Tag: keystones

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The Scripture :: KEYSTONES OF CHRISTIAN LIVING

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 2/21/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

Why do Christians regard the Bible as a Keystone?

Scripture lays the foundation for Christian Faith and practice. Scripture reveals the outcome of our lives. Scripture rests our faith on something other than trends.

Why do we trust Scripture?

Jesus regarded the Old Testament as trustworthy. The Bible is internally consistent. The Bible is filled with fulfilled prophesies. The Bible demonstrates transforming power.

What does honoring the Bible look like?

We study it to understand it. We prioritize it over other authorities in life. We live it!

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Suffering :: KEYSTONES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 2/14/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

Have you ever thought about Suffering being a keystone of Christian faith?

There are two ways that suffering is a Keystone of Christian Faith. It is part of the Christian Experience. Our response to suffering is the real keystone.

Why is it so important to suffer well? Suffering is inevitable in life. Suffering can create in you what couldn’t be created otherwise. Suffering well speaks loudly about your faith and your God.

Pastor Steve will lead us through 1 Peter 4:1-11 to show us Peter’s imperatives on suffering. They include to arm ourselves with Christ’s mindset, live with an eye turned toward eternity and love one another.

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Work :: KEYSTONES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Presented to Curwensville Alliance on 2/7/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

How do you respond to hard work?

Some work harder to escape work than just doing it. Some look forward to work because they want the payoff. Some see work as part of living.

In this podcast, Pastor Steve shows us how the Bible presents work. He will show us the wrong ideas that some have which include that work is the result of the fall and that work is the evidence of disbelief or little faith.

The Biblical ideas of work are that work is a gift. Work is imaging. Christ is redeeming work.

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Endurance :: KEYSTONES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 1/31/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

What does it mean to endure?

In this podcast, Pastor Steve will lead us through the ways to endure. Endurance is more than just choosing to survive.

In almost every aspect of life there is a need for endurance. Endurance is needed in terms of production, in terms of waiting and in terms of pain.

In order to endure well, we can look to Christ’s example. We can also look to the end of the journey. And we can look to the Holy Spirit!

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Patience :: KEYSTONES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 1/24/21 by Pastor Steve Shields

Patience is a keystone of the Christian faith.

We can try to obtain patience in many different ways including counting to 10, making yourself wait and taking 5 deep breaths. These tend to fall short in teaching us patience.

In this podcast, Pastor Steve will discuss the 5 ways God infuses patience into us. They include the hard way, the slow way, the intentional way, the gentle way and the exemplary way.

We can open out hearts to patience by looking at the ways God gives us patience. They include looking for what God is teaching you in suffering, learning patience patiently, being intentional about your response, walking closely with God, and imitating Christ’s example.

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Forgiveness :: KEYSTONES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Presented for Curwensville Alliance on 1/17/21 by Pastor Bernie Knefley.

Forgiveness is one of the keystones of the Christian faith. Forgiveness grants a relief from the payment of debt.

There is vertical and horizontal forgiveness. Vertical is the forgiveness that God grants to us. Horizontal forgiveness is the forgiveness that we grant to others.

The forgiveness God gives us is complete.

In this podcast, Pastor Bernie leads us through why forgiveness can be a struggle for us, and how we can learn to forgive.

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Humility :: KEYSTONES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Presented to Curwensville Alliance on 01/10/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

The second keystone of Christian faith is Humility. What is the difference between Humility and Pride?

Pride makes you careless, lonely and places you in opposition to God.

Humility comes with an unexpected blessing because it opens the door of your heart to God’s grace.

Humility is beautiful. It is not self-deprecation. Instead humility is a sense of your own flaws and limitations apart from Christ and knowing who you are in Christ.

When you turn your eyes upon Jesus you will find the tranquil place of humility.

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