Cornerstone Church

Randy Meeks, the horror film fanatic from the movie Scream, declared that “The horror genre was destroyed by sequels.” And while he may have a point (we’re looking at you, Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan), we beg to differ! Because sometimes a horror movie sequel breaks new territory, pushes its story into uncharted places, and, on rare occasions, is superior to the original. And that’s why this #SpookySZN, we’re creeping into our own scary sequel; once again learning what to do when we find out the movie of our life has become a horror flick. So grab some popcorn, turn off all the lights, and join us as we find out how following Jesus can help us survive the deadly mistakes and wrong turns that have taken the lives of so many others.

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Scary movies like Candyman, and spooky urban legends like “Bloody Mary,” suggest that pure evil can be invoked by nothing more than the power of our words. And in a sense, how true that is! Scripture tells us time and time again that the power of life and death is found in the tongue. We can make someone’s day with a small compliment, or we can ignite insecurity with a snarky comment. So how are we using our words? Are we bringing life or death to those around us?

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https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/10/3/watch-what-you-say-how-to-still-survive-a-horror-movie-rd3p7

Randy Meeks, the horror film fanatic from the movie Scream, declared that “The horror genre was destroyed by sequels.” And while he may have a point (we’re looking at you, Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan), we beg to differ! Because sometimes a horror movie sequel breaks new territory, pushes its story into uncharted places, and, on rare occasions, is superior to the original. And that’s why this #SpookySZN, we’re creeping into our own scary sequel; once again learning what to do when we find out the movie of our life has become a horror flick. So grab some popcorn, turn off all the lights, and join us as we find out how following Jesus can help us survive the deadly mistakes and wrong turns that have taken the lives of so many others.

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Have you ever noticed how cars in horror movies never work when they need to? Chances are the “Check Engine” light had been on for months, but the protagonist just kept putting off that trip to the mechanic. Honest question...do you do the same with your faith? Neglect it, but then hope it holds up under the pressures of life? If we want a faith that will survive, we need to be strengthening it before the killer is at our front door.

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https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/10/3/get-yourself-a-tuneu-how-to-still-survive-a-horror-movie

Devil does is wake us up - then we take it from there! And in our day and age, there’s one specific way we shoot ourselves in the foot time and time again: Comparison. We live online, sharing the highlights (and lowlights) of our lives. We’re more aware than ever who our literal and metaphorical neighbors are, what they have, and exactly how we fall short or outshine them. Comparison may seem harmless, but it’s a serious threat. It’s a prison that will rob us of the life we were made to live. So it’s time for a jail break! It’s time to get freedom from Comparison’s toxic mindset! It’s time to start seeing ourselves and others as Jesus intended!

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Comparison may have a bad reputation, but not all comparison is negative. What matters is what and who you are comparing yourself to. How you measure success. Are you using the standard that the world and culture has set? If so, you’ll learn soon enough that you’ll fall short every time. Instead, we need to learn to measure ourselves by God’s standard and see how we can measure up where it matters most.

It’s shocking how often our suffering is self-inflicted. In fact, sometimes the worst thing the Devil does is wake us up - then we take it from there! And in our day and age, there’s one specific way we shoot ourselves in the foot time and time again: Comparison. We live online, sharing the highlights (and lowlights) of our lives. We’re more aware than ever who our literal and metaphorical neighbors are, what they have, and exactly how we fall short or outshine them. Comparison may seem harmless, but it’s a serious threat. It’s a prison that will rob us of the life we were made to live. So it’s time for a jail break! It’s time to get freedom from Comparison’s toxic mindset! It’s time to start seeing ourselves and others as Jesus intended!

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There are some people in the world who seem to have everything going for them. They’re attractive, witty, successful...they’re just so perfect. And if you were just like them, you’d be perfect, too...right? Wrong! Trying to become a duplicate of someone else is a disservice to the unique person God created you to be. And the sooner you identify and ditch The Doppelganger Distraction, the sooner you’ll make the difference in the world you were designed for.

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https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/9/19/the-doppelganger-distraction-the-prison-of-comparison

It’s shocking how often our suffering is self-inflicted. In fact, sometimes the worst thing the Devil does is wake us up - then we take it from there! And in our day and age, there’s one specific way we shoot ourselves in the foot time and time again: Comparison. We live online, sharing the highlights (and lowlights) of our lives. We’re more aware than ever who our literal and metaphorical neighbors are, what they have, and exactly how we fall short or outshine them. Comparison may seem harmless, but it’s a serious threat. It’s a prison that will rob us of the life we were made to live. So it’s time for a jail break! It’s time to get freedom from Comparison’s toxic mindset! It’s time to start seeing ourselves and others as Jesus intended!

