Redemption Calvary Podcast

If your heart isn't right with God, the church can sometimes feel like drudgery, an activity to check off, full of people you don't quite click with. Yet, as Pastor Cody will teach you today, the church is so much more than a gathering each Sunday in a building. It's a gathering of family. And everyone in this group of believers is made in the image of God. They're your family. Ask God to soften your heart to those hard to love. Ask God to open your eyes to the blessing of this family. Enjoy the gift God has given you in the church!

There are some believers who're fully convinced that to worship God well, you need an elaborate church or a large and boisterous congregation. Yet, as Pastor Cody explains today, what makes a church a church is the presence of the Lord. God is present in a slum church and in the fancy chapel in the suburbs. He's there with the underground churches around the world and in the mega-church in the city. Seek the Lord where you're at. Worship Him with your whole heart. He's there with His people.

There are some believers who're just going through the motions, just existing, waiting to really live in Heaven. Yet, as Pastor Cody explains today, God has so much more for you in this life! He's given you abundant life and people to live it with! Living life is always better with someone else! Especially the Christian life. You're stronger and happier with other believers around you! You're meant for fellowship. It's a family that is full of love and encouragement.

There should be a major change happening in your life when you come to salvation. Your life should be different as you let God work through you and transform you into who He wants you to be. Today, you'll get to be reminded by Pastor Cody that sin has no place in your life anymore when you come to Christ. People should be able to see the difference and tell that you're a Christian. If there's no evidence that the Scriptures are changing you as you learn Them more and more, do you really believe it?

God's Word is the source of perfect truth about salvation. Pastor Cody is going to show you how Paul went to the very basics of God's grace and forgiveness in the book of Romans. Everyone is born in sin, and that sin separates us from God. Jesus came to earth to live like a man and suffer and die for your sin so you can be saved, if you believe in Him and confess your sins. When you stray, being reminded of the truths of God's Word like Paul did for the Roman church can help you get back in His will.

There can be a division that rises between Christians that are mature in their faith and Christians that are weaker in their faith. But, where there's been division, there should be unity. Pastor Cody is going to explain today how the hope and faith of a mature believer are for encouragement and an example to the weaker believer. And all believers should be encouraging each other to look to God and grow closer to Him. If that's not what you see around you, how can you point others to God through your life?

One of the greatest things you can receive from God is hope. Hope for eternity, hope for a future with God and for a life with Him at your side here on earth, and hope for good coming out of every seemingly bad thing that happens to you. Today, Pastor Cody is going to show you how it's not a thing to keep to yourself. Everyone needs hope. Fellow believers can be encouraged with the hope you have, and be encouraged themselves, and the lost need the hope you have for eternity in Christ.

The choice is yours to be gracious in telling less mature believers about Christ, or judging them for not being as far along in their faith as you. Today, as you look at what should be done, Pastor Cody is going to remind you that you're to live like Jesus on this earth. That means treating people with compassion and loving your fellow believers. If they're not as far along in their faith as you, it's an opportunity to help them grow in their faith out of love, being an example of how Jesus would live today.

The best way to teach someone less mature in their faith is to teach and lead by example out of love. The immature believer needs to grow in what they know about Jesus and to grow closer to Him. The mature believer needs to be patient in teaching God's ways to the less mature believer, and show them how to live. It sounds a little complicated, but Pastor Cody is going to take you to Romans today to show you how simple it really is, this relationship between mature and immature believers.

Do you see the growth in your life from when you came to Jesus to now? Have you matured in your walk with God since you became a believer and gotten closer to Him? Today, Pastor Cody is going to remind you that your walk with God is never finished. Every day is another opportunity to know more about Him and be closer to Him. God will move in your life more and more, and your joy in Him will grow. But, it takes an effort on your part. God wants you to seek Him, and to take the time to be with Him daily.

There are going to be topics you disagree with other believers on as you mature in your faith. But, oftentimes it's not always even a spiritual issue. Colors of carpets, pews vs chairs, how big of a worship team is, and whether or not to have coffee at church are all things that have been argued, about and still are. Today, Pastor Cody's going to remind you to remember to treat others with grace and show the love of God that's in you when there's disagreement. Christians are meant to build each other up and encourage each other.

