The Well Church Keller Sermons

📖 Episode Summary

From the opening pages of Scripture, we see God bringing shalom—order, peace, and wholeness—out of chaos. But as sin enters the world, that shalom begins to unravel, giving rise to a rival reality the Bible often calls empire.

In this message, we explore Exodus 1 and uncover the defining characteristics of the kingdom of empire: fear, control, oppression, selfish gain, and the devaluing of human life. Through the story of Pharaoh and the Israelites, we discover that God’s work of deliverance is not only about freeing people from physical bondage—but also about uprooting the empire mindset that takes hold in our hearts.

This is the beginning of a journey. God doesn’t just get Israel out of Egypt—He gets Egypt out of Israel. And the same is true for us today.

⏱️ Key Themes & Talking Points

Creation begins in chaos, but God speaks shalom into being

The rise of the kingdom of empire as a fear-based alternative to God’s kingdom

How fear fuels control, oppression, and violence

Pharaoh as the embodiment of systemic empire

Why Scripture refuses to name Pharaoh—but names the midwives

The moral courage of Shiphrah and Puah

Empire vs. Shalom: fear vs. love, shrewdness vs. faithfulness

Why deliverance is both external and internal

The wilderness as a place of transformation

Where empire still shows up in our personal, social, and political lives

🔑 Key Scripture Passages

Genesis 1:1–3, 28

Exodus 1:7–14

Exodus 1:15–22

2 Timothy 1:7

Philippians 2:3

Psalm 9:9

💭 Reflection Questions

Where do you see fear shaping your decisions or relationships?

Who—or what—are you tempted to control in order to feel secure?

Are there areas of your life where you are tearing others down to build yourself up?

Where do you sense God inviting you into deliverance from an empire mindset?

📌 Quote to Remember

“God is not just getting Israel out of Egypt—He is getting Egypt out of Israel.”

📣 Call to Action

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Spend time this week reflecting on where you may need deliverance from empire

As we step into a new year, many of us feel the tension between hope and worry. In this message, we’re invited to slow down, create space for God, and realign our hearts around what truly matters.

Drawing from Matthew 6:33, this teaching introduces the ancient spiritual practice of Lectio Divina and explores Jesus’ invitation to seek first the kingdom of God rather than the kingdoms we so often build for ourselves. When we create space for God, we discover that He is faithful to fill it.

In This Message, We Explore:

Why worry often reveals what kingdom we are seeking

How creating intentional space deepens intimacy with God

The four movements of Lectio Divina:

Listen (Read)

Reflect

Respond

Rest

Why “seek first” means more than good intentions

How God’s righteousness is received, not achieved

The clash between the kingdom of self and the kingdom of God

What it looks like to respond when God speaks

Key Quote:

“When you create space for God, He will fill it.”

Scripture Highlight:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
— Matthew 6:33

Reflection Questions:

What do you find yourself seeking first most days?

Where has worry revealed misplaced focus in your life?

What might it look like to create intentional space for God this year?

How is God inviting you to respond today?

Next Steps:

Try practicing Lectio Divina this week with Matthew 6:33

Begin your mornings by seeking God’s kingdom before anything else

Take time to confess, repent, or reconcile where God is prompting you

If you need prayer, don’t carry it alone—reach out

What if fear isn’t the problem—but what we’re looking at is?

In this Advent sermon, we explore the surprising story of the shepherds in Luke 2 and contrast their faithful response to the good news with Zechariah’s response earlier in Luke’s Gospel. Through Scripture, storytelling, and insights from C.S. Lewis, we’re invited to reflect on how we respond when God speaks—and what is actually forming us.

Christmas reminds us of the astonishing truth that the Author of creation stepped into His own story. But in a season full of noise and distraction, are we truly beholding Him?

