PLAN A VISIT

Jesus is the Gardener who brings beauty out of brokenness, restores all that’s been lost and tends the soil of our hearts so that new life grows.

This message explores the Bible’s classic passage on spiritual warfare. (Eph. 6:10-18)

This sermon challenges us to shift our focus from self-centered desires to the immeasurable power and glory of God, experienced in a community with fellow believers.

Explore the transformative power of praying to know God better and experience strength through faith and resurrection.

Explore the priorities in prayer as modeled by the Apostle Paul. Discover how his prayers can influence your own.

This final installment of The God Story unpacks two visions John received from Jesus in the book of Revelation.

Explore the birth and expansion of the Church, focusing on the Book of Acts.

In this moment, Jesus isn’t just overturning tables; he’s also overturning what we think about coming to God.

A new King has been anointed for Israel, but His coronation is unlike any other.

The story comes to a climax with Jesus, but we can’t get there with out all of the people that God used to write this story. 

In their darkest moment, God is with them and actively working out his plans to bring them home.

This message explores the biblical story of the rise and fall of Israel through the lens of one of scripture’s most central and essential themes: God’s presence.

Just as He led the Israelites, God invites us to trust Him today, knowing He is our salvation and strength.

Abraham learns that the true essence of God’s promise is his presence.

Shame is the feeling that you’re not enough. It’s a deep sense that you’re unworthy and inadequate.

The God Story sermon series is designed to provide you with a clear and compelling overview of the story of all stories, the Bible.

God sees the problem and He becomes part of the solution; the sacrifice God made for us must become our motive and driving force of our service.

Join us at Cornerstone on December 24th for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.

This sermon unpacks two words that help us understand the biblical vision of “peace on earth” and why it matters for each of us, and for the whole world, both now and forever.

Biblical peace isn’t the absence of problems, it’s the presence of Jesus

Most of us understand peace as being the absence of conflict or being in a perpetual New Age-like state of tranquility, an anxiety & worry-free condition.

Looking at Col 3: 12-17 we look at Paul’s analogy of putting on clothing to see how we, through His strength, bring peace to those around us. 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, born to ultimately bring God’s peace into this world, and into our lives as well.

This sermon aims to equip everyone with a deeper understanding of the challenges young people face and how to navigate them through a biblical lens.

SERMON GUIDE JK - GRADE 2SERMON GUIDE GRADE 3+ This message explores the complex and sensitive topic of what the Bible teaches about same-sex sexuality from a historically Christian perspective.... read more

You are complete not when you find a spouse. You’re complete now because Jesus, the ultimate spouse has found you.

The Bible talks about a grand, unifying story of marital love and Christ-followers are called to “speak the truth in love” and “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

“The Jesus Way” when it comes to sexuality is always that of both grace and truth.

Jesus’ offer of his friendship and unconditional love is most welcoming in our “high-tech/low-touch” world of relational famine!

The church doesn’t exist for itself, we exist for the sake of others.

This sermon is the first of a miniseries in the gospel of Mark about how Jesus touches lives through us– people like you and me.

SERMON GUIDE JK - GRADE 2SERMON GUIDE GRADE 3+ In the second part of their annual two-part series of team talks, our Executive Team looks ahead at how Jesus is... read more

In the first part of their annual two-part series of team talks, our Executive Team looks back and reflects on what Jesus has been doing at Cornerstone so far this year.

If you keep waiting to collect on the debt, your heart will only grow bitter.

Who we are is profoundly shaped by the people we surround ourselves with.

The effectiveness of a church’s mission is dependent on its unity. That’s why gossip is so dangerous – it always threatens our unity.

When was the last time someone rebuked, corrected or disciplined you? How did you respond? Have you ever lovingly corrected someone else? The book of Proverbs has a great deal to say about this subject.

This message explores the book of Proverbs to consider how pride hurts relationships, and how humility helps relationships.

Arguments can be destructive to relationships. The antidote, self-control.

Attentive listening shows respect, nurtures trust, encourages rapport, and helps find common ground even in challenging conversations.

