Pastor Post

Dear church family,

 

Pastors often realize about 2:00PM on Sundays what they really should have said in their sermons. As often as not, I reflected on Jesus’ calling of Matthew in Matthew 9 yesterday afternoon. Jesus calls sinners, yes, and amen. But it’s always a call to discipleship, to turning from one way of life to another–what the Bible calls “repentance unto life.” Jesus doesn’t walk by greedy, tax-collecting, Rome-colluding, God-rebelling Matthew, and  cry out, “Hey man, I love you so much. You don’t need to change your ways. Be you. Live your truth. I’ll love you forever and we’ll meet up in heaven some day.” Jesus’ calling of sinners is a call to discipleship, to surrender, to the abandonment of our previous life. Jesus calls us to come and die so that we might truly live. This is God’s mercy; He doesn’t leave us in our former condition, our enslavement to our sinful desires; the LORD causes us to be born again, to be filled and indwelt by the Spirit, and to be transformed by His grace. Heed Jesus’ summons: “Follow me.”

 

 

#1: Tonight’s Leadership Summit, 7PM: We want all teachers, small group leaders, ministry directors, deacons, elders, and ministry leaders to be at tonight’s meeting. Please take a look at the agenda (attached). For all church members, please be in prayer for the matters before our leaders this evening.

 

#2: Launch meetings: If you desire to serve on one of our music/worship teams or on tech, please check in with Pastor Gary for the information you missed at yesterday’s music ministry meeting. All kids, teen, and adult Sunday School teachers, children’s church workers, and nursery personnel have a launch meeting this Sunday (8/16) starting at 11:15AM. Again, we ask everyone who calls this church home to be in prayer for the launching of the ministry year. New Sunday School classes launch August 23. Small groups are reforming. Seek God’s face on behalf of the ministries of this church. If you want to get into a small group, please email office@cornerstone-marion.org.

 

#3: Family meal and prayer gathering, Wednesday August 19: Bring a lawn chair and side dish to Lininger Park in Marion at 6PM. A main dish and drinks will be provided. We’ll sing and pray together starting at 7PM. (If you have other obligations and can only make it for the 6PM meal or 7PM prayer, join us for what you can.) 

 

I find our church at an exciting new chapter in ministry. We celebrate our 25th anniversary on September 13. All the while, we’re updating our facility, looking to possibly purchase the adjoining property, and I love the new faces serving and new ministries launching. I hear Jesus saying, “To whom much is given much is required.” Let us be faithful to the LORD who has given us so much. God, help us.

 

For Christ’s fame and name,

Pastor Matt