Pastoral Notes for Sunday, May 11, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Last week in our Exploring Cornerstone class, which is our version of a new members class, we took time to unfold our vision as a local church. In a sentence, our vision is “To glorify God in the gospel together as disciples who make disciples.” In that one sentence, you see four commitments:

·      To glorify God in the gospel—Worship
·      To glorify God in the gospel together—Fellowship
·      To glorify God in the gospel together as disciples—Discipleship
·      To glorify God in the gospel together as disciples who make disciples—Missions  

Everything we do as a church fits within these four commitments: worship, fellowship, discipleship, and mission.  

The order — worship, fellowship, discipleship, and mission—is vitally important. The first, primary, and eternal call of the Christian is worship. Evangelism will end. Ministries of mercy will end. But worship will never end. Our eternal chorus will be, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever” (Rev. 5:13).

But, notice, I said, “Our eternal chorus will be...” The emphasis is on our. This isn’t lone ranger worship. This isn’t individual praise. We’re a community of worshippers. We are the body of Christ drawn together in worship of the Lamb. Therefore, our worship is an expression of our fellowship, and our fellowship will only ever be as strong as our worship. As we draw together in worship, the prayer of Jesus is answered, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one” (John 17:21).

Further, our worship and fellowship compel us forward as disciples. Worship and fellowship spills over into followership. That is, we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We are soldiers marching forward to Zion. We are pilgrims traveling to the Celestial City. Having been raise with Christ, we every day “...seek the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father” (Col. 3:1).

Lastly, our worship, fellowship, and discipleship give birth to missions. A Christian can’t keep Christ a secret. It is of the nature of true Christianity to share Christ with others. We long for others to know the saving riches of Jesus Christ and to join us in worship, fellowship, and discipleship.

In a special way over the last few years, we’ve witnessed the power of the gospel at work in worship, fellowship, discipleship, and mission at Cornerstone. Praise the Lord, we are seeing more and more people come to know the Lord and grow in their love and commitment to his church.

As our Ministry Expansion Team gets underway and as we prayerfully seek the Lord’s face in planning our next season in ministry, please join us in prayer that we would walk in peace and not fear, be strengthened with power by the Spirit, and answer with faith and expectation whatever the Lord calls us to do as a church (John 14:13, Eph. 3:14-21, 1 John 5:14).

Your servant,                                                                                                                                               

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, May 4, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family,  

For the Pastoral Notes today, I’ve asked our Children’s Director, Meredith Suits, to report on our fast-approaching Vacation Bible School on May 27-30. —Nate 

For many students in Franklin, including my own kindergartener and third grader, the countdown to the end of the school year has officially begun, and coinciding with this countdown is the children’s ministry team’s countdown to VBS 2025! We are only three weeks away from our kick-off night, and I have some important details to share and ways you can get involved in this big event in the life of our church.  

This year’s VBS is a combined effort between Cornerstone and our friends just up the road at All Saints Presbyterian Church in Brentwood. We are thrilled to have All Saints kids and volunteers join us this year, and I know they are excited as well. We will also have several families from the community at large participating. I hope you will spend time praying this month not only for the logistics of VBS (and for great weather, since our VBS will be outside at Jim Warren Park!) but also for the hearts of all the children who will attend this VBS. Many will be from homes where their faith is nurtured by Christian parents, but several are coming from homes which don’t attend church regularly. We pray that VBS will be one way God would grow the faith of our covenant children and plant seeds of faith into hearts of children who don’t hear the good news of the gospel at home.  

The theme this year is Masterpiece: Created for a Purpose. We will spend our evenings together talking about God as the master creator of our world and also of people, who are made in his image—masterpieces created anew in Christ (Ephesians 2:10). Laura Coughlin, Sebastian Bjernegård, and Nancy Guthrie will be our devotional speakers for the week. Pray for them as they prepare short devotionals for the children and lead us in the truth.  

Thankfully, we have all the in-person volunteers we currently need for each evening of VBS. This is an answer to prayer; I’m so grateful for a congregation full of people willing to spend every evening one week during May to minister to our children. What a gift!  

Even if you can’t join us in-person for VBS this year there are many other ways to help. You’ll see the QR codes below for our Amazon wish list and a sign-up genius for supplies and snacks. We have some fun crafts, snacks, and games planned for this year, and your contributions will help make this possible.  

Thanks, everyone, for your support and your prayers as we prepare for this week of learning and fellowship.

Sincerely,

Meredith Suits                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Amazon Wish List

Sign Up Genius for Supplies and Snacks

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, April 27, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family,  

For the Pastoral Notes this week I’ve asked our dear sister, Liz Taylor, to report on our returning Christianity Explored program. —Nate

 

We are excited to announce that Cornerstone will offer Christianity Explored (CE) Evangelism training on Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9, 5:30-8:30 p.m. CE uses the Gospel of Mark to explain Jesus Christ's identity, mission, and call.

