It's Great to Be Home!

It's great to be home! Rose and I have returned from our trip to attend the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, and then on to West Virginia to visit her parents. We had a wonderful trip, but it is always great to get back home!

I'll try to write up a synopsis of my thoughts on the SBC meeting and post it next week. But I want to thank everyone who stepped into the gap while I was gone to take care of things here. I appreciate so much Mark Ritchey, George Roach, Don Maples, and John Glover who preached and led Prayer Meeting during my absence. We are truly blessed to have so many capable leaders in our church that can be depended on!

I hope everyone in your family is doing well. Have a great 4th of July tomorrow, and I hope to see you Sunday to worship our Lord!

Brian

A Glorious Sunday of Worship!

What a truly wonderful day we had in worship yesterday at Cornerstone! We were blessed to be led by a youth choir from First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi, Texas. They rang handbells for us in both services, and performed a powerful musical with drama in our evening worship service. They did an outstanding job! Every song was memorized and the drama pieces drove home the main points of the songs they sang. What a blessing to have them! Johnny Glover did a fine job leading them, and we appreciate the other two adult sponsors who accompanied the group.

Our day was special also because Bill and Dione Campbell were present with us in worship after being away for 2 1/2 months to get Bill's treatment underway. It was great to see them back home!

If all that were not enough, we baptized one of our young men and we saw one of our precious children at Cornerstone profess her faith in Jesus Christ! How could a Sunday be any better? Praise God for His goodness and grace!

VBS 2009 Concludes with Nine Decisions for Jesus Christ!

Our 2009 Vacation Bible School concluded this past Thursday night, June 11. We had a fantastic week!

Our total enrollment this year was 168, and we had nine children pray to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord! Just knowing there are new citizens of God's Kingdom makes all the work and preparation worthwhile! In addition to that, countless seeds were planted in the hearts of children, youth and adults that God will use in the days and years ahead to draw people closer to Him.

Words cannot begin to express the thanks I feel as a pastor for all the hard work done by so many to make VBS possible. It is a huge undertaking to have VBS, and to provide a class for all ages - including preschoolers. We are one of the only Vacation Bible Schools I know that still offers a preschool class to the public. But what a blessing to see these precious children having their hearts and minds filled with stories about the love of Jesus!

I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make VBS a success! Thank you to all of our teachers and workers who taught and guided the classes. A big thank you to the kitchen crew who prepared wonderful meals all week, working long hours to do so. To our office staff and directors, thank you for spending months in preparation and planning. To our van drivers, thank you for making it possible for many of our children to attend by faithfully picking them up and taking them home each night. To our clean-up crew, thank you for unselfishly cleaning up every night so the building was clean and ready the next day. To our photographers, thank you for taking over 2,000 photos and putting together a wonderful video showing the sights and sounds of VBS!

Most of all, we want to glorify God for His power and guidance in the planning for VBS, and for working in the hearts of people to make the week a wonderful success!

VBS 2010 will be here before you know it! We'll look forward to what God has in store for next year!

Corpus Christi Youth Choir to Be at Cornerstone June 14; Will Perform Full Musical in PM Service

A Youth Praise Choir from First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi, Texas will be at Cornerstone this coming weekend, June 14, to help lead in our services on Sunday!

The choir will ring handbells and sing as part of the 10:30 am Sunday Morning Worship Service, and will then perform a full musical with drama at the 7:00 pm Evening Worship Service! The choir is directed by Johnny Glover, who is Minister of Music at the church in Corpus Christi, and the son of Cornerstone member Rev. John Glover.

Please invite your friends and family to attend these exciting worship opportunities!

Vacation Bible School Going Well!

We have already completed three nights of our 2009 Vacation Bible School! We are having a great time. Our enrollment has topped 160, and we have seen five children make the decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord!

Thursday night will be the final night of VBS, and we will close it with a Family Night Worship Rally at 7:00 pm. A big thank you to everyone who is working so hard to make VBS a success!

VBS Kickoff to Feature Barbeque; JOY Puppeteers on June 7

Vacation Bible School 2009 will get underway on Sunday, June 7, with an "Australian Barbie" (Barbeque)! Everything starts at 4:00 pm in the Large Fellowship Hall (west side of the church). Registration for Vacation Bible School will be available as you enter, which will also register you for a special drawing to take place on "Family Night," Thursday, June 11 - a gift certificate for a family to eat at Outback Steakhouse!

