The latest at Calvary Baptist Church
Stay up to date with the happenings of Calvary Baptist Church by visiting our blog. You'll find information such as announcements, sermon notes and thoughts from our pastor to encourage and challenge your walk with the Lord.
Need a Boost?
by: Gene Ziesel
06/13/2025
0
read more
How Content Are You?
by: Gene Ziesel
06/02/2025
0
Once, there was a wealthy man who spent his days fishing in the lake beside his mansion. Every day, he noticed a poor man living in a dilapidated old shack in the woods. While the rich man boasted the latest fishing gear, the poor man used only a string tied to a stick. He fished for about an hour, rarely catching more than two fish before returning home.
After many years, the wealthy man chose to approach the poor man. He remarked, “Please forgive me, but we’ve fished tog
...read more
Commitment Has a Price
by: Gene Ziesel
05/30/2025
0
When I reflect on commitment, I frequently think of Old Testament prophets such as Jeremiah. His messages were so unpopular that some aimed to take his life, yet he continued to proclaim God’s words. As if that were not enough, others slandered him, while some ridiculed his faithfulness and commitment to God. The ridicule seems to have bothered Jeremiah most as he writes in Jeremiah 20:7-8;
7 O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and yo
...read more
Listening With The Heart
by: Gene Ziesel
05/29/2025
0
I love this story about spending QUALITY time with God in His Word:
Like many Christians, Frank learned that to truly have God guide his daily steps, he needed to spend time with Him each morning. He found a plan titled “Through the Bible in One Year" and committed to reading three chapters in the morning and two at night.
However, the inspiration he anticipated eluded him. He discussed this issue with his friend Carl, mentioning, “I wasn’t sure how I could fit Bible readin
...read more
The Offer Still Stands
by: Gene Ziesel
05/28/2025
0
Take some time this week to read Isaiah 65. Two main themes flow from the passage: Judgment and Salvation, along with when the Lord will bring about a New Heaven and a New Earth. I can’t escape the fact that hell is a real place that many do not believe is real. How many times have you heard the question: “How could a loving God send anyone to hell or, as Revelation calls it, the lake of fire, for all eternity?” In this chapter of Isaiah, he expresses a heartfelt plea for
...read more
Take The Time
by: Gene Ziesel
05/27/2025
0
We mutter and sputter,
We fume and we spurt,
We mumble and grumble,
Our feelings get hurt.
We can’t understand things,
Our vision grows dim,
When all that we need is:
A moment with Him. ~ Author Unknown
Let's be honest for a moment: we get so caught up in our daily lives that we often neglect to carve out time for prayer, even just a brief thank-you. If I want to deepen my relationship with Him, it’s only logical that I need to dedicate time to Him. If I can easily spend hours o
...read more
What's In A Name?
by: Gene Ziesel
05/26/2025
0
Isaiah 50:6 states, 6 I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
I was named Eugene at birth to honor my uncle Gene, whom I never had the chance to meet. He was my father’s younger brother, tragically shot down during WWII. Each Memorial Day, I reflect on my namesake and hope I have lived up to that legacy. No greater love exists than to sacrifice oneself for another! Today isn’t for ho...read more
Seek
by: Gene Ziesel
05/23/2025
0
God neither competes for our attention nor will He. He typically does not overpower us, although He did knock Saul to the ground on the road to Damascus. While we need to remain receptive to His communication in any form He chooses, as God, we must approach the burning bush like Moses did instead of fleeing from it. However, we must be cautious not to confuse the voice of God with just another one of our own thoughts!While the truth of God’s voice and His Word signifies H...
read more
God’s Love
by: Gene Ziesel
05/21/2025
0
23 for fall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ~ Romans 3:23-24I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Stephen Olford in person when I was in Bible College. He was a pastor who influenced many men, including Charles Stanley and Adrian Rogers. In his book The Grace of Giving, he tells the story of a Baptist pastor, Peter Miller, who lived during the American Revolution. One
...read more
Never Give Up, Never Give In!
by: Gene Ziesel
05/20/2025
0
Several years back, I read a book by Stephen Mansfield called Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill. For some reason, I have always been intrigued by Sir Winston Churchill. He transformed a nation that seemed on the brink of destruction, rallying its people to secure victory for England during WWII.One of his most famous speeches, arguably the best he ever delivered, was titled "Never Give In!" He presented this speech on October 29, 1941, to his
...read more
Abide!
by: Gene Ziesel
05/19/2025
0
The story recounts the tale of a missionary family who paused for lunch during a safari. While the children played, the father suddenly shouted to his son, “Drop down!” and the son immediately obeyed. Those accompanying them were stunned to discover that a venomous snake was slithering down the tree, poised to strike the child, which would have meant certain death if the snake had bitten him. Only the father noticed the snake.
Everyone present was astonished by the boy's
...read more
Shepherd or Sheepdog?
by: Gene Ziesel
05/16/2025
0
Good morning, my friends,I’ve observed that in life, there are both drivers and leaders, whether in ministry or the workplace. It is often stated that “To lead people is not to manipulate, or drive them!” In our Sunday study of John 10, I discovered that sheepdogs often forcefully guide the sheep. In contrast, a biblical shepherd is meant to walk gently ahead of the sheep, guiding them to their next destination.The difference between the sheepdog and the shepherd is cruci...
read more
What’s Dragging You Down?
by: Gene Ziesel
05/15/2025
0
As a child in the 1960s, I recall our classroom receiving a television to watch the launch of Apollo 11, which carried three astronauts into space. These men became the first humans to set foot on the moon. Once they landed, the world witnessed Neil Armstrong take the momentous step onto the lunar surface and famously declare, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”
A tremendous amount of energy is required to escape the earth’s gravitational pull and make th
...read more
This Day!
by: Gene Ziesel
05/14/2025
0
This morning, here in New Jersey, we find little drops of water falling from the sky. Which reminds me of Psalm 118:24: 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
This morning, many individuals are on the freeway, parkway, or streets heading to work. Most of us follow this routine, traveling the same routes where we frequently arrive feeling tense due to other drivers. Today, or perhaps tomorrow since I may not have given you enough time
...read more
No Regrets!
by: Gene Ziesel
05/12/2025
0
I came across the following devotional that I’d like to share with you today.
“The story is told of Philip Haille, who went to the small village of Le Chambon, France, to write about a community that, unlike others, had sheltered their Jews from the Nazis. He wondered what had driven them to risk their lives for such extraordinary good.
He interviewed people in the village and felt overwhelmed—not by their extraordinary qualities, but by their ordinariness. They were not un
...read more