Come On Up

Send us a note!If you have ever caught yourself thinking, “I’ll follow God as long as it fits my plan,” this message will meet you right where you are. Pastor Carl wraps up Isaiah 66 and exposes how easy it is to get stuck in our own thoughts, build our own kingdom, and quietly reject God while still sounding spiritual. We slow down and ask the question that won’t go away: does it really make sense to trust our ways over the God of truth?From there, we zoom out into sweeping Bible prophecy. Isaiah describes God’s power to bring a nation to birth “in one day,” and we talk about God’s long storyline of restoring Israel, blessing the nations, and calling us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You’ll hear why Jerusalem matters, how God’s promises reveal His character, and why “He will finish what He starts” is more than a comforting phrase. We also linger on the beautiful picture of peace like a river and God’s comfort like a mother, then bring it home with a simple challenge: are we in the Word, actually drinking in what satisfies?Isaiah 66 does not avoid the hard edges. We face God’s coming judgment, the reality of sin, and the sobering final warning that pushes us toward repentance, humility, and gospel clarity. The good news of Jesus begins with the bad news, but it ends with grace, a changed heart, and a mission to proclaim truth with the Holy Spirit’s wisdom. If you want a Bible teaching that is hopeful, honest, and practical for Christian living in dark times, this is for you.Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Come On Up and open God’s Word with us.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!If you’ve ever opened your Bible hoping for comfort and walked away feeling exposed, you’re not alone and you’re not doing it wrong. Pastor Carl takes us to Isaiah 66, where God pulls no punches: heaven is His throne, earth is His footstool, and we can’t contain Him with our plans, our buildings, or our religious routines. That single picture confronts a subtle habit many of us slip into, treating God like a lucky charm we can appease to get the life we want.We slow down on the line that changes everything: God looks to the one who is poor in spirit, contrite, and trembling at His Word. That’s not about living in fear or shame; it’s about letting Scripture function like a mirror, showing what’s really going on inside so God can actually clean up what we keep denying. We talk about the danger of outward worship without inward surrender, how pride blurs the difference between sacred and secular, and why “doing things for God” He never asked for can still miss Him completely.From there, the message widens to the cost of genuine faith, the reality of being opposed when you seek God sincerely, and the mercy behind God’s timing. Isaiah’s prophecy points to Israel, the Messiah, and the promise that God finishes what He starts, even through tribulation. If you feel like a spiritual exile in a loud world, this teaching brings clarity, conviction, and hope. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the Word that wakes us up.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Imagine a world where nobody hurts anyone, where war is gone, vengeance is gone, and even creation feels healed. That’s the picture Pastor Carl pulls from Isaiah, and it’s not framed as a fantasy or a coping mechanism. We walk through a “glorious glimpse” of the millennial reign of Christ, then bring it uncomfortably close to home: if that peace is coming, what should our lives look like right now in a culture flooded with messages that sound good to the flesh but run against God’s Word?From Isaiah’s warnings about people who ignore God when He calls, we talk honestly about spiritual distraction, self-justification, and what happens when the church tries so hard to be accepted that it forgets the gospel. Then we slow down on God’s promises to “my servants” and connect them to Jesus as the Bread of Life and the Living Water. We also dig into why forgiveness matters so much, how God deals with “former troubles,” and why worship and joy are not personality traits but signs of a heart being reshaped.The conversation widens to end-times hope: the new heavens and the new earth, the mystery of restoration, and the striking detail that even after a thousand years of peace some still choose rebellion. That leads to the core application: “ask for the old paths” and walk in them, because that’s where rest for your soul is found. If you’re hungry for biblical teaching on Isaiah, the millennial kingdom, repentance, and sanctification, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the hope.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Standing up for what God says is true can cost you, and Isaiah proves it. We lean into a hard but needed question: when the pressure is on, are we walking in unbelief or trusting the Lord with our whole lives?Pastor Carl continues a verse-by-verse Bible teaching through Isaiah and shows how God preserves a remnant, not because people deserve it, but because God is merciful and faithful to his word. That mercy ties directly to Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah who comes first to pay for sin and will come again to set things right. Along the way, we talk about what Scripture means by “the elect,” why end times hope is meant to produce present obedience, and how the millennial reign and new heavens and new earth point to a future where former troubles are truly forgotten.The most personal turn is Isaiah’s contrast between empty idols and a living Savior. When we build our lives around “Gad and Many” style gods of luck, destiny, comfort, or cultural approval, we end up hungry and thirsty even if everything looks fine on the outside. God’s promise cuts through the noise: “My servants shall eat.” Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Living Water who nourishes us, keeps our joy alive, and helps our light shine brighter as darkness deepens.If you want a clear Christian sermon on standing firm, resisting compromise, and finding real hope in the gospel of Jesus, listen now. Subscribe, share this with a friend who feels the squeeze, and leave a review so more people can find this Isaiah Bible study.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Chaos has a way of making compromise feel reasonable, but Isaiah 65 draws a hard line between a life shaped by God’s Word and a life shaped by our own thoughts. Pastor Carl walks verse by verse through a message that confronts spiritual drift while offering real hope. This teaching tackles the “remnant” theme head-on: God preserves a people who stay faithful even when the majority moves on.We dig into how Isaiah 65 can be read in more than one accurate way, including Israel’s rejection of the Lord, God’s mercy reaching the Gentiles, and the bigger promise that God has not abandoned His people. From there, the passage gets painfully practical - living like pagans while claiming God’s name, trusting self-made wisdom, and sliding into pride that says “I’m not that bad.” We also address modern expressions of “holier than thou” spirituality, twisted morality, and the pull toward counterfeit spiritual power.To sharpen the warning, Pastor Carl brings in Charles Spurgeon’s blunt diagnosis of self-righteousness and the excuses we use to justify sin. But we don’t end in condemnation. Isaiah 65 holds out grace, repentance, forgiveness, and a forward-looking vision of God’s coming kingdom, including the hope of a new heaven and a new earth. If you need steadiness, clarity, and a reason to keep going, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find these Bible teachings.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Worry, pain, and anger don’t just drain your peace, they can quietly rewrite your theology. When we’re under pressure, it’s easy to cling to a version of Jesus we’ve shaped to fit our fears and preferences, but that “other Jesus” can’t speak life into suffering or carry us through the storm. Pastor Carl walks us through Isaiah 63 and 64 to show why grieving the Holy Spirit is often less about a single moment and more about a slow drift into self-made worship.We sit with Israel’s exile and the uncomfortable truth that Babylon can be prosperous and still feel empty. That’s where the question comes out raw: “Where is God?” Isaiah gives language for seasons when God felt powerful back then, but seems absent now. We also face the dangerous pivot from lament to accusation, and the mercy of God’s repeated call to turn back before we destroy ourselves. Along the way, we explore what it means that “grieve” can imply carving or fabricating and how idolatry can wear religious clothing.The prayer in Isaiah 64 brings us to the heart of repentance and restoration: we appeal to God’s character, not our performance. We talk about a healthy fear of the Lord, righteousness by faith, and why “all our righteousness is like filthy rags” is meant to break pride and open the door to grace. God is the Father and the Potter, and we are the clay, reshaped by His mercy.Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with someone who feels far from God, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What part of your life is most tempted to build a “DIY Jesus” right now?