Calvary Baptist Church

06/18/2026

CBC Devotional Week of 6/17/2026

Why (or Where)?
And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” – John 11:37

Here we see that the people in Jesus’s day linked the healing of the blind man in John 9 with the plight of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary in John 11. And it is the same question—why. In John 9 the disciples ask the question—why was this man born blind? In John 11 no one specifically asks why, but it reverberates throughout the entire section.
“Jesus, why didn’t you come earlier?? Why did You let this happen??”
Both passages give the answer. In John 9 Jesus tells his disciples the man was born blind so that the power of God could be displayed. A man born blind, then healed, would be a clear sign to authenticate Jesus’s identity to His audience. (John 9:32) The plight of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary carries a similar rationale—that God will be glorified, and the Son of God would receive glory.

It is easy sitting here, two thousand years later, to skip over one of the hardest yet unspoken aspects of both miracles—time. We can read it so fast. In John 9, the man was born blind. Never saw a sunset, nor a tree swaying in the breeze, nor the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. He was old enough to give his own account to the Jewish leaders, but we have no other clues to his age. But it was years—many years. Years for him and his parents. And it may sound strange to our ears, but the idea of this blindness being the result of a parental sin or from some sin this man would commit was very real. Misfortune on misfortune. Or go to John 11. Jesus receives the message that Lazarus is sick, so he immediately—waits two days. Jesus relationship with the trio is strong. Mary and Martha send word to Jesus, and it is hard to believe they weren’t constantly looking out their kitchen window to see Jesus walking to them. They know about distance and travel time.

Honestly, accepting that God has a greater purpose in what He allows can be easier than being willing than to accept why the timing works the way it does. John 11 never records Martha or Mary looking out the kitchen window looking for Jesus. But examine Martha’s reaction. What does she do when she hears He is near? She meets Him outside the village. Lazarus is dead four days, but the anticipation is still there. In this place the question of where overcomes why. “Lord, if You had been here…” Jesus doesn’t scold. He answers. He allows her faith to be renewed. He is exactly where He needs to be when He needs to be there. And now, by the promise of the Spirit, He is always there.

06/17/2026

06/12/2026

CBC Devotional Week of 6/7

Who do You Think You are

John 8:53b “Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

These words, spoken by one of a collection of Pharisees and other religious teachers to Jesus as He taught, ring from the time of Jesus to today. I am not joining team Pharisee, but the question is insightful and enormous. Everything hangs in the balance.

In John 8 alone Jesus has been confront with both Moses and Abraham, the lawgiver and the great forefather of the Jewish people. His audience claims both; on the surface they seem so right. They are the biological descendants of Abraham noted for their strict adherence to the Mosaic Law. Who is this teacher; who is he making himself out to be? He claims superiority over Abraham and God is His Father. Jesus’s audience objects. So Jesus clarifies; He is the “I AM” from Exodus 3. Jesus has the answer to the “Who do You think You are?” question.

We see in the text how that audience responded. They knew exactly Who Jesus was claiming to be and reacted consistent with their beliefs. Rejection, blasphemy, and death. At this point we can let them rest, a choice set in stone and recorded in history. How will we answer? We know Who Jesus claims to be. Do we accept or reject? To any friend who cannot accept what Jesus says, the ask is simple; study His life and His teachings to really see Him. To those who accept Him, ponder the enormity of Jesus’s claim. He, Jesus, is One with the Father, the One in the beginning with God. Jesus seeks to make us free. He doesn’t want you to live as a slave to sin but as a child living in His house. Jesus spoke to many beat up people, including a number who didn’t really know how bad off they were. Maybe they hid behind reputation or pretense. Maybe they avoided the light because they knew they were wrong. Please don’t. Many did come because they saw, in Him, the truth that would set them free. He came to save people with problems. He is meek and humble; He isn’t here to hurt you. So Who does Jesus think He is? He knows; He is God made flesh, the One who came to lay down His life, the Truth that will set you free.

06/08/2026

Here is the replay of our 6/7/26 worship. Lord Bless.

05/30/2026

CBC Devotional for Week of 5/31

What a Friend....

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15 (NKJV)

Since this is the beginning of a new thing, I think it best to start it with Jesus. He is really the only reason any of this is happening. There is no Christianity without Christ and no devotional unless there is someone worth being devoted to. In a pluralistic and diversified world staking it all on Jesus runs against the current. And honestly it runs against our nature as human beings.

If you are reading this most likely you are already following Jesus. Maybe presumptuous, but likely. So let’s start there. The call of Jesus to you is to be His disciple. When Jesus lived on earth He had His group of followers, the disciples. In John 15, specifically verse 15, Jesus tells them that He calls them friends instead of servants. Jesus’s friends, the ones He loves based on experience; He chose them. Jesus doesn’t love the idea of them or some airbrushed AI altered them; He loved them precisely as they are shown in the gospels. And He wants them to know Him. He lived with them for three years, and when He was asked to show them the Father He replies by saying, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”. There is something inherently precious about this. God-in-flesh desired to really know His followers and not merely command them, even though He is the actual King of the Universe. And He wanted His followers to know Him.

I think we need to carry this forward in life today. He already knows us—but in a relational sense will we allow ourselves to be known by Him? Will we self-disclose, not because He needs us to but because we choose to? He came to earth, and He disclosed Himself to us. He chose to. Will we choose to know Him?

Friends choose each other. He chose to call His followers His friends. Will I be His friend?

05/30/2026

CBC friends, family and followers, we are excited to finally roll out additional midweek content that we hope will help you grow in your faith and walk with Jesus. Every Wednesday we will be posting short but powerful devotionals for you to engage with. They will be able to be found here on our page as well as our website. A link to that will be posted below. We would love your feedback as this content rolls out. We know that it isn't Wednesday but we can't wait so we will be posting the first one today. Lord Bless.