Posts with the category “christlikeness”

What Do You Say?
November 30th, 2021
Gratitude marks the life of a Christian. If grateful is what we are called to be, how should we express it in our lives? More than just saying the right words, what does God want to teach us about gra...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Discipleship Pathway, A Recap
October 26th, 2021
If you’ve been at Cornerstone for very long you’ve probably heard us talk about The Discipleship Pathway. Born out of a desire to help bring simplicity and order to the principles of our faith, The Di...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
A Biblical Response to “You Do You”
May 27th, 2020
One of the most curious effects that traveling to another country can have on us is the illumination the time away brings to deeply embedded cultural mindsets we’ve developed in our current country of...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
C.S. Lewis’ Thinking Belief
December 31st, 2019
From the beginnings of the church those who followed Jesus testified to their faith by telling the story of their own conversion. “Testimony” was an important part of verifying a true change of heart....  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Being in One Place at a Time
October 10th, 2019
From the printing press to the smart phone, every technological innovation is built to give us time. We used to have to wash clothes by hand, but now washing machines give us back those hours. We used...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
A Calling to All Women
September 17th, 2019
When I was a junior in high school, my mother encouraged me to look for work as a math tutor. I was shocked and insisted that no one would hire me, and that even if they did, I would not be capable of...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Do Not Throw Away Your Confidence
July 16th, 2019
As women, we have an especially complicated relationship with the topic of confidence. From an early age, we are inundated with images that leave us constantly competing against a false standard of be...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Temptation of Quick Fixes for Suffering
July 11th, 2019
Life is showing me I have a much stronger desire for quick fixes to my suffering than I typically care to admit. For example, as a mother, I struggle a great deal with joy in parenthood on a daily bas...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
God’s Perspective on Failure
April 10th, 2019
I’m afraid of failing.I imagine most of you can resonate with me to some degree. There are a lot of emotions tied into the experience of failing – embarrassment, shame, disappointment, anger, discoura...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Choosing the Feast Over Fast-Food
September 18th, 2018
I think it’s fair to say that I have a sweet-tooth. My fellow pastors gained this little nugget of insight into my person during our recent Elder Retreat. All of them were filled with amazement/envy a...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Life on Crutches
August 2nd, 2018
I sort of assumed that you’d have to do something pretty extreme to tear your achilles tendon. Apparently hopping up and down in excitement over a friend’s good news is more than enough to hobble you ...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
I Thought I Was a Good god
April 11th, 2018
In his book “12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You,” Tony Reinke adeptly explores spiritual struggles that use of our smart phones can potentially reveal and exacerbate in us if we are not careful. As I ...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
A Meditation on Being "Old and Full of Years"
March 22nd, 2018
"Life can seem more deeply disappointing as you accumulate years and experiences...Yet all of us, at every age, struggle with how life isn't working." "Autumn is really the best of seasons; and I'm no...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Extraordinary within the Normal
February 1st, 2018
“Embedded in your routines, your everyday drumbeat, is something real and true and worth enjoying.”    The pace of life in the city can drum the life right out of you. There’s a background noise of pe...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Spiritual Rest
August 2nd, 2017
“I came to realize that I really didn’t know the God who says to us, ‘Come to me and you will find rest.’”If you had asked me about 3 ½ years ago how I was doing, I would have said, “Life is Good!” If...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Good Work of Women, Part 5
September 21st, 2016
“When your vocational choices are limited by finances, it can feel like you are trapped, hopeless, enslaved. But God promises you a secure future with him that even the deepest pangs of this world can...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
God and Money, Part 4
September 15th, 2016
True Contentment“In Christ, not only do we have everything we could ever need, but we are given freedom from the desire to be rich, we are given freedom from the love of money, and we are empowered to...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Good Work of Women, Part 4
September 14th, 2016
“We can only work with willing hands when we have a deep trust in His sovereign hands.”    I have been so blessed to read the first three posts in this series. Meredith has presented a thorough look a...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Sleep is a Beautiful Act of Humility
September 13th, 2016
“Sleep is a beautiful act of humility.  When we sleep we are declaring to God that we can’t do everything we want to do. You can’t keep going. You are finite. You must rest.”    I’ve fought with my al...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
God and Money, Part 3
September 8th, 2016
“Saving and debt are intricately related, and developing biblical convictions on both is necessary to being a good steward of God’s finances.”In the past two posts I discussed our identity as stewards...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
God and Money, Part 2
August 31st, 2016
“The lifestyle we choose to live demonstrates powerful things to both others and ourselves about whose glory we are living for.”    As I mentioned in the previous post, God cares very deeply about how...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
God and Money, Part 1
August 24th, 2016
“The most basic truth regarding money and possessions that we need to be regularly reminded of is the fact that God owns everything.”    Personal finances are a tricky thing. We all struggle with our ...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Personal Finance 101: Why Money Matters
July 26th, 2016
“The basics of personal finance are important because of how tied our money is to our hearts.  And as we grow to become more and more like Christ, addressing our hearts inevitably involves addressing ...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Redeem Your Boredom!
