Sermons
January 18, 2026
Sermon Message Begins at 26:25 - 1 John 4
Magnifying Jesus: The Biblical Principle of Love | 1 John 4
What is the true purpose of the church? In this message, we dive into 1 John chapter 4 to explore why we exist to magnify Jesus, make disciples, and multiply churches. We often hear the phrase "love is love," but what does the Bible actually say about the nature of God’s love?
Join us as we break down why the only thing of eternal value we can take to heaven is another person, and how God’s perfect love is proven through the cross and perfected in our lives through service to others.
Key Takeaways from this Message:
Our Core Purpose: Why magnifying Jesus must lead to the multiplication of the local church.
The Definition of Love: Why love is a deed, not just a feeling, and how it was personified in Jesus Christ.
Because Of vs. In Order To: Understanding that we serve God because He first loved us, not to earn His favor.
The 10 Action Principles: A look at the practical ways we live out our faith through loving, preaching, praying, and witnessing.
Video Timestamps:
27:24 - Turning to 1 John 4: Our Purpose Statement
28:20 - The Only Thing of Eternal Value: People
29:15 - Breaking Down the Great Commission
30:52 - The 10 Principles of the Christian Life
33:32 - Context: Who is "The Beloved"?
34:38 - God is Love: The Propitiation for Our Sins
37:02 - "Because Of" vs. "In Order To"
41:15 - Point 1: God’s Love is Perfect
44:48 - Why Love is Not the Affirmation of Feelings
51:15 - Love Proven on the Cross
55:10 - Point 2: God’s Love Perfected in Us
January 11, 2026
Sermon Message Begins at 24:45 - (Matthew 16)
What does the Bible really say about the church—and who we are as God’s people? In this message from Matthew chapter 16, we continue our study on the identity of the local church and answer important questions like:
What is the church?
Why does church identity matter?
What does it mean to be an independent Baptist church?
Where does our authority come from?
This teaching walks through Scripture to show that the church is a local assembly of baptized believers whose purpose is to magnify Christ, make disciples, and multiply churches. We explore why biblical authority—not denominations, councils, or traditions—must guide the church, and why Christ alone is the head of the church.
You’ll also learn the biblical foundations behind the Baptist distinctives using the familiar BAPTISTS acrostic, including:
Biblical Authority
Autonomy of the Local Church
Priesthood of the Believer
Two Ordinances (Baptism & the Lord’s Supper)
Individual Soul Liberty
Saved Church Membership
Two Offices (Pastor & Deacons)
Separation
This message emphasizes simplicity, faithfulness to God’s Word, and the freedom believers have in Christ to serve Him according to Scripture—not man-made systems.
📖 Scripture Focus: Matthew 16, Matthew 18, Ephesians 2, 1 Corinthians 12
🏛 Church: Cornerstone Baptist Church
✝️ Theme: Church Identity | Biblical Authority | The Body of Christ
January 4, 2026
Join us for this powerful worship service as we begin the new year by focusing on what the church truly is and why it exists. Through heartfelt congregational singing and the preaching of God’s Word, we are reminded that the church is not a building—but a called-out assembly of believers with a clear biblical mission.
Message Highlights:
What does the Bible say the church is?
Why Jesus is the foundation of the church
The meaning of ecclesia — a called-out assembly
Our church purpose: Magnify Jesus, Make Disciples, Multiply Churches
The importance of worship, discipleship, and mission
Why the local church matters today
This message serves as an introduction to an upcoming study on the biblical purpose and mission of the church and challenges every believer to reflect on who Jesus is and how we are called to follow Him.
December 21, 2025
Join us for this special Christmas worship service as we gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel—God with us. In this message, we reflect on the beauty and depth of the Christmas story through Scripture, song, and prayer, focusing especially on the often-overlooked faith and obedience of Joseph.
This service includes heartfelt worship with beloved Christmas hymns such as “Adore,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “The First Noel,” followed by a powerful message from Matthew chapter 1. We explore how Joseph adored Christ not merely with words, but through obedient action, even in the face of difficult decisions, heavy responsibility, and painful delay.
✨ In this message, you’ll discover: Why Christmas is about more than tradition—it’s about the incarnation of Christ How Joseph’s obedience was rooted in God’s Word, not feelings What it means to trust God when the path forward is unclear How the facts of Scripture transform our faith and our daily walk Why Emmanuel—God with us—changes everything As the busyness of the season surrounds us, this message calls us to pause, reflect, and truly adore Christ—not just at Christmas, but every day. 📖
Scripture Focus: Matthew 1:18–25 🙏 Theme: Adoring Christ Through Obedient Faith 🎶 Worship | Prayer | Biblical Teaching
December 14, 2025
Join us for a Christ-centered worship service as we gather to adore Christ the Lord during this special Christmas season .
Through prayer, Scripture, and beloved hymns like
Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery,
Angels We Have Heard on High, and
O Come All Ye Faithful, we are reminded why Jesus came—to save the world 🌍✝️.
In today’s message from Luke chapter 2, we continue our series “Adoring Him: The Christ of Christmas” by looking at the birth of Jesus through the eyes of Mary. While the shepherds proclaimed Christ publicly, Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart ❤️.
This message encourages us to cultivate a personal, daily walk with the Lord, trusting His promises, resting in His truth, and responding in faithful obedience.
November 30, 2025
📖 Message Title: “Thanksgiving Is the Doorway to God’s Presence” Psalm 100 teaches us that gratitude is not just a holiday theme—it’s a daily walk with God. In this message we explore:
• The danger of an ungrateful heart
• Why gratitude must be intentionally cultivated
• Biblical commands to give thanks in all things
• How thankfulness shapes our posture, peace, and spiritual stability
• The importance of remembering God’s blessings in every season of life
November 23, 2025
In this sermon, we look at:
📖 Psalm 75:1 — “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks…”
🙏 The danger of an unthankful heart
🏛 How Israel’s history shows the importance of remembering God
❤️ Why gratitude is more than a feeling—it's an intentional act
🙌 What it truly means to acknowledge God in all our ways (Proverbs 3:5–6) 💡 Why giving thanks is central to worship, obedience, and spiritual health
You’ll also see how:
• Gratitude protects us from pride
• Acknowledgment is the biblical expression of thankfulness
• God desires our hearts more than our possessions
• Thanksgiving is not a holiday event—it’s a lifestyle of worship
Whether you're preparing for Thanksgiving or simply wanting to grow spiritually, this message reminds us that everything we are and everything we have is from the Lord.
November 16, 2025
In today’s message, we walk with the Apostle John into one of the most powerful and awe-inspiring sections of Scripture: the heavenly vision beginning in Revelation chapter 4. Here, John is called up to witness “things which must be hereafter,” giving us a breathtaking glimpse of God’s throne room, the worthiness of the Lamb, and the unfolding of God’s final plan for humanity.
We explore:
✨ The transition from the Church Age to the Hereafter
✨ Why Revelation isn’t always chronological—and how to read it
✨ The biblical basis for a pre-tribulational rapture
✨ The promise believers have of being kept from the coming wrath (1 Thess. 4–5)
✨ The throne of God, heavenly worship, and the purpose of all creation
✨ The sealed book in God’s right hand and the only One worthy to open it—Jesus, the Lamb of God
✨ How God’s justice, holiness, love, and judgment are perfectly balanced
Stephen & Rachel Stewart
Stephen and Rachel have one main passion - to see people enter into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ. They love the people of Smyrna and desire to see them changed by the grace of Jesus. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]
