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"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." Romans 8:11

This Easter, we are looking at Romans 8 to discover the answers to what it means that the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us and how it should impact how we live now. We invite you to join us in celebrating Easter week at Calvary.

  • Sunday Services on April 20 are at 8:30 and 11am
  • Good Friday Service is at 6pm on April 18

    • Note: Most classes (for children thru adults)will be meeting as usual except elementary to high school students are having a pancake breakfast extravaganza at 9:45am.

      Easter Offering

      Our Easter Offering this year will go to support three causes: combatting human trafficking in Wisconsin through the Damascus Road Project, supporting refugees that have been resettled in the Fox Valley with World Relief, and helping with a church building project in Bonneville, France with our missionary partners, Jon & Agnes Hegner. Easter Offering must be received by April 30.

      WAYS TO GIVE:

        • Online at cbcneenah.org/give: select the “Easter Offering” account or click the button below
        • In-person or by mail: write “Easter Offering” on the memo of your check or on the envelope (PO Box 799, Neenah, WI 54957).

        Give Towards Easter Offering


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      Week 3 - Preparation through Fasting

      But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,” (Matthew 6:17-19)



      (watch the video by clicking on the picture above)

      I hope you are enjoying this journey to the cross together as we direct our focus towards Easter. I wanted to challenge us with the idea of fasting this week. 

      What do you think of when you think of fasting? Maybe you think of fasting as the time you spend between going to bed and waking up, and enjoying a good breakfast, or maybe you think of it as something that some super spiritual people do. Maybe you think of it as the thing your doctor asks you to do before a colonoscopy, or a blood test? There are different purposes for fasting, but fasting almost always has a purpose. 

      Let me encourage you, you don’t have to be a monk to practice fasting. Jesus said, “man does not live on bread alone, but on every worth that comes from the mouth of God.”

      Fasting is a way we can direct our attention to God as we seek to focus more on him and to praise him, or it’s also a way we can earnestly go to him with a request. Some people fast every week, some fast for different seasons, or some don’t fast at all. I’ll be honest with you, I have not done a lot of fasting in my life, but there have been some special instances where I have practiced it. 

      In one of those instances, it was before an important trip that my wife and I were taking. We knew we would encounter things that would test us, and we needed God’s hand on it. We did the Daniel fast which is just limiting certain types of foods for a month. I mean we cut out a lot. But I will tell you. That trip was supernaturally protected. I truly believe that. God kept us united in the midst of a lot of turmoil and attacks. It’s not a magic tool, but it is a way of preparation of our own hearts and earnestly asking God for his favor on something. 

      Jesus himself fasted as he prepared for his journey to the cross, and we should too. I’d encourage you to consider what it might be that you fast from this week to increase your focus towards God, but also to prepare your heart for what God might have for you. When you crave that thing, whatever it is you fast from, remind yourself that God is enough, that he is your true source of life, and allow that to direct your thoughts and prayers towards him. 

      You might fast from food for a day, or a half a day, or you might fast from dessert, or soda, coffee, or maybe a certain activity that you enjoy doing, or social media or a tv show. 

      For me, I’m going to fast from chocolate. That’s a big deal for me. I can’t think of a day that I haven’t had chocolate. I’m a big chocolate fan, I drink a chocolate smoothie in the morning, I usually have some kind of chocolate during the day, and then I have some kind of chocolate at night. When I desire chocolate, I’ll be reminding myself of who God is and what I am seeking him for. So 1) pick something to fast from, and 2) I’d encourage you to earnestly go to God with something and see what God might do. That way when you crave that thing you can direct your thoughts towards God with adoration and with your requests. 

      I’m on this journey with you all this week. Let’s do it together. 

      Paul Nystedt
      Associate Pastor of Community Care

      Week 3 - Reflections

      I hope you had a chance to consider fasting this week. I found it extremely helpful to turn myself towards God throughout the day. Jesus fasted in the wilderness and was then tempted by the devil. We often think of the temptations of Jesus as the moment where he faced incredibly tough temptations, stood up to the devil, and proved that he was the Son of God. Often though, I don’t think we look at the nature of the temptations. These were hard temptations, right? Bread? Okay, maybe that makes sense. Jumping off a building? Being the ruler of the world? Those are strange temptations. 

      The temptations were always odd to me. Satan offers Jesus bread, but Jesus is the bread of life. He will have plenty of food shortly, but Satan is offering him immediate relief. Then, Satan tempts Jesus to test the angels and God himself. Jesus already knows he is the Son of God, and he knows the angels will support him. Lastly, Satan offers Jesus the world. Isn’t the world created by the Word of God? Doesn’t that mean that Jesus has authority over creation, and that it is his? 