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Blood-stained robes. A winepress of judgment. A Redeemer who also brings justice. Isaiah 63 is not gentle imagery, and that is exactly why it wakes us up when we are tempted to shrink God down to something we can manage.We follow Pastor Carl through Isaiah’s vivid prophecy of a figure returning from Edom, “mighty to save,” and we ask the hard questions it raises about the second coming of Jesus, the holiness of God, and the reality of wrath against evil. Along the way, we connect Edom to the conflict between Jacob and Esau, and we unpack why the Bible can describe Jesus as the perfect Savior and the perfect Judge without contradiction. That leads to one of the clearest themes of the message: the kinsman redeemer. Jesus becomes one of us, pays our debt at the cross, and redeems us back to God, then promises to deal fully and finally with what threatens the redeemed.The episode also gets intensely personal. When life hurts, we often face a fork in the road: get mad at God and go our own way, or back up, admit we have drifted, and remember what God has told us, what he has shown us, and who he is. We talk about the lies we tell ourselves, what it means to grieve the Holy Spirit by “fabricating” an idol version of Jesus, and why the question “Where are you, God?” shows up both in exile and in comfortable modern life. The hope running under every line is this: God’s grace is greater, and Jesus is afflicted with our afflictions.Subscribe, share this with someone who needs steadiness in a storm, and leave a review that tells us what part of Isaiah 63 challenged you most.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!You can feel it when you’re living in the gap between what God promises and what you can see with your own eyes. Pastor Carl opens Isaiah 61 and 62 to remind us that God is not improvising. He is going to do a work, he is going to accomplish his purposes, and his timing is perfect even when our moment feels like chaos, loss, or slow change. We talk through a hope-filled but challenging idea: not everyone is automatically a child of God in the saving sense. Yes, every person is made in God’s image and deserves dignity, but Scripture points to adoption into God’s family through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Isaiah’s language of being clothed in salvation and covered in righteousness lands right where daily Christian life gets real: we stop trying to earn what only God can give, and we learn to rejoice in what he has already done through Jesus. Then Isaiah’s promises widen to Israel’s future redemption and Jerusalem’s restoration, including the unforgettable names Hephzibah and Beulah that picture God’s delight and covenant commitment. We also lean into the call to be watchmen: people who pay attention, warn with love, and keep praying with stubborn endurance, “giving him no rest.” If you need steady hope, a clearer gospel, and fuel for persistent prayer, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review that tells us what stood out most.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Jesus once read Isaiah 61 out loud in His hometown and then stopped mid verse, closed the scroll, and said the words were fulfilled. That one moment raises a huge question: why announce “the acceptable year of the Lord” but pause before “the day of vengeance”? We dig into that turning point and what it reveals about mercy, judgment, and where we are in God’s timeline right now.We walk through Isaiah 61 and 62 with Pastor Carl, tracing the Messiah’s mission to bring good news to the poor in spirit, heal the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to captives. The conversation gets practical fast: sin is not just a bad habit, it is bondage, and God’s grace is not permission to stay stuck. The promise is forgiveness and freedom, comfort for mourners, and joy that replaces heaviness. Along the way we connect the “year of favor” to the Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee, a vivid picture of release, restoration, and returning to our true Owner.We also zoom out to the bigger story of Israel, the Gentiles, and the church, and why our place in God’s family is mercy from start to finish. We talk about what it means to be planted as “trees of righteousness,” why God gets the glory for real change, and how hope in God’s promises keeps us steady when the world feels loud and chaotic.If this message helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs comfort, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What line from Isaiah 61 hits you the hardest right now?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Peace is one of the most abused words in public life, and we can feel how thin it gets when it depends on leverage, headlines, and fear. From Isaiah 60, we make a different claim: real peace comes from a different King. As we teach through this chapter, we trace a future where the nations stream toward God’s work, the gates stay open because so many are coming in, and the world finally sees Israel and the God of Israel with clear eyes.We also slow down and talk honestly about discipline, mercy, and the way God keeps pursuing people who drift. Israel’s story becomes a mirror for our own lives. We do not build faith on how well we perform; we build it on how faithful the Lord is. That leads to a practical challenge: if the kingdom is alive in us right now through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, then surrender is not a religious mood. It is the daily path to clarity, renewed thinking, and a peace that can actually touch the people around us.From modern “peace deals” to end times warnings about false peace, we contrast temporary calm with the deep change that only the Prince of Peace can bring. Isaiah’s picture is not just better politics; it is transformed hearts, righteous leadership, the end of violence, and the Lord himself as our everlasting light.If you’ve been tired of shallow answers and you want Bible teaching that connects prophecy, hope, and everyday discipleship, listen now. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the message.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Darkness is real, and pretending otherwise doesn’t help. What does help is a vision big enough to outlast it and personal enough to meet you in the middle of your mess. We head into Isaiah 60 with Pastor Carl from The Mountain Cross in Waynesville, North Carolina, starting with that jolting command: “Arise, shine, for your light has come,” and we ask what it means when the world feels dim but God promises His glory will be seen.We connect Isaiah’s prophecy to Jesus as the light who shines into darkness, and to the hope of His second coming, when He is no longer rejected or ignored. Pastor Carl paints the picture of Christ reigning in person, Israel restored and regathered, and the nations streaming in to worship the Holy One of Israel. Along the way, we slow down for the vivid details Isaiah includes: caravans, ships, gates that never close, and gifts brought in honor rather than negotiation.One of the most memorable moments is the question about the gifts: why gold and frankincense, but not myrrh? We explore what those symbols say about Jesus as King and High Priest, and why myrrh belongs to His first coming and sacrificial death, not His eternal reign. And we bring it home with the core takeaway: we can trust God without basing that trust on how good we’ve been, because His grace keeps running after us, pulling us out, and setting us on higher ground.If this strengthened your faith, share it with a friend, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next in Isaiah, and leave a review to help more people find the show. What part of Isaiah 60 are you still thinking about?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Truth doesn’t disappear quietly, it gets trampled in the street. Pastor Carl’s teaching from Isaiah 59 lands like a diagnostic scan of the soul and the culture: when we stop pleading for truth and start redefining justice to fit our desires, we shouldn’t be shocked when peace evaporates. We talk honestly about the modern impulse to trust our own intellect, power, and “my truth” narratives, then wonder why the results feel like darkness at noon. From there, the message moves into Isaiah’s vivid images of vipers’ eggs and spider webs, a warning that sin multiplies and traps us while we try to cover ourselves with self-made solutions. We connect that to the way public life now runs on slogans and fast reactions instead of careful thought, repentance, and humility before God’s Word. Along the way, Pastor Carl applies Isaiah’s warning to hot-button moral issues like abortion and marriage, returning to a simple spiritual reality: demanding what God forbids while expecting wholeness is a dead end, no matter how normal it feels in the moment. The hope is not politics, it is the Redeemer. Isaiah turns toward intercession and confession, and we’re invited to let the Lord search us, free us from bondage, and take His rightful place on the throne of the heart. We also look at God putting on righteousness and salvation, pointing to Jesus’ first coming and the promised justice of His return. If you’re hungry for biblical justice, Christian truth, and a path to real peace, press play, then subscribe, share, and leave a review. What part of Isaiah 59 feels most urgent to you right now?