Calvary Church

Jesus is King, Herod is Not

Jesus, The Messiah – Writing New Stories

Church and Culture

In this sermon, we learn God’s plan for a healthy family, especially how to live as a Christian family. We are reminded that God teaches us to be filled with the Holy Spirit—for husbands to love wives, for wives to submit to husbands, for children to obey parents, and for parents not to exasperate children.

Family Life

In this sermon, we learn God’s plan for a healthy family, especially how to live as a Christian family. We are reminded that God teaches us to be filled with the Holy Spirit—for husbands to love wives, for wives to submit to husbands, for children to obey parents, and for parents not to exasperate children.

At the End

In this Sunday’s sermon we finished our series in Genesis by seeing that Jacob and Joseph held to faith, even as their deaths neared. We were encouraged that we can also maintain faith and approach death with confidence, if our faith is placed in Jesus Christ. Ultimately we see in this closing sermon that for those who walk with God, death is not the end, but a new beginning.

Joseph Wept

In this passage, we find Joseph weeping as His brother’s ask him for forgiveness. After all his struggle and triumph, because Joseph focused on God he was able to see that what his brothers meant for harm, God meant for good. Through this he was able to respond with mercy and grace. We see these actions perfected in Christ who is able to make all things right and has given us the ultimate mercy and grace in salvation.

How God’s Blessings Come to Us

In this sermon we see the great blessing that God brings to us through our spiritual family. In Genesis 48-49 we find Jacob blessing his sons and discover that our blessings from God are not based on our birth order, family history, or even a biological connection. Our blessings are found in Christ, whose death made it possible for us to become children of God and be part of a spiritual family, the church.

Saving for the Journey

The launching point for this message is the example of how Joseph managed Egypt to prepare for the famine God had told him they would experience. In this story, we learn that God encourages financial saving, especially when He makes clear to us that a financial taxing journey is coming. We also see in this message the dangers of a flippant attitude toward money and debt, but are reminded that God sets captives free, even those in the captivity of financial issues.

The God of the Journeys

Follow Jacob’s final journey to Egypt and to his death through this message. We see in this that if we follow God on our journeys He will be with us. We also see that God prepares a place for us along the journeys of life, even unto death.

Judah’s Transformation, Our Salvation

In this message, we look at the story of Joseph meeting his brothers again in Egypt. We see a transformation in Judah’s life and witness Joseph extending grace toward his brothers. We are reminded that full repentance of our sin brings about healing and life change that is only possible with God.

God’s Plans for You

In this message, we see that God had a plan for Joseph and has a plan for us today. We are reminded that God’s plans happen in His perfect timing even if it doesn’t make sense to us. We are also reminded that God is with us whether we are in the midst of struggles or in seasons of success.

Avoiding Sexual Immorality

In this sermon we see how Joseph responded when confronted with temptation. We are shown that God provides us with guardrails for sexuality and sexual behavior. We are also reminded that we experiencing blessing and express our love to God by obeying His commands.

A Father’s Love

In this message we look at the story of Judah and Tamar. We were introduced to the concept of the Levirate Law. Levirate (from the Latin word for brother), is the practice of a brother marrying the childless widow of his brother in order to preserve his brother’s name and inheritance. As we look at this story we both see the effects of sin in Judah’s family and God’s plan for redemption in spite of that sin. In this we are reminded, that we were also shown immense love and grace by God, even...

The Plans of God

In this message we are introduced to Joseph and hear the story of how he was sold into slavery by his brothers. We are reminded God has a plan even when we can’t see it, and that plan is for our good and God’s glory.

Pentecost Communion Service

In this message, we learn Esau, Jacob’s brother, took his wives from the women of Canaan, and Edom, the nation that came from Esau, had kings long before Israel did. It reminds us that Esau did not stay separate from the culture where he lived and absorbed their practices and ideas. This gives us a chance to reflect on the ways we are being more influenced by our culture than the kingdom of God.

Return to Bethel

In this message, we discuss Jacob returning to Bethel, the place where he first met God and we see how his faith was encouraged as he met God there again. We are reminded that God pursues us and is faithful, even when we stray from Him. We are also reminded that if we feel spiritually empty or dry, God is eager to meet with us, bless us, and fill us up again.

The Sin of Sexual Assault

In this message, we look at the story of Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, being sexually assaulted by Shechem. We exam the responses of different parties in the story and how they line up with the way in which God sees victims of sexual assault. Ultimately the hope of this message is that through Jesus, God is creating a community of faith where victims today can experience what Dinah did not. A community where the Spirit causes people to feel your pain, to believe the truth about your story, to wal...

Getting Serious About Prayer

In this message, we see how Jacob became successful and thrived by the power of God’s Grace. We learned that the real secret to success, in any area, is relying on God to bless us and provide for us. We were reminded that success is also a result of hard work, but even the ability to do so comes from God.

