The Gospel of Mark:
How Jesus Responded to Pressure
Pastor Paul Edwards | Mark 1:35-39 | January 29, 2012

Jesus rose a great while before day and prayed. What did he pray? Could it have possibly been the 55th Psalm. Pastor Paul explores that possibility as he highlights the trouble and oppression Jesus endured through his three year ministry.

January 22, 2012
Pastor Paul Edwards

Mark 1:14-34

In the absence of the King, stewards have mistaken themselves for kings and in the process have made a mess of things. The rightful King returns to set things right.

January 15, 2012
Pastor Paul Edwards

Mark 1:1-13

Who is Jesus Christ? A First Century disciple of the Apostle Peter named Mark answers that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament and the Co-Eternal Son of God who came into the world to identify with our suffering in the wilderness and to procure our ultimate salvation.

January 8, 2012

John 6:43-44

Pastor Bill Tipton is the former pastor of Grace Calvary Church in Pontiac.

January 7, 2012

Hebrews 2:14

Pastor Edwards preaches on Christmas Day (January 7) at Revival Church in Kiev, Ukraine. The translator is Pastor Yaroslav Machinsky, pastor of Revival Church.

January 1, 2012
Joe Atwell

James 1:19-27

As we begin a new year, an encouragement to not merely receive the word of God, but to put it into practice.

December 25, 2011

Ephesians 2:1-10

What changed "a covetous old sinner" (in Dickens's words) to "as good a man, in the good old city, as the good old world had ever seen"? Charles Dickens gets the reason wrong, so we look to the word of God for the answer: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

December 18, 2011

Ruth 4:18-21

Your family tree reveals a lot about the person you are. What does the genealogy at the end of the Book of Ruth reveal about who Obed is and the role he will play in God's redemptive plan for humanity?

December 11, 2011

Ruth 4:16-17

At least 1,000 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, another baby boy was born in Bethlehem to Ruth and Boaz and given a name which foreshadowed the coming of the One who would establish the throne of David forever.

December 4, 2011

Ruth 4:13-17

Every good story contains a crisis to be resolved, and the story of Ruth and Naomi has two: 1) how will Naomi's need for the basics of life (food) be resolved, and 2) how will the name of her deceased husband be continued without an heir. Today's text resolves both of these crises.

November 27, 2011

Ruth 4:9-18

Naomi's prayer in chapter 1 for a husband and family for Ruth will be answered in the most unexpected way through Boaz's redemption. What roll does Judah and Bethlehem play in the birth of a child to Boaz and Ruth which portends the birth of another baby in Bethlehem, the one called The Lion of the Tribe of Judah?

November 20, 2011

Ruth 4:1-12

From the beginning of chapter one, Naomi has been working on a rewrite. She wants to eliminate the pages of her story that are filled with loss, and sorry, grief, and bitterness. She wants the exciting life filled with car chases and rooftop leaps, leading to a happy ending where the father saves the children and he holds them in his arms. But what Naomi cannot see in the dark shadows of her grief is that the very ending she is hoping for is precisely the ending God is writing with the pen of suffering in her life.

November 13, 2011

Ruth 3:1-18

Chapter 3 serves to show that God acts within the obedient actions of his people: Naomi acted to prompt Ruth to go to the threshing floor; Ruth acted in a bold proposal to Boaz to fulfill his role as kinsman-redeemer; Boaz acted in answer to his own prayer for Ruth that she might find refuge under the wings of the Almighty.

November 6, 2011

Ruth 2:19-23

When last we saw Naomi at the beginning of chapter 2 she was a bitter widow granting ambivalent permission to her daughter-in-law- Ruth to go and glean in the fields. Naomi would be unaware of the events that have transpired between Boaz and Ruth, thus the narrator introduces a plot device: the audience knows something one of the main characters in the story does not. Upon seeing the ephah of barley – nearly half a month’s worth of food – Naomi naturally has questions, but she also has some startling answers.

October 30, 2011

Ruth 2:13-18

The dark night of Ruth and Naomi is about to dawn into hope with the continued provision and protection of the man, Boaz, who now extends extraordinary grace, working behind the scenes to ensure that the efforts of Ruth produce a bounty beyond her expectations.

