Pastor Willy's Blog

It takes an unselfish church to be a growing church. Last weekend we had over 400 more people in attendance than the same weekend one year ago. Yet, at the same time we are in the midst of two construction projects both of which are impacting our parking. The good news is we have spaces. The need is that some of the most convenient spaces are going to be displaced temporarily and that our normal traffic flow on Sunday morning is going to be temporarily disrupted.

This Sunday, Lorraine Yaslowitz will share her testimony as part of our “It Happened to Me” series. Afterwards, I’ll be teaching from the book of Job about how faith in God helps us endure through life’s most difficult trials. There are so many people who need to hear this message and need to be encouraged by Lorraine’s faith and strength. Don’t miss this opportunity to invite someone who needs this message.

Isn’t faith the absence of doubt? This week we learned the answer to that is “No!” The opposite of faith isn’t doubt, it is pride. We can believe even when we still have questions. We can make commitments even when all the facts aren’t all in. You can make a 100% commitment without being 100% sure. It happens all the time. Why do we focus on our doubts instead of our convictions? We doubt our beliefs and believe our doubts.

This morning we are grieving afresh. Another St. Petersburg police officer has fallen, slain last night. It is the 3rd in the less than a month after 30 years without a fatality on that force in the line of duty. The wounds are still fresh from a few weeks ago when two officers, one a Calvary member, were shot and killed. The families of Thomas Baitinger and Jeffrey Yaslowitz are still dealing with their grief and now the family of another, Officer David Crawford, is added to that list.

Faith hopes. This week we discussed the power of hope. The hope we speak of is not a wish for the future, but the certainty that God holds the future and that God holds MY future. Remember that the heroes of faith described in Hebrews 11 acted with obedience and courage not because they realized all of God’s promises, but precisely the opposite, they saw God’s promises from afar even went they weren’t realized. My hope is based upon my certainties, not upon life’s uncertainties (of which there are many).

This week we learned that faith works. It isn’t faith + works that saves us, but it is a faith that works. Real faith always produces a real chance, real spiritual fruit in our lives. Counterfeit faith may say the right things, but it doesn’t do the right things. Dead faith may believe on an intellectual level, but it doesn’t produce worship and love for God. I am praying that your faith is real, and as such that it is growing in fruitfulness.

Calvary is excited to announce that in March we will begin a 3rd weekend service that will be held on Saturday nights at 6:30. We’re excited about this expansion of our ministries that we pray will be an opportunity to get the good news to many more people in our city.