This past weekend, my good friend Trey Kelly spoke at Keystone Church.  I’m truly THRILLED for him to speak.  He was on our staff from the beginning and only a couple of years ago started Wellspring Church, our first church plant.

This will mark 5 of 6 weekends I have not spoken.  I can read the thought bubbles now:

• “Doesn’t he like to speak?”
• “Does he care about Keystone?”
• “Won’t his absence kill the momentum of the church?”
• “That’s just weird!  I’ve never had a pastor be off the stage that long!”

I have been so pleased with the time away…

• I LOVE to speak… We calculated that I have spoken at least 100 times since January
• I care SO MUCH about the church to stay fresh, creative, well-read and mentally sharp.  I also care so much that I want them to worship Jesus, not me!
• The M.O. of Keystone has THRIVED this summer!  It’s been record-breaking!  July 4th weekend (usually a ghost town in churches) we were 35% above last holiday weekend!
• I’ve never claimed to be normal… I am weird – we are weird!

Now a window into my world… This has been less of a BREAK, more of a BEGINNING!  While on a preaching break, I have been BUSY with the vision and leadership of this church.  I have been able to invest valuable time and energy in our FUTURE!

I love being part of a church that loves me enough to miss me.  That’s cool, and I truly appreciate your appreciation!  Let’s celebrate the small breaks that initiate new beginnings!!!

I’m writing this while waiting for my departing flight out of Haiti. I’m drinking very strong, not-so-good coffee out of a paper-thin cup and the bar is open, though it’s 7am (really – the breakfast of champions?).

This is my fourth trip to this scarred country. Everywhere you turn there is poverty and destruction… and people… lots of people! I was told that unemployment is at 60% here. I don’t have Internet access, so I can’t google-check the truth of it, but I wouldn’t be surprised. This is a broken place.

Haiti’s struggles were present before the massive earthquake hit over 1 year ago. So many systems and services that I have come to assume in my life in Texas are absent here. Conveniences… Like paved roads and dependable sources of water. Electricity is spotty and often absent.

My Haitian friend told me how only 10% of the country pays taxes. This burdened him because he is one of the 10%! The entire country, including it’s government, is deeply dependent upon the charity of others. It’s heartbreaking and seems hopeless.

The quote of my trip came from my friend: “Many believe God has given up on Haiti… But I believe he is the only thing holding us together.”

That leads to my NOTES OF HOPE:
- After four trips here, it’s obvious to me that Christians are the DOMINANT compassion force in this country… Not even close!
- I’m SO GLAD we hand picked the LOVE-REV team based on passion for the mission & giftedness, rather than just opening it up… Great first trip for Keystone. We learned A LOT.
- There is HOPE in the eyes of these orphans. We really can make a difference in their lives.
- I had to physically pull a couple of our VOLS out of the girl’s orphanage at the end of their first visit! Hilarious! ALL HEART.
- We have AMAZING partners in Haiti making sure everything is done with excellence. I’m thankful & proud.

There’s more, but I’m about to board… Pray for the team as I leave early to prepare for the weekend at Keystone! They are in excellent hands!

Are you ADDICTED to life change? Don’t answer too quickly….

You might be INTERESTED in life-change. When Christmas or Easter come along, you might invite a friend to church. In the pie of your life, you give LIFE-CHANGE a good slice, a delicious bite. You might even cry when others tell their stories of life-change.

Life change may knock on your door a couple times a year, and that’s great… when you’re INTERESTED in life-change.

You might be SUPPORTIVE of life-change. You aren’t against it. You say a prayer for the kids at camp and are glad to be part of a church that supports some orphanages in Haiti. It’s easy to smile when you think of your church, because you know marriages are saved and people are rescued from hell on a regular basis.

Yet, life-change is not flowing THROUGH you. You support it from a distance, but are rarely part of it.

You might be AGAINST life-change. This one is hard. I don’t meet many believers who will openly admit their animosity toward life-change. Yet, there are signs. Believe me, there are signs that you are negatively bent toward life-change.

• Are you cynical at all the hands raised to accept Christ during a life-change service?
• Do you resist participating in compassion offerings because you’re not sure it’s really making a difference?
• Are you in favor of shutting down life-change ministries during a budget crunch?
• Are you more interested in preserving consumer-oriented ministries like the Wednesday night meal or pottery classes?
• Do you passionately argue over the color of the carpet in the church, while you can’t even muster the passion to invite a friend to church?

