Sermons - Cornerstone Church of Ames
by Cornerstone Church of Ames
Podcast by Cornerstone Church of Ames
Recent episodes
Someone will pay for your sin, and the only question is who. Continuing through Galatians, Mark shows that Christ became a curse in our place so we could receive the blessing promised to Abraham: full forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gives us power to live a new life by faith.
Do you believe in God, or do you believe God? Mark continues our series in Galatians by unpacking three big words: justification, faith, and Abraham, to show that salvation was never Jesus plus something else, but Jesus alone.
Why do we live one way around some people and another way around everyone else? Troy kicks off a new series in Galatians by showing why Paul fought so hard for a gospel of faith alone in Christ alone and calling believers to bring the way they live in line with what they believe.
More people than ever are calling themselves spiritual, but there's a big difference between being spiritual and being born again. Mark answers the question, "Who is God the Spirit?", and shows how the Spirit brings God's presence to his people, turns our attention to Jesus, and gives new life to everyone who trusts in Christ.
We live in a culture that affirms us customizing everything, even our own personal version of God, but Scripture says otherwise. Mark shows that Jesus is not a life coach who simply affirms our desires but the sovereign Lord and great physician whose blood heals our sin sick hearts.
If God is truly as big as scripture says, that's not distant or scary, it's actually the thing that right sizes every problem you're carrying. Tony continues the Gospel Way Catechism series by walking through Matthew 7 to show that God the father is great, good, and knows exactly what we need, even when our own earthly fathers left us with a different picture of who he is.
When the world's monuments to human power tower over you, it's easy to start believing God seems small by comparison. Mark continues the Gospel Way Catechism by tracing God's name from Exodus to Revelation, showing that every tower man builds is small next to the great I AM, whose kingdom can never be shaken.
You're not the star of your own story, and everything falls into place once you stop trying to be. Mark opens The Gospel Way Catechism series with Genesis 1, showing that God alone is the uncreated Creator with rights over his creation, and that real freedom is found not in self-rule but in living as we were made to.
Endurance in the Christian life isn't about gritting your teeth, it's about who you're clinging to. Mark unpacks six marks of spiritual stamina in Philippians 4:1-9, showing that standing firm flows not from toughness but from the Spirit of God.
What's the one defining pursuit of your life, and is it big enough to reorder everything else around it? Troy Nesbitt walks through Philippians 3 to show that when Christ becomes our highest pursuit, every other relationship falls into place.
You can outrun every religious rule and still miss Jesus if your righteousness is your own doing. What does it actually mean to know Christ? Mark walks through Philippians 3:1-11 to warn against the twin dangers of legalism and license, showing how Paul traded a righteousness earned through law-keeping for one received by faith, and discovered that the deepest knowledge of Christ comes not despite suffering but through it.
What kind of king would leave his throne to save people rebelling against him? Lance walks through Philippians 2:5-11 to show how Jesus stepped down in humility, suffered in obedience even to death on a cross, and was exalted above all, calling believers to trade pride for the same humble surrender.
Everyone wants to go to heaven, but almost no one wants to think about the dying part. Mark walks through Philippians 1:12-30, drawing on his own family's journey, to show how Paul's words "to live is Christ and to die is gain" offer both a clear purpose for living and an unshakable confidence in death.
Can I lose my salvation? Tony opens Cornerstone's new series in Philippians by unpacking Philippians 1 to show that God is the one who starts, sustains, and finishes the good work of salvation in every believer's life.
What if the command to praise God has less to do with what he needs and everything to do with what you need? Jacob walks through Psalm 150 to show that praise isn't primarily about what God needs but what we need, as it produces hope and joy in us while protecting our hearts.
Most people are chasing joy in all the wrong places, and Psalm 51 suggests the path there starts somewhere uncomfortable. Simeon walks through Psalm 51 to show that the path from sin to joy runs through honest awareness of sin, acknowledgment of its weight, and confession to a God who is faithful to cleanse and restore.
What does it look like to fight for joy in the midst of spiritual depression? Tony walks through Psalm 42 and how we can pour out our pain, preach hope to our hearts, and keep showing up to restore our joy found in Christ alone.
We make terrible shepherds for our own souls. Lance walks through Psalm 23 and shows why the most comforting thing about the good Shepherd isn't what he gives us but that he gives us himself, walking with us through the darkest valleys so we never have to face them alone.
Every graduation speech asks the same question: how do you live a good life? In this sermon, Mark opens a summer series through the Psalms by unpacking Psalm 1's vision of the truly blessed life, and reveals why the answer isn't try harder but Jesus, the only person who ever lived it perfectly, cursed in our place so we could receive what we never deserved.
Every generation has a choice: preserve what they've built and lose it, or give it away and see it multiply. Troy Nesbitt closes the Awakening series by calling older leaders to use their influence, resources, and authority not to hold their ground, but to champion and empower the next generation for the kingdom of God.
40 million Americans have left the church in the last twenty-five years, and no one is replacing them, so what do we do with that? Mark puts the Awakening series in sobering context, walking through the history of revival to show that God tends to move most powerfully when things look the bleakest, and calls the church to respond with desperate prayer, personal holiness, and a willingness to go, give, and multiply.
For years, reaching the next generation felt like playing defense against a culture pulling them away from God, but something has shifted. Tony kicks off the Awakening series by pointing to a quiet revival happening among college students, sharing that ordinary people who have simply been with Jesus are still how God produces extraordinary change.
You can't take it with you, so what do you do with it? Mark closes the Seasons series by exploring how to steward your resources, relationships, and wisdom well in the final chapter of life. Download Resources: https://into.church/seasons-resources
The world says life peaks at 40 and it's all downhill from there, but we might be missing something. Mark continues the Seasons series by sharing wisdom for our 40s through 60s, sharing that how you handle life's uncontrollable circumstances and suffering will determine how the back half of your life is spent. Download Resources: https://into.church/seasons-resources
Most people spend their 20s and 30s figuring out life as they go. Mark shares the biblical framework for navigating calling, career, and money in your defining years in the next sermon of the Seasons series. Download Resources: https://into.church/seasons-resources
Self-help can optimize your life, but biblical wisdom says the only way to truly live well is to start with God, not yourself. Mark launches a four-week series on seasons of life and focuses on ages 0–25, unpacking what it looks like to grow in wisdom through godly friendships, godly character, and a pursuit of marriage rooted in faith. Download Resources: https://into.church/seasons-resources
This Easter, we’re looking at one of Jesus’ most famous parables: the two lost sons and the Father who seeks out both of them. Whether you feel far from God or you’ve walked with him for years, this message is an invitation to come home. The Father’s house and his feast of joy is open to you.