The impact of our words is a lot like defusing a bomb. Just as bomb experts carefully choose which wires to cut, we must carefully choose our words, as they hold the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). Words can build up or tear down, bring joy or cause pain.

Wisdom is the skill that enables you to do relationships well.

Nehemiah 12 celebrates the dedication of the walls and it would have been a great ending of the book. But why does it end with a sobering note of community reforms in Neh. 13?

This sermon explores three characteristics of authentic commitment to God drawn from the pledge of obedience that God’s people make in Nehemiah chapter 10.

Deep renewal requires honest confession.

When people get a glimpse of God’s holy splendour and the Word is explained and understood, whatever personal hidden motives or self-serving reasons for participation in any venture will be revealed.

In Nehemiah 6, enemy opposition to the rebuilding project in Jerusalem intensifies.

In this message, we explore Nehemiah 5:1-19, where Nehemiah confronts internal strife among the Jews rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall.

When we expect great things from God and attempt great things for God, it’s pretty much inevitable that at some point, we’ll come face to face with discouragement. How will we respond to it?

Advancing God’s mission takes all of God’s people to actively engage and play their part.

We will unpack 4 principles for Cornerstone as we seek God’s longer-term vision for the church, putting God’s mission before our own comfort and convenience.

The sermon delves into Nehemiah’s story, highlighting prayerful alignment with God’s will and personal responsibility. It concludes with a call to prayer, reflection on the church’s vision, and active participation in God’s mission.

This message explores the characteristics and impact of discipleship in the transparent space.

Relationships aren’t just the goal of discipleship, they’re also the context for discipleship.

The social spaces provide natural, human touch points for people to experience authentic relationships through small talks, socializing, and neighbourly interactions.

This sermon explores how Sunday worship services are especially set up to deliver two essential discipleship outcomes: 1) recalibration & renewal in Jesus; and 2) biblical teaching.

The resurrection of Jesus means a new relationship, a new creation, and a new hope.

Our Good Friday Service is an engaging reflective service retracing the footsteps of Jesus leading up to the cross through the eyes of his disciple, Peter.

Imagine if you had nothing to hide from God? From others? From yourself? Imagine the contented joy that you would feel?

Our joy comes from knowing that God is in control; our peace comes from our identity and destiny in Christ.

As followers of Jesus, God calls us to live counter-culturally as faithful citizens of heaven here on earth.

When we rejoice in the lord we find Enduring Joy.

We’re VULNERABLE when we fight alone but UNSTOPPABLE when we fight together.

When we live out our salvation and have the same attitude as Christ we shine Christ’s light into the world. As Christians, we are lights, but how brightly do we shine and how noticeable is our sparkle?

In God’s Kingdom, the way up is down and the way down is up.

SERMON GUIDE JK - GRADE 2SERMON GUIDE GRADE 3+ Jesus has done so much for us.  What does he call us to in return?  To bring Unselfish Joy to others... read more

Scripture says we are to rejoice in the Lord always (see Philippians 4:4), but how is that possible when the pressure is on?

Resilient joy, as we learn from Paul’s “joy stories”, is about God’s presence, provision, and power in and through the prayer support of God’s people and the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

Love is to be the defining quality of your life as a Christian.

Joy makes us hopeful and resilient even in the face of adverse circumstances.

Life is not about us getting the outcome we want but God working out His will with us in and through whatever circumstances.

God is okay with the messy, complicated unexpectedness of your lives. If you let him, he’ll enter right into it. 

SERMON GUIDE JK–GRADE 2SERMON GUIDE GRADE 3+ It may not seem to mesh with tidings of peace on earth, but observe the Christmas story plotline, and you will see that... read more

In light of what our heart – the idol factory – is capable of producing, John’s teaching about Jesus being our Purifier is hopeful and life-giving.

Jesus doesn’t just offer you a better life; he offers you a new life. It’s a different kind of life. It’s not just an upgrade, it’s a whole operating system.

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Based on Romans 15:1-13, this sermon explores three keys for accepting one another across ethnic difference.

The church as a community of unity in ethnic diversity is central to God’s plan of salvation.

