Calvary Chapel Of Crook County - Main

The podcast of Calvary Prineville contains the latest sermons from Pastor Rory Rodgers, and occasionally live recordings of the latest worship service.

Advent is a season of hope, but it’s a different hope than the hope the world has. The world’s hope is nothing more than wishful thinking. Biblical hope is the trust and confidence that we have in God, knowing He’s forever true and will keep His promises. It is this latter hope that kept the Israelites going, and God provided for them as they had need. In our case, we need to have the hope and expectation that Jesus will return. This is our hope for the future, that He will return and has prepared a place for us.

Note: the first few minutes of Dustin's teaching were not recorded.

No matter what we have done, and no matter what we might do in the future, there is no condemnation if we are in Christ Jesus and walk in the Spirit.

Because we have a sin nature, even though we have Christ in our lives - and the Holy Spirit - we still do wrong. Paul said he doesn't do what he should and does what he shouldn't. If Paul had this internal struggle, we shouldn't feel bad if we do as well, because we will, and do. However, as we grow in Christ, our struggles will lessen and more and more we'll make right choices. In the end, God delivers us from this predicament.

There are three types of "believers": Those who keep the law and become legalistic Christians (are married to the Law); those who totally reject the law because they're covered by grace and live as they want; and those who recognize they're saved by grace, are in love with Jesus, and keep the law (Christian living) out of their "marriage" to the Lord. Under the old law, one was "wedded" to it and could only be released by death. Through Christ, he died that we might be free and wedded to Him.

Before we were slaves of sin, and behaved accordingly. Now, redeemed by Christ, we are slaves to righteousness, and therefore must behave accordingly, but we behave out of love of Jesus, not according to the law.

The podcast of Calvary Prineville contains the latest sermons from Pastor Rory Rodgers, and occasionally live recordings of the latest worship service.

Because God's grace so abounds, does that mean we should sin so His grace increases? Certainly not!

The podcast of Calvary Prineville contains the latest sermons from Pastor Rory Rodgers, and occasionally live recordings of the latest worship service.

Justification places us in a status as having never sinned, and there are six blessings that come from this: 1) We have peace with God. We’re no longer at war with Him;. 2) We stand in grace. It’s like having a backstage pass to be in the presence of the Lord; 3) We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God – a hope-filled certainty; 4) We have glory in suffering – we’ll never go through it alone and it will always work something out in us; 5) We are saved from wrath; and 6) We can rejoice and boast in God.

In his old age, and as good as dead, God promised Abraham that he would have a son and would be the father of many nations. Abraham believed God and it was "accounted to him as righteousness." So to are we accounted as righteousness if we believe in God who raised Jesus from the dead.

It doesn’t matter if you’re “pagan” or “righteous” (appearing), we’re all guilty and salvation for all is only by grace through faith. There are two sides: the law, which says “you must,” “you will;” and the promise, which says “I (God) will,” “have faith”, “believe.” The law promotes sin because If you know it’s wrong you want to do it all the more. It’s critical to understand that faith is not a meritorious work; it’s just allowing yourself to be rescued. Grace gives and faith takes.

Faith, justification and salvation - by faith and not of works or by keeping the law

The podcast of Calvary Prineville contains the latest sermons from Pastor Rory Rodgers, and occasionally live recordings of the latest worship service.

The podcast of Calvary Prineville contains the latest sermons from Pastor Rory Rodgers, and occasionally live recordings of the latest worship service.

The podcast of Calvary Prineville contains the latest sermons from Pastor Rory Rodgers, and occasionally live recordings of the latest worship service.

Biblical Christianity is the only world religion that bases salvation on the performance of another, Jesus, while all the rest stand on personal works. Paul proves to the Jews that no one will be able to stand before a righteous God on the basis of their works. The Jews thought they were superior because they knew the law, but they were full of hypocrisy and thought more of what man thought of them than God. Paul challenged them about circumcision which was more of an outward show than a true change of heart. In the end, it’s all about the heart. God wants us to have a heart that’s been redeemed and cleansed. Only a cleansed heart can have fellowship with God.

The podcast of Calvary Prineville contains the latest sermons from Pastor Rory Rodgers, and occasionally live recordings of the latest worship service.

The podcast of Calvary Prineville contains the latest sermons from Pastor Rory Rodgers, and occasionally live recordings of the latest worship service.