Calvary Chapel Desert Streams

Calvary Chapel Desert Streams Calvary Chapel Desert Streams is a non denominational Christian church located in San Tan Valley, Arizona. E in San Tan Valley, AZ 85140.

We meet every Sunday morning 10am at 2769 E Combs Rd Bldg. Glorify-Edify-Evangelize

These words of the Lord seemed to have stuck deep within the apostle John’s heart! This is demonstrated by the fact that...
06/22/2026

These words of the Lord seemed to have stuck deep within the apostle John’s heart! This is demonstrated by the fact that the word love is used only twelve times in the first 12 chapters of his gospel, but it is used 44 times from this chapter onwards. It also becomes the primary theme in his 3 epistles he would go on to write. The word “new” does not mean “new in time,” because love has been important to God & His people even from Old Testament times (Deuteronomy 6:5 & Lev. 19:18, 33-34). The word for “new” here is kainos which means “new in kind or experience…fresh.” It is the opposite of “worn out.” Love would take on a new meaning & power because of the death of Christ on the cross. This ‘new kind’ of unprecedented love Jesus says would be an evidence of those who truly were His disciples. So the Q arises: How did Jesus express His love for His disciples? We must know the answer to this question if we are to follow Him in expressing the same love to others…The answer I believe is found in the actions of Jesus that happens previously in this chapter. Earlier in this account Jesus, in an incredible display of humility, washes the feet of His disciples! In this act He demonstrates powerfully the kind of love we are to show. Firstly, Jesus love was selfless. The job of washing guests feet was typically reserved for the lowest of servants. That was no problem for Jesus because He came “not to be served, but to serve.” Secondly, Jesus love was forgiving. Never forget WHOSE feet Jesus washed. He washed the feet of the men who would turn & run at His arrest, the feet of Peter who would deny Him 3 times, the feet of Judas the one who would betray Him. Thirdly, Jesus love washed sacrificial. In His earthly life Jesus gave Himself without stint. His service was always at cost to Himself & there was no limit to the sacrifices He was prepared to make, as evidenced later at the cross. It is the highest love that gives without any prospect of return. “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
‭‭1 John‬ 3:16

06/21/2026

Sunday morning service in Colossians 3:5-11 “Off with the Old, on with the New”

It is worth noting that the initial call that Jesus gave to those who would later become His Apostles, was a call to dis...
06/19/2026

It is worth noting that the initial call that Jesus gave to those who would later become His Apostles, was a call to discipleship. After His death & resurrection, He gave the same call & command to discipleship when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all the things that I have commanded you;” Matthew 28:19-20. The term disciple is far & away the primary way of describing the person who God wants us to be. It’s used 269 times in the NT as opposed to the word believer or Christian which is found a combined 5 times in the NT. Make no mistake that all disciples ARE believers, but NOT all believers are disciples. The word disciple (mathētēs) means ‘a learner’. The root of the word gives the idea of ‘thought accompanied by endeavor’. So a disciple of Christ is one who is a learner of His who accepts the teaching of his/her Master…not only in belief, but in lifestyle. So a Q naturally arises: How do you know you’re a true disciple? John 8:31 gives us one key evidence. “If you abide in My word, you are truly my disciples”. The idea here is holding fast to the whole tenor & substance of His teachings,not just our favorite passages or pet doctrines. To “hold fast” to His word means to make His teachings the rule of life for ourselves each & every day. We become ‘believers’ with our reception of His Word…we prove ourselves ’disciples’ by our continuance in His Word.

A couple of verses before this it says that “large crowds were traveling with Jesus” when He uttered these words. The wh...
06/18/2026

A couple of verses before this it says that “large crowds were traveling with Jesus” when He uttered these words. The whole nation of Israel was looking for a charismatic leader who would lead them in the overthrow of the Roman government. But instead of capitalizing on the great number of people following Him, Jesus seemed intent on alienating their interest & actually discouraging them from following Him. He began to thin their ranks by laying out the the exacting conditions of being a disciple of Jesus. Instead of emphasizing the benefits, blessings, and advantages…He spoke more of the difficulties, dangers, and the sacrifices that would be involved. He placed the cost of being His disciples very high & He never concealed the cross. The question & lesson is WHY? Why did Jesus impose such stringent terms? Had He lowered the bar He would have had more follow Him, but that was not Jesus way. In the following verses, Jesus gives two illustrations that describe the importance of counting the cost of discipleship: the person building a tower and a king going to war. Like the builder, Jesus is engaged in a building project (His church), and like the king, Jesus is engaged in a warring against the enemy & his forces. In this building & battling, Jesus is looking for men & women of quality, not quantity…to be His disciples. Those who will not turn back or give up the moment things get tough or “too real”. Are we disciples of this caliber?

