3rd Week of Advent ~ JOY ~

 

Psalm 13:5-6
But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. [KJV]

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Welcome to Cornerstone
December 14, 2025

Weekly Service Schedule
Sunday

  9:00 am - Sunday Morning Bible Study

10:00 am - Praise & Worship Service
* Watch our Service live streamed on Facebook—10 to 11:15 a.m.

https://www.facebook.com/151939448154386/videos/

or search for Cornerstone Bible Church on Facebook

 7:00 pm - Sunday Evening Bible Study

 

Wednesday
7:00 pm - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

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Every Day

Read God's Word every day. Pray for understanding, and His help to live by it.
Pray for Pastor Jim, our deacon Eddie N., and for one another.
Pray and ask God to guide and protect our Local, National, and World Leaders.
Pray for our U.S. military men and women deployed overseas, stationed in U.S., and for our Vets.

Pray for Israel. Pray for peace in the Middle East.

Pray for peace between Ukraine and Russia. Pray for a Peaceful solution.
Pray for an end to the civil unrest that is happening in our country right now!

Pray for an end to the senseless gun violence happening lately.

Pray for people everywhere, that are being persecuted for their faith in Christ.
Pray for the Lord’s protection upon our schools, students, and teachers.
Pray for the Bible Studies and Services at the Jail and Juvenile Center.
Pray for God's continued blessing on the many Ministries of Cornerstone.

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Coming Events​​

* December 20th at 10 a.m. We will be assembling the Christmas Goodie Bags for those in the Dakota County Jail and Juvenile Center.

* December 21st is Mission Sunday. (Cornerstone Jail Ministry)

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* December 24th, at 4 p.m., is our Christmas Eve Service. Communion will be served.

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The Joash Chest - Offering for Building Repairs, Etc.

* Offerings given in the Joash Chest last Sunday totaled $40.00 - Thank you!

A Note from Pastor Jim​​​​​​​​​

 

* Thank you to those who helped with food, setting up & clean-up after Fellowship Sunday Luncheon last week. We appreciate all of you! 

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* Please be praying for healing for these people on our Prayer List. ~ Members: Anna G, Barbara M, Dennis E,  Mary H, Maye C, Michele S, Mickey L, Phyllis M, Randy R, Renee S, Roy Sw, & Sharon T. ~ Family & Friends: Allie S, Barb K, Ben B, Butch S, Caleb L, Cameron _, Dan B, Darren S, Ed M, Eddy U, Ellie H, George W, Haily B, Ingrid M, Janet M, Jean N, Joan M, Joanne B, Joe _, Joyce M, Judy S, Julian D, Kate M, Kathie T, Louise S, Lydia_, Margaret S, Mary Jane S, Michael G, Mike J, Nancy C, Paul M, Peggy M, Ron A, Robby N, Rosemary P, Roxie J, Sam F, Sarah G, Steve S, Susie J, Sylvia R, Tegan _, Terri T, Terry S, Thomas W, Thor S, and Vicki P. Thanks.

* Thank you to all our volunteers. We couldn't do it without you!

Yours in Christ, Pastor Jim and Charlotte

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Devotion of the Week​​​​​​​​​

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3rd Week of Advent - Show Your Joy - to the World - by Karen Ehman

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.” Psalm 13:5-6 (NIV)

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When you think of the phrase, “Christmas is coming!”…what sort of emotion does it evoke? It might be any one of these:
- Panic: Oh no, Christmas is coming and I’m not ready.
- Frustration: So many extra things to do and so little time left to do them.
- Regret: Why did I say we’d host the family get-together? 
- Envy: I saw my friend’s holiday decorations on Facebook. They look like they’re straight from a Christmas special. Ours look like we bought them from the clearance bin at the local secondhand store.

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So many sentiments can invade our hearts and minds, and these emotions don’t just stay there. Often, they weasel their way into our behavior. We are distracted. Our frustration morphs into hurry as we frantically try to get it all done. Our regret makes us a grumpy and ungracious. Our envy leads to ungratefulness and can prevent us from experiencing the joy that should come from the whole reason for the celebration of Christmas in the first place.

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Are these the attitudes we want on display during the month of December? Shouldn’t we choose the attitude reflected in the hymn, Joy to the World?

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JOY - The emotion that ought to be deeply experienced during the Christmas season—and, in turn, displayed in our behavior—should be joy. Today’s verse states, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

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This verse declares that our reaction to the salvation God freely offers — which began when Jesus came into the world as a baby that very first Christmas — should be that rejoicing.

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In this Old Testament verse, the word translated for rejoice actually means “to exult, to go about or to be excited to levity.” What a stark contrast to the emotions we usually display during the yuletide season!

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But what if we tried to take our roller coaster of emotions to God, asking Him to replace them with joy instead? If we choose to consciously thank God for the indescribable gift of salvation through Jesus, perhaps we could learn to recapture the joy of Christmas. And not just to feel it in our hearts, but to go about during this season, and all year, exulting God in the process.

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Through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, He triumphed over sin and death. We need not fear the future because of the miracle of Christmas. If we have responded to the gospel — the good news about Jesus offering us salvation — we too can experience a victory over the grave and dwell with God forever in heaven someday. Now, that’s a great reason to rejoice!

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Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, may my mind dwell this season on the incredible gift of salvation through Jesus that is the source of all joy in this life and the life to come. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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(You can find most of the devotions posted on our site at www.crosswalk.com/devotionals)

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The information below is for those of you who cannot attend service in person.

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* You can give by clicking the Donate Button at the top of this page.

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* If you cannot attend Church, and have a tithe or offering you would like to give, please mail to:     
Cornerstone Bible Church, P.O. Box 454, Hastings, MN 55033

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* Please join us on Facebook. No Facebook account, no problem, The following link will work. Just paste it in the address bar and hit enter. https://www.facebook.com/151939448154386/videos/  

 

You can also Search for Cornerstone Bible Church on your Facebook page to find our live streaming or previous Sermons.

 

God bless your faithfulness.

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* Need to Contact us?  Email us at: cornerstone55033@yahoo.com

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