Keystone Church - Saline: Recent Episodes
Keystone Church
Welcome to the weekly podcast for Keystone Church in Saline, MI. where our mission is to love and lead people in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our goal is that this weekly podcast will help you discover and pursue a deeper life of faith. Visit us at www.keystonechurch.com
We are so thankful for so many in our church family who serve in so many ways! When you serve, it makes God smile. It has been that way for centuries. Today we'll look at some of the very first people who served and how their service helped build the Kingdom of God, just like you do!
John 19:30 – When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. While the cross may seem like a defeat, it was, in fact, the greatest victory of all - a victory that gives us life eternally.
Luke 23:46 – Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. He who is not prepared to die is not prepared to live.
John 19:28 – Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” Jesus drank the cup of sin for all people.
Matthew 27:46 – About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Jesus was forsaken by God so people never have to be.
John 19:26-27 – When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Even during his greatest suffering, Jesus was caring for those whom he loved.
Luke 23:43 – Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” The salvation of the thief on the cross next to Jesus is not an excuse to wait, but an encouragement to act.
Luke 23:34 – Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus offers forgiveness in the midst of his greatest suffering
Sometimes life feels like one long battle. It can be exhausting and overwhelming, and we sometimes wonder where God is in the midst of it all. We wonder whether we can really trust God. So how do we move from wondering if we can trust God, to knowing that we can? This week we'll learn how to trust God's purpose and plan for our lives and for our church.
What do we do when we're stuck in an emotional rut? What are some ways we can move toward healthy, emotional maturity?
Our perspective on any situation or relationship can make all the difference. Paul encourages us to always have an attitude of praise and thanksgiving to God, no matter our circumstances. And this wasn't just groundless advice from someone who lived an easy life, Paul learned the power of praise through the school of hard knocks.
We all struggle with anxiety to one degree or another. Anxiety isn't a sin - it's a signal, a symtom, to warn us of other things going on in our life. And it's a signal that it's time to pray. Peter and Paul both give us some helpful instructions on how to pray through the pain and find relief from our anxiety.
Elijah was a remarkable man of God - a powerful prophet. But even Elijah felt overwhelmed, afraid, and ready to throw in the towel at time. But God was with him, and Elijah heard God's ever-present whisper. We'll see some of the mistakes Elijah made - that we still make today - and how to hear the voice of God.
Following Jesus meant a whole-hearted commitment, going all in, giving your all. What does that look like for us today?
1 Cor 1:17-18: Luke 9:23 - Jesus called us to take up our cross and follow him. What does that mean? Total surrender. God took an instrument of death and torture and turned it into a symbol of life and victory. And he is still doing that in our lives today, and we find his strength in our weaknesses.
Luke 7 - Being a fan means we know about something. Being a follower means we have a relationship with God. God want to have an intimate, personal relationship with each of us that goes beyond superficial knowlege.
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Luke 9:23 - Jesus invites anyone, and everyone, to follow him. And when Jesus says "anyone" he means it; and he demonstrated it with his own followers. That same invitation is still extended today, no qualifiacations and no excuese.
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Luke 9:23 - Jesus invites anyone, and everyone, to follow him. And when Jesus says "anyone" he means it; and he demonstrated it with his own followers. That same invitation is still extended today, with no qualifications and no excuses.
A message about loneliness. Even pre-pandemic we have had a loneliness epidemic in our world. What does the Bible have to say about when we hide or are not noticed? Why are we tempted to self-isolate / insulate? Where is the hope in the Christian Worldview?
James 5:13-20 - James wraps up his letter with encouragement to pray. Earnest prayer is powerful and effective. We should never discount the power of prayer.
James 5:1-12 - James starts to wrap up his letter with warning about riches and encouragement to stand firm in the face of suffering.
James 4:1-17 - James has some strong words for this group of believers who are making all kinds of wrong choices and have wrong priorities. James calls them, and us, to some serious self-reflection and repentance where needed.
James 3:13-18 - James says there are two kinds of wisdom: earthly, demonic wisdom, and heavenly, pure wisdom. How do you know which is which, and which one are you listening to?
James 3:1-12 - The tongue is small but mighty - able to speak both words that encourage and bring hope as well words that hurt and tear down. How well do you control your tongue?
James 2:14-26 - It is great to have faith, but if that faith does not manifest itself in actions, is it really faith at all? James makes the bold statement that "faith without deeds is dead." So how alive is your faith?
