Cornerstone Podcasts
The Joy of Humility
Pastor Mark Russell • June 27, 2010 • Scripture passages: Philippians 3:1-6
When you consider some of the deeper questions in life: “If you died tonight, where would you spend eternity?” “If God asked you, ‘Why should I allow you to enter heaven?’ how would you answer Him?” Some of the answers considered are: clean lifestyle, good deeds, give to charity, church attendance, religious heritage. However, the real problem is God does not grade on a curve, He grades on an absolute 100% scale… 100% righteous life is required.
When we look at what we consider "pure" items like gold and silver; they are refined to 99.9999% pure. On God's scale that is still failure, it is still short of the required 100%. That is where humility comes in. We realize that we are all on the same playing field and we have no advantage at all. The only way to spend eternity in heaven with God is to receive His grace extended to us through His Son Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross. We can never work our way to heaven... no matter how hard we try!
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The Joy of Ministry
Pastor Mark Russell • June 20, 2010 • Scripture passages: Philippians 2:19-30
Eric Liddell, in 1924 stirred his generation by refusing to run on Sunday, and then his ultimate victory in winning the gold in the 400. You may have seen the movie – Chariots of Fire. At the end of the film were these words: Eric Liddell, missionary, died in occupied China at the end of WWII. All of Scotland mourned.
One year after the gold medal, Eric was in China teaching college as a missionary. After college he would ride his bike or go on foot to take the gospel to the back country of China. After Japan invaded China, he was classified as an enemy national and placed in a prison camp in August 1943 – 1800 prisoners in an area 150 x 200 yards. He was housed in a dorm where the rooms were 3 x 6 feet. While a prisoner he organized athletic meets, taught hymns, and ministered God’s Word. David Michell was a child who was interred along with Eric and he had these words to say. “None of us will ever forget the man who was totally committed to putting God first, a man whose humble life combined muscular Christianity with radiant godliness.” On 2-21-45 Eric died of a brain tumor; two months before he would have been liberated by the end of the war.
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The Joy of Responsibility
Pastor Mark Russell • June 13, 2010 • Scripture passages: Philippians 2:12-18
Last week we looked at one of the most important theological passages in the Bible… the mystery of the incarnation – Christ came into the world as a servant. He gave up His position and prerogatives as the second person of the Trinity in order to come to earth as the God-man to provide salvation for us. Paul then tells us to have the same mindset that Christ had… focused on obediently serving God. Only when the church members act toward one another as servants will the church experience the practical unity that God has ordained theologically.
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The Joy of Unity — http://www.jesusthecornerstone.org/library/06-06-10JoyofUnity.mp3
Pastor Mark Russell • June 6, 2010 • Scripture passages: Philippians 2:1-11
What is unity? Unity in the acting as one, singleness. There is great power in unity. When weak things that have no power at all on their own come together and they can change the situation. Example: Snowflakes are very frail and have no real strength on their own, but in the power of unity they can close and airport or a city. That is what Paul is talking about. Do we stick together like that? Do we change the situation?
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The Joy of Integrity
Pastor Mark Russell • May 30, 2010 • Scripture passages: Philippians 1:27-30
What do you stand for? In his book “Against the Night” Chuck Colson laments the fact that our culture has deteriorated to such an extent that individualism reigns supreme. No one cares about anyone else and no one is willing to stand for the moral convictions which hold society together… 1978 President Carter was attempting to reinstate the draft… young man holding a sign, “Nothing is worth dying for”. Is that true?
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