In order to advance an effective intercultural ministry in this metropolitan, pluralistic, multicultural environment, we must be a Jesus-centered, Spirit-enabled, prayer-sustained, and relational intelligent intercultural church because the multicultural world is in our “Jerusalem.”

Generosity is being open to the people and the needs around you and then being obedient to what the Spirit is prompting you to do.

This sermon explores the connection between prayer and divine guidance in the book of Acts.

The books of Acts depicts many miraculous signs and wonders in connection with prayer.

We don’t become more thankful because we have more stuff – it comes from more awareness of God’s presence and his goodness.

Christian leaders are called to pray, and all of us are called to pray for Christian leaders!

There is no doubt that prayer is an integral part of church life and its group gatherings because it connects Jesus with His people who are sent to carry out kingdom work under His Spirit’s guidance and empowerment.

Prayer is essential to doing God’s work. Because When we wait on God in prayer, God gives us the power we need to do his work.

A conversation by our Executive Team.

This sermon looks at the definition, dimensions and direction of the biblical virtue self-control, including a surprising discovery: Self-control requires us to have more desire, not less!

The world often sees gentleness, or meekness, as weakness. The Bible has a different view. Biblical gentleness is strength under control. God desires to cultivate in us the gentleness that we see in the life of Jesus. This sermon explores how gentleness enriches relationships, and it also describes practices that help cultivate gentleness in our lives.

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The biblical virtue of goodness is about the fulfillment of purpose. Scripture makes it clear that God is the source of all goodness, so in order to grow in goodness, it’s important for us to understand and live in alignment with God’s purposes.

Early Christians were often referred to as “the kind ones”. Do we give people reason to refer to us in this way today?

Patience is not a sign of weakness but of strength to actively make positive progress in the most trying social or interpersonal circumstances; patience is to be manifested and sustained in our relationship with God, others, and self.

Jesus doesn’t tell us to be right, he tells us to be loving. Jesus didn’t say the world will know us by how right we are. He says the world will know us by our love.

Biblical joy isn’t about our earthly wants and desires. It’s about desiring God and what God desires.

God’s love is active but it’s not just for our own personal benefits – He is on a mission to restore the whole cosmos.

When you make God the centre, the results are what Paul calls the fruit of the spirit. Fruit isn’t something you grow on your own. Fruit is something God does.

There are three possibilities in understanding spiritual warfare.

When you’re tempted, it feels like you’re standing at a crossroad and in front of you are two paths.

Philo of Alexandria – a Jewish contemporary philosopher in Jesus’ time – writes that “there has never been a single man who, by his own unassisted power, has run the whole course of his life, from the beginning to the end, without stumbling.”

To pray “for our daily bread” is to ask God to meet our daily needs, as well as the needs of others.

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In the gospels, Jesus’ miracles proved more than just show God’s power and God’s love. They proved that God’s kingdom had arrived. What does that kingdom look like?

The first thing Jesus teaches us to ask in the Lord’s Prayer is for God’s name to be “hallowed.”

When Jesus teaches us to pray to our Father “in heaven”, some think this means that God is distant, far removed from the realities and challenges of our everyday lives. However, the phrase “in heaven” actually means the exact opposite. It means that God is NEAR, and God is ABLE!

You and I are created for community, so when community breaks down, so do we.

So what kind of Father is God like? Why should we pray to Abba Father? How should we pray to Him?

In teaching us to pray, Jesus gives us the framework that profoundly shaped his own incredible prayer life.

Christians believe that the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead actually took place, and is, in fact, the defining event of all history.

We invite you to join us on Good Friday for an engaging reflective experience as we journey with Jesus, recalling the events of His last week leading up to his... read more

Lust turns sex into an idol. It turns a good gift from God into something that is selfish, addictive, and driven by fantasy.

What if most of the gluttons among us are not those who tip the scales, but the average Christian consumer? Can the health-food eaters and the gourmets be as gluttonous as the junk-food junkies?”

Drawing from Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12, this sermon unpacks three prayers to combat greed.

The fact that you are known and loved by Jesus is the most important thing about you.

Anger is an emotional force that wells up within you when something blocks the way to a goal you desire.