October 23, 2011

Ruth 2:1-13

Chapter 1 closes against the dark backdrop of Naomi's grief. Chapter 2 dawns with a glimmer of hope with the introduction of a man of means named Boaz. How will Boaz play into the providence of God in the lives of Ruth and Naomi?

October 16, 2011

Ruth 1:19-22

There has been nothing but silence between Naomi and Ruth on the 80 mile journey from Moab to Bethlehem. Arriving in the city, returning to familiar surroundings, to old friends, seeing the places where no doubt she had previously been accompanied by Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion, Naomi bursts into lament. This is no joyous homecoming for her. It is a stark reminder of all that she has lost and of her new status. No longer the wife of Elimelech, she is now Naomi the Widow.

October 9, 2011

Ruth 1:6-19

What Ruth's famous vow to Naomi ("Entreat me not to leave thee...") says about the cost of covenant commitment.

October 2 , 2011

Ruth 1:1-5, 15-18

What does the tale of three woman on a dusty road between Moab and Bethlehem tell us about the mystery of divine conversion? And how does God use even our sinful choices to ultimately fulfill his own divine purposes?

September 18, 2011

1 Timothy 6:1-2

All economic systems are flawed, including our capitalistic system. How can believers maintain a godly attitude toward their work within a system that sometimes is unjust and in some cases even corrupt?

September 11, 2011

Ecclesiastes 3

September 4, 2011

August 21, 2011
Paul Edwards

Ephesians 1:11-14

The grace which Jesus promises to be sufficient for us in our trials and suffering is based in three tangible realities: our redemption in Christ, our inheritance in Christ, and the guarantee of our inheritance through the Holy Spirit.

August 14, 2011
Paul Edwards

Ephesians 1:7-10

The grace which Jesus promises to be sufficient for us in our trials and suffering is based in three tangible realities: our redemption in Christ, our inheritance in Christ, and the guarantee of our inheritance through the Holy Spirit.

August 7, 2011
Paul Edwards

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

When Jesus answered Paul's plea for deliverence from the messenger of Satan, his response that His grace is sufficient was not a platitude or merely a promise. The phrase reflects the power of the Godhead at work in our severest trials and deepest longings.

July 31, 2011
Paul Edwards

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

God's sovereignty over evil is illustrated from the life of Paul in the "messenger of Satan" sent by God to humble him.

July 24, 2011
Paul Edwards

Ephesians 1:3-13

If God ultimately controls evil - the bad things that happen to us - are we sinning if we resist evil?

July 17 , 2011
Paul Edwards

Ephesians 1:11

If it is true that God works all things according to the counsel of His will, why are there accidents like Chernobyl, or personal tragedies like cancer and accidents? How do we reconcile the sovereignty of God with the reality of evil?

June 19, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 John 1:1-4

Every child - and especially every son - longs for the affirmation of their father and to know that their father loves them. I was blessed in that I had it, but whether you had it or not, you need to know where that longing comes from. It was put there by God, your Heavenly Father, who has affirmed you and loves you in Jesus Christ.

June 12, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 5:17

What is the responsibilty of the Congregation to the Elders who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching?

June 5 , 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 5:17-25

The Elders are charged with the responsibility of caring for the souls of those under their care through faithful labor in the teaching and preaching. In Acts 20 the Apostle Paul is the model of the faithful elder who instructs his people in repentance and faith, the gospel of grace, and the whole counsel of God.

May 29, 2011


Matthew 5:1-12

May 22, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 5:9-15

This is the definitive text on the purpose and practice of the ministry of women in the local church. The purpose and practice of the ministry of women in the local church is rooted in God’s unique creation design of the woman – a design that is contrary to how the world views and defines a woman.

May 15, 2011

May 8, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Peter 3:1-6

Spirtual Lessons for women from the wives of Lamech and Abraham.

May 1, 2011

April 24 , 2011
Paul Edwards

Matthew 16:24-28

When Jesus says, “Take up your cross,” he is not merely saying you must be willing to die for me. He is saying, “I am a King on a cross and if you follow me you must die to your own identity and your whole identity must be shaped by my identity.”