      Satan is tricky. The most tempting things to us are often not the things we don’t have, but short cuts to the things we already have. In other words, Satan tempts us with an “easier” way for us to get what we want. Infidelity in marriage, cheating in business or finances, stealing, manipulation, even gossiping or slander can be shortcuts to gaining things the easy way. Pleasure, financial gain, and approval can all be things we seek shortcuts for.

      So, what does this have to do with fasting? Jesus knew that the devil is crafty. He knew he needed to prepare for that kind of serious temptation. We all face serious temptation, but it doesn’t appear the way we think it might. It’s the simple shortcuts that Satan offers to us—that our sinful flesh desires. 

      What does Jesus do to prepare for temptation? You’d think Jesus would eat like crazy and satisfy himself in every way possible before facing those temptations, but that’s not what he does. He fasts. Fasting reminds us of who God is. It reminds us that we don’t live by bread alone, but we are sustained by God alone. It reminds us to direct our attention away from our wants and desires and towards the one who can truly satisfy. We don’t need to take the shortcuts, we can pray for his work in our lives, and we can trust him to empower us for the journey he has called us to. 

      Questions for Reflection

      • What was the most challenging thing about fasting for you? Why was it challenging? 
      • Do you feel closer to God or further from him after fasting? Why do you think that is? 
      • How did you see God work this week? 
      • What shortcuts are the most tempting for you? How can you fight against it? 
      • How might you incorporate types of fasting into your life more regularly? 

      We will see you Sunday!

      Paul Nystedt
      Associate Pastor

      Week 2 - Preparation through Confession

      Scripture Meditations:

      15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.” (Ezr 9:15)

      1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
      2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
      3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
      4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

      5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity;
       I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
       and you forgave the iniquity of my sin (Ps 32:1–5)

      8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 Jn 1:8–10)

      17And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. (Ac 19:17–18)

      Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, (Jas 5:16)



      Devotion:
      My hope for you this week is that you would have complete Confidence to Draw Near to the Throne of Grace as you practice the discipline of confession. On the one hand we may feel that we don’t really need to talk with God or speak to him about our struggle with sin. But can I remind us that Christ does truly sympathizes with our weaknesses.

      We can come boldly before Him because he has humbly come to us! I love how the writer of Hebrews puts in in Hebrews 4:14
      14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
      That is some amazing imagery - Christ passed through the heavens that sounds nearly Superman like. Because we of what Christ has done we can literally hold fast to our confession and we should hold fast to that agreement we have made with God about who He is, What Christ has done and who we are in light of that both before knowing Christ and after coming to Him for Salvation.

      Now listen to what he says about Christ our high priest…
       15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
      So in essence the writer is saying the opposite WE DO have a high priest who sympathizes with our weakness and who was tempted as we are! What a wonderful reality this is!

      And so because of this in verse 16 we can have this confidence that when we struggle with sin we have a place to go for mercy and grace!
      16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

      Week 2 - Reflections

      As you reflect on times of confession from this past week it may help to ask these questions….

      • How am I being tempted or giving in to the desire to feed my flesh?
      • What are obvious areas I need to confess a sinful failure?
      • If I asked someone close to me about an area of struggle they see in my life what would they say? 
      • What are the things that take me away from practicing the presence of God? 
      • What causes me to neglect making intentional time with Him?
      • Am I experiencing boldness and confidence in my desire to draw near to God as I rest in His mercy?

      I appreciate so much the text from the song below as it speaks to the foundation of the forgiveness we can experience, it also help us to acknowledge our struggle and it assures us of God’s faithfulness to us regardless of our lack of faithfulness to Him…

      Merciful God, O abounding in love,
      Faithful to all who draw near You,
      Hearing the cries of the humble in heart,
      Showing the cross they may cling to.
      Helpless I come, broken in sin,
      Found at the feet of Your mercy.
      Father, forgive,
      May my sin be remembered no more.

      Merciful God, O abounding in love,
      Faithful through times we have failed You –
      Selfish in thought and uncaring in deed,
      Foolish in word and ungrateful.
      Spirit of God, conquer our hearts
      With love that flows from forgiveness;
      Cause us to yield
      And return to the mercy of God.

      Merciful God, O abounding in love,
      Faithful to keep us from falling,
      Guiding our ways with Your fatherly heart,
      Growing our faith with each testing.
      God speed the day struggles will end,
      Faultless we’ll gaze on Your glory;
      Then we will stand
      Overwhelmed by the mercy of God.

      Stuart Townend , Keith Getty & Kristyn Getty Copyright © 2006 Thankyou Music (Adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family, songs@integritymusic.com)

      We will see you Sunday!