We will begin eating around 4:30 pm! Pork Steaks, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Brats, and Chicken will be featured from the grill. We hope you will come and bring your family! There will be a class for every age at VBS, including adults. Cornerstone is one of the few churches in the area to still offer Vacation Bible School classes for every age, and we want you to be a part of this special week.

The JOY Puppeteers of Cornerstone will be providing entertainment during the Barbeque, before we head off to our Worship Rally at 5:45 pm, followed by classes beginning at 6:15 pm. Everything ends at 8:30 pm. You can go here to get the full schedule for the week, and to see a video preview of what VBS will be like. We hope to see you for VBS!

SBC's Richard Land Condemns Murder of Abortion Doctor

Dr. Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, has condemned the murder on Sunday of infamous abortion doctor George Tiller. Tiller was shot to death while attending church this past Sunday in Wichita, Kansas:

Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land and other pro-life leaders quickly condemned the May 31 killing of abortion doctor George Tiller.

Probably the best-known abortion provider in the United States, Tiller was shot to death on Sunday morning inside the building of Reformation Lutheran Church, the Wichita, Kan., congregation of which he was a member.

Scott Roeder, 51, of Merriam, Kan., was arrested the same day on suspicion of committing the crime. Roeder is a member of the Freemen, an anti-government group, and strongly opposed abortion, according to The Wichita Eagle. He believed the killing of abortion doctors was justified, other abortion opponents told The Eagle.

The entire pro-life community "must swiftly and soundly repudiate" the one who killed Tiller if he "was acting in the name of the pro-life movement," said Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, in a statement released the day of the murder.

Tiller's slaying "is a human tragedy," Land said. "Murdering someone is a grotesque and bizarre way to emphasize one's commitment to the sanctity of human life. People who truly believe in the sanctity of human life believe in the sanctity of the lives of abortion providers as well as the unborn babies who are aborted."

Land said, "Clearly the killing of abortion providers is unbiblical, unchristian and un-American. Such callous disregard for human beings brutalizes everyone.

"For people to take the law into their hands in this fashion and to attempt to be judge, jury and executioner of a fellow human being is reprehensible and must be condemned by all civilized citizens," he said. . . . . . Read More

The murder of Dr. Tiller must not be condoned in any way. I agree completely with Dr. Land that those who are Pro-Life must not advocate or condone the use of violence against those who support or practice abortion. Instead, we must seek to convince the American people through the persuasion of ideas that abortion is wrong.

In recent days, it appears Americans are becoming more Pro-Life, according to a recent Gallup poll. By a 51%-42% margin, Americans now say they are "Pro-Life," instead of "Pro-Choice." Let's hope the negative press toward the Pro-Life movement that will result from Dr. Tiller's murder will not move Americans back in the wrong direction. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must stand for Life, not just when it is convenient. Let's keep winning the battle for the hearts and minds of Americans and hope that one day the horror of legal abortion will be overturned in our nation through peaceful and lawful means.

NOTE: Cornerstone is a member of The Southern Baptist Convention. All the way back in 1994, a panel of Southern Baptist ethicists issued an 11-page document entitled, The Struggle Against Abortion: Why the Use of Lethal Force is Not Morally Justifiable. The document asserts:

"We strongly contend that killing abortion doctors is not a moral option for Christians."

You can read the entire document here.

Volunteers Prepare Large VBS Mailing to the Community

Several Cornerstone volunteers turned out on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 26-27, to do the folding and labeling of a large mailing going out to our area this week to promote Vacation Bible School! More than 1,800 "VBS Newsletters" have been mailed to addresses surrounding the church. Pray that many homes that receive the newsletter will open it and make the decision to participate in VBS. If you have received the newsletter, we really hope you will bring your family and take part in this very special week! There are classes for every age.

A big thank you to all who helped with the copying, folding, sealing, and labeling of this mailing!

Fellowship Meal to Feature Favorite Snacks; Ice Cream Sundaes, May 31

Our quarterly Fellowship Meal will be held this coming Sunday, May 31, at 5:30 pm. Everyone is asked to bring a favorite snack to share with others, and ice cream/toppings for Ice Cream Sundaes! This should be a great time of fellowship! Our evening service will follow as usual at 7 pm in the Sanctuary.