April 22, 2011
Paul Edwards

Romans 3:21-26

In Matthew 16 Jesus responded to Peter's Confession that Jesus is the Christ with a startling revelation of His own: The Christ must suffer many things and be killed. InRomans 3:21-26 Paul explains that one of the reasons the Christ had to suffer and die was to vindicate the righteousness of God.

April 17, 2011
Paul Edwards

Matthew 16:13-23

Peter is correct when he declares of Jesus, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," but he had failed to connect the Messianic prophecies of the Suffering Servant with Messiah and thus gets his interpretation wrong, leading to his rebuke of Jesus when Jesus says he must be killed.

April 10, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 5:3-10

As Paul continues his instruction on the care of widows, he gets to the heart of why we don’t make a priority of caring for the needs of others: our self-indulgence. And self-indulgence is a condition of the human heart shared by both widows and those who ought to be caring for them.

April 3, 2011
Joe Atwell

Matthew 26:36-46

What can we learn about dealing with our own temptations from the temptations of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane?

March 27, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 5:3-8

Throughout Scripture, but especially in the Old Testament, God has revealed Himself as “the Widow’s God.” What widow cannot take comfort in seeing the deep interest and concern which God takes in her condition! Not only has God promised her what He himself will do on her behalf, but has commanded his Church to sympathize with her, befriend her, and care for her temporal needs.

March 20, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 5:3-8

Why does Paul single out Widows for special attention in a lengthy passage in an epistle devoted to the structure of the Church? He has in view both the Widow's Circumstances and the Church's responsibility to provide for the Widow's Comfort.

March 13, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 4:12-16

The overarching characteristic of the faithful shepherd is virtue that can be imitated by the flock. In 1 Timothy 4:12 Paul emphasizes five areas of the Shepherd’s life where it is absolutely essential that virtue be on display. Then in the remaining verses (verses 13-16) Paul gives instruction on how virtue is to be developed in the life of the Shepherd.

March 6, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 4:12-16

The overarching characteristic of the faithful shepherd is virtue that can be imitated by the flock. In 1 Timothy 4:12 Paul emphasizes five areas of the Shepherd’s life where it is absolutely essential that virtue be on display. Then in the remaining verses (verses 13-16) Paul gives instruction on how virtue is to be developed in the life of the Shepherd.

February 27, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 4:6-10

The Goal, The Regimen, and The Motivation for Godliness.

February 20, 2011
Paul Edwards

Romans 12:10; 15:5-7

Loving one another and preferring one another is impossible without a supernatural change in our nature. We can love as brothers only if we have been born again by the Spirit of God and adopted into the family of God. Loving in this self-sacrificial, preferential way requires a new nature.

February 13, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5

Paul warns Timothy that seducing spirits will produce false teachers in the church to define holiness as a legalsitic obervance of outward ceremonies rather than by the transformation of the heart produced by the gospel.

February 6, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:14-16; Titus 2:11-14

What induces us, what motivates us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age? The answer from Titus 2:11-14 is Heaven. How does Heaven motivate godly living?

January 30, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:14-16; Titus 2:11-14

The grace of God demands that I view all of life in relationship to the grace that I have received, which affects both my relationship with God and my relationship with fellow human beings, regardless of their standing with God, and leads to a life of radical self-denial.

January 23, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:14-16; Ephesians 2:19-22

The new Governor of Alabama created a controversy this week when he told a congregation gathered for an MLK observance that unless Jesus was their Savior, they were not his brothers. How does a person become a member of the household of God, and thus become my brother or my sister in the spiritual sense?

January 16, 2011
Dr. David Murray

Romans 3:9-31

Dr. David Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids. Here he tackles the tough theological themes of Romans 3 in a winsome and engaging message.

January 9, 2011
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:14-16

There is an effort underway to redefine the nature and mission of the Church of the Living God. This effort has at its root a man-centered or man-dependent philosophy which views the life of the church in respect to how the programs of the church serve the congregation.