When you're saved, there's a celebration in Heaven that you have an eternal home with Jesus! But too often, that's where people stop growing in their relationship with God. As Pastor Cody's going to show you today, there's a whole world of lost people out there that need the same hope you do. As you mature in your faith, more responsibility is placed on you, and one of those is telling others about Jesus as you keep growing in Him yourself. It's not news meant to be kept to yourself; it's to be spread to everyone!

Responsibilities get more and more abundant as you get older and more mature. As you get older, more is expected of you. Today, Pastor Cody is going to draw the parallels between the responsibilities of growing up in life to the responsibilities of growing in your spiritual life. It's not enough to come to Jesus and never keep growing. That kind of faith is dead faith. God wants you to always be drawing closer to Him, and as you mature in your faith, more is expected of you, just like in life in general.

Have you submitted to the Lordship of Christ... It's a question everyone has a personal responsibility to answer. Today, Pastor Cody is going to show you how it's so much more important for anyone in any kind of leadership role to answer that question for themselves. It's for their own good, and for the sake of being able to lead all of the people under them rightly according to God's Word, too. And no matter what position you're in, it's always your responsibility to pray for others to do the same.

Pastors and other spiritual leaders are consistently held to living out God's Word more strictly than others. And anyone in leadership must live according to God's Word to properly lead anyone under their authority. But, when you look at government leadership today, do you see humility in following God's Word? As you'll see today with Pastor Cody, just as much as leaders are to live how God wants them to, everyone under them should also be praying for those leaders so they CAN lead adequately.

What does it mean to be “good?” Biblically, it means to be pleasing to God. So then, how do we be good? In today's message, Pastor Cody talks about how we need to know what pleases God. So that we can try to be pleasing to God. What we shouldn't, though, try and reshape what “good” actually means so that we can claim we are. God has spoken as to what is good and what is not. If we try to reshape those definitions, we defy the words of God himself!

Pastor Cody speaks about the different types of love in today's message. The most difficult to understand is “agape.” It means to love unconditionally. The only one who can truly love unconditionally is God himself! But we should try to live that way too! We should extend; to everyone the same love that Christ showed us! We might not always be able to do that. But that doesn't mean it's a worthless effort, and it doesn't mean we should try to change what agape means!

Have you ever found yourself misusing your gifts and talents? What does that mean exactly? Pastor Cody gives an example of a church setting in today's message. Someone misusing their gifts in the Church can cause a lot of undue stress and confusion. And outright refusing to use their gifts can cause unnecessary complications and delays. And that doesn't mean that a person isn't contributing to their church; it just means they aren't using the gifts God gave them!

Have you noticed the ‘quote unquote' recent trend of people trying to make themselves look as good as humanly or even as inhumanly as possible? It's become awful with the rise of social media and the ability to gain attention by any means necessary. It always traces back to the secular idea that one's self is the most critical aspect of life! In today's message, Pastor Cody speaks about using our God-given gifts to help others instead of allowing ourselves or making ourselves look better!

How many things are demanding your attention – even right now?! So often, we come short of finding God's will in our lives because we allow our days to be occupied by other things. Even as you listen, you probably have an ongoing list of a multitude of arrangements that need your sole attention. Today, Pastor Cody reminds us that when we submit to God's will, our priorities align with the one that already has life figured out and He's ready to de-clutter the piles of junk in your life.

What is happening in our world? And why did it turn up the noise to 11? It's not as simple as introducing some earplugs into your routine. One of the best ways to combat the constant adverse drone of this world and the negativity it hurls is to seek refuge in the word of God, the Bible. Today, Pastor Cody urges us, 'transformation happens through information.' Precisely the information and priceless instructions of the Bible. As we get to know God's word, it changes how we think and renews our minds.

