Zion Church | Keep Going Pt. 2 | Pastor Keith Battle

May 24, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Dethroning Self to Crown Christ as Lord

Following Jesus begins with relinquishing control. A throne-oriented life keeps us at the center, making decisions based on comfort or convenience. But a cross-oriented life submits to Christ’s authority, trusting His lordship over careers, relationships, and daily choices. This surrender isn’t passive—it’s a deliberate act of placing God’s agenda above our own. [05:29]

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.”
(Colossians 2:6, NLT)

Reflection: What area of your life feels hardest to release to Christ’s authority? How might dethroning yourself in that space deepen your trust in Him?

Day 2: The Cross as Daily Surrender, Not a One-Time Decision

The cross isn’t a decorative symbol but a daily call to die. Like Jesus’ obedience in Philippians 2, taking up our cross means rejecting self-preservation to embrace God’s will—even when it’s costly. This isn’t a single moment but a rhythm of small surrenders: choosing patience over retaliation, integrity over shortcuts, and love over ego. [11:14]

“Then [Jesus] said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’”
(Luke 9:23, NLT)

Reflection: Where today did you resist picking up your cross? What practical step can you take tomorrow to lean into surrender?

Day 3: Handling Criticism with Silence and Forgiveness

Jesus carried His cross without defending Himself. When mocked, He prayed for His accusers instead of retaliating. A cross-shaped life absorbs hurt without letting it define our worth or derail our mission. It trusts God to vindicate rather than scrambling to justify. [21:59]

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’”
(Luke 23:34, NLT)

Reflection: Who have you struggled to forgive? How might praying for them—not just about them—shift your heart?

Day 4: Fulfilling Scripture in the Midst of Pain

Even in agony, Jesus anchored His actions to God’s Word. When He cried, “I thirst,” He fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 69:21). Suffering often distorts our focus, but a cross-centered life clings to Scripture as a lifeline, letting truth guide responses to pain. [28:19]

“Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, ‘I am thirsty.’”
(John 19:28, NLT)

Reflection: What Scripture or hymn strengthens you in hard moments? How can you memorize or meditate on it this week?

Day 5: Finishing Strong by Trusting the Father’s Hands

Jesus’ final words weren’t despair but surrender: “Into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Finishing well means releasing outcomes to God, even when His plan feels unclear. It’s choosing to call Him “Father” again after disappointment, trusting His faithfulness beyond our understanding. [31:19]

“Jesus shouted, ‘Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!’ And with those words he breathed his last.”
(Luke 23:46, NLT)

Reflection: What unresolved hurt or doubt makes it hard to trust God fully? How might entrusting it to Him today free you to keep going?

Sermon Summary

Paul charges the Colossians to keep going by continuing to follow Jesus, not by drifting with distractions or letting hurt and hype set the pace, but by receiving Jesus as Lord. The word is kurios, dominion and authority, not just friend or fire insurance. The cross and the throne picture makes it plain. Jesus died on the cross for salvation, but he now sits on the throne and must not be dethroned so a self can climb in his seat. A throne oriented life stays self centered. A cross oriented life gets self submitted.

Philippians 2 shows the pattern. Christ left the throne, took the form of a servant, died on the cross, and was rethroned with the name above every name. He has earned that seat by deity and duty. So a disciple cannot follow him from the control chair. Luke 9:23 sets the order. Deny self, take up your cross daily, then follow. There is no following without a cross. The cross is not jewelry. It is a death sentence to ego so Jesus can be the center. If he is not the center, life goes off course like a cruise ship drifting a few degrees for a week and ending up on the wrong continent.

This call touches real decisions. A throne life asks only what the package pays. A cross life asks what this move does to the soul, to integrity, to marriage, to calling. Continuous intentional surrender becomes a rhythm. Traffic fingers, household tensions, online smoke all push a heart back to the cross again and again. Discipleship costs full price. There is no discount version. Baptism vows say it straight. Will a life deny self, love God with all the heart, and follow even when it hurts.

Galatians 2:20 reframes posture. A cross life lives where he died. Some are sitting where they should be bowing. Jesus shows how to carry it. His words were few under provocation. He would not clap back or be baited, because people can talk but they cannot stop what God has ordained. He forgave and prayed for his abusers. He lifted a fellow sufferer, secured care for his mother, and poured his anguish out to God rather than to the crowd. He stayed tethered to Scripture, even thirsting to fulfill it. He finished. Then he put his spirit back in the Father’s hands. The question now lands close. Who is in the seat. Both cannot be on the throne.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus must be Lord, not accessory Jesus saves, but he also rules. Kurios means his say outranks every competing voice, including personal preferences, pain points, and plans. When Jesus is treated like décor on a wall of equal loves, the whole compass is off. Let him be the center, not an add-on. [13:46]
2. No following Jesus without a cross Discipleship starts with dethroning self, then taking up a cross daily before any talk of following. The cross is death to ego and the old agenda so that Christ’s agenda can actually lead. Without that daily dying, religion becomes a costume change and not a change of owner. [11:14]
3. Cross life reshapes everyday decisions The throne asks, how much does it pay. The cross asks, what does this do to integrity, calling, marriage, and the soul. Wisdom learns to count hidden costs and kingdom outcomes, not just visible perks. That is how a life stops drifting and starts obeying. [15:23]
4. Surrender is continuous and intentional One prayer of surrender is not enough for a life full of triggers. The heart keeps wandering back to the seat of control and must be led back to the cross throughout the day. Quick returns to Jesus in the small moments train the soul to be ready for the heavy ones. [16:18]
5. Finish, then trust the Father Jesus endured abandonment and still finished what the Father gave him to do. He chose to hand his spirit back to the One who felt silent and far. Faith matures when it obeys through disappointment and resurfaces with Father on its lips again. [30:41]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:36] - Keep going in Christ
[02:19] - Demas and drifting hearts
[04:02] - Church hurt and misplaced eyes
[04:41] - Kurios means Jesus is Lord
[05:29] - Cross and throne picture
[08:41] - From throne to cross to throne
[10:44] - Deny self, take up cross daily
[14:46] - Off course when Jesus is not center
[16:18] - Continuous intentional surrender
[19:55] - No discount discipleship
[20:47] - Live where he died
[21:16] - How Jesus carried the cross
[28:19] - Word and worship in the pain
[30:15] - Keep going to finish
[32:10] - Choose throne or cross

