Cornerstone Church

Our faith contains countless paradoxes—things that seem at odds with one another. You want to save your life? Lose it. You want to be the greatest? Become the least. You want knowledge? Approach God like a child. This “paradoxical” nature is a unique aspect of the Christian faith. And there’s one paradox in Scripture that is very unique because it is true from two seemingly-contradictory perspectives. The idea at hand? Blessings. So, check this out...God’s Word shows us that we don’t deserve the blessings of God because of our actions; yet, He graciously gives them to us. But God’s Word also shows us that if we want God’s blessing, there are certain things we have to do. Two seemingly contradictory statements—that somehow are both true! If we want the blessing of God on our life, we need to become well-acquainted with recognizing the tension of blessing.

God graciously gives us His mercy...even though we don’t deserve it or reach for it. But make no mistake! There are limits to the degree of blessings we will receive if we don’t reach. Some blessings require prayer, fasting, and sacrifice. Some blessings will require that you wrestle with God all night. Some blessings—the best ones—require a burden.

Genesis 32:22-31

Our faith contains countless paradoxes—things that seem at odds with one another. You want to save your life? Lose it. You want to be the greatest? Become the least. You want knowledge? Approach God like a child. This “paradoxical” nature is a unique aspect of the Christian faith. And there’s one paradox in Scripture that is very unique because it is true from two seemingly-contradictory perspectives. The idea at hand? Blessings. So, check this out...God’s Word shows us that we don’t deserve the blessings of God because of our actions; yet, He graciously gives them to us. But God’s Word also shows us that if we want God’s blessing, there are certain things we have to do. Two seemingly contradictory statements—that somehow are both true! If we want the blessing of God on our life, we need to become well-acquainted with recognizing the tension of blessing.

We don’t deserve blessings—but God pours out grace and mercy abundantly. He has made promises to those who put their trust in Him…so even in the worst of times? Even the moments we’ve hit rock bottom? Even when we think there’s no possible way God would meet us where we’ve fallen? Even there we can find ourselves blindsided by a blessing.

Genesis 28:10-17

It’s August 1980 in South Akron. A small-but-growing group of Jesus-followers call themselves “Cornerstone Church.” They rally behind the mission of helping people find the Father, a family, and a fulfilling future. And that’s exactly what they do...day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. But as Cornerstone advanced the Kingdom of God, a perfect storm of opposition sought to snuff it out, culminating in the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the world—and many churches—to a halt. In fact, the average lifespan of a church is 40 years. August 2020 could’ve been our swan song. But that’s not where the story ends. It’s where the story begins again. August 2020 now marks the launch of renewed ministry at Cornerstone, and a re-establishment of our mission to help people find the Father, a family, and a fulfilling future. It’s the start of what we believe will be banner year after banner year, seeing God moving in our midst. It’s a brand new day—but it’s a lot like our first day...

We’re four years into renewed ministry at Cornerstone Church—and we have seen God move in mighty ways! But we’re by no means content. With God being our help, we want to take over the city of Akron for the Kingdom of God—emphasis on God being our help. We will approach God’s throne with shameless persistence, begging Him to move in our midst.

Scriptures

Luke 11:1-10

There is no organization on Earth quite like the Church. We’re all a part of the same body of believers, and yet individual local churches can be so wildly different. How is it supposed to be? What are we supposed to do? What did Jesus really have in mind for the Church when He started it 2,000 years ago? Believe it or not—what we believe about the Church matters.

The Bible. A collection of 66 books composed and compiled over 2,000 years by 40 authors on three different continents. There is no more consequential compilation of works. And yet, there is so much misunderstanding around the Bible…and those misunderstandings have led down very dark paths. Believe it or not—what we believe about the Bible matters.

Our beliefs shape our world. What we think about different things—relationships, work, money, health, friendships—eventually manifests in how we act. This fact is never more evident than when it comes to our faith. What you believe about God? It matters. What you believe about the Bible? It matters. What you believe about the Church? It matters. All of those beliefs will eventually mold and shape the way that you live out your faith and your walk with Jesus. So with that in mind, we want to make sure we do everything we can to come into a proper perspective on what we believe about God, the Bible, and the Church.

