The Calvary Cast

On this special episode, Graham and Jess interview Peter C. Peter has been a missionary in many countries and, for the last several years, has ministered in contexts where there is little to no gospel presence. They talk about how he came to faith in Christ, his theological convictions, especially his understanding of the sovereignty of God in salvation, and how the Lord is sustaining him in a season of suffering.

On this episode, Graham and Jess banter for six minutes and thirty seconds, then discuss the warning passages in scripture, passages like Hebrews 6 and 10. How do we interpret these in light of passages like John 6 and 10, which seem so clear that a Christian cannot lose their salvation? All this and more on the 177th episode of The Calvary Cast. Read the article discussed on the podcast here: https://cdn.sbts.edu/documents/sbjt/sbjt_1998spring4.pdf

On this long-delayed episode, Graham and Jess banter about banter and books, then discuss church polity, or church government. They discuss various forms of church government and why CBC is an independent, elder-led congregation.

On this episode, Graham and Jess banter about banter and talk about the Olympics. (Skip to the 5:00 mark if you're one of those people who do not like the banter.) The meat of the podcast has to do with the role of mystery in our theology. One author has said that the majestic mystery of God is the most motivating thing for Christian worship. Is this true? What do we mean when we talk about mystery and theology, or mystery in God? That is what the guys set out to help us contemplate in this episode.

On this episode, Graham and Jess sit down and discuss church membership. At Calvary Bible Church Grand Junction, we practice meaningful church membership. What is meaningful church membership? What is the Biblical basis of church membership? Are there texts that tell us we should have a church membership roster? If I'm in the universal church, why should I become a member of the local church? All these questions and more answered on this episode.

How does the Lord sustain and uphold us in the darkest moments of our lives? On this special episode of The Calvary Cast, Graham and Jess sit down with Bill Cosson to talk about suffering, loss, our mortality, and how the Lord ministers to us.

On this episode, Jess and Graham sit down to discuss something all Christians live with and daily battle against: indwelling sin. For the Christian, the battle against indwelling sin can be discouraging, however, there is encouragement for us in this battle, and that's what the guys discuss on this episode. (Skip to the 6:00 mark if you don't want to listen to banter about promotions, one level homes, and Thanksgiving foods.)

On this episode, the guys are back to answer more listener questions (skip to the 3:40 minute if you don't want to listen to banter about phones, computers, and losing football teams). Questions addressed on this episode: When will the rapture take place? How much should I tithe? What is the difference between the moral, civil, and ceremonial law? What is a chiasm? These, and other questions, all answered on this episode of The Calvary Cast.

On this episode, the guys banter for three minutes and thirteen seconds, then talk about a book, before answer listener submitted questions. From the silly to the serious, there's a little bit of everything on this episode: sabbatarianism, cessationism, pistol shrimp, Martin Luther, and why Jess was told the first thing he needed to know going into ministry was that he was not a protestant (!). All this and more, on the 170th episode of The Calvary Cast.

On this episode, Graham and Jess banter about cutting off limbs with chainsaws and hunting for Christmas trees. They then discuss the book of the month, "Chosen by God," by R.C. Sproul. In the last, and longest segment, they discuss skipping church. How many times can we skip church in a year? Is there a certain number of days you can be gone, like vacation days from work? What do we mean in our membership commitments when we say we will attend, “unless providentially hindered”? We hope this discussion will be thought-provoking as you reflect on your relationship with the local church.

On this special episode of The Calvary Cast, Jess and Graham are joined by discount Jeff Durbin (AKA Matt Anderson). They sit down to discuss one of the more bizarre passages in the Bible: Numbers 5. Why does the Lord want a woman to drink water with dust in it? Why must she say an oath? What does it mean that her thigh could fall away? All these questions, and more, are answered in this episode.

On this episode of The Calvary Cast, Jess and Graham discuss the book of the month, something they have not done for many months. After that, they dig into the listener suggested topic of the day: the pastoral prayer. Our worship service has lots of prayer, but one prayer in particular is longer, and we call it "the Pastoral Prayer." Why do we have this as part of our service? Why is it so long (in the minds of some)? What is its structure and Biblical basis? All these questions and more addressed on this podcast.