You may recall our seven-week CE course that occurred last fall. Before we invited our friends and neighbors, we trained and prayed. In God’s faithfulness, He led us every step of the way. We had about ten consistent attendees, and it was incredible seeing God work in our hearts and in those of our guests. We addressed questions about God’s goodness and the problem of evil, we walked carefully through the Gospel of Mark, and we tried to handle objections to Christianity—specifically the exclusivity of Christ unto salvation. Praise God that He delights to change our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh (Ezekial 36)! 

Being a part of CE was an eye-opening experience to watch the Lord work. We want you to join our 2025 CE Team! We will again train and pray before running our CE course. Below is an overview of our timeline:

  • Train: May 8-9 (5:30-8:30 p.m.) – For Cornerstone members to learn about evangelism and get familiar with CE.

  • Pray: July-August (6:00-7:00 p.m.) – Four prayer meetings for our CE Team to pray for invitees.

  • Run the Course: Seven-Week Course, Tuesday evenings October-November (6:00-7:15 p.m.) – Invite friends and neighbors to explore the identity, mission, and call of Christ through the Gospel of Mark.

So, please join us! We currently need help with hospitality (coordinating food/snacks and welcoming attendees). CE training is a valuable resource both inside and outside the church. We serve a God who delights in saving sinners (Micah 7:18-19). 

If you have any questions, please reach out to me at etaylor78@icloud.com or (615) 424-5946.

Liz Taylor

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, April 20, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family,

We are thrilled to have you with us for the celebration of Easter. Our sincere prayer is that through today’s worship service, you will encounter by faith the risen Savior and come to know in a real and fresh way the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3:10).

To that end, take a few minutes now to thumb through the worship bulletin orienting yourself to the service. Then, come back here to meditate on the quotes below, reflecting on the eternal significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the foundation stones of Christianity. It was the seal of the great work that he came on earth to do. It was the crowning proof that the ransom he paid for sinners was accepted, the atonement for sin accomplished, the head of him who had the power of death bruised, and the victory won.”—J.C. Ryle

“You are not suffering from anything that a good resurrection can’t fix.”––D.A. Carson

“The stem bent, pent in seed, grows straight
And stands. Pain breaks in song. Surprising
The merely dead, graves fill with light
Like opened eyes. He rests in rising.”—Wendell Berry

“Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion.”—John Stott

“The cross of Christ only triumphs in the breast of believers over the devil and the flesh, sin and sinners, when their eyes are directed to the power of His resurrection.” —John Calvin

“Grant me more and more of the resurrection life:
    may it rule me,
    may I walk in its power,
    and be strengthened through its influence.”
                                            —The Valley of Vision

Having prepared our hearts, let’s approach the throne of grace and worship the risen Savior together!

Your servant,

 

Pastoral Notes for Sunday, April 13, 2025

Dear Cornerstone Family, 

Today is the official beginning of what the church has traditionally called Holy Week. It’s the Sunday where we remember Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry to Jerusalem. Seeing Jesus mounted on the foal of a donkey and ride toward the city gates, Jewish pilgrims on their way to celebrate Passover began laying down their cloaks on the ground and waving leafy branches shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 118:25-26).

The Greek word, “Hosanna” is derived from the Hebrew word, “Hashiana,” which means, “Save us!” In its original context, it was a cry for help. But as words often do, the meaning shifted ever so slightly over time. In fact, by the time of Jesus’s triumphal entry, Hashiana was less a cry for help and more a hopeful shout of expectation. In other words, when the people cried, “Hosanna!” they were saying, “Save us!” but what they meant was, “Salvation has come!”

The vision of Jesus Christ on a donkey riding into Jerusalem signaled a fulfillment of what God promised through the prophets long ago (see Zechariah 9:9). In Jesus Christ, God has brought salvation to His people. As those on the other side of the cross and resurrection, we can confidently say, “Salvation has come!” Today, we remember and celebrate our promise-keeping God and the salvation won for us by King Jesus.

One of the many evidences of God’s gracious salvation is his faithful daily provision for all our needs. We certainly experience this individually in countless ways over the course of our lives. We also witness this corporately as the body of Christ as he abundantly provides all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

One of the tangible ways the Lord’s provision is seen week after week is through your faithful giving to the work of ministry at Cornerstone. On the behalf of the leadership of Cornerstone, thank you for giving faithfully to the Lord’s work. Through your sacrificial giving, we are not only meeting all our needs; we are able to expand the work of ministry through Cornerstone. By God’s grace, we might yet see Christ’s kingdom advance even further in our time. 

We have just closed the books on the third quarter of our fiscal year. Below you will find a report on where we stand as a church. As we move into our fourth quarter of our fiscal year, making prayerful preparations for future expansion, let’s continue to press forward together in the mission Christ has given us and finish this fiscal year strong.

Your servant,