The Secret of Success

In this message, we see how Jacob became successful and thrived by the power of God’s Grace. We learned that the real secret to success, in any area, is relying on God to bless us and provide for us. We were reminded that success is also a result of hard work, but even the ability to do so comes from God.

Dysfunctional Families and a Loving God

This sermon is pulled from a story of dysfunction in Jacob’s family. Jacob marries two sisters, Leah and Rachel, and each person adds more dysfunction to the family. We see that God provides for Jacob’s family, even in the midst of their problems. We are also reminded that Jesus was a part a dysfunctional family on earth, and he has made a family of all believers, namely the church.

Jesus Our Good Shepherd

In this message, we hear the story in Genesis 29 of Jacob meeting Rachel at a well. We focus on some aspects of being a shepherd such as leading, guiding, protecting, and providing. We find that the term Shepherd is first used in Scripture when it is referring to Rachel, highlighting that the nature of a good shepherd is loving and compassionate. Ultimately, we focus on shepherds so we can be reminded of the ways in which God shepherds us.

The End of Me

In this message, we look at how Jacob was met by God as he fled his home for Harran. God reveals Himself to Jacob in a dream and declares a blessing over him. We are reminded in this that God is with us, even in the midst of our difficulties and sin. We are also reminded that Jesus is the way to Heaven and reveals Himself to us in many ways, especially through the church.

Playing Favorites

In this message, we hear the explore the dysfunctional nature of Isaac and Rebekah’s family. Genesis 27 highlights for us how favoritism can negatively impact our lives, especially within our families. God also uses this story to remind us that when we lose our life for His sake, we ultimately get the joys and blessings that we miss out on by catering to our sinful desires, such as the desire to play favorites.

The Twists and Turns of Blessings

In this message, we hear the story of Isaac and the blessings that God gives him with water, flocks, herds, and wealth. As a result, Isaac becomes a blessing to others, but not by simply giving of his wealth, water and flocks and herds, but by enduring suffering. It is in the suffering that Isaac proclaims the name of God to others. We are encouraged to follow his example, which points to the example that Jesus gave us in His ministry here on earth.

The True Cost of Food

This message looks at Genesis 25 wherein we see Esau pay an ungodly amount for a bowl of stew from Jacob. In this story we see that an insatiable craving for food with Isaac and with Esau leads them both to make ungodly decisions. We are encouraged today by God to remember how Jesus deals with His hunger in the wilderness and seek to have a godly relationship with food and our cravings.

The Blessings of God in Marriage

In this message, we look at Genesis 24 to see how God blesses those who submit to His will. Specifically, we see how those who submit to God in marriage will experience the blessings of God. We reference Galatians 5:16-26 to see how walking in the Spirit calls us to not do whatever we want, but rather to submit to God’s plans.

Tests from God

In this message, we look at God’s testing of Abraham and ultimately the ways in which He tests us. In reading Genesis 22 and 23, we see the model that Abraham leaves for us as he matures into a person that trusts God through two difficult trials. God affirms in this that He values our relationship with Him above all us.

Crying Out to God

In this sermon we are invited to cry. We are invited to cry through reading the story of Hagar and Ishmael as Hagar weeps over their circumstances out in the desert. We are reminded that God responds to our cries by caring, providing and being with us. Thus, we are encouraged to think about a situation that brings us to tears and to bring them before God knowing fully that He will weep with us and provide to us what we need.

1, 2, 3 Obey the Great Commission

As we host our 2022 Disciple Making Conference, we have a message about the Great Commission. We hear how the Great Commission was foretold in the Upper Room Discourse, demonstrated in the book of Acts, and described in the letters of the New Testament. With this framework we are invited to go, baptize and teach all ethnic groups under the assurance of Christ’s presence and authority.

Stubborn Sin and Faithful Blessing

In this message we look at the story of Abraham and Abimelek in Genesis 20. We see how a lack of faith on Abraham’s part leads him to sin and leads Abimelek to almost commit sin. We learn once more that sin always comes with a cost, while obedience always comes with blessing.

Being a Blessing in Sodom

In Genesis 18, we see that God promised to bless Abraham and Sarah, but that Sarah had not yet accepted God’s blessing. Meanwhile, Abraham was at a place where he had accepted God’s blessing and was therefore in a place to bless others through his hospitality. Through this message we are encouraged to identify with one of these characters and move ourselves closer to God’s purpose in being a blessing.

Blessed to Bless

In Genesis 18, we see that God promised to bless Abraham and Sarah, but that Sarah had not yet accepted God’s blessing. Meanwhile, Abraham was at a place where he had accepted God’s blessing and was therefore in a place to bless others through his hospitality. Through this message we are encouraged to identify with one of these characters and move ourselves closer to God’s purpose in being a blessing.

God’s Love to Us

This message looks at the ways in which God’s love is made known to us. As God chose Abraham and made a covenant sign through circumcision, so God chose baptism as a sign of the covenant that we have with Jesus. Since all blessings can only from Christ, and since God has gifted us baptism as a sign of our union with Christ, then baptism is important because it signifies that God’s blessings come through our connection to Jesus. Baptism is also a sign that now God’s Law is written in our heart...

