Calvary Church with Skip Heitzig Audio Podcast

Just as young children ask their parents what is going to happen each day, we can find ourselves wondering how and when God is going to work in and through our lives. Hebrews 11:1-12 provides powerful examples of how God calls us to have faith in Him before He calls us to act. In this message, Cody Byrne unpacks the faith we need to step into our God-given calling. 

You probably couldn’t find two people more different than the two examples chosen by James to show the difference between dead faith and dynamic faith. Abraham was the first patriarch and designated figurehead of the Jewish nation. Rahab was a prostitute who lived in Jericho during Israel’s assault of that city. But both demonstrate how true faith will produce action and change.I. Question (v. 20)II. Illustration (vv. 21-24)III. Amplification (v. 25)IV. Conclusion (v. 26)Talk with God: Ask the Lord to show you ways to put your faith into action.Talk with others: Brainstorm some practical ways to regularly serve your community with your family or Connect Group.Talk with kids: How does sharing the gospel show we love God and people?

Every believer is called to share the gospel, but one survey found that most Christians have never led another person to Jesus. There are a number of reasons people give for not sharing the gospel—but could the underlying issue be a lack of compassion and conviction? In the book of Matthew, Jesus' words and example create a blueprint for how we can pray for—and participate in—the harvest.

According to a recent Netflix documentary, there are more forgeries of famous paintings hanging in museums than most people suspect. From time to time, these cases come to light. But what about faith in God? The easiest thing to do is to simply say that one is a believer. But where’s the proof? James addressed this, giving four telltale signs to help us spot the genuine from the fake.I. Words without Works (v. 14)II. Sight without Sympathy (vv. 15-16)III. Profession without Proof (vv. 17-18)IV. Commotion without Conversion (vv. 19-20)Talk with God: Ask the Lord to give you a servant’s heart, then seek opportunities to serve or encourage someone this week.Talk with others: Ask a mentor or trusted believer if your faith is obvious in your daily habits, attitudes, and relationships.Talk with kids: How can people see the power of God in our lives?

After painting a beautiful picture of new life in Christ, Paul reminded the Ephesian church what they were saved from, saved for, and saved by. In this message, Skip Heitzig explores the profound journey from spiritual death to spiritual life—and the mystery of spiritual unity between Jewish and Gentile Christ-followers.

Faith and favoritism are incompatible. We have been saved by a loving Redeemer and we must be willing to accept all different kinds of people. That’s not to say that people don’t need to repent of known sin. Of course they do! But one of the glaring sins of the Christian church is discriminating on the basis of outward appearance—actually, this is a flaw endemic to the whole human race.I. People Are Prejudiced Naturally (vv. 1-13)II. Favoritism Is Foolish Logically (vv. 5-7)III. Christians Are Corrected Biblically (vv. 8-9)IV. Life Should Be Lived Consistently (vv. 10-13)Talk with God: Ask the Lord to reveal an area where you haven’t been living as one “who will be judged by the law of liberty” (v. 12).Talk with others: Say hello and introduce yourself to someone sitting alone at service.Talk with kids: How are we changed by the Holy Spirit?

Exploring spiritual wealth, Calvinist beliefs, being sealed with the Holy Spirit, understanding your value before God, embracing God's power, and living in heavenly places and divine identity.

Mirrors are honest! Under well-lit conditions, mirrors reveal the truthful condition of the observer. The Bible is the Word of God. Like a mirror, it reveals the truth about our world, our character, and our God. But then we must act accordingly; doing must follow reading and hearing. James mentions five areas in our lives—five categories—the Word of God should govern.I. Submission (vv. 22-24)II. Study (v. 25)III. Speech (v. 26)IV. Service (v. 27a)V. Separation (v. 27b)Talk with God: Assess your spiritual growth in the mirror of God’s Word and pray for wisdom and clarity in confronting your blind spots.Talk with others: Ask a mentor or trusted believer if they’ve observed areas of your life where you have not continued in “the perfect law of liberty” (v. 25).Talk with kids: How has God shown us generosity through Jesus?