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!If you’ve ever wondered why your prayers feel unheard or why fasting feels like effort with no fruit, Isaiah has an answer that’s both convicting and freeing. We sit with Pastor Carl from The Mountain Cross in Waynesville, North Carolina, as he walks through Isaiah 58 and 59 and presses on a hard idea: God isn’t asking for religious strain, he’s asking for surrendered hearts.We talk about the “fast” God chooses, the kind that loosens bonds of wickedness and breaks every chain. That starts with repentance and honesty about how we misrepresent the gospel, especially when we turn Christianity into “be good” instead of “run to Jesus.” The message gets practical fast: share bread with the hungry, welcome the poor, cover the naked, and stop hiding behind excuses when compassion feels inconvenient. Along the way, we look at God’s promises for wholehearted surrender: light in darkness, healing, guidance, protection, and a life that flourishes like a watered garden.Then the scope widens to the church and the nation. Isaiah’s warning about sin, truth, and justice hits close to home, and the call is clear: revival starts in our hearts before foundations can be rebuilt for future generations. We also reflect on Sabbath as rest fulfilled in Jesus and the hope of God’s coming new heaven and new earth when chaos does not get the last word. If this challenged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A lot of us know what “good Christians” are supposed to do. We show up, we read the Bible, we try a fast, we clean up a few habits, and then we quietly wonder why nothing feels different. Isaiah 58 refuses to let us stay comfortable there. Pastor Carl walks us through God’s wake-up call to religious people who seem devoted but are running on appearance, pride, and a hidden agenda.We talk about how easy it is to become an armchair quarterback of everyone else’s sin while ignoring our own, and how the heart can deceive us into thinking spiritual knowledge equals spiritual maturity. Isaiah names the disconnect: people fast and worship while exploiting others, fueling conflict, and clinging to secret compromises. That kind of faith tries to make God surrender to us. God calls us to the opposite: repentance, humility, and a surrendered heart that actually listens.Then the passage turns outward. The fast God chooses loosens bonds, lifts burdens, breaks yokes, and moves us toward mercy: feeding the hungry, welcoming the poor, and refusing to hide from real human need. Along the way we connect Isaiah 58 with Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 about fasting in secret, and James 1 on being doers of the Word, not hearers only. If you want a biblical picture of authentic fasting, real repentance, and practical Christian living, this teaching will search you and steady you.Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review to help more people find the podcast.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Shame has a way of convincing us to disappear, but God keeps saying something simpler and braver: come. We open Isaiah 57 with Pastor Carl and follow a thread that runs straight through modern life, the search for relief that turns into restlessness, the “freedom” that becomes slavery, and the quiet fear that it might be too late to turn back. We talk about spiritual adultery and idolatry in plain terms: mocking the things of God, chasing what we want at any cost, and trusting substitutes that promise comfort but cannot deliver. The passage exposes the lie that all roads lead to heaven and challenges the idea that we can offer our lives to false gods and still expect the true God’s peace. Pastor Carl connects Isaiah’s imagery to today’s realities, including addiction cycles, sexual sin, and the way a culture can redefine evil as good, then wonder why it cannot rest. The turning point is God’s character. The high and lofty One chooses to dwell with the contrite and humble, reviving hearts that finally stop excusing sin and start telling the truth. We explore repentance as more than behavior change: it is turning to Jesus Christ for Sabbath rest, trusting the finished work of the cross, and letting the Holy Spirit convict and heal. If you’re hungry for real peace and a clear path back to God, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find hope.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!What would happen if the faithful suddenly vanished and the world didn’t grieve, didn’t reflect, and didn’t repent, but celebrated? That’s the unsettling question we sit with as Pastor Carl teaches through Isaiah 56 and 57, where God promises rest and peace for the righteous while exposing a culture that keeps charging ahead as if nothing matters.We start with hope: God welcomes outsiders, gathers the outcasts, and calls His house “a house of prayer for all nations.” Then we connect Isaiah to Jesus cleansing the temple, confronting a religious system that turned worship into a marketplace. From there, the warning sharpens as Isaiah describes blind watchmen and greedy shepherds, and we lay out what faithful spiritual leadership looks like right now: watch the times, warn with clarity, witness to the true answer, and finish well with a life that points back to Jesus Christ.Finally, Isaiah 57 pushes the tension to the surface, raising the possibility that the world may shrug when the righteous are taken away. We talk about mocking God, spiritual adultery, modern idols, the false comfort of “all roads lead to heaven,” and the way sin and addiction promise relief but deliver deeper slavery. If you’ve felt the pressure to compromise, this teaching calls you back to repentance, Sabbath rest in Christ, and steady courage. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest question the message stirred up for you.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Trying to please God by working harder can feel noble, but it can also hide a deeper problem: we’re still trusting ourselves. We wrestle with that tension through Isaiah 56, where God calls his people to keep justice and do righteousness while also warning them not to do it in their own strength. The thread running through the whole message is humility, the kind that admits, “Lord, I can’t,” and then reaches for grace through faith. From there, we dig into one of the most misunderstood themes in the Bible: the Sabbath. We connect Genesis, Jesus’ words in Mark 2, and the promise of Hebrews 3 and 4 to show why the Sabbath is more than a day on the calendar. Jesus is our Sabbath rest. He gives rest from striving, rest from trying to cover our sin, and rest from chasing God’s favor like it’s a reward we can earn. That kind of spiritual rest doesn’t make us passive, it makes our obedience possible. Isaiah’s vision also expands who belongs. Foreigners and eunuchs, people who carry stigma, loss, or a painful past, are specifically invited into God’s house with joy and an everlasting name. And we don’t skip the hard warnings: blind watchmen, false shepherds, and leaders who refuse to watch, warn, and witness. If you’ve ever felt worn out, shut out, or let down by shallow religion, this conversation points you back to the steadiness of Christ. Subscribe for more Bible teaching from Come On Up, share this with a friend who needs real rest, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one area where you need to stop striving and start trusting?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!If you’ve ever looked at your past and thought, “I’ve gone too far to be restored,” Isaiah 54 offers a direct challenge to that hopeless math. We lean into a message from Pastor Carl that starts with a shocking comfort: Jesus was counted among sinners, even though He was sinless, so He could stand in our place and intercede for us. When your Judge becomes your Savior, the accusations don’t get the final word.We walk through the backdrop of Israel’s exile and humiliation and then hear God speak hope into what feels irreversible. Isaiah’s call to sing, expand, and “enlarge the place of your tent” isn’t about pretending life is fine; it’s about trusting God’s finished work and preparing for renewal. Along the way, Pastor Carl connects the bondwoman versus the child of promise to the difference between trying to earn righteousness under the law and receiving it through the blood of Jesus in the New Covenant. It’s grace with substance, not slogans.The conversation turns practical as the chapter moves from shame to security: God calls Himself Redeemer, vows an everlasting kindness, and compares His promise to the waters of Noah. We also talk about fear for our kids, the promise that “all your children shall be taught by the Lord,” and why “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” often plays out as spiritual warfare in the mind through words, lies, and accusation. The takeaway is steadying: God disciplines to restore, protects to strengthen, and keeps a covenant of peace He will not break.Subscribe for more Bible teaching through Isaiah, share this with someone who needs hope today, and leave a review to help others find the show.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A gift card feels free until you remember someone else paid for it. We use that everyday moment to get at a bigger truth from Isaiah 53: God’s grace doesn’t cost us, but it costs Jesus everything. Pastor Carl walks through the Suffering Servant prophecy and shows why the cross looks shocking to human eyes and yet is the clearest picture of God’s love, God’s justice, and the righteousness of God offered to sinners at Christ’s expense. We slow down on “by His stripes we are healed” and unpack healed as mended, cured, repaired, made whole. That includes the deepest problem beneath every symptom, sin and death, and it also speaks to the real fractures we carry in body, mind, and spirit. We also face Isaiah’s blunt diagnosis: we are sheep who go astray, and “iniquity” is more than mistakes, it is a twisted drift that resists God’s design. Against that backdrop, Jesus stands silent before His accusers and goes willingly to the cross to make the great exchange possible. Then Isaiah 54 turns the corner toward restoration: sing again, enlarge your tent, and trust the mercy of God even after shame and loss. The message lands with a clear invitation to stop chasing self-made righteousness and receive the new covenant through faith in Jesus Christ, then live outward with expanded influence for the good of others. Subscribe for more teaching through Isaiah, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review. What line from Isaiah 53 or 54 do you keep thinking about after listening?