Calvary Church with Skip Heitzig Audio Podcast

You’ve probably been in a situation where there was confusion, even pandemonium, and most people were acting like immature children. What was needed was just one person to act like an adult and bring decorum and civility back. In such situations, one might say, “Where is the adult in the room?” It refers to someone who will behave responsibly in a mature manner. The book of James is about spiritual maturity. It is a call to grow up and not just grow old. James was the adult in the room.

I. The Author “James”

II. The Autobiography “a bondservant of God and of…Jesus Christ”

III. The Audience “To the twelve tribes…scattered abroad”

IV. The Address “Greetings”

Talk with God: Reflect on your spiritual growth journey and ask the Lord to show you where He wants to grow you.

Talk with others: Ask a trusted believer or mentor to hold you accountable in working toward growth in a specific area of your walk.

Talk with kids: What do you believe to be true about God, even though you haven’t seen Him?

People either misunderstand the cross or they don't know its purpose and significance. Some think it's a tragic mistake or just a trivial symbol. When it came to the Messiah, the Jews anticipated a conqueror—instead, they got a sin bearer. Through the cross, Jesus glorified the Father and paid the price for our sins. Instead of shying away from it, we choose to celebrate the cross.

Today we are entering into Passion Week—commemorating Jesus’ final days leading up to the cross, His burial, and His resurrection. We are all familiar with these events. As Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem, the crowd placed palm branches on the ground. In a few days, Jesus would be crucified, and they would place His body in the ground. But three days later, He would rise from the ground. Let’s note three comparisons of things that may be good versus something that’s best.

I. The Identity of Your Purpose

II. The Impairment to Your Purpose

III. The Importance of Your Purpose

Talk with God: Evaluate your daily habits and ask the Lord how you can take practical steps “not [to] be conformed to this world” (v. 2).

Talk with others: How can you use your gifts to serve your family, friends, or community?

Talk with kids: In what ways was Jesus’ trial unfair?

In order to discover what Jesus intended for the church He came to establish (remember He said, “I will build My church”), we need to examine carefully the prototype—the first church in the book of Acts. In combing through this text the last few weeks, we have been able to get a sense of the style, structure, and service of the early church. Today we notice their generous hearts toward one another and in the cause of Christ. Because they were openhearted, they were also openhanded.

When God works in a person’s life, there is profound change. When God’s people see that change, it produces a sense of awe and wonder. It also provides encouragement that God will do it again and again. When we gather together and hear one another’s stories and witness one another’s victories, we are inspired. Today we consider the power of God working not just through a sermon or through a worship service, but through the individual lives of all God’s people.

There is an epidemic of loneliness in our society as people long for a place to feel safe and belong. The truth is, we were not built for isolation—and that's why God created the church and community. In this message, Nate Heitzig shares what happens when you get in the room with God's people.

There are several activities that take place when we gather together in the room. Conversations take place, prayers are uttered, songs are vocalized, hugs are exchanged, children are attended to, cars are parked, coffee is brewed, and volunteers joyfully serve. But one activity is at the epicenter of it all—the teaching of (and listening to) God’s Word. We make this the bulk of our weekly gatherings. Why is that so? Moreover, why can’t we just stay home and watch it all online?

Today we begin a new series we are calling In the Room. We will consider why it is so vital to gather as God’s people, and the benefits we receive when we do. We each have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but personal does not mean private. Our lives are meant to be lived in community with others. Today we will take on the role of a reporter, examining a weekend event in the life of the early church to understand the significance of this experience.

As we ring in the New Year, we also want to ring in a fresh start. We want to be different, better. But lasting change doesn’t happen through New Year’s resolutions. Instead of trying to fix our bad habits, our flesh, we must begin submitting to the Spirit—only then will everything else fall into place. In this message, Nate Heitzig reflects on some truths we’ve learned in our Kingdom City series, sharing how we can change 2024 by becoming resilient disciples of Jesus.

Today we bring the series Kingdom City to an end. We have explored what it means to live as kingdom people, to be representatives of the King until He returns. We have examined the lives of people who influenced others with their kingdom-minded lifestyles. But today we consider the culmination of kingdom living, which is the future kingdom itself. There are four distinct experiences that sum up the announcement and inauguration of the coming future kingdom.