On this episode, Jess and Graham are joined once again by their favorite Australian. As per their usual arrangement, there is a bit of banter about the weather and other various topics before they dive into the topic of the day. The focus of this episode is John 17. In this crucial passage, we learn about who Jesus is, who his people are, how he prays for us, and how we have been invited into a glorious relationship with the Triune God.

On this episode, Graham and Jess discuss more trivial matters such as, the weather, Graham's cold, and Jess's dislike of summer. After the banter, they dig into the topic of the day: reading the epistles. What were the circumstances surrounding these letters? Who authored them? What is their relationship to the rest of the Bible? Listen to previous episodes in our "How to Read the Bible," series: 148, 151, 154, 159 and 160.

On this episode, Jess and Graham eat chocolate, drink coffee and welcome in a special guest. Andrew Johnson is back on the podcast, and after a bit of jocularity, the guys discuss loving and serving your church well, so that when you leave, it hurts.

On this episode, the guys discuss the importance of evaluating every area of our lives according to God's Word. To do this, we must look at major areas of our life (spiritual, family, work, personal and physical), then look at our individual responsibilities in those areas and see what God's Word says about those things. We pray this conversation will help you think about evaluating your life in light of God's Word. Here are two helpful articles on this same subject. "Out of Control? Learning to Establish a Biblical Use of Time and Priorities" https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/articles/out-of-control-learning-to-establish-a-biblical-use-of-time-and-priorities/?srsltid=AfmBOop4diGpyszNNHxUW_eppM3dVMVwQN9yuKDFDg6tnYwRqBpk-6oL "Biblical Priorities" https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2024/04/26/biblical-priorities/

On this episode, Jess and Graham discuss the legacy of John MacArthur. With his home going las week, it is appropriate to discuss the ministry of this man who has had such a large influence in the church in America and around the world. Though they did not know John MacArthur personally, there are many things that can be learned and applied from his many years of ministry.

On this episode, Graham and Jess open the podcast, chatting about the 4th of July. Graham thinks the Midwest does the 4th the best, and Jess is just "meh" about it. Topic of the day: Training Children for Worship. Why do we do what we do with children on a Sunday morning, that's the focus of this conversation. We hope this conversation will help clarify why we have a children's lesson during the sermon, and also why we want children in the service at younger ages.

On this 160th episode, Jess and Graham pat themselves on the back for recording 160 episodes and then discuss the prophets. The prophetic books of the Old Testament are some of the more difficult books to understand in the Bible, so what things do we need to look out for so we can understand them better? This episode is part of a series of podcasts on each of the sections of the Bible. Check out previous episodes 148, 151, 154 and 159. Check out this chart showing the historical context of the prophets: https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/chart-23-prophets/ If you don't have an ESV Study Bible, get one: https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-study-bible-case/ Take a deeper dive into the Prophets with the Tyndale House podcast: https://tyndalehouse.com/explore/podcasts/tyndale-house-podcast-series-3/

On this 159th episode, Jess and Graham banter about celebrity pastor-ism and silly church signs. Then they get into the topic of the day, the book of Acts, or the New Testament book of history. This episode is part of a series of podcasts overviewing the different sections of our Bibles, giving tips and backgrounds so people can better understand what they are reading. Prior episodes are 148, 151, and 154.

On this episode Jess and Graham eat donuts and drink coffee and discuss the news of the day (which by the time you're listening to this will be old news). The main subject for discussion on episode 158 is Satan. Some of the questions we address are: who is Satan, what power does he have, what power does have, what is he doing in the world, and what must Christians be aware of about him?

On this 157th episode, Graham shares some news with Jess and they talk about the book of Genesis. As we're preaching through the book of Genesis, we thought it would be helpful to give people a 30,000' view of the book, so that is what we attempt to do in this episode, give a broad outline and discuss some of the key points in the book.

On this episode, Graham and Jess do a movie review...of sorts, then dive into the topic of the day, the Ascension of Christ. This is a largely neglected area of Christ's life, but has massive implications. The guys discuss five points regarding Christ's ascension; what was accomplished in it, and what it means for us. Check out Robert Letham's article on the ascension if you want a helpful summary of the subject. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/ascension-of-christ/

On this episode, after the usual bit of banter, Jess and Graham answer a listener submitted question: what happens when we die? Do we go to purgatory, does our soul simple sleep, or do we go immediately into the presence of the Lord?

