Keystone Synergy

10/12/2026

Keystone Weekly Devotion…

You're Different
by OSHillman
October 12

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'" (2 Cor 12:9).

I was in Switzerland visiting an acquaintance I had met briefly almost ten years earlier at a Christian conference on the island of Cyprus. We had stayed in contact over the years as he had become a big fan of TGIF and had the devotions translated into German. I had felt led to make the trip from Germany, where we had been attending a conference.

I was sitting in the kitchen talking with my friend when I said, "You are different. There is a different spirit about you than when I met you ten years ago on the island of Cyprus. I have to admit, I thought you were a bit aloof," I confessed to him. "Hmm, you know Os, I thought the same about you." We both chuckled at our observations.

There was a difference in both of us because something dramatic had happened in both of our lives. My friend was a very successful businessman in Switzerland and was running a family business when things went very wrong. He lost millions as a result. Although his fortune was not totally wiped out, it impacted him greatly. It brought a humility and new found trust in God that had not been there before.

I had a similar story. I had gone through a seven year "pit experience" in which I had major loses in family, business and personal income. Now we were both on the other sides of our "pits." We could recognize something in each of us that had resulted from our experiences. There was a level of humility that was not there before. It reminded me of a statement a friend of mine made years earlier: "Beware of any Christian leader who does not walk with a limp." Sometimes God creates circumstances in our lives to create humility and greater dependence upon Him. It is because God works greater through weakness than strength.

I often tell others, "You can get humility voluntarily or involuntarily. It is much easier if you get it voluntarily."

10/05/2026

Keystone Weekly Devotion…

Destroying High Places
by OS Hillman
October 5

Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, 'Take your father's young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down'" (Judges 6:25-26).

I first met Bishop Julius Oyet in Argentina in November 2005. Bishop Oyet believes God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that he can ask or think, because of the power that works within us. For seventeen years the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) destroyed millions of innocent lives, wrecked the economy, and left thousands of homesteads burned and destroyed through a man named Joseph Kony in northern Uganda.

Just as God led Gideon to tear down demonic altars, God led Julius to do the same in his nation. These altars were deemed to be the source of strongholds over the nation for the rebels. Julius proclaimed in a public meeting, "You cannot fight spiritual strongholds with bullets!" he proclaimed. A number of events transpired that led Julius to meet the president of his nation which allowed him to share what he believed God was saying about the war.

On Saturday, March 1, 2003, Julius led an "Operation Gideon" team of twenty-two persons to the first of several sites to conduct onsite prayer vigils with pastors and leaders and the army to tear down sacred altars they believed had spiritual powers for the rebel army. These actions required the protection of the nation's army to go into these dangerous areas. His story is documented in a video entitled, The Unconventional War.

As a result of these actions, a great turning point in the war took place with many rebel leaders surrendering and giving their lives to Jesus Christ. The impact of his actions has resulted in the Lord giving Julius great favour in his nation and God is doing a great work in central and northern Uganda.

Has God called you to tear down some sacred altars?

09/28/2026

Keystone Weekly Devotion…

Adversity: Catalyst to a Call
by OS Hillman
September 28

"Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything" (Acts 9:8-9).

It's hard to find anyone in Christian history who became a great leader without earning an advanced degree in adversity.

To look at John Wesley (1703- 1791), you wouldn't have thought of him as a great Christian leader. He was just over five feet tall and skeletally thin. In his early years, he suffered greatly from feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and a morbid fear of death. Though he didn't understand the Christian gospel, he devoted himself to doing good works for the poor in an effort to earn his way to heaven. While in his early thirties, he sailed to America to do missionary work among the American Indians.

While crossing the Atlantic, Wesley's ship passed through a violent storm that broke the main mast off its base and nearly sank the ship. As the waves crashed over the ship, Wesley huddled in terror, knowing he didn't have peace with God. He survived the storm, and continued to struggle in his relationship with God for several more years.

Finally, back in London, he attended a meeting on Aldersgate Street, where he heard a preacher say that salvation comes by faith in Christ alone. At that point, he said, "I felt my heart strangely warmed."

Soon after that, Wesley began preaching the gospel. His fifty-two-year preaching ministry became the foundation of the modern evangelical movement. But it never would have happened if John Wesley had not been tossed on the stormy seas of adversity.

Adversity is often God's manure for spiritual callings.

09/21/2026

Keystone Weekly Devotion…

Completing the Work - TGIF - Today God Is First 9/17

SUBSCRIBE

Completing the Work
by Os Hillman
September 21

"I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do" (John 17:4).

Have you ever had a big project to do and felt great when you'd finished the job and it was a big success? The Lord has revealed to us that the number one thing we are to do is love the Lord our God with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. His desire is for us to know Him and the power of His resurrection. These mandates deal with our relationship with Him. The fruit of this relationship must then result in our glorifying Him by completing the work He has given each of us to do. It will become a by-product of this relationship, not an end in itself.

What is the work God has called you to do? Jesus never did anything the Father had not instructed Him to do. He lived in such communion with the Father that He knew when to turn left and when to turn to the right. Is it possible to have such a relationship with our heavenly Father? I think that if it weren't, He would not have given us such an example.

"Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jer. 33:3). What has He called you to do? Perhaps you are called to be the best lawyer in your city or the best advertising executive or the best office worker or assembly line person in your company. Whatever work He has called you to, He will use you as His instrument to accomplish something that He has uniquely prepared you to do.

