THE ROCK

Aerial view of THE ROCK

You see, The Rock is the name of Calvary’s new sports ministry complex that will not only be home to all Calvary Christian High School athletes, but will allow Calvary Baptist Church to minister to thousands of families by providing a warm, welcoming and safe Christ-centered environment where they can play and have fun! Currently, Upwards football uses the field to play their games! “Thanks” seem inadequate to the Christian men and women who are volunteering to coach, referee and mentor these kids. They do this because they love kids, period.
We will also host Upwards soccer later in the year. The Rock is a solid place for kids to play. The Rock is a blessing from a family who has partnered with Calvary to “expand Christ’s kingdom through CCHS”. We thank God for this family, for His blessings and certainly understand the responsibility that comes with such a complex. My prayer is that we minister to thousands more kids than we ever thought possible. To God be the glory!

THE BARN

At Calvary, we LOVE kids! Kids of all ages are a big part of who we are at Calvary. As God has continued to bless us at Calvary, we realized some time ago we would soon run out of space in our preschool area. Well, we knew we couldn’t let that happen, we LOVE preschoolers!

So, with lots of planning, and listening to input from some really smart people, we added 17,500 square feet to our existing preschool building!  This facility is phenomenal!  Eleven large new classrooms, a 4,000 square foot assembly hall equipped with audio & video AND THE BARN!  The Barn is about 2,000 square feet of 2-story FUN!  An indoor playground so fantastic KIDS will surely bring their PARENTS to church!  As you enter the campus from McMullen Booth Road, you will no doubt, see The Barn!  We purposefully gave it visibility as you come in.  Hey, we LOVE kids, remember!?

The next time your kids say, “let’s go to church”, please let them bring you to Calvary!  They’ll love you for it!

And when you see kids in your neighborhood dragging their parents by the hand, saying, “Let’s go to the Barn, Let’s go to the Barn”…

Now you know the story of “THE ROCK & THE BARN”.

Grand Opening, 9/18/11

This new preschool area is open, but we are having a Grand Opening on September 18, so please plan on being part of this exciting event!

Inside the new preschool entry- almost finished

Last night at “The Rock”, Calvary Christian High’s new sports ministry complex, marked the beginning of a new era of ministry for the entire Calvary family. The evening’s inaugural football game was exciting, high scoring and entertaining, but the real event was how God showed up in a big way! The weather was atypical for an August Florida night. Clear blue sky gave way to a cloudless, low humidity evening that was accompanied by a refreshing north wind! Almost 1500 fans enjoyed the game, but more importantly everyone there realized the endless ministry possibilities of this complex! “Expand Christ’s Kingdom through Calvary’s ministry complex”- that’s it!
I look forward to the years ahead, with new friendship born out of the relationship formed because of the wise and visionary leaders God has entrusted Calvary with.
I pray that you will join us for every event that happens at “The Rock”, be a part of changing someone’s life for Christ! That’s the real joy in life…

Bill highlights include new items such as:

• An estate and gift tax relief with an estate and gift tax rate of 35% and exemption of $5 million. The new law also allows any unused exemption of a deceased spouse to be transferred to the surviving spouse by way of election. This provision allows a couple to exempt up to $10,000,000 from estate tax without the need for complicated estate planning.
• A payroll tax cut of 2% for employees for 2011. Employer’s portion remains the same.  The 2% rate cut also applies to the social security portion of the self-employment tax.

Bill extends certain items such as:

• Maintain individual tax rates
• Maintain capital gains/dividend tax rates
• Two-year AMT patch
• $1,000 child tax credit
• American Opportunity Tax Credit and other education incentives
• Research and development credit for 2010 and 2011
• Business extenders
• Energy incentives

Visit the IRS website for all the particulars.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Calvary Baptist Church!

I love ground breaking events!  Not for the usual reasons of they are fun, exciting, you get to see lots of important people and they get you out of work or school!  No, I enjoy them because I really understand the teamwork and coordination that goes into the hundreds of hours invested in bringing a project to the ground breaking event.  In fact, let me make a stronger statement, “I respect and admire the depth of individual commitment, the coordination of teamwork and  passion level leadership must possess to create a culture where the team is willing to sacrifice so much for a greater good!”

I have first hand knowledge on the level of commitment and leadership passion on this project, as I have the pleasure of serving with a superstar team! Pastor Willy, THANK YOU for your  leadership vision and boldness in casting this extraordinary vision from God!  The blessings of your obedience are already evident!  Thank you Dr. Howard Howell for your willingness to chair this team, you have been a pleasure and a joy to work with, inspiring us all to do more! Coach Greg Thiel, David Kilgore, “Buckshot” O’Brien and Art Kader-you are a Superbowl team, engaged in Kingdom work with an attitude of humility and graciousness, thank you!

So, when the construction dust settles and their is “football in the air”, I know who I want to be sitting with in the grandstands of Calvary’s new Sports Ministry Complex! Please join us for that first football game this fall, I promise you it will be a historic event you will never forget!

The economic recovery is in your own hands!  Do you believe that?  Do you want to be in a better economy?  Allow me to introduce three fundamental Biblical principles that will help guide you to a more stable life of providence.

#1) Believe God is the creator of the Universe

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”- Genesis 1:1

I would argue Genesis 1:1 is one of the most important statement ever penned. A defining statement.  Ten words that expound our Christian faith. If you believe these ten words, as I do, you should be living a life of  joy, gratitude and an amazing positive attitude!  When you believe this, everything else in the Bible comes into perspective.

