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All In This Together (Get Involved)

This sermon was only part of the experience on this Sunday. After the short sermon, people spli up into 5 groups and visited stations that gave them an insight into five of our children's ministries. 
Know
What gifts has God given to you that he wants you to use at Cornerstone?
Grow
As you were walking round each safari station, which ministries were you particularly drawn to?
How is God calling you to commend His acts to another generation?
Show
If you haven’t done so already, take 60 seconds and fill in this response form (gl/dcx9mq) that will show the leadership of Cornerstone how we can plug you into meaningful ministry.

All In This Together (Generosity)

Would you consider yourself greedy? How do you determine whether you are or not?
Why is it that we acknowledge the sins of lust, envy, pride and anger in our lives, but not greed?
Jeff repeatedly referred to greed as 'subtle and insidious'. Why do you think he used these terms?
How do you determine how much to give towards God's work: is it a tenth before taxes, after taxes, a tenth of disposable income; can the tenth be shared between the church and other charities?
Jeff shared that the biblical view of generosity ir not measured by the dollar amount, but by sacrifice. Do you agree with him or not?
Jeff shared that Jesus talks about greed and materialism 10 times more than He talked about lust. Why is greed such an important issue in your life?
Consider why Paul's final words to the Ephesian church are about living lives of radical generosity (Acts 20:32-35)
Why is it so difficult to give up our money?
 
Take some time to prayerfully consider these X Ray questions from Dr David Powlison to determine where your treasure is:
What do you love? What do you hate?
What would bring you the most happiness? The most misery?
What do you seek for, aim or pursue?
Where do you bank your hopes?
What do you fear? What do you worry about?
What do you need?
Whom must you please? Whose opinion of you counts most?
What do you think about most often?
What or whom do you trust?
What do you want out of life? What payoff do you seek from the things you do?
 

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.27-30

Zac and Addrine's Story

Zac and Addrine shared their story as part of Church In The Park 2017, at Alfred Taylor Community Centre, North Gower, ON on August 20 2017. 
Please excuse the white noise during parts of this audio. 

The Tunnel (1 Peter 3.18)

This sermon was preached at Alfred Taylor Community Centre, North Gower, Ontario, as part of our 'Church In The Park' outreach service on August 20 2017. 

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.18-26

Know
Have you experienced God delivering you from something spectacular or extreme?
Grow
(1:19) What is the connection between the prayers of Christians, the presence of Jesus and the deliverance of Paul?
(1:20) Why would Paul be afraid of being ashamed – what would the cause of this shame be?
(1:21) Contrast Paul’s anticipation of serving Jesus in life and death with your experience.
(1:21) Meditate on what it means “to live is Christ”.
(1:21-23) In what ways do you think that Paul’s death would bring glory to Jesus?
How does Paul’s desire to see Jesus in death differ from someone who is suicidal?
Show
Who has God put in your life that you can say “I will remain and continue, for your progress and joy in the faith”?
Think of one or two steps can you take to advance their progress and joy. Give yourself a deadline to get these steps going.

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.12-18

Know
Who is the person in your life who has suffered the most?
Grow
1:12 Why does Paul not get into the details of ‘what has happened’? Compare this verse with 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
Take some time to look up Joni Earekson Tada’s story on line. You can also buy it on the amazon store. You can watch her share her story here gl/Y6nzWg.
1:12 Think of all he could have told the Philippians in this first informational sentence of his letter. Why did he choose to tell them this first?
What suffering Christians have you been inspired by? How has their story changed your life?
If you are suffering as a Christian, how can you inspire others to greater faithfulness in advancing the gospel?
1:15 Why were some Christians preaching out of rivalry? What does this even look like? How do we know if the preacher is preaching from good motives or not?
Take some time to meditate on the following stats from the Opendoors USA website:
322 Christians are killed for their faith,
214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed and
772 forms of violence are committed against Christians (including beatings, rapes, abductions, arrests and forced marriages). [i]
Show
Visit www.opendoorsca.org or persection.org and start praying Phil 1:12 over the people written about in the accounts. Pray this pray for Christians in your life who are going through hard times or feel that they have been side-lined or ‘put out to pasture’.
Pray this prayer throughout this week: “Lord, show me how what has happened to me can advance the gospel! Redeem this situation. Bring some God-glorifying good out of the terrible circumstance I find myself in”
 
[i] https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.9-11

Growgroup questions
Know
Would you rather go to jail for 4 years for something you didn’t do or get away with something horrible you did but always live in fear of being caught?
Would you rather your shirts be always two sizes too big or one size too small?
Grow
Am I pursuing knowledge of Christ with passion?
Am I valuing knowing Christ above everything else?
Am I in a church that teaches the Bible faithfully?
Am I doing what is best with my life, with my time, with my money, with my mind, with my kids, with my ministry, and in my relationships?
Am I doing good things or gospel things with my life?[i]
Show
Memorize this prayer and start praying it for those around you:
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11
 
[i] Merida, Tony; Chan, Francis. Exalting Jesus in Philippians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) (Kindle Locations 1055-1058). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Joe Ocran: What's going on in Ghana

Joe Ocran shares about the work that God is doing in Ghana and Burkina Faso. 
To find out more, visit this page - http://worldhope.ca/projects/ghana/. 

JOY (Living Without Flip Flops) - Philippians 1.1-8

Know
Did you have a penpal when you were younger? Who was he / she, where did they live and how did that go?
Grow
Have you ever experienced the joy of partnering with someone for a worthy cause? Describe what it was and how it went.
What do the words ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ mean to you?
1:3 Why does Paul use the words ‘all’ and ‘every’ so much? What is he trying to achieve?
Who is someone that you thank God for everytime you think of them? Who is a joy-bringer in your life?
What do you think of Dan’s advice to start living a life of ‘giving to others’ as a way to deeper relationships?
Do you think as a church, that Cornerstone a partnership of the gospel? How do you see this? What could you do to help us grow in this?
Do you partner with missionaries in the gospel financially? Why or why not?
1:6 What is the good work that God has begun in Cornerstone that you believe He will bring to completion?
 Show
As you go through your week, try to be present to the truth that you are a servant of Jesus. As you encounter others, be present to the fact that they are either saints in Christ or potential See how this alters your behaviour.