Cornerstonekaty

James 1:1-18 As much as we talk about James as a letter that highlights the importance of good works, (which it does so much so that Martin Luther questioned its canonicity) it is actually a letter about faith. And that faith is extremely important, for the result of that faith is the crown of life. James writes, Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test...

Luke17:11-19

Zechariah 3:1-10 Have you ever come into a situation in which you were completely and utterly unprepared? It is enough to induce a moment of panic. What will you do? What will you say? All you can envision is a complete unravelling. I remember how that would express itself to me as a child. In our elementary school each classroom had a coat closet. It wasn’t really a closet, but the side of the ro...

Haggai 2:1-9 I still remember the day I was dropped off for college. My hard work had paid off and I was standing on the footsteps of college, full of excitement and confidence that this would lead to a bright future, that this would lead to glory! But as the year went on, I found lots of things to do besides coursework, and faced challenges and setbacks I did not anticipate. Distractions and thre...

Nahum 1:1-15 Nahum is a difficult book. It is prophecy against Ninevah, the capital of Assyria and it describes the devastating power of God aimed in judgment upon them. Ninevah fell in 612 BC, when the Assyrian empire fell to Babylon. That sets it apart from most of the prophets, which spoke of the looming destruction of Israel and Judah for being unfaithful to the covenant they had with God. Ass...

Micah 5:1-5 Micah is best known for this passage. When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem looking for “he who had been born king of the Jews” they went to Herod to find out. Of course, he didn’t know so he called the chief priests and scribes (the experts) to ask them. In response, they paraphrased this passage in Micah. “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rul...

Amos 9:11-15 Amos was a prophet who lived near the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, similar to that of Hosea. His message was one of warning about the coming judgment of God upon the nation with a twofold goal: his prophecy was a warning and call to repentance, as well as a promise of hope for a better world. We’re looking specifically at the messianic hope in this promise of a better world....

Hosea 3:1-5 According to James Boice, this is the greatest chapter in the Bible. Why would he say such a thing? Hosea, like many prophets, has a very hard—and strange—calling. He was told to go and marry a wife of whoredom. This goes against good sense and certainly doesn’t fit Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians to not be unequally yoked. So, why is he told to do this and what has this to do wi...

1 Timothy 2:8-15 When I was originally thinking about this topic, my mind went to the passage in Proverbs 31 , listed in your bulletin. It is an excellent explanation of a godly woman. And we will look at it this morning. But as I pressed more into the topic, another text seems more to the point. It is a controversial text, and often disdained by modern, secular people. It’s one of those texts tha...

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 In light of our cultural climate, taking a look at what the Bible says about masculinity is in order. So what do we find? Simply put, there are times when masculinity is the God-given trait for defending and advancing the kingdom of God.

Galatians 3:28-29 When I set out to do a series on the Covenant family, I wanted to offer a practical guide for families and their place in kingdom living. That’s why we looked first at Genesis 17 to see how God’s plan of redemption revolved around the family, and the promises of that redemption flowed through families. Then we turned to the covenant relationship between a husband and wife to find...

Psalm 46

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 We began this series talking about the covenant God made with Abraham and how the promises of that covenant were not for him alone but also for his children and his children’s children. God would make him into a great nation through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed. When the promise is first given, we aren’t told how this blessing would come through Abraham’s of...

Ephesians 5:21-32 Marriage is foundational to accomplish God’s design. It was the first human relationship that man experienced in God’s creation. So even before considering marriage within the context of God’s covenant of grace, we see it’s importance in the purpose of our creation. There are three mandates that define man’s purpose according to the creation account: the spiritual mandate, in tha...

Genesis 17:1-14 We’re starting a new series this week. It’s called the Covenant family. You might be asking, “what is a covenant family?” I’m glad you asked! A covenant family is one with a special relationship with the Lord for a distinct purpose. So the follow up question you may be asking is this: “Is my family a covenant family?” If you are here this morning as a follower of Christ, then the a...

Psalm 106

The events of this week have grabbed the attention of our nation, perhaps the world. Specifically the assasination of Charlie Kirk. Politics aside, he was very outspoken with his faith in Jesus Christ and a model for us all in that. The news of his death was shocking. As troubling as this was, it wasn’t the only tragic news of the day. There was also another school shooting near Denver, Colorado....

Revelation 3:7-13

Psalm 103

Psalm 102 What do you do with your pain? We find lots of wrong ways to deal with it. We moan and wallow in self-pity. We get angry with God. We criticize others and blame them. We try to pull others into our pain with us. These may help bring a form of relief. But it is not permanent relief. It is only an illusion. The psalmist teaches us to pray through our pain. Verse 17 explains why. he regards...

Psalm 101 These are the resolutions David, the man after God’s own heart, makes before the Lord as he accepts the responsibility for his house that God has given him. At the heart of the psalm and his resolutions, we find verse 2.        I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; If we are to prepare our home, we must prepare our heart. That’s where it must begin.  This psalm is likely w...

Psalm 100 Psalm 100 This psalm is a classic call to worship. It is the prototype for coming together as we do each Lord’s day. Did you hear it? Make a joyful noise to the LORD… Serve the Lord with gladness Come into his presence with singing It sets the stage for our time together. It reminds me of that old Kool and the Gang song, Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate) Celebrate good tim...

Psalm 99 The Lord is Holy! That is the theme of this psalm. We see it proclaimed 3 times: at the end of verses 3, 5, and 9. Does that mean something to you? We hear the term “holy” often enough going to worship, or as a student of the Bible. And it ought to move us in a profound way. Unfortunately, I don’t think it does—at least not to the degree it ought to. And the reasons are plentiful. One, ou...

Psalm 98 Think of watching your favorite football team make a surprise touchdown at a critical moment in the game. The crowd erupts in shouts of elation. It's a joyful noise that can't be silenced. The psalmist’s invitation to the people to sing and make a joyful noise is an invitation to consider and enter into the reality of the greatness of God’s salvation. I am convinced this is why singing is...

Matthew 9:35-10:1 One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is the story of four lepers outside the gates of Samaria, the capital of the Northern kingdom of Israel. It is not often that they take center stage in a story. Lepers were people with a skin disease that made them unclean and thus put outside the camp. At the time the story takes place, Samaria is under siege. The Syrian army from...