Cornerstone Sf Weekly Audio Podcast

If we are going to run a marathon, we train. We prepare ourselves for the challenge ahead. The same must be true for our spiritual lives - if we want to remain steadfast and hopeful through pain and trials. So how can we endure? How can we persevere? What does it take to finish this race of life well?

We live in a constant state of tension between the good parts of life and the bad. Part of a healthy faith life is to remain close to Christ through all these circumstances - the highs, the lows, and all the middle grinds in between.

Sometimes we hold on to our dreams and identities too closely. But it is when we surrender to the Lord all of ourselves and all that we hope for that we discover what He truly can do in us. Are we willing to give Him our all? Will we yield to His grace?

How we view ourselves shapes how we live. Do we see ourselves as children of God? Do we see ourselves as adopted into His family? Invite and share this message with your family and friends and bless them with this great message. If you’re new to Cornerstone and this is your first time watching us, we’d love to say “hello!” Just click on this http://cornerstonesf.org/welcome to fill out our Welcome Card and one of our community members will follow up with you. Also if you are in need of prayer, don't hesitate to put in a prayer request at http://cornerstonesf.org/prayer

The Lord is always in control. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and just. But sometimes we live our lives as if we are in control, with God orbiting us. Part of the abiding life in Christ is reorienting our lives to center around God and not the other way around.

The life in Christ is built on hope. We need hope to survive. We need it to abide, to abound, to thrive. But what do we do when hope is nowhere to be found? What does real hope look like in the middle of our suffering? Is God up to something good?

Jesus is the best friend we can ever have. His love is ever faithful and fully committed, but it’s also true. It will not lead us astray - nor avoid the hard truth. The Christian life is about relationship - abiding in this underserved intimacy.

There is both a personal side to abiding in Christ and also a communal side. Each requires us to be intentional in specific practices. Listen as Pastor Terry walks through these practical steps that will help us live a life characterized by a steady joy that remains no matter the circumstances around us.

The key to a faith life that is vibrant, flourishing, growing - is abiding. And when Jesus says to abide in Him, it is both a command and an invitation. So how can we contend for this full life that Jesus is offering us?

The key to having an abounding life in Christ is found in an abiding life. Our strength comes from Him; we are not strong enough on our own. When we truly allow ourselves to receive this gift - that’s when we can access spiritual power.

Jesus’ sacrifice is meant to fill us with irrepressible joy, hope, and to settle us in His peace. If we link ourselves to Him and accept what He has to offer us, the life ahead is far superior to the life we have here - this is the promise of Easter.

The promise of Jesus is the hope of the life to come, in which there will be no more pain, sadness or tears. But while we are still here in this life, Jesus pauses to be with us in our pain, to comfort us and gently lead us on our path to healing.

If we come to know Jesus as the Good Shepherd we soon discover that He will always go before us, laying His life down for us. He knows each one of us and calls us each by name. This is a truth we can build our identity around.

Being a follower of Jesus requires us to recognize His voice. Do you hear His still, small voice telling you how loved, seen, known, and individually precious you are?

The love of Jesus is one that does not condemn. But neither does it condone. Rather, it is a love that invites us into the right way of living, with mercy and grace - a perfect balance of truth and love.

All that we need, all that we were meant to be - our truest identity and our deepest yearnings - can be found in Jesus. We must decide if we will accept His invitation to find our story in His.

We have all been filled with Heaven-sent potential to make an impact for Jesus. Let’s learn to live into this promise by exploring the 7 “I AM” statements of Jesus - what they reveal about His character, and how that informs our own.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. But what exactly does this mean? And how does contentment fit into it?

God’s desire for us is that we abound - in our relationship to Him, in our ministry to others, and in the difficult places of our lives.

If God were to answer your prayers, what would change? Are your prayers self-focused, others-focused, or Kingdom-focused? What does it look like to have a life rich in prayer? Guest Speaker Jon Kelly answers these questions - and more - as he shares three principles for a life abounding in prayer.