Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

📖 Job 19:25–27 | Matthew 28:6This is the day everything changed. The grave could not hold Him. Death could not defeat Him. Hope could not be buried.In this Resurrection Sunday episode, we reflect on:✔️ Job’s ancient declaration of faith: “I know that my Redeemer lives”✔️ The victory of Jesus over sin, death, and the grave✔️ The promise that we, too, will one day rise and see Him face to face✔️ How the resurrection is not just a past event—it’s a present hope and a future promise📢 “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.” (Matthew 28:6)Job’s longing meets its answer in the risen Christ. Our faith is not in vain. Our hope is alive.

📖 Lamentations 3:21–26Holy Saturday is the quiet in between—the day between crucifixion and resurrection. It’s a day of silence, of waiting, of questions. But it’s not a day without hope.In this episode, we reflect on:✔️ The grief and glimmers of hope in Lamentations 3✔️ How Holy Saturday mirrors our seasons of waiting✔️ The unshakable character of God: steadfast love, new mercies, and great faithfulness✔️ Why “the Lord is good to those who wait for Him”“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”Even in the dark, God is at work. The tomb was not the end—and neither is your waiting.---⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can find the written version, complete with cross-references and links, here.⁠

📖 Isaiah 53:3–6On this solemn day, we turn our eyes to the cross—and to the prophecy that foretold it centuries before it happened.In this episode, we explore:✔️ The original context of Isaiah’s prophecy about the Suffering Servant✔️ How Jesus fulfilled every painful detail as our substitute✔️ Why the cross is not tragedy but triumph✔️ The hope we find in knowing Jesus was pierced for us“He was pierced for our transgressions… and with His wounds we are healed.”---⁠⁠⁠⁠You can find the written version, complete with cross-references and links, here.⁠

📖 Exodus 12:1–14On the night before the cross, Jesus shared a final meal with His disciples—one they had celebrated many times before. But this time, everything changed.In this episode, we’ll explore:✔️ The original Passover in Egypt and its powerful symbolism✔️ Why the blood of a lamb meant life instead of death✔️ How Jesus fulfilled the meaning of Passover in His body and blood✔️ Why the Lord’s Supper is more than remembrance—it’s hopeJesus didn’t just explain the Passover—He embodied it. He became the Lamb.🐑 “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” —1 Corinthians 5:7🍞 “This is my body… This is my blood.” —Mark 14:22–24✝️ The Lamb was prepared—and willingly slain.---⁠⁠⁠You can find the written version, complete with cross-references and links, here.⁠

📖 Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 11:12–13On this day traditionally known as “Spy Wednesday”—the day Judas agreed to betray Jesus—we reflect on two Old Testament prophecies that point to that heart-wrenching moment.In this episode, we’ll explore:✔️ How David’s psalm of betrayal mirrors Jesus’s own experience✔️ What the “thirty pieces of silver” in Zechariah meant then—and how they were fulfilled in Jesus✔️ Why Jesus’s betrayal was not a detour but a part of God’s redemptive plan✔️ How we can bring our own wounds and betrayals to the One who understandsEven in betrayal, Jesus remained faithful. Even in sorrow, the Savior pressed forward toward the cross.💔 “Even my close friend in whom I trusted… has lifted his heel against me.” —Psalm 41:9💰 “They weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver.” —Zechariah 11:12---⁠⁠⁠You can find the written version, complete with cross-references and links, here.

📖 Isaiah 56:6–8On day three of He Who Promised is Faithful, we turn to a vision from Isaiah—a bold promise that God’s house is for all peoples.In this episode, we’ll explore:✔️ How Isaiah revealed God’s heart for outsiders and outcasts✔️ Why Jesus quoted this passage when cleansing the temple✔️ What it means that Jesus is now the true temple who welcomes all who come✔️ How this reshapes our worship, prayer, and sense of belonging in ChristJesus wasn’t just clearing out corruption. He was clearing space for all nations to come and worship.🌍 “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” —Isaiah 56:7🏠 “In my Father’s house are many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you.” —John 14:2---⁠⁠You can find the written version, complete with cross-references and links, here.