The best way to define “envy” is this: Weeps when the other celebrates; Celebrates when the other weeps.  

Pride is a cancer to your soul. If left undiagnosed and untreated, it will destroy you.

This story is really an invitation to be like the Father: To love others in the same way your Heavenly Father has loved you.

This sermon on Philippians 4:1-8 explores three choices that lead to joy.

Jesus promises to fill us with His deep ocean of joy as we slow down to abide in His love.

Joy grasps the truth that God is at work even in most trying circumstances, whether one is aware or unaware of it: God does His best work in the worst places and shows His amazing grace in the worst time.

Joy is about what you focus on.

God is inviting us to find new strength in the joy of the Lord.

We are all at different parts of our journey with God. Some have been at it for a long time, others for a little bit and maybe some others feel like you haven’t even started yet.

We find hopeful resilience in Jesus’ “epiphnaies” (his first appearing at Christmas and his future appearing when he returns to earth), because they offer us with a story to guide us, and a promise to strengthen us.

As we continue in this Advent season, we are reminded that the coming or appearing of God-in-flesh in Jesus is a grace-shaped mission.

We certainly can’t save ourselves by the worst things we do. We can’t even save ourselves by the best things we do.

In this message, we see how God’s “epiphany” (appearance) in Christ involves a timely rescue, and we consider what that means, who it’s for, and how to pray in light of it.

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God is extremely interested in how you handle your money. Why? It’s not because he needs it. It all belongs to him anyway.

Every faith-filled giving transforms our otherwise ordinary relationship with God into an extraordinary adventure

God – in Jesus – “moved into the neighborhood”, and sends us, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to go forth and do likewise.

We trust that the Lord  will add to our number those who are being saved. Those who are being rescued.

When we commit to sharing meals together, Jesus, the Lord of the Table, gets into the midst of our table fellowship by his Spirit, and works in powerful ways to unite us together as a church family, and to draw outsiders to himself.

Prayer is the first thing we should do but it’s often the last thing we try. For many of us, our first instinct is to do it on our own.

It’s freeing to realize that sharing your faith is both a PROCESS and a PARTNERSHIP.

All of us need to show up and be ready to worship together on Sunday for sure – but every day of the week is a dress rehearsal for the peak moment of corporate gathering, when we celebrate God and enable each other to have fresh encounters with the Almighty.

If you’re serious about growing in your faith, you need to be in a group. You need community.

To be “devoted to the apostles’ teaching” (see Acts 2:42) is to be committed to learn, love, and live the counsel of the whole Bible.

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When you really blow it, what do you do? Peter’s encounter with Jesus in John 21 is an invitation for us to run to Jesus for healing and restoration when we fail.

In the brief portraits of her encounters with Jesus, Mary exemplifies the anatomy of a worshiper: a single-minded, wholehearted, all-in devotion to pleasing Jesus.

Journeying with the Samaritan woman at the well, we see how Jesus meets us right where we are and how he points us towards healing.

But Jesus had said to the crowd, “Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone at her.”

What thoughts and feelings come to you when you hear the term “born-again Christian”? In this sermon, we get beyond stereotypes and learn what Jesus really meant when he said to Nicodemus “you must be born again.”

We can get anxious over decisions that happen around us that we can’t control. We can choose to trust God in the middle of stuff that seems out of control.

When faced with the bitterness of loss, Ruth discovered that God’s love was working behind the scenes to redeem and restore her to an unimaginable place in His story.

The desert is the place where God speaks. It’s where he meets us, it’s where he heals us. God does his very best work in the desert.

David played a significant role in the story of God’s cosmic redemption – he’s a fascinating character from whom we can learn much about faith. 

It’s not that God imparted special strength to Israel so they could stand against the Egyptian army. Instead God himself WAS their strength.

In this message from Genesis 22, we learn three lessons from Abraham that can help us face a crisis: Get to know God personally. Choose God over outcomes. Fix your eyes on Jesus.

We see a healthy masculinity manifested in the full humanity of Jesus, in his gentle, compassionate relational and emotional engagement with people.

The church is the people of God who advance God’s mission and demonstrate the character of God through their lives and service.