You’re against life-change… and sadly, you’re against God.

Genesis 12
Matthew 28:19-20
Acts 8:4
Acts 9:20

Recently I read a comment that said something like this: ‘We christians need to stop focusing on our nation and instead focus on the Kingdom of God.’ I’m convinced that this person is suffering from EITHER/OR syndrome!

• EITHER you are focusing on our nation, OR you are focusing on the Kingdom of God.
• EITHER you are listening to secular music, OR you are listening to sacred music.
• EITHER you are preaching verse by verse & book by book, OR you are a sell-out well-dressed heretic.
• EITHER you are interested in evangelism, OR you are interested in discipleship.
• EITHER you love hymns, OR you love Hillsong United.

You get the picture?

Statements like this are often crafted with the purest intentions. Many of us swim in a culture that trains us to resist the murky waters of GREY. We long for certainty, believing that our moral clarity provides a clear path toward holiness. Yet, it’s not always that easy!

The apostle Paul couldn’t imagine a world of smart phones, texting, and a connected community. There is no possible way the human authors could construct a bible that gave black & white instructions for all possible avenues of sin. The bible is not an encyclopedia for life, or a MANUAL for morality! It is his WORD… living, breathing… ALIVE!

That’s why God swims with us in the GREY waters of decision. There are things that aren’t explicitly laid out in the bible… we desperately need his HOLY SPIRIT and a commitment to the Word of God in our hearts to train us to live as Jesus would live in the uncertain areas of life. These curiosities throw us into a greater dependence on God and propels us to pray like never before.

Don’t get me wrong… God gives us black & white rules and clear guidelines for life:

• EITHER you love God, OR you love money.
• EITHER you are generous, OR you are greedy.
• EITHER you love justice, OR you are oppressive.
• EITHER Jesus is the son of God, OR he is a liar.
• EITHER the resurrection really happened, OR Christianity is a mirage.
• EITHER you are cheating on your spouse, OR you are faithful!

My cry is this: Be careful drawing black and white when God is waiting for you in the grey. Allow some nuance. Open your heart to other possible interpretations. Watch out for the EITHER/OR syndrome!

Baptism is the spiritual SLAM DUNK of Christianity!

Don’t you love the electricity of the arena as your team breaks away for the majestic SLAM DUNK?  The crowd goes WILD with excitement.

That’s what we do at Keystone!  We go WILD with celebration when someone marks their life change with public baptism.

I’ve noticed that many churches treat baptism as a sweet tradition… biblical, but not essential.  Tearful and heart felt, but not something to work toward.

We have forgotten the art of SCORING.

Baptism is MORE than a sweet notion.  It is MORE than an enduring iconic symbol.  Baptism by immersion is an EMBLEM of LIFE CHANGE.

The last words of Jesus: ‘Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:19,20 NLT).

Baptism is HUGE in God’s eyes.  Don’t keep putting it off for your aunt from Wisconsin to personally be there.  Don’t  be embarrassed by your hair getting wet or your mascara running.  These excuses are WEAK compared to the great sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

If you haven’t been baptized biblically, I urge you to sign up to join us THIS WEEKEND for the most AWESOME Baptism Celebration EVER!

Email JODY at jody@keystonechurch.com

WOW.  Another amazing weekend during our SUMMER SERIES.  Some quick reflections:

• HELPING HAITI OFFERING… unbelievable response. More on that in a moment!
• My dad really delivered a POWERFUL message to dads.  More on that this week!
• My dad really is the Mick Jagger of our church!  Ageless rock star!
• I’m so inspired by the kids unlocking their CREATIVE GENEROSITY for HELPING HAITI… incredible stories ($500 from a lemon-aid stand)!
• I’m blown away that 20% of the students who went to camp this week found LIFE IN CHRIST!!!
• I LOVE their energy in worship!
• I’ll share later the final giving for HELPING HAITI… but it’s AWESOME!
• Initial results of the offering show us that MASSIVE PARTICIPATION was the key… wow.
• I’m enjoying this break from preaching… this next week is KEN FREEMAN… bring a friend!
• We were about 20% above last summer… a real trend during these hot months as well as our entire year!
• I met SO MANY great guests this weekend.  KEYSTONERS, KEEP BRINGING FRIENDS!!!