Calvary Chapel Ellicott City | Midweek

Growing up, did the threat of getting something taken away cause you to behave? The thought of losing your treat after dinner or not getting to go out with your friends compelled you to obey… but not all the time. There were moments where the threat of consequences didn't outweigh your actions of disobedience. The same can be said about Israel. Today, Pastor Dan shares how the threat of curses didn't deter Israel from disobeying God's commandments because of their sin nature.  

Have you ever questioned the legitimacy of the bible? You read the stories and think, " Did that actually happen”?  You are not alone; in fact, you can probably go online and find an argument about this very thing! Today, Pastor Dan shares that the events and stories in the Bible are, in fact, true. Dan breaks down multiple archaeological findings that are tied to events in the Bible. This is encouraging and can strengthen your ability to proclaim that the Bible is a real book about real people living in real places. 

There are moments in our lives that are hard. It could be problems at home or at work, or a struggle to feel a sense of worth. In these moments, they breed frustration and resentment, and the last thing we feel is joyful. But God shares something we can always rejoice in, no matter the situation. In today's message, Pastor Dan focuses your attention on God and His goodness, and not your feelings. You can rejoice in God because of what He acomplished thorough His Son's sacrifice on the Cross. 

When God blesses you, do you acknowledge Him? There are so many things that get taken for granted that are blessings, like waking up the next day, being healthy, or just getting to genuine rest from a busy work week. To some, this is just another mediocre day, but if you believe in the goodness and faithfulness of God, these are wonderful gifts that you get to experience on a daily basis. In today's message, Pastor Dan points us to how Israel acknowledged God in all the ways He blessed them. 

When you receive a gift, the typical response is to say thank you! That is the norm in society. What if you receive a gift that is unexpected or surpasses your expectations? Your gratitude tends to grow. You show more affection to the person who gave you that incredible present. The greatest gift we could ever receive comes from the Lord, and our response should replicate that. In today's message, Pastor Dan shares that when God blesses you, your response should be one of unrelenting praise and rejoicing! 

Is there a moment in time you wish you could bottle up forever? It could be a time spent with close friends, your wedding day, or seeing your child take their first steps. These are the moments that left a lasting impression on you, so much so that you want them to last a lifetime. Well, there is a moment that you can experience that will surpass this lifetime and will remain with you forever. In today's message, Pastor Dan encourages you that when you place your faith in Jesus, you will have everlasting life. 

The common phrase “comparison is the thief of joy” rings in my head whenever I try to look at others and compare my life to theirs. It's so easy to think that just because they did or didn't do something, I'm better than them. In today's message, Pastor Dan says that Jesus should be your standard of living. Don't look left and right at others and compare yourself to them. You will not be judged on “if you were better than someone else or not.” You will be judged on how closely you follow the commands of Jesus.

There are some autobiographies that I've read and said, “Did this person ACTUALLY do this?” Sometimes, it's easy to doubt the authenticity and authority of God, but it's important to remember that He has provided us a step-by-step guide on how to live for Him, and that the words given are His direct commands to us. In today's message, Pastor Dan emphasizes that the Bible is God's word. It's not a paraphrase of Him; it's not an idea of Him. It is the actual things that He has said, done, and will do for us. 

Historically, a lot of America's values are based on Christianity, whether people realize it or not. In today's message, Pastor Dan talks about how the Founding Fathers actually used Deuteronomy numerous times while writing the Constitution. Although it may seem like Deuteronomy isn't that important a book, or that it's outdated and should be overlooked, it actually ended up as part of the foundation of the United States of America, with laws and rights that are still upheld today!

In most movies I watch, the main character has a family last name that determines their entire status, both good and bad. Even though they get treated based on their family, God doesn't treat you differently based on your ancestors. In today's message, Pastor Dan says that your sins condemn you. Not your spouse, not your family, YOUR sins. The good news is that you've already been forgiven for that. You have this amazing opportunity to center your life around Christ and live according to His commands!