Last year, we studied the biblical prophecies on the end times and considered the promises of Jesus’ return and establishment of His kingdom. But until that awesome event occurs, how ought we to invest our time and resources? Did you know that our future position in the kingdom of heaven is largely determined by our faithfulness on earth? This section shows us four different responses to kingdom responsibility—four ways people live their lives in the light of Jesus’ coming kingdom.

Pastor Taylor Bronisz and Calvary Youth started the new year with a youth takeover service. Several musically talented teens joined with Calvary Worship, then Taylor gave an inspiring message about how we can all do our part to help the next generation meet Jesus.

From the Guest Speaker series at Calvary Church.

A dominating hallmark of the Christian faith is compassion. That’s because it is a prominent feature of the personality of Jesus Himself. In this passage, we observe that Jesus cared about His closest associates as well as the throngs of people who came to hear Him teach. Today in Kingdom City, we consider four levels of the King’s compassion and how to reflect it.

Christians often have questions about their role and responsibility to secular governments. These questions are even more pronounced when there is a government or political administration that appears to be at odds with their Christian convictions. As redeemed people whose “citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), how should we discharge our responsibility to the state? Can we honor both God and Caesar? How do kingdom city residents properly balance these two realms?

As Christians get older, they sometimes tend toward compromise. The influence of their culture wears on them and they begin to shift in order to satisfy society. They are victims of the long haul! Their spiritual pace slows; their spiritual appetite weakens; their spiritual vigor abates. Today we examine a man who was faithful over his entire lifetime. His spiritual pace was steady; his spiritual appetite was strong; his spiritual vigor deepened. Daniel displayed four characteristics.

In our last message, we discovered how Daniel became a kingdom influence in Egypt. Today we will see how a woman named Esther influenced the kingdom of Persia—specifically how she rescued the Jewish people from a murderously antisemitic plot. Her courage has become an iconic reminder that one person can bravely change the future for an entire nation. Esther’s story reminded me of the woman in Proverbs 31:25: Strength and honor are her clothing….

After laying the groundwork for our calling to be kingdom influencers in our secular culture, we now consider the first of three examples of people who did just that. Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob. He came from a rural ranching family with humble beginnings, but he ascended to become the second most powerful man in the vast kingdom of Egypt. What caused this to happen?

Lee Strobel is the bestselling author of over twenty books, including Is God Real? As a former atheist, Lee is acutely aware of the arguments and internal struggle faced by those who don’t yet know the Lord. His compelling research and deft presentation of the facts surrounding the existence of Jesus have brought many to a saving knowledge of Christ.

A refugee is a displaced person, someone forced to leave his or her country and live elsewhere. The people of Judea were refugees living in Babylon. They’d been kidnapped and taken hundreds of miles away. So Jeremiah sent them a letter giving instructions on how to live as God’s people on foreign soil. We should take his words to heart since we too are displaced from our eternal home.

In this interview, Skip Heitzig talks with Samuel Smadja, the director of TBN in Israel. They consider the history of the Israeli people and discuss who has claim to the disputed land, shedding light on the truth of this conflict. Samuel Smadja also makes a plea for the church to speak out on what is happening to the Jewish people.

It can be hard to keep track of what is true during a crisis. TV pundits throw facts around till our heads spin, but truth can be found when we know where to look. In this message, Skip Heitzig separates fact from fiction to get a clear understanding of this conflict between the Jews and Palestinians.

What will you be remembered for? What one thing will people think of when your name is mentioned after you die? Everyone wants to “leave his mark” on the world—to be acknowledged for some contribution made to society. Jesus wants us to do this as well—to leave a footprint on the path of life so others will say, “Hey, look! God’s kids walked here!” The analogy Jesus used for this influence was salt and light. These are the essence of transformation into a kingdom city.

Donate to provide critical aid to families impacted by the attacks on Israel. https://cabq.us/aid

Donate to provide critical aid to families impacted by the attacks on Israel. https://cabq.us/aid

Life is full of distractions. We can easily be sidetracked from our main objective as Christians. Rather than engaging in endless speculation over future events, we have a task to focus on. Yes, we believe in a coming kingdom. Yes, we are to be ready for the Lord’s return. Yes, the kingdom of heaven will be an awesome experience. But until then we have a message to proclaim and have work to do. In a nutshell, we are to have our eye on the sky but our hand to the plow!

What do the Hamas attacks on Israel mean for end times prophecy? With Skip Heitzig, Joel Rosenberg, and former IDF soldier, Steve the Tour Guide.