Our Cohorts have been up and running since the end of January, so we wanted to send out some reminders and encouragements for all who are a part of these groups. https://calvarybiblechurchgj.org/articles/2025-mens-womens-discipleship-cohorts/

On this episode, after no short discussion about two year olds and one of the greatest movie franchises ever, Jess and Graham return to their series on reading the Bible, this time examining. the books of history in the Old Testament. (Check out previous episodes in this series: 148 & 151.) What purpose do the books of history have? Why do we have the stories recorded that we do? What main themes do we see in each book, and how should we read these books? All these things and more covered in this episode.

On this episode of The Calvary Cast, Jess, Matt and Graham talk about the significance of the cross for Christianity. Rather than summarizing all the Bible teaches about the cross, they select one New Testament book, 1 Peter, and look at what we learn about the cross in Peter's first letter.

On this episode, Jess and Graham are joined again by their favorite Australian scientist to discuss faith and science. Can the two things co-exist? How should we read the first chapters of Genesis? What problems arise when we do not see the first eleven chapters of Genesis as historical? All these questions are addressed and more!

On this episode, after a bit of banter, Jess and Graham discuss the gospels. What are they? Who were the original readers? What are some key themes I should be looking for in them, and so much more.

On this special episode of the Calvary Cast, Graham and Jess are joined by their favorite Australian to ask and answer the question, "Are Mormons Christians?" There are three key areas we examine: What is our source of authority? What is our understanding our God and his nature? What is our understanding of salvation?

On this episode, Jess and Graham banter for a bit before diving into the topic of the day: things learned preaching through the book of Romans. What things has Jess learned as he has spent a couple years studying the book, what things has our church learned, and what things were the most challenging for our church?

On this episode, the guys banter (it's hilarious and insightful, you don't want to miss it), then they talk about a new recommended book, before diving into the topic of the day. Certain sections of the Bible do not seem as immediately as profitable or applicable for Christians. Nowhere does this seem to come up more than in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. The many laws and lists of names can be confusing, so Graham and Jess discuss the purpose of these books and some things to keep in mind as you're reading them, because "all Scripture is given by God and is profitable" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

On this 147th episode with, shockingly, little banter, Jess and Graham discuss another important issue related to the Word of God: does it contain errors? Two terms are important for us to understand; inerrancy and infallibility. What do these words mean and why do they matter? Listen to find out.

On this nearly banter less episode (and the longest episode we've ever done), Graham and Jess continue their series on the Word of God. In this episode they try to condense down the massive subject of how God has preserved his Word. They discuss textual criticism, and how we can be sure that we have the right words in our Bibles when we don't have any of the original writings. Then they discuss not just that we can know we have the right words in the Bible, but that those words are the words of God.

On this very special episode of The Calvary Cast, Graham gripes that we didn't do an airing of grievances and Jess gently rebukes him. Then they talk about our book of the month, "A Small Book for the Anxious Heart," before diving into the topic of the day. The topic of the day is more of a conversation around three things: A review of last year in the life of our church, looking forward to the next year in the life of our church and talking about the CBC Discipleship Cohorts.

On this "inspiring" episode, with less banter than usual, Graham and Jess continue their series on the Bible. This series is an introduction to what the Bible is, its nature and its trustworthiness. On this episode the guys discuss the nature of the Bible: its inspiration, its authority and its sufficiency. The Bible is no ordinary book, therefore it must be obeyed and because it is from God, it has all we need to live a life pleasing to the Lord.

On this episode, Graham and Jess are recording in a new space. Relaxed and comfy in their new recording space, they banter about the personhood of the podcast, songs from 80's movies and 2000's era rock bands. They discuss the book of the month, "The Epic Story of the Bible," before getting into the topic of the day: Creeds of the church. Why do we use them, why does the church have them and many other questions.

On this episode, after a brief bit of banter and discussing the book of the month, Jess and Graham dive into a new series about God and his Word. In order to understand our Bibles, we must first begin with an understanding of revelation. We're asking the question, "How has God made himself known to us?"