📖 Malachi 3:1–4On this second day of He Who Promised is Faithful, we reflect on Malachi’s prophecy of a coming purification—a warning and a promise for those longing for God’s presence.In this episode, we’ll explore:✔️ How Malachi predicted the coming of both a forerunner and the Lord Himself✔️ How Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by cleansing the temple and calling for true worship✔️ What it means that Jesus came not only to save but to purifyJesus came to His temple. And He still comes today—not just to forgive, but to refine.🔥 “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…” —Malachi 3:3---⁠You can find the written version, complete with cross-references and links, here.

📖 Psalm 118:22–27As we begin He Who Promised is Faithful, our Holy Week devotional series, we start with Psalm 118—a psalm of thanksgiving and salvation, declaring God's covenant love and surprising, sovereign work. This passage, sung at Passover, anticipated the rejected becoming the foundation of God’s new work.In this episode, we explore:✔️ How “the stone the builders rejected” became a cornerstone through Jesus✔️ The meaning behind the crowd’s cry, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”✔️ Jesus as both the King who enters and the sacrifice who savesJesus wasn’t merely leading a sacrifice to the altar—He was the sacrifice. And because the cornerstone has been set, we can stand firm and cry out with confidence, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”🕊 “He is the stone that the builders rejected, who has become the cornerstone.” —Psalm 118:22---You can find the written version, complete with cross-references and links, here.

He Who Promised is FaithfulA Holy Week Devotional SeriesJourney through Holy Week by looking back to the promises God made long before Jesus entered Jerusalem. This devotional series—He Who Promised is Faithful—explores Old Testament prophecies and poetic declarations that find their fulfillment in Christ.Each day from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday includes a brief devotion to help you reflect on God’s Word and His faithfulness. These are more than devotions—they are invitations to marvel at the goodness of God, hold fast to His promises, and long for the return of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ.📖 Based on Hebrews 10:23: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."🙏 Read the Scriptures. Reflect on Jesus. Rejoice in His promises kept.🎧 Begin the journey with this trailer—and prepare your heart to see the beauty of Jesus in all of Scripture.---You can find more info and download your copy of the written version here.

📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

Christ Has Come – Week 4Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of Love*Romans 5:8; John 3:16–17; 1 John 4:9–10In this final Advent episode of Christ Has Come, Keith Harris turns our attention to the gift in which all the others converge—the love of God. Christmas is not the announcement of sentiment or seasonal warmth, but the declaration that God’s saving love has entered the world in the person of Jesus Christ.Walking through three foundational passages, we see how Scripture defines God’s love not by emotion, but by action.Together, we explore:How God demonstrates His love by acting first—sending Christ to die for sinners while we were still enemies (Romans 5:8).Why God gave His Son, not to condemn the world, but to rescue it through the incarnation and the cross (John 3:16–17).What love truly is, as defined by God Himself—not our love for Him, but His initiating love toward us in sending Jesus as the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:9–10).Why Christmas always leads to the cross, and how the incarnation reveals the depth, cost, and purpose of God’s love.The invitation of the gospel, calling sinners to receive this love by faith and believers to rest again in the love that saves and sustains them.This episode reminds us that love is not something to admire from a distance—it is something to receive. Christmas proclaims that love has come near, taken on flesh, and walked willingly toward the cross so that sinners might live through Him.If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

Christ Has Come – Week 3Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of JoyLuke 1:39–56In this Advent episode of Christ Has Come, Keith Harris turns to Luke 1 and invites us to slow down and listen to the joy that begins stirring before Bethlehem. Long before angels sing to shepherds, joy breaks the silence in the hill country of Judea—through a Spirit-filled confession, a leaping child, and the worshipful song of a young woman who trusts the promises of God.Together, we explore:What biblical joy is—and what it isn’t, distinguishing it from fleeting happiness or emotional highs.How joy appears before the word is even spoken, as John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the unborn Messiah.Why Mary’s joy is rooted not in circumstances but in God’s mercy, as she magnifies the Lord and rejoices in God her Savior.The meaning and message of the Magnificat, a Scripture-saturated song that celebrates God’s great reversal—lifting the lowly, filling the hungry, and humbling the proud.How Mary’s joy points beyond herself to Jesus, the promised King who fulfills God’s covenant promises and secures lasting joy through His saving work.This episode reminds us that joy is not something we manufacture—it’s something we receive, and it grows wherever Jesus is trusted. Advent teaches us that true joy is found not in having life figured out, but in the presence of Christ and the mercy He brings.If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