Some say the air we breathe daily is a miracle of God. Or think about the boundless free will you have in this life. An all-powerful, almighty God still gives us the power of choice. Listen in as Pastor Cody shares a personal story of the mercy of God that radically transformed his life for eternity. Perhaps you have an impactful story of redemption, but now you're searching for the will of God in this adventure. Today, discover the biblical formula for partnering your own life with the steps of God.

We're our own worst enemy! Our self-doubt can sometimes keep us from God's best things in store for us. Maybe you had a clear path of what God was doing in your life, but somehow, you veered off-course. If you haven't heard it in a while – be encouraged today that there is nothing too broken that God can't repair. He is more significant than your biggest problem. Don't let your doubt or your pride stop you from letting God take over and transform the shattered pieces into a stunning masterpiece!

Let's take a faith check. When's the last time God used you to do good works: encourage a coworker, reach someone for Jesus, or even extend compassion at the right time to someone? God is constantly doing miraculous and awe-inspiring results across this earth. Yet, how often is he doing it through you? Today, Pastor Cody continues in Romans chapter 11 and reemphasizes the urging of Paul that God desires to reconcile all people of different ethnicities and backgrounds to Him - Jews and Gentiles alike.

Eternity with God is going to be a glorious experience! However, your one-way ticket to the pearly gates isn't just gained through a checklist of being good, following traffic signs, and never telling a lie. Good works, as they are known, are a product of God's salvation in our lives. You can't earn God's salvation. Today, Pastor Cody begins his study into Romans chapter 11 as Paul continues to instruct and inspire the early church to realize God's plan all along is

The Bible is pretty hard on hypocrites! And for a good reason too! In today's message, Pastor Cody speaks about how people who teach one thing; and practice another are simply not easily trusted! Think about it! Would you take financial advice from a gambler? Relationship advice from a cheater? You could learn from their mistakes. But you wouldn't follow their guidance if they continued to make those terrible choices unapologetically, right? It's the same way with spreading the Gospel!

Pretty often; people trick themselves into thinking that God already has, or is going to save them because of their works. But, in today's message, Pastor Cody sets the record straight and reminds us that we had already broken the law before we were capable of comprehending what it was! So, we have absolutely no hope of being redeemed through our own actions. It's only through the grace of God that we're given a chance at redemption through Jesus, who died for our continuous failures.

Sometimes, people can wonder whether or not God is fair and just and if some people can be evil. Wouldn't it be God's fault if He made them that way? Not so! In today's message, Pastor Cody answers this question by bringing up Moses and the Pharaoh. God may have shown Moses favor in his fight to free his people, but he also made the Pharaoh be birthed into his position as a ruler. The Pharaoh turned that power against God's own people by his own choice, so God made that choice permanent!

In today's message, Pastor Cody speaks about the people of Israel. And how; just because they were born in Israel. Didn't automatically make them saved, and they're only “God's people” in the name instead of action. He compares it to Christianity in America today. How being born American, and saying the Pledge doesn't make you Christian, but instead; it's the relationship you build with Christ! It is only ever your faith that brings you to Salvation with God. Not work, and especially not empty titles.

Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life – a life that we could never live in our own strength. And then, He died a sacrificial death so that we can inherit eternal life, even though we don't deserve it. Today, Pastor Cody draws our attention to this beautiful truth. He reminds us not only of Jesus' strength but also of His selfless love. Jesus didn't have to help us at all. But He chose. While Jesus demonstrated what it means to live a holy life, He also died for us, recognizing that we were unable to live up to His holiness.

Part of being a Christian means that we continue to become more like Jesus as we go through life. Today, Pastor Cody reminds us that this change often requires pain. If we prioritize our own comfort or choose to hold onto sin in our life, then we aren't living like Jesus. Nobody wants to experience pain, and we shouldn't go looking for it, but the pain is so often a necessary ingredient in growth. If we're avoiding discomfort at all costs, then we'll probably never become the person we want to be.

The writers of the Bible frequently encourage us to put our hope in God. Today, Pastor Cody distinguishes this kind of hope as an expectation of the fulfillment of God's promises. It's not the same kind of hope we have when we say that we hope the weather will be good, or that our favorite sports team will win. On the contrary, we already know that our God wins! Our hope is not uncertain; as believers, our future has already been determined, and our hope is our eagerness for these things to come to pass.

