Calvary Chapel Ellicott City | Midweek

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.

Nowadays, whenever I go into a public space and see children disrespecting their parents or causing a ruckus, I always feel so grateful for the way I was raised. I have always learned to respect my parents and others' well-being in public. In today's message, Pastor Dan emphasizes the commandment to honor your mother and father. Respect starts with the parents, who teach it to kids, who then grow into adulthood. Parenting is hard, but the harder you work earlier on, the easier it becomes later in life for you.

The one thing most of us share with our families is our genetics. Our genetics are what make families look like… well… family. When one family member has brown hair, that person's child will most likely have brown hair as well. In today's message, Pastor Dan tells you that when you accept Christ, blessings will be passed down generation to generation. So that your kids will have the same benefits. If your family hasn't accepted Christ, that's okay! You still have the opportunity to choose Him and make Him Lord!

Have you ever been in a situation where you got SO embarrassed that you didn't want to ever go back again? It's truly so humiliating to go back to a place where all you felt was shame. Have you felt that way with God? In today's message, Pastor Dan tells you that even if you're afraid to go back to church from shame or guilt, remember that you will ALWAYS be welcomed back home by Him. He will never leave you, no matter how far you run. You will be shown mercy and love EVERY time you come back.

Whenever you make an omelet, you break open a few eggs. You might throw in some crushed garlic or cut up onions. There may even be some bacon bits fresh off the heat, or spinach that's been bruised and wilted. Each ingredient has been through it, haven't they? Today, Pastor Dan teaches that your life may be full of ingredients of brokenness. You may have been crushed or bruised. However, when you're feeling scrambled, God is ready to form you into something new and beautiful, leaning into your brokenness.

Not many people realize that the time of day when they are most dehydrated is right when they wake up. Our consciousness skips from evening to morning, but our bodies have gone eight hours without a drop. In today's message, Pastor Dan teaches the importance of being hydrated by the Living Water first thing in the morning. He teaches that, as a parent, you need to make sure your children's thirst is quenched just as much as yours. When you start the day hydrated, everything will change.

“I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. No message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.” In today's message, Pastor Dan teaches that, like the words to this popular Michael Jackson song, we often stand in the way of change in our own lives, becoming our own worst enemy. If you want to see your relationship with Jesus grow, don't let the man in the mirror be the one who smothers the flame. 

It's amazing the different family dynamics we can see around us. Some spouses are absolutely in love after 58 years of marriage, and others resent each other after only two. When we begin to model our lives after that of Christ, we begin to love others in the same way Christ does, leading to relationships that flourish and last. In today's message, Pastor Dan teaches that if you seek God, your life will get better… not easier, but better. When you do, you will become more patient, gentle, kind, loving, and more.

People often say history repeats itself. I mean, think about it… Kingdoms rise and fall. Celebrities come and go. Plagues sweep through populations, and people set monumental records. New inventions completely rattle society, and the deaths of prominent figures cause collective mourning. In today's message, Pastor Dan teaches that God has a way of using the past to equip you for the future. When you are faced with a trial, think back to a time God has helped you in the past, and know He can do it again.

After Thomas Edison had famously invented the lightbulb, he said the following: “I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Edison didn't let his past hinder him. Instead, he let his past inform him. Today, Pastor Dan challenges you to do the same. How has God been faithful to your past and delivered you from hard times? Do you think He could do it again? God will use your past to shape and mold you, helping you to overcome future challenges while relying on His strength.

Do you believe in the Word of God? Was God telling the truth when God told Abraham and Sarah they'd have children at such an old age? Do you think that a lowly shepherd boy became king of Israel? In today's message, Pastor Dan teaches that the Bible is full of promises that God has fulfilled. So, if that's the case, do you believe God when He says you are loved? Do you trust Him when He says you are a coheir with Christ? Could He possibly be telling the truth when He says that you are free from your sins?

The world is full of all kinds of people… some genuinely nice, helpful people, and others who just want to see people get hurt and do horrific things. However, even those evil people are capable of doing a good deed now and then. In today's message, Pastor Dan teaches that if those who despise the ways of God are able to demonstrate things such as compassion and kindness, then how much more are you able to live according to the ways that God has called you to live? How can you reflect Christ?

“He who kneels the most, stands the best.” … “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.” … “The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.” … These words of D.L. Moody speak volumes about his character and passion for God. In today's message, Pastor Dan teaches that if you want to be remembered for your faith, then have a faith that kneels often and a character that is worthy of a good reputation. Let your faith transform you.

Despite witnessing so many miracles right before their eyes, the Israelites continued to have their doubts about God. Moses encouraged them to reflect on their lives and acknowledge how God had been present in every circumstance. Every now and then, we might overlook just how amazing God has been in our lives and how He has pulled us through countless tough spots. Yet, we often tend to forget about it. Today, Pastor Dan is here to give you a little nudge and remind you that God is always with you!

In a moment of grumbling and complaints from the Israelites, Moses stepped up to remind them of God's promise, shining a light on the land that was destined for them. He showed, without a doubt, that God had fulfilled His promise to His people. Perhaps you find yourself in a situation reminiscent of the Israelites, pondering why life seems to be stuck in a rut and not improving. Hey there! Today, Pastor Dan is here to share a little reminder about putting your full trust in God's promises!