Levi and Jennie Lusko pioneered Fresh Life Church in 2007. The ministry includes locations in Montana, Utah, Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming, and reaches around the world online. Levi and Jennie have one son, Lennox, and four daughters, Alivia, Daisy, Clover, and Lenya, who is in heaven.

What does it mean to be kingdom people? What is the nature of this kingdom? What is our responsibility to the world we find ourselves a part of? If Jesus is coming to bring His kingdom and to rule over the earth, can’t we just sit and wait for that to happen? As we consider this model prayer, especially the petition “Your kingdom come. Your will be done…,” we will seek to discover our responsibility as local representatives of the kingdom of God.

As believers living in an ungodly world, it's easy to wonder if we can actually make a difference. It can be tempting to complain when we see the darkness and division around us, but God calls us to be His hands—to do the work because our city is worth saving. In this message, Nate Heitzig looks to the life of Nehemiah as we discover how to act as agents of change in our city.

Today we will conduct a walk-through of every believer’s ultimate destination—the capital city of the eternal state, called New Jerusalem. Unlike New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, or New Mexico, this future place will have the most unique environment ever. I will touch on seven highlights of this future cityscape that make heaven the world’s most interesting destination.

It can be easy to get overwhelmed by circumstances that seem too difficult to face, but as believers, we should approach a situation in light of God's ability to bring us through it. In this message, Skip Heitzig looks at miracles God performed when hope seemed lost as He faithfully provided for the needs of His people.

Our ideas about what heaven will be like may not necessarily be how Scripture describes our eternal home. After officiating hundreds of funerals, I’ve heard some pretty bizarre remarks about loved ones turning into angels or greeting St. Peter at heaven’s gates or engaging in their favorite hobbies. As we look at the final phase of heaven, what is called the eternal state, we read things that may be shocking to some, including that it will come complete with a capital city.

God's faithfulness will always prevail—His leadership preserves His will and prophecies. In this first message from the book of 2 Kings, Skip Heitzig compares the failings of human leadership with God's perfect, faithful leadership.

Contemplate the phrase the wrath of God. Most people who hear it think of God as some sort of annoyed deity—one who has a short temper and lashes out in uncontrolled rage. Actually, God’s wrath, including His judgment of unbelievers, is part of His moral integrity. God cannot just withhold judgment; that would go against His moral integrity. The final judgment of God will be His great complement to human freedom and choice. For those who choose to live without God, they will!

God's word is tough but true. As we study Scripture, we get a fuller picture of God's character. As Skip Heitzig wraps up the book of 1 Kings, we see God's mercy, providence, and judgment on display through fulfillment of prophecy.

The phrase perfect government sounds like an oxymoron. Our world has never known such perfection, and Utopia seems to be the stuff of fairytales. But the Bible promises a coming kingdom on earth, ruled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. These predictions are widely scattered through the Old Testament and reaffirmed in the New. But only in Revelation 20 are we given the duration of one thousand years. Today I want to share four marks of the governmental structure during the millennium.

Can you envision, or even imagine, a world without conflict or war—a peace-filled, fair, and just environment? This has been the stuff of dreams, fairytales, and fiction. Bumper stickers tell us to “Visualize World Peace,” yet we find it impossible to do so because of our own history. But it is actually scheduled to happen for an entire millennium! For the next two weeks, we will explore this theme of the kingdom age—an era dominated by righteousness, justice, and goodness.

The second coming will be the most important event in the world accomplished by the most important person in the world. It has no parallel. The second coming of Christ will be utterly unlike His first coming. The first time He came born in obscurity—unnoticed and unhonored. He shall come the second time in splendor and be seen by all. Billy Graham once said, “The second coming of Christ will be so revolutionary that it will change every aspect of life on this planet.” It will effectively end history as we know it and ready the world for a glorious kingdom age.

Dr. Frank Turek is a dynamic speaker, TV show host, podcaster, and award-winning author. As president of crossexamined.org, he presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity. He is a widely featured apologetics expert and cultural commentator and has appeared on hundreds of radio programs and top TV networks including Fox News, ABC, and CBS.

Alisa Childers is a lifelong churchgoer, follower of Jesus, former CCM recording artist with the Dove Award-winning band ZOEgirl, as well as an apologist and author.

