Cornerstone Video Podcast

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. What is the last thing you purchased for the purpose of improving your life? Every day, we encounter hundreds of proposals about how we should spend our money, time, and attention. Advertisements, products, and opportunities promise to make our lives better—healthier, happier, more successful, or more fulfilled. Each of these proposals asks us to run a kind of cost–benefit analysis: Is this worth it? Will this truly improve my life? Jesus offers a different kind of proposal. In Matthew 13:44, Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man discovers the treasure, he joyfully sells everything he owns in order to obtain it. Jesus is telling us that there is one thing worth everything. It is as valuable as buried treasure. It is like a precious pearl. The “it” Jesus is pointing to is life in the kingdom of God through discipleship to him. It is a life spent knowing Jesus, learning his ways, and becoming like him. The invitation of the parable is simple but profound: Consider the cost. Consider the benefit. Decide whether it is worth it. The life Jesus offers—one filled with love, joy, peace, and purpose—is the greatest treasure we could ever discover.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Jesus' parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31–33 reveals that the kingdom of God often begins in ways that seem small, hidden, and insignificant but ultimately become transformative and far-reaching. Just as a seed absorbs water, soil, and light to become something new, Jesus' ministry began in the obscure village of Nazareth within the vast Roman Empire. What started small grew into a movement that outlasted empires and changed the world.  Jesus understood that his Father's kingdom is ever-expanding, and he continues this seed-like work in human hearts today—absorbing pain, shame, addiction, and sorrow and transforming them into hope, forgiveness, healing, and love. The central message is that the world changes one human heart at a time. Though individual lives may feel small and insignificant in the face of seemingly overwhelming global problems, God works through quiet, faithful transformation, turning surrendered hearts into catalysts for change in families, communities, and beyond.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Resolutions often fail because they demand an undefined, lifelong commitment; “forever” feels overwhelming. Lent, however, offers a grace-filled, 40-day invitation to intentional change. Rather than relying on sheer willpower, we lean on God's strength. It is a season of formation—a time to prepare for Easter by saying “yes” to what deepens our life with God and “no” to what distracts or diminishes it. At the heart of this week's message is Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds. A weed called darnel, also known as wheat's evil twin, looked like wheat at first but proved poisonous with its roots entangling and choking the crop. It mirrors our lives: the “weeds” we tolerate often seem harmless, even good, at first, but eventually entangle our hearts and harm others. Still, the field belongs to the Son of Man. Though good and evil grow side by side, Jesus continues planting “children of the kingdom,” marked by forgiveness, patience, grace, and truth. The parable then moves into the present. Jesus is still sowing good seed in our homes, workplaces, and communities, forming us to think and act in step with his heart. We are sent into the ordinary spaces of life as his representatives. The invitation for Lent is simple: let these 40 days be a season of growth. Ask God to expose the weeds and cultivate his fruit in you. His life sets the pattern, his death brings forgiveness, and his resurrection provides the power to change.

Clcik/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Following his baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1). There, he faces three temptations that engage the whole human person. First, Jesus is tempted in his body—the pull toward immediate physical satisfaction. Next, he is tempted in his mind—the subtle twisting of Scripture and the rationalizing of disobedience. Finally, he is tempted in his heart—offered a good and even noble end, authority over the world, but through the wrong means: worshiping something other than God. Each temptation strikes at Jesus' identity: “If you are the Son of God…” Yet Jesus does not respond with sheer willpower or clever debate. Instead, he draws from a deeply formed way of life. He is fueled by the Word of God, grounded in God's truth, and steadfastly committed to worship and service of God alone. When temptation presses on his body, mind, and heart, Jesus remains rooted in loving God fully—with heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). This portrait of Jesus shows us not only how temptation works but also how it can be resisted. We live inside this same “dome of temptation”—in our marriages, parenting, relationships, work, habits, and even within our thoughts.  Temptation is inevitable. But because of Jesus, victory is possible.  

