Cornerstone West Los Angeles » Sermons

Jesus begins his ministry saying he is bringing the kingdom of God. In this passage, he tells us more about it. Jesus compares the kingdom to seeds and leaven, things that do not look impressive but eventually produce powerful effects. Entering the kingdom means going through a narrow door—so narrow that you can carry nothing with you, not even your own righteousness. Only through Jesus Christ him...

Repentance is at the heart of following Jesus, but it's very easy to forget. In this passage, Jesus hears of a nearby tragedy and insists that his hearers take it as an opportunity to repent themselves. In his comments, and in the following parable and miraculous healing, he shows us our need for continual repentance and gives us the tools to pursue it ourselves.    Application Questions:  1. Is r...

Jesus regularly says things we find surprising, even shocking. It keeps us from thinking we have him under control or that we can shape him after our own preferences. Here, Jesus shocks us awake to spiritual reality by making it impossible to stay neutral when it comes to his identity. He presses us to see that he is God in the flesh, making claims no one else makes. He will bring fire—cleansing j...

The return of Christ is a very practical doctrine, because we all base our lives on what we think the future will hold. In this passage Jesus teaches us about the future so that it can shape our present: he tells us what his return will be like, he tells us about the timing of his return, and he tells us how we should live in the meantime.  Application Questions:  1. How often do you think about t...

We live lives filled with anxiety. The question isn't: how do we not experience fear? The question is: where do we turn when we're afraid? Jesus gently reminds us of who he is and the fullness of his love so that we can learn to trust him in every situation - even the scariest. Application Questions:  1. What form has anxiety over provision, security, and the future taken most recently in your lif...

Jesus talks about money more than almost anything else. He regularly presses people to see that the way we handle our possessions tells us a lot about what we truly believe. That's why when someone asks Jesus to settle a property dispute, he instead tells a story about the danger of coveting. Greed and envy invade our lives and make us fools, like someone who looks for their life in money only to...

Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, and he teaches his disciples what it means to follow him in a difficult world. With crowds surrounding them and enemies plotting against them, the disciples will be tempted to hypocrisy—trying to show people only what they want to see. Jesus says this is the one thing they must not do, and he gives them a lesson on fear, forgiveness, and how the gospel makes you...

The final line of the Lord's Prayer is about the tests of life. How do we face them, and how can we make it through them? The Bible tells us that the tests of life can grow us in deep and beautiful ways, and the Lord's Prayer shows us how. When we pray about these tests, we see them more clearly, understand them more deeply, and learn to move through them with grace, grit, and trust in our Father...

In teaching us to pray, Jesus leads us to develop the habit of asking for forgiveness. But this habit doesn't just set us free from the impact of our own sin, it also sets us free from the pain and bitterness of the sin that is committed against us. Application Questions:  1. How often do you confess your sin to God and ask for his forgiveness? 2. What are examples of ways you have engaged in dist...

When most people think of prayer, they think of asking for things. In the middle of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus tells us to ask God for our daily bread, which means we are to bring our needs to God and expect that he will meet them as a Father cares for his children. When we meditate on this, we find that the way we ask changes: we ask in a way that is far more confident, grateful, generous, humble,...

The third line of the Lord's Prayer invites God to have his way in our lives and our world. For many of us this runs against the grain—we want more control over our lives, not less. But when we understand God as our Father in Heaven, and see his son Jesus Christ pray this same prayer in Gethsemane, we find ourselves desiring God's kingdom and will from the heart.  Application Questions:  1. What d...

Jesus continues to teach us how to pray by reminding us of who it is that we're praying to: A God who is holy. And, as we approach him, we are reminded that his holiness is not only overwhelming but also our greatest comfort. Application Questions:  1. How do you view God when you come to him in prayer? 2. How does the combination of God's fatherhood and his holiness shape how you relate to him? 3...

When Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, he gives them the Lord's Prayer. This short prayer shows us how to relate to God and gives us a window into the whole Christian life. It begins in a way that would shock Jesus' audience: addressing God as Father. Christian prayer is unique because in Christ, God is our Father. This provides a different foundation for prayer than any other religion or philo...

Romans 8 is one of the most radical expressions of joy that you can find, and it's all based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the resurrection lands on your mind and your heart, this joy goes to work in your life, connecting you to God's own love now and forever. Application Questions:  1. Why do you think Jesus did or did not rise from the dead? What difference does that make to your dai...

Jesus is invited to a Pharisee's home for a meal and doesn't follow all of the rituals they follow. He uses this as an opportunity to outline the difference between external religion and internal heart transformation. The hope of the gospel runs deeper into our souls than any behavior modification ever can. Application Questions:  1. What are ways that your walk with Christ is too shallow, aiming...

Many are looking for a sign, argument, or circumstances that will settle the issue about Jesus once and for all. If only we had more illumination than we do now, we could come to a deeper faith and move forward fully convinced. In a challenging set of teachings, Jesus confronts us with the reality that the issue is not a lack of light, but a lack of sight. Jesus's teaching and ministry are more th...

 In a passage full of references to demons and Satan, we get a surprisingly practical lesson on our own struggles and how we can be delivered from them. The Bible paints a realistic, complex picture of the forces that work against us in the world and in our own hearts. When we experience those forces, we turn to a variety of places for deliverance, yet the changes we experience are short-lived, su...

It can be easy to think of God like a genie or a butler when it comes to prayer. But the Lord's Prayer shows us the true purpose and power of approaching the throne: getting more of God.  Application Questions:  1. In what ways might your prayer life be disordered? How can the Lord's Prayer reorient your approach?  2. Are you worried about bothering God with your prayers?  3. How does the promise...

Sisters Martha and Mary invite Jesus into their home- Mary sits at the feet of Jesus to listen and learn, while Martha is serving and handling logistics. In the midst of her serving Martha's heart is off- and Jesus gently corrects her, reminding her that He must be the first priority of her life. Application Questions:  1. Why is Jesus so concerned with our inner life? 2. What are areas of distrac...

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus provides a picture of what the Christian ethic looks like in practice. It is rooted in love that is compassionate, risky, and sacrificial. Exactly like the love he has shown us. Application Questions:  1. In what ways have you found yourself trying to justify your life and your choices the way the lawyer did? 2. How does the way Jesus has loved you echo...

The 72 disciples return from their mission full of joy at the success they experienced. But Jesus cautions them: their joy needs a deeper foundation than success. Instead, Jesus urges the disciples to ground their joy in the reality that their names are written in heaven. Here we find the secret to lasting joy that can carry us through a life full of victories and setbacks. When Jesus himself rejo...

Jesus sends out 72 of His followers to heal and teach people about the Kingdom of God. The harvest is plentiful, Jesus tells us, and the laborers are few—so pray and ask the Lord to raise up more laborers, and be diligent in the work.  Application Questions:  1. How does the "mission of God" intersect with your daily life?  2. What would be different if your life was lived first and foremost for t...

Jesus was singularly focused on his mission to redeem his people. He was unwilling to be distracted or deterred, even when those around him didn't understand what he was doing. Following him means being singularly focused on his mission too. And this means being willing to follow him without excuse and without delay. Application Questions:  1. In what ways might you be able to relate to James and...

When Jesus comes off the mountain, he finds a world in disarray. When he brings his majesty to bear by healing a young boy, people marvel—but then he says this majesty will take him to a cross. Throughout the passage, we see ourselves in the disciples as they struggle to following Jesus. The message they need—the gospel that moves toward suffering to bring healing—is the same message we need to fo...

Three disciples follow Jesus up a mountain, and it seems like heaven comes down to earth. Jesus' true glory is unveiled, and we are again pressed with the question: who is this? This event, the transfiguration, reveals to us Jesus' identity, his mission, and the way we access it in our own lives.  Application Questions:  1. Are there ways you have Jesus playing a supporting role in your life? What...