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!The world trains us to trust what looks impressive, but Isaiah 53 asks a sharper question: will you believe a Savior who does not match your idea of strength? We wrestle with how easy it is to polish Christianity into something “marketable,” and why that move quietly replaces the true gospel with a version that flatters our flesh but cannot save. Pastor Carl walks line by line through Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant, showing how God’s Messiah grows up humbly “as a tender plant,” without the outward beauty people expect. Instead of winning through image and dominance, Jesus is despised, rejected, and acquainted with grief, entering the real human experience of sorrow, anxiety, and loss. We also talk honestly about how we often judge by appearance while God judges by the intents of the heart, and why that changes how we see both Christ and ourselves. The heart of the message centers on substitutionary atonement in Isaiah 53: Jesus is wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities so that we can have peace with God. You’ll hear careful definitions of key words like transgression, iniquity, chastisement, peace, and “by His stripes we are healed,” with healing described as mended, cured, repaired, and made whole. The teaching closes with the Servant’s silence before judgment and the surprising fulfillment of His burial, pointing to a gospel that is not shiny, but is eternally strong. Subscribe for more Bible teaching through Isaiah, share this with a friend who needs real hope, and leave a review to help others find the podcast. What part of Isaiah 53 challenges your assumptions the most?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A fire alarm is not the moment to “see how things go.” That’s the gut-level picture we start with as Pastor Carl walks through Isaiah 51 and 52, where God calls His people to wake up, recognize what sin has done, and stop looking to a broken world for answers that cannot save. If you’ve felt spiritually sleepy, stuck in compromise, or worn down by the chaos around you, this message is a jolt in the best way.We talk about the “cup” of God’s wrath and what it means to experience the consequences of walking by sight instead of by faith. The passage does not dodge responsibility, but it also refuses to leave us in shame. God’s grace is greater than our drifting: He takes the cup away, restores what’s been crushed, and tells His people to stand up in strength. That leads to a blunt, necessary question for the modern church: do we look more like Babylon than we do Jesus? The call is clear and practical, depart, touch no unclean thing, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.From there, Isaiah turns our eyes to hope and mission. “How beautiful upon the mountains” are the feet that bring good news, a line echoed in Romans 10. We are reminded that the gospel is not a hobby, it’s our message. And we end with the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah whose suffering points straight to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who was marred for our salvation and whose blood covers sin for all who believe.If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a wake-up call, and leave a review so more people can find this Bible teaching through Isaiah. What is one “Babylon” habit you know you need to walk away from?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!You can feel it when you’ve drifted: the quieter prayers, the louder opinions of other people, the constant urge to manage your image, and the sinking sense that you’re stuck in a hole you helped dig. We walk through Isaiah 51–52 with Pastor Carl and name the trap for what it is, fear of man and friendship with the world that slowly dulls our awe of God. Then we follow Isaiah’s repeated command, “Awake, awake,” not as a slogan, but as a moment of spiritual clarity that calls us back to the Lord.We also get practical about prayer and faith. If you’ve ever wondered why your prayers feel scattered or weak, the answer may be simple: effectual prayer is shaped by God’s will, and God’s will is revealed in the Word of God. Isaiah points us to God’s past deliverance, his victory over pride and the serpent, and his power to make a way where there is no way. That memory is meant to rebuild trust, restore joy, and steady us in the middle of real storms.The conversation does not dodge consequences, but it refuses hopelessness. God disciplines, yet he also comforts. He takes away the cup of trembling and offers redemption “without money” to us, even though it costs Jesus everything. If you feel like a spiritual exile living far from the life you were made for, this is a strong reminder that God can bring you back, free you, and teach you how to stand firm. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find the show.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!“Law and order” is usually framed as harsh control or cold power, but Isaiah 51 paints something completely different and Pastor Carl leans into it: when Jesus reigns as King, His justice lands like light, and His rule feels like joy. We start with God’s repeated invitation to listen, to look back, and to remember, because faith doesn’t grow from panic. It grows when we trace the rock we were cut from and the pit we were pulled out of.We follow Isaiah’s call to stop chasing the world’s fixes and start trusting the Lord’s strength. Pastor Carl connects Israel’s temptation to form alliances with the way we negotiate, strategize, and self-protect when fear spikes. He also speaks candidly about discouragement, how it can become a foothold, and why praise and thanksgiving aren’t denial, they’re spiritual resistance that re-aims our attention toward what God has done and what He has promised to do.The message turns into a practical guide for prayer: “awake, awake” isn’t only about asking God to move, it’s also about asking God to awaken our faith. Along the way we touch on pride, the serpent, and the shocking picture of judgment through the cross, where the perfect Judge serves in love. If you’re tired of fragile hope, this Bible teaching from Isaiah 51 offers a sturdier foundation: God comforts, His salvation lasts forever, and His righteousness will not be abolished.If this encouraged you, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share it with a friend who needs steady hope, and leave a review to help more people find the podcast.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!When you’re tired, confused, or flat-out hurting, you don’t need a louder pep talk. You need a better finish line. We open with a simple picture of endurance and then let Isaiah 49–50 do what it does best: pull your eyes off the moment and lock them onto Jesus Christ, the One who makes suffering meaningful and hope unshakeable.We talk through God’s promises to Israel about gathering, restoration, and a future so full it feels impossible, then connect that prophetic certainty to the most personal proof God can give: the cross. The message is direct. God has not abandoned you. He sees what is coming against you, and He has not run out of power to redeem, deliver, or rebuild what looks desolate. That same storyline also confronts us with a hard truth about sin and self-reliance, calling us to bold repentance and real trust instead of excuses.Isaiah’s portrait of the suffering servant brings the center into focus. Jesus listens, obeys, endures shame, and sets His face like flint because of the joy set before Him. We also wrestle with what it means to face enemies, not with fleshly bravado, but with confidence in God’s help and with the surprising command to bless and do good, so even an adversary might become family.If you’re searching for a Bible teaching podcast on Isaiah, Christian endurance, prophecy, and trusting God in darkness, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs steady hope, and leave a review so more people can find the message.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!God can feel silent at the exact moment you need Him most. We start with that hard, familiar question, “Where’d you go, God?” and we don’t rush past it. Instead, we follow it straight into Scripture and into Jesus’ own words from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” If you’ve ever felt lonely, overlooked, or spiritually numb while still trying to do the right thing, you’ll recognize yourself here.Pastor Carl walks through Isaiah 49 and shows how God speaks courage into suffering long before the breakthrough arrives. We talk about Jesus as the Servant of the Lord who stayed, suffered, and served when He had every right to walk away. That’s not only the foundation of our salvation, it’s also a model for Christian endurance through doubt, pressure, and pain. Along the way we explore God’s promises of restoration, the theme of captives being brought out of darkness, and why hope grows when we lift our eyes beyond what’s right in front of us.Then the comfort turns personal: God answers the fear of being forgotten with a stronger-than-instinct picture of a mother and child and a line that cuts through despair, “I’ve inscribed you on the palms of my hands.” We connect that to the nail scars of the cross, because the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a vague encouragement, it’s proof paid for in full. If the news cycle has you convinced chaos wins, Isaiah points us toward God’s coming kingdom, a new heaven and a new earth, and the steady mercy of a Redeemer who never let go.If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s struggling, and leave a review so more people can find the show. And if you’re near Waynesville, North Carolina, come worship with us at The Mountain Cross.