July 26th, 2016
What do you do with those moments of downtime that pop up throughout the day?  You know, those moments when you’re sitting in traffic, standing in line, waiting to be picked up, waiting for your coffe...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Letters to CWLA: Pastor Scott
July 18th, 2016
In conjunction with our “Letters to a Healthy Church” sermon series, each pastor has written a letter to Cornerstone in a similar style to Paul's pastoral letters.  We pray they will be a blessing and...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
A True Friend Stabs You In The Front
April 12th, 2016
You’d think a friend would be someone that doesn’t stab you in the back.  Oscar Wilde, a playwright from the last generation, disagrees.  True, a friend does not stab you in the back.  But a friend is...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Meaning of Words
February 23rd, 2016
I first became aware of the manipulation of words when I wound up by accident on the debate team of my small private college. I made the mistake of arguing a point with the teacher of my speech class,...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Quick, Slow, Slow
December 10th, 2015
I think it might have been early on in my marriage that my heart was first pricked by the words of James 1:19. They came to mind again later in life as I sought wisdom in managing difficult friendship...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Devil Is In the Details
November 3rd, 2015
When people think about spiritual warfare they usually picture a scene from The Exorcist or a miniature Satan on someone's shoulder (pitchfork, horns, and red cape included) urging them to do somethin...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Trusting God in the Deep End
October 29th, 2015
"I realize that our Heavenly Father is like this, holding us as we're in the deep end. Sometimes he lets go of our arms, but he never swims away."Memories of my dad came flooding back in with the tide...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Forgetting Depression
September 24th, 2015
"Depression says many things. All of them are lies."Depression says many things. All of them are lies. But the worst of these lies masquerade as truth. They sound like truths—spiritual truths even—but...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
There is No "I" in PMS
June 24th, 2015
"Invite God Himself into your PMS...it is a blessing to get a monthly reminder to draw near to Him."    My husband and I often joke about a day early on in our marriage when I was being particularly e...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Fragrance of Grace, Love,
May 19th, 2015
Before dinner my kids must wash their hands. Typically before we eat they are outside, digging in dirt, climbing trees, bouncing balls and climbing on rails, such that by the time they get upstairs th...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Giving Up the False Hope of Control
April 22nd, 2015
"I needed to parse between the good control of an adult over children, and the untrue sense that I actually was or could be in control of all things."I was about to head across the pond to Europe with...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Six Ways Justification Will Change Your Life
April 9th, 2015
"Despite a remarkable amount of discipline and self-control, the Bible [will] always point out sins [we] miss."    Martin Luther became a monk to rid himself of sin and dedicate himself to pleasing Go...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Theology Is Worship
March 10th, 2015
"Theology is learning the ways of God for the purpose of intimacy with God."    “Theology” means different things to different people. To some Christians, theology turns faith into a cold, lifeless se...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
A Word On (Bad) Words
February 25th, 2015
"...when our hearts are fully surrendered to God, there go our words."I recently discovered that one of my elementary school-aged kids had written a "bad" word in a journal. (Never mind the fact that ...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
Seasons May Change, but God Doesn’t
January 21st, 2015
"The character of God can anchor us as we navigate anything that comes our way, but we must choose to believe in who He is. Too often we are distracted by all that surrounds us and we lose sight of th...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
He Gives His Beloved Sleep
October 22nd, 2014
"Why do I so often interpret scripture as a long string of to-do’s rather than a relationship God desires from me and the character that it produces?"    It is equally flattering and frustrating when ...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles
The Will of God and Making Decisions
August 5th, 2014
"If God has a wonderful plan for my life...why doesn't he tell me what it is?"    "If God has a wonderful plan for my life...why doesn't he tell me what it is?" So begins the second chapter in Kevin D...  Read More
by Cornerstone West Los Angeles