As Christians, we recognize that the world is not as it ought to be. We see so much brokenness, and we continue to experience pain as we follow Jesus. Sometimes, we question why God allows bad things to happen to us. Today, Pastor Cody responds to that question and explains how God can actually take something bad and work it for good. In fact, the Bible says that God works all things for the good of His children! While God does not directly hurt us, He turns the pain we experience into good.

Pastor Cody points out today that the Greek word for “spirit” is the same word for “air.” This gives us a context for understanding our life in the Holy Spirit – without Him, we were unable to breathe. We were dead. But when we came to trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit entered us and we were given life! We were unable to save ourselves, but Christ came so that we didn't have to. And now, through the Holy Spirit, we are able to live the abundant life Jesus promised, in the joy and peace of God.

Today, Pastor Cody teaches on one of the wonderful mysteries of the Gospel – our death to the worldly, and rebirth to the spiritual. Whereas we once lived by a law of the flesh, we now live with the Holy Spirit; not only does Christ live in us, but we also live in Him. While this is a difficult concept to wrap your head around, it's a reality that affects every true Christian. And in the same way that the Holy Spirit dwelt in the tabernacle and the temple of the Old Testament, He now dwells in us, making us the new temple.

The Bible tells us that those who follow Christ receive no condemnation from God. But so often, this concept doesn't feel right to us – perhaps this passage doesn't seem to line up with what you experience. But today, Pastor Cody sheds some clarity on this. When we feel condemnation, that is not from God. But that doesn't mean we never feel guilt for our sins. In fact, guilt can be part of the Holy Spirit's conviction. The difference is, a conviction doesn't lead us to run from, but toward him.

We live in a world that is infected by the curse of sin. And this sin infects our bodies, too – despite our best efforts to be good, we fall short time and time again. But this isn't what God wants for us. And that's what Pastor Cody addresses today, as he reminds us that living in submission to Christ is the only way to truly live a good life. By rejecting Christ, we'll never live up to our potential and we'll perpetually be slaves to sin. But we were created by God for so much more, and will only achieve fullness through Christ.

Oftentimes as believers, we fall into thinking that we have to behave a certain way to earn God's love. We see that we're living in a way that doesn't entirely line up with God's goodness, so we try really hard to be better people. But today, Pastor Cody shows us that this is not the solution. In fact, we'll never be able to live up to God's righteousness in our sinful flesh. But the beauty is that God gives us the power to battle our sins. Jesus' sacrifice saved you for eternity and empowered you to walk in holiness now.

Astoundingly, in the New Testament Jesus says that He did not come to abolish the Old Testament Law. Instead, He came to fulfill its purpose. Pastor Cody reminds us today that the Law was always a good thing. If we think that Jesus came because the Law was bad, we are mistaken. And yet, by fulfilling the Law, Jesus has given us something better. Pastor Cody explains that the Law was limited in that it could reveal sin, but could not solve sin. But Jesus' sacrifice has the power to save us from our sins.

The Bible tells us that, just as Jesus died and was raised back to life, so too we have died to our flesh – if we trust in Christ – and have been raised to new life. Today, Pastor Cody reminds us of this truth and also explains how the Law plays into this reality. He shows us that God's Law of the Old Testament was a good thing, however, we now have something better– Jesus' Law of grace. And, because of our death and resurrection to new life, we are no longer under the old law, but under the grace of Christ.

Unfortunately, many people don't realize the immense implications of trusting in Jesus. There are some who claim to follow Jesus, but then live their lives in unrepentant sin. Others will turn to Christ, but then try to live out the Christian life in their flesh. As Pastor Cody explains today, truly following Jesus is not just about trusting in Him for salvation– it's also about trusting in Him for sanctification. In other words, Jesus' power saves us from future judgment, but also strengthens us today to live in righteousness.