January 2, 2011
Paul Edwards

Luke 2:25-35

Given the oppressed circumstances of the Jewish people during Simeon’s lifetime, there must have been times when Simeon doubted God’s promise, yet Simeon preserved, firmly believing that God was faithful, and that whoever looked to Him and trusted His promise would never be disappointed.

December 26, 2010
Paul Edwards

Luke 2:8-15

John Calvin said, “We must regard ourselves as poor, helpless souls until we are comforted and made glad by the gospel. We can never really rejoice until we have the assurance that God loves us and is favorable to us, underserving though we are." This is the good news the Angels brought to the shepherds.

December 19 , 2010
Paul Edwards

Luke 1:67-75

If you have ever believed that God has abandoned you in your sorrow and difficulty, Zechariah's song is for you. In his song, Zechariah affirms God's power even when it appears he is absent.

December 12 , 2010
Paul Edwards

Luke 1:52-55

God is the one who rules the world, not only in its natural and continuous order, but also in the changes we see all around us. God judges the world and rules it in such a way that change is never haphazard but proceeds from His just and wonderful counsel.

November 28, 2010
Paul Edwards

Luke 1:46-56

We learn from Mary that in order to truly praise God, we first need faith, and that we are moved to praise God by the assurance of his goodwill toward us. We cease to fix our hearts on ourselves. Our chief delight now is to see Him praised among us and to make His many blessings known.

November 21, 2010
Paul Edwards

Luke 1:39-45

Luke 1:39-45 is ultimately about high hopes and expectations when all of the circumstances declare that what you’re hoping for is impossible. The source of Christmas Joy is believing God in spite of circumstances.

November 14, 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:11

We often limit the definition of slander to the false things that are said about another person. The biblical definition of slander, however, includes the true and the false things that I say about another person if my motivation is to tear down rather than to build up.

November 7, 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:9

First and foremost the Deacon believes the gospel accounts concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Beyond that, he firmly grasps the totality of New Testament doctrine, or teaching, here called “THE faith."

October 31 , 2010
Paul Edwards

Daniel 4:34-37

It is from the Biblical doctrine of God’s total Sovereignty over every sphere of life that we derive an understanding of why politics is necessary.

October 24 , 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:9

First and foremost the Deacon believes the gospel accounts concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Beyond that, he firmly grasps the totality of New Testament doctrine, or teaching, here called “THE faith."

August 22, 2010

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

August 8, 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:1-7

If the Church is the pillar and buttress of truth, those who lead in the church must be free from behaviors and practices which are inconsistent with the truth.

August 1 , 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:4-5, 15-16

How does the man of God relate to members of the congregation? Paul instructs Timothy that the man of God ministers among the people as one who has been called to be above the people, but not in a superior way;separate from the people, but not in an arrogant way.

July 25, 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:2

The man of God is IN control of his own home, exercising spiritual and material oversight of his family and household because he IS controlled by the Holy Spirit.

July 18 , 2010
Joe Atwell

John 6:52-71

The sixth chapter of John narrates two great miracles: the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water which forms the introduction to a very important truth which is unpacked in Jesus' sermon on The Bread of Life: God's total sovereignty and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

July 11 , 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:2

The phrase "husband of one wife" has most often been applied in only the narrow sense of marital status, ignoring the context of 1 Timothy 3 which is focused on the moral character of church leadership.

July 4 , 2010
Paul Edwards

Revelation 5

When we gather together in worship as citizens of Heaven to give all glory, laud and honor to our King of kings, the glory and honor that may rightly be due to our Republic in other contexts has no place in the context of the worship of Almighty God, where He alone is to be honored.

June 27 , 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:2
1 Timothy 6:6-14

The key to a blameless life is "taking hold of eternal life" so that we are not taken hold by the things of this life. What are the practical means by which we take hold of eternal life?

June 20 , 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:2

The 14 qualifications for eldership listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 are not standards which apply only to the pastor(s). They are character traits which must be true of ALL MEN in the congregation as a condition of their appointment to the office of overseer. In what sense must ALL the men of a local congregation meet these qualifications?