When our life is complete, what a glorious day it will be if we can each say, "I have completed the work You gave me to do." This will have brought great glory to Him

09/14/2026

Keystone Weekly Devotion…

Affirming New Leadership
September 14

"But Moses replied, 'Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!'"(Num 11:29).

One of the attributes of a Kingdom leader is to recognize when God is raising new leadership and be a catalyst to affirm and encourage it. These leaders also model a level of humility that God blesses. Leaders who are insecure about their leadership will put down new leadership in order to maintain their own status.

The Bible says that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth. That is why God used him as a leader to bring an entire nation out of bo***ge.

Joshua was concerned that two young men prophesied in the camp and considered this an affront to Moses' leadership. Moses viewed the same situation very differently. He viewed it from an eye of a Kingdom leader who modeled humility and a Kingdom focus. Moses was secure in his own leadership and so he did not need to put down others who he could construe as usurping his leadership.

King Saul represented the opposite of this principle with David. The people began to see God raising David into leadership. However, because Saul had a stronghold of insecurity in his life, he was not able to affirm God's new leader. This ultimately led to Saul's removal. God rejected Saul because of his this.

The Body of Christ is in great need of leaders who are secure in their leadership. If God has called you to be a leader, look for opportunities to encourage new leaders. As you do, God will insure that you will fulfill the purpose for which He called you.

Os Hillman and T.G.I.F.

Powerful daily devotions with Os Hillman. Discover your calling & integrate faith in your work life. Free daily devotional guidance. Subscribe today.

09/11/2026

09/07/2026

Thank you to all the men and women who labor hard to make America the greatest nation in the world!

WE SALUTE YOU!

09/07/2026

Keystone Weekly Devotion…

Creating Your Niche
by OS Hillman
September 7

"Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; but my dove, my perfect one, is unique..." (Song of Solomon 6:8-9).

Every business must have a unique niche if you wish to separate yourself from others to compete in the marketplace. This is especially true if you are competing in an industry that is very crowded with competition and low in price is a driving incentive for the customer.

It used to be that a cup of coffee was just a cup of coffee. Then a company came along and completely changed the rules. They violated every marketing rule. They overpriced their product. They changed the language - a small is actually a "tall." A medium is "grande." You get the idea.

Starbucks, the specialty coffee retailer, is one of the great 21st century American success stories. Considered as one of the most successful and admired companies today, Starbucks has grown from a single store begun by a Jewish man in Seattle 33 years ago to 12,000 stores, almost 4,000 of which are in 36 countries outside the U.S. In fiscal 2006, the company posted revenues of more than $8 billion.* Cup by cup, Starbucks has changed the way people drink coffee.

More remarkably, the company successfully transformed a pedestrian commodity into a high-end accessory. It has created a "Starbucks lifestyle" that more people continue to embrace in the United States and abroad. They created community around their product.

If you're thinking about starting a business, or making an existing business better, ask yourself this question: "What's unique about my business or product?"

God created each of us to be unique. Define this uniqueness in your work life and promote it with integrity, and you'll have a good chance for success.

08/24/2026

Keystone Weekly Devotion…

Using Others
by OSHillman
August 24

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matt 7:12).

Have you ever heard the term, "Money talks?" This old cliché has some truth to it. How we handle money speaks very loudly about our values, especially among those in the marketplace.

One of the common business practices today is to extend payment on invoices to use that time to extend a company's cash flow. The bigger companies can often insist upon even longer times for payment. And because this practice is so prevalent it allows a business that honors their vendors with on-time payments to stand out from the crowd.

This delayed payment policy violates a basic biblical principle. "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor" (Rom 13:6-7). One of your greatest opportunities to show you are different is in the practical matters of being faithful to your obligations. True servant-hood is revealed when we have the best interest of others in mind. This means not always seeking to negotiate the lowest price for services, but the price that is fair and still honors the vendor for his service or product. "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Matt 7:2).

Use money to demonstrate your respect of others by paying others in a timely manner.

08/17/2026

Keystone Weekly Devotion…

God Speaks through Circumstances
by OSHillman
August 17

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things" (Eccl 11:5).

God will often use circumstances in our lives to direct us in making and confirming decisions. I have often discovered this to be the case - but only after a situation has occurred. I later look back and see how God worked in the situation.

Years ago, I launched a magazine designed for Christians in the workplace and I was having lunch with a Christian leader named Larry who headed a ministry that helps men and women apply biblical principles to managing money.

During our lunch, I explained to Larry that I had noticed that there were many grassroots workplace ministries cropping up all over the country. I asked Larry if he was familiar with some of the groups since he had taught a course and wrote a book on operating a business on biblical principles. But he said he was not. He then asked, "It would be nice to know what all these groups are doing so we don't duplicate efforts. Do you think you could invite some of these groups for a roundtable discussion?" I told him I would and I proceeded to invite four main workplace ministries that I had worked with in the past.

Then something unexpected began to happen. I began to get requests from ministries all around the country that had heard about the gathering and they were asking if they could attend the roundtable. By the time the event actually took place, 54 people showed up representing 45 organizations from around the country! Unfortunately, Larry had a last minute conflict and was not able to attend, and he informed me that I would have to host the meeting myself. That was the birth of Marketplace Leaders, the ministry I now lead full time. I often joke that God tricked me into starting this ministry because He knows I never would have done that on my own at that time.

God often confirms His direction through circumstances. Be on alert that when God sets up situations that are out of your control - He may be giving you direction through these circumstances.