Brandon Thomas

There’s a definite BUZZ at Keystone.  I already mentioned the amazing BLAST last weekend at VOLLAPALOOZA… Well, this weekend we gathered for the very first Men’s Leadership Breakfast.  I loved it.  To have so many passionate leaders gathered at CABELAS was truly inspirational.

Col. Kim Poole shared leadership lessons from the battlefield, which captivated our attention.  We had a great panel of men from different places in life field some powerful questions.

IT WAS INCREDIBLE… not the last time!

One is soft on the edges, strong in the center.  The other is hard on the edges, soft in the center.

At Keystone, we decided a long time ago to be all about the AVOCADO!

The problem I have with HUSHPUPPY CHURCH:

DISCLAIMER: I actually love hushpuppies, especially dipped in ketchup along side some amazing seafood.  But, no one would claim that hushpuppies are healthy!  So often, people feel like churches are hard on the edges… unfriendly, presuming, judging.  Rightly, they assume that many places they want to attend would demand BEHAVIOR changes as a right of passage toward BELIEF.  

In other words, “It’s hard to become  a Christian.  I have to look a certain way, act a certain way, listen to the right music, watch the right shows… THEN I’ll be accepted into the family.

The avocado… SOFT on the edges

Jesus, on the other hand, modeled a radically different model than the hushpuppy.  He was more like the delicious, healthy avocado.  When you study his life, you find the despised, dismissed, and dissed of society all WARMLY welcomed to follow Christ.  It was easy… just follow!  BELONGING to Jesus led to changes in BEHAVIOR, not the other way around.

 This is my topic for the next several days.  Your thoughts?

Next time… soft in the center vs. strong in the center… 

Here’s what I loved about last night…

• It was FUN… not a snoozer banquet with Christian origami as the entertainment 
• People met other leaders who serve in different services for the first time
• The kids LOVED IT… see some of the pics below
• It showed what an AWESOME job Heather is doing on the Keystone team (she was the organizational mastermind… RA! RA! RA!)
• The DETAILS MATTERED:  The music was pumpin’ / Sheridan’s ice cream / amazing food
• THE FOOD, THE FOOD, THE FOOD: our amazing volunteers began cooking SUNDAY MORNING AT 5:30AM!!!  They weren’t even tired Sunday morning at church – they were pumped!

I could go on… is there anything you would add? 

I couldn’t resist the Beck pic!  P.S…. I’m his proud barber!

Tonight we threw a MAJOR PARTY for all our KEYSTONE VOLS!

It was incredible… I mean, a total success.  Tomorrow I’ll try to post some of the details and a few pics… maybe even a couple of lessons we learned along the way!  

I LOVE THIS CHURCH, and I’m proud to be the pastor of Keystone!  Keep your eyes peeled for more info & reflections! 

Matthew 25

35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ 

Lesson #3 (final lesson):

One of the great hallmarks of hospitality is the personal touch.  On the one hand, when you’re showing kindness to others it is very meaningful to consider their PERSONAL interests, likes, and appetites.  On the other hand, it’s always powerful to give something personal of yourself to the one you’re blessing.

How have you struck this balance in your own hospitality? 

Have you ever stopped to think about all the LITTLE THINGS that can throw up roadblocks to our happiness?

• Stub a toe
• That annoying contact lens rolling into the back of your eye
• SWEET preschooler practicing her ‘logo’ on the windows of your car with her smuggled crayon
• The afore-mentioned smuggled crayon ‘forgotten’ in her jeans pocket, but discovered AFTER they were washed (and dried)
• car sickness
• SURPRISE trip to the ER

The list goes on… Well, every one of these irritants are the direct result of a BROKEN WORLD (see Genesis 3 & Romans 8:19-30 ).  They are SIGN POSTS that things are NOT RIGHT.  HOSPITALITY answers life’s little irritations with life’s little blessings!  If sin can annoy us, God can use little things to LIFT US.  That’s why I believe that there’s power in the little things for good, because we all recognize the power of the little things for bad.

LESSON #2: HOSPITALITY is all about the LITTLE THINGS

So when we went to our hotel room after eating with new friends, we were greeted with 2 gift baskets filled with little things we loved… and I was SHOCKED to find GREEN TEA in the fridge in the room!  Can you see the smile on my face?  Thanks for the little things… they really do bless us!  

HOSPITALITY.  It’s a word I’d like to learn how to spell again.I received my first lesson this weekend in Lampasas, Texas!  Susan spoke at a women’s conference hosted by New Covenant Church who is doing a great job bringing Jesus to this beautiful Texas town.  This week I will share some of the HOSPITALITY LESSONS I learned from them.LESSON #1:  HOSPITALITY takes Preparation!   I think this picture says it all!  We were humbled to say the least.  This great group of people taught me how to spell H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L-I-T-Y.

Next time I will tell you why I think HOSPITALITY matters and share LESSON 2 with you! 

I know something about BIG families… My mom is one of six children, I grew up with three brothers, and (breathe, just breathe) I have FOUR kids of my own!

I have often said at Keystone: “We are family”.  This family atmosphere is not about our size, it’s about our spirit!  I LOVE BIG FAMILIES!!!  They are loud, funny, and full of energy.  There’s diversity and a multitude of gifts.  At Keystone, we felt like we were family when we were cramming people in my home; we also felt like family this Spring as we have grown like never before.

This week I witnessed something that truly inspired me.  I saw a very big family unify and love on each other with intimacy and vulnerability.  Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX is one of my favorite churches and I love their pastor, Ed and his wife Lisa.  They are incredible.  This week their church family tasted what every family on the planet goes through when one of their leaders,  Vanessa Whitwell tragically died.

I encourage you to go to the church’s website and Ed’s Blog to see how this big influential church reveals its family DNA.