Battle For Respect
Dear Cornerstone Family, "Do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:27 (NIV) Remember Verse Every relationship needs love and respect to survive and to thrive. Unfortunately, if we are starving for love, sometimes we withhold respect or if we are starving for respect, we withhold love. This is often the typical battle between husbands and wives. If we don’t humble ourselves and practice daily love and respect with each other, we will eventually starve our relationships to death. We are in a spiritual battle for our families, and remember, our families are not the enemy. The devil wants to undermine our relationships where there is little love or respect. Our culture wants us to compromise and look for it elsewhere. Our flesh wants us to take shortcuts outside of our marriage that will ultimately destroy our families. We must battle against the devil, our culture and our flesh for [...]
Battle For Love
Dear Cornerstone family, Our culture would have us believe that marriage and family life is all about our personal happiness. The belief is, “If I’m not happy, then why should I stay?” This line of thinking leads to divorce and absent fathers. Although God wants us to have a rich and satisfying life it cannot be accomplished by the pursuit of our personal happiness. Marriage and family are about giving love over and over again. It’s about sacrifice, forgiveness, and showing compassion. The kind of marriage and family life that will bring about true happiness is not seeking our selfish desires but rather contributing in love and devotion to others. Ephesians 5:25-26 (NLT) reads, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.” Jesus gave up [...]
Battle For Relationships
Dear Cornerstone Family, We may not be aware of it, but we are in a spiritual battle for our families. This weekend we will begin a new series called: Battle For The Family. I am so excited to see how God is going to use this series to bless and restore our families. This may be the most important series I have taught in years. The enemy wants to destroy our families and God wants to save our families. The next generation is hanging in the balance. In Ephesians 6:12 (NLT2) the Apostle Paul said, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” We must remember our family is not the enemy. We must battle against the devil, our culture and our flesh for the [...]
Worship Is Better Together
Dear Cornerstone Family, It used to be that Sundays were set aside for church, rest and families. But, for most people, Sundays have become just another busy day of the week with no time left for church or quality time with family. At the same time, more and more people are wondering why life isn’t working so well for them. God has wired us to need rest, relational connection and spiritual renewal. God has set an internal rhythm of rest, worship and renewal as we make worship a priority once a week. This will lead to benefits that cascade into just about every area of life. This Sunday we will discover how our relationships, work, finances, and health can all be transformed by the decision to make Sunday the best day of the week! Isaiah 58:13-14a (NLT) teaches us, “Keep the Sabbath day HOLY. Don’t pursue your own interests [...]
Sharing Is Better Together
Dear Cornerstone Family, What is the best news you have ever heard? God has given us a message of hope to share to a world that is hurting and broken. People are desperately in need of hope today. The message we are given to share is the Good News that Jesus paid for our sins with His life and offers us eternal life. In Ephesians 3:7-8 (NLT2) Paul tells us, “By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving Him by spreading this Good News. Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, He graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.” None of us are deserving. That’s why this is good news! Do you know this Good News? In John 3:16-17 (NIV) Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He [...]
Growing Is Better Together
Dear Cornerstone Family, Happy New Year! I pray that God will bless you in 2019 and restore what you have lost as you turn to Jesus who gave His life for you. He wants a relationship with you. Let’s make 2019 the year of the Lord as we walk with Jesus in our everyday lives. “Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.” Joel 2:13 NLT As God’s people turn to Him, He promises to restore them – even the things they have lost. When we look at Israel we can see His promises are true. Then God promises to bless ALL people who turn to Him. Join us this Sunday as I begin the new series: Better Together and learn how “Growing Is Better Together.” “You are members [...]
Christmas Eve
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 (NIV) Christmas Eve Services Be sure to invite your family and friends to celebrate Christmas Eve with us on Monday at 4:30 or 6:00 pm. There will be a beautifully decorated photo area for family pictures. Homemade baked goods, hot cocoa, and hot cider will be served. Childcare will be available for ages 0-3. We look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ with you!
God With Us
Dear Cornerstone Family, I love Christmastime and hearing all the Christmas carols in every shopping store. If you think about it, we get a whole month to celebrate Jesus as the reason for the season. In Isaiah 7:14 (GW), we read, “So the Lord Himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel [God Is with Us].” Think about it, God chose to be with us. Most religions talk about man trying to evolve himself to a higher level or even become a god. How different is the God of the Bible! God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to become one of us, but why did He do this? In Hebrews 2:17-18 (NLT) we read, “Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that [...]
Habits for Financial Freedom
Dear Cornerstone Family, This Sunday I will be wrapping up our Financial Freedom series. The reason I have been teaching on financial freedom is because the number one reason for divorce is money. Through this series I have been praying for you to have more financial freedom so that you will have less anxiety in your household. I believe this is possible when we are wise with our wealth and trust that God is our ultimate provider. We live in a culture that continually entices us for more than we can afford. So, what do we do? We spend beyond our income and buy things on credit. Most of our families are struggling to pay bills because we are spending beyond our income. Many of us want a lifestyle that took our parents 40 years to acquire. In Proverbs 13:11 (NCV) we read, “Money that comes easily disappears quickly, but [...]
Thanksgiving
Dear Cornerstone Family, On holidays, especially Thanksgiving, it is easy to pause and give thanks; but what if we became people who lived a lifestyle of gratitude towards God? What would that look like? What could change our perspective on life so dramatically that we would radiate thankfulness? As I read this passage from Philippians this morning, I started by bringing to the Lord all the things that I am anxious about -which was more than I realized. Then I started to pray and give thanks for the many blessings God has given. This verse came to my mind: Philippians 4: 4-7, NIV tells us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, [...]