Posts with the category “sermon-devotionals”

Cornerstone Church,Mark 14  One of the primary themes in the Gospel of Mark is the authority of Jesus. Throughout Mark’s account we see numerous examples of Jesus driving out demons, healing the sick, and forgiving sins. We see people bowing before him in faith, the disciples proclaiming his lordship, and the religious leaders doing everything they can to silence Jesus. And through all of this, th...  Read More

Cornerstone Church, - Pastor Joel Johns...  Read More

Cornerstone Church, 1 Peter 5:5-9 (NKJV) 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be so...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,- Pastor Joel Johns...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,- Pastor Joel Johns...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,1 Peter 2:11-18 (NKJV) 11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the L...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,1 Peter 1:3-9 (NKJV)  3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation re...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,Exodus 18:13-21 (NKJV) 13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?" 15 And...  Read More

Cornerstone Church, What if I told you that the main thing that God wants from you is trust? God is not after our abilities and talents, as Creator, He has it all. He is not after our attention, all the angels in heaven worship at His feet. He is not after our money, or time, or anything we can imagine. The main thing that God wants from you is trust.Exodus 17:8-16 (NKJV) 8 Now Amalek came and fou...  Read More

DAILY BREADCornerstone Church,Exodus 16:4-5 (NKJV)  4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."Sufficien...  Read More

The Burden and Freedom of PraiseCornerstone Church,When we look at Exodus 15 and start looking ahead to chapter 16 we see a couple of surprising things. The beginning of Exodus 15 is when Israel emerges from the Red Sea, and turns to see Yahweh release the seas on top of Pharaoh's entire army. In quite the dramatic fashion, the God of Israel has rescued His people from the clutches of a psychotic,...  Read More

Caught Between the Devil and the Deep Red SeaCornerstone Church,GOD: Exodus 14:1-2 (NKJV) 1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.Have you ever been stuck? Spiritually? Israel was delivered from Egypt, from Slavery. Then brought into t...  Read More

The Edge of the Wilderness Cornerstone Church,Saudi Arabia places solar-powered laser lamps near water resources and wells to guide missing people lost in the desert. According to a report issued by Enjad, a volunteer search and rescue team, last year there were over 13,000 vehicles reported stranded in the deserts. These lights lead the lost and broken down to the life giving resource and rescue ...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,- Pastor Joel Johns...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,Powerless PhiladelphiaOver the last 6 weeks we have studied the Letters to the Churches of Asia Minor. Jesus has encouraged every church and rebuked most. The church in Philadelphia escapes the rebuke of our Lord and instead has the fact that they are just plain weak described this way in verse 8.Revelation 3:8 (NKJV) 8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door,...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,Revitalization of a Dead Church Before starting Cornerstone, Amy and I visited a church in Daytona where we considered the ministry of revitalization. It was an older church with a great history. Over time however, it had fallen into difficult times and disrepair. Ultimately, we felt called to Four Corners to launch Cornerstone and are so blessed that we were led to this amazing...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,1% ImprovementsRevelation 2:18-29 (NKJV) 18 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.Micro improvements day by day add up to monumental progress over ti...  Read More

No Fear! Revelation 2:8-11  8 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the dev...  Read More

Cornerstone Church,Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. In one of the most stunning rebukes in all of the Bible, Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that they had abandoned their first love. This indicates a deliberate decision on their part; they “have left.” At first we might be tempted to think of an old forgotten love. Like the one sung about b...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NKJV) I returned and saw under the sun that-- The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. Solomon Sees1.      The race is not always won by the swift2.      The battle is not always won by the strong3.      The meal is not always won by th...  Read More

Under the Sun – Ecclesiastes 8 – Wisdom in the Midst of the Wicked Ecclesiastes 8:1-8 (NKJV) 1 Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, And the sternness of his face is changed. 2 I say, "Keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God. 3 Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, ...  Read More

A Better Tomorrow!Wisdom won’t solve all of life's mysteries, but it will make life better! KEY VERSE:  Ecclesiastes 7:14  In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.·    When things are good, be joyful. When they’re not, consider this; God alone knows and...  Read More

The Sacrifice of Fools No fools will be sacrificed in the exposition of this verse, but we would like to point out a few things.Ecclesiastes 5:1 (NKJV) Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.It would be foolish to sacrifice an unacceptable offering, as when Esau brought his leftover ve...  Read More

Three > Two > One Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NKJV9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand h...  Read More

Turn! Turn! Turn!Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 (NKJV) 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:  2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;  3  A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;  4  A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;  5  A time to cast awa...  Read More

How to Repair DespairEcclesiastes 2:17-23  "17Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. 18Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which...  Read More

Life Is Either An Exercise In Futility Or UtilityThis world will fail to satisfy you – Live for the next! Ecclesiastes 1:4-6 (NKJV)  One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. 5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose. 6  The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about conti...  Read More

Creepers! Jude 1:4 4"For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." It gives me the creeps just to think of it! Somehow, unbeknownst to anyone, a sneaker and creeper can get past all the barriers and locks. They can enter the home or sanctua...  Read More

No Greater Joy!3 John 1:4-5 (NKJV) 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers…What a statement!  “No greater joy” is the kind of thing that we would think would be associated with great worldly accomplishments like our children growing up to become president of the country or make it to the bi...  Read More

Overcomers through Love1 John 5:1-2 CSB “1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him. 2This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands.”Just as a child benefits from the work her mother accomplishes, just as an employee is known by the reputation of his employer, so al...  Read More

His Spiritual House1 Peter 2:4-5 (NKJV) 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.One of the challenges in our lives is to know, understand, and if we are being honest, to remember the “why...  Read More

Rejection & Relationship1 John 3:1 (NKJV) 1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.When I was in Jr. High, my dad was the principal of our school. This made for some interesting parent teacher meetings and was especially hard when I would act out and get into trouble. (Whi...  Read More

A New Law, A New Love, A New Life1 John 2:1-2 (NKJV) 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.1 John 2:7-11 (NKJV) 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old comma...  Read More

Evidence that Demands an Examination 1 John 1:1-3 "1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- 2  the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3that which we have...  Read More

The Dog that Didn't Bark Sherlock Holmes tells a famous story of a racehorse that is stolen one night under the cover of darkness. In his wistful way, he unfolds the identity of the thief to none other than the horses trainer. How did Holmes know? Well, you see, the watch dog never barked, so it must have known the thief.In Exodus 11, we see a similar scene described as God leads the Hebrews out o...  Read More

Compromised Worship God had called His people to Go into the wilderness, to Sacrifice and Serve and Worship. Yet, there were five compromises in worship that pharaoh proposed to Moses. These are a constant struggle in the hearts of followers of Christ on Sunday after Sunday. Let’s review real quick, but if you missed church this past Sunday, it would be good to go back and listen to the message to...  Read More

Gripe's GripExodus 9:1-7 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, 'Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, 3behold, the hand of the LORD will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep--a very severe pestilence."There...  Read More

Tomorrow  Never ComesExodus 8:9-10 (NKJV) 9And Moses said to Pharaoh, "Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only." 10So he said, "Tomorrow." And he said, "Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.Why Tom...  Read More

One more Night with the FrogsEx 8:9-10 (NKJV)  9And Moses said to Pharaoh, "Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only." 10So he said, "Tomorrow." And he said, "Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.A ...  Read More

Dealing with DoubtsExodus 5:22-23  22So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all." Notice the conflict in verse 22? Moses is addressing the LORD (Almighty, Eternal, Jehovah) with the generic t...  Read More