As I am preparing for this new series entitled Basic Training, I’m starting to have second thoughts. For the next 5 weeks or so we will be studying the book of James. As many of you may know, James is a “simple to understand” book. I wish it were confusing at times, so I wouldn’t be responsible for what it says about Basic Christianity 101. The problem with this book of the bible is it is so understandable there is no excuse for not following through with its message. UGH!
Often times I will hear people say, “Give me the deep stuff,” or, “I want to know what is in the advance course, Christianity 501!” I say in return, it isn’t the hard stuff I have problems with; it is the basic stuff that I find difficult to live out. In fact, I have come to believe the basic stuff is the deep stuff. I am still trying to apply the, “love your neighbor as yourself” principle. My prayer for all of us, especially me, is that when God’s Word is spoken I will be quick to apply the truth.
Do you need a refresher course in Basic Christianity? It really is warfare out on the streets, so let’s do some “Basic Training”.
Pastor Donald Calder
Tonight I went to my 8 year old nephew’s very first baseball game. As I sat on the bleachers, I waited with anticipation for him to come up to bat. When he finally arrived at the batter’s box, bat in hands, I was on the edge of my seat. He got into position, the first pitch came in, and he gave it a smack, but it was a foul ball.
It didn’t matter; I still cheered and said, “Way to go, buddy!” He went back to home plate, picked up the bat, and got ready for the next pitch. It came in right over home plate, and he got a hold of that ball like Babe Ruth, and he took off running. I was cheering louder than anyone else in the bleachers. I was jumping up and down yelling, “Great hit! Great hit!” I was so proud of him.
Later that evening at home, I began to remember all the events that took place at the ball field, and it got me thinking. I began to see the correlation of the night’s game with the Christian Life.
We get ready to bat (journey in this life), while God watches from the bleachers. He cheers us on. When we get a great crack at the ball, He yells, “Great play! Great play!”
God really is our biggest cheerleader, and you can be sure He is cheering you on with every play that you make. He is so proud of you.
Pastor Donald Calder
I recently sat in the pew of another church and listened to a pastor give a sermon from the bible. I admit I was looking forward to it; I’m always looking for ways I can learn from others, and I don’t want to sound too critical, but to say the least, I was a little disappointed.
Scripture was read (and lots of it), the gospel was given clearly, but something was missing. It seemed like the gentleman was just going through the motions. He had all the ingredients of a message… but it was 
lacking. I first asked myself, is it because I am tired? No, I had a great night’s sleep. Is it the style of the service? Again, no, because I grew up accustomed to conservative style services.
I walked away thinking this was a boring service, not because there were no props on stage, or because of too few illustrations, but boring because it lacked life and personal application. If church was like this every week, I could understand why people don’t attend anymore and why they don’t see it as relevant to their everyday life. (I kind of felt like maybe I didn’t want to go to church anymore either.) If you looked around that auditorium it was painfully obvious there were a lot of people who were wishing they were somewhere else.
If you are a Christian, you know the gospel is anything but boring. It’s the most exciting news available to people. The gospel has been changing lives since the beginning of time and it still continues to change lives. Every time I speak, I feel this heavy responsibility to present God’s Word accurately and to explain it in such a way that people get it and can apply it to their life. And I believe God will hold responsible those who present God’s Word as some boring outdated book that couldn’t possibly be helpful for today’s living.
When you’re talking about God and his Word, let’s make sure people understand it’s the best and most exciting thing happening on planet earth. What’s your presentation like?
Pastor Donald Calder
What do you do when a baby spits up all over your nice suit while on the platform just before you’re about to preach? There are a few options…
- Yell at the baby.
- Yell at the parents.
- Yell at yourself for holding a baby without a burping blanket to protect you.
- Laugh over the whole thing.
Well… the only real option is to just laugh over the whole thing. It actually bought back memories of being in college when a seagull dropped a load on me just as I opened the door to class.
The guilty party, choosing option 4.
I should have had a burping blanket over my shoulder. I knew it was baby dedication Sunday and that I would be holding little babies, so why would I leave the house without being prepared?
As a Christian, I can’t even begin to think of how many times I have walked out the door without putting on the whole Armor of God. Those days I found myself in some very messy situations, and with no way to protect myself from the “spit up” of the enemy. Even as Christians, we need to be reminded that we shouldn’t leave home without the essentials.
Are you prepared for today and all its messes, or do you need to bring some essentials from home to face the day?
Pastor Donald Calder
“Creative Memories” are not just projects for women who enjoy capturing memories by pasting photos in books. Dads, you too should be creating some of your own memories for your kids that can be etched into the hallways of their mind.
As I reflect upon this year’s Father’s Day, I am reminiscing of days gone by with my own dad. It has been 13 years since my dad breathed his last breath on this earth. Though he is gone, he gave me more than enough great memories to last a lifetime.
When I think of all the times we spent together, I smile, laugh, and cry, all in the same minute. The times we would go to hockey practice in the wee hours of the morning, tying my skates, boating, fishing, golfing, learning to drive the car, learning together to ride a motorcycle, hugs, laughing, playing table games, traveling, camping, church, meal times, etc. My dad knew he wouldn’t be around forever, so he made sure he created enough memories for his son to last a life time.
