Calvary Church

The What and When of the End

April 21, 2024 12:53 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MB

In this sermon we read Matthew 24:1-35 and hear Jesus’ words to his disciples about end times. We hear the answer to the disciples two questions: when will the end come and what will happen when it does?

Social Media, Influencers and Brand Marketing

April 14, 2024 12:39 - 40 minutes - 37.8 MB

This message looks at Matthew 23 wherein Jesus confronts the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus critiques their culture in three ways that we mirror in our current day through social media, influencers and brand marketing. As we examine these areas, we learn how God would have us not simply avoid culture but engage in it His way.

Who Makes Your Decisions

April 07, 2024 13:02 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MB

In this sermon we learn through Matthew 22:41-45 that instead of asking “how do I make the right decisions?” we should be asking “who is making the decisions?” We are reminded that our decision-making should be closely connected to who Jesus is, not only as Savior but, as Lord of all.

Freedom from Fear

March 31, 2024 16:54 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MB

This message looks at the resurrection of Jesus as written about in Matthew 28:1-10. As we examine this passage, we learn how we can live without fear of death or fear in life.

Loving God and Others

March 24, 2024 12:45 - 34 minutes - 32.2 MB

In this message, we hear Jesus in Matthew 22:34-40 reiterate the two greatest commandments to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. We also learn that Jesus is more interested in having disciples than he is in having a crowd.

The Scriptures and the Power of God

March 17, 2024 12:14 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MB

Calvary Church, Grand Rapids, MI Senior Pastor Dr. Jim Samra (616)956-9377

Polarization, Politics & Paying Your Taxes

March 10, 2024 12:32 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

This message looks at Jesus’s response to the Pharisees attempt to trap him, in Matthew 22. As we examine this interaction, Pastor Jim helps us learn about the benefits of tax season when we consider it another opportunity to choose God’s way.

Why the Commission is Still Great

March 04, 2024 01:15 - 39 minutes - 36 MB

Calvary Church, Grand Rapids, MI Senior Pastor Dr. Jim Samra (616)956-9377

Parable of the Tenants and the Situation in the Middle East

February 25, 2024 13:41 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MB

In this sermon, we read Matthew 21:33-46 – the Parable of the Tenants. We learn that God has something to say about current world events through the Bible. And, we are reminded of our need to view current events through a biblical worldview.

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

February 18, 2024 15:05 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MB

This message from Matthew 22:1-14 looks at the parable of the wedding banquet. We see Jesus telling this parable in the context of answering a question about his authority. The parable itself gives us a picture of how God is to rule and reign in this world and in our lives.

The Blessing of Repentance

February 11, 2024 14:23 - 33 minutes - 31.3 MB

This message looks at the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21, teaching us about confession and repentance. Pastor Jim makes five observations to see a simple parable more clearly and answer the question, “which of the two sons are we?”

Seeing God Through Repentance

February 04, 2024 13:41 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MB

In this sermon, we witness Jesus teaching on His own authority and our repentance. Pastor Jim explains how these two truths are intertwined as we live out our walk as Christians.

Greatness in the Kingdom of God

January 28, 2024 13:35 - 40 minutes - 37 MB

In this message, we read from Matthew 20:17-34. The mother of the sons of Zebedee ask Jesus if her sons can sit at Jesus’ left and right hand. Jesus’ response tells us that there are positions in the Kingdom of God. We then learn what greatness in His kingdom looks like.

Our Generous God

January 21, 2024 13:35 - 32 minutes - 30.5 MB

In this sermon we are reminded of God’s great generosity. Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time or short while, Jesus gives us a parable in Matthew 20 that fully demonstrates this aspect of God’s character.

Our First Priority

January 14, 2024 13:16 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MB

In this sermon we walk through Matthew 19:16-30 and hear about Jesus’ exchange with the rich young ruler. Rather than simply answering the rich young ruler’s question: “what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”, we see Jesus emphasize ensuring God is the top priority in our lives.

Marriage, Divorce, and Singleness

January 07, 2024 14:05 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MB

This passage opens with Jesus healing people. Out of that Jesus answers a question from the Pharisees meant to test him that speaks on marriage, divorce, and singleness.

Mercy Not Revenge

December 17, 2023 19:01 - 38 minutes - 35.8 MB

This sermon looks at forgiveness as seen in Matthew 18:21-35. This passage is a follow up to previous messages in Matthew 18, in wherein we looked at forgiveness when someone is unrepentant. This message discusses what Jesus has to say about forgiveness when repentance is present. He tells the parable of the unforgiving servant and we are given three principals to apply to our lives today.

Why Church

December 10, 2023 13:31 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MB

In this message, we read Matthew 18:15-20. We walk through what Jesus taught about the local church. We are provided with an answer to the question many find themselves asking as they navigate the role of the gathered assembly in their lives, “why church”?

God’s Love for the Unborn and the Sinner

December 03, 2023 13:24 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MB

This week we are in Matthew 18:10-14, a passage wherein Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep. We learn through this how God loves the most vulnerable. In our message, we see how the ongoing verses of Matthew 18 widen the scope of focus, applying these particular verses to a spectrum from the unborn child, to the young adult.

A Warning Against Stumbling Blocks

November 26, 2023 13:16 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MB

This message examines Jesus’s stern warning against causing our fellow believers to stumble. It helps us under what a stumbling block might look like in our own lives and how we can ensure we don’t create one for others.

Getting in and Thriving in the Kingdom of God

November 19, 2023 15:32 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MB

In this message, we see God teach us what the kingdom of heaven is like and how we live in it.