Marriage can be hard sometimes. One thing I've learned about marriage is that your spouse will build you up the most, but also hurt you the most. That may sound discouraging, but Jesus has redeemed you so that you can love your spouse and give them grace just as He did for you! In today's message, Pastor Dan talks about how a husband should love his wife. The Bible says to love your wife as you would love yourself. The best way to honor her is to love her, care for her, and make her happy!

You might feel like you'll never be ready to have kids, but the reality is that you may NEVER feel ready. If you're married, consider taking the step of obedience in bearing children! In today's message, Pastor Dan says that despite what the world says, the Bible says that marriage is a gift from God, and that children are a source of happiness, joy, and a reward from Him. Getting the opportunity to raise disciples to love Christ, who will then go out and make more disciples, is a HUGE honor! 

Although culture may see getting married as a burden, Christians think otherwise. Marriage is a wonderful gift from God that's cherished and lifted. What better way to exhibit the Gospel than to live for Him in marriage? In today's message, Pastor Dan talks about the beauty of marriage and its correlation to Christ. Just as He will never give up on you, husbands and wives should never give up on each other. A Holy covenant doesn't get broken in marriage, AND the same goes for your salvation in Christ.

In a world where it's encouraged to avoid marriage and children, God says to do BOTH of those things! If God provides a partner, be countercultural and marry that person! There's nothing more beautiful than getting the chance to exhibit Christ in your marriage. In today's message, Pastor Dan says that in marriage, it should be your desire to have children. Whether that's through conception, surrogacy, or adoption, growing a new generation of disciples of Christ and creating a ministry is important to the kingdom of God.

I love days when I get to sleep in. But sometimes, I take advantage of that time, and I sleep in on days that I need to get things done. If I continue to build a habit of getting up late, I'll never have a productive day in my life! In today's message, Pastor Dan says that if you have sin stuck in your life, you'll never move forward with God. Sanctification is the process of becoming more Holy, and if you're holding something from God because you don't want to let it go, well, then it'll be hard to grow in Holiness. 

Typically, we go to the hospital because we're sick, and we need to be healed. Other than that, there's no reason to be there. Many people try to turn to God AFTER they fix their life, but never consider that maybe God will do that all on His own. In today's message, Pastor Dan says that God will show mercy to those who will openly turn and trust Him. Your life doesn't need to be perfect, and you don't need to know everything right away. A heart of love and obedience is always the first step.

At a job, we are given rules and guidelines to follow in order to maintain an orderly workplace. As employees, it's important to listen and agree to these rules in order to thrive in the workplace. In today's message, Pastor Dan says that to live as a Christian, you must submit to the authority of God. A Christian who doesn't treat Jesus as a Savior is nothing more than a lukewarm Christian. Would you say you fully submit to God? Or are you holding something back that you don't want to let go?

Our society might benefit greatly if we took on similar rules regarding sex before marriage. As Pastor Dan continues leading us through the book of Deuteronomy today, we'll examine these archaic-seeming laws. Many today would just scoff and complain over how “irrelevant” these laws seem. But young people took sex seriously because of this. They had a respect for the consequences of their actions, and they knew there was nothing casual about this relationship as God designed it. 

Our culture is very divided on this issue. You may have heard Pastor Dan's words a moment ago and felt either deeply offended or deeply vindicated. The truth is, there are many ways that we defy God's design as humans, and it's important to approach the confusion that some experience regarding gender with grace. That doesn't mean you can't speak the truth; in fact, you need to. But it's important that when you do, you do so with love and a desire to point the broken towards our healer, Jesus.

This isn't a familiar scenario for most of us. Most people don't have livestock and won't ever need to track down their neighbor's donkey. We may have a dog or a cat, or we may have other possessions that are valuable and meaningful to us, though. As Pastor Dan will challenge us in today's message, we should be generous with our willingness to help others. It can speak volumes to a neighbor in need when we give of our time and resources to help them, with no expectation of payment.