Perhaps the most fundamental reason why it’s important to cultivate a
leadership development culture is that the people of the church are called to lead the world to Jesus.

One of the study Bibles I read said that disciple was the most popular term for early believers.

Biblical hospitality is all about welcoming the stranger. When we risk hospitality, we open ourselves to God.

God is a missionary God – His love flows out of His character and expresses itself in the most practical and tangible manner.

Jesus has done more to elevate women than any movement in human history. His attitude toward women was revolutionary back then and it still is today.  

Unity-in-Diversity is one of Cornerstone’s Core Values, and it’s vitally important to the church’s life and witness to the world.

In this message, you’ll hear examples of how the practice of thinking theologically has been such a critically important distinctive for Cornerstone over the years, and why it matters for your life as well.

The resurrection of Jesus reclaims peace amidst turmoil and trumpets important life-giving messages we all need to hear.

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God is calling you to be a leader and to be humble. Humble leaders depend on God.

In this message on 1 Peter 4:7-11, we explore Peter’s declaration that, “The end of all things is near.”

SERMON NOTESSERMON GUIDESERMON GUIDE JK-GRADE 2SERMON GUIDE GRADE 3+ For as long as there have been people, there have been questions about suffering. Why does it happen? Why does God... read more

Unity is being like-minded around the person of Jesus and his command to love one another.

When the going gets tough and you face the resistance of unbelief and suffering, remember that you were once on the other side and that Jesus calls you to do for others what He did for you.

Like the early Christ-followers we are just as stretched, living in the midst of uncertainty, apprehensive and anxious about what lies ahead, and our faith is being tested in every which way on a daily basis.

What comes to mind when you think of holiness?

Hope is crucial in a world that is marked by suffering. 

You are an exile. Which means, you’re not home. Your life here on earth will be uncomfortable, it will be hard. Why?

As we continue to advance the mission, we will – we must – fix our eyes on Jesus: look at HIM intently, watch HIM, not Satan or any opposition, not the crowd, not the circumstances, not ourselves.

In living out our mission of making space for Jesus, we must start with ourselves.

God calls us to embrace people of all backgrounds, just like Jesus did.

Members of Cornerstone’s Ministry Staff Team look back on God’s faithfulness to them.

How does the story of Jesus shape our focus and priorities as a church at such a time as this?

Hear God’s invitation to renew your perspective, hope and strength even in the midst of the sufferings and challenges you’re facing.

Left on its own, the world just can’t find solutions to it’s problems. The world is a dark place and we can’t find our way unless Jesus is our light (Tim Keller).

This Christmas Eve devotional from Colossians is a reminder of the sheer wonder of the Christmas message.

In the season of Advent leading up to Christmas we celebrate how the birth of a baby so long ago brought Hope, Peace, Joy and Love to this world that is so desperately seeking them.

Christmas is a declaration that the true Saviour is here and his name is Jesus. He is the Son of God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Sometimes we’re inclined to think that if only we could somehow control our circumstances, then we’d have peace.

Hope is embracing the certainty of God’s promised future that shapes how we live in the present.

God calls the global body of Christ to be united in joining God in his mission of justice and compassion.

Sometimes we may believe that justice only comes through big moments or victories, but justice most often comes through the intentional everyday actions of those who are leaning into God’s call to love God and love others.

We do not want justice to just be something we do, we want it to be a point of transformation that comes into our hearts, our church, our community, and our culture.

Justice is possible because Jesus experienced injustice himself. 

Pontius Pilate once asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (see John 18:37-38a)

There is an in-born desire and ability for every person to relate beyond self, to others, to the whole cosmos, and ultimately to God.

Thanksgiving is our way of acknowledging God’s goodness.  We thank God for his gifts. But more importantly, we thank God for being the great Gift Giver.  

This message explores the theme of beauty from the perspective of John’s gospel, where we learn of the beauty of God’s presence in Jesus, as well as the beauty of creation’s renewal through Jesus.

Jesus never abuses or abdicates His absolute power but exercises divine power as God intended, i.e., as a signpost of hope in a suffering world.