June 13 , 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:1
Acts 20:17-35

From 1 Timothy 1:3 and Acts 20:4 we learn that Timothy's understanding of the function of the overseer among God's people would have been shaped by his first hand witness to Paul's sermon to the Ephesian Elders in Acts 20. What specifically are the biblical parameters in which the pastors fulfill their roles as shepherds of God's people?

June 6 , 2010
Paul Edwards

1 Timothy 3:1

The office of overseer in the church is biblically characterized in 1 Timothy 3 as not easily attainable, is not for professionals but for servants, and is reserved for those men within the congregation who exhibit the necessary character to care for the flock of God.

May 30, 2010
Paul Edwards

Romans 8:28-39

We are gathered for worship on the day before the day our nation has set aside to remember and honor those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of their country. While it is certainly appropriate that we recognize such sacrifice, we are all agreed that there is no sacrifice greater than that of the Lord Jesus Christ, and what he accomplished for the salvation of sinners.

Rev. Wrobbel pastored Calvary Baptist Church from its incepton in 1956 until 1970. He shares with us his memories of the establishment of our church.

The issue before us is not one of gender equality but ultimately one of Biblical authority. The primary question we must ask is, “What does the Bible say on the issue of the role of women in the church?” The second question we must ask is, “Will we bend our wills to the authority of Scripture or will we bend our Bibles to the stubbornness of our wills?”

We come today to what is sure to be the most controversial of Paul's prescriptions for public worship – limiting public prayer and proclamation of the word to males. It will take several weeks to unpack the principles contained in this text precisely because they are in direct contradiction to the spirit of this age relative to the roles of men and women.

In this message from Isaiah 62 we see God's mercy on display toward his people as he claims them as His own in their forsaken and desolate circumstances. Pastor Paul explains the biblical and spiritiual motivations for changing the name of our church.

The focal point of the first 8 verses of 1 Timothy 2 is on making a priority of prayer. The priority of worship is prayer. But we are immediately reminded that we do not pray. How does Christ as our One Mediator help our praying?

If in worship we approach a holy God, on what ground, or basis, or foundation do we as sinful humans dare to approach Him?

St. Paul defines prayer in terms of intercessions, supplications, and thanksgiving, grounding our praying in God's own desire that all persons be saved.

It is clear from Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy that the people of God are to organize themselves in distinction from unbelievers in the world and in distinction from professing believers who do not hold to certain truths as laid down by the apostles. If we are to redefine love for the world, it is essential that we set ourselves apart in an organized way for that purpose.

There is a popular idea that the love of God is incompatible with the law of God; that if God is truly love he would unconditionally accept sinners “as they are” and never judge them and certainly never condemn them to eternal punishment.

The fact is, however, that we protect that which is precious to us, and God’s love works through God’s law to protect that which is most precious – most valuable – to him: his name and his holiness.

A common misunderstanding regarding the love of God is that God’s love for sinners is unconditional and that for God to be fair and just he must not ever judge sinners but ultimately bring all sinners to a place of acceptance in spite of their sinfulness. We hear this in statements like, “Well, the God I believe in would never be so cruel as to punish people for eternity in hell,” or “The God I believe in loves us unconditionally and wants us to come to him just as we are, warts and all.”

The question we will consider this morning is this: how does God love sinners? Does he love them because he finds something desirable or attractive in them? Or does he love them in the sense of pure sacrifice, giving himself up for sinners for their good?

When the Bible says “God is love,” we interpret our understanding of that verse through the lens of our own experience of love as we described it last week. In order to understand what the Bible means when it says, “God is love,” it is necessary to look at the way the Bible describes God’s love.

God intends for the way we interact with one another as believers to help redefine love and beauty for fallen humanity. The basis of our interaction with one another is love. Love is an affection for another’s good, recognizing that the ultimate good is God. Love is from God as a gift as distinguished from the common way we view love: love as desire or attraction. We will examine both of these views of love, aiming for this conclusion: The highest expression of love is God’s love for himself and his own glory. Therefore, we ought to love God for God’s sake, our neighbors for God’s sake, and one another (in the church) for God’s sake.