As we study through the book of Deuteronomy, we repeatedly encounter the brokenness of sin and the need for atonement through sacrifice. Our sin separates us from God, and the only way we can draw close to Him is to have our sin removed. Before Jesus, this system required repeated sacrifice. Every new sin required a new sacrifice. But, as Pastor Dan will remind us in today's message, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was once and for all. When you trust in Him for salvation, He offers eternal atonement.

If you're a parent, your children need you to be an adult with well-regulated emotions and integrity in your relationships and responsibilities. Today, Pastor Dan will challenge parents to follow Biblical guidance and wisdom in how they treat their children. You're going to have to say “no” sometimes, and you're going to have to discipline at times. It's a crucial element in loving your child and raising them in a way that enables them to have a meaningful life that honors God and respects others. 

We're born sinners, meaning that we're going to break God's laws and miss the mark of what He designed us for, but those actions and attitudes aren't meant to define who we are. Part of being enslaved to sin is that we attach ourselves to it, believing it's a part of who we are. As Pastor Dan examines today's passage in Deuteronomy, we'll be reminded that we were designed for holiness. Instead of clinging to our sin, we need to accept the offer of forgiveness and freedom from it through Christ.

Many Christians mistakenly think that ministry is primarily done by pastors in the pulpit. At some point in their journey, they may even feel a call to ministry and assume that they need to become a pastor or a missionary themselves. As Pastor Dan clarifies in today's message, all of us are called to be ministers of the Gospel, but in most cases, you don't need to change jobs or locations. You can minister in your current workplace and home by being diligent and reliable, doing everything as an act of worship.

Satan is the father of lies. His lies are usually subtle, making them easier for well-meaning people to swallow. But, as Pastor Dan will remind us in today's message, God does not change. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn't bend to the whims of our culture. He created humanity, and our design and the laws that govern us are not dependent on how we feel. When we come to Him in repentance, we have to acknowledge that He alone holds this place of sovereignty.  

For those who accidentally killed someone in the Old Testament, they could find sanctuary in special cities of refuge”. Here, they were protected from the vengeful desires of the victim's family. As Pastor Dan will explain in today's message, these cities serve as a beautiful illustration of the role that Jesus plays for all mankind. All of us are guilty of sin, both purposeful and accidental, and we deserve separation from God because of it. Jesus is our city of refuge where we can find safety and eternal life.

What does Deuteronomy have to do with Jesus? Sure, they're both in the Bible. That's an easy answer, but as with this entire collection of inspired books and letters, Jesus is central. When you look at the heart of the Old Testament, including Deuteronomy, you'll find foreshadowing, prophecy, and symbolism that clearly point to the coming Messiah and His work of redemption. As Pastor Dan examines today's passage, we'll find yet another example of this connection. 

God's design and laws can sometimes seem complicated and even cumbersome. Why so many rules in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy? Why couldn't He keep it simple? As Pastor Dan continues our study in the book of Deuteronomy today, we'll be reminded that all of these laws are centered around a core truth. That core truth is that our God is love. Every law came from a heart that cared for His people and wanted to protect and provide for them to live purposeful lives that honored Him. 

We have an incredible privilege in our access to God's Word. This is a relatively new thing in the Church. For the first 1500 years of Christianity, the vast majority of believers did not have direct access to the Bible, and they often depended on someone else to read it and translate it into their tongue. Today, you can access it on your phone or easily find a cheap or even free copy to carry with you anywhere. As Pastor Dan will remind us today, we need to hold God's Word close and seek wisdom from it daily.  

God gave mankind free will, and in our sin, there have been many choices made that demonstrate our rebellion against His authority. But, while we have free will, God's will will be accomplished in the end. In His sovereignty, He'll can use even our acts of defiance to serve His plan. As Pastor Dan will remind us in today's message, even when we don't like a specific leader, especially in the Church, we need to submit to their leadership as long as it doesn't directly defy God's commands. 

As Pastor Dan will explain in today's message, according to the law given in Deuteronomy, if someone was guilty and convicted of a sin deserving of death, the person who brought the accusation was to throw the first stone. After that, the rest of the community would join in throwing stones till the punishment was complete. Such a gruesome system. It's shocking to us, but it demonstrates the weight of not only the sin but also the serious responsibility that rested on the accuser.