Deep down we think freedom means being free to do whatever I want. To live without rules or restrictions. We think that’s freedom! But that has nothing to do with freedom at all. 

In this message, we discover how John’s gospel uses the images of a temple, a towel and a tree to point us to the love that our hearts most need– a love that gives us hope in a suffering world.

You are more than your past – you are also shaped by your future. When you have a clear vision of your future, with certainty and faith in it’s reality, it has a way of reaching back to the present and drawing you into it.

Life forces us all to ask ourselves again and again – who am I? What do I believe? What do I stand for? What are my boundaries? For most of us, the last two years… this pandemic forced us to change.

In Christ, some boundaries get REMOVED and others get REINFORCED. Both are foundational to your identity as a follower of Jesus, and to the kind of life you’re called to live every day.

As we continue in this series about our identity, take a moment to consider that your actions are the part of your identity that most reveals to the world who you are – they are the outworking of everything else that you are.

Your commitments SHOW your sense of identity. They reveal the sense of identity that you’re trying to build your life on.

The truth is, Satan is trying to steal your identity. He plants lies in your mind. And then he gets you to repeat them to yourself until you think they’re true. That’s when you lose your identity.

Life is all about relationships – we breathe, drink, eat, digest, and dream about relationships; we are dealing with different kinds of relationships 24/7 – family, relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbours, etc.

Our personal history reveals our identity. Both nature and nurture play an integral part of the formation and development of our identity.

Today, we’re going to talk about identity and our bodies. How many of you know that our culture is obsessed with our bodies? You are more than your body. Your significance doesn’t come from your looks, your size or your fitness. It comes from you identity in Christ.

True belief in Jesus is what makes a true disciple. But what does it mean to believe?

We will look at Luke’s understanding of discipleship, Following the Way of the Cross. Luke focuses on Jesus’ identity and what His mission is.

This passage is about greatness. Jesus says if you want to be great, then you must be a servant. Notice he doesn’t say you must serve. Serving is what you do:  helping others, meeting a need, providing care – these are all things God wants you to do.

Matthew’s take on discipleship is that disciples are close companions of Jesus. In fact, the very heart of discipleships is to stay close to Jesus.

As disciples of Jesus, you and I are called to bring healing to a hurting world. But what if the person who needs healing is you? What if the person who’s hurting is you?

God had a plan all the way from the beginning to restore the broken relationships between us and God and us and each other.

We will look at Explore Jesus’ Call to Life Mission: These are spaces for discovering Jesus’ unique callings on our lives.

EMBODY It’s all about putting Jesus commands into practice – it’s about embodying – actually living out – the way of life Jesus has taught us.

The single most important thing about us is who God says we are in Jesus. Your sense of identity determines how you approach life. Only in Jesus will you find the unconditional love and security that frees you to become the real you.

Are you a Fan or Follower? Which are you? Jesus isn’t looking for a fan. He’s looking for a follower – for disciples. Are you ready to follow?

The late British Bible scholar John Stott says that the problem of evil and suffering “undoubtedly constitutes the single greatest challenge to the Christian faith.”

There are no easy but competing answers to the question “What Happens When I Die?” Some don’t have an answer and pledge agnostic, for example, the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, was asked a similar question and answered, “If we don’t know life, how can we know death.”

So what is the purpose of life?  If you don’t know your purpose, you can’t reach your potential. You can’t honour your life and you’ll likely abuse it.

At sunrise on Easter morning, three women came to Jesus' tomb wondering, “Who will roll away the stone?" (Mark 16:3) Their question becomes a vital question for all of us. Who... read more

"A man's biography ought really to begin not with his birth but with his death; it can be written only from the point of view of its end, because only... read more

Jesus asked "What do you want me to do for you?" not once, but twice. But it's a trick question! This question seems to incorporate all of the other questions that... read more

Direct, honest, and to the point, Jesus constantly challenged how people thought about him.  He also corrected their ideas about what following him should look like--as many times as he needed to until they... read more

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples.   He said to them, “The Son of Man is... read more

We live in an era of consumer Christianity where all too often, churches and preachers misrepresent what it means to follow Jesus by talking about the Christian life from a... read more

