Real Faith

Persevering Prayer

September 26, 2021 • Ben Kimmell • James 5:13–20

In James 5.13-20, the apostle instructs Christian believers to persevere in their faith through suffering, sickness, and even sinfulness by patiently praying for God’s sustaining and redeeming power. In this message, Pastor Ben challenges the people of Calvary to recover a passionate commitment to persevering prayer that enables us to live all of life under the sovereign will and endless grace of our heavenly Father.

Possessions & Prophetic Patience

September 19, 2021 • Ben Kimmell • James 5:1–12

The first half of James 5 continues to challenge us at some of the deepest and most profoundly practical levels of our lives. It gets right to the heart of things that demonstrate, on the outside, where our loyalties lie on the inside. Here James teaches about money, and how its uses reveal what we truly value. He will also speak to those who don’t have it. And he will challenge us on how we respond to injustice in this world. So James is calling us, once again, to a mature faith that wisely stewards material resources among those who possess them. And he is calling us to a mature faith in cases where oppression and injustice rob us of our earthly possessions. In this message, Pastor Ben encourages us to wisely steward our resources and to patiently endure injustice by meditating on two vital themes of the text.

Shaped by Sovereignty

September 12, 2021 • Ben Kimmell • James 4

In these verses, James explains three fundamental ways that God’s sovereignty shapes the lives of Christ’s people. In each case, we are called to humble ourselves before God, trusting and living in the light of God’s sovereignty for our lives and for this world. In this message, Pastor Ben aims to describe these three ways that Calvary Christians are called to live in the light of God’s sovereignty.

The Works of Faith

September 5, 2021 • Ben Kimmell • James 3:13–18

In these verses, James tells us that the wise Christian is known by his or her humble and edifying conduct. Pastor Ben, therefore, challenges Calvary Christians to embody godly wisdom and reject worldly wisdom by reflecting on three central themes of this text.

Taming the Tongue

August 29, 2021 • Ben Kimmell • James 3:1–12

In these verses, James insists that Christian believers, and especially Christian teachers and leaders, must control their speech because the tongue’s influence in our lives and in the world far exceeds its size. In this message, Pastor Ben aims to confront Calvary leaders and church members about the very real dangers of uncontrolled and ungodly speech, and call God's people to live consistently with gospel-centered, Christ-honoring convictions.

Dangers of Partiality

August 1, 2021 • Don Bishop • James 2:1–13

The Marks of True Religion

July 25, 2021 • Ben Kimmell • James 1:26–27

In these two verses, James refers to three marks by which the new birth of the Christian is evidenced. In this message, Pastor Ben calls Calvary Christians to self-examination. He asks us to ask ourselves: Do we exhibit…do we bear the marks of true religion as James identifies them?

Steadfast

July 11, 2021 • Ben Kimmell • James 1:1–18

The short letter from James is a gritty, no-holds-barred depiction of what true faith, saving faith, real Christian faith actually looks like. He begins the letter by illustrating for us the reality that real Christian faith is a faith that is stable and steadfast. A real faith is a stable faith that is mature enough to resist both external tests and internal temptations. In this message, Pastor Ben challenges the people of Calvary to embody Christian maturity by pursuing spiritual stability.