Newsletter | December 20, 2024

Dear Church Family and Friends,

We have just wrapped up another election cycle here in Alabama, and it sometimes feels like we're perpetually stuck in one. It's a never-ending cycle of "promises". Politicians, eager for our votes, pledge to deliver everything from economic prosperity to world peace. They paint a picture of a utopian future if only we elect them. But as we all know, promises made on the campaign trail aren't always promises kept.

This isn't just a political problem. Broken promises are a source of pain in many areas of our lives. Marriages crumble under the weight of unmet expectations. Parents struggle to stick to holiday budgets they swore they'd maintain. Employees feel demoralized when promised promotions or raises fail to materialize. Even children grapple with the difficulty of keeping promises, like behaving themselves during the holidays.

We all make promises, but keeping them is a constant challenge. What's the biggest promise you've ever made? More importantly, what's the biggest promise ever made to you? Was it kept?

Our lives are built on the hope that promises, both given and received, will be honored. When a politician, spouse, friend, or boss breaks a promise, our hopes are dashed and our trust is shaken.

This brings us to the heart of the Old Testament: God's unwavering promise to send a Redeemer, a Messiah, to rescue His people from sin and its consequences.

The Old Testament in many ways is the story of a people who do not know how to keep their promise. Instead of clinging to this divine promise, the Israelites repeatedly placed their faith in false gods and unreliable nations. We often make the same mistake, placing our hope in people and things that were never meant to bear such weight. Many of our struggles stem from this misplaced hope.

So, how do we avoid this pitfall? Where should we place our hope?

The New Testament, with the birth of Christ, bursts into this darkness with a powerful message: a promise made is now a promise kept. But what exactly was this promise?

To understand this massive promise, we must trace it through the Bible. In Genesis, God created a perfect world, but paradise was lost through Adam and Eve's disobedience. Yet, even then, God made a promise—the first hint of the Gospel—in Genesis 3:15: a descendant of Eve would crush the serpent's head, conquering sin and death. This promise wouldn't be fulfilled immediately, leading us to Noah.

Despite God's judgment through the flood, He offered a symbol of hope: the rainbow, a warrior's bow turned upwards, signifying that His next judgment would fall upon Himself. Then came Abraham. God promised descendants as numerous as the stars and a blessing for all nations. God sealed this promise with a covenant, symbolizing His own sacrifice if He failed to deliver.

King David, a man after God's own heart, wasn't the ultimate fulfillment, but his lineage would produce a king who would reign forever. The prophet Isaiah then delivered more specific promises: a virgin would conceive and bear a son, Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14); a child would be born, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7); a shoot would come from the stump of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-5). These prophecies painted a vivid picture of the coming Messiah.

Then, silence — four hundred years of silence. Where was the promised Son? When will the Messiah come?

The New Testament breaks this silence. Matthew's Gospel begins with a genealogy, tracing Jesus' lineage back to David and Abraham (Matthew 1:1). The Messiah, the fulfillment of God's promises, had arrived!

Christmas celebrates this Good News: the Messiah is here! The Lord keeps His promises. If God kept His greatest promise by sending His Son, who conquered sin and death, blessed the nations, and now reigns forever, will He not also fulfill every other promise He has made? The incarnation of Jesus Christ is God's ultimate demonstration of faithfulness.

So, this Christmas, where is your hope placed? If it's in material gifts, fleeting relationships, political promises, or even yourself, you're likely to be disappointed. But if your hope is in a God whose love never fails, who always keeps His promises, who has kept His greatest promise in Jesus Christ, then you will never be let down.

As Psalm 146:5 reminds us, "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God."

Merry Christmas! The Lord keeps His promises, the Messiah has come, and He will come again!

See you Sunday!

by His grace and to His praise,
Pastor Wilson

Wilson’s Weekly

Pastor Wilson does not personally endorse everything said or written in these links but hopes these articles and/or podcasts will be helpful for Christians in cultivating a biblical worldview.

Preparation for Worship

DECEMBER 22, 2024

This Sunday's Sermon:

“The Glory of God in the Incarnation: The Sacrifice of Christ”

Hebrews 10:1-25

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This Week’s Bulletin

Cornerstone Prayer Requests

Pray for church members caring for family - Ed and Carolyn Pendergrass, Diana Akridge, Susan Dupré, Kyle Mosier, Randy Petcher, Mike and Carol Wellfare, and the Barkleys (foster child).

Pray for healing - Susan Hoyt, Bob and Kathy Cassis, Dawn Chenault, Earl Myers, Tim and Gayle Ricks, Ruby Petcher, Marc Goldmon, Diane Brown, Jon Wren, Walt Hodges, Suzann Dolan, Gary Abernathy, Bill Hitt, and others.

Pray for our homebound friends - Ruby Petcher, Betty Baldwin, Bill and Suzi Bolton.

Pray for our expectant mothers - Kerry McMillan (January), Bre Sullivan (February), Abigail Wood (February), Ashley Colette (March), Abby Junen (April), Andrea Mace (May), and the Kawell family (adoption).

Pray for our Missional Partnerships - John Perrit with RYM and Valley Presbyterian Church, Madison, AL (Rev. William Plott).

Announcements

Church Office Closed - Our office will be closed from December 24 to January 1, 2025. It will reopen on January 2 at 9 a.m.

Christmas Poinsettia - If you purchased a poinsettia in honor or memory of a loved one, you may take it home following the Christmas Eve service.

Sunday School - Sunday School will not meet today or December 29 and will resume on January 5.

Christmas Eve Services - The annual candlelight Lessons and Carols services will be at 4 and 5:30 pm on Christmas Eve. To help us make plans to accommodate everybody and have adequate parking at each service, please sign up for the service you plan to attend here. We anticipate having space available for anybody who wants to come, and nobody will be turned away. When you sign up, please make sure to register for all family members and guests attending.

Nominations - Cornerstone members have the opportunity to nominate men for church office until Tuesday, December 31. Please pick up a nomination brochure in the lobby and place it in the offering plate or give to a church officer.

Ladies Bible Study Spring 2025 - Resumes Tuesday, January 7 at 9 am in the main church building. New members of the study are welcome to join us as we continue in Acts. For more details and to register as a new member, please click here.

Creative Arts Ministry Break - Creative Arts Ministry will be taking a break from meeting until Wednesday, January 8. Contact Suzann Dolan for more information at sdolan73@aol.com.

Men’s Retreat 2025 - Save the date for February 21-23, 2025 at Alpine Camp for Boys in Mentone, AL. More details to follow.

Hurricane Helene Donation Information - To donate to affected churches, you can give to our benevolence fund or directly to MNA Disaster Response here.

Important Parking update

New Parking Lot Entrance - Our former main entrance to the church and FLC has been modified to become a RIGHT TURN and EXIT ONLY lane. On Sunday, please use our new entrance at the crown of McClung Avenue. Once in the parking lot, parking is available in both the east and west lots and spaces in the front.

Missions Moment

Each week we want to highlight one of our missional partnerships. Please take a moment to learn about these wonderful ministries that Cornerstone has the privilege of serving alongside.

This week's highlighted ministries:

John Perrit with RYM

The Mission of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church is to be a community of Christ's followers who worship, grow, and serve together to glorify God in Huntsville and throughout the world.

give

Please contact the church office by Thursday for changes or additions to prayer requests.

The Cornerstone Newsletter is a weekly publication emailed each Friday. To notify the church office of church members in the hospital or of births and deaths, or if you have a change of address or name, please contact office@cornerstonehuntsville.org or 256-489-4625.

Newsletter December 20, 2024