June 2016 Newsletter
WOW! Bill Powell
Wow! Where do I start? I can hardly contain myself. I am so excited! We have done some
pretty cool things in the past but I think this tops them all. When we first came up with the idea, we thought this should be pretty good. I have to say we never expected it to be this good. Words like, awesome, fantastic, over-the-top, best ever, come to my mind. What is also so amazing about this is how little it cost us. We realize when you give to this ministry, it is to reach people with the gospel and not to buy prizes to give away, but we do want to have a little fun and give back.
I can hear you now saying, “Sounds exciting.” Actually you are probably saying, “Enough already! What is it?” It is “The Cornerstone Summer Holiday Stay-cation Giveaway.” Wait until you hear what were going to give away! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. We thought -- summer is upon us and for many the plan for a vacation is out of the question. That is where the stay-cation comes in. We are going to give away four stay-cations, your chance to have a vacation without leaving home! We will give away two on the last Friday of June and two on the first Friday of July.
Each Stay-cation Will Include: • 4 free tickets to the Kennedy Space Center • 4 free movie tickets to the movie theater of your choice • 4 free tickets to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm • 4 free tickets to the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet • A 48-quart cooler with a beach towel, sun screen, beach toys and home movie night supplies including a movie, popcorn, candy, and soda.
How do you win? They will be given away via a drawing. The way you get into the drawing is simple. Each day Monday through Friday throughout the month of June we will give you a clue sometime in the 7:00 am hour and the 4:00 pm hour. Listen for the clue, then call in anytime that day before 5:00 pm with the clue and you will be entered into the drawing. Do us a favor and spread the word! It is our desire to bless you and your family.Enjoy your summer, be safe, talk to your Creator often, and stay in
the Word.
Have a blessed summer.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me;hear my words. Psalm 17:6 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
Jesus Loves The Little Children Chris Johnson
In Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” As a little boy I loved reading this verse! What wonderful news that the Savior desired that I come to him and follow him. The good news of the gospel is great news for even the littlest ones among us.
As a father of two boys (10 & 3) there isn’t a day that passes where I don’t thank the Lord for them and beg his mercy and grace as I seek to lead them to the Master! From their earliest years it’s been my wife’s and my earnest desire that they know the Big Story of God’s creation, man’s rebellion, Christ’s redemption and final work of restoration. From their first breath we’ve prayed over them and prayed with them and as they continue to grow we seek to worship the Lord with them on a daily basis. “Let the little children come to me…” That’s what the Lord said and we rejoice that he has kindly given us the rich blessing of shepherding their little hearts and guiding their little steps. As their lives continue to take shape and their gifts, talent, abilities and even sinful natures grow, it’s our delight to point them to the Great Shepherd and encourage them to repent often, trust in his grace, and do everything to the glory of God.
Little ones are on my mind this month and maybe that’s because summer time is here and I can’t wait to make new memories with my best buddies. Will you join me this month in praying for our children and parents in Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns Counties? Will you ask the Father to give grace to the many churches in our community who are conducting Vacation Bible Schools? Will you set your heart to make a real difference in your children’s and grandchildren’s lives by spending time with them? Laughing hard with them? Showing Jesus to them? And praying earnestly for them? What a treasure we’ve been given and what a stewardship is ours! May the Lord be pleased to help us love them as He has so richly loved us.
Have a safe and happy summer!
Loving Others by Christina Hutchinson
The world we live in is difficult and filled with sin. It is full of people who share different views and opinions. It is full of people who have had different life changing experiences that have maybe led to a heart of bitterness for some. These people, and that includes ourselves sometimes, can be difficult to love. I was presented an article not long ago on how to love difficult people and in my own conviction I felt the need to share with our listeners! In the article I read on the Desiring God website, it became clear to me that the “run away” approach from difficult people that I have been taking is the easy way out and is not God honoring. How can I show others Christ if I am not willing to face those difficult people? God does great things in difficult situations, and He does great things when we love difficult people. Whether it’s changing their hearts, or Him changing our own, the Lord is surely at work! The article highlighted the example of Moses, how he begged God to forgive Israel’s unbelief and even fasted for forty days and nights after Aaron and the Israelites had made a golden calf to worship. Wow! What love! Just think of all that Moses went through with these people and yet he still lovingly led them so that God would be honored and His glory be shown! Moses exemplified great meekness and selflessness in how he cared for the people God had called him to lead. That truth really hit home with me. How selfish am I that two or three people come along my path and express their bitterness to me by saying hurtful things, and far too many times I did not show them the love that Christ has shown me by engaging them, caring for them, speaking the truth in love and pointing them to Jesus. Instead I have run the other way. Lord, I ask for your forgiveness! I ask that you fill my heart with love and kindness, and that you allow me to give them grace just as you have given me grace. Lord, I choose to honor you by loving others the way you have loved me.
Daniel Resolved by Donna Bramlett
Have you ever watched a time-lapse video? I watched one recently of a blizzard blowing into Virginia. Some clever person had positioned a life-size plastic skeleton on his patio, one arm raised full height, and aimed a camera at it right before the snow started. In just a couple of minutes, I watched several hours of blizzard completely fill the patio at least six feet deep and obscure that entire skeleton. It was dramatic!
God loves to give us time-lapse stories in the Bible, so we can in just a few minutes witness the choices and consequences that took much longer to develop in real time. Daniel is one of those. There were years of events that led to Dan. 1:8 with Daniel serving Nebuchadnezzar, but there a new series of events begins with “…but Daniel resolved.” Daniel did not create his situation, but he did recreate it. He made a decision not to compromise, no matter what. So God enabled Daniel to keep that resolution - “And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.” (1:9) Then God went still further giving Daniel and his friends “learning and skill in all literature and wisdom,” and to Daniel He gave the ability to understand dreams and visions. He gave them all they needed to excel. The result was their faith grew and intensified, compelling them to seek God’s favor the next time their lives were in peril. And again God responded, giving Daniel the interpretation to the king’s dream. It’s a back-and-forth, action-and-reaction series of events that only grows in intensity, risk, and result from the first to the last chapter of Daniel. The more Daniel and his friends relied on God even in a furnace and facing hungry lions, the greater the results, and the miracles mount to a dizzying height before it’s over. In fact, the drama doesn’t just end, it is fully completed with Israel returning to their homeland. And it all started with “Daniel resolved…” to be pure, to be holy and undefiled, to not compromise. Isn’t God willing to do the same for us? Doesn’t He love to display His glory? We live in troubled times that are perhaps not of our own making. May we each make just such a resolution in our hearts to work and live and love our families and churches with purity and integrity to the glory of God! At the end, we’ll have our own personal and amazing time-lapse testimony.