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25 years ago unbelievable tragedy hit our nation. This loss of life caused many to respond with humility and prayer. King David who faced so much adversity knew how to find strength in his God, his shepherd. Psalm 23 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. 4Even though I walk through the valley of the sha

What can we pass on to our friends who struggle to believe that the Bible record is accurate? One, would be that Jesus trusted it. From Matthew 5, we read: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished"(vss, 17,18).

Christ loves us, redeems us and calls us to walk together in pursuit of knowing Him. I love the I Corinthians 13 passage speaking about our future, "For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming (I John 2:28). The second coming of Christ has to be a part of every believer's game plan. The only way we are able to live unashamed is to continue yielding our lives to the guidance of the Spirit of God. Romans 12 reflects that sentiment. 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacri

Brazil Mission Team Report this Sunday Come and hear what God "cooked up" for our team Whenever you sign up to be a part of mission project overseas there are so many unknowns. Robin and I were fortunate to have had mission experience in Africa, Gary and Vonna had never ventured outside of the US. They were willing to take a big leap of faith. Robin and I were encouraged to see how they fought to persevere in the midst of physical challenges. God used all sorts of c

We are waiting for you to join us! Church Picnic tomorrow from 4-6:30 PM at the church gym, 921 Caroline Street. One of my favorite gatherings of the year. We are offering pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs and amazing sides provided by the great cooks that grace us week in and week out. Games and prizes will add to our fun. You will also get more information on our "Connect Groups" and the strategy behind them. As we gather, I am reminded of how important the body mini

Introducing a new concept: "Favor on Five" I believe it is by no accident that God brings into our lives certain individuals. You have a certain set of friends that you care about, that you enjoy being around and for which you carry an empathy. As God allows certain friendships to deepen, God's love in you for them will cause you to carry a burden for their well being. And if we care at all about the friends God has given us, we will be concerned about their eternal dest

What a great name to give to a youth Bible! Having come back from Brazil I believe we were blessed to do just that. Would it seem at all strange to you to ask God to point you in the right direction today to make a difference in someone else's world, to impact their day with the love of Jesus? I would love to see the following true in my life on all occasions: 1) I would like to be known as a servant. Jesus said this, "For who is greater, the one who is at the table or

Was George Washington a Christian or a Deist? During this season of celebrations of our nation's 250th anniversary, I thought it would worthwhile to delve into George Washington's character and beliefs. I discovered a very good article written by Kirby Anderson. Up until about 70 years ago all the school textbooks identified Washington as a Christian, but the recent books have mostly leaned toward the belief that he, like Thomas Jefferson, was a Deist. The turning point

Calvary Mission's Team off to Brazil July 9th Our team includes Frank and Robin Winfrey & Vonna and Gary Hale (pictured left to right). We have a unique opportunity to partner with Brazil Gospel Fellowship Mission (BGFM) as volunteers in the Living Waters English Immersion Course held at New Hope Bible Training Center located in Pacoti (northeastern part of the country), We get a crash course in ESL instruction before the camp begins on July 11th. Calvary Baptist Church

Today is a day for a good umbrella. My garden needed the rain today. Water obviously is a necessity of life. I think we've all heard of the amazing transformation a soaking rain can have on a desert landscape in a matter of hours. Psalm 65:9 You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. When we are feeling weak and vulnerable, I want to encourage you to

For the believer in Christ, death is not the final chapter of the story We had two special people pass on to their eternal reward this week, Sonny Copeland and David Litz. Sonny had known the Lord a long time. David just recently, about 3 months ago, accepted Christ as his Savior. Please be in prayer for Sonny's widow, Jan, and their family. David was not married, but leaves extended family behind that loved and cared for him. Pray for them too please. I love Jesus' w

Verification code please Don't you just love the multiple steps some online accounts have go through to verify your identification? Sometimes you get stuck inbetween steps, like you're on your laptop and they've sent a code to your phone. But there's just one little problem, you guessed it, you can't find your phone! By the time you do find it, the code has timed out and you have to start the process all over again! The caption above is the title I am giving to our next

Do you like shallots? Have you ever grown them? You're looking at a couple of my plants in the picture. This is my first year to plant them. I'm looking forward to my first stew in the fall or a little extra zing in my salad this summer. I planted a few extra veggies late last night. I put in a second batch of sweet corn, tomato seedlings and five more hills of squash. It is fun to watch your garden grow. Always anticipating a harvest. God loves to see his garden gro

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). I have enjoyed for the last few months walking with our congregation through the book of 2 Timothy. We are almost finished. I have loved the depth of Paul's honesty. He shared deep revelations about the battle he faced to keep proclaiming the gospel in a culture that was hostile and opposed to his message. He fought a valiant fight that took him to vast portions of the first

Our wisteria vine has finally bloomed this year. The first year I put this plant in the ground (2024) it seemed to grow very little. Last year the vines started to grow up to and around the railings on the deck, but still no flowers. I had to help them attach by tying them to the railings and I spread the vines out in a pattern that would cover the most space. This spring the cone shaped flower clusters started to open up. I am really enjoying them, their beauty assure

Lord willing, we are traveling and serving in Brazil from July 10-19th. A team from Calvary will be a part of the Living Water English Immersion 2026 We will be providing much needed volunteer assistance in the annual one week English Immersion Program held at New Hope Bible Training Center (NHBTC) in Pacoti, northeastern Brazil. We were invited to come by David and Connie Johnson who are missionaries with Brazil Gospel Fellowship Mission. They are missionaries that Cal

75th National Day of Prayer Celebration 5/7/26 in Pekin Illinois A time of challenge, worship and prayer was held at Reach Point Church last evening. Many from our church were thrilled to participate. Below is a prayer highlighted in the brochure distributed by the National Day of Prayer Task Force. Almighty God, King of Glory, we confess our sins and repent of our pride that sought our own glory and comfort, allowing evil to take root instead of Your fruit in our hearts,

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his" (Hebrews 4:9,10). Rest or sleep can be one of those elusive commodities. Some nights are just not restful. You wake up exhausted. Maybe you can attribute it to that late night cup of coffee, or the argument you had with a co-worker or the anxiousness you carry about an unfinished and troublesome project. Hebrews 4 is not actua