James 2:1-13 - Favoritism is nothing new and a temptation many of us face. But all people are made in the image of God and worthy of equal honor and respect. But that is easier said than done.
James 1:19-27 - It's one thing to say we believe, it's another to actually live out our faith.
James 1:13-18 - As Christians we have an enemy who wants to distract, deter, and defeat us. We need to understand Satan's tactics and know how to stand firm in the face of temptation.
James 1:1-12 - We all go through hard times. The question is: How do we handle them? Do we just endure and try to hang on, or do we look for how God is working in the midst of the trial? James encourages us to trust God and listen to what he wants us to learn in the storms of life.
Most of us have had an experience or an event that changed the course of our lives - meeting that special person, the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, an unexpected job change. But there was one event that changed the course of history for every person on the planet - the resurrection. Jesus rising from the dead changed everything, for everybody, for all time.
Col 4:2-18 - In many ways, the church exists for the benefit of those who don't yet belong, so we must be wise in how we act towards those outside the faith. And Christianity is a team sport, so we want to always encourage those who serve with us.
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Col 3:18-4:1 - Paul tells us that we should put Jesus first in every part of our lives, not just in church. Putting Jesus first includes how we interact with people at home and at work - we do it in a way that always honors God and others. To enable screen reader support, press ⌘+Option+Z To learn about keyboard shortcuts, press ⌘slash
Col 3:18-4:1 - Paul tells us that we should put Jesus first in every part of our lives, not just in church. Putting Jesus first includes how we interact with people at home and at work - we do it in a way that always honors God and others.
Col 3:1-17 - There are so many temptations and distractions that can pull our hearts and minds away from Christ. Paul tells us to set our minds on what matters most and to treat each other in ways that honor Christ.
Col 1:24-2:15 - Paul considered all the work he did for the church, all that he suffered for the church, so worth it. He was willing to endure it all so that we can know Christ and come to maturity in him. So don't be decieved!
Col 1:15-23 - Jesus the creator and sustainer of all things; he is God is the flesh; he is the author and agent of our salvation. He alone is worthy of our worship.
Col 1:1-14 - We shouldn’t be content with the temporary excitement that comes with conversion, but instead we should strive to continually grow in spiritual maturity and obedience every day of our lives.
The Father’s story and the Son’s love is not the end. We can access the presence of God in the Holy Spirit who lives in believers. The Spirit fills us with God’s power (gifts), releases in us God’s character (fruit), and disperses us into God’s world as His tangible presence.
God’s promise-infused story echoes with the love of God from start to finish. But that echo comes to startling clarity in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Messiah and One and Only Son. Jesus’ revelation of God’s love - His grace and truth - is what we most long for and most need.
Before earth’s creation, the Father formed a story built around His plan and promise to reveal Himself to humanity. We know and learn that there is something behind all that we are doing…not just something, but someone.
When it comes to purity in marriage, the world is not on our side. Temptations abound and there seems to be little reason to resist today. But God calls us to a higher standard, and we'll look at how to live pure lives in a very impure world.
Marriage is more than just a promise, more than just a contract; it is a covenant between a man and a woman. We'll look at what that word "covenant" means and how to make the most of our partnership in marriage.
Many of us have experienced the excitement and thrill of pursuing someone in a dating relationship. But why does that excitement seem to diminish after the wedding day? Today we'll look at how we can continue to pursue our spouse and keep the spark in our relationship.
Priorities - we all have them and they effect every part of our lives: the choices we make, the words we say, the way we spend our time. The same is true in our relationships and marriages. Keeping our priorities in the proper place is the first key to a lasting marriage.
Most of us hang pictures of our family on our walls at home. Why? Because these are the people we love, care for, and are part of our family. They are the people who matter most to us. If God lived in a house, whose portraits would he hang on his walls? Would your picture be among them? This Christmas Eve, we'll look at what it takes to be a part of God's family.
Naming a child is an incredibly important thing. Couples spend weeks and months agonizing over what to call a child. We want the name we give our child to serve as an inspiration for who they will become and how they will live. And God wanted us to know whom His son was so He carefully selected many different names for Him and they are scattered throughout the Bible. On this Sunday before Christmas we want to focus on two of those names, Immanuel and Jesus, and see what they tell us about Jesus and God's great love for us.