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Jesus could have chosen comfort. He could have walked away from suffering with every right to say, “I don’t deserve this.” Instead, he stayed, served, and obeyed and that single choice changes everything about how we understand salvation, purpose, and perseverance.We open Isaiah 49 with a stunning announcement to the “coastlands,” a worldwide call that pushes the promise of God far beyond one city or one nation. From there, we sit with the mystery at the center of Christianity: the Messiah is called from the womb. God becomes man. The eternal Word steps into our skin, speaks with the sharpness of truth, and lives the life we were meant to live: submitted to the Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit. If you’ve ever wondered whether God actually understands human pressure, weakness, and grief, this passage answers with a person, not a theory.Then we get painfully practical. Psalm 127 confronts the exhausting cycle of striving, building, and proving, only to realize we may be working “for God” while missing God. Pastor Carl talks about discouragement, delayed fruit, and the temptation to judge everything by what we can see right now. The turning point is learning to look at the big picture the way Jesus does, praying, “Not my will, but yours be done,” and trusting that real reward is with the Lord.We also explore Isaiah’s promise that the Servant becomes “a light to the Gentiles,” bringing salvation to the ends of the earth, and we look ahead to restoration hope that steadies anxious hearts in a chaotic culture. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend who feels worn down, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Peace, profit, and prosperity are words we throw around casually, but Isaiah 48 forces us to define them the way God does. We sit with Pastor Carl as he walks through this chapter and starts at the uncomfortable beginning: we are born into sin, and we should not be shocked when our world acts like it. That truth does not produce coldness, it should produce compassion and urgency, because people do not need shame without hope, they need the gospel that brings forgiveness and a changed heart through Jesus Christ.From there, the message turns to a stunning reason God keeps working with stubborn people: “for My name’s sake.” Israel faces discipline and even captivity, yet God promises he will not destroy them, and Pastor Carl connects that same mercy to the Church. We talk about the “furnace of affliction,” how hardship can refine rather than crush, and why God’s patience is meant to lead us back to repentance. Along the way we look up at creation, the stars that obey their Maker, and we hear the call to assemble and listen, both in personal Bible reading and in gathering with the body of Christ.Isaiah 48 also reaches forward to history and to Jesus: Babylon, Cyrus, return from exile, and even a glimpse of the Trinity in the Old Testament as “the Lord God and His Spirit” send the Savior. The invitation lands where weary hearts live, the rest Christ promises, and the practical fruit of faith in action: a strong work ethic, real service, and a kind of “profit” that blesses others. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can find this teaching through Isaiah.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!The moment you realize you’re wrong is a crossroads. You can humble yourself and concede, or you can double down and “die on that hill” even when the truth is staring you in the face. We start there, because Pastor Carl’s message in Isaiah 48 exposes how easily we do this with God, keeping the vocabulary of faith while resisting the obedience of faith.We read Isaiah’s words to Israel, a people proud of their spiritual heritage, quick to say “the Lord lives,” and yet unwilling to walk in truth and righteousness. From that foundation we ask hard questions about Christian hypocrisy today: what happens when the church looks more like the world than like Jesus, and why does that wreck our witness? We talk about repentance, idolatry, and the modern ways we “lean on God” for blessings without surrender, giving credit to anything else when God moves.Jeremiah’s call to return brings both warning and hope. The gospel doesn’t work by yelling at sinners to stop sinning; it works by Jesus changing hearts through forgiveness, truth, and new life. And even when we’ve been stubborn, God restrains judgment for His name’s sake, refining His people through affliction so His glory isn’t handed to another.If you want a Bible teaching on Isaiah 48, spiritual renewal, repentance, and what real faith looks like in the church in America, press play, then share it with someone who needs an honest reset. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what you’re wrestling with right now.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!What if the “easy way” is quietly discipling your heart away from God? We start with a blunt question that refuses to stay theoretical: what are you willing to trade for success, comfort, influence, or security. The world sells shortcuts as harmless upgrades, but we keep coming back to the same concern a Christian can’t ignore: when the offer looks great, what does it cost spiritually?Pastor Carl then leads us through Isaiah 47, where Babylon appears like a pristine queen, admired and desired, yet destined to be uncovered and brought low. The language is vivid: veils removed, shame exposed, popularity gone. We talk about the Lord as Redeemer, the One who pays the sin debt to buy back His people, and also the One who holds nations and individuals accountable when pride and cruelty take over.From there, the passage feels uncomfortably modern. The “I am” lie shows up in our urge to control our own destiny, curate an image, and demand life on our terms. We also address spiritual warfare head on, contrasting the Holy Spirit with counterfeit power through enchantments, sorcery, and deceptive spirits that promise pleasure and security for a time, then destroy. The thread tying it all together is repentance: turning back to God before warped wisdom and self rule become calamity.We close with a prayer for God to come as a purifying fire, and a reminder from Isaiah to look past today’s chaos toward God’s promises of a new heaven and a new earth. If this message helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Idols always make big promises and then demand you carry them. That’s the blunt picture Pastor Carl pulls from Isaiah 46, where Bel bows down, Nebo stoops, and the so-called gods of Babylon end up strapped to beasts like dead weight. We ask a question that hits close to home: how do we get so far from righteousness? The answer isn’t usually one dramatic moment, but a slow drift powered by one simple move, believing a lie that our way is better than God’s.From there, the tone shifts from warning to comfort. God says He has carried His people from birth, from the womb, all the way to gray hairs. That contrast is the heart of the message: false gods cannot answer, cannot move, cannot save, but the living God bears us, delivers us, and proves His truth by declaring the end from the beginning. We also talk about prophecy and history, including the mention of Cyrus and how God’s counsel stands no matter what kingdoms rise and fall.Isaiah 47 widens the lens to Babylon as a proud queen whose beauty gets uncovered, exposing cruelty, pride, and spiritual deception. The passage challenges modern confidence in pleasure, security, and self-rule and traces it back to the oldest temptation of all: acting like we are in control of our own destiny. If you feel like a spiritual exile, this message brings hope that salvation is near, as near as a prayer, because Jesus Christ has already made the way.Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more listeners can find Come On Up. What “idol” tends to sneak into your life when you’re tired or stressed?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!The world can repeat a message so often that it starts to feel like truth, even when it’s hollow. We slow down and ask a sharper question: can you actually recognize God’s voice when everything else is competing for your trust? From the Mountain Cross in Waynesville, North Carolina, Pastor Carl opens Isaiah 45 to show why God never speaks darkness, never manipulates, and never lies, and why that matters when the “spirit of this age” keeps offering counterfeit hope.We talk through the jarring images Isaiah uses to humble us: potsherds arguing on the floor, clay questioning the potter, and a human heart that wants to correct its own Creator. Then we face a surprising storyline where God calls and directs Cyrus, an unlikely pagan ruler, to accomplish His plan. That’s not a footnote, it’s a challenge to our assumptions about control, obedience, and who God is allowed to use.The message turns toward salvation and the future, where nations ultimately recognize there is no other God. Isaiah’s invitation is simple and sweeping: “Look to Me and be saved.” We connect that promise to Jesus on the cross and to Philippians 2, where every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, either as worship or as judgment.Listen, reflect, and share this with someone who feels pulled by a hundred voices right now. If it helps you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what helps you discern truth when life gets loud.