Cornerstone West Los Angeles » Sermons

Almost every nativity scene includes three wise men bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But what's the real story behind these characters? Were they actually there at the scene in the stable? Where were they from? Why did they come? In taking time to consider the place of the Magi in the biblical storyline we can learn a surprising amount about how our own hearts respond to the news of...

We often go through the motions at Christmas, having gotten used to disappointments and the underwhelming nature of things most of the time. But the birth of Jesus Christ is a shot of much needed hope that pierces the hardness of our hearts to their core. Application Questions 1. In what ways have you allowed yourself to become disillusioned by disappointment? 2. How can you take the example of th...

Christmas is a season to ask: what do I really believe? In the story of the Nativity Mary shows us what true faith looks like. She yields herself to God'spromisesand holds fast to them. She trusts in God'scharactereven when those promises are hard to believe. And she remembers God'sactionthat affirms the trustworthiness of God's promises and character. Application Questions 1. Where in your life a...

James is about living faith—but what do you do when you aren't living your faith the way you should? In James 4:4-10, James confronts us with a truth about God's love that exposes how deep our sin runs. But then he points us to God's amazing grace, which leads us to repentance and newness of life. Application Questions 1. What does it mean to you that God loves you with the commitment and care of...

Do you ever wonder what causes you to say the things you say and do the things you do when you're in the midst of a fight or an argument? In the moment, the cause of our problems always seems so clear. But James helps us take a step back from the emotions of interpersonal conflict in order to really see what's going on inside. Our hearts contribute in a unique way to the instances of interpersonal...

James looks closer at the genuine Christian life as he broaches the topic of wisdom. Who is wise, and how do you tell? While we often evaluate wisdom based on how much someone knows, James evaluates wisdom based on how someone acts. False wisdom might sound good, but it produces disorder and conflict in life. True wisdom produces a beautiful life that creates harmony and peace in life. When we see...

How can we bless God and curse mankind made in His image and likeness? James exposes the sinfulness and hypocrisy of our words, their power and destructiveness, and their need to be transformed by the gospel. Application Questions 1. What are some ways that you are too casual with your words? 2. How have you seen words in your life (yours or other's) be destructive? 3. Are there ways your tongue p...

What is faith, and how does it work? James confronts us with a hard truth: faith without works is dead. And underneath his argument, he teaches us about the nature of faith. Far from something you just say, feel, or think, faith is a trusting response to God that always leads to a changed life. Application Questions 1. What are some different ways people define the word“faith” ? What do you think...

We all love others. As Christians we know it's our call to love our neighbor as ourselves. And all of us do so, one way or another. But James'concern here isn't that we might not be loving others, his concern is with the selection of who we choose to love. We tend to be selective with our love. We don't loveallof our neighbors as ourselves. We loveselectneighbors as ourselves. But in light of the...

When we think of“worldliness” we normally think about drunkenness or adultery. But James shows us that worldliness also means living according to the world's system of showing partiality. But showing partiality on the basis of wealth, or race, or ethnicity, or able-bodyness, or nationality, is evil. It elevates the glory of the world and undermines the glory of God, and it undermines the power and...

James teaches us that authentic Christian living is based on humbly receiving what God has said in his word. But how do you know if that's what you're doing? James shows us that receiving God's word means not just hearing it, but putting it into practice in our lives, such that we see a lifestyle that mirrors God's values and priorities. Application Questions 1. Why do you think it's so tempting t...

Anger in our hearts doesn't bring justice to our circumstances, nor does it produce godliness in our lives. The reason is that in our anger our hearts are not submitted to God above all. God's solution to this problem is for our hearts to receive His Word with a posture of humility, so that our lives can be transformed. Application Questions 1. What does anger look like in your life? Horizontal? V...