Why would God choose shepherds to be the first to learn that His Son had been born? Shepherding was a dirty, smelly job that no one wanted. There are many possible reasons that God chose to tell the shepherds that night but the most likely reason is that God wanted to demonstrate that the good news is for all people. We all have a reason for joy because God's love is for everyone.
What do we really know about Joseph? He’s never quoted in the Bible, not even once, yet Joseph is the man that God entrusted with the responsibility of being the earthly father to Jesus. Even though Joseph was a behind the scenes kind of guy, he played his seemingly minor role with amazing integrity. He is a picture of faithful obedience even when the circumstances were against him.
There is not much written about the life of Mary but one thing that comes through loud and clear is her humility. Mary shows us by example that humility consists of two things: an appropriate view of ourselves, and an appropriate view of God.
Is Heaven real and what will it be like? Do we all become angels and play harps forever? There are a lot of misconceptions about what Heaven is like and we will look at some of the most common misunderstandings and examine what the Bible teaches us about how awesome Heaven will be.
Hell is one of the most controversial and difficult topics out there. Would a loving God really send people to Hell? Is Hell really for eternity? Is Hell real or just a metaphor for something else? Join us as we look at what the Bible teaches us about the reality and purpose of Hell.
What really happens when we die? Do we just cease to exist? Is there life after death? How can we really know? The Bible makes it very clear what happens after we die and knowing your forever can shape your today. So today we'll look at what the Bible teaches about life after death.
Non-Essential employees were prohibited. There are few essential relationships but family is one of them.
We all need friends and to be a friend. We were created for community because we were created by a God who is community within Himself (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) This requires a dedication to reject isolation and embrace connection. It needs to be: Regular, Essential, Available & Loving
It's all about our priorities. Seek first His Kingdom isn't just a suggestion, it is a mission.
Rahm Emanuel, former Mayor of Chicago and advisor to two presidents said, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste and what I mean by that is that it is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before" WSJ 2008
Waiting can be difficult. Nobody likes a waiting room. No matter what may be playing on the TV or if the office has new magazines or even if we happen to have a smart phone to distract us, sitting in a waiting room is a dreaded experience. And the longer you wait the more frustrated you become. I always find it funny that after spending time in a waiting room at the doctors office the next thing they do is make you weigh your self and then they take your blood pressure! That is a recipe for hypertension if I ever heard of one. As frustrating as waiting for another human being can be, it is even more frustrating when we are waiting on God. The circumstances of our lives seem to be slipping out of control or turning upside-down and we keep hoping, praying and waiting for God to do something. We pray but our prayers just seem to bounce off the ceiling. The Bible tells us to be patient, have faith and keep hoping, which implies that the actions we seek don't always come at the speed we would like. So what do we do while we wait? Is God out there? Is He paying attention? Why isn't He doing something? Waiting is a part of life and there are some things that can be helpful to know and do while we wait. In week 1 we are going to be looking at the life of Joseph. We are going to see that even though the circumstances seemed to shout that God wasn't paying attenion, or maybe even worse, was punishing Joseph, there is a difference between our perception of God's activity (or lack thereof) and His presence. What we need to know is that God is always present and always active.
Viral Doubt can easlity run rampant in times of struggle and stress and if this doesn't qualify as a time of struggle and stress, I don't know what does. The financial markets have taken a hit, people are losing jobs or at least work and pay, students of all ages have lost their routines and on top of it all, a dangerous virus is spreading throughout our world.
Conversation about where we've been and a challenge for where we are headed - Ground Breaking?
The Word of God is not a defensive weapon although it can be used defensively. For us it is a weapon of offense, of attack and is sharper than any double edge sword
Although, in the prosperous west it seems like we live in a playground we are actually living on a battleground. The bad news is that we have an enemy who happens to have an army. The good news, we have a superior commander, a heavenly army and all the materials needed for battle. This series will help us put on the full armor that is offered to us to stand against the attacks of our enemy. We start today with the Belt of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness. - Ephesians 6:10-20, 2 Kings 6:8-23
Marketplace Ministry - Commision people in the marketplace to be ministers. The spread of the gospel doesn't simply happen when Christians gather together in a place called "Church". The gospel spreads when we realize that we are all ministers of the gospel and are called to live it out in our every-day lives. We are sent to our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools, our marketplaces and our world. Church leaders are a called to equip the peopel of God for the work of God.
