A Divine Longing (for the Cornerstone Community)

This past Friday, Pastor Walton spoke about what is a healthy, God-centered community and lead us in a discussion about God’s purpose for Cornerstone.

Reflection: How important are relationships really? How important are they to Christians? How important are they to God?

God Really Loves Relationships
God shows us the importance of relationships to Him in several different ways:

• In His Word: the Bible is story after story of people’s relationships with each other and with God
• In His action: God sent Jesus down to earth so that we can have a restored relationship with Him
• In His Being: God as the Holy Trinity (God, Son, and the Holy Spirit) shows that even before there were any people, there was already a community. In fact, our desire for relationships reflects that very community

What is a Healthy Community?
God uses imperfect people to build His community. If you are here (in Cornerstone), then God has a gift in you that He wants used in this community.

God calls every community to:
1. Love One Another
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. – John 13:34-35

In Cornerstone, we have the opportunity to show outsiders looking in about God’s love. Through faith we know that our hearts are in good hands (God’s hands), and this knowledge releases us to take risks to love other people. In this society, there is so much stress about “taking care of #1,” but we don’t need to worry about that because God will always be there to take care of us. In fact, God calls us to love lavishly, to give our hearts away like Christ did:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

2. Come Together in Complete Unity
May they be brought to completely unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. – John 17:23

What is the purpose that God has called us (Cornerstone) to do? Once we are able to identify this, then we can have the beginnings of unity.

Elements of a community that comes together in unity:

• Are we praying for each other and for our purpose together? If our purpose is not covered in prayer, then it just becomes a human effort.
• What do we talk about when we are together? Do we share about what God is doing in our lives?

The Spiritual Ecosystem
Consists of: Mission, God’s Presence, God’s Word, Spiritual Relationships. These are the larger purposes.

Vehicles: Worship Service, Special Events, Retreats, Discovery Groups, Small Groups, Fellowships, Mission Events, Discipleship. Each one has a different focus to ultimately achieve the larger purposes.

Cornerstone has a role in this spiritual ecosystem.