Cornerstone Atl Weekly Sermons

Unity isn't always to be desired. Division isn't always to be avoided. What's more important than unity and division is the purpose of the unity or division. In 1 Corinthians 5 we learn that the purity of the church is the priority of God's church. To that end, there comes a time where the church must remove certain members to maintain this purity. Far from being judgmental and condemning to the straying member, when church discipline is done rightly it provides (1) hope for the straying and (2) joy for those that remain. God shows His incredible grace and wisdom in the way that He instructs us as a church to deal with sin in the life of the church. He doesn't want us to be ashamed, but assured of our salvation. To this end, church discipline is a gracious gift from a loving Father.

Part 2 of our family matters series.

The church isn't just "like a family" but the church IS a family. Regardless of what your experience with family has been, we all can agree that there's no such thing as a perfect family. When it comes to God's family it's important that we know that we have a genuine responsibility towards one another. The book of Jude helps us understand what it means to be a part of God's family. It can be wrapped up in one word. Responsibility. Responsibility for one another as well as a responsibility to contend for our faith. Pastor Richard unpacks what that looks like for us as Christian's today.

Unity isn't a virtue or a vice. Unity is a vehicle. A means to an end. The most important aspect of unity is where it's headed. As Jesus prays for our unity, He has an end in mind. The salvation of the world.

Jesus protects His people, but not in the way that we tend to think of protection. We think of protection as removal from harm. God, however, displays His sufficiency, not in pulling us out of harms way, but preserving us in harm. Simply put, Jesus protects us in order that He might project us into the world to display His goodness. We are saved in order to be sent.

Jesus' prayers reveal Jesus' priorities. As He heads to the cross, He takes time out to pray for His disciples to remind them that God cherishes His people. ""What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it-the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of his hands. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters." - God cherishes His people.

A new year is a time that's filled with tons of activity. We have goals, hopes and aspirations for what we want to accomplish. As we approach a new year, it's more important that we draw near to listen to God to hear what He has to say to us rather than to draw near to lecture Him about what we want Him to do for us. As we look at Ecclesiastes chapter 5, we'll be encouraged to watch our step, weigh each word and ultimately wait on God.

The sweetest word in any language is someone's first name. Dignity and worth are instilled in them as they're recognized as someone unique. Names are special in this regard, but one other thing that makes names special are their meaning. Each name tells a story and Christmas is no different. When God refers to Jesus as our Immanuel, it's His way of providing us an invitation into His family. Jesus is God's standing invitation to join His family.

Leadership is one of God's greatest gifts to the church. The world in which we live has many different definitions of what it means to be a leader. The apostle Paul gives us a different take on what godly leadership looks like in the life of believers. Pastor Moe closes out our Pillars series by looking at (1) the strength of a leader (2) the work of a leader and (3) the life of a leader.

We can find everything we need in God.

To live is Christ and to die is gain.

In prayer, we long for God's presence before (and more) than His provision.

When God saved us, He didn't just take out of danger, He took us into His family. Because we are adopted we have God as Father and glory in our future.

Weakness isn't a curse, it's a gift from God that makes us humble, dependent, and ultimately strong. True strength comes through weakness.

You biggest fight in life is a fight against isolation, not imperfections. In Ecclesiastes 4, we're challenged to accept life's imperfections while fighting to avoid isolation.

God's promises of future judgment is meant to keep our hearts from being discouraged, it's not meant to keep our hands from getting dirty. God's promises free us from the anxiety that comes from worrying about the future. The fact that He has the future covered gives us the freedom to spend this one life we have to live well.

The key to finding joy in this life comes from realizing the limits that are placed on us. Life is meant to be managed, not manipulated. The sooner we understand that, the sooner we can enjoy our present life as a gift from God. Ecclesiastes 3 we see three truths that must be grasped in order for us to have present joy. You aren't in control. God has complete control. God has perfect control.

God given resources are meant to be shared, not hoarded.

Everyone is a counselor, the issue is whether you'll be a good one or not. Christians have a responsibility to speak into situations with wisdom of God. The church grows to maturity as Christians embrace their responsibility to give advice, comfort, and correction.

If you fail to plan, you plan to pail. Sayings like that communicate the reality that looking to the future is the key to our success. And while that may be the case, the future is also the very thing that fuels our present anxiety. Anxiety can either cause you live for LATER (obsess over the future) or LOITER (ignore the future and just enjoy now). The future may be the key to our earthly success, but as the writer of Ecclesiastes reflects on two future certainties that we can't escape (Our death and our descendants), he challenges our perspective on the future and how we live in the present. He shows us why putting our hope for meaning in merely securing a better future on earth makes for a terrible way to live in the present.