[sharethis-inline-buttons] Who Do You Say I Am? Jesus asks us the same question he asked his disciples: "Who do you say I am?" (Mark 8:29) It's a crucial question, because... read more

[sharethis-inline-buttons] Do You See Anything? Great questions are thought provoking and can shape our lives; they force us to process information and to develop new ways of seeing reality; they... read more

In the 1920s and 30s, John Rockefeller was the richest person in the world.  He founded the Standard Oil Company and owned 90% of all the oil and gas industries. ... read more

Hospitality is an ancient and vital biblical practice that Jesus calls us to live out today. But what exactly is hospitality? Some of you might imagine dinners in elegant homes,... read more

In Mark 10:35-45 Jesus is teaching them that it’s not about position for the sake of power. The Romans were in power and they used their position to exert power over... read more

You can’t expect to grow as a follower of Jesus without learning, loving, and living the Bible. But how many of us are actually doing that, or at least moving... read more

Fasting is not a popular conversation topic and I can assure you, when I am holding a bowl of Ruffles, I think more about whether I should or shouldn’t leave... read more

Give us today our daily bread. (v. 11).  This petition is about our needs. Daily bread isn’t just about your food or paycheque.  Daily bread represents all of your needs - your physical,... read more

In this series introduction, we explore 2 Timothy 2:1-13, and consider two aspects of how to follow Jesus faithfully in difficult times. Also, this message gives you a series preview.... read more

Are you in need of the Saviour this season? Follow Anna’s example. Don’t let pain drive us into isolation and depression. Have continuous contact with God. Keep on worshipping Jesus... read more

In Luke's account of the first Christmas, the birth of Jesus is mentioned almost as if in passing (see Luke 1:6-7a). The song of the angels announcing the glories of... read more

Simeon, probably an old man, would definitely know something about waiting a long time for what he desired all his life. While he was holding the baby Jesus, the promised... read more

In Zechariah’s day, who was the most powerful man in the world?  Caesar.  The Jews were living under his rule.  This was a reminder that all was not right in the world.... read more

When young Mary learns from the angel Gabriel that she would miraculously become the mother of the Christ child, she responds with a powerful song (see Luke 1:46-56) that has remarkable... read more

Reflections from the Executive Team on the 2020 ministry year, and how God is leading Cornerstone into 2021.

Reflections from the Executive Team on the 2020 ministry year, and how God is leading Cornerstone into 2021.

We need to Keep Meeting Together. The writer of Hebrews says, let us… not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing… (v. 24-25) The Greek word here for “meeting”... read more

Ministry is a common term for serving God, but when many people hear it, what do they think of? They think of a pastor or a priest. A professional clergy... read more

Paul tells the church at Ephesus to "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." What calling is that? Ephesians 3 tells us that this "calling" is to... read more

It is not good for us to be alone (see Gen. 2:18)— for us to be isolated from other human beings. Why? Because you and I have been created for community.... read more

Victor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist believed that having purpose gives you strength to persevere through adversity.  As a Holocaust survivor he saw this first-hand. He saw suffering and pain at... read more

In the midst of challenging and uncertain times, where do we look for help to carry us through? At Cornerstone, our Bedrock Statement reminds us to "Fix our eyes on... read more

An article by David Kinnaman of the Barna research group was recently published, highlighting the fact that this pandemic has only served to exacerbate the deep relational problems that people in our society had already been dealing... read more

Since March, there’s widespread economic uncertainty, steady stream of collective anxiety, intensified racial tension, growing angst in interpersonal relationships, increasing numbers of divorce, frequent report of domestic violence, and sustained... read more

Baptism is an essential part of making disciples of Jesus, and of being a disciple of Jesus—someone who follows Jesus as Master in every aspect of life. Baptism, therefore, isn’t... read more

You can’t be spiritually healthy and emotionally unhealthy at the same time. During this series, we have said that same message every week and presented a different tool that can... read more

SERMON NOTES | STUDY GUIDE | SERMON GUIDE JK-GRADE 2 | SERMON GUIDE GRADE 3+ The message of Christianity is that death doesn’t have the final word. Life comes out... read more