Registration Open Now for Vacation Bible School, June 7-11!

Vacation Bible School 2009, Boomerang Express (Australian theme), will begin less than two weeks from now, on June 7! I hope you are planning to take part. There will be a class for every age, including adults!

It all kicks off at 4:00 pm on Sunday, June 7, will an Australian "Barbie" (BBQ)! The JOY Puppeteers will be entertaining as we eat the wonderful food that will be provided! After we eat, the first session of Bible School will begin with our Worship Rally at 5:45 pm. Then everyone will head for class and lots of fun activities at 6:15 pm. Everything will end each night at 8:30 pm. The rest of the week will begin with a light meal provided at 5:15 pm, and the rally beginning at 5:45 pm.

This year, preschoolers need to be picked up by a parent or guardian from their rooms at 8:30 pm. Everyone else will be picked up from the Large Fellowship Hall (West Door) by a parent or guardian at 8:30 pm.

Below you will find PDF files of the VBS Registration Form and the Transportation Policy that you can download and print. Both forms are also available at the church. If you need a ride to VBS, please call the church office at 893-2600, and fill out and sign the Transportation Policy form. We'll see you at Vacation Bible School, June 7-11!

VBS Registration Form

Transportation Policy Form

Cornerstone Exceeds North American Missions Offering Goal!

As of this past Sunday, May 11, 2009, our church has now gone over the top on our Annie Armstrong Easter Offering goal for North American Missions! The goal was $3,300, and $3,332.24 has now been given! Praise God for His provision, and for your faithful giving! All of those funds will be used by our North American Mission Board to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in North America!

Sunday Sermon Preview - May 10, 2009

Here are the Sermon Topics for our Worship Services tomorrow, May 10, 2009:

10:30 AM - "My Mother's Faith" (2 Timothy 1:5)

7:00 PM - "Getting a Grasp on Faith" (Hebrews 11:1-7)

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and in the Morning Service we will have a special time to give thanks for our Mothers, or those women who have filled that role in our lives.

"The Lies of Satan" - Devotion

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6, NKJV)

Decisions have consequences. Genesis 3:6 tells us about a decision that Adam and Eve made that radically changed their lives and all of human history forever.

As they lived in the perfect Garden of Eden God had made for them, they were provided everything they needed. God created them with intellect and will - the will to either choose to obey Him or reject Him. You see, God did not create us as automatons or robots. He wants us to choose Him, to love Him, because we desire to, not because we have no choice.

We see here the first entrance of Satan, the Adversary, in the pages of Scripture. Revelation 20:2 identifies Satan as "that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan. . . " Through the serpent, a creature in the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve and through her, Adam, in all the ways we are tempted today:

1. Appetite - Satan seeks to stir within us the desire to have what we don't have, to feed the physical appetites within us all. Adam and Eve had all they needed to eat in that Garden, but Satan convinced them they needed the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan will seek to convince us that what God has provided for us is not enough. The Adversary is always ready to supply something we don't need that will be destructive to our lives.

2. Beauty - Satan makes that which is evil and dangerous appear to be "pleasant to the eyes." Much of what passes for "beautiful" in our world today is only a thin covering that conceals the reality of danger and destruction on the inside. But Satan will try and get us to act in haste to grasp at what we think is beautiful and good to trap us in a life of pain and devastation.

3. Pride - "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5, NKJV). Satan's lie to every one of us is that we can "be like God" in our own strength and power. The "serpent of old" seeks to keep us from submitting to God by appealing to our pride and emotions, the feeling that we don't need God. He actually succeeded in convincing Adam and Eve that God was trying to withhold something good from them, when they were living in the midst of a paradise God had created and supplied just for them! Satan is up to his old tricks today, seeking to convince us that with all the blessings of God around us, God is somehow not really on our side or that God does not have our best interests at heart.

Virtually all temptation comes under these three areas. Adam and Eve's decision to disobey God had consequences for them and for the entire human race. All of Creation was altered as sin entered into the human experience (Romans 8:22). The world and the human race is not what God intended for them to be. But God has provided a way for us to be forgiven of sin through Jesus Christ and what He did for us in His death and resurrection! The path of sin we have followed, just as the decision of Adam and Eve to sin, can be forgiven and altered through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ which He poured out for you and me to pay the penalty for our sin.