On this episode, two average pastors with an average grasp on church history try and summarize the Protestant Reformation. Graham and Jess try and answer the question, "Does the Reformation matter for our churches today?" We pray this conversation helps you understand church history, God's providence, the development of key doctrines through the Reformation and why those same doctrines, and the spirit of the Reformation, matter for Christians today.

On this episode, Jess and Graham discuss the Reformation Bowl and our book of the month before tackling the topic of the day. Our aim is to help Christians apply biblical wisdom to how they vote, and recognize that in the church this is an area where there will be some disagreement on how we should steward our vote.

On this episode, Graham and Jess sit down and discuss the gift of tongues, along with the other "sign" gifts the New Testament describes. Are these gifts still active for the church today, or have they ceased?

On this special episode of The Calvary Cast, Graham reads a an article he has written discussing the philosophy of music and liturgy in the corporate gathering, as well as the role of those who lead. These notes were originally written for those who serve in the music and sound teams at CBC, and will be used for anyone joining the music and sound team in the future. This topic is not limited to just those serving on the music and tech team at CBC. These are important things for everyone at CBC, as well as other churches to consider as well.

Episode 137 is here and Jess and Graham discuss all thing economics and cryptocurrency before jumping into the topic of the day. Topic of the day is based on the book we are recommending for September 2024, "How People Change," by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp. Graham and Jess give an overview of the book, and in the process talk through how the process of change takes place in the life of the Christian. We hope this conversation will be helpful for those who have not read the book, in understanding a bit more how God changes us, and then for those who are reading it, they will have a roadmap for where the book will take them.

After perhaps the longest hiatus ever of the show, Jess and Graham are back, stretching out their sore podcast muscles. Do they even remember how to do a podcast? Do they have their podcast groove back? Did they ever have one to start? Listen to find out. On this episode the guys discuss (as the title suggests) small groups and stuff. With a new season of small groups and Bible studies resuming, they thought it would be a good time to revisit the purpose of these smaller gatherings. In short, our small groups and Bible studies provide opportunities for intentional spiritual relationships in the local church, therefore they are vital for our spiritual health and growth.

The guys are back for an episode! On this episode, they banter about banter and those who like it and don't like. Turns out one of the hosts gets annoyed by his own banter (interesting plot twist you didn't see coming there). (Skip to 4:32 if the banter bothers you.) Topic of the day, Biblical discernment: what is it, how do we cultivate it, and why is it necessary?

We asked, then you asked, then we answered. The listener feedback episode is here! You asked some of life's most pressing questions like: - Who is the best church drummer in the world? - How many times a day do you brush your teeth? - When will Nebraska football be good again? - What's your most embarrassing church moment? - What is your favorite gospel to study? - What are the pros and cons of post-covid ministry? AND MANY MORE!!! Listen to have all your questions answered!!

On this episode, Jess and Graham banter about how old Jess is getting, how the podcast may help some people go to sleep, and how the podcast is like a fine well aged wine. All of this before getting to the topic of the day; parenting. What are key principles that Christian parents need to keep in mind as they raise their children? Raising children is a big responsibility, and the Bible gives clear guidance as to what some of our responsibilities are as parents. Christian parents therefore need to give serious consideration to how they're parenting and why they parent the way they do, and make sure that it is in accordance with Biblical principles.

On this near banter-less episode, Jess and Graham discuss John Piper's favorite movie, marriage and the patriarchy. What do all these things have in common? Listen to find out. In trying to answer the question, "What is marriage for?" the guys give five guiding principles to help orient our marriages around what the Bible says that marriages is for.

On this episode, Graham can't pronounce "loquacious" and Jess uses the term "jonesing." All this and more before they get into the topic of the day: Are Roman Catholics Christians? This is an important question to ask and answer, and by comparing the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church with the teachings of the scriptures, we can come up with a very conclusive and definitive answer.

On this episode, after a slightly disastrous start to the podcast, the guys get the train back on the tracks to discuss, "the Gospel." This is a topic that most everyone should be familiar with, but yet its depths can never be fully explored. Jess and Graham try to answer the question: > What is the gospel > What are the essential elements of the gospel? > What are concise ways to remember what the gospel is about when talking to others? > Is the gospel for Christians? > How can you train your children with the gospel?