Johnnie Moore is a businessman and itinerant pastor who is best known for his religious freedom advocacy all around the world. He is the author of seven books, including The New Book of Christian Martyrs. He is the recipient of many awards and honors, including the prestigious Medal of Valor from the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. He has been twice appointed to the US Commission for International Religious Freedom by the president of the United States.

The second coming of Jesus Christ is the moment we have all been waiting for—from the very beginning of human history until now. It is the capstone of God’s redemptive plan, and it is the only hope for the future. After history runs its course of rebellion, after Satan’s age-old retaliation, after God’s closing judgments on the earth, the end of the world as we know it will come. There are eight noticeable features of Christ’s second coming. Today we will cover the first four.

The very word Armageddon sends shivers through the soul! Most everyone has heard the term (or seen the movie). The word even gets mentioned from time to time by world leaders. Most everyone understands it to be a reference to some final battle. But today let’s drill down deeper than just a fictional Hollywood film about an asteroid destroyed by a warhead. Today we will examine five facets of this culminating military campaign, including what will bring it to an end.

The infamous number 666 has been the cause of fear and superstition for generations. If people spot it on a license plate or a grocery store receipt, they consider it a bad omen. It’s right up there with the number 13. Many good expositors differ widely when it comes to interpreting its meaning. Will it be an implanted chip? An ID card? A barcode tattooed into the skin or simply a mark identifying allegiance to Antichrist’s kingdom? Today we will consider three additional details of Antichrist’s coming influence and try to drill down on the meaning of the mark of the beast.

Freedom Celebration 2023 with Skip Heitzig from Calvary Church.

The subject of the Antichrist is one of the most speculated, debated, and ridiculed subjects in all of Scripture. Who he will be, where he’ll be from, and what he will do is the theme of countless books, movies, and dissertations, as well as jokes and memes. But this is a serious subject. There are over 100 passages in the Bible that describe this person. Revelation 13 is one of the more famous. Let’s consider six characteristics of this leader who will live up to his terrible name.

Since God has equipped us with resources and removed our excuses, our job is to keep our gifts active and growing as we live out God's will.

Everyone has a next step toward taking ownership of their family, church, and city. None of us can do everything, but everyone can do something. And if everyone does something, we believe we’re going to find that anything is possible. Write down your next step in each of the three areas of focus for our 2023 vision so you can join us in saying, “This place. These people. My privilege.”

I. Family

II. Church

III. City

Eric Metaxas is a New York Times best-selling author whose books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. He is the host of the Eric Metaxas Show, a nationally syndicated radio program heard on 300 outlets. His eclectic career includes featured appearances as a cultural commentator on CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC.

Just how bad will the coming day of the Lord be for the people of planet Earth? Is the tribulation period simply a scare tactic of doomsday fanatics who love to sensationalize everything? Today we consider an overview of this time period in the book of Revelation. We’ll see both the lowlights and the highlights of this coming seven-year time frame. Hint: some things might surprise you!

I admit that the book of Revelation can appear mysterious, full of curious symbols and imagery. But it’s actually more straightforward than you may think. If you hold to a grammatical/historical view, this book provides a chronological flow of future history. It presents Jesus evaluating His church, judging His world, proclaiming His gospel, saving His nation, and establishing His kingdom. For this week and next, we will consider the flow of the future.

Today we pay a special tribute to those unique individuals we call mothers. They have given us life on this earth, and their influence has transformed our lives. Here in this passage, Paul the apostle pays special tribute to two women who changed the world by seeing their duty as a divine mission. They raised a future leader who helped shape the early years of Christianity through tenderness, godliness, and boldness. These attributes are vital for all of us to have.

The subject of the end times is fascinating and should also be motivating. One thing it should not be is aggravating; it shouldn’t produce fear but rather hope. Some of the young believers in the church at Thessalonica were perturbed and afraid thinking they were facing the tribulation and that loved ones who had died had missed the rapture Paul told them about. Paul’s concern wasn’t just doctrinal but pastoral—he wanted to comfort the Thessalonians. Let’s dig deeper into this doctrine.

The phrase rapture of the church was a foreign one to me. I never heard it growing up and didn’t believe it was real until I read the Bible. Not only do I now believe in the rapture of the church, I believe it could happen at any moment! This passage of Scripture is what E. Schuyler English called “the first New Testament intimation of the Rapture.” Today we will be encouraged by Jesus’ own promise of it. Next week we’ll look more deeply at the timing of it.