James teaches us about the goodness of God, and how we often doubt it—especially in times of trial. When we look closely, we find ourselves caught up in a lie about God's goodness, and therefore caught in a web of control, anxiety, and distraction. But James teaches us the truth—God is good, all the way down—and shows us the evidence of that goodness: the new birth, though the gospel of Jesus Chri...

Whenever we experience a trial, temptation always follows close on its heels. As a result, we tend to assume that the trial is the source of the temptation. Our kids'disobedience tempts us to be angry. The size of our home tempts us to discontentment. The response of our roommate tempts us to bitterness. But James teaches us that this is not where temptations ultimately come from. Temptation is ca...

James gives us examples of trials we face when he brings up“lowliness” : having little money, little power, and little social standing. He also discusses the rich, who enjoy more power, comfort, and respect. But James turns things upside down: he encourages the low to boast in their high position, and the rich to boast in their low position. He does it because he is aware of eternity, and what it...

As we try to navigate life in our fallen world, we are constantly confused by the situations we find ourselves in. We don't know what to do. We don't know where to turn. We don't even understand the reality of what's happening. Thankfully God gives us the lens of wisdomthrough whichto view the world, which provides clarity and an accurate picture of reality. But wisdom can seem like a difficult (i...

James begins his book with a discussion of trials, because living faith is seen in unique ways in the midst of suffering. He wants us to understand that it is actually possible, through faith, to count trials as joy without pretending they don't hurt. And he teaches us how by showing us what trials look like, what they produce, and how these things lead to actual joy that runs deeper than the pain...

All of the signs in John lead up to the ultimate, final sign: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Much like the other signs, it teaches us about the authority Jesus has over the universe, death, and even our daily lives. It also teaches us about the love Jesus has in returning to life in such a way that we are drawn into it, now and into eternity. Unlike the other miracle stories, this miracle happe...

As we've looked at the signs of Jesus, they've revealed Jesus' glory. He has shown us who He is. The signs have been pointing us to Him. But here in the last sign of His public ministry, we are being pointed forward. It's calling us to do more than contemplate who He is, but to follow Him because of who He is. This sign is a call to trust Jesus finally and concretely with a living trust that activ...

To the disciples, the blind man who begged on the side of the road was simply a topic for theological discussion. But Jesus saw in him an image-bearer, desperately in need of divine mercy. Even after the man was given sight, the Pharisees still only saw him as a topic of theological discussion. And again, Jesus saw him as a beloved child who needed even deeper mercy than simply sight for his physi...

It's so easy to get familiar with and enjoy the compassion and provision of Jesus. But if we're not careful, we will become enamored with His gifts, and reduce Jesus to a miracle-worker at our disposal. Treating Jesus this way will always result in our disappointment. Learning to see His compassion and provision as acts of mercy towards us will help us to come to Him as the True King that He is. A...

John's retelling of Jesus healing a paralyzed man and then encountering the religious authorities in a temple teach us about who Jesus is and what he has come to do. Far from just healing a man and leaving, he both chases the man down later and encounters the religious authorities. In both situations, we find Jesus pointing them away from where they thought they'd find wholeness, and pointing them...

In the healing of the official's son, we see Jesus perform a miracle from a distance, and he performs a miracle that could have possibly been interpreted as having a different cause. Because Jesus wasn't there and because the timing of the healing was conveyed secondhand, the official could have chosen to believe that it was all some crazy coincidence. But, because of his softened heart, the offic...

Too often, we read our Bibles thinking,“If only I could have been there and seen these things, it wouldn't be so hard for me to believe.” But Scripture gives us a different picture. Jesus revealed His glory through the miracles that He performed, and in our Bibles we have all of the signs that we need to believe. Application Questions 1. Think about this miracle in comparison to Jesus' other mirac...

The miracles performed by Jesus are signs that teach us about God, ourselves, and the world around us. But today, many people struggle to believe that they happened in the first place. In a time when we assume there is always a natural explanation for everything, can we still believe in miracles? And even if we believe in them, how are we supposed to respond to them? The signs and wonders of Jesus...