for your life is to lead others to salvation in Jesus. Be a steward of the Gospel by sowing into the lives others, and you will see God’s will in action in your life.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for loving me. I am so grateful that You did not leave me to live my life on my own. Thank You for having a plan for my life and showing me through Your Word. Lord, I confess that I have tried to live my life that way I have wanted to, and I am sorry. I want Your will for my life. Lord, help me to live out the plan You have for me. I give You my life…to do Your will…in Your way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

Habakkuk 3:1-2 “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth. O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Faith isn’t just what you believe in; it’s what you put your trust in.

Babylon was about to take Judah; Babylon, who’s gates must have bulged with wickedness, more so than all of Israel. Habakkuk couldn’t understand how God could use evil in the lives of the righteous to produce His good purposes. You’ve probably had the same question.

It is so difficult to understand how God, in His sovereignty, is able to use bad things to produce good results – yet He does. Do you ever look back at the potholes of your life and realize God at work? It’s so much easier to comprehend Gods work in your life looking back than when in the midst of trials yet we should be confident that God is ultimately in control.

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” NKJV

It is so hard not to place our trust in man’s wisdom – man’s creations and power – our assumptions. Yet there is One who calls it all foolishness. When troubles come where do you place your trust? Your actions reveal it. Where do you go? The Bible, prayer, godly counsel – these are the refuge of those who place their trust in God. Faith is not only what you believe in, it’s what you put your trust in. When in the midst of trials, know that God is with you. Don’t lose heart!

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for who You are and for Your love, grace, and mercy. Lord, I am so grateful You are patient with me. I thank You for all the things you have so freely given to me. Lord, there are things in my life that I need to change. It’s not easy to trust sometimes, and I am sorry. Help my doubt. Help me to keep my eyes on You. Empower me through my trials and uncertainties to trust in You. I submit my life to You wholeheartedly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” NLT

Psalm 146:8 “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads.” NLT

Life Lesson: You want God to bless you? Then be a better steward of what He has already given you.

There was a time when “seasons of plenty” meant storehouses were flush with favor and plans were put into place for meager months. Today, people have fallen into the trap of expecting things now for less work. For a while these expectations were met. But times have turned tough, and the debt that was racked up in the pursuit of pleasure has doubled back baring greedy teeth. What you do with the blessings God gives you directly affects how God is able to bless you in the future.

Luke 16:11 “And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” NLT

God allows you to make your own choices and God looks for good stewards to bless. He wants His investment to yield a good return. What’s your track record with finances? Be honest with yourself, this could change your life. Debt is bondage. If Jesus set you free from bondage, why then do you seek it out? Once free, no slave places the shackles of tyranny back on themselves. Why keep going back to debt? If you continue, there will come a day when debt will become your master.

Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me. Forgive me where I have not been a good steward over the things You have provided. Help me to be a better steward of my time, resources and talents. Lord, protect me from my foolishness and bad choices. Empower me to be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

1 Corinthians 5:6 “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” NKJV

Life Lesson: Bragging about your sin is wrong.

I’ve heard many well meaning people share fifty-eight minute testimonies on the blood and guts of their life, before Christ, and then two minutes on the beauty of their walk with Jesus. Friend, don’t do that! Don’t glorify the past while playing down the future. Don’t let your sin steal the glory from God … In your testimony and in life.

If you glorify your past sin, guess what will happen when you are eventually tempted? You will begin to reason about the size of the sin. “It’s just a little sin,” you might say. You are a living testimony. My friend, a little bit of leaven will violate your entire life if you let it in. Guess what then happens to your testimony?

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You that even though I have done wrong things, You invite me to come to You. It is through Your sacrifice, my sins will pass over me. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me. Lord, I come to You afresh and ask that You forgive me of my sins. Give me the power to live for You, and help me to walk in the newness of life. I choose to be a kingdom-builder and a world-changer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880

Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Be open to rebuke and correction from God’s Word.

Each week when this church comes together, I instruct you in righteousness through God’s Word. A beautiful thing happens when I teach verse-by-verse through the Bible. I hit all the points of instruction and not just my favorite topics. This is a very balanced approach that ensures you will receive the full counsel of God.

Have you ever been in a teaching and it feels like I’m speaking directly to a situation in your life? It’s not me. Your wife didn’t call and tell me your struggles. We are just there in scripture. That’s God speaking to you through His living, powerful and cut-to-the-heart-of-the-matter Word. Heed His counsel, my friend, and you are wise. It means you are loved. Take heart, beloved of the Most High God, the Lord loves you too much to leave you where you are.

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for speaking directly to me through Your Word. Lord, I desire to follow You. Because of Your mercy, love and grace, I am blessed. Please protect my days and draw me closer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT

1 Corinthians 5:1 “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife” NKJV

Life Lesson: If you are a follower of Jesus, then your moral absolute compass is the Bible.

Jeff Foxworthy once quipped, “You might be a redneck if…your state’s got a new law that says ‘when a couple gets divorced, they are still legally brother and sister.’”

According to 1 Corinthians 5, if someone is introducing their momma and their girlfriend to you and there is only one lady standing there…yeah…there’s a problem.

Hopefully, you have never come across that but more and more all you have to do is glance at the front page of the local daily to see just how disoriented and off-course humanity has become. Some people try to convince themselves that they ultimately cannot know right and wrong. That, my friend, is false. Even children know the difference between right and wrong. After a while, repetitive sin and sinful thoughts become adoptive behavior, and the heartache from willful sin begins to wane. Sin is still sin. We need to recognize that there are moral absolutes.

We shouldn’t expect someone, who does not know the Lord, to abide in the moral absolutes of the Bible. But Christians have no excuse. We know what is right, and when we are confused, we have God’s instructions of what we should do. Something as simple as a compass will lead a whole fleet of ships to their destination. The Bible is the Christian’s moral compass. When the Bible tells us not to do something, it is because God loves us enough to tell us what will hurt us. He will instruct us the right way to go. I love my own kids, teach them to do right and discipline them when they disobey. How much more so our Father in Heaven who loves us? No matter how much I love and discipline my children, they still have to make the decision to be obedient.

So, how would you finish this sentence, “You might be a child of God if …?”

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving me. Thank You for inviting me to come to you. Lord, through Your Word, You warn me of what is right and wrong. I desire to respond to You. Because of Your mercy, love and grace, I can give You my broken dreams and struggles. Thank You for accepting me where I am, but not leaving me there. Lord, help me to live in the fullness of my new nature. I want to be kingdom- builder and a world-changer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
Reachthetriad.com
Twitter.com/CCOT
336.996.6880