Calvary Chapel Pastor's Blog

Proverbs 15:1;4 (ESV): "1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 4  A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." Our speech can either escalate or deescalate a situation. It can either build up or tear down. Be careful about how you speak!Solomon reminds his son of the power of the ton...

Proverbs 14:14 (ESV): "14  The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways." Just as you can tell a tree by its fruit so too can you tell a person by their fruit. If they are good their life will reflect it, and if they are bad they will not be able to hide it. The bac...

Proverbs 9:8-9 (ESV): "8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning." The difference between a wise person and a fool has nothing to do with intellect but everything to do with...

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV): "23  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." The heart is the central command center of the person. In Jewish culture, it is a reference to the mind. The spiritual heart is the center of all emotions and decisions so keeping it with all diligence is required if you want to live a life hon...

Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV): "5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Trust is the foundation for every relationship. It is built over time. God understands this and therefore He works diligently to show us we can trust Him. W...

Proverbs 3:1–2 (ESV): "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 2  for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you." The Father's heart is to see His children thriving in life and resting in the peace that surpasses understanding. His Word is meant to provide us with instruction for such a...

Proverbs 1:7 (ESV): "7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Fearing God doesn't mean being afraid of Him, it means being reverent towards Him.  It literally describes someone who is devoted to God and who dreads sin.  No wonder the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Solomo...

Psalm 150:6 (ESV): "6  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Praise is the proper response to God always. The word literally means to shine, to flash forth light, to be boastful. It can be translated as Hallelujah. Raise praise to our great God and King forever and ever. It is no coincidence that the last psalm we f...

Psalm 144:3 (ESV): "3  O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?" The love of God is so great for us that He not only acts on man's behalf but we occupy His thoughts. God thinks good thoughts about us constantly and never wishes evil upon us even though we offend Him with our sin. He wants to give us a f...

Psalm 143:10 (ESV): "10  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!" How teachable are you? When people offer you help with wisdom and counsel do you already know it all or do you really consider what is being said? The key to godliness is found in our ability to remain teachable and allowing th...

Psalm 141:3–4 (ESV): "3  Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! 4  Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!" We must guard our hearts, minds, and lips against evil for the name of our Lord is at...

Psalm 135:5–6 (ESV): "5  For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. 6  Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps." God is Lord overall. There is nothing that transpires in our world that He is not in control of. You can fully rest in Him because He is on the throne r...

Psalm 133:1-2 (ESV): "1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!" Unity is essential to the body of Christ. Without it we will not be honoring to God nor will we be able to accomplish His pur...

Psalm 124:1–3 (ESV): "1  If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— let Israel now say— 2  if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, 3  then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;" If it had not been for the Lord we would have no hope in this life. T...

Psalm 123:1 (ESV): "To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!" Where we fix our eyes will dictate the direction of our lives. If we fix our eyes inward we will get depressed. If we fix our eyes outward we will get distressed. However, if we fix our eyes upward we will be delighted for the Lord is our strength and our portion...

Psalm 119:10–12 (ESV): "10  With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11  I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12  Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!" The Word of God is pure light and it exposes everything that resides in darkness. Sin can't hide from...

Psalm 118:22–24 (ESV): "22  The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23  This is the Lord's doing;  it is marvelous in our eyes. 24  This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."The Lord has ordained every day and all events. Nothing is ever by chance! That is why we can rejoi...

Psalm 116:15 (ESV): "15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." There is nothing less precious in our eyes than to experience a Christian loved one pass away even though we know they are going to heaven. However, to God, it is precious because He has been separated from us physically all of our lives. It's a welcome home...

Psalm 115:1 (ESV): "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" God is worthy of all the praise in the world and then some. The temptation for every man is to take the glory for His handiwork. The psalmist declares that no matter who you are or what you do that God dese...

Psalm 110:4 (ESV): "4  The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." If God has called and appointed you to ministry, He will by no means change His mind for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Ro 11:29). Jesus is our perfect example of this! David writes a profou...