For twenty centuries the Christian faith has been misunderstood, mocked, and persecuted, yet it continues to stand firm inviting everyone to consider its claims.

On Sunday mornings this January at Calvary East we will explore the reasons for having an unashamed confidence in the Christian faith as they were articulated by the Apostle Paul in the opening chapters of his New Testament letter to the Romans.

 As they become available, these messages can be streamed or downloaded here. 

The true heart of Christmas is captured in Jesus’ best known words: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Join us at Calvary East this December as we consider the life-changing power of these amazing words.

December 4 & 11 @ 10:30 a.m.
God’s Love for the World

December 18 @ 10:30 a.m.
The Unimaginable Cost

Christmas Eve – December 24 @ 4:30 p.m.
Receiving the Gift

Christmas Day – December 25 @ 10:30 a.m.
Celebrating the Gift

As they become available, recordings of these sermons can be streamed or downloaded here.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Trying to discern God’s call for your life can be as simple as having a conviction to serve. It can also be a long roller-coaster ride of spiritual high points and failures. I hope that the story of my calling will encourage you that God can work through all kinds of situations to bring about His will for us.

I started playing drums for my youth group in middle school, mostly so I could play with another band. But in my sophomore year the student worship leader left for college, and it seemed like people looked to me, as the worship pastor’s son, to step up. The call to ministry had been thrust upon me. So I learned guitar and began to “talk shop” with my dad about what this worship leading thing was all about. I led throughout my time at home, sometimes with deep passion, sometimes with hypocrisy as I lived my life outside of church focusing on selfish and worldly motives; but I had accepted that this was the call on my life, to see the glory of God proclaimed.

I went to a Christian university to get more training. During my time there I became distracted from my calling and started to pursue modern musical composition as a means to gain acceptance and prestige in the academic world. I still played on worship teams for the chapel program and ended up co- leading a group. It was through these responsibilities and some deep relationships with other people pursuing Christ that I began to see my own selfish motives and that I wouldn’t have a very large impact for the glory of God. If I were to lead God’s people in seeing and singing His glory and praises, however, I might by the grace of God be used by Him to advance His kingdom and encourage those who worship with me.

At different points in my walk my calling has been confirmed by others, and I find that this only happens when I have been faithful to strive to be who God has called me to be both in Christ and in ministry. When I have taken my eyes off Him there inevitably comes doubt and a second guessing as to what I’m supposed to be doing. God has been faithful to renew my spirit and my call every time.

While here at Calvary East I have been given the opportunity to serve in different capacities with many devoted people, and have seen God’s faithfulness to work in and through me (sometimes in spite of me) and through others. There’s a lot of life ahead of me. Though I don’t know exactly what capacity my long-term calling will take I know one thing for certain— I am to devote my life to the service of the church for the glory of God.

- Jared Ransom

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The title “pastor” comes from the Latin word for shepherd. Jesus, Peter, and Paul all use the word shepherd to capture what it means to lead the church. Spiritual shepherding involves leading a flock, feeding them with God’s truth, protecting them from spiritual attack, and seeking them if they go astray.

Sometimes I’m asked why I would devote my time to being a pastor. The short answer is that I believe God has called me to serve in this way. But how do I know I am called?

My call to pastoral ministry began with a desire. Paul says in 1 Timothy 3:1, “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.” The New Testament uses the terms pastor, overseer, and elder interchangeably.

Throughout high school I was planning to become a career military officer, so I entered my freshman year at the University of Southern California on an Air Force scholarship. I had only been a Christian for two years, but I began to realize that my real passion was to be involved in ministry. I felt that I wouldn’t be content doing anything else. So this desire started me toward ministry. I gave up my scholarship and made plans to transfer to a Christian college to study the Bible. But desire alone isn’t enough to confirm a call to pastoral ministry.

A call to ministry must also be affirmed by other church leaders. Paul guided his coworkers Timothy and Titus in identifying church leaders by giving them a list of essential character qualifications (see 1 Tim 3:2-7 and Titus 1:5-9). He cautioned Timothy, “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others” (1 Tim 5:22). When a group of elders laid hands on someone it was a way of recognizing and affirming their call, and as this verse indicates it was a very serious action.

To really know someone’s convictions and character takes time. In my case, there were times when this process of affirmation seemed excruciatingly long. After I completed three more years of college and another four years in seminary, the Lord graciously provided me and my family with the opportunity to move to Michigan and serve on the pastoral staff at Calvary Bible Church. My ministry there afforded me the opportunity to grow and develop relationships with other leaders so that they could really know me. After five years, Calvary’s elders formally affirmed my call to ministry.

When Paul addressed elders from the city of Ephesus, he said, “…the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). I’m grateful for the way the Spirit  has worked in my life and continues to work to give me the desire to serve, to teach me to understand and explain Scripture, and to keep forming my character.

It was five years ago this month that I began preaching every Sunday morning at this location that we now call Calvary Bible Church East. I count it an incredible privilege to devote my time to serving God here, and I’m blessed to see the great church family that God continues to build.

 - Bryan Craddock

Sunday, October 30, 2011

A lot of times we sing songs because they are catchy, or we’ve heard them enough times to memorize them. In church we can even sing a song simply because everyone else is and it seems expected of us. But when we sing something we are basically agreeing with whatever it is that we are singing, because not only are we hearing the message we are giving voice to it.

In a church service, when we are singing to or about God, it is very important to make sure that what we are singing is free from false teaching. We try very hard to weed out bad songs before they ever show up in church, but that doesn’t mean that you should trust everything that is put up on the screen.

If you don’t know a song or don’t quite understand it, don’t sing it; this is something that is in keeping with the example set by the Bereans (Acts 17:11), and is something that I do as well.  But to aide you in testing these songs I’d like to show you why we sing the songs we sing; the Scripture behind them, and the reason it’s important for us to sing them as the body of Christ.

The song “Every Day”, from Sovereign Grace Music, seems like a good song to start with. Not only have we been singing it a lot, it is a song that is hard to sing and mean. You can view the lyrics here or click the play button below to listen.

It is difficult to sing “Thank you for the trials,… thank you for the pain” because if we are honest most of the time we aren’t thankful for them. But God has more in store for us than our momentary comfort. He uses trials to produce praise, honor and glory to Jesus through us (1 Peter 1:7), steadfastness (James 1:3), and through that steadfastness the crown of life (James1:12). We also have the assurance that when we ask for wisdom in these trials, with the faith that God will provide, He will give it (James 1:5-6). And if we acknowledge that all good things come from God, this gift of wisdom will lead us to praise Him for His goodness (James 1:17).

These ideas are all found in the song “Every Day”. In the first verse the song speaks of the fact that God knows all things and that He allows what we don’t understand because it will bring Him praise (1 Peter 1:7). In verse 2 we see that God will empower us when we are weak and need His help and that through His provision our hearts are filled with praise for Him(James 1:5-6, 17). In the chorus we respond by thanking God for these trials that are ultimately for our good and by praising Him for the strength to get through them because we know that He is in complete control.  Finally the bridge proclaims that God’s word is sufficient for all our needs.

The reason we sing this song together is best summed up by Bob Kauflin, the man who produced the project that “Every Day” comes from. He says, “[These songs] are designed to encourage those who are going through trials, as well as prepare us for going through trials…”

I pray that this song will do just that.

- Jared Ransom