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A prophecy that calls a future king by name is either a lucky guess or a direct collision with the God who stands outside of time. We walk through Isaiah 45 where the Lord speaks to Cyrus about opened doors, subdued nations, and a purpose Cyrus doesn’t even understand yet. That timeline matters, because it pushes the “God is doing nothing” fear out of the driver’s seat and replaces it with a harder, steadier truth: God is working, even when history looks like chaos.Then we jump to Daniel 5 for one of the most chilling scenes in the Old Testament. Belshazzar throws a feast, desecrates what is holy, and mocks God with a show of power, until a hand writes judgment on the wall. Daniel interprets the message and Babylon falls that very night, not by brute force, but through an unexpected entryway and gates left open, echoing Isaiah’s words about doors and bronze barriers. Prophecy and history snap together, and we’re left asking why God would use a pagan ruler at all.We also slow down on Isaiah 45:7, “I make peace and create calamity,” and clarify what it does and does not mean. God is holy, God is just, and God is not the author of sin, yet His sovereignty still reaches over light and darkness, empires and exiles, consequences and redemption. The teaching turns personal with a simple prayer for righteousness to “rain down” on us, and a warning not to strive with our Maker like clay arguing with the potter.Subscribe for more Bible teaching through Isaiah, share this with someone wrestling with the problem of evil and God’s sovereignty, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A carved idol can’t save anyone but we keep asking our handmade comforts to do God’s job. Pastor Carl continues in Isaiah 44, where the Lord mocks the logic of idolatry: someone burns half a piece of wood to warm up and cook dinner, then turns the rest into a “god” and prays for deliverance. It’s darkly funny until we realize how close it is to our own lives, where money, control, politics, success, and approval can become functional idols we trust more than the living God.We also talk about the way truth gets rejected one choice at a time. Isaiah describes people who cannot see what’s obvious because their hearts are hardened, and Pastor Carl connects that to Pharaoh’s story: persistent resistance can reach a point where a person no longer wants to hear God and eventually cannot hear Him. That’s why this message keeps circling back to a hard question: what happens when we keep saying, “I don’t want to listen, I’m going to believe what I want”?From there we move to Jesus’ warning in Matthew 12 about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, explained as rejecting the Spirit’s witness about Jesus and the gospel. The Holy Spirit reveals our need, shows us who Christ is, and presses the moment of decision: repent and trust the Savior, or dismiss the truth and cling to the lie in our right hand. Along the way, we highlight God’s sovereignty in prophecy, including Cyrus being named long before his rise, and we end with hope that looks past today’s chaos toward God’s promised kingdom.If this challenged you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more teaching through Isaiah, and leave a review so others can find the show. What “idol” do you feel most tempted to trust this week?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!You can feel like you’re failing and still be called “upright” by God. That’s the tension Isaiah 44 refuses to let us ignore, and it’s where Pastor Carl spends time: God names His people Jeshuram, “the upright one,” even while they’re stumbling, threatened by judgment, and surrounded by counterfeit hopes. That isn’t denial of sin, it’s grace rooted in God’s choice, God’s redemption, and God’s power to finish what He starts.We trace a straight line from “In the beginning, God” to a very present struggle: when life gets dark or confusing, we tend to shrink God down to human limits. Isaiah pushes back with a big view of the Lord as the One outside time who can declare what is coming because He’s already there. That’s why “do not fear” is not wishful thinking; it’s a rational response to God’s sovereignty and goodness.The message also gets intensely practical: spiritual dryness is real, and God answers it with living water and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We connect Isaiah’s promise to Psalm 1’s picture of a tree planted by streams and to Joel’s prophecy echoed in Acts, a reminder that God’s Spirit empowers obedience, endurance, and hope even in seasons that feel like exile.Then Isaiah turns blunt and even darkly funny, exposing idolatry as a dead end: the same wood used to cook dinner becomes a “god” someone begs to deliver them. It’s a warning for every generation about worshiping what we build, protect, and depend on for identity, power, or security. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!“Live your truth” sounds compassionate until you ask a harder question: what happens when two truths collide, or when feelings change, or when the story we tell ourselves falls apart? We continue in Isaiah 43 and put the modern idea of moral relativism under real pressure, not to score points, but to find something solid enough to carry a life.Pastor Carl walks us through God’s claims about identity and purpose: God creates, forms, and calls people by his name for his glory. We also wrestle with Israel’s place in history as a living witness to God’s faithfulness, and why the Bible treats prophecy, memory, and real events as evidence, not as spiritual decoration. Along the way we talk about spiritual blindness and deafness, revisionist history, and why Scripture refuses to let “my truth” sit on the throne.The center of gravity is God’s own declaration: “I am He… besides me there is no Savior.” That pushes us from a works mentality into faith, where trust begins small like a mustard seed and grows as God keeps proving his word. We also explore the promise that God is doing “a new thing,” calling the church out of stale comfort, and we name the quiet reality many believers feel: weariness, drifting, and the weight of sin. Isaiah 43 does not excuse sin, but it offers hope with teeth, a God who blots out transgressions and restores what we cannot fix.If you found this helpful, subscribe for more Bible teaching through Isaiah, share the episode with a friend who is tired of flimsy answers, and leave a review so more people can find the show.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Fear feels logical when the world is loud, uncertain, and shifting under your feet. We open Isaiah 43 and let God’s words cut through the noise: “Fear not… I have redeemed you… I have called you by your name… you are mine.” That single line reframes identity, anxiety, and the daily pressure to stay in control. If you’re exhausted from trying to manage outcomes, this message brings you back to the covenant God, Yahweh, who creates, forms, and keeps His people.We talk through the difference between Jacob and Israel, the schemer versus the surrendered, and why that inner posture matters when life turns tumultuous. We also sit with a promise that’s both comforting and challenging: you will pass through waters and fire, but you won’t pass through alone. From Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to Jesus’ words in John 16, we trace how peace in Christ can exist right in the middle of tribulation, not after it’s over.The conversation widens to Revelation 2 and the church in Smyrna, where faithfulness is tested and endurance is honored, and then returns to Isaiah’s long view of God’s saving work through Israel and His open invitation to anyone who will come. We touch on Bible prophecy, the scattering and regathering of Israel, and why “forever” changes how we live in the here and now. If you want a clearer, steadier Christian worldview built on redemption, surrender, and hope, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review so more people can find it.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!The hardest spiritual trap is the one that feels normal. We can get so used to our patterns, our “comforts,” and our private idols that we stop noticing we’re stuck until God’s light hits our eyes. Pastor Carl teaches from Isaiah 42 and asks a blunt question: why do we praise the Lord? Not because we worked ourselves into a better mood, but because God intervenes, tells the truth, and changes lives when we had no hope for ourselves.We talk about the holiness of God’s name, why the Lord says he will not give his glory to another, and why that statement is mercy instead of ego. Idols cannot forgive, heal, or save, even when they make us feel better for a moment. Isaiah’s courtroom-like challenge exposes how fragile false gods really are, then calls for a new song that reaches the ends of the earth. Praise becomes testimony, the simple gospel message that admits sin honestly and points to the only real rescuer.The passage also carries urgency. Isaiah describes the Lord coming with power against the enemy’s lies, and Pastor Carl connects it to a world that feels louder, darker, and more chaotic by the day. Still, the promise is personal: God leads the blind by a way they did not know, makes darkness light, straightens crooked places, and does not forsake his people. The warning is personal too, because it’s possible to claim God’s name while living deaf to his voice.If you’ve felt thirsty, discouraged, or tempted to go back to what’s familiar, this message aims straight at your heart with hope and a clear call to repent. Subscribe for more Bible teaching from Come On Up, share this with a friend who needs direction, and leave a review so more people can find it.