Calvary Chapel South Messages

Jeff Kinley teaches through 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 on the rapture, the moment Jesus returns to gather his people. Paul says this hope rests on the resurrection: because Jesus rose, those who have died in Christ will rise too. Christ descends with a shout, an archangel’s voice, and the trumpet of God, and believers living and dead are caught up to meet him. The word itself comes from the Greek harpazo, meaning to snatch away suddenly. Paul wrote it to comfort grieving people with the promise that we will be with the Lord forever.

In this message from 1 John 3:10-24, Pastor Elliot teaches that the way we live reveals whose family we belong to. John says a child of God practices righteousness and loves in deed and truth, following the example of Christ, who laid down his life for people who did not deserve it. Because Jesus finished the work on the cross, a believer can answer condemnation with the gospel and turn toward God in repentance rather than shame. Prayer then flows from the same place, as a child who knows the Father asks for what fits his good will.

Pastor Gerrit teaches through Luke 14:25-35 on the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. He starts with what it means to be a disciple, then looks at why Jesus used such strong language about loving family, carrying a cross, and giving up everything. Along the way he explains the parables of the tower builder and the king going to war, and shares examples of what the true cost looks like. The message weighs that cost against the treasure of knowing Christ, and shows why a disciple who stops following becomes like salt that has lost its flavor.

Pastor Bobby Cruz teaches through 1 John 2:28-3:10, examining what it means to be called a child of God. John writes that God's love gives us a new identity, one we receive as a gift rather than earn by being good. Because Jesus came to take away our sins, those who belong to him begin to change, and the pattern of their lives starts to show it. Everyone stumbles, but a life of unrepentant rebellion does not fit with being born of God. The passage shows that being loved by the Father and being made new in Christ belong together.

Pastor Gerrit teaches through Luke 14:1-24, where Jesus uses a Sabbath dinner party to show what humility looks like. He heals a sick man in front of religious leaders who were looking for fault, then tells guests not to chase the best seats and tells hosts to invite those who cannot repay them. The excuse makers who decline the great supper miss the feast entirely, while the poor and the lonely fill the house. Everyone longs to feel significant, and God gives that freely to those who humble themselves, since he alone exalts.

Guest Speaker Pastor Arron Moon teaches 1 John 2:18-27 on how to recognize false teaching and stay anchored in the true gospel. John writes that many have come who deny who Jesus really is, and that anyone who rejects the Son does not have the Father. The real Jesus is fully God and fully man, sinless, crucified, risen, and the One who saves through faith. Because of what He did, every believer receives the Holy Spirit, who confirms the truth of God’s word from within. Staying in that word and in fellowship with other believers keeps us steady, and knowing the truth makes us want to share it.

Pastor Arron Moon of Refuge Fellowship in Chiang Mai, Thailand, teaches from 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 on keeping a Christlike countenance when the day falls apart. Using stories about a broken water pump, lost church keys, and a long tarmac delay, he shows how our reactions can either open a door for the gospel or leave a trip wire in someone's path. Paul's answer is to act in the now, remember we are laborers together with Christ, and walk forward with the armor of righteousness. Every believer is an ambassador, and how we respond under pressure is part of our witness.

Sam Vargas teaches through 1 John 2:12-17, looking at spiritual maturity and where our affections are placed. John writes to little children, young men, and fathers. New believers are reminded that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, not because of their performance. Growing believers find strength as God's word abides in them, fighting from a victory Jesus already won. Those who have walked with him longest simply need to remember who they have known. Maturity shows in what we love, since the world is passing away and only the one who does God's will abides forever.

In this message on Galatians 4:4-7, Pastor Gerrit teaches on adoption and God's heart for the fatherless. God did not adopt polished, grateful children. He adopted rebellious, broken people, and he did it by moving toward us in Jesus, who became human to redeem us. Through his Spirit we can call God Father, and as his children we become heirs who receive God himself. Because we have freely received this love, James 1:27 shows that caring for orphans and those in need is a natural expression of worship, even when it is costly and hard.

Pastor Jared teaches through 1 John 2:3-11, showing how a person can know that they truly know God. John wrote to a church facing false teachers who dismissed God's word, and he gave a plain test: real knowledge of God shows up in a life that wants to obey him and love others. That desire is not a burden to earn approval. It grows out of experiencing God's love and the Spirit of Christ living inside a believer. Hatred toward a brother or sister leaves a person walking in darkness, while love keeps them in the light.