Jesus should be the center of your life. When you give your life to Him, it should be evident in how you live your new life. There should be a difference. The sins of the world that used to have a hold on you shouldn't anymore. Today, Pastor Dan will point out how the feasts in the Old Testament that Israel was commanded to observe were a huge part of their life. They took effort and commitment, and they pointed to Jesus. They were such big events because Jesus should be equally as important to you in your life.

The feasts and laws of sacrifice in the Old Testament that Israel was to follow all pointed miraculously to Jesus thousands of years later. What the Israelites were commanded to do would all make sense one day when Jesus came to die for your sins as the perfect law-fulfilling sacrifice. In today's message, Pastor Dan will take you through the symbolism behind those Old Testament traditions that might not be so clear until you learn how they connect to Jesus. Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament laws.

Israel was told to be generous. They were told to be different than the world around them by how they conducted themselves each day. They were never to stray from God or His ways. In today's message, Pastor Dan wants you to know that all the rules and regulations God put on Israel were for their good. They would be greatly blessed by God for following His laws, and they would forfeit those blessings if they turned their back on Him. That's how it is for you today, too. God wants you to follow His Word.

The Israelites had a lot of laws that they had to follow that might seem pointless in today's world. But God had a purpose for all of them. As Pastor Dan will explain in today's message, a lot of the laws were for Israel's good. They benefited them in a way they might not have understood. Others were to set them apart from the pagan world around them, so they stood out from the sinfulness of the world. Still others were so that they would have constant reminders of God's goodness on them as they observed His law.

What God's Word says is what you should follow. Regardless of what research or modern doctrine says about anything in the Bible being irrelevant or out of date, God said it for a reason. He wants the best for His people, and He wants you to live a blessed life in Him. In today's message, Pastor Dan's going to encourage you to seek out God's Will for you in the Bible, and to live it out. If you call yourself a Christian, you need to know God's laws so you can follow them. He wants you to be committed fully to Him.

When you give your life to Christ, your study time should include the Bible and listening to people who preach the Bible. Anything else shouldn't be in your life. It could cause you to stumble in your faith. Or worse, it could lead to you going down a path of eventual rejection of God. In today's message, Pastor Dan is going to warn you against false religions and false prophets. You need to be on your guard against any teaching that's contrary to Scripture, so you don't become deceived by any of it.

God set up clear laws for the Israelites about how they should worship Him and give their sacrifices to Him. All His laws have a purpose. He didn't want the Israelites to be ensnared by the evil practices of the wicked nations around them, so He gave them laws for their own good. Pastor Dan is going to remind you in today's message that God's laws for you are for the best, too. They might not be the easiest path to take in life, but they're worth it. God wants your devotion, undistracted from other false religions.

There's no limit to what Jesus' sacrifice on the cross can free you from. Whatever you've done in the past doesn't matter in light of God's forgiveness. He wants you to turn to Him. He wants you to give up the sin in your life so He can pour His blessings out on your life. But, as Pastor Dan will talk about in today's message, He won't force you to choose Him. That has to be your decision. But it's a decision you won't regret. You can be free of the weight of all your past mistakes if you just turn to Him.

If you want to experience the fullness of God's blessings that He has planned for your life, you need to give up your old ways of life from before giving your life to Him. He wants you to live differently from how you used to when you were still living in sin. In today's message, Pastor Dan is going to show you how God is abundant in blessings to those who follow Him and His will wholeheartedly. But when you make the decision to continue in sin, you forfeit those blessings for the immediate pleasures of your flesh.

Following God means you need to give up all the past sin that's in your life. Jesus died for you to be forgiven of all the mess of your past. It's contrary to God's will for you to continue in it. As Pastor Dan will explain today, your life should bear the fruits of the Spirit working in you if you've really given your life to Christ. You should act differently as a result. The world should see a difference in you that's for the better. How you live should point others to Christ, too, as they see what a positive change has taken place in you.