Christ Has Come – Week 2Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of PeaceIsaiah 9:1–7In this Advent episode of Christ Has Come, Keith Harris walks through Isaiah 9 and helps us see the depth of God’s promise to send a Child who would be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Isaiah spoke these words into a land drowning in darkness, fear, and oppression—yet he proclaimed that God Himself would shine light into their gloom through the coming of a King whose peace would never end.Together, we explore:The darkness of Isaiah’s day—a people crushed by Assyria, trapped in fear, and running toward everything but the Lord for help.The surprising promise of God—that the regions hit hardest by judgment would become the first to see salvation when the Light Himself arrived.The identity of the promised Child, and how each of Isaiah’s titles points clearly and beautifully to Jesus.The peace Jesus brings, not by removing us from the world’s brokenness but by stepping into it and reconciling us to God through His cross.Why the peace of Jesus isn’t fragile or temporary, but rooted in His unchanging character, His finished work, and His everlasting reign.This week’s study reminds us that peace isn’t a feeling—it’s a Person, and that Person has come. Jesus is the Prince of Peace who enters our darkness, steadies our restless hearts, and promises to be with His people always.---If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

Christ Has Come – Week 1Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of Hope*Matthew 1:1–6, 16In this Advent episode of the Refresh & Restore podcast, Keith Harris walks through Matthew’s genealogy and helps us see how God threads the gift of hope through the real, messy stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. These women—outsiders, sinners, the broken, and the overlooked—are intentionally highlighted in the lineage of Jesus to show that the promised King came for people just like them…and just like us.Together, we explore:Why Matthew includes four unexpected women in Jesus’s family line—and how their presence highlights God’s grace.The difference between vague, anxious human hope and solid, biblical hope rooted in the promises of God (Heb. 10:23).How God’s faithfulness shines through human sin and suffering, bringing His redemptive purposes to pass through Tamar’s tragedy, Rahab’s past, Ruth’s loss, and Bathsheba’s sorrow.How these stories point us to Jesus, the Redeemer who came into a broken world to save broken people (Luke 19:10).The invitation of Advent: to wait with expectation, rest in the faithfulness of Christ, and cling to the hope secured through His coming, His cross, and His promised return.This episode reminds us that Jesus didn’t avoid human brokenness—He entered it, redeeming every story touched by sin with His mercy, and offering real, lasting hope to all who call on Him (Rom. 10:9, 13).If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

📖 Psalm 90In this Thanksgiving episode of Refresh & Restore, we opens Psalm 90—“A Prayer of Moses, the man of God”—and reflects on how the Lord has used a difficult season of illness, weakness, and recovery to teach him what it really means to number his days.This psalm doesn’t shy away from the heaviness of human frailty, but it also doesn’t leave us there. Moses leads us into hope, praying that God would satisfy us with His steadfast love and establish the work of our hands. Keith shares how those same prayers shaped his heart in a year marked by suffering—and how gratitude grew in places he didn’t expect.In this episode, Keith explores:✔️ Why Psalm 90 is the “hinge” prayer for wise living✔️ How God’s eternality brings comfort into our fragile lives✔️ What it means to number our days—not by counting them, but by surrendering them✔️ How suffering can awaken us to the gift of each day✔️ Why God’s steadfast love is the source of true, lasting joy✔️ How gratitude becomes the fruit of a heart shaped by wisdomThis study is a reminder that a short life held in the hands of an eternal God is a life filled with meaning—and that thanksgiving is the natural posture of a heart satisfied in Him.🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with the full Bible study text, you can find it here.

