Cornerstonekaty

Genesis 6-8 Selected verses In the story of Noah's faithfulness at the end of the world we see the faithfulness and power of our covenant God, who is at work today in his church to gather a people for himself from all nations.

Psalm 96 Last week we started a series on discipleship. We’re looking at this because every Christian is on this road. Where is this road leading? It’s leading to the land of promise. That’s how we defined the gospel last week. The gospel is the good news that God has come to his people  to set them free from their enslavement to the false gods of the world,  bring them into a relationship with hi...

Romans 1:16-17 You are here this morning hoping to hear good news. I have good news for you. You’re going to hear good news. That’s what the word “gospel” means, which is our particular focus this morning. But let’s take a step back for a moment and talk about the relative nature of good news. It is relative. News effects people differently. For example, if I was the one to tell you that the Texan...

Revelation 3:1-6 It is a tale that is all too familiar: A new rescue station is built on a dangerous mountain. A new seminary is founded. A new community center is constructed. A new charity comes on the scene. A new nation emerges from the fires of revolution. A new church is planted; usually these new ventures begin with great hopes and a clear, passionate purpose to save, teach, support, aid, l...

Ezekiel 40-48 Ezekiel 43:1-9, 47:1-12. In 1941 CS Lewis gave one of his most famous sermons entitled, “The Weight of Glory.” In that sermon he challenges the Christian’s pursuit of God. Most of us, it would seem, are far too apathetic in our faith. We make too many compromises with it and approach it with such a measure of casualness that one who observed you might wonder why you believe at all, a...

Ezekiel 38-39 This week is often called Holy Week. This week we remember the final week of Jesus some 2000 years ago beginning with his triumphal entry on a donkey end ending with his resurrection. In between was a whirlwind of events that led to his arrest, trial, beating, crucifixion, and finally resurrection. If you had been one of Jesus’ disciples during that week, you would have been through...

Ezekiel 36:16-28 When you’re growing up, there are some things you simply don’t want your parents to know. For example, you don’t want to tell them about embarrassing things that happen in junior high. The last thing you want is for your parent to make things worse by going down to the school and trying to make things right. They may have good intentions, but you know their mere presence will make...

Ezekiel 33:10-20 Is there still time to turn to the Lord? Yes! There is! We are called to trust in a gracious and long-suffering God. Even when it seems all is lost, that you’re too far gone, that God couldn’t possibly accept you because of your long history, whether that is a history of shameful living or simply a history of agnosticism toward God, there is still time. We are called to a good and...

Ezekiel 28:1-19 When I was young, there were public service announcement commercials that promoted the importance of children having a sense of pride in themselves. According to the PSA, pride was good. I remember it because it conflicted with what I had been taught about pride from the Bible. Pride was bad. There are no shortages of passages that speak of the dangers of pride. There are six thing...

Luke 18:1-8

Ezekiel 26 Before we look at Ezekiel 26, let me give you some context. Ezekiel can be most easily divided into two parts. The first part is chapters 1-24, which we finished last week. The 2nd part is chapters 25-48, which we are beginning this week. The dividing event is the fall of Jerusalem, the darkest moment in the history of God’s people in the Old Testament. Why was it so dark? Jerusalem rep...

Ezekiel 24 When I was young, my parents smoked cigarettes. It seemed that most people smoked back then. Cigarettes can be terribly addictive. I recently asked someone who stopped smoking over 40 years ago if they ever had a desire to do it again and their answer surprised me. “Everytime I smell a cigarette I want one.” It reminded me of an episode in the sitcom Frasier when one of the characters o...

Acts 2:40-47

Psalm 139:1-16 Did you know that God ordained not only the day you were born, but the day that you die? That’s what this means. Death does not surprise God like it surprises us.

Ezekiel 20 The Boston Red Sox have one of the most passionate fan bases in the nation, evidenced by their reverence for Fenway Park. It is considered one of the most beloved and historic stadiums in all of sports. The emotional well-being and “mood” of the city hinges on the Red Sox performance. Sadly, most of their history has been one of disappointment. In fact, they felt that they lived under t...

Revelation 2:18-29

Ezekiel 18 “God is not just.” is a sentiment that has caused many to reject the Lord. Have you ever run across this? It can happen in a variety of ways. For some who grew up in the church and were part of a church for a time saw or experienced things that shouldn’t have happened; things that brought pain, and went unchecked. That’s a tragedy. They feel justified in leaving not only the church, but...

Ezekiel 16 God’s wrath is understood when we can empathize with him as a betrayed husband to his people; how his heart is broken over our unfaithfulness. Breaking the law is not the breaking of some rule written on paper, as a judge might evaluate in a courtroom. Breaking God’s law is personal with God. It is like a spouse’s betrayal. And so, we understand his atoning work, completely underserved,...

Ezekiel 10-11 One of the most tragic moments of the Old Testament is seen by Ezekiel in this vision. In case you don’t remember where we are in the book of Ezekiel, we’re looking at his 2nd vision. We find it in chapters 8-11. In this vision Ezekiel is carried away to Jerusalem where God shows him the abominations that are going on in the temple and the judgment that is coming as a result. It’s be...

Matthew 2:1-11 How do you respond to the news that Jesus has come? Herod saw him as a threat and disdained him. The chief priests knew the details of prophecy that told of his coming, yet ignored him when he came. Others risked their lives to come and worship. What about you?

John 1:1-18

John 1:29-37 Some of you are here this morning with a desire to change. You feel the frustration of trying to live a better life but struggle to change. Two steps forward are often followed by two steps back. How do you break free from this cycle? That’s a good question. John has an answer for you and his name is Jesus. Before we look at his answer let’s spend a moment reflecting upon the problem,...

Luke 1:46-55 Right off the bat, in the accounts of Jesus we find that Christianity stands apart from the religions of the world. Religion is the practice of living in such a way as to find your way to God. The reward is for the wise, discerning, and disciplined person who has managed to live a good enough life to win the reward of god. In ancient Egypt the dead would be weighed on the scale to see...

Every year, in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, my wife would become suddenly aware of how cluttered and dirty our house had become. On most days it was organized enough for us, or we didn’t notice the dust piles along the edges of the room or the pile of papers on the dining room table, or the dark stains on the patio. But every thanksgiving, Rhonda’s mom and dad would come and stay with us....

Matthew 1:18-25 Christmas has become more than a day. It is a season. Why is that? Christmas has a way of pushing out the darkness and filling us with hope.