kaleohouston.com » Resources

How is Lent going?

Kaleo — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:59:04 +0000

We are a few weeks into the Lent season now – how is it going? If you’re like most folks, it become difficult to keep our focus and zeal during the duration of the season. Life creeps in. Work, school, family responsibilities – they all sneak in and steal our focus away. Let me encourage you: if God has led you to observe the season of Lent – stay the course. This season is so full of power and grace – below is a quick reminder written by Elliot Grudem, a fellow Acts 29 pastor, about why Lent is so important.

Why Bother With Lent

How You Can Prepare for Worship this Sunday

Kaleo — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:25:45 +0000

This week is the fourth and final Sunday in Advent. For the past few weeks, we’ve joined Christians all over the world in this season of anticipation and longing for the coming of Jesus. As we worship together, everything we do is meant to help us eagerly prepare ourselves for Jesus as we celebrate his first coming at Christmas and anticipate his coming again to restore all things.

Songs We’ll Be Singing Together

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
The Advent of Our God
Hark, the Glad Sound
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Savior of the Nations, Come

Liturgy
This week, we’ll be called to worship by the words of Luke 1:46-55, which is Mary’s great song of praise and rejoicing in the coming Savior (often called the Magnificat.)

As we worship, we’ll confess our sins together. Please take some time to meditate on the words we’ll pray together:

God of salvation, in Christ you have done great things— our hearts are filled with joy. By your power you lifted us out of the wasteland of sin and brought us with joy and laughter into your kingdom. Salvation is your gift to us. But we confess that often we try to replace your gift with our own efforts. We try to complete what is already perfect; we try to add to what is already full; we try to earn what we already have. Forgive us for our foolishness. Help us to rejoice and live in your grace. For Jesus’ sake alone, Amen.

Message
Our message this week is from Luke 1:39-55, diving into the great song of praise sung by Jesus’ mother Mary after her visit with Elizabeth. We’ll see how her faith leads her to passionate worship of the greatness of our God, and how we are called to do the same.

Learning to Celebrate Advent

Kaleo — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:57:51 +0000

The celebration of Advent (which means “coming” or “arrival”) helps us focus our attention on Jesus Christ’s birth and ministry as well as his promised return. It starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve.

While, the Scriptures don’t require us to do anything different during the season, but there are some real advantages for a church to recognize and celebrate Advent. Our friends at The Resurgence have a great series of posts that explore reasons to recognize Advent and offers some ways to celebrate the season. For many of you who are new to celebrating advent, this is a great place to start:

Here are links to each part in the series:

Part 1:Learning to Advent Together
Part 2:Why Recognize Advent?
Part 3:How to Celebrate Advent

What experiencing God as your treasure looks like…

Pastor Bill — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:55:43 +0000

Last Sunday, we talked about experiencing the greatness of God in such a way that we are consumed with a passion to know Him more. When the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, Christ is our treasure above all other things. What does that look like? Watch this:

Are you seeing this in your life right now?

Wednesday Holy Week Readings

Pastor Bill — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:00:57 +0000

Join Kaleo as we journey with millions of other Christians through the story of Holy Week, following the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. Here are the readings for Wednesday, April 8:

Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm: Psalm 70
New Testament: Hebrews 12:1-3
Gospels: John 13:21-32

Click the links above to read the texts online.

Tuesday Holy Week Readings

Pastor Bill — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:00:55 +0000

Join Kaleo as we journey with millions of other Christians through the story of Holy Week, following the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. Here are the readings for Tuesday, April 7:

Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm: Psalm 71:1-14
New Testament: I Corinthians 1:18-31
Gospels: John 12:20-36

Click the links above to read the texts online.

Monday Holy Week Readings

Pastor Bill — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:01:20 +0000

Join Kaleo as we journey with millions of other Christians through the story of Holy Week, following the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. Here are the readings for Monday, April 6:

Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm: Psalm 36:5-11
New Testament: Hebrews 9:11-15
Gospels: John 12:1-11

Click the links above to read the texts online.

Day of Prayer and Fasting – March 26

Pastor Bill — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:28:45 +0000

Join the Kaleo family as we fast until sundown on Thursday, March 26. We are using this day as a time for specific prayer for the families in our church – for those who have had difficult times recently, and also for grace and protection for all of us. Click below to download a prayer guide we’ve put together to guide our prayers together.

Prayer Guide for March 26

Lent Prayer Guide – Week 3

Pastor Bill — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:43:15 +0000

We’re halfway through Lent, having begun week three yesterday morning. Below you’ll find our prayer and fasting guide for this week. For many of us, the call this week to fast from media may just be the hardest one – we are so often surrounded by continual noise and flickering pixels on a screen. May your time of disconnection from media this week be a time of increased connection with your Heavenly Father.

Also, if you are reading through the devotional book Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross with us, this week we are going to be reading chapters 6-10.

Prayer and Fasting Guide – Week 3

Lent Prayer Guide – Week 1

Pastor Bill — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:46:37 +0000

Click below to download our church-wide prayer and fasting guide for the first week of Lent. Please join us as we pray and seek God during this season of spiritual renewal.