📖 Scripture Referenced

Luke 2:8–20 (The Shepherds)

Luke 1:5–25 (Zechariah)

Advent / Incarnation themes

🔑 Key Themes

Why Luke focuses more on responses than birth details

The contrast between Zechariah and the shepherds

Fear, faith, and God’s unexpected ways

“Do not be afraid—for behold the good news”

We become what we behold

How distraction shapes our formation

Why Jesus came not with power, but vulnerability

🧠 Big Takeaways

God often shows up where we least expect Him

Proximity to religion does not guarantee faith

Fear reveals what is actually forming us

The gospel reshapes us when we truly behold it

Advent calls us to slow down and look again

❓ Reflection Question

What are you beholding—and how is it forming you?

🙏 Closing Prayer Focus

Freedom from fear

Peace rooted in Christ

Becoming people shaped by the gospel

Learning to behold Jesus in the midst of distraction

The Christmas story isn’t as peaceful as we often imagine. In this message from our Hidden Christmas series, we look at King Herod—a powerful, wealthy ruler whose fear of losing control led to devastating consequences. Through Matthew 2, we uncover a hidden truth of Christmas: the greatest threat to our faith may be our desire to stay on the throne of our own lives.

The wise men asked Herod a dangerous question—“Where is the king?” That same question confronts us today. Who is really in control? And what would it look like to step down and trust God instead?

This message invites us to reflect, surrender, and pray the words Jesus prayed: “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Key Topics Covered:

The surprising darkness of the Christmas story

King Herod’s fear, power, and obsession with control

Why Jesus’ birth was traumatic, not tidy

How we mirror Herod when our will is threatened

What it means to “get off the throne” and trust God

Reflection Question:
What area of your life are you still trying to control instead of surrendering to God?

Subscribe & Share:
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In this message from our Hidden Christmas series, we step into Mary’s story in Luke 1 — a story of disruption, invitation, and astonishing faith. When the angel announces a world-changing miracle, Mary responds with a courage that doesn’t erase her fear but transforms it.

This sermon explores:
• What Mary’s “yes” teaches us about trusting God in uncertainty
• Why God often works through quiet, hidden places
• How grace meets us before we’ve accomplished anything
• What it looks like to embrace God’s calling even when life feels off-script

Whether the Christmas season feels joyful, heavy, or complicated, Mary’s story reminds us that God is at work in the hidden places of our lives.

Scripture: Luke 1:26–38
Series: Hidden Christmas

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This week Pastor Trey, looks at the Christmas story through the eyes we rarely consider—Joseph’s. While we often focus on Mary (rightfully so!), Scripture gives us a powerful glimpse into Joseph’s experience, his shock, his choices, and ultimately his obedience to God’s unexpected plan.

Walking through Matthew 1, we explore Joseph’s genealogy, his crisis moment when Mary brings him impossible news, and the way God interrupts his plans with something far better. It’s a message for anyone who has ever felt their life take a turn they didn’t anticipate or didn’t want.

In This Episode:

Why Joseph’s story matters just as much in the Christmas narrative

The surprising imperfections in Jesus’ family tree

Joseph’s two options—and why neither were ideal

How God introduced “Plan C” through a dream

What Scripture tells us about making plans vs. submitting to God’s plan

Why God’s plan is better (even when it’s harder)

A personal story about ignoring God’s plan… and how God redirects us anyway

Key Scriptures:

Matthew 1:1–25

Jeremiah 29:11

Proverbs 16:1, 9

Proverbs 19:21

Isaiah 55:8–9

Key Takeaway:
Many are the plans in our hearts—but God’s plan is the one that prevails, and it’s always better.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who might need a reminder that their story is still in God’s hands.

In this message, Pastor Trey walks us through Hebrews 12–13 to answer a foundational question Jesus raises in John 14:15:
What does it truly mean to love Jesus by keeping His commandments?

Scripture shows us that acceptable worship and acceptable service to God flow from one thing: loving well.
Pastor Trey teaches that we love well in two radical, countercultural ways:

Philia — Brotherly/Sisterly Love
Loving those who belong to Christ as if they were your literal family.