Thanks Dad.
Are you making memories with your children that will last a life time?
Pastor Donald Calder
Today is my birthday and I turn 46 years old. I know, I know… most of you are shocked because of my youthful Brad Pitt look. (Ha.)
How did 46 sneak up on me… how did I reach this age and not be aware of it??? I think it’s because I have had so much fun along the way. Today I was out bombing around in the convertible like a man having a mid-life crisis (I’m not!), and I was playing with my nephew and nieces, and laughing with them the whole time. They add a lot of spark to my life.
If you can’t have fun and laugh along the way, it’ll be a very long journey. I’m having more fun now than I have ever had in my life, and I wouldn’t want to turn the clock back for anything.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when I was getting ready to go off to college. If you’re a teenager you probably think I’m really old, and if you’re over 70 you might consider me just a baby. One thing is for sure – I am not standing back and waiting to collect the old age pension. I still have a lot to accomplish before I take off my tennis shoes, and it doesn’t matter if you are 26, 46 or 76, there’s always more to be done.
No matter what your age, don’t stop having fun while on the journey. Growing old can be a lot of fun. Put it in 5th gear and enjoy every moment God gives you.
Pastor Donald Calder
For some reason I don’t like being out in the rain and getting wet, and I definitely don’t like walking around in wet clothes. EXCEPT when it comes to being part of someone’s spiritual journey.
What in the world are you talking about, Donald???
Sunday I had the privilege to baptize a number of different people. The ages ranged from 8 to 68. Each person had a unique story to share with our church family. We were pumped with excitement for each person. It felt like a party… a time to celebrate.
By the time we were finished there was only 5 minutes left in the service for our Youth Pastor, James Carr, to deliver a 35-minute sermon. Needless to say, we went into overtime, but it was definitely worth it.
So who likes getting wet? Not me. But this weekend I was more than happy to walk thru the crowd in soaking wet clothes, on my way to get changed.
How about you? Are you ready to get soaking wet?
Pastor Donald Calder
This past Saturday was one of the first Saturdays in a very long time I had no responsibilities, so I was glad when I realized I was able to participate with Second Saturday (our church’s monthly community outreach ministry).
We (the church from the suburbs) were going to help an inner city church. We had people digging, weeding and planting; some were cleaning and building, while others were busy cooking and feeding people from the neighborhood. My job was to lead games with the kids (if I had known, I would have brought supplies/equipment). What do you do with suburban kids and inner city kids when you have nothing to work with? Thank goodness my sister was with me to come up with some good ideas (she really is the creative one in the family).
After spending my morning and part of my afternoon downtown working with the kids, one of my highlights was this little 7 or 8 year old girl who came up to me and was proud to tell me she had both a mom and a dad, and they both lived at her house. I was taken aback for a split second, because I thought, “That’s the norm… isn’t it?”
That little girl may not have much, as far as material things go, but she was happy to tell everyone she had a home with two parents. She reminded me of the important things in life, which resulted in me having a great day.
Pastor Donald Calder
Why is it that people’s words have such a powerful effect on me? The day can be going along quite well, and then someone makes a passing comment or sarcastic remark that crushes my spirit, although they won’t know, because I know how to hide my feelings with the right facial expression so no one knows what I’m thinking.
The same is true of someone when, off the cuff, for no good reason, they call you on the phone or send you an email that can give your day a huge boost. That is exactly what has happened to me in the last few days. People out of nowhere have been calling on the phone, emailing me, stopping me in the hallway… just to say thank you. Let me say, that makes me want to serve and work even harder for them. I know we don’t work for people’s affirmation, but God’s Word does tell us over and over again to encourage those around you.
Who has been on your mind that you need to make a phone call to, send an email to or stop them in the hallway to say thank you? Your words might just be the thing that will make the difference.
Pastor Donald Calder
It doesn’t always happen, but I like taking Monday as my one day off. But if you get a 911 call, you must respond.
I was home yesterday when the phone rang with a voice on the other end saying the church bus broke down at the Wild Life Park and the children from the preschool were stranded. My first thoughts were, how many cars do we need to get together to rescue the children, teachers and parents. Then I was asked if I could call another church and see if they would be willing to let us borrow their bus. I only knew of one other church that owned a bus, and they had just finished a Friday–Sunday Family conference. I thought, I can’t call them – they are recouping from a very busy weekend.
But my options were few, since renting a charter bus at the last minute was going to be very expensive. I called my recently new pastor friend who had just given me his cell number the week before. (I hope he doesn’t regret that decision.) Without hesitation he said, “Not a problem.” Within minutes the Senior Pastor, his associate and their bus driver were on their way to pick me up and go rescue the children. Not only did they provide transportation, but they brought bottled water, juice, crackers and cookies for the children, knowing they had been waiting there for a couple extra hours.
When you find yourself in a difficult situation, it’s good to have friends you can count on. That’s why we encourage people to get plugged in to a small group – so people can do life together. Don’t be left stranded with no one you can call on for help.
Thank you Russ, Chris and Barry, for going beyond the call of duty and helping us answer the 911 call.
Pastor Donald Calder
