Pastoral Notes for Sunday, September 4, 2022

Dear Cornerstone family,

Happy September! The Shurden family is visiting Rosalyn, our oldest daughter, at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS, this weekend. Rosalyn’s 19th birthday was yesterday (September 3rd), so we’re celebrating her and enjoying a couple of days together as a family. As lovely as it is to worship with the saints at Grace Presbyterian Church in Starkville today, my heart longs to be with you. I can’t wait to be back with you next week and throughout the fall!

On a sadder note, I was grieved to hear the news this week of another high-profile pastor taking a leave of absence for an inappropriate online relationship with a woman not his wife. After hearing the report on Monday, I decided to take a few minutes on Tuesday morning at our weekly staff meeting to discuss it. I spoke first on a personal level about how I’ve benefited from this pastor’s ministry over the years. Then, I took a moment to note that if this man had been a businessman in the public sector he probably wouldn’t have been asked to take a leave of absence for an inappropriate online relationship, but because he’s a minister/elder, he’s held to a higher standard (James 3:1).

Paul says to Timothy that elders are to be “above reproach,” which literally means blameless (see Titus 1:7-8). Lest you get the wrong idea, to be blameless doesn’t mean sinless. It means, rather, that a minister’s life and conduct should be exemplary. That is, God’s people should consistently find their minister someone worthy of emulating. As they watch the manner of his life, they conclude, “He’s not perfect, but we see him striving to honor Christ in all things, and we find him, time and again, to be a faithful shepherd and guide.”

Saying that reminds me of a story. John Thornton was a godly English businessman in the nineteenth century who was known for his generous charitable contributions to noble causes. On the occasion of Charles Simeon’s ordination to gospel ministry, he wrote to the young minister these words, “Watch continually over your own spirit, and do all in love; we must grow downwards in humility to soar heavenward. I should recommend your having a watchful eye over yourself, for generally speaking, as is the minister so are the people.”

In light of all this, would you be willing to pray regularly for the wisdom and protection of your pastors and officers? Spiritual attack is a real thing. We are weak and vulnerable men. Nothing would pain us more than to bring shame on the name of Christ or hurt you, his precious people, because we failed to walk above reproach. For the sake of Christ’s glory and the good of the church, we ask that you pray for us––that we might fulfill Paul’s charge to Timothy, “Keep a close watch on your life and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).

Your servant,





 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, August 28, 2022

Dear Cornerstone family,

I’m at Riverside Church (PCA) in Beaumont, TX, this Lord’s Day preaching the installation service of my dear friend and our long-time supported missionary, Rev. Josh Reiger. Josh, his wife, Gina, and their three children have been serving with Mission to the World, our denomination’s mission agency, in Hexham, England for the last eight years. The Lord used them to plant the only conservative Presbyterian work in Hexham.

But, as a number of you may recall, Gina was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of years ago. That diagnosis led the Reigers to return to the U.S. for an extended time so that Gina could begin treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, TX. Today, praise the Lord, Gina is cancer free, but given the nature of her cancer and the need to keep a close watch on her health, the Reigers decided to begin prayerfully pursuing a call state side. In God’s perfect timing, the pastorate at Riverside Church in Beaumont came available, and after an extended interview process, the church called Josh to be their pastor.

Though I am deeply saddened to not be worshipping with you all today, it is an honor to serve the Reigers in this way. If you would, whisper a pray for the ministry here this morning and please remember Josh, Gina, and their children before the Lord as they make the transition to Beaumont and begin serving Riverside Church.

In other news, the start of Midweek at Cornerstone is a little over two weeks away! On September 14, our fall programming on Wednesday nights will begin with a catered fellowship meal followed by a full slate of activities for all ages. Please, clear your schedule now and make plans to join us!

For our midweek vespers services this fall, we will be taking a slow walk through the Ten Commandments. Now, some of you may be wondering, “We’re in Exodus on Sunday mornings. Aren’t you going to address the commandments when we get to Exodus 20?” That’s a fair question. The answer is, yes, I will address the Ten Commandments on Sunday morning but only as a unit. I’m not going to devote the immense time it would take to go command by command on Sunday morning. Instead, I’m going to devote Wednesday nights to that. This is the perfect opportunity to bridge what we’re studying on Sunday to Wednesday, and to go deep into one of the most important sections in all of Scripture. I truly hope you will join me for the journey!

God’s Gracious Law: The Ten Commandments and the Christian Life

September 14, No Other Gods Before Me
September 21, Make No Graven Image
September 28, Do Not Take the Lord’s Name in Vain October 5, Remember the Sabbath Day
October 12, Honor Your Father and Mother
October 19, Do Not Murder
October 26, Do Not Commit Adultery
November 2, Do Not Steal
November 9, Do Not Bear False Witness
November 16, Do Not Covet

Your servant,





 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, August 14, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

As you gather for worship this morning, you might see some faces you’ve missed over the summer. That’s right––

New College Franklin (NCF) is back in session! NCF is a four-year classical Christian liberal arts college that Cornerstone gets the privilege of hosting in our building. Though institutionally separate, Cornerstone sees NCF as a partner in the mission to be and make disciples.

