Kaleo Church Podcast

Have you ever felt like you were missing something that you desperately needed? All of us have things that we want that we don’t have, but sometimes there are things that we feel like we desperately need, and yet we still don’t have them. So, what do we do? How are you and I supposed to respond to our unmet needs? In Genesis 24 Abraham we encounter a massive unmet need and we get to watch how Abraham and his servant respond to it. I believe this text has a lot to teach us about what it looks like to trust God and why it is that he can be trusted even when we feel like there are things we desperately need.

Every year over 800,000 healthy little babies are killed by doctors in office buildings just around the corner. These babies have no voice and are in desperate need of a refuge if they are going to survive. Alone, afraid, often pressured by a boyfriend or parents many compassionate mothers feel like they have no choice but to end the life of their baby. These mothers need a refuge. They need to know that they are not alone. And for those mothers and fathers who have chosen to have abortions what they soon realize is that their need for a refuge doesn’t go away with the baby, it only grows. Sad, depressed, often overwhelmed with shame these women and men need to know that despite anything they may have done there is one who loves them and offers them the forgiveness that they long for. His mercies are new every morning even on mornings after you have done the unthinkable. In this sermon we will see that there is a compassionate Father who offers to be a refuge for each of the different groups mentioned here as

Wounded people are often the ones who go on to hurt others. Most of us just don't know what to do with our pain and our desire for justice often feels overwhelming. But what if there was another way? What if you didn't have to be controlled by the wrongs that people have done to you? That's what Joel 3 is about. It's about God's promise to get justice on behalf of his people and the freedom that is meant to give us.

As the Day of the Lord has broken in throughout the book of Joel, we realize that the people would be devastated. Yet, as we get to 2:28-32, we see that God is not just promising to restore the physical devastation but also the hearts of his people. Listen and hear how God is making all things new, starting with the hearts of his people. He truly is the God that gives hope to the hopeless.

How are we supposed to understand times of unprecedented suffering? Does God have a purpose behind it? If there is a purpose behind seasons of terrible loss then how does God want us to respond to it? And is there hope for what has been lost? These are just a few of the questions that we will address in Joel 2.

We are living in a season of tragedy and loss and the question that must be addressed is “How should Christians respond to this season of suffering.” Fortunately, the book of Joel is written to guide God’s people in how to respond to seasons of unprecedented catastrophe. In chapter 1 we will learn how to cry out to God in Lament bringing the real us into the presence of the real God.

As we begin a New Year it is good to reflect upon what God is calling us to in the days and months ahead. In John 8:31-32 Jesus tells us the Characteristics of those who truly follow him. True disciples 1)Abide in Christ’s Word 2) Know the Truth 3) Are set Free from sin to truly follow Christ. All these characteristics are ultimately centered on who Jesus is and what he has done for us in the gospel. 1) He is the true Word in which we abide as our life source. 2) He came full of truth and grace and so we find both in him alone 3) The Son is the one who sets us free from sin to truly follow him. If the Son sets you free you will be free indeed. Abide in Christ through his word this year! He is truly worthy to be followed!

In John 1:14-18, the Apostle John alludes to God revealing his glory, character and presence to Moses in Exodus 33-34 to describe Jesus taking on flesh and dwelling among his people. As 2020 comes to a close, we must ask if God's revelation of himself is enough to sustain us in our waiting. Listen and hear how John 1:14-18 is great news for all those who will listen.

All of us have things that we hide. We hide because we are afraid that if people really knew us they wouldn't love us. However, the problem with hiding is that it condemns us to live alone with the parts of us that are most broken and in need of help. But what if there was another way? What if the light that we fear didn't come to condemn us but to love us? In this message we will see that when the light of the world came and exposed our darkness he did it to rescue us not to reject us. We will talk about what it looks like to live in the light and the freedom that can only be found in being known and loved by our great savior.

One of the hardest identities for God's people to live out is our identity as witnesses, sent by God with the message of reconciliation. In this passage we will look at the man that God sent to make his Son known to the masses and I think that we will find him to be an excellent model on what it means to live out our identity as a people sent by God to be his witnesses in the world. If you have found yourself struggling to live out your identity as one sent by God I hope this message will encourage you.

Who is God and what is he like? John seeks to answer this question for us by saying, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God?” But what does this mean? How can someone be with God and still be God? Why does John call him the Word? And what does any of this have to do with us today? In this sermon we will seek to answer these questions and show why these truths are so vital for our lives today.

What exactly is the glory of God and why is it so special? If it is so special why do we often find ourselves more focused on other things? These are just a few of the questions we will try and answer in this sermon.

When it comes to the mission of the church to advance the gospel, there have been countless methodologies prescribed throughout church history. As helpful as those may be, the mission of the church is impossible without the Holy Spirit. Listen and hear how the Holy Spirit empowers us to treasure Jesus and call others to treasure him as well.

Why are we here? What is the ultimate purpose of our lives? When Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago he came with a clear purpose. Over and over in the book of John he talks about not doing his own will but the will of the one who “sent him.” When Jesus found himself at a crossroads he would always go back to the will of the one who sent him to make his decision. And then in John 20:21 Jesus said to his disciples “As the Father sent me, even so I am sending you.” In this sermon we will discuss what it means for us to be sent by Jesus to finish the work that he began. We will also talk about some of the obstacles to living this sort of way and what Jesus has given us to help us overcome those obstacles.

This message is about a family that has existed for all eternity and a Son who was loved so perfectly by his Father that he gave his life so that he might share that love with sinners and see them adopted into his family. Now I know that not everyone has good associations with family, but in this message we will talk about how God’s family is a place where we can find healing from the wounds our nuclear families may have left us. We will also talk about what a privilege it is to be a part of the family of God and why it is so important that we prioritize it in our lives.

We live in an age where division over disagreements can be seen everywhere you look. In a culture where unity is cheap, superficial and fragile the Bible tells us that the church is supposed to be different. This sermon will address why the unity of the church is far more important to the witness of the Gospel than what candidate wins the election. We will also talk about how Christians should respond if the candidate they vote for doesn’t win. In an age of division the church has been given an amazing opportunity to show off the power of the Gospel by living out our identity as a family even if we don’t agree about everything.

In an age of distraction how can you and I learn to Treasure Christ above everything else? In this message we will talk about why it is that we find ourselves so easily distracted and what God has done to grab our attention so that we begin to love the most the one who is most worthy of our love.

When we view the Gospel in a man-centered way we stop being formed BY it and instead we use it as just another tool for our own self-fulfillment, self-help, and to achieve our own social ends – and the message becomes – “God is good. We’re all good. Let’s just feel good and do good.” – THIS is a total distortion of the true Gospel. The Gospel is the good news that God, the Holy and Righteous Author of life, looked upon a rebellious people with love and sent Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, into history to reconcile a people to himself by living a perfectly righteous life, dying on the cross for our sins, and rising from the dead conquering sin, death, and evil so that all who believe in Jesus will receive new and eternal life by his grace and have everlasting joy in his Kingdom.