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT)
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Observation Questions

What does the Greek word kurios mean, and how does it differ from viewing Jesus as merely a "friend" or "savior"? [04:41]
According to Luke 9:23, what three steps does Jesus outline for following Him? [10:44]
How does Philippians 2:5-11 describe Jesus’ journey from the throne to the cross and back to the throne? [08:41]
What practical examples were given in the sermon to contrast a "throne-oriented life" versus a "cross-oriented life"? [15:23]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Paul emphasize continuing to follow Jesus in Colossians 2:6, and how does this connect to the danger of "drifting" mentioned in the sermon? [01:35]
How does Jesus’ response to suffering on the cross (e.g., forgiving others, caring for His mother) model what it means to live a "cross-oriented life"? [24:52]
The sermon states, "Discipleship costs full price. There is no discount version." What does this imply about the difference between cultural Christianity and true discipleship? [19:55]
Why is it significant that Jesus’ final words on the cross included both anguish (“My God, why have you forsaken me?”) and trust (“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”)? [30:41]

Application Questions

What area of your life (e.g., career, relationships, finances) feels most resistant to surrendering to Jesus’ lordship (kurios)? What would it look like to “dethrone” yourself there this week? [06:40]
When faced with criticism or disrespect, how might you respond differently if you prioritized Jesus’ example of silence and prayer over defensiveness? [21:59]
The sermon asks, “What soundtrack is playing on your soul?” What Scripture or worship song could you intentionally focus on this week to recenter your heart during stress or pain? [28:19]
Identify one decision you’re currently weighing (e.g., a job offer, a relationship, a financial choice). How would a “throne-oriented” versus “cross-oriented” perspective shape your choice? [15:23]
Reflect on a time you felt disappointed by God. How can Jesus’ choice to call God “Father” again after feeling abandoned inspire your next step in trusting Him? [31:19]
What practical habit (e.g., pausing to pray in frustration, serving someone in need, limiting social media arguments) could help you practice “continuous intentional surrender” daily? [16:18]

Sermon Clips

34s

#LoveGodAllIn

“will you love God with all your heart, and will you follow him even when it hurts. Oh, that's so good right there. That's so good right I love it because it doesn't ask the passive questions. It doesn't say, based on the profession of your faith, will you accept this free gift of salvation? First of all, if you're getting baptized, you've already accepted the gift of salvation. You don't get baptized to get saved. You get baptized because you are saved and you're publicly declaring what has already happened in your life. So we don't need to go backwards. We need to know now, not did you put faith in Jesus, that's the profession of your faith. Did you put faith in Jesus? Now we need to know, can Jesus put faith in you?”

29s

#PutChristOnThrone

“but now he has been elevated to the throne. He's seated at the right hand of God. And he says, as Christians, now it is our job to make sure we don't dethrone him and put our lives on the throne, we should be bearing the cross. That's that's because as the his work on the cross was his work for us as savior, but his seat on the throne is his position in our life as lord of our life.”

21s

#EyesOnJesusNotWorld

“How can you stay the course in a world and in a in an environment where people are walking away from Jesus? Some of them because they fell in love with the world, the lust of the world, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. Some of them because they said they got hurt at church. I'm saying if being hurt at church made you walk away from Jesus, you had your eyes on the wrong thing.”

27s

#ForgiveLikeJesus

“Where did Jesus How did he handle how did he handle the cross? The first thing Jesus did when he got on the cross, he says, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. How did what? The people who are hurting when you can forgive people who have hurt you, you're walking under the cross now. He didn't just forgive them, he prayed for them. That's another level. When the last time you prayed for somebody that hurt you?”

25s

#GodIsMyAuthority

“Well, wish you all read the bible. I lay it down on myself. I got the power to lay it down and the power to take it back up again. And you have no power over me except what God gives you. You need to be able to say to your haters, you ain't got no you can't do nothing to me that God don't let you do. So I ain't going on live and fighting with you. I ain't rolling into the comments and trying to argue with you about I don't even know you.”

27s

#CrossIsSacrifice

“cannot follow him. Now when he said that in Luke nine twenty three, everybody in his audience knew exactly what he meant because everybody then knew that a cross represented the death penalty. We have we have commercialized crosses now to where we put them on and they're, you know, a fashion statement. There is bling. But a cross is no different than having a electric chair hanging around your neck or a gas chamber.”

23s

#StayOnGodsCourse

“Do you know on a cruise ship, once a cruise ship is off, it has these instruments to show it which direction to go. If it's leaving a port, if it's leaving Baltimore, if it's leaving Florida or wherever, they have instruments to show this, you gotta be on this, you gotta on this, you gotta be on this because we're going to Cancun or whatever. I don't know. This is where we're going. If that sucker goes like this, this is where we're supposed to be going and it's going like this.”

22s

#DailyCrossCheck

“When you when you picked up a cross in the bible, that was it. You were walking to your demise. You never returned in the state you left in. You were your life had come to an end. So they knew that it meant to lay down your life. To pick up your cross daily means every day, God, I'm rechecking in to make sure I'm under your agenda and not my own.”

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