Have you ever wondered why it took the Israelites so long to finally enter the promised land? Well, in theory, it was supposed to only take them a few days. But they chose to go their own way, ignoring God's plan and instructions, which led them to stray from the path they were meant to follow. Just like the Israelites, you might find yourself leaning more on the world than on God. Today, Pastor Dan invites you to lean into the idea of trusting in God's plan, reminding you that it's truly perfect!

Living life to God's perfect standard is like walking on a tightrope every single day of your life. Even the slightest misstep can cause you to miss the mark, and there is no getting back on the rope once you fall. The fact is that we cannot live a perfect life on our own. But Pastor Dan reminds us that when we accept Jesus' gift of salvation, we are no longer judged by our own merits! We are judged by Jesus' merits, a man who lived a truly perfect, sinless life, and we are invited into the Father's embrace!

All it takes is one tiny mistake to make an entire house of cards collapse. And once Adam and Eve committed the first sin in human history, the curse of that sin passed on to every human being who would come after them. But in today's message, Pastor Dan reminds us that Jesus came to this world to undo the curse of sin that we inherited from Adam. Just as one action condemned us all in sin, one action by Jesus allowed us to return to our original place in God's Kingdom!

The story of Jesus isn't just meant to be read on its own. Instead, the coming of Jesus is the culmination of the story that started with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Jesus' death reversed the curse of sin that started with Adam and Eve. In today's message, Pastor Dan reminds you to read the entire Bible. You can't just read the Gospels and call it good. In order to fully understand what Jesus has done for the human race, you have to look at the whole story: beginning, middle, and end.  

When you write a check, what are the three things you need to do for it to be valid? You need to write the name of the recipient, followed by the amount. Finally, you sign the check to authorize the transaction. Well, Pastor Dan teaches you today that without Jesus' resurrection, the doctrine of salvation is like a check that isn't signed. You can take it to the bank if you'd like, but you won't get anything for it. The death and resurrection of Jesus certified His gift of salvation. It's your ticket to eternal life!

In algebra, you learn that if you are working with an equation, the changes you make to one side must be made to the other. If you add five to one side, you need to add five to the other to avoid creating a false equation! Well, in today's message, Pastor Dan teaches you that the resurrection of the dead and the resurrection of Jesus create an equation. If you believe in one, you have to believe in the other! Only a false teacher will try to teach you that only one side of this equation is true.

There are countless people in this world with testimonies of how God transformed their lives. But none of these stories is more famous than the story of the Apostle Paul! Before he served Jesus, he was responsible for hunting down Christians and arresting them. But in today's message, Pastor Dan reminds us that all of us have done dreadful things in the eyes of the Lord. But God sees through our sinful past and gives us a new opportunity to live for Him. He gives us a second chance!

It wasn't that long ago that people thought that the sun revolved around the Earth; in fact, it wasn't until the 16th century that the scientific consensus began to shift the other way. The fact of the matter is that people need to see that things are true to believe in them, and there are few better examples than James, the half-brother of Jesus, refusing to believe in Jesus as the Messiah! Pastor Dan wants you to observe all of the witnesses of Jesus' resurrection, and how they made a doubter like James believe!

When you lose someone close to you, the pain can be crippling. That person who had such a great influence on your life is all of a sudden gone from this world, and there is a great void in your heart to be filled. Well, Pastor Dan wants to remind you today that, if you and your loved ones follow Jesus, your death in this life isn't the end of your story. Jesus' death and resurrection are an example of what you can look forward to, because you will be brought back to life in a new, purified body, just like Jesus!

Holding on to the truth of the Gospel is like a child holding on to an adult's hand in a crowded environment. Without that safe and guiding hand, you risk getting lost in the chaos around you. Pastor Dan reminds you today that in order to receive the hope of the Gospel in your heart, you need to accept the truth found in God's Word, repent of your sin, and follow after Jesus! And it's not just a one-time decision, because you must choose to hold on tight even when the world around you tempts you to let go.

If you were walking around in a world full of sick people, and you had the cure for their disease, wouldn't you want to share it with as many people as possible? Well, Pastor Dan reminds you today that with the Good News of the Gospel written on your heart, you do have a cure that can be shared with others! The gift of Jesus' blood frees us from the curse of sin, and Jesus has sent us to go into the world and spread the Good News to every tribe, nation, and tongue! There is still plenty of work to be done!

There is one question that all of us face in this life that shapes the path of our lives for the rest of time: do we believe in Jesus, or do we not? It seems like such a simple question, but it is one that we have to take seriously. In today's message, Pastor Dan reminds us of the message of the Gospel and the hope it gives us in eternal life in the presence of Jesus, after our time on this Earth has come to an end. But to inherit that eternal life, we have to put our full trust in Jesus and allow Him into our lives!

Today's society is addicted to convenience. We can have the answer to nearly any question in the world in a matter of seconds, thanks to a simple internet search. But this convenience is an example of something that Jesus never promises to be for us. Pastor Dan teaches us today that when we ask Jesus to do things that He hasn't promised to do, we only stand to be disappointed. Jesus' character never changes, and we must learn to wait on His timing and His wisdom.