Cornerstone Connection

3 September 2010

Remember gym class? For some people it was pure trauma. Middle school girls who had to take showers with others? What sort of panic do you imagine that generated? And boys who felt so under-developed when basketball in gym classes pitted “shirts” against “skins?” If they had not prayed much in their lives to that point, they learned how to do it pretty fast!

Gym class terror for such kids was about sensitivity. It was about feeling that others were always focusing on them – how skinny or fat, short or tall, or whatever. About how they were being perceived by the other kids.

We’ll be thinking about these kinds of things Sunday as God’s Word is opened. We’ll consider how sensitivity to God affects us – either positively or negatively. We’ll be looking for you to join us.

Scripture passages that may help you to prepare are Psalms 26:1-8, James 1:19-25 and Ezekiel 33:30-33.

I’ll be glad to see you Sunday. Put it this way: I’m sensitive about my friendship with you!

Bill

Weekly Bible Readings

Sept. 5 Ezekiel 33,34,35

Sept. 6 Ezekiel 36,37,38

Sept. 7 Ezekiel 39,40,41

Sept. 8 Ezekiel 42,43,44

Sept. 9 Ezekiel 45,46,47

Sept. 10 Ezekiel 48, Daniel 1,2

Sept. 11 Daniel 3,4,5

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My Reality Check Bounced

27 August 2010

I feel there are times in life when the world I am living has insufficient funds to be writing any kind of reality check. What people refer to and base their life on and calling it reality can be pretty shaky at best. I find it ironic that “reality” seems so vague today yet history will look back at our society as the one who invested enormous amounts of time and energy being entertained by “Reality TV”. When you analyze most of those shows the one thing that most of the contestants lack more than anything else is of course reality.

Couple this thought with the one that most people in the world has of us as believers, that we are the ones who lack reality in our lives. As I continue to encounter the God of the Scriptures I am constantly floored that He truly is the God of Reality. There are no pretenses with Him and He is upfront with His commands of obedience for all who long to be His people. God of course has not nor will not change even today and that should give us assurance and comfort. He knows intimately the reality that each of us faces in our lives and is willing to help us meet it head on if we choose to accept His guidance.

On Sunday as we worship together the God of Reality, I want us to look at a very familiar passage in a pretty unfamiliar book. I would encourage you to read before you come on Sunday Ephesians 3:14-20 along with Lamentations 3:19-32 and discover again the reality of His nature.

Desiring to remain real with Him and you;
Bruce

Don’t forget that immediately after the service we will be having another one of our CBC in HD times as we further clarify the vision and direction we are headed as a church. There will be refreshments served directly to you so that you may stay tuned in without ever having to leave your seat or fight over the remote. 

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Cornerstone Connection

18 August 2010

A computer is a fascinating thing. It can “think” or “calculate” for you. It’s inexpensive, available everywhere, and can fill you with information and all sorts of knowledge. It’s a library at your fingertips.

No wonder Scarecrow wanted one.

Still regardless the wizardry of a brainy computer, a human brain will always be better, because it’s more than just smart. It’s connected to a heart – the seat of will, emotion and love.

No wonder Tin Man wanted one.

Sunday we’ll be looking at a group of believers who showed the kind of heart that pleases God. Theirs was an undivided heart – resolved to do what they had promised they would. We will learn from them about to strengthen the fiber of our integrity.

For an advance look into this idea, check out Exodus 19:1-8; Mark 14:27-31 and Jeremiah 35:1-19.

See you Sunday morning.

Bill

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WHEN DILBERT DOES DIDDLY

13 August 2010

Dilbert has always been a favorite comic strip character of mine. Life within his little office cubicle always seems so pointless! It’s funny. Many people can relate at least in some way to this. Looking back on so many years in the office gets them wondering what it all accomplished.

The fact is, Dilbert mostly dithers, and most of it accomplishes diddly. But, I’d like to think, like you, that what we “do” with our lives matters. Still, whatever it is that we “do” in this life, it ultimately can only have temporary significance.

Maybe you’ve never thought of it like this, but God goes to his office every day. What God does in that office (in fact, he has three of them), has lasting significance beyond anything we can imagine.

I would like to explore this idea Sunday as a way to encourage you and to strengthen your confidence in our Savior. What God has done for you personally should make you breathless with wonder and gratitude.

Worship is a great atmosphere to do that. So, join us Sunday and let us reinforce to you the love, grace and glory of God!

Help to prepare by reading Proverbs 30:24-28, John 1:43-46, and Jeremiah 23:1-6.

Bill

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Answering God's Call

6 August 2010

When was the last time you purposely did not take a call? Come on be honest you checked your caller ID and once you saw who was calling you chose not to answer. We have all done it and had it done to us. Now when was the last time you chose not to answer God’s call? You knew He was calling you, but you thought if you just ignore Him, He will go away and call someone else. You just did not want to answer in fear of what He might ask of you and when He called it was not a convenient time so you just chose not to answer.

Throughout Scripture God was consistently calling. On more than one occasion “famous” people in the Bible chose not to answer His call in their obedience even knowing it was God who was calling. (See Moses, Jonah.) God is still calling today and often is getting voice mail or a busy signal from us for a lot of the same reasons people in Scripture gave Him. On Sunday we are going to consider another person in the Bible who really did not want to answer God’s call. To prepare your heart and mind for our time together I would encourage you to read I Timothy 4: 9-16 and Jeremiah 1: 4-10.

Sunday is going to full of opportunities to worship and praise God from our singing to communion to hearing how God is working from right here with our students all the way to Peru.

Come prepared to answer God’s call for you, He never calls collect but His call does come with a cost and yet His love is priceless.

Bruce

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