📖 Revelation 3:1–6In this episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison open up Jesus’s sobering message to the church in Sardis—a church with a good reputation but a dying reality. Jesus doesn’t offer praise; instead, He calls them to wake up and strengthen what remains before it’s too late.Together, Keith and Jamie discuss:✔️ The difference between a spiritual reputation and spiritual reality✔️ What it means to be alive in Christ rather than just looking the part✔️ Jesus’s call to remember, keep, and repent✔️ Why true repentance is more than words—it’s a whole-life surrender✔️ The promise of walking with Jesus in white garments and never being blotted out of the Book of LifeThis letter pulls no punches. But it also holds out real hope—because Jesus is in the business of making the dead come alive.“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:6)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

📖 Revelation 2:18–29In the longest of the seven letters, Jesus speaks to the church in Thyatira—a congregation marked by growing faith and love, but plagued by dangerous tolerance of false teaching.In this episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison unpack Jesus’s confronting and comforting words. He comes with eyes like fire and feet like bronze—both to purify and to establish His rule. In this conversation, we explore:✅ How Jesus sees not just our actions, but our hearts✅ The threat posed by the false prophetess “Jezebel” and the spiritual adultery she encouraged✅ The promise that judgment is real—but so is reward✅ What it means to “hold fast” until Jesus returns✅ The hope of ruling with Christ and receiving “the morning star”Even in the face of deception and pressure to compromise, Jesus calls His people to remain faithful. His words echo through time: “Only hold fast what you have until I come.”🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

Welcome to this week’s episode of Refresh & Restore! In this episode, I share a Bible study on Romans 5:1–5, a passage that sustained me through some of the hardest nights of my recent hospital stay. In it, we find gospel truth about peace with God, access to grace, rejoicing in suffering, and a hope that never puts us to shame—because it’s all rooted in Jesus.Before diving into today’s study, you might want to check out the two previous reflections I shared from the hospital:"Reflections on the Goodness of God from My Hospital Bed""God Hears, God Sees, and God Knows"This study is for anyone who feels weak, weary, or worn—anyone who needs to be reminded that in Jesus, we are never alone, and our hope is never in vain.---If you’d like to read the written copy of this Bible study (complete with cross-references and footnotes), you can find it here.

📖 Revelation 2:12–17What happens when the church starts looking more like the culture than Christ?In this week’s episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore Jesus’s piercing words to the church at Pergamum—a church stuck between faithful witness and worldly compromise. Jesus introduces Himself here not as the gentle Shepherd but as “the One who has the sharp two-edged sword.” It’s a serious warning—and a gracious invitation.In this conversation, we discuss:✅ Why Jesus commended Pergamum for holding fast in a demonic stronghold✅ The dangers of Balaam-like compromise and Nicolaitan sensuality✅ How false teaching corrupts the body from within✅ The call to repentance before Jesus makes war with the sword of His mouth✅ The promise of hidden manna and a white stone with a new nameThis is a letter for every believer who’s standing at a crossroads: Will we remain faithful to Jesus, or will we compromise to blend in? The King is not silent—and His call is clear: “Repent.”“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:17)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

The King is coming. Are you ready?In this episode of The King is Coming, we turn to Jesus’s letter to the church at Smyrna—a suffering, persecuted church that receives no rebuke, only encouragement. They are materially poor, but spiritually rich. Jesus calls them to remain faithful unto death, with the promise of the crown of life and victory over the second death.In this conversation, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison discuss:✔️ Jesus as “the First and the Last, who died and came to life”✔️ Why the Christians in Smyrna were poor in possessions but rich in faith✔️ The reality of spiritual persecution and the courage to endure✔️ The crown of life promised to those who remain faithful✔️ What it means that “the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death”This letter reminds us that Jesus walks with His suffering people. He sees, He knows, and He promises life beyond death for those who are His. The persecuted church—then and now—testifies to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ."He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:11)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.