If we understand and believe God is in control of our lives, why do we worry so?  (Matthew 6:26, 10:31) Economic indicators such as GDP, Inflation, Unemployment, Consumer Confidence and Interest Rates keeping you awake at night?  Do these indicators have your stomach in knots? I ask you again, do you believe Genesis 1:1?  Do you really believe that God is in control?  Then WHY do you worry so?  When we truly believe that God is in control and really desires good for us, it takes the pressure off!  Lean on God, he can handle it!

#2) Pray Often

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”- Psalm 34:17

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” – 1 Peter 3:12

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6

Then, one of my favorite passages in the Bible is: 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Getting the picture?  Prayer is the second key in our economic recovery plan.  We must talk and LISTEN to our Heavenly Father, he desires us to communicate with him! When He hears prayers from the righteous, He answers.  I know, I know, some of you will say God has not answered your payers.  But, believe that He will, He has promised!  God will ultimately answer all our prayers.  Just as a reminder, the answer may not be the one you want!  Personally, God’s answers have always exceeded my expectations!

3) Honor God with the resources He has blessed you with

We cannot out-give God, period, end of sentence.  He has given us EVERYTHING.  God OWNES EVERYTHING, remember Genesis 1:1?  Honoring God by giving back a portion of the resources He has blessed us with is an investment that will bring you greater returns than any other investment you can choose.  There are no earthly investments that will last forever, none!  By contrast, all offerings to God are eternal and will last forever.  You will always benefit from giving God the first-fruits of you time, talent and treasure.  It amazes me that we do not understand this investment principle and are more “hoarders” than “”givers”.  Don’t think so?  Check our your garage or self storage unit!   Amazing as our  hoarding mentality is, it is nothing new.  Scripture addresses it firmly in the book of Malachi, chapter 3, verses 8-12;

Will man rob God?  Yet you are robbing me.  But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’  In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.  Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Please understand, I do comprehend the magnitude of this sad economy we are experiencing, we all should.  In the Barna Group‘s article, ”Diverse Set of National Concerns Topped by Widespread Economic Worries” (September 13, 2010), 98% of the adults interviewed listed one issue relating to our poor economy.  All of us have felt the changes over the last few years of a deflating economy, we all know too many friends out of work, too many businesses closed and too may home foreclosures.

The antidote for the “economic worries” we are experiencing is Malachi 3:10, which is highlighted in red above.  This is the only place in the Bible, God challenges us to test Him! Do you have enough faith to test God?  Conversely, I do know some who would say, “I don’t have enough faith not to give!”  Think about that statement for a while!  Allow me to let you in on what should be “headline news”, God keeps his promises!  He absolutely, positively will bless you when you give to His Kingdom!

This third, and most difficult “key” in your economic recovery plan is to get to this place where God, “opens the windows (and doors) of heaven for YOU and pours down for YOU a blessing until there is no more need”.  The only way to get to this place is to “test God” as he asks in Malachi 3:10 and see!  From our earthly standpoint, this “Kingdom investing”  seem counterintuitive, ridiculous to some.   What is absolutely ridiculous is this notion that we can control our future years by buying stocks, bonds, CD’s and other types of “wealth investments” for a secure retirement.  How about that bigger house for an “investment”, that worked well, right?  Worse yet, far too many of us spend and spend, thinking acquiring “stuff” will make us happy and solve all our problems.  NOT!!!  Again, look no further than your all too cluttered garage or too small self storage unit.

There is only one way to begin your solid, long-term economic recovery, follow these three seemingly simple steps. Try it, “test God (it’s the only place in the Bible God says, “test me”!).  So, now that God has “dared” you, test him!   I guarantee you will be “on your way” to a much better economy!  Actually, God guarantee’s it!

Proverbs 4
A Father’s Wise Instruction

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
for I give you good precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.

We have had some great improvements to our website. On our “Staff” link under the tab “About Us”, we now have Social Media icons that allow you to one-click your way to a blog, twitter or Facebook post from the staff! We do want to say in touch with you.  Also, on the bottom of our “Homepage” we have added icons to take you directly to Calvary’s new Facebook page and Calvary’s Twitter page.

Please check the calendar for lots of great events happening at calvarybaptist.org

Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Remember we are, “The land of the free and the home of the brave”.   We hear this line before every ball game in every sports venue in America- The Star Spangled Banner, that so difficult to sing, but marvelous to hear song, that truly brings me to tears every time I hear it.  They are tears of joy and gratitude that I am an American.  An emotional response because I do understand how fortunate I am to be an American, living in this land God has so richly blessed.  I am here to be a blessing to others, nothing more, nothing less.  I would ask that you adopt the same spirit of becoming a blessing to all those you know.  For those we do not know, even more so, find out how to help someone.  A “pay it forward” mentality, giving to others as it has been given unto you.  More so a scriptural principle we must all live by.  In the book of Luke (chapter 6, verse 38), Jesus tells us, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure– pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”  The words of the Son of my God, my Creator-Jesus, who gave his life for me, and for you if you choose to follow Him…

We are a great nation, but we are taking it for granted.  There are no guarantees that we will remain the greatest nation on earth, no promises have been made.  With each passing year we seem to marginalize what it means to be an American.   We too passively ignore the ongoing liberalizations of our freedoms that we as a nation, have sacrificed for. Why should we strive for less?  Why should we compromise, become complacent, cease to care?  WHY should we become less than what we are capable of becoming?  Americans must never settle for being second best.  We must never settle for handouts over hard work.  Never take when we can transform by giving.  Never change for the sake of change, but change to build character, to strengthen, to improve!  Americans have died so we don’t have to be second best.  I am thankful to all the brave souls that have died for my country.  As an Air Force veteran, I know first hand what they knew and believed- America is the greatest nation on earth!  We are still the best country history has every known- do you really get that?  Would YOU give your life for America?

God Bless America