Welcome to the Podcast!

Have you ever left church on Sunday thinking, "I wish I could hear more about that"? Your everyday choices, relationships, and thoughts all rest on what you believe about God, and a Sunday message is only the start. Beyond Sunday exists to help you go deeper into the Scripture and theology behind each weekend message. Then you can study God's Word, live it, and pass it on.

Why does theology matter in everyday life?

Theology matters because every part of your life rests on what you believe about God. Many of the questions people ask after a sermon sound practical: How do I handle this relationship? What should I do with this decision? Underneath each one is a view of God, what that says about you, and how you relate to other people.

In the first episode of Beyond Sunday, Dr. Sean Sloan joked that Pastor Marty Sloan preaches "sneaky theology." The messages are simple and practical. But there is depth under them that is easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. The podcast is a place to draw it out.

Why do so many Christians miss the depth?

Many Christians miss the depth because they connect with church mainly through felt needs. Those needs are real. But often there is little theology behind what they practice. Pastor Marty was honest that pastors share the blame for not stressing that God's Word should guide your life.

He pointed to something you can see. Thirty or forty years ago, nearly every seat in church had an open Bible. Today, with lyrics and verses on screens, far fewer people bring one.

Then he asked a question worth sitting with. Imagine a loved one who has passed away left you a long letter. How much would those words mean to you? You have something greater in your hands.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

2 Timothy 3:16

When we treat the Bible lightly, our theology ends up living between service times instead of throughout the week. That is why Calvary puts a high value on education, with classes and discipleship courses that get the Word deep into people's hearts and minds.

What does it mean to be a disciple?

At Calvary, a Christ follower is someone who studies, does, and teaches the Word. That is simply what a disciple is: someone who learns from a master, puts it into practice, and passes it on.

You can see this pattern anywhere people are passionate. Someone who loves fitness, travel, or food learns it, lives it, and before long is teaching friends. Healthy disciples naturally reproduce.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19

Pastor Marty put it plainly: if I'm not producing disciples, how am I living as a disciple? For a few decades many churches focused mostly on converts. Coming to Jesus matters, but the goal is becoming a follower of Jesus.

Jesus also told people where to find Him: "These are the very Scriptures that testify about me" (John 5:39). If you want to follow Him, you have to find Him where He is, in the Word and in the community of faith.

What does the book of Acts teach about the Holy Spirit?

Acts is more than church history. It is a primer on the Holy Spirit: who He is, what He does, and why. The study of the Spirit is called pneumatology, and Acts is full of it.

One lesson is that the Spirit sees whether our faith is real. Pastor Marty pointed to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. People assume the story is about money, but it isn't. Peter told Ananias the land had been his to do with as he wished.

Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.

Acts 5:4

Their sin was pretending to give everything when they hadn't. They could have given half and walked out alive. They lived in a generous community and faked their part in it.

Are you the same person at church and at home?

The Holy Spirit wants you to be who you say you are. Ananias and Sapphira raise a hard question. How many believers walk into church each week and fake their spirituality?

For example, Pastor Marty recalled a couple he once counseled. The husband seemed godly at church, hands raised in worship. But his wife brought a recording of him yelling at her at home, and it sounded nothing like the man people saw on Sunday. Hands up on Sunday, fists clenched on Monday.

The answer is to make a real choice, the way Joshua did: "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). Then live it the same way in every room of your life.

Who does the work: you or the Spirit?

The Spirit does the work, through people who yield to Him. In Acts it wasn't the apostles, the people, or the church on their own. It was the Spirit working through them.

Dr. Sean Sloan added that the Spirit works from the inside out and rarely draws attention to Himself. Acts shows Peter or Paul acting, then makes clear they did it by the Spirit. That also means you matter. God has chosen to work through His people, and the same Spirit who was in Jesus can dwell in you. Your part is to yield and follow where He leads.

Common questions

What is the Beyond Sunday podcast?

It is Calvary Church's podcast that goes deeper into the Scripture and theology behind each weekend message. The goal is to help you apply it Monday through Saturday.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?

At Calvary, a disciple is someone who studies, does, and teaches the Word. Healthy disciples learn from Jesus, live it out, and help others follow Him.

Why did Ananias and Sapphira die in Acts 5?

Their sin was not giving too little. It was lying to make it look like they gave everything, and Peter said they had lied to God. The story shows that the Holy Spirit sees whether our faith is real.

What does the book of Acts teach about the Holy Spirit?

Acts shows the Spirit building the church through ordinary people who yield to Him. He works from the inside out and rarely draws attention to Himself, so His work shows up in what His people do.