We are grateful that many NCF students and faculty are plugged into Cornerstone. And, boy, do they plug in! From nursery to elementary Sunday School, from Youth ministry to music ministry, the students of NCF are part of the lifeblood of Cornerstone, and for that we’re so very grateful. Take time later to visit NCF’s website. Click through the vision and mission statements, the philosophy of education, and the program of study. I’m certain you’ll be encouraged.

Speaking of school, today is the beginning of our new Sunday School term! Our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Meredith Suits, has been working with her team to pull together all the necessary preparations for training our covenant kids in Sunday School this fall. I asked Meredith to give us a snapshot of what our kids can expect this semester. Here’s what she wrote:

The children’s ministry kicks off a new semester of Sunday School this morning! We hope your kids are excited to see friends and teachers again. If you haven’t registered yet, we would love to add your children to our rosters. You can email me (meredithsuits@gmail.com) or find the registration form on the Children’s Ministry page of the church website and app.

Our PreK class (led by Joe and Joy Marlo) will spend the fall learning Bible stories, singing songs, and memorizing scripture. The 1st-2nd grade class (led by Alli Faulk and Poppy Driskell) will be studying the prophets and kings of the Old Testament and learning what it means to obey God as they look at the lives of some of these important Bible characters. The 3rd-4th grade class (led by Matt O’Roark and Kent Coughlin) will study the Ten Commandments and how these laws help us learn how God wants us to live. The 5th-6th graders (led by Dave Raymond and Sabrina Brewer) will study the New City Catechism, spending about 2-3 weeks on each question and discussing the core doctrines of the Christian faith.

We are also excited to have enough children registered that we will be adding an additional Sunday School class for our 5 and 6-year-olds! Lisa Fielder has volunteered to help get this new group going, and we will continue to use the “Show Me Jesus” curriculum for this class. If you are interested in helping with this class or with our PreK students, we would love to have you join our children’s ministry team. Please reach out to us soon! (Parents, please also bear with us as we make adjustments to Sunday School classrooms and check in procedures. We have lots of exciting changes.)

We are thankful for the teachers and assistants who are sharing their time and talents with our Cornerstone kids. They are extremely flexible and have been so supportive of many changes we’ve made in the last few weeks. I hope you will join us in encouraging them and our parents as we teach our children to love and follow God.

Your Servant,





 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, August 7, 2022

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Your leaders regularly evaluate the ministry of Cornerstone to make sure we’re staying on track as a church. In addition to reviewing our founding documents and performing reviews of staff, etc., we ask assessment questions like, “Are ministry initiatives effectively serving our vision? Is a balanced diet of biblical, theological, and practical content being offered? Are new people coming to know the Lord? Is spiritual growth happening in the body?” These questions and others like them help ensure that we’re continually renewing our commitment to the mission-critical work of being and making disciples.

After asking these questions a few years ago, the session decided to establish The Cornerstone School of Discipleship. Recognizing that we’re limited in opportunities to address the congregation corporately, but there is a great need for training in biblical, theological, cultural, and practical areas, the decision was made to offer to offer two six to eight- week education courses every term during the Sunday School hour. One course is a core class, and the other course is an elective class. The core class addresses enduring biblical-theological subjects we believe every Cornerstone member should engage. The elective course centers on a wide variety of practical/cultural subjects that have particular application to the time in which we live. Our earnest desire is for this one-two punch to go a long way in meeting the growing need for discipleship in our time.

Beginning on Sunday, August 21 two more School of Discipleship classes will be offered. Please take time to read the descriptions of the two classes below and make plans now to join us as we commit to growing in grace together.

The Cornerstone School of Discipleship

  1. Core Class - The Christian Hope in a Secular Age: Engaging Unbelief with the Hope of the Gospel led by Ben Griffith (Upstairs, Room 302) In this six-week course, Pastor Ben and other teachers will explore the topic of "apologetics," the defense of the Christian faith. What does it look like to be "ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us" (2 Peter 3:15) in today's context? How do we winsomely respond to the common objections to Christianity that are so prevalent in our day and age? Come and join us as we learn together how to thoughtfully and charitably engage some of the big questions of our day with the hope of the gospel.

  2. Elective Class - A Match Made in Heaven: Pursuing a Lifetime of Love led by Nate Shurden (The Chapel) In this six-week course, Pastor Nate will present the Bible’s vision for marital oneness while addressing key reasons couples fail to experience the oneness God intends. With a mix of lecture, panel discussion, and Q&A, Pastor Nate will be flanked by the stories and testimonies of seasoned Cornerstone couples who will help troubleshoot a variety of spiritual, relational, and practical challenges to marital oneness. Only imperfect couples allowed! Come and join us.

Your Servant,