--

It’s shocking how often our suffering is self-inflicted. In fact, sometimes the worst thing the Devil does is wake us up - then we take it from there! And in our day and age, there’s one specific way we shoot ourselves in the foot time and time again: Comparison. We live online, sharing the highlights (and lowlights) of our lives. We’re more aware than ever who our literal and metaphorical neighbors are, what they have, and exactly how we fall short or outshine them. Comparison may seem harmless, but it’s a serious threat. It’s a prison that will rob us of the life we were made to live. So it’s time for a jail break! It’s time to get freedom from Comparison’s toxic mindset! It’s time to start seeing ourselves and others as Jesus intended!

--

https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/9/9/thank-god-im-not-like-you-the-prison-of-comparison

The Book of Esther is one of only two works in Scripture that never mentions God. In fact, there doesn’t appear to be a single recorded miracle in the book—no moment where God steps into the narrative to save the day. That makes Esther one of the most relatable books in the biblical canon. Chances are, you’ve had moments in your life when God seemed to disappear from your story—and just when you need him the most. But just as Esther discovered, God’s sovereignty doesn’t take a single day off of work. And in the midst of the supposed silence, God is conducting a symphony in your life. All you have to do? Trust Him

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Here’s a thought—maybe God is “silent” because he’s waiting for you to speak? Maybe God is “still” because he’s waiting for you to act? God wants what we want...for His goodness and mercy to show up in our life in apparent ways. But for His goodness and mercy to follow us, we have to go where He leads, even if it takes us through the valley of the shadow of death.

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https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/9/5/i-will-goeven-though-silent-symphony

The Book of Esther is one of only two works in Scripture that never mentions God. In fact, there doesn’t appear to be a single recorded miracle in the book—no moment where God steps into the narrative to save the day. That makes Esther one of the most relatable books in the biblical canon. Chances are, you’ve had moments in your life when God seemed to disappear from your story—and just when you need him the most. But just as Esther discovered, God’s sovereignty doesn’t take a single day off of work. And in the midst of the supposed silence, God is conducting a symphony in your life. All you have to do? Trust Him.

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A symphony is defined as “...an elaborate musical composition for a full orchestra.” And there lies the beauty of a symphony—that it incorporates all aspects of the orchestral suite: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. God works in a similar way...He incorporates all aspects of His creation to speak. So when we think God is quiet, He in fact may be He speaking to us through a way—or through a person—that we never would’ve expected.

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https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/8/29/is-that-you-god-silent-symphony

The Book of Esther is one of only two works in Scripture that never mentions God. In fact, there doesn’t appear to be a single recorded miracle in the book—no moment where God steps into the narrative to save the day. That makes Esther one of the most relatable books in the biblical canon. Chances are, you’ve had moments in your life when God seemed to disappear from your story—and just when you need him the most. But just as Esther discovered, God’s sovereignty doesn’t take a single day off of work. And in the midst of the supposed silence, God is conducting a symphony in your life. All you have to do? Trust Him.

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Why is God so quiet? He parted the Red Sea, rained fire from the sky, and raised people from the dead. So why can’t he mend my broken relationships? Fix my financial struggles? Heal my dysfunctions? Questions like these may lead you to wonder if God is even there at all. As we struggle in the silence, there’s a truth we must remember: Silence doesn’t mean absence. So no matter how quiet things may seem in your life, God is with you.

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https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/8/22/silent-not-absent-silent-symphony

For many, Christianity is an exercise in behavior modification. God gives us a list of “To Dos” and “To Don’ts”, and it’s our job to do and don’t them as best we can—right? Wrong! Actually, being a follower of Jesus isn’t about a change in behavior…it’s about a change in identity! Christians are people under new management. We’re not who we used to be. So why do so many of us struggle with our new identity? Why is it hard to believe God when He says we’re loved, chosen, and blameless? It’s time to address the gap between who we think we are and who God says we are, and see what it really means to be under new management.

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C.S. Lewis wrote in his classic work, Mere Christianity, “Jesus came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has—by what I call ‘good infection.’ Every Christian is to become a little Christ.” That is exactly what God has in mind for each of us—to become like Jesus. So how do we know if we’re catching the good infection?

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https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/8/15/the-good-infection-under-new-management

For many, Christianity is an exercise in behavior modification. God gives us a list of “To Dos” and “To Don’ts”, and it’s our job to do and don’t them as best we can—right? Wrong! Actually, being a follower of Jesus isn’t about a change in behavior…it’s about a change in identity! Christians are people under new management. We’re not who we used to be. So why do so many of us struggle with our new identity? Why is it hard to believe God when He says we’re loved, chosen, and blameless? It’s time to address the gap between who we think we are and who God says we are, and see what it really means to be under new management.

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Often we let a “what” define us instead of a “Who.” Rather than listening to who God says we are, we follow the “whats” for our identity: what we experience, what they said, what we think. But the fact is that who I am is more important than what I experience. And when I have my identity set by God, I don’t shift and shake with the changing circumstances in my life.

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https://www.cornerstonechurch.info/archiveblog/2021/8/8/whatchamacallit