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. A higher vantage point changes everything. What once felt overwhelming begins to make sense. What felt hopeless begins to open toward possibility. When God gives us a glimpse of the bigger picture, it doesn't just change how we see the world—it changes how we live in the world. Isaiah 49:1-7 and Matthew 1:18-23, though separated by centuries, belong to the same story. What God promises in Isaiah—the calling of a servant to bring hope and salvation—begins to take flesh in Matthew with the birth of Jesus. God's people are given a vision for the future so that they can live with hope in the present. Through Scripture, God gives us a view from the top, allowing us to see His unfolding plan across time. From the promises of the prophets to the fulfillment in Christ, God reveals His Son has come to save us from our sin by being with us—Emmanuel. We are invited to lift our eyes above our immediate circumstances and see the bigger picture of God's redemptive plan. With this vision, we can be confident that God is at work and His promises are true, giving us hope for the future and informing the way we live today.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. The Bible's temple imagery reveals the unfolding story of God's glory—a story He has been writing from the beginning and continues through His people today. God's presence once dwelled in the temple, then took on flesh in Jesus, and now God's Spirit dwells within us, making the church the living temple He sends into the world. In this week's sermon, we explore passages from both the Old and New Testaments to better understand who we are and what we are called to do. With his last words in 2 Samuel, David depicts a life shaped by God as dawn's first light and refreshing rain, a presence that renews and helps others flourish. Romans 8 shows how this life becomes possible. We are children of God and have been made heirs with Christ, invited to participate in his mission and embody his character. The story of God's glory continues through us today as He forms us into people who reflect His goodness and carry His presence wherever we go.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. When David faced Goliath, he wasn't the strongest, tallest, or most experienced warrior on the battlefield. He wasn't even supposed to be there—he was just delivering supplies to his brothers. But David showed up. And when the moment came, he offered what he had: a sling, a few stones, and a heart confident in God. David didn't try to wear Saul's armor or fight with someone else's weapons. He knew who he was and trusted that God could use his own unique gifts and experiences for a greater purpose. What seemed small in the world's eyes became powerful in God's hands. The story reminds us that God isn't asking us to be someone else. He's asking us to show up with what we have—regardless of the odds. Our gifts, our stories, and our faith can all be used by God when we step forward in trust. Victory doesn't come from our strength but from our willingness to let God work through us.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. In 1 Samuel, God sends His prophet to anoint a new king. Everyone assumes the next leader will look impressive—someone strong, tall, and commanding. But God reminds Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). When God chose David, the youngest and least expected son of Jesse, He revealed something essential about His Kingdom: God's concern is not appearance, status, or performance—it's the condition of our hearts.  Later in life, having faced his own failures, David prayed in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” The same man chosen for his heart learned that a heart for God requires continual renewal. Our hearts are shaped not by perfection, but by repentance—a willingness to be remade by God's grace. This week's sermon challenges us to ask: How's your heart? Is it teachable, humble, and open to the leading of the Spirit? God still searches hearts today—raising up people who are less concerned with outward appearances and more devoted to His presence and purposes.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Jesus began his public ministry with a clear and urgent message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). The kingdom is not distant—it is God's reign breaking into the world through Jesus. When we pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” we are aligning our lives with his mission. Jesus' ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing shows that God's kingdom is holistic—addressing spiritual as well as physical needs. As his church, we are called to embody that same mission, praying for and working toward God's will in our lives, our church, and our city. To pray “Thy kingdom come” is to offer ourselves as God's hands and feet. Much like the first disciples, we are invited to step out in faith and step into the story, joining his transforming work in the world around us. In the year ahead, may we be a people devoted to seeking God's will and living on mission.

full

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. We all face moments in life when we feel uncertain, overwhelmed, or simply unsure of what to do next. Whether it's a major decision, a season of suffering, or a quiet struggle, those moments can leave us feeling stuck or unprepared. In this week's sermon, we learn what it looks like to couple wisdom with action to navigate the difficult seasons of life. It's not enough to just know what's right—we need the courage and capacity to live it out. What we need is wisdom to know what to do, strength to actually be able to do it, and hope to know God is with us no matter what.