SERMON NOTES | STUDY GUIDE Sabbath-keeping is a prominent commandment in scripture. In fact, it made God's top-ten list! Still, many Christians today go about our lives as if Sabbath-keeping... read more

As the Christian philosopher Kierkegaard says, the true vocation for every human being is the will to become oneself. It’s counter-cultural, to be sure, but limits are my friend –... read more

God doesn’t desert us because of our struggles, weaknesses and imperfection, but often we are the ones who give up on God in the moment of crisis. We cover up... read more

What pains in your life are waiting to be acknowledged and grieved? Look at what Joseph says in Genesis 45:7 (NLT) God has sent me ahead of you to keep... read more

Jesus could endure the storm because he claimed his identity repeatedly. In his three years of public ministry, Jesus often got away to pray and centre himself in his identity.... read more

Human beings are complicated creatures designed and created by God to reflect his glory. Our lives consist of many things, including physical, intellectual, social, spiritual and emotional components. These different... read more

Many people are often unaware they are carrying some emotional baggage of past hurt that is negatively shaping their thinking, feelings, and behaviors as well as inhibiting their spiritual growth... read more

Stories of Hope and Connecting in Changing Times

At the second coming of Jesus, God’s saving purposes in Christ will be brought to completion, and at that point, the gifts and the means now necessary for building up... read more

Although there are different nuances of this Greek word “to bear”, the term denotes the sense of a covering, like a roof that protects and keeps off something which threatens,... read more

It’s hard for us to love people when they’ve hurt us and when they don’t deserve it. Because it’s just not fair! But look at Jesus. Jesus loves people he... read more

When Paul says love is not easily angered, he means that as you grow in the agape love of Jesus, you’re going to become a person who isn’t readily provoked... read more

SELFLESS LOVE DOESN’T MAKE EXCUSES  Don’t forget the selfless love that Jesus showed you – without excuses. And then show that same love to others – without excuses. Selfless love... read more

Biblically speaking, rudeness has to do with acting toward others in a way that is unbecoming, inconsiderate, or dismissive. Life minus love equals zero and love, says Paul, is not rude (see 1... read more

The truth of the matter is this: pride and love can’t coexist because love doesn’t focus on self - it is not boastful or proud.  But in pride we are... read more

Envy is a comparison game that sees life as a competition. But Jesus doesn’t call you to beat your competition.  Jesus calls you to love your neighbour as yourself.  But you can’t love... read more

Without question, God's love is kind and selfless.  Even though most of us are much more comfortable with the idea of giving help than receiving it, at times we may... read more

You’ll never grow in patience apart from prayer. Author Henri Nouwen explains in his excellent book Compassion, that patience is closely connected with prayer. As the Bible says in Romans 12:12, "Be... read more

In this series, we will unpack the Bible's famous "love chapter" (1Corinthians 13) verse-by-verse, and phrase-by-phrase, to discover more of what God's love is. As we "make space for Jesus"... read more

SERMON NOTES | STUDY GUIDE

During this COVID-19 season of our life, we hear phrases like; social distancing, self-isolation, flattening the curve. But what is especially interesting is that in unprecedented times, secular leaders, and... read more

Jeremiah talks about a tree planted by the water (Jer 17:8).  What’s surprising about this tree is that it can thrive not only when times are good but also when... read more

This story shows us that God does care. God cares so much that he sent Jesus to be with us. He sent Jesus to be with us in the storm.... read more

Psalm 46: Confident Composure in Chaos  You and I need to be reminded that this pandemic has done nothing to change the fact that God is still our “refuge” –... read more

As believers engaged in the reality of spiritual battle, we… read more

Jesus didn’t mince his words when He told the disciples… read more

Unless we’re rooted in our identity in Christ, we won’t… read more

Almost all of Paul’s prayers include Thanksgiving. But exactly what… read more

In Ephesians 6:10-17, Paul uses a metaphor to speak about all the… read more

David Benner writes (Surrender to Love, p. 85): “The point of… read more

Knowing someone isn’t about information, it’s about relationship.  In the… read more

The very heart and soul of Paul’s prayer (see Colossians… read more