Kaleo Church Podcast

In this message, we explore Paul’s final words in 2 Corinthians and his surprising list of commands—which begin with “Rejoice.” Far from burdening us, God’s commands reflect His loving heart and His desire for our joy, peace, and restored relationships. Paul shows that the strength to obey does not come from within us but from the God who gives what He commands. Anchored in the grace of Jesus, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Spirit, we discover that Christian joy can survive sorrow, Christian love can mend brokenness, and Christian community is a gift purchased by Christ Himself. This sermoninvites you to rediscover the beauty of the Trinity and the transforming power of God’spresence in everyday life.

In a culture that constantly tells us to fight for ourselves, protect our image, and chase the things that prove we matter, Paul offers a radically different path—one that leads not to sadness, but to joy. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 13:6-10, this sermon explores the burdens of self-centeredness and the misery of envy, while revealing the surprising happiness found in humility and other-centered love. Paul’s joy didn’t come from being strong or admired—it came from seeing others flourish. And that kind of freedom is only possible when the limitless love of Christ controls us.

We often hear Paul’s call to “examine yourselves” as an invitation to be harder on ourselves— to dig deeper into our failures and shortcomings. But what if that’s not what he meant at all? In this powerful sermon from 2 Corinthians 13:5–10, Pastor Tim reminds us that self- examination isn’t about seeing how sinful we are, but about seeing who is in us — Jesus Christ. When we learn to look inward and find Christ instead of condemnation, shame loses its power, and the gospel takes its rightful place at the center of our hearts. Come be reminded that in Christ, your sin no longer defines you — your Savior does.

2 Cor 13:1-4

Have you ever tried to help someone only to be accused oftrying to take advantage of them? Despite all that Paul had done forthe Corinthians, they continued to demonstrate their distrust byfalsely accusing him of things. Nevertheless, Paul responded to them by spending and being spent for their souls. In this message, we will consider what it looks like to gladly invest in the eternal souls of others and how we are able to continue to love even those who have turned against us.

It is very natural to try to mask our insecurities with accomplishments. What happens when our reputation is challenged? Is being in Christ enough? Listen and hear how the gospel frees us to find all of our worth in the person and work of Christ.

Have you ever found that your love for someone ended up bringing suffering into your life? In this passage Paul reveals that the greatest suffering in his life flowed from his love for others. And yet instead of trying to hide his heartbreak or pull back in order to avoid letting it happen again we find that Paul actually boast about the pain that love had brought into his life? What did Paul understand about love and about suffering that allowed him to keep his heart open despite the pain that he knew it would inevitably cause? 

Whose approval are you really looking for? Yourself? Others? A voice from the past? We are often tempted to compare ourselves with others in an effort to find something in ourselves worthy of commendation. Yet, when we do so we stray from our gospel hope in Jesus Christ. There is only one place where commendation is certain, and the approving face of a loving Father is sure to shine. We find the commendation of our Lord by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. In Christ, you have all the approval and commendation you’ll ever need so you are free to live a hidden life of love and humble service toward others without comparison.

 What happens when the joy of our salvation encounters the extreme brokenness of this world? In this message we will see how the Gospel enables us to have a joy so great that it overflows in a wealth of generosity even in the worst of circumstances. How is that possible? That’s the question this sermon will address.

As far as friendship goes, where does it rank amongst the different types of love? In an age where friendship is declining, where people are more easily offended than ever, is friendship something we are all longing for? Listen and hear how the gospel forms us into friends of Jesus and friends to one another. 

   Pursuing reconciliation is hard, especially with those who have hurt us. In this passage, Paul models for us what it looks like for the offended party to pursue reconciliation. Everything about what Paul does in these verses appears risky and unnatural. And yet the closer we look at this passage, the more it becomes clear that Paul was simply trying to treat the Corinthians the way that Jesus had treated him. The hope is that this message will remind us all of the way our Savior has treated us and open our hearts to grow in the way we treat each other.