Sin always results in death. This was the case in the Garden of Eden, and it's true now. And Pastor Cody explains today that we are all either serving Christ or serving sin. While sin may appear to be life-giving, it never actually is. If sin is at the root of your life, the result will always be the fruit of death. In contrast, if Jesus and His righteousness define your roots, life will be the fruit that comes up as a result. So we all have a choice between death and life, between sin and Christ. There is no middle ground.

While it is an uncomfortable truth to many of us, the Bible plainly states that we are all slaves – either slaves to Christ or slaves to sin. Today, Pastor Cody shares that this is a reality we need to accept; otherwise, we are living in delusion. And while being a slave of Christ may sound harsh, it's actually an amazing thing! Being a slave of Jesus means we're no longer under the captivity of sin – we are free! Although sin in this world can be enticing, it always leads to death, whereas our slavery to righteousness leads to life.

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is a picture of God's grace to humanity. Pastor Cody reminds us today that Jesus took on the punishment for our sins so that we can be forgiven if we follow Jesus as our Lord. But, as Pastor Cody points out, this creates a bit of a dilemma – does this mean we can just go on sinning, living in rebellion with God because our sins are already forgiven? While this question comes naturally, it misses the point: those who walk with Jesus have the power and will to pursue Christ instead of sin.

To experience redemption in Christ is to die to the old self, and to be born again in Christ. But Pastor Cody argues today that many Christians get lost somewhere between death and the new life. They aren't willing to completely cut ties with their old self, and they keep living with their old, sinful mentalities. But Pastor Cody reminds us that there is so much life when we experience God's resurrecting power! And if we don't let go of the old, we miss out on the new life and power of fellowship with God.

Pastor Cody reminds us today of the significance of Jesus' resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead, He proved that He defeated death. He showed us that He has life-giving power that overcomes death. And He has given this power to those who believe; that all people are dead in sin, but when we trust in Christ we are given true life. And this new life redefines our existence – no longer are we under the slavery of sin. But instead, we are actually considered dead to sin and are a new creation in Christ.

As Pastor Cody teaches from the book of Romans today, he highlights an argument that Paul makes against a logical fallacy in his day. God's immense grace covers all the sins of those who believe, and this gives God glory. But some suggested that, if our sin makes God look good, then we ought to sin more. As Pastor Cody points out, Paul makes it clear that this argument is absolute nonsense. He shows that it's unreasonable to do evil so that good will come out of it – this is just an excuse to call what is evil “good.”

We don't choose the circumstances we are born into. None of us chose to live in a broken world, cursed by sin. But, today Pastor Cody reminds us that there is a choice we can make: we can choose the path of Adam or the path of Jesus. Whereas Adam chose to pursue sin, which led to death, Jesus lived a perfect life and died in our place so that we can have eternal life. If we choose to trust in Jesus, He provides us with a new way to walk in. And through Him, we can experience the abundant goodness of God.

The Bible makes clear that all of us have sinned. And today, Pastor Cody explains that the nature of sin is to disobey God and choose our own way. He shows that this was the case when the first humans sinned against God in the Garden of Eden – they did the one thing that God forbade them to do. And this attitude continues to the present age, as we are all born with an innate desire to do the things we know to be wrong. But Jesus offers to break us free from the curse of sin if we will choose to trust in Him.

Today, Pastor Cody reminds us of the reality of this world as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve. Their sin has been passed down to all of us in a way, and that sin leads to death. And it's important for us to acknowledge this reality – otherwise, we have no basis for understanding the evil, decay, and death that we experience in our broken world. By recognizing this reality, we see that there is a reason for these things. And that sets us up for the truth of Jesus, who offers life amidst a dying world.

Pastor Cody reminds us today about what the Bible makes clear regarding the human condition: we are all sinful. Without divine intervention, none of us are good; in fact, we all deserve God's wrath. But Jesus willingly took on the wrath of God for us, that we may be saved from God's judgment if we place our faith in Him. And as Pastor Cody points out, Jesus died for us while we were still enemies of God, openly rebelling against Him. But now that we are redeemed to Him, we can rest in His goodness to us.