Building on the Cornerstone

Have you ever felt so lost that you were just barely holding on to the end of your rope? Been so alone and trying to keep your head above water? Times like these we need to remember, that “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).

It is at the end of the rope that Jesus wants us, emptied of ourselves and ready to be filled by His grace. It is when we feel out of control that Jesus is there waiting for us to turn over control to Him. We need to recognize that our own pride cannot heal our brokenness, cannot save us from the fall. We need to surrender ourselves, empty our spirit of self and give our spirit over to Him. Let us fill our spirit with the Lord. For happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

How important are the first words someone speaks to us? They can put up walls or launch lifelong relationships. In Matthew 5:1-10 Jesus begins speaking to the masses, outlining what it means to be a disciple in eight succinct sentences. The beatitudes provide the foundation for a life of following Jesus.

As you hear these words, the question is not whether they have the power to change your life, but whether or not you will give them permission to change your life and follow Him.

Over the coming weeks at Cornerstone, we’ll be exploring each of these beatitudes, and hope you will join us in this journey. #grow2016

Identity – it is how we define ourselves and how we are viewed by others. As Matthew begins his gospel he works to unveil the identity of Jesus. Before Jesus begins his ministry, he meets John the Baptist who has been preparing the way for the Messiah. John the Baptist is a fiery figure, calling for repentance in those seeking the Messiah. We should after all be working to keep our heart and actions, our identity, aligned with God at all times.

John instantly recognized Jesus who came to be baptized by him. It is interesting that Jesus the son of God sought to be baptized himself. And here is our #growthpoint – in baptism Jesus identifies with the sinful humanity that he came to save. He met us where we are. And through baptism, the sinful world is connected to it’s saving grace, Jesus the son of God.

This weeks begins the start of a new series, a look into the gospel according to Matthew. In setting the stage for this new series, we look at various points of view of who people say Jesus is. As we consider these, we turn to Matthew 3:17 to see who God says Jesus is. Here we find the GrowthPoint for the week, that our concern is the point of view of God. If we believe that God is the creator of all things, then we can believe that Jesus is who God says he is.

Something to think about it as we begin our journey through Matthew.

As we have for the past 5 years, Cornerstone takes a Sunday in the new year to dedicate all that we have, all that we are, and all that we want to be, to the glory of God.

Listen to a brief message to provide the Biblical basis for why we do this and then how we do this. This message was followed by 20+ minutes of silent prayer. You can view these dedications and prayers here 2016 Day of Dedication Prayer Guides

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