      Caleb Roth
      Associate Pastor

      Week 1 - Preparation through Prayer

      Matthew 26:36-46 - Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
      36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”



      Devotion:
      “The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” It’s an all-too familiar experience. We have the right intentions, but will our intentions ever bear fruit? The story of Jesus and the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane is one of intense emotion and dissonance. Jesus is bearing the overwhelming weight of his imminent betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, and receival of the wrath of God. On the other hand, the disciples are confused, weary, and deeply disturbed by the words of Jesus from the Last Supper. Upon entering the garden, Jesus first commands his disciples to “remain and watch”. What were they to watch?

      It’s hard to imagine the Savior of the world, the One who upholds the universe, the all-sovereign Lord, with his face in the dirt, crying in anguish to God the Father. With Christ on his knees in prayer, the disciples witnessed pure, unwavering surrender to God. Jesus held nothing back. This time of prayer was Christ’s preparation for the cross.
      Yet, in this intimate moment between God the Son and God the Father, the disciples fall asleep.

      Upon awaking the disciples, Jesus commands them a second time. But this time, he says, “watch and pray”. The disciples first were called to watch the example of their Savior. They were then called to follow his ways. If Jesus prayed in preparation for his darkest hour, so should we.

      How does spiritual slumber creep into our lives? It comes when we are physically tired and too busy to make time for God. In the chaos and craziness of life, our spiritual eyes dim and lose sight of our Savior. This week, how can you lean into the Spirit’s leading in your life to “watch and pray”? How can you pause amid the chaos and hold nothing back, offering your all to Jesus? This week, I encourage you to spend time in prayer. Not just prior to a meal or a quick sentence or two to God, but an intentional time set aside to talk to God. It will likely be hard to add this to your week, so what can you take out to make room for prayer?

      Week 1 - Reflections

      We quickly approach the weekend, and I wanted to check in and see how your preparation through prayer is going. If you feel like prayer has been neglected or forgotten this week, there is still time!

      This week I have been praying through Psalm 23. I am amazed at the trust of David as he compares the Lord to his shepherd. Whether it be seasons of stillness and rest or valleys of death and evil, David is confident the Lord will guide him to the house of the Lord where he will dwell forever. This reminded me that Christ trusted the Father to guide him through the cross and into glory at his right hand. Easter season reminds me that Christ is our good shepherd, who will guide us on a similar path of his own, from suffering to glory.

      As we enter the weekend, consider these words from the hymn, “What a Friend we have in Jesus.”

      What a Friend we have in Jesus,
      All our sins and griefs to bear!
      What a privilege to carry
      Everything to God in prayer!
      O what peace we often forfeit,
      O what needless pain we bear,
      All because we do not carry
      Everything to God in prayer!

      Have we trials and temptations?
      Is there trouble anywhere?
      We should never be discouraged,
      Take it to the Lord in prayer.
      Can we find a friend so faithful
      Who will all our sorrows share?
      Jesus knows our every weakness,
      Take it to the Lord in prayer.

      Are we weak and heavy-laden,
      Cumbered with a load of care?
      Precious Savior, still our refuge—
      Take it to the Lord in prayer;
      Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
      Take it to the Lord in prayer;
      In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
      Thou wilt find a solace there.

      • How are you going to God in prayer?
      • How can you foster a discipline of prayer in your family?
      • What has God revealed to you during this week of intentional prayer?

      Consider these words by Milton Vincent:
      “When God chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world, He did not merely chose me to be ‘holy and blameless’; He chose me to also be ‘before Him in love.’ To be sure, I am always in God’s presence on earth, and in heaven I will be in His presence more fully than ever. But it could also be said that in this life I am especially ‘before Him in love’ when I come ‘before Him’ in prayer and worship.

      Therefore, I can infer that prayer is not simply something I am allowed to do as a Christian; prayer is actually one of the great purposes for which God chose to save me. Christ Himself confirms this fact when He makes the following statement to His disciples: ‘I chose you… that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give you.’ As a chosen one of God, I was saved to pray; and whenever I come into God’s presence to behold Him, worship Him, or make request of Him, I am arriving at the pinnacle of God’s saving purposes for me.”

      - Milton Vincent, The Gospel Primer, page 35

      May God fill you with a yearning and desire to talk to him, share your life with him, and resist temptation by the power of His Spirit.

      We will see you Sunday!

      Michael Hansen
      Associate Pastor

      Resources & Playlist Links


      Cross He Bore-Meditations on the Suffering of the Redeemer

      Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross - Experiencing ... Easter

      O Sacred Head, Now Wounded: A Liturgy for Daily Worship...


      Playlist links

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