Philozenia — Stranger Love
Welcoming, serving, and showing hospitality to those you don’t fully know—those who can offer you nothing in return.

Through powerful teaching, real-life stories, and interviews with two members of The Well who are actively living this out, this message challenges us to step into a deeper expression of God’s kingdom.

Key Takeaways

“If you love Me, keep My commandments” means loving God through acceptable worship and acceptable service.

The kingdom we receive is unshakeable, and gratitude should shape our lives.

Brotherly love (Philia) is radical, not casual—it treats fellow Christians as real siblings.

Hospitality to strangers (Philozenia) is a kingdom value, even when it’s uncomfortable or countercultural.

You may be entertaining angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2).

Loving well requires opening our homes, tables, resources, and lives.

Jesus makes strangers into family—He welcomed us so we can welcome others.

In This Episode

00:00 – Introduction & a childhood story

03:15 – Context of Hebrews 12

05:10 – The unshakeable kingdom

07:00 – What acceptable worship looks like

09:30 – Philia: loving believers as siblings

17:15 – Why this love is radical

20:40 – Philozenia: loving strangers

24:10 – Abraham’s example & entertaining angels

29:40 – The Yellow Table illustration

33:00 – Interview: Sarah’s story of moving into a refugee community

45:00 – Interview: Lindsay’s story of fostering and spiritual motherhood

58:00 – Why we love: Jesus first loved us

1:02:40 – Reflection & prayer time

Questions to Reflect On

What hinders me from loving my spiritual siblings well?

What fears keep me from welcoming strangers?

Whom is God asking me to invite to my table?

Where is God calling me to step into radical hospitality?

Resources & Scriptures Mentioned

Hebrews 12:28–13:2

John 14:15

Psalm 60

Genesis 18

Ephesians 5:2

In this moving message, JJ Blandford explores what it means to love one another well in seasons of grief and loss. Through the powerful story of her family friend Helen and Jesus’ own sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, JJ reminds us that our emotions are safe with God—and that grief is not meant to be carried alone.

JJ also shares from her recent personal journey through a breast cancer scare and the incredible ways her community supported her. This episode is an honest and hope-filled invitation to show up for one another with presence, compassion, and courage.

Key Topics:

Grief, loss, and God’s presence

Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–45)

Why honesty with God matters

How community carries us through suffering

The power of presence over platitudes

How God restores joy after sorrow

Scripture:
Matthew 26:36–45

What does it look like to love well when someone we care about is suffering? In this powerful message, Pastor Allan teaches from Numbers 12 about Miriam’s sickness and Moses’ heartfelt prayer, “El Na, Rifa Na” — God, please heal.

We’re reminded that loving well means standing with those who are hurting—not just by praying for them, but by walking patiently beside them. Healing may not come when or how we expect, but we can trust that God is still Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals.

Learn two simple, transformative ways to love those who are sick or struggling:
1️⃣ Cry out to God for them.
2️⃣ Wait out sickness with them.

You’ll also hear practical wisdom on how to visit, speak, and care for friends who are facing illness—reflecting the same love and patience Jesus shows to us.

Episode Description:
This week, we begin a new series called Love Well, all about learning to love like Jesus — with eyes that see beyond differences, and hearts that move toward compassion.

Through the story of Sharanda Jones and Brittany Barnett, Pastor Allan reminds us that love isn’t just about emotion or belief. It’s about action.
In Matthew 25, Jesus calls us to love “the least of these” — to feed, clothe, visit, and care — because when we love others, we love Him.

🕊️ “We don’t just have a love problem — we have a vision problem.”
To love well, we have to see well.

📖 Scripture: Matthew 25:31–46
💬 Series: Love Well
🎙️ Speaker: Rev. Allan

✨ Listen now and discover how to see and love people the way God does.