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A lot of us say we want to serve God, but we quietly hope it comes with comfort, respect, and at least a little credit. This message flips that expectation on its head by asking a blunt question: what kind of “thanks” did slaves get? From there, we trace the shocking path Jesus chose, not as a celebrity Savior, but as the Servant of the Lord who was willing to be rejected, mistreated, and ultimately crucified out of love.We open Isaiah 42 and watch how God describes His Servant: upheld by the Father, filled with the Spirit, and sent not just for Israel but for the Gentiles and all nations. We also talk about what that means for us right now. The Holy Spirit is not optional if we want real discipleship. We may know God has saved us, but we still need His empowerment to deny ourselves, to serve when it costs something, and to keep going when we feel overlooked or worn down.Then we take on one of the most argued words in public life: justice. We dig into why biblical justice is grounded in truth, mercy, and the cross, not in pride or payback. If you feel like a bruised reed or a smoking wick, Isaiah’s promise is personal: Jesus does not break what is bent, and He does not snuff out what is barely burning. He restores, He persists, and He sends us to carry His light into a dark world.Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review that helps others find the podcast. What would change in your life if you stopped serving for applause and started serving for Jesus?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!God doesn’t ask for blind faith. Isaiah 41 shows Him stepping into the courtroom of history and saying, in effect, “Test Me.” Can any idol tell you what’s coming, explain the past with truth, or change a human heart? God’s argument is simple and unsettling: He declares the end from the beginning, and His Word lands in real time with real fulfillment.We talk through why biblical prophecy matters for everyday life, not just end-times curiosity. Pastor Carl connects Isaiah’s promises to spiritual thirst and Jesus’ offer of living water, then presses the question we all avoid: do we actually want God to win the fight for control in our lives? The Holy One calls us to holiness, but we can’t manufacture it. That’s why the gospel matters so much. The cross pays for sin once and for all, and the risen Jesus keeps working in us through sanctification, one step of repentance and trust at a time.We also trace Isaiah’s themes of restoration, including the startling way the land and nation of Israel point to God’s ongoing purposes, while reminding us that signs are never the Savior. The real issue is worship: the world sells us louder and louder “gods” that do nothing but distract, and Scripture keeps bringing us back to the occupied throne in heaven and the question of who sits on the throne of our hearts.If this stirred something in you, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share the episode with a friend who’s been feeling spiritually dry, and leave a review so more people can find the message. What part of your life is God asking you to surrender today?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Idols rarely look like statues anymore, which is exactly why they’re so dangerous. We can turn perfectly good things money, comfort, success, even our own “I’ve got this” mindset into the place where we go for security and meaning. Pastor Carl takes us into Isaiah 41 and makes the definition uncomfortably clear: anything we trust more than God becomes an idol, no incense required. We follow Isaiah’s courtroom-style argument as God calls the nations to be quiet and listen, then points to His unmistakable work in history. From Abraham’s faith being counted as righteousness to the almost darkly funny picture of craftsmen building gods and fastening them with pegs so they won’t fall over, the contrast is stark: the Lord is first and last, while idols can’t stand on their own. Along the way, we talk about fear, weakness, and why God’s promise “I will strengthen you” is not motivational talk but covenant love. The message also connects prophecy, Israel’s story, and the hope of the Messiah, showing why Jerusalem still matters and why spiritual renewal matters even more. We end with a call to fight the real battles through prayer, the Word of God, and a dependence that leads to living water and real change.If you’re ready to identify the subtle idols in your life and return to a stronger trust, listen now, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!“Behold your God” is a command that cuts through noise, pride, and fear and it’s the heartbeat of this message from Isaiah 40. We’re talking about the moment we finally stop trying to prove ourselves, stop bargaining with God, and start seeing Him as He truly is: mighty, holy, and still unbelievably merciful toward broken people.Pastor Carl walks us through why humility is not self-hate, it’s honesty. When we admit we bring nothing to God that could purchase His love, we’re finally ready to receive what Jesus has already secured through the cross: forgiveness, mercy, and a new kind of worth that doesn’t depend on performance. We also explore what it means to represent God well, not using faith to build our own little kingdoms, but pointing people to the Lord with clarity and courage.Isaiah stretches our view of God until it snaps the frame. God measures oceans in His hand, names every star, and needs no counselor, so we stop trying to shrink Him into an idol that serves our preferences. That bigger view also reorders our trust: leaders, institutions, and empires are temporary, but God reigns. And when we feel forgotten or worn out, Isaiah’s promise lands with force: those who wait on the Lord renew their strength, mount up with wings like eagles, and keep walking even when life feels heavy.If you need steadier hope in a chaotic world, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who feels tired, and leave a review so more people can find this teaching.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Forgiveness can feel like a narrow escape, like you squeaked by and now you’d better not mess up again. We push back on that instinct by sitting in Isaiah 40, where God commands comfort for people who know they’re stuck, ashamed, and tired. Pastor Carl challenges a question most of us avoid: do you actually believe your sin has been paid for, or are you still living like the debt is only partially covered?We talk about what “comfort” really means in the Bible: not denial, not platitudes, but a substantial peace anchored in the gospel of Jesus Christ. You’ll hear how God the Father is the God of all comfort, how the Holy Spirit is the Comforter who comes alongside as Helper and Spirit of truth, and how the Scriptures form patience and hope that hold up under real pressure. If you’re craving steady Christian encouragement, this connects theology to daily life.Isaiah’s words to Jerusalem go even deeper with the line about receiving “double” for sin. Pastor Carl explains why that is not about extra punishment, but about a payment so complete it covers the whole ledger, like a fold that fully covers what’s owed. From “prepare the way of the Lord” to “behold your God,” we explore repentance, idols, the shortness of life, and the lasting strength of God’s Word, plus the promise that the Good Shepherd leads, protects, and restores spiritual exiles.If this helped you rethink grace, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review so others can find Come On Up.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A clean slate sounds simple until you’re staring at your past, your pain, or your regrets and wondering if God really dealt with all of it. We lean into a powerful promise from Isaiah: God doesn’t merely sweep sin aside, He removes it because Jesus takes it on Himself. That’s not just theology for Sunday, it’s a new way to wake up, make choices, and live with purpose when life feels heavy. We walk the road from justification to sanctification, naming the discouragement that hits in sickness, sorrow, and weakness when prayer turns into groans. Pastor Carl points us to the kindness of God in that exact moment: the Holy Spirit intercedes, and we can still pray, “Lord, undertake for me,” asking God to represent us, defend us, and work on our behalf. Along the way, we talk about aligning our habits with grace, choosing focus over the flesh, and letting God turn bitterness into peace. Then the story sharpens with Hezekiah and Babylon. Healing and extra time should draw us nearer to God, but Hezekiah’s loss of discernment becomes a warning about stewardship, spiritual warfare, and how the enemy can show up looking friendly and asking for access. The takeaway is clear: don’t drift, don’t coast, and don’t waste “borrowed time.” Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you’re taking into your week.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!“Set your house in order, for you shall die.” Isaiah’s words to King Hezekiah are not gentle, and that’s exactly why they’re so needed. We sit with the reality of mortality and ask the question we all dodge: if your time were short, what would you change right now, and what would you leave behind for the people you love?From there, we get practical about Christian estate planning and biblical stewardship. We talk about why a thoughtful estate plan brings peace, how it provides for family, and how it protects you in later years by clarifying who will make key decisions. But we don’t stop at documents and dollars. We push into the heart issue: God owns everything, and we’re managers, not owners. That changes how we think about money, generosity, charity, and the motives behind building “our own little empires.”We also explore Hezekiah’s prayer, the contrast between works and grace, and what it means that God can answer prayers even when our motives are mixed. The bigger question hangs over the whole message: what will you do with the time God gives you, and will your life point people to the gospel?Subscribe for more verse-by-verse teaching, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. What does “set your house in order” mean for you today?