Cornerstone Message Podcast

When is a gift not a gift? Maybe it was given with a sense of obligation; the giver felt a gift was necessary or expected. Or maybe it felt more like manipulation, as though the giver was more interested in getting something from you than for you. These situations are unfortunate at best. When they carry over into our relationship with God, they can be tragic. In today’s addendum to the Advent sea...

To say someone is right out of central casting is to say they look the part. They’re exactly what you would expect. Muscle-bound superheroes. Menacing villains. But when God casts parts for his Kingdom, right from the start at the Nativity he made some unexpected choices. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you won’t get the part, or overlooking others because they don’t look the role. You just mig...

What if you missed out on what God wanted you in on? For generations, people had been longing for and looking for the advent of God’s kingdom, heralded by God’s anointed king. But when the kingdom came and the king arrived, many of them missed out on it entirely! How could this happen? God sent them an unexpected kingdom inaugurated by an unexpected king. Listen in and you won’t miss out on what G...

It makes sense, doesn’t it: If we’re doing what we should and trying our best to do what God wants, shouldn’t we expect that life will get easier? So what are we to make of it when we’re following Jesus wholeheartedly, and instead life gets bumpy? Today we’ll look at one person’s story. He does everything he should, but his life still gets very complicated. What are we to make of it when following...

Few of us like it when our plans go awry. The delayed schedule. The unexpected expense. The shattered expectations. But what if you discovered that interrupted objectives often fall right in line with God’s perfect plan? In the Christmas story we see that very thing! Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery, seeing how An Unexpected Christmas can take us to the places we really want to go.

Do you know where you stand with God? What prompts doubts or gives you confidence when that question is asked? In the last section of the Apostles’ Creed we affirm “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” and then the creed seems to move on and wrap up with a short list of unrelated affirmations about everything from the church to forgiveness to the resurrection. But are they really unrelated? In reality,...

How and when will we face God’s judgment? In the Apostles’ Creed we affirm that Jesus will return from his rightful place at God’s right hand “to judge the living and the dead.” It seems reasonable to assume that standing before the God of the universe to give an account of ourselves from start to finish, inside and out, should fill us with a certain amount of trepidation. If it doesn’t, perhaps i...

What does Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension mean for me? In the core of the Apostles’ Creed, we see Jesus face the worst the world can throw at him, and see him rise from the lowest of lows to the highest heights. The kicker? His story is our story. His victory is our victory. See how Jesus’ winning the ultimate battle gives his followers rock-solid confidence for whatever the world throws...

What does it mean when we affirm Jesus is God’s Son and Our Lord? In these few short words we are pulling together a power-packed tradition that goes back thousands of years and clearly identifies who Jesus is and why he is uniquely qualified to make a way for us back to God and to lead us in God’s ways. Don’t be confused; get clarity on who Jesus is and why it matters.

In the Apostles' Creed when we affirm that Jesus is the Christ, we are saying that he fulfills all three of the anointed (“christened”) roles in the Hebrew Scriptural tradition: The prophet from whom we can hear from God, the priest through whom we can find our way back to God, and the king who leads us in God’s ways. And that’s exactly what we need…and have in Jesus the Christ.

That God is almighty and creator may seem like givens. But even in the lives of wholehearted followers of Jesus—not to mention those who don't affirm these convictions—confidence in the truth of these statements can sometimes be eroded. What's at stake? Related misunderstandings, questions, and errors can keep you and others you care about from really trusting in the God who is the Fathe...

Who is this God in whom we believe? Not everyone believes in the same ‘God’ and if what you believe about God doesn’t line up with what is true about God, you’re setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment, while missing out on the benefits and joys of knowing him as he truly is. NOTE: The main Scripture passage for this message is from the Gospel of John, not the Gospel of Luke. Theref...

As Jesus followers, how should our speech be different from the norm? What should be the intent and effect when we open our mouths?

Does it matter what I believe, really? Is one just as good as any other, or do different creedal convictions lead to different real-world outcomes? This week we’ll begin a new series dissecting the Apostles’ Creed, the oldest statement of faith in Christianity (outside of the Scriptures themselves). You will gain a fresh understanding and appreciation of your faith, see why it matters, and how eac...

Most of us have at least a vague idea of what we want our lives to look like. Things like good relationships, meaningful & fulfilling work, etc. But do you know how to get from here to there? Do you ever feel stuck, or unable to get traction? There are answers to these questions and more. And they are the focus of today’s message.

Get a simple, understandable, and applicable definition of forgiveness, directly from Jesus’ teaching, that clears up the confusion and will give you the ability to move forward, knowing what to do to forgive and understanding how to know if you have forgiven.

What’s my reason for waking up in the morning? Identifying your own clear sense of purpose, an aim, a reason for being, clarifies and focuses your life. It can alter your state from frustration to fulfillment. Get your reason for rising right, and your days will burst with purpose and possibilities.

We put a lot of effort into building the things that make up our lives: relationships, careers, accomplishments, goals, etc. But how will you know if you’re succeeding? What defines a win? Today’s message is chocked full of God-revealed, life-altering ideas from God’s Word that can transform the way you think about “winning”—at church, in your relationships, and at life.

In this new series, we’ll encounter God-revealed, life-altering ideas from God’s Word that will change your perspective and change your life. We begin with a question you can ask in virtually any circumstance that will clear away the fog and give you clarity in your decision-making.

See how the big idea of the Sermon on the Mount can serve as a focus point for the self-examination that is prescribed for communion. And we’ll celebrate communion together of course.

Everyone encounters storms. What is the difference between those who weather the storms and survive—and even thrive—and those who don't? In the final message of the Sermon on the Mount series we'll see that there are good reasons to listen to Jesus, but listening is only part of the solution.

Ever been taken in by a person or idea that seemed true but proved false? Someone who appears good and says all the right things, only to find out later that it was an act. As Jesus is wrapping up the Sermon on the Mount, he tells us we could completely miss out on what God has for us unless we know what to look for to reveal whether someone is on the up and up. Know how to avoid falling into the...

What options does Jesus offer? In the beginning of the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out in stark contrast the choice he is presenting to us.

Ever had a prayer go unanswered? A need go unmet? Wondered what was going on there? While we're encouraged to ask God for everything, our past experiences of unanswered prayers erode our confidence...and perseverance. Get Jesus' answer to getting prayers answered, and discover it's a lot more about the who than the what.

Need encouragement? You're not alone. Feel like you're on your own? You're not alone!