Our Rich Heritage

OUR RICH HERITAGE

Join your Calvary Chapel family today (Sunday, May 17, 2026) at 10:00 a.m. in the main sanctuary or online via our website (www.calvaryinv.com), Facebook, or YouTube (Calvary Inverness). 

We will come together to exalt Jesus, build one another up in love, and be equipped to share the gospel as we continue our in-depth study of 1 Peter 1:10-12.

Peter wrote his letter to Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Their lives had been upended when, in a drunken rage, Caesar Nero almost burned Rome to the ground. When the dust settled and questions were asked, Nero decided to blame the one group everyone hated, the church of Jesus Christ.

Two thousand years later, believers across the globe are still being persecuted by the same spirit that possessed Nero. Seeking to distress, depress, and cause God’s people to fall into despair, it operates in a variety of ways to keep them on the sidelines in the good fight of faith. 

A single parent feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of raising children alone. The heartbreak of a parent dealing with an adult child's drug addiction. The worry of a couple struggling to conceive, the frustration of a church volunteer feeling unappreciated, and the despair when a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Each situation can lead one’s faith to decline, raising doubts about whether God truly cares.

Therefore, Peter, aware of the pain and persecution the church faced in his day and would face in the future, and recognizing that their faith was fragile and tenuous, reminded them and us of the richness of the heritage passed down to them.

The salvation provided by God by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, didn’t arrive at the same time as Nero’s torture of the church. Instead, it originated in the heart of God before the world’s foundation, was revealed to the prophets, and was written down so believers from every age could be encouraged by the firm foundation of their faith handed down.

It is a comfort to know that all trials, hardships, persecution, and suffering—which could lead to one’s downfall—are under God's watchful care. He guides His people through these hardships, resulting in a purer and stronger faith, ready to continue the fight of faith. With a clear understanding of faith—rooted in the teachings and prophecies of the prophets and Apostles, with Jesus as the cornerstone—nothing can separate believers from God's love, as shown in Jesus Christ. 

In His strong love, 

Pastor