The best leaders are learners. Far too often we have "experts" in our lives and culture. Have you ever met a know-it-all? It seems the only thing a know-it-all doesn't know is how much people hat a know-it-all. How about a see-I-told-you-soer? People who think they know are annoying and people who take joy in pointing out that they knew better after you made a mistake or a bad decision are even worse. The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians in 11:1 - Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
We are called to lead by example and by exhortation (don't know that I'll use that word but I will use the concept).
Love includes a feeling but it is so much more than just a feeling. Love compels us to action. Christ commanded us to love God and others. But that love is qualified in a really big way in John 13:34-35 when Jesus says, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Our culture has a permissive and passive definition of love. Jesus never loved that way. Mark 10:17-31; Luke 6:27-35' John 3:16; John 11:1-6, 35 & 41-44; John 13:1. In compassion Jesus healed (Matt. 14:14), fed people (Matt. 15:32), taught them (Mark 6:34) and raised the dead (Luke 7:11-17). I won't be teaching each passage but referencing them as the way we say the love of Jesus in action. Jesus was the embodiment of God's love. He confronted, he comforted, he taught, he healed, he pointed people to truth and he obeyed God.
It is one thing to make resolutions for the New Year. I'm going to stop doing such and such or start doing such and such are fine resolutions and I'm not against them. But I think we need something more than just some short term goals. It is a question of what do I want to start or stop doing, but where am I headed? Who do you want to be on December 31st, 2020? An even better question is "Who does God want me to be on Dec. 31st, 2020? If we get a clear vision of where we are headed, we will better be able to take the steps needed to get there. It all begins with a deicsion to Love God with all of who we are. Devoting to Him, all of our Heart, all of our Soul, all of our Mind and all of our Strength. This impacts our habits, our decisions and our direction. And all of it is done so that we can love God and love others. Mark 12:28-34. The first thing we have to realize is that Christ's command to love God and love others is only possible when we first decide to make obedience our number one objective.
We can't control what other people do. We can't control what other people say. All we can control is our reaction to others, and we seem to be losing our grip on that. We have forgotten how to disagree agreeably. But Jesus calls us to do just that. In fact, he says we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
Only one person can ensure that we end up somewhere on purpose. And that person isn’t in the House of Representatives or the White House. They’re in our house. In fact, we look at that person in the mirror every morning. The reality is that we face our greatest leadership challenge every morning when face ourselves.
The difference between behavior and worth. We affirm the value of every human being, even those who might disagree with us. We do not affirm every behavior of every human being.
Jesus came full of Grace and Truth, not half and half. He was the full measure of both. We need to have this same approach in how we address the issue of human sexuality and our own sexual brokeness. Is Keystone a safe place to bring your brokeness? Is Keystone a place where you find both grace and truth in equal measure?
Do Christians need to continue to repent? We call it confession, and confession needs to happen with God and with other people. Both are required. Both are needed. And the results can be amazing. 1 John 1:8-9, James 5:16
The concept of repentance appears 64 times in the Bible. But what does it really mean? Many people think it simply means feeling sorry for something but it means so much more. During this two-part series, we are going to be looking at what it means and why it should be a part of our lives.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 & 6:17-19. Rich is the new poor. When we confuse material wealth with being rich, we fall into a trap. We are called to be rich with the most important currency: Good Deeds.
Parable of the Sower - Matthew 13:1-23. We are not called to only grow. We are called to produce fruit. Growing in a scriptural sense always includes fruit. But it is not us who bear the fruit, but it is the work of God in us. We are responsible to cultivate the soil and stay connected to the vine (John 15:1-8).
There are a lot of one anothers in the NT: love, encourage, honor, serve, build up, etc. We all believe we should do them, but there's a difference in believing and doing. Doing is what really counts. And you can't do them sitting shoulder to shoulder in rows - doing happens best in circles. James 1:22, Gal 5:6,
Luke 4:1-13 - Main Point: How to survive in the wild (like Jesus) 1. Go wherever God leads (following God), 2. Know your enemy (resisting the enemy/temptation) 3. Know how the victory is won (Victory in Jesus/the Word).
We read these words - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." When you hear the Word, you are rebuked. When you incorporate the Word, you are corrected. When you love the Word, you are trained for good works.
We read these words - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." When you hear the Word, you are rebuked. When you incorporate the Word, you are corrected. When you love the Word, you are trained for good works.