Doubt

In this message, we see Abraham is able to demonstrate faith that God will fulfill His promises because Abraham believes in the character of God. God covenants Himself to Abraham so that Abraham will know that he will indeed inherit the land. This foreshadows the way in which God will covenant Himself any who believe in Him, through the sacrifice of the cross. We are reminded to think of ways in which God has blessed us in the past to help us trust Him in the situation we are facing now.

Can God Be Trusted

In this message, we see Abraham is able to demonstrate faith that God will fulfill His promises because Abraham believes in the character of God. God covenants Himself to Abraham so that Abraham will know that he will indeed inherit the land. This foreshadows the way in which God will covenant Himself any who believe in Him, through the sacrifice of the cross. We are reminded to think of ways in which God has blessed us in the past to help us trust Him in the situation we are facing now.

New Year’s Communion Service

At the beginning of a new year we pause to celebrate that God is a God of new beginnings. May you be encouraged to embrace what he’s starting in your life this year and approach it with faith.

The Gift of a Child at Christmas

In this message we look at Abraham’s greatest desire and how God meets him in that longing and blesses him beyond his expectation.

The Blessings of Church

In this message, we look at Abraham’s meeting with Melchizedek. This meeting can be considered one of the first worship services in Scripture. What we learn from this encounter is how God prepares us in worship for the tasks for the rest of the week. God pauses the busyness of life, meets with us, prepares us for the coming days, and provides the blessing of allowing us to give back to God.

The Gift of a Child at Christmas

In this message we look at Abraham’s greatest desire and how God meets him in that longing and blesses him beyond his expectation.

Making Decisions in Light of the Blessings of God

In this message, we discuss three decisions faced by Abraham and Lot. As Abraham is faced with these decisions, we see that he knows that he will be blessed regardless of what decision he makes. With this knowledge Abraham is willing to allow Lot to decide what land he will call home, knowing he can trust God to bless any outcome. We also talk about how in Christ we have all things and how that can shape the way we make decisions today.

The Great Blessing

As we shift our focus to the next major section in the book of Genesis, we see how God will bless humanity through the life of one human and his household. The initial story of the call of Abram to go where God is sending him, is a story where God calls, blesses, and then as the final step gives an opportunity for Abram to obey. We see how God’s love for us is great and trustworthy solely because of Him, and not our actions or behavior.

God Loves Ethnic and Racial Diversity

God has blessed the world with diversity. He has purposed it, and commanded Noah and humanity to spread out and cover the earth. It is against this command that the rebellion at Babel happens where humans don’t spread out and so instead, they are scattered by God when He confuses the language of the people. We are reminded that God intends for us to spread out and embrace His diverse creation.

The Sign of God’s Love for All People

God gives us an amazing symbol in the sky to demonstrate his long-suffering patience and kindness towards us. Through the story of Noah, Shem, Japheth, and Ham we see how we can be more loving and less judgmental like God is with us, each and every day.

Saved in Jesus Christ

This message looks at how Noah and his family entered into the ark and were then found in the ark. However, this is not just about the mechanics of going into the ark, but is a picture of salvation. Just as Noah and his family entered into the ark and found salvation in it, we to enter into Christ and find salvation in Him. We ought to live this out to day be accepting Christ i.e. entering into the ark of salvation. We also out to live out being in the ark by regularly attending church and pa...

Dead Come Alive

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

Working for God

The story of Noah and his life gives us a simple picture of how we can honor God and preach Jesus through the way we work, study, and live. While Noah’s tasks were simple, they were meaningful and they preached God to an unbelieving people. In this message, we’re reminded to work faithfully with God in mind in all we do, to be conscious that God is near when we work, to inquire of God as we work, to be merciful in our interactions with others, to get rid of temptations that hinder us from doi...

Walking With God in the Face of Death

As we read about Adam and his descendant’s death, we are reminded that death looms about for all of us. Despite this fact, we are encouraged by the stories of Enoch and Noah to walk with God so that we make the most out of the time God has given us here. We are also encouraged to reflect on our Christian walk and see if we are walking with God daily, or if we are treating Him as one we approach only on a need-by-need basis.

Freedom from the Enslaving Power of Sin

Despite being given mercy from God, Cain makes sinful choices in his life. Following his choice to murder his brother, Abel, his life continues to escalates into more sin. Despite all of this, God offered Cain, and every sinner, mercy and transformation through Christ. It’s never too to turn from sinful choices and receive the mercy God offers.

Suffering Servants

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

God’s Grace in the Face of the Consequences of Sin

As we look at God’s response to sin, this message is one that can minister to every believer’s heart. God shows us grace when we deserve otherwise in a way that leaves us far better off than when we started. Not only is His Grace undeserved, His Grace gives us more than just what we don’t deserve, it gives us more than we could ask or imagine.