The Bible. A collection of 66 books composed and compiled over 2,000 years by 40 authors on three different continents. There is no more consequential compilation of works. And yet, there is so much misunderstanding around the Bible…and those misunderstandings have led down very dark paths. Believe it or not—what we believe about the Bible matters.

John 5:31-47

Our beliefs shape our world. What we think about different things—relationships, work, money, health, friendships—eventually manifests in how we act. This fact is never more evident than when it comes to our faith. What you believe about God? It matters. What you believe about the Bible? It matters. What you believe about the Church? It matters. All of those beliefs will eventually mold and shape the way that you live out your faith and your walk with Jesus. So with that in mind, we want to make sure we do everything we can to come into a proper perspective on what we believe about God, the Bible, and the Church.

Pew Research Polls show that almost 90% of people in the U.S. believe in God. But how’s that working for us as a country? Simply believing in “The Man Upstairs” isn’t going to transform anyone. But coming to know God in all His fullness as Father, Son, and Spirit? That’s a recipe for transformation. Believe it or not—what we believe about God matters.

John 1:1-16

Have you ever heard the phrase: “There are two sides to the same coin?” This expression hits on the idea that the same coin isn’t exactly the same coin…one side is different from the other. It’s no secret why this is such a well-known phrase—because we all know how accurate it is! You can experience a situation and walk away feeling frustrated and encouraged at the same time. And so it is with getting stuck in life. We all endure “sticky situations” where we feel stuck. Those seasons can be good…or they can be bad. So how do we know if the side of the coin we’ve landed on is the good side or not? How can we tell if we've been stopped by God or stopped by sin? How do we navigate our sticky situations?

Have you ever heard the phrase: “There are two sides to the same coin?” This expression hits on the idea that the same coin isn’t exactly the same coin…one side is different from the other. It’s no secret why this is such a well-known phrase—because we all know how accurate it is! You can experience a situation and walk away feeling frustrated and encouraged at the same time. And so it is with getting stuck in life. We all endure “sticky situations” where we feel stuck. Those seasons can be good…or they can be bad. So how do we know if the side of the coin we’ve landed on is the good side or not? How can we tell if we've been stopped by God or stopped by sin? How do we navigate our sticky situations?

No one wants to feel stuck. Others are making progress with their career and relationships while you seem to be living “Groundhog Day” over and over again. But what if you’re not stuck so much as you’ve stopped? Life is going to bring sticky situations—it’s on us to break free of the sin and situations that try to keep us stuck and take the next step in our lives.

Exodus 14:10-16

Every now and then, a question pops up on viral social media posts: “Would you rather get $10 million now—or go back to being a kid, but with all the knowledge you’ve gained so far?” It’s amazing how many people would forgo the money for a chance to instead “...know then what I know now.” It just goes to show, you can’t put a price on wisdom—especially when it comes to some of the most difficult-to-navigate areas of life. And while we may not be able to go back into our past, we can seize God’s wisdom now to make life better in our present.

Deconstruction is a scary journey. What you once thought to be true—crumbling all around you? It can challenge the very core of who you are. But doubt and deconstruction don’t have to be the end of your faith journey. In fact, doubt can be a doorway to a deeper faith. The truth is Jesus isn’t afraid or upset at your doubts...He meets you in the midst of them.

Mark 9:14-27

God is not confined by time or culture. The issues we deal with today? God has something to say about them. And one of the most crucial issues in our culture? An issue where we need God’s help like never before? Mental health. Anxiety, depression, panic attacks…we can’t just “pray away” these things. They are deep issues that require a deep conversation.

Every now and then, a question pops up on viral social media posts: “Would you rather get $10 million now—or go back to being a kid, but with all the knowledge you’ve gained so far?” It’s amazing how many people would forgo the money for a chance to instead “...know then what I know now.” It just goes to show, you can’t put a price on wisdom—especially when it comes to some of the most difficult-to-navigate areas of life. And while we may not be able to go back into our past, we can seize God’s wisdom now to make life better in our present.

2 Timothy 1:6-7