Church of the Cornerstone

04/04/2026

“Jesus said … ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.’”
—John 11:25–26, ESV
Happy Resurrection Day!

04/04/2026

RESURRECTION WEEKEND
During this hallowed weekend, May your heart be filled with peace, gratitude, and a renewed wonder at all Christ has accomplished FOR YOU. Like Paul to the Philippians, let we all grow in our desire “to know Him and the power of His resurrection.”
Cindy and I pray that you’ll step into a new measure of the abundant, overcoming life that He died and rose again to give you. May you be filled with an overwhelming sense of His love FOR YOU and may you have a confident expectation of good in the days to come!
As you reflect, we encourage you to take in the powerful message in the words of this modern hymn, In Christ Alone. May its truth minister deeply to you.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

02/28/2026

Shout Grace, Grace!
“Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.” Zechariah 4:7 (KJV)
Some of you have been holding on, looking at a frustrating mountain in your life. God started something in you. He gave you a dream, a ministry, or a vision, but it seems stalled. The prophet comes to Zerubbabel in his discouragement and says just two words: Begin again. Begin again. Believe again. Try again. Hope again. Pray again. Praise again. Reach again. God says to you today: it’s time to begin again.
Zerubbabel had only a foundation. The work was incomplete. There were problems on the outside—enemies, legal battles, and opposition. Even worse, there were mighty struggles on the inside—frustration, doubt, and fatigue. Sixteen years had passed with nothing happening, yet the prophet told him to focus on the headstone, the final stone that completes the building. That headstone represents Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, the one the builders rejected, but the one that makes the work whole.
The prophet didn’t say whisper; he said shout grace, grace! When Zerubbabel shouted grace over the headstone, enabling grace began to flow. Suddenly, people came running with materials, skills, and support from every direction. The work that had been stalled for sixteen years began to move. That’s the power of grace. God’s enabling presence allows you to do what you cannot do on your own. It’s not by might, by cleverness, or by manpower. It’s by God’s enabling grace.
This is your reminder today: the unfinished places in your life, the dreams that seem dormant, the mountains that appear immovable—all of it can shift when you focus on the headstone, on Jesus, and shout grace, grace. God promises that what He started, He will finish. Do not despise the day of small beginnings. Keep speaking, keep trusting, keep declaring His grace. Watch the impossible become possible, and see miracles unfold as you align your faith with God’s enabling power.
Prayer: Lord, I thank You for the work You have begun in my life. Help me to begin again, even when I feel discouraged or overwhelmed. Teach me to focus on Jesus, the cornerstone, and to shout grace, grace over every unfinished dream, every mountain, every obstacle. Let Your enabling grace come upon me, giving me the power to overcome, to persevere, and to see Your promises fulfilled. I trust You to finish what You have started in me, and I declare that Your grace will accomplish it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Jentzen Franklin

12/17/2025

Christmas Glory

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." -Luke 2:11

Our finest authors and composers have written their most magnificent pieces of work when embracing the theme of Christmas. Though ten thousand marvelous stories and songs are at our disposal, all across the face of the planet millions of hands turn to the pages of Luke’s timeless record of Jesus’ birth. Chapter 2, verses 1–20, not only root the coming of Christ in history (in the days of Caesar Augustus), but they target Christ’s birth in our present moment, “to you this day.”

The angelic message, delivered to men at their work place, could not be more eloquent in its simplicity: “To you … today … a Savior.” Then His title is given, Christ the Lord, and the pathway to His side is revealed.

So it is that we have come to know Him as Christ our Lord and as Jesus, the Son of God. We have come to His side, not only to kneel in humility at a manger, but to worship with gratitude, praising at the side of Him, who later from His side paid the blood-price to win His role as Savior and to purchase our gift of eternal salvation.

Pastor Jack Hayford

04/26/2025

Living for yourself is the lowest level of life. God has so much more for you. The question we should asking isn't, "What can I get?" but "Who am I fighting for?" This is what Jesus as King----His kingship led Him to the Cross, where HE gave everything. That's real leadership. That is the higher calling on your life as a Christian.
Bethel Church Bill Johnson

04/18/2025

Happy Easter "Resurrection Day"

04/18/2025

What’s So Good About Good Friday?
“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
John 19:30 (NIV)
On a Friday morning, in a city bustling with Passover preparations, Jesus was bruised, bloodied and abandoned. The night had been long: He’d been betrayed by a friend, dragged through unjust trials, mocked and beaten. Early that morning, He was sentenced to die.
If anyone knows what it means to be broken, Jesus does.
Our world is filled with sorrows, yes. But Jesus didn’t just see our brokenness; He offered Himself to be broken for us on the cross. There, as He hung nailed to a tree like a criminal, He cried out “it is finished” before exhaling His last breath and giving up His spirit (John 19:30).
These are the very words a Hebrew priest would declare after killing the sacrificial lamb to cover the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). Jesus, the Lamb of God, took on the senseless violence of this world through His death, and as our High Priest, He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
In Hebrew, the word for “finished” shares a root with “shalom,” meaning peace, wholeness, restoration and completion. As Isaiah 53:5 explains, Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions … the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (NIV). The peace of God came through the piercing of Jesus.
What’s so good about Good Friday? It’s this: By His death on the cross, Jesus broke the power of death and sin in this world. So Good Friday reminds us of the good work Jesus accomplished on the cross, leading to His resurrection and healing of this fractured world.
But before we rush to Resurrection Sunday, let’s sit with the weight of Jesus’ sacrifice today. Let us sit with the pain of the Man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3), who endured the wrath of God at the cross. Let us ponder the injustice of the spotless Lamb of God punished for our sins. Let us marvel at the astounding death of the Creator of life. Let us worship the King of glory who let go of the splendor of heaven to become flesh and blood, to humble Himself, to hunger and thirst, to suffer and hurt, to be betrayed and rejected, mocked and humiliated — all for love.
Let us worship the Maker whose death brings life. Let us bring to Him all that’s heavy on our hearts, knowing He sees, He knows and He cares. And someday soon, He will finish restoring all that’s broken in this world — and in our lives too.
Jesus, we worship You for Your sacrificial love on the cross. Help us surrender to You those broken parts of our lives, and fill our hearts with hope that You will finish what You started: You will return to make all things new. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Francis Frangipane
May you have the Joy of the Lord.
Pastor Dean

11/28/2024

During this time of Thanksgiving, I encourage you to pause and remember the Lord. Give Him thanks with a grateful heart and in all you do, give Him thanks for His mercy, His hand that sustains you, and for abundance He provides for you. The Lord is our source and supplies us with all our needs. Please reflect on Him during this holiday and give Him the glory, honor, and praise for His faithfulness and goodness.

As you gather with your loved ones, make Him the focus and center of your holiday celebration. Please take the time to acknowledge Him and let Him know with a grateful heart how much you love him and appreciate Him for who He is in your life and for everything He has done for you throughout your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

08/27/2024

08/14/2024

Church of the Cornerstone has moved. We are now located inside the First Christian Church of Auburn, located at 910 N. Indiana Ave. in Auburn.

Sunday Services - 11:00am
Wednesday Bible Study - 6pm

All are welcome!
Come join us!

06/15/2024

MATTHEW 16;24
Then Jesus said unto His disciples, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.