| Beloved, This past Friday and Saturday, I had the joy of teaching a mini, five-session conference for visitors and prospective new members. It was a sweet time of teaching and fellowship, and personally it served to renew my vision for ministry at Cornerstone. It is all too easy to loose sight of our chief purpose and pursuit as a church and my chief purpose and pursuit as a pastor. This weekend served as a gracious reminder as we wrestled through the five core principles that Cornerstone is about and is striving to be about. Perhaps you are a long-time member and are thinking to yourself, “Core principles? What is Cornerstone OPC about and striving to be about?” I’m so glad you asked. Here are the core principles I set forth this weekend (open to revision, of course, so your feedback is welcomed!): God-centered Theology: knowing the Triune God of creation and redemption in an ever-expanding way through His authoritative self-revelation in the Scriptures. God-ordered Worship: approaching and exulting our God in a way befitting of His manifold excellencies, having our affections and actions regulated by His word in His worship. God-delighting Piety: conforming our lives to Jesus Christ as we delight in His law and depend on His Spirit, and spurring one another on toward that great end in fellowship, discipleship, and hospitality. God-exalting Government: embracing the authority structure Christ has instituted for His church as she is led by Spirit-filled elders and deacons under Him. God-dependent Mission: looking to God in fervent prayer for revival and kingdom extension as we endeavor to reach the lost world with the gospel. I intend to spend the next number of weeks fleshing out these principles as we think about our life together as a church. Not of a single one of these principles can we ever say, “Well, we’ve got that one down. Next.” These are principles we never quite get our hands around, and certainly never embody perfectly (at least, not in this life). But by God’s grace, I see them in us and I long to see them more! I hope you do as well. Let’s be praying that God would make us a church consumed with Himself. That is the reason all of these principles begin with God. He is the beginning, middle, end, and all of our life together as a local congregation. To Him be the glory! Yours in Christ, Pastor Nick |