Jesus intercedes for you to the Father. Just like Moses, He talks to God, so you don't face His wrath. Through His sacrifice on the cross, you can be forgiven of your sins and have eternal life. Today, Pastor Dan is going to show you how Moses acted as the intermediary between God and the people of Israel. Even while He was receiving their law, it didn't take long for Israel to distract themselves from God and make an idol. Moses pleaded for their forgiveness, similar to how Jesus makes a way for you to be forgiven.

Doing good things is great, but why do you do them? Are you a kind person and love to see the betterment of others, or are you trying to gain some type of favor from someone, and is that someone God? You might be saying, “I volunteer at the soup kitchen twice a month, so God will definitely bless me.” This is a dangerous mindset. Today, Pastor Dan teaches that God doesn't distribute His blessings based on how “good” you think you are or the “good works” you do, but does so out of His grace alone. 

It feels good to have “success.” It could be when you gain status in your job, when you get good grades in your classes, or even when you're praised for having good kids. When this abundance hits you, it can be easy to forget what life was like beforehand. You might even forget who to thank for the accomplishments that you are seeing. In today's message, Pastor Dan shares about the dangers of prosperity in your life when it comes too quickly, and he'll point you to praise God rather than yourself.

When things are going well in life, there is nothing that can bring you down from that mountain-top feeling. You might get cut off in traffic, but you think to yourself, “No sweat, life is good,” But what happens when things aren't looking so bright? You feel as though you are in the wilderness. That same car cuts you off, but now your reaction is different. You have more anger in your heart and are ready for a fight.  Today, Pastor Dan shares how God uses the wilderness to reveal the truth about where your heart is. 

What's a moment in your life that you look back on fondly? It could be your wedding day, the day your kid said his first word, or a close friend being there for you.  Do you think back to the hard or dark moments in your life?  The fondness isn't always there, is it?  With those difficult situations from the past, you can look back on them and think of the hope God gives. Today, Pastor Dan helps you see that remembering those challenging circumstances allows you to recall that God got you through, and He'll do it again.   

Have you been in friend groups where their behavior rubbed off on you more than you rubbed off on them? You might be the calm one who is a little less spontaneous, but your group is so spontaneous that, instead of planning ahead, you become more spontaneous like the people around you. It can be easier to be dragged down than to pull others up. This might feel discouraging for you, but today Pastor Dan shares that, even if this is a reality for you, the hope lies not in your strength but in God's. 

Have you ever stopped a bad habit, only to find yourself drawn back to it? It could be letting your anger control you in stressful situations, yelling at your kids for a mess they left, or procrastinating on assignments you had time to complete. When you try to break a habit on your own, it becomes easy to fall back into your old ways and feel like you constantly fail. Today, Pastor Dan shares how you are too weak to fix these things on your own, but there is hope, and that hope and person you can lean on is God. 

Prosperity is a blessing from God. All that you have comes from God! Stop and think about it…did you have to “think” about taking that last breath? How about your heart…did you think about making it beat? No! This is all a gift from God. Today, Pastor Dan reminds us that we need to be very careful WHEN God blesses our lives with prosperity. We need to remember that all we have comes from Him and use all His blessings to further His kingdom here on earth.

I've been married for a little over twenty-five years. I'm so thankful for that. And yet, if you're married and listening today, you know that marriage takes work. Imagine if you only told your spouse you loved them once a month, or worse yet, never. Would that lead to a healthy relationship? Or what if you ONLY “said” you loved your spouse, but you never did anything to support those words? That wouldn't work either. You'll learn today that love is a VERB…it's action…it's DOING. Today, Pastor Dan says that God expects us to obey Him as a response to His love for us.

I know that when the check engine light comes on in my car, there's something wrong. But, fixing that problem???…that's a whole other thing!!! I don't know the first thing about mechanics. Knowing is only part of the equation. The Bible is a book full of commands and promises for obedience. As Pastor Dan teaches through Deuteronomy six, we'll learn that the blessings and promises of God found in the Bible are only accessed BY obedience. It's not enough to“know” the Bible. I have to DO something. I must obey.