Called Out of Darkness

Standing Firm - Sunday Sermon

June 16, 2024 • Pastor Joe Yoshihara

Satan, our adversary, seeks to devour us so we must be clear in our thinking, alert in our spirit, and firm in our resistance. Whether it's through the temptation of pride or suffering, we need to know that the enemy is always at work to destroy God's people and thwart God's kingdom work. But suffering and trials is not the end of the story and by God's grace He will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us either in this life or the life to come.

Following Godly Shepherds - Sunday Sermon

June 9, 2024 • Gordon Tsai

God's people in the church must humbly follow the elders who seek to shepherd according to God's will. This applies both to young people who have more of a tendency toward rebellion, and also to the rest of the church. God opposes proud people and often pride get's manifested in the attitude of disparaging church leaders and refusing to follow their leadership. Humility and submission postures ourselves to be lifted up by the Lord and begin to qualify us for positions of leadership.

Shepherding God's Flock - Sunday Sermon

June 2, 2024 • Pastor Joe Yoshihara

Church elders are charged with shepherding the flock that belongs to God that have been entrusted to our care. Godly elders willingly do this, not for financial gain or to wield authority over people, but out of a sincere love for the flock. Elder set an visible example of godliness and with an awareness that they serve under our Good Shepherd who will ultimately reward us.

Faith Tested by Fire - Sunday Sermon

May 26, 2024 • Wayne Kuo

Peter warns us that we should not be surprised by the fires of trials we will face. While the enemy can use these things to destroy our faith, God uses them to test our faith. Those with an authentic faith are able to look ahead to the time when Christ is seen and known by all as the sovereign Lord. Judgment begins with the household of God. This means that those who follow Jesus will suffer a form of judgment, possibly at the hands of the world, but also possibly at the hands of God, who will judge the authenticity of our faith. But this is nothing compared to the judgment that awaits non-believers.

Glorifying God with Our Gifts - Sunday Sermon

May 19, 2024 • Elder Tim Ng

History is coming to a close and God's people must be sober minded and self-controlled as we offer the gifts God has given us to serve others and extend God's kingdom. God cares not only that we use the gifts we've been given but we also do it with the right heart.

The Right Side of Suffering - Sunday Sermon

May 12, 2024 • Gordon Tsai

Suffering can help give us an eternal perspective as it reminds us that we are mortal and instead of living to satisfy our fleshly passions, we can passionately live to do God's will. Those who might malign you for not participating in following their worldly lifestyle will one day give an account before God. When Christ descended to the place of the dead, He not only proclaimed His victory to the unrighteous dead, He also proclaimed His victory to the righteous dead who had died since the beginning of the world up until Christ's resurrection; and had been waiting for the consummation of their faith. While they experienced the judgment of physical death, they escape spiritual death because of their faith and their spirit was brought to life.

Christ's Triumph - Sunday Sermon

May 5, 2024 • Pastor Stephen Okamoto

Our suffering for doing what is right follows in the footsteps of our Lord as He suffered on the cross. This also parallels Noah's suffering as he built the ark. God waited patiently for people to repent during Noah's time but they refused. When Christ descended to the place of the dead between His crucifixion and resurrection, He proclaimed His victory over death and Hades to the unrighteous dead, represented by those who lived during Noah's time. While the ark saved Noah and his family from the flood, the water rescued Noah from the evil society where he no doubt suffered for his faith, especially as he built the ark. And just as water was used to save Noah and his family from the evil society that surrounded him, God uses the water of baptism to save us, not the physical water itself, but what it represents, a good conscience because Christ was raised from the place of the dead after proclaiming His victory and now He is ascended to the place of complete authority over heaven, earth, and those under the earth (Hades).

A Commitment to Blessing - Sunday Sermon

April 28, 2024 • Pastor Daryl Siu

We have been blessed to be a blessing but we also bless to receive a blessing. Being a person that blesses flows out of a heart that seeks to honor the Lord and actually results in a blessing for us as it keeps us close to the Lord and His ears remain open to our prayers. While blessings do generally come to those who live this way, there could be situations where we suffer for doing what's right. The way we respond can open the door for spiritual conversations because it's so different from the way the world responds to adversity.

Homes of Honor - Sunday Sermon

April 21, 2024 • Pastor Joe Yoshihara

Our homes are to be a place where we also live in submission to the Lord in the way husbands and wives relate to each other. Far from the do-what-feels-good-to-you mantra that sounds so enlightened yet so often leads to broken homes, God's ways are counter-intuitive yet higher and better and lead to greater joy and fulfillment.

Living Under Authority - Sunday Sermon

April 14, 2024 • Pastor Joe Yoshihara

Nothing flies in the face of the prevailing culture more than our responsibility to submit to the authorities that have been placed over us. We are called to be submissive to the civic governing authorities and those we labor for. By doing so we follow in the footsteps of our Lord who suffered without retaliating by entrusting Himself to the One who will ultimately judge with complete righteousness and perfect justice.

God's People - Sunday Sermon

April 7, 2024 • Pastor Joe Yoshihara

Believers are called God's people and this has particular significance for the Gentile believers who previously did not have this as part of their corporate identity, unlike the Jews. As God's people, our relationship with God is very different than the Jews in that instead of looking forward to living peacefully in the Promised Land, these Gentile believers should see themselves as sojourners and exiles looking beyond this life which should help them to fight against the passions of this world.

A Call for Transformation - Sunday Sermon

March 24, 2024 • Stephen Lu

Believers are called living stones that are being built up into a spiritual house. This house is built upon Jesus, the cornerstone. Non believers stumble over the cornerstone because instead of submitting to God's word (truth) He offends their pride by declaring that they need a savior.

The Living and Abiding Word - Sunday Sermon

March 17, 2024 • Pastor Joe Yoshihara

Our obedience to the gospel leads to a sincere love for others in God's family. Having been born again, we have the freedom to live in a new way because we are a new creation. This is the fruit of the living and abiding word of God which is effectual in every generation because it is never obsolete or can be superseded.

Making Up Our Minds - Sunday Sermon

March 10, 2024 • Elder Mike Tam

Preparing our minds for action means focusing on the future grace that we will receive. This is not the grace of our salvation but the grace of our reward. Living holy lives is aided when we keep our eyes on eternity and not on the passing pleasures of sin. Our time on earth is short and we are considered exiles until we reach our eternal home.

A Pathway to Spiritual Growth - Sunday Sermon

March 3, 2024 • Pastor Joe Yoshihara

The prophets, especially Isaiah, spoke of the suffering of Christ. It was revealed to them that the fulfillment of their prophecy would not be in their lifetime but centuries into the future. The same Spirit that declared Christ's first advent through the prophets is the same Spirit that empowers us to declare the gospel. The common thread is the Spirit's ministry to proclaim Christ!

Cornerstone Christian Fellowship

A Study of 1st Peter