God With Us in the Mundane Things of Life

November 12, 2023 13:46 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MB

In Matthew 17:24-27, God provides an example of how Jesus is present and can relate to us, not only in the highs and lows but in the mundane things of life as well.

All Things Are Possible When We Believe

November 05, 2023 13:56 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MB

In this passage of Matthew, Jesus has to cast out a demon his disciples were unable to. The disciples ask Jesus why they could not and Jesus tells them it is because of their little faith. Out of this comes the question: Where does faith come from? We then make some observations in the passage, define faith, and find a missing key to unlock the answer to this question.

The Cross Before the Crown

October 29, 2023 12:29 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MB

The passage addressed in this sermon is a turning point in the ministry of Jesus. Here Jesus informs his disciples of his imminent death. Our message looks at the three requirements Jesus lays out for following Him as he shares this news. It concludes with word of the glory that awaits those who make the choice do to follow Jesus.

I Will Build My Church

October 22, 2023 13:18 - 38 minutes - 35.7 MB

We hear a message from Jesus about His church in Matthew 16:13-20. We are reminded of some of God’s purpose, mission, and vision in creating the Church, as well as Calvary’s more specific role in that work as well. We are also reminded that Jesus is building his church and that he invites us to join him in his work.

Doubting God’s Power and Love

October 15, 2023 12:39 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MB

In this message, we see how doubt can work against our ability to experience God’s love and power. But Jesus, in these passages in Matthew, teaches us to trust in God in the midst of our troubling circumstances.

How to Have Great Faith

October 08, 2023 11:38 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MB

Calvary Church, Grand Rapids, MI Senior Pastor Dr. Jim Samra (616)956-9377

Virtue Signaling

October 01, 2023 12:28 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

This message addresses how Jesus calls out the concept of virtue signaling in Matthew 15:1-20. Though a more modern term, we see what the pharisees were doing as virtue signaling and how Jesus denounces, and points out the flaws of it. We then learn what the opposite of virtue signaling is and how to apply it to our lives today.

Faith, Submission, and Obedience

September 24, 2023 12:23 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MB

In this message, we read Matthew 14:22-36 which tells the story of Jesus walking on water and Peter’s act of faith, submission and obedience. We are encouraged to think about the difference between the results of desire, ambition, and effort and the results that faith, submission, and obedience produce in the same scenario. The results of acting in faith, submission and obedience include: the ability to exercise faith, the possibility of doubt and rebuke, and moving Jesus to responsibility fo...

God Provides

September 17, 2023 12:38 - 33 minutes - 31.3 MB

This message looks at Jesus feeding the 5000. We look at the other three accounts of the story told in the books of Mark, Luke and John to compare them. Out of the comparison comes five differences. These five differences show us how God provides for our physical, spiritual and emotional needs.

People Pleasing or Serving God

September 10, 2023 12:28 - 39 minutes - 36.8 MB

In Matthew 14, we see how people-pleasing affected the decision-making of Herod. We saw in Herod’s life, God teaching us the dangers of working to please people rather than working to please God. We are also reminded of John the Baptist’s commitment to obedience and were encouraged to follow Christ’s example to be seeking the Father’s approval not the approval of man.

Passing the Tests of Life

September 03, 2023 15:29 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MB

In this sermon, we look at Matthew 7:24-29. We learn that rain, water, and wind will come to us – just like in the story, there are troubles that come up in our lives suddenly. We see that we need to both hear and act on the teachings of our teacher, Jesus. When we do so, we’ll have a house that is built on a firm foundation and withstand’s life storms.

The Two Paths

August 27, 2023 12:28 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MB

In this message, we learn about the narrow road, which represents the path of following Jesus. We are reminded that though sometimes the narrow road may feel lonely, be less traveled and require sacrifice, God provides abundant life and agency for those who are faithful to stay on the narrow road. We are challenged to look at how we can follow the narrow road in our lives.

Ask, Seek, Knock

August 20, 2023 12:19 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MB

In Matthew 7, we hear Jesus encourage us to ask, seek, and knock in prayer. For when we do we will receive, we will find, and the door will be opened to us, the children of God. We are reminded that God is our good Father who desires to give his children good gifts. We are also reminded and challenged as Jesus gives us the Golden Rule, that we should treat others the way that we would wish to be treated.

Not Judging Others

August 13, 2023 13:22 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MB

In this week’s sermon we learn we are not to judge others. Pastor Jim shares two types of judging Jesus could be talking about here. We learn who is allowed to judge and who is not allowed to judge and were given some examples of this. We were then given two warnings for when we are supposed to judge others. Lastly, we were given an assignment if we have judged others unfairly or if we need to speak the truth in love to someone around us.

Praying and Fasting to Please God

August 06, 2023 12:24 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MB

In this message, Pastor Jim shares how we ought to pray and fast as an act of worship, pleasing to God. We learn that this passage of Scripture calls us to close out the world, open up the door to God, and bring God and others into the action when we pray. We were also given a practical step of fasting to put this into action in the week ahead.

Treasures in Heaven

July 30, 2023 14:05 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MB

In this sermon we look at Jesus’ proclamation that He fulfilled the Law. We see that Jesus’s fulfillment of the law came by bringing salvation. We also see that salvation is in Jesus alone, not in rule following. Jesus has saved us fully and made a way for us to follow God’s law in joy with Him enabling us to do it.

Jesus, Us, and The Law

July 23, 2023 14:05 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MB

In this sermon we look at Jesus’ proclamation that He fulfilled the Law. We see that Jesus’s fulfillment of the law came by bringing salvation. We also see that salvation is in Jesus alone, not in rule following. Jesus has saved us fully and made a way for us to follow God’s law in joy with Him enabling us to do it.

Episodes