Sermons | Cornerstone PCA

The Bible is full of stories of God’s last-minute, eleventh-hour deliverance. The Israelites are nearly defeated by Pharaoh and his army when at the last minute the Red Sea was parted. Abraham almost went through with slaying his son Isaac when at the last minute an angel intervened. But what happens when the eleventh hour comes and goes? The story of the raising of Lazarus shows that Jesus is cap...

We come this week to the fourth “I am” statement in the John’s gospel: “I am the good shepherd.” Of all the ways Jesus could have described himself as our shepherd, he choose to reveal himself as the good shepherd. Unlike a hired hand, Jesus loves us freely, not out of obligation; fully, laying down his life for the sheep; and purposefully, gathering us into one flock and empowering us to know him...

We continue with the “I Am” series this morning with Jesus’ third statement – “I am the door.” This metaphor clearly portrays Jesus as the way of salvation and life. There is no other. Many of us understand this, but we still struggle with entering and receiving. With many “doors” and “voices” in our lives, the quiet, still promise of Jesus can get lost. But the Lord seeks us, reminds us, draws us...

Last week Pastor Billy preached from John 6 on Christ being the bread of life, true nourishment for our souls, giving us new affections which drive out or expel the love of sin from our hearts, like water displacing air in a beaker. And today we hear Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world. But it is possible to think we are pursuing light when in fact we are groping about in deep darkness, dece...

We are all seekers—restless and hungry for something deeper—and Jesus meets us in that longing with His bold claim: “I am the bread of life.” In a world full of empty substitutes, Christ alone offers true nourishment for our souls—past, present, and future. When we come to Him in faith, not only are we saved, but our affections are reshaped and our joy in him begins to grow.

We come this morning to the apostle Peter’s final recorded words. As he prepares for his own death, he has a final exhortation to the church he loves so much: keep growing! Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you still growing your faith? Do you have a greater awareness of your spiritual poverty? Is your love and affection for Jesus growing day by day? Is sin being slowly...

We all face disappointment at various seasons in our lives. But when that disappointment is left unaddressed, it can sometimes turn into disillusionment, and if we are not careful, we can find ourselves showing contempt toward God. In our passage this week Peter addresses a group of people who have done just that: scoffers.

On that first Easter morning, when everyone left and went back to their homes, Mary Magdalene stayed. She lingered. She waited. She wept. Outside the empty grave of Jesus, she was met by two angels – dressed “in white.” Mary refused to be comforted even by these heavenly messengers. Her heart was already set. She wanted Jesus. When Jesus did appear, she did not recognize him at first. And then he...

Some threats to our faith are as obvious as roaring lions but other threats are harder to spot. Peter places false teachers in the latter category. They are waterless springs, he says, offering life but unable to actually deliver. In the sermon this week Pastor Billy explores the false promises of these false teachers.

We welcome Pace Holbrooks, who is campus minister with Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Delaware to continue in our sermon series '2 Peter Everything We Need'. In his second letter, Peter is deeply concerned with the internal threat presented by false teachers. These are corrupt leaders, who believe a fake gospel, that could divide or destroy good churches. Therefore, it...

Does God primarily want us to be faithful or to be fruitful? In the sermon this week Pastor Billy explains that this is a false dilemma – we do not need to choose between being faithful to Jesus and being fruitful for Jesus. One leads to the other. In our passage, Peter invites Christians to experience again the “divine power” given to us in Christ and to live the abundant, fruitful life.

Isaiah 25:6-9 is the first mention of a great banquet at the end of history where God is the host. In our passage, Jesus is invited to comment on this event. With a little cultural background, we discover just how different and radical Jesus’ interpretation was compared to the ideas of his day. We will be invited to see ourselves in the parable Jesus told. While I think Cornerstone is to be commen...

As Peter concludes his letter he reminds us that the devil is real, that the Christian life is a battle, and that we need to, therefore, stand firm in the victory that Jesus already secured for us.

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” Robert Robinson’s well-known hymn  “Come Thou Fount”  summarizes well the Christian life. Although we have been rescued by the cross and filled with the Spirit, our hearts are still prone to wander. In the sermon this week Pastor Billy explores the provision God has made for our wandering hearts.

We are often surprised when hard times come. Suffering tends to blindside us. Peter, though, tells us not be surprised when these things happen but rather to rejoice because God has a purpose for them in our lives.

In our passage last week, Pastor Billy talked about the hostility we all face – our flesh. Amid this challenge, we are to put off worldly behavior and desires. This week we will look at what we are to put on. Peter motivates the believer to be alert, to love deeply, to serve the Lord passionately, and to do everything for God’s glory. Sounds easy, but in this world of hostility and sin, not easily...

Throughout the letter, Peter has addressed various forms of hostility Christians inevitably face. He sympathizes with those who are being persecuted by the world. He warns of the devil who prowls around like a roaring lion. In our passage this week he calls attention to yet another area of hostility: our own flesh.

Hope is a defining characteristic of believers. We are “born into a living hope” the moment we receive Christ and that hope, says Peter, is to constantly radiate from our lives. Even in times of hardship, the hope we have in Christ should arouse so much curiosity in others, they are drawn to ask us for the reasons behind it. In the sermon this week Pastor Billy explores these themes of having hope...

In times of trials and temptations, fears and doubts can begin to fill our minds. We can sometimes feel alone, abandoned, and certain of coming defeat. In our passage this week, the apostle Peter reminds a suffering church that they have a savior who stands in victory over all these things.

In the sermon this week Pastor Billy examines the beauty of God’s design for marriage as it is laid out in 1 Peter 3.  We will consider the challenge, the calling, and the consequence of the Bible’s unique vision for marriage.

God has written the end of the story. We are not there yet. One day we will be. Pastor Billy explores the final element of the biblical storyline – restoration – in the sermon this week.

“Do hard things!” This might be helpful advice and a necessary antidote to the me-first, no-expectations comfort culture of our day. However, in the sermon this week Pastor Billy will challenge us to see the limits of our human abilities. There are some things we simply cannot do for ourselves. No man can save himself. No amount of grit, determination, or goal setting can earn anyone eternal salva...

A Thrill of Hope…Redemption! Amid our sin and rebellion, God acts on our behalf to redeem us through Christ the King. The King gives us hope even under dire circumstances. Because we are his people, we have a true and eternal hope in Jesus. Let us daily put our hope in Jesus.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining… In the sermon this week Pastor Billy explores the second part of the biblical storyline: the fall. We will seek to go beyond mere  description  of what is wrong with the world and instead seek to understand the Bible’s  diagnosis  of what is wrong.

Thanksgiving might still be a few days away, but the Christmas season has already begun here at Cornerstone!  Pastor Billy kicks off the Christmas sermon series this week looking at the very beginning of the Christmas story, the story of creation.  In this sermon series we will look at the Christmas story through the lens of the grand narrative of the Bible which can be broken into four parts: cre...