How did the writings of Christians in the 1st Century get to us? Have you ever played the game telephone? If not, it is a game where one person whispers a message to the person next to them and that person whispers it to the person next to them and so on down the line. The point of the game is to see how close the last person in line is able to repeat the message started by the first person in line and usually it results in some weird changes along the way. How do we know the same thing didn't happen to the documents that make up the Bible? Today we are going to talk about how we got the library we call the B.I.B.L.E.
Have you ever tried to assemble furniture or an appliance without following the instructions? It isn't that you had no access to instructions, you just didn't bother using them. Or maybe you did use the instructions but found out that you didn't read them correctly. Maybe you finished and there were enough parts left over to make you a bit concerned about a step you might have missed. Instructions are printed for a reson: They INSTRUCT! We have a library called the Bible that contains the most important set of instructions that have ever existed. And if most of us are honest, we don't bother reading those instructions. Jesus said it as plain as He could: "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise." (Mat. 7:24) Jesus also said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:17) But what would Jesus say about people who haven't bothered to listen and don't even know the instructions? He has a name for these people and it ain't pretty. Come and find out what He has to say and maybe become wise and blessed in the process.
This popular phrase sounds like it comes right out of Proverbs, and resonates with our American can-do, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps mentality, but it actually the exact opposite of the message of the gospel. Spiritually, there is nothing we can do to help ourselves – we are all dead in our sin. The truth is that God helps those who are utterly helpless, because we are incapable of helping ourselvs. Rom 5:6-8, Eph 2:8-9
John 16 helps to put into perspective the concep that following Jesus will always result in greater health, wealth and care-free existence. The bible doesn't promise that God will never give us more than we can handle. It promises that God will never give us more than He can handle. He'll be with us in the midst of pain and provides a family of faith to help as well.
This sermon will celebrate the various volunteers who serve every week and the call of God on all of us to serve each other and the world. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV) "11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Might be cool to give all our volunteers capes for the day. :)
Following Jesus was pretty easy when there were crowds, miracles and powerful sermons. It was even fun when Jesus would turn His critiques on the corrupt and hypocritical religious leaders. But the day Jesus utttered the words "Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me" the scene changed. The concept that following Jesus might cost us something is one thing that can make us Unfollow. But if Jesus is going to become Lord, it requires a willingness in little and big ways for us to die to ourselves. If we believe in a cross-free faith, we aren't listening to Jesus.
If you are looking for the one phrase that Jesus speaks most it would be "Follow Me." This invitation is the starting point for anyone interested in who Jesus is. You can't simply look at what Jesus taught. You also have to watch how He lived. Acts 1:1 "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach..." Anyone can read the teachings of Jesus but it is a whole other thing to FOLLOW Him. The good news is that ANYONE is capable of following Jesus. Sinners, Skeptics, Doubters, Deniers, the confused and the disenchanted are encouraged to follow Him. What does it look like for us to follow Him today?
"Do not judge" may be the most quoted Scripture verse ever. It's a verse that even non-Christians are happy to quote - and often do. It's become the mantra of our day. But what did Jesus really mean when he said not to judge? We have to make judgments everyday - it's just part of life. Are we not supposed to do that? Should we just let everybody do whatever they want? In Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus takes the idea of judgment and turns it on its head, and gives us a whole new way of thinking about judging and how we interact with the people around us.
Have you heard the juicy news? Spilling the beans about a big piece of gossip can feel pretty good, but is it really harming anyone, too? Proverbs 18:8, Proverbs 25:9-10, Matthew 18:15, Proverbs 20:19 & Proverbs 21:23
The truth isn’t always kind—and sometimes, the truth can really hurt. So what’s the real problem with tweaking the truth from time to time? Little lies can become serious ones pretty quickly—so let’s get serious about the truth this week in our latest series, My Big Fat Mouth. Proverbs 12:22, Ephesians 4:21-15, John 8:44
We all know someone we just want to tell off. It’s easy to point out when someone else is doing everything wrong—and it hurts when we’re on the other end. Let’s get critical about criticism this weekend in a new week of My Big Fat Mouth! Galatians 5:14-15, Proverbs 12:18 & Ephesians 4:29. Don't be a Fault Finder. Be a Hope Dealer
Long days at work. Family members getting on your nerves. Teachers pushing your buttons. We can all find things to complain about, but is it just blowing off steam? Let’s talk about what lodging a complaint really means this weekend in a new week of My Big Fat Mouth! #bigfatmouth