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A threat hits your doorstep and suddenly you feel the urge to do something, anything: fire back, fix it fast, distract yourself, make a deal you’ll regret later. We go to Isaiah’s account of King Hezekiah facing Assyria’s intimidation and ask the question that keeps showing up in real life: what do we do when the danger is real and we’re not strong enough to handle it alone?We talk through Hezekiah’s response step by step: he refuses pride, names his weakness, and brings the letter to the Lord. That move turns the moment from panic into prayer and it reshapes how we think about spiritual warfare, fear, and control. We also dig into the heart of his prayer, because he’s not just asking for relief; he’s asking that God’s name would be honored so people would know the living God. Along the way we contrast the one true God with the false gods we craft from our own preferences, and we sit with a hard but comforting truth: God is not surprised by the powers that rage, and He can stop them.The message lands on the theme of the faithful remnant: ordinary people who choose faithfulness when the culture drifts and the world feels like it’s coming apart. We connect God’s defense of Jerusalem to His promises to David and to Jesus, the King who reigns forever. If you’ve been tempted to cope instead of pray, to compromise instead of repent, this is an invitation to run to the Lord, open His Word, and listen. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs steadiness, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you’re sitting with today.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A threat lands in your hands and suddenly your mind starts racing: what if the enemy is right, what if you’re finished, what if God won’t come through. That’s the moment we walk into today as Pastor Carl teaches through Hezekiah’s showdown with Assyria in Isaiah 37. The Rabshakeh’s message is calculated spiritual intimidation, and it sounds eerily modern: don’t trust the Lord, look at the track record, surrender now and you’ll be fine. We slow down and name the tactic for what it is: fear dressed up as “realism.”We talk about why some voices are not meant to be debated, why silence can be obedience, and why the first honest step is admitting our weakness. Hezekiah’s response is not performative strength. He tears his clothes, repents, and goes straight to the house of the Lord. We connect that posture to 1 Peter 5, where humility is not self-hate but clarity: God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. We also press into a hard question raised by the text, wrestling with justice, deception, and what it means when God honors a person’s chosen hardness.Then the episode turns deeply practical: when the threatening letter arrives, Hezekiah reads it and spreads it before the Lord. No denial, no clapback, no frantic problem-solving, just prayer that God’s name would be known. If you’re looking for Bible teaching on spiritual warfare, repentance, prayer in a crisis, and trusting God when the odds look terrible, this message gives you a simple next move you can take today. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s under pressure, and leave a review. What “letter” do you need to lay before the Lord right now?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A threatening army at the gates. A confident spokesman who sounds persuasive. A community tempted to trust anything that promises quick safety. That is Isaiah 36, and it is also a surprisingly clear mirror of what Christian life can feel like when pressure, noise, and fear start arguing with your faith.We open with the reminder that we do not come to God on our own terms. God already invites us to meet him on his terms, and those terms are full of grace and mercy. From there, we step into the historical crisis of King Hezekiah and the Assyrian threat under Sennacherib. Pastor Carl walks us through the key players, why Hezekiah’s reforms matter, and how even good leadership can get shaken when the enemy’s message feels strong and immediate. Along the way, we explore the practical value of discernment: which voices actually keep our focus on the Lord, and which ones quietly train us to compromise.The Rabshakeh’s strategy is a masterclass in intimidation and spiritual sabotage: mock their strength, attack their leadership, twist the meaning of worship, and promise comfort if they surrender. We talk about the danger of leaning on “Egypt” as a substitute security, the wisdom of refusing to argue with a fool in his folly, and why the turning point is not a clever comeback but a humbled heart. Hezekiah’s response points the way for us: treat sin and threats as serious, repent, and seek the Lord.If this Bible teaching from Isaiah 36 and Isaiah 37 helps you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!A piece of licorice shouldn’t feel like a spiritual crisis, but that’s the point. We start with a small, everyday choice and uncover a pattern most of us know too well: God gives good gifts to enjoy, yet our hearts can twist enjoyment into idolatry the moment we push past His boundaries. Pastor Carl talks candidly about the grace of God that sometimes restrains us and other times steps back, letting us sit with the hollow feeling that follows stubborn self-rule.From there we move into the big, weighty landscape of Isaiah 34 and Isaiah 35, where judgment and hope sit side by side. We talk about why Christians long for evil to end, not because we want people to suffer, but because sin destroys what is beautiful, good, and noble. Isaiah’s “day of vengeance” is sobering, and it should break our hearts, yet it also frames why repentance matters so much. When we pray for healing in our nation and our lives, we’re really praying that people turn to Jesus and find peace before judgment becomes the only way sin is removed.Then Isaiah turns the corner toward restoration: deserts blooming, weakness strengthened, fear confronted, and a highway of holiness where even the simple can walk without going astray. We talk about abiding in Christ, staying in the Word, and living with the quiet confidence that God restores creation and restores people. If you’re discouraged by the battle between good and evil, this message aims to steady your knees and lift your eyes.Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one “good gift” you’ve felt tempted to turn into an idol?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Judgment is a hard word to hear, but Isaiah 34 refuses to let us pretend the moral weight of our choices doesn’t matter. We open with a warning to the nations and an honest look at the Day of the Lord, the Great Tribulation, and the sobering reality of a world that keeps pushing God away. Yet right in the middle of that seriousness is the episode’s anchor: the same Jesus who will return as King and Judge is also standing before the Father right now as your Advocate.We talk through what it means to be “counted worthy” to escape what’s coming and to stand before the Son of Man. Pastor Carl presses the question down to the heart level: are we fully trusting, fully surrendered, and willing to let Christ’s defense be enough, or are we still trying to live on our own terms? Along the way we connect Isaiah’s imagery to Matthew 24, Luke’s call to watch and pray, and the terrifying snapshot of Armageddon that shows what happens when rebellion tries to fight its only hope.The back half brings an unexpected turn toward healing and comfort. We trace Edom as a picture of entrenched resistance, then move into Isaiah 61 and the moment Jesus reads “the acceptable year of the Lord” and stops before “the day of vengeance.” That pause helps us see the difference between his first coming and his second, and it leads into God’s promise to console those who mourn, even when mourning is about our own sin, our losses, or the chaos around us.If this helped you see end times prophecy and salvation by grace with clearer eyes, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can find Come On Up. What part of the message challenged you most?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com. 

Send us a note!Everyone talks about peace. We question why it feels so fragile, why our “fixes” keep breaking what we touch, and why the world can sound so compassionate while getting more ruthless. Pastor Carl opens Isaiah with a blunt diagnosis: we want peace, but we don’t want the sacrifice and love of neighbor that real peace requires. When we reject God, we don’t become neutral, we become vulnerable to a pseudo-peace that looks impressive and ends in destruction.We walk through Isaiah’s vivid warnings about wasted highways, broken covenants, and even creation itself mourning under human rebellion. The point is not doom for doom’s sake. Again and again, we hear the heart behind the warning: “Why? It doesn’t have to be this way. The price has been paid. Just come to me.” That invitation reframes judgment as mercy and fear of the Lord as the beginning of clarity, not the end of hope.From there, the message gets practical. What does a changed heart look like? Isaiah names it: upright speech, refusing bribes, rejecting oppression, refusing to nurture violent payback in the mind. We talk about pain honestly, then trace the only lasting answer to Jesus Christ, who took sin upon Himself and offers forgiveness, rest, and a new way to live. We end with hope of a restored Zion where the Lord is judge, lawgiver, and king, and with the promise that our eyes will see the King in His beauty.Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with someone who needs real peace, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What line or idea from the message are you still thinking about?What makes a Calvary Chapel a Calvary Chapel. Join Pastor Carl as he goes through one of the Calvary Chapel Distinctives on The Mountain Cross Minute. The 20th anniversary of Facing the Giants, Monday September 14 - 6:30PM at the Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.