Browse published episodes from Pastor Jim Keck in First-Plymouth Church's Podcast.
Dec 4, 2022 3:00 AM America/Chicago
Our New Testament was written in Greek, but we began to translate it into English in the 1500’s. This allowed the bible to be read by each person on their own. As wonderful as that was, serious misunderstandings can take place when an English word is pl
Nov 27, 2022 4:30 AM America/Chicago
In this first week of Advent, the Apostle Paul tells us that the time is near, and there is no time like the present to have a growth spurt and become more like Jesus. Exploring Pauls complex use of the word sarx (flesh) and modern personality theory, Dr.
Nov 20, 2022 4:30 AM America/Chicago
Caesar Augustus had a title (Augustus) become part of his very name. So too, Jesus had a title become part of his own name (Christ). This weekend Dr. Keck will explore the power and the beauty of the spiritual title “Christ.” Join us for worship!
Nov 13, 2022 4:30 AM America/Chicago
Mixing a bit of the philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the sheer eccentricity of our wandering sage Jesus, Dr. Keck will make a case that being a little weird is a key to living an intelligent, kind and happy life.
Nov 6, 2022 4:30 AM America/Chicago
On the week of All Saints Day, the church universal honors and remembers those who have entered the mystery beyond. In a spiritual sense, they are still very much part of our community and each one of us is still shaped by our loved ones who have died. Dr
Oct 23, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
After hosting the St. John’s Bible event on Wednesday, our sermon will look at the ways we could turn our everyday Bibles into something more beautiful and fully illuminated. Using the calligraphy of our conscience and the script of love, we can each pr
Oct 16, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
In Genesis 32 Jacob wrestles either an angel, or a man or God himself. It is unclear in the text who exactly is his foe and for all history there have been different interpretation. But one ancient line of thought is that he is wrestling with himself, tha
Oct 9, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
We live in a culture that encourages the giving of thanks, but is it rooted in gratitude or on performative politeness? What does real gratitude look like? How is gratitude connected to our life of faith? How do we harvest gratitude? Join Jim Keck and Jua
Sep 25, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Using Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Dr. Keck will talk about how essential social skills are to the functioning of our society. And yet, there seems to be a widespread erosion of basic interpersonal skills and sensitivities. Paul urged us to be “eag
Sep 18, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
This week Dr. Keck joins Pastor Juan Carlos in his sermon series on Forgiveness. Many discussion of forgiveness focus on dramatic examples of harm and how parties can be reconciled. But there is a form of everyday, constant forgiveness that could make our
Sep 18, 2022 4:00 AM America/Chicago
The journey of forgiveness begins with our willingness to tell our story and to hear the story of the other that we have hurt or harmed but it does not end there. In order for healing to take place we must be willing to live into the uncomfortableness of
Sep 11, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
In some basic way the faith must become our own, That is, each person will have their own way of understanding and experiencing the core truths of Christianity. Any doctrine, once it is filtered through the individuality of your own mind, becomes a unique
Sep 4, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Deploying Carl Jungs concept of synchronicity, along with the thought of Loren Eiseley and the great injunction by Moses to “choose life”, Dr. Keck will offer a meditation on the great journey that is each of our lives. And how we must select the whol
Aug 28, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Sermon from First-Plymouth Church's Podcast
Aug 21, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Sermon from First-Plymouth Church's Podcast
Aug 7, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
It is almost as if the current nature of our culture - fast pace of life, political polarization and endless hours on social media - is perfectly designed to create angry, stressed and judgy people. Dr. Jim Keck will explore how angry and stressed minds a
Jul 17, 2022 4:15 AM America/Chicago
There are lots of things wrong with religion and churches, but there is an opportunity in these uncertain times for religion to improve and find its true spirit. Dr. Keck will briefly explore the concept of religion itself and then turn quickly to talking
Jul 10, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Each of us can read the Gospel ourselves and encounter Jesus directly, rather than relying on what we are told or official doctrine. There is something radically empowering about this fact. Indeed, for much of Christian history people were not ALLOWED to
Jul 3, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Using Pauls Letter to the Galatians, Dr. Keck will look at what is most essential in religion - the impulse to be better. But this basic aspirational impulse is also imbedded in the purpose of our nation. This is not to conflate religion and government, b
Jun 26, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
According to a new Gallup poll there are suddenly less people that believe in God. Faith in a deity dropped 6 percentage points in the last 5 years. What is going on? Is this a catastrophe of faith? Or are there actually some positive elements the fact Go
Jun 19, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Using the super fun new sports movie “Hustle” Dr. Jim Keck will show that Paul is like a great basketball coach. Paul sees our potential but is aware that we need help harnessing our abilities and growing in Christ. And like Steph Curry hitting a thre
Jun 12, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Psalm 8 looks at the majestic sweep of creation - the stars and the moon - and wonders how it is that God is mindful of human beings. Given the scale of the universe and our tiny solar system residing in a modest galaxy among millions of galaxies, it is n
Jun 5, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
In this Pentecost sermon, Dr. Jim Keck will use John 14 to show that the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth and that religion is, in some basic way, about dispelling the illusions in which we are trapped. Although Pentecost is thought of as the beginning
May 22, 2022 5:30 AM America/Chicago
Using a very different notion of the lightness of being than the Milan Kundera novel, Dr. Keck will explore the dialectic of the lightness and heaviness that makes up our lives. Central to this sermon will be the beautiful line in Matthew 11 when Jesus sa