“So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lus...
06/17/2026

“So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” —Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:13-14. Jesus gives two metaphors for those wh...
06/16/2026

“You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:13-14. Jesus gives two metaphors for those who are His disciples in this passage: Salt & Light. In Jesus’ day salt had a couple of uses…both of which apply here. Salt which seasons tasteless food, and secondly salt which preserves food which keeps from corrupting. As salt, Jesus’s disciples are to be both of these things. When God first created the world, He declared it to be “very good”, but due to man’s sin in the Garden the original goodness of creation is obscured and hard to taste. But as Christ redeems the world through the lives of His followers, creation’s hidden goodness becomes more revealed and appetizing. Godly living then salts the earth. As we follow the way of our Master, the world is invited to “taste & see that the LORD is good.” Psalm 34:8. Additionally, when Jesus told His disciples that You are the salt (preservative) of the earth, He is telling them that their godly lives are the seasoning that preserves the goodness in society. A world that was good when it was created now rots with evil, but it only takes a little salt to be sufficient goodness to preserve the world. That happens when you & I live as Jesus calls us to live. But if the salt becomes tasteless and loses its saltiness it does none of these things. It becomes good for nothing and is cast out. The second metaphor Jesus uses to describe the function of His disciples is light. Light illuminates. Light reveals what is there and shows the way. Light dispels the darkness. The purpose of light is to be seen so it can do all 3 of these things. When Jesus told his disciples, You are the light of the world, He was telling them that they are the beacon fires of truth that reveal the reality of God’s goodness contrasted against the dark backdrop of the world’s wickedness. By our living as faithful disciples we reveal God’s goodness and cause others to glorify Him.

The kingdom of heaven presently belongs to those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. All the other b...
06/15/2026

The kingdom of heaven presently belongs to those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. All the other blessings listed prior (except for the “poor in spirit”) are presented as being delivered in the future. The paradoxical mix of present with future blessings corresponds with the paradoxical nature of God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is both NOW and NOT YET. We as disciples of Jesus live in a great theological tension between the already and the yet to come. Part of that tension is the reality of persecution from the world for being disciples of Christ. The powers of the old kingdoms will demand that Jesus’s followers act like them. They will persecute anyone who seeks and practices His righteousness, which is harmony with Jesus’ kingdom, instead of their righteousness, which is harmony with their kingdom. Jesus foresaw this and warned His disciples about this in Matthew 10:24-25: “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul (Satan), how much more the members of his household!” NIV. Suffering for righteousness sake is the authentic hallmark of true Christianity. We are to expect it, and further to rejoice over it. Rather than mourn or complain about their mistreatment, Jesus remarkably tells His disciples to “Rejoice and be glad!” Why? “For your reward in heaven is great.” He says. James would go on to write: “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2)…and, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

06/14/2026

Sunday morning service in Colossians 3:1-4 “Set your sights on heaven”

It is not “peace-lovers” or “peace-keepers” who are the blessed ones…but “peace-makers”. This beatitude speaks about som...
06/12/2026

It is not “peace-lovers” or “peace-keepers” who are the blessed ones…but “peace-makers”. This beatitude speaks about someone who is more than a pacifist, but a reconciler. A person that creates or promotes harmony wherever they go. Though the NT word that is used here for “peace” is eirene, the word that was in mind for peace-maker was the Hebrew word shalom. The word speaks about wholeness, completeness, harmony. Shalom is not passive, but active. It’s the active work of God making the world right again. The story of redemption is about God stepping toward us…into our world, into our pain, and here’s where you and I come in. The peace of God is a gift given to us, but it’s also an assignment. As disciples of Jesus…those who have received peace with God and the peace of God; we are called to create peace (shalom) everywhere we go. How do we do this? By actively living out the gospel of Christ! That is why Paul says in Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” NLT. To be a lover of peace is good. To be a promoter of peace is better for you are giving reality of your being a son/daughter of God.

The word for “pure” here is katharos which carries two ideas: First, something that has been cleansed or purified whethe...
06/11/2026

The word for “pure” here is katharos which carries two ideas: First, something that has been cleansed or purified whether by water or fire. Secondly, something that is straightforward, honest…unmixed & unadulterated. Purity and cleanliness were important in Jewish life. The OT stresses the importance for priests, who mediated between God and man, to maintain purity in all aspects of their lives. Leviticus especially shares in great detail how priests were to remain pure as they prepared themselves and performed sacrifices. But Jesus is talking more than just about an external or ceremonial cleanness…While external purity was important, it was not as important as being pure in heart (purity inside). King David (a man after God’s heart) recognizes the importance of internal purity when he prays in Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Both David & Jesus are speaking about an inner purity of heart, undivided in devotion to God. Spurgeon says this: “Jesus says, not ‘Blessed are the pure in language, or the pure in action,’ much less ‘Blessed are the pure in ceremonies, or in raiment, or in food;’ but ‘Blessed are the pure in heart.’” The incredible promise in this Beatitude is that once our inner nature has been cleansed, we can begin to see the Unseen God all around us…we will cease to see other people as obstacles, but as God’s creations made in His image. Perhaps by being pure in heart we can even begin to see God in other people. Cleanness of heart will bring a clearness of vision!

Address

2769 E Combs Road
San Tan Valley, AZ
85140

Opening Hours

Thursday 6pm - 7pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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