We must always remember that our choice to sin not only impacts our individual lives, but all those we have influence with - our family, our co-workers, our society in general. Let us choose to be obedient to God through our faith in Jesus Christ, and let us choose to reject the lies of the Adversary - "that serpent of old" - who would try to convince us that God is not looking out for our best. It was a lie then, and it is a lie today.

"A Biblical View of Marriage" - Devotion

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24, NKJV)

Marriage is the first institution created by God. Before there was any Government or Kingdom on Earth, God ordained marriage as right and good. Genesis 2:24 makes some things clear about God's view of marriage:

1. There must be a "leaving" that takes place. "A man shall leave his father and mother" has great significance. It does not mean that we should disown our parents or shun them, but it does mean that when a person makes the commitment to marry, they are committing wholly and completely to that person. Many marriages suffer greatly because "leaving" does not take place on the part of one or both spouses. Sometimes, the in-laws work mightily to keep this "leaving" from happening. Parents can give their child an enormous gift by insisting that this "leaving" takes place when the child gets married. Don't interfere in your child's marriage relationship. Do all you can to lovingly insist that your child no longer depend on you for emotional and financial support.

2. There must be a "cleaving" that takes place. "Cleaving" speaks of the personal aspect of tender love and faithfulness between the two who are together in marriage. The reason it is so vital for "leaving" to happen is so that "cleaving" can take place. A spouse should have his/her needs met within the marriage relationship, and both husband and wife must make it a priority to meet the needs of the person they are married to if that is going to happen. Marriage can be a truly miraculous relationship when this happens under God's guidance and blessing.

3. The two must become "one flesh." Marriage is not a joint venture. It is not a business arrangement. Too many marriages resemble some kind of joint venture rather than two individuals becoming "one flesh." The sexual union is reflected here, but becoming "one flesh" is so much more. It is recognition that in marriage two lives truly are joined together to become "one" under God. The more married people do to join their lives together, the more they will become "one flesh." A married couple should be "one flesh" in their finances, in their plans, in their vacations, in decision-making, etc. The more you keep your lives separate, the less you will become "one flesh" as a married couple.

4. It should go without saying that Biblically, marriage is the union of a man and a woman. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. . . " The Bible never even considers anything else! The debate today over whether same-sex "couples" should marry is totally out of bounds from a Bible perspective. Society can create laws and rules that would call such relationships "marriage," but in God's sight it shall never be considered as such. Marriage is the relationship of one man with one woman. That's what it is! Every person in America is free to get married - every person! You just have to marry someone of the opposite sex, because that is what marriage is!

That definition of marriage is consistent with the Bible and with thousands of years of history. Our affirmation of the Biblical view of marriage does not mean we should not be respectful of those who disagree. We must always be guided by the love of Christ, even when confronted by those who do not accept the clear teaching of God's Word. But we must stand for the truth of God's Word and for the preservation of marriage in our society. Marriage as God intends for it to be, is God's blessing to all who are willing to follow His design.

"The Crowning Work of God's Creation" - Devotion

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." - Genesis 1:26-28 (NKJV)

These verses drive home the point in the very first chapter of the Bible that God created human life, and He did so in His own image. The reality that we are made "in the image of God" means that we have the capacity to have fellowship with God Himself! Genesis 1:26 is also one of the key verses in Scripture that reveals the triune nature of God - "Let Us make man." The "Us" is the One God, but who is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The fact we are made "in the image of God" also means that we are not an accident. You did not just happen to emerge from the slime. You were intentionally created by God in His likeness. That means your life has intrinsic value and worth. Your worth is not based on the accumulation of things you have in this world. You are valuable to God because He made you for Himself.

Human beings alone are made "in the image of God." The qualities of intellect, emotion, and will make us uniquely created to know God and love Him, and to have "dominion" over the rest of creation. We are to care for God's creation, but not worship it or give it the place that belongs only to God Himself.

What a joy to know that life is intentional from beginning to end. It has been given to us by God and He created us to live in a relationship of love and fellowship with Him, which is made possible through placing our faith in Jesus Christ!

Here is the beautiful and grand hymn, "All Creatures of Our God and King," set to a wonderful slideshow showing the magnificence of God's Creation. Just remember, as beautiful as the scenes of nature are that you will see in this slideshow, you are the crowning work of God's Creation, made in His very own Image: