Check out this Relational Circuits resource mentioned by Pastor Michael!

Check out these resources gathered by our Resource Team!

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

The Other Half of Church by Jim Wilder & Michel Hendricks

“Join Michel and Jim's journey as they couple brain science with the Bible to identify how to overcome spiritual stagnation by living a full-brained faith. You'll also learn the four ingredients necessary to develop and maintain a vibrant transformational community where spiritual formation occurs, relationships flourish, and the toxic spread of narcissism is eradicated.” This book was part of the inspiration for our “Seen. Known. Loved” sermon series!

Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World by Jennie Allen

“In a world that’s both more connected and more isolating than ever before, we’re often tempted to do life alone. But we are meant to live known and loved. So many are hiding behind emotional walls that we’re experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. In Find Your People, you’ll discover exactly how to dive into the deep end and experience the full wonder of community. Because while the ache of loneliness is real, it doesn’t have to be your reality.”

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES:

Desiring God - The Only Joy We Never Lose: Why Happiness is Not Optional

“Never settle for a god who cannot satisfy you in a prison cell. If you only enjoy God when life seems good, follow Paul’s joy with me through Philippians to something more precious than gold, even much fine gold, something sweeter than honey — and anything else you might enjoy in this life.”

Got Questions - How can I experience joy in my Christian life?

“Joy is meant to be a hallmark of the Christian life. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and a gift of God. We best receive this gift when we focus on the truth of who God is, commune with Him through prayer, and rely on the community of believers He has provided.”

Gospel Coalition - The Call—and Cost—of Beautiful Church Community

“Experiencing community means experiencing a sense of belonging, of welcome and embrace, a sense of being at home. It’s the exact opposite of feeling you’d rather be someplace else. Since beautiful community is a matter of the Spirit and can’t be engineered, there’s a cost to becoming the kind of people who welcome and embrace fellow image-bearers across lines of difference.”

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS:

The Bible Project - Joy

“In this video, we explore the unique type of joy to which God’s people are called. It’s more than a happy mood, but rather a choice to trust that God will fulfill his promises.”

Look at the Book - Thank God for Gospel Friendships

Watch pastor John Piper exegete Philippians 1:3-5 as he explores the relational intimacy between Paul and the believers in Philippi.

Spoken Gospel - Philippians 1: Joy in Suffering

“This Bible study devotional covers Philippians 1. In this passage, we read that Paul is in prison for preaching the good news that Jesus’ death leads to eternal life. But even though he might be in chains, the Gospel is not bound.”

Crazy Love Ministries - Impossible Unity (Video Devo)

“Jesus prayed that the church would become perfectly united just as the Father and Son are perfectly one. Yet we are more divided than ever. Francis Chan shares how becoming one seems impossible. It would take a miracle. The Bible says that we were created in such a way that we are capable of attaining oneness with God and each other. What would it look like if the church really believed this and started pursuing it seriously?”

RECOMMENDED SERMONS:

Tyler Staton - Defiant Joy (Philippians 1:3-11)

“Tyler Staton, author of Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, preaches on relational joy. More than any other New Testament book, the epistle to the Philippians radiates joy. Rooted in the person and work of Jesus, in the vibrant relationship the apostle Paul shared with the church in Philippi and in the stunning invitation given to every follower of Jesus to live as citizens of heaven, this joy is the most noticeable feature of the letter.”

Ian Simpkins - A Sermon on Community: Better Together

This sermon was delivered by Ian Simpkins at Bridge Church and explores the differences between loneliness and vulnerability, and accessibility and availability. “When meaningful connection is missing from our lives, we often run to some kind of addiction to fill the void.” Simpkins states that a scientist may have it right to say “the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it’s connection”.

Louie Giglio - The Joy that Defies Everything

“Where does your joy come from? What is at the core of your resistance when facing storms? Continuing in the book of Philippians, Pastor Louie Giglio takes us on a deeper journey into where the joy comes from that sustains us through each and every circumstance.”

RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:

Warehouse Podcast

Welcome to The Warehouse! Has a Sunday sermon ever left you running to Google with new theological questions? Have you ever wished that you could peer behind the curtain to see how the message comes together? That’s where we come in! Here at Cornerstone Church, we spend hours every week talking about the Bible. This is the place to learn about Scripture, dive into its context, and study the Bible’s cultural background. Come to the Warehouse–where we’ll extend the stuff you learn from the stage.

Bible Project - Our Collective Identity: Family of God

“What is God’s picture of an ideal humanity? In this podcast episode, Tim and Jon look at Genesis 1-2 and talk about how God makes one humanity, divides them, and purposes for them to be one again. And this oneness that God brings doesn’t erase personal and cultural differences; rather, it completes them.”

Spoken Gospel - Philippians Introduction

“Philippians is a letter about joy in the middle of suffering. When the Church at Philippi is "in Christ" in their suffering they will also join Christ's resurrection. David and Seth talk about how Jesus' joy on the cross is the reason we are saved; the reason we can rejoice in our suffering; and the motivation for our humility towards one another.”

Ask Pastor John: How do I stop rooting my joy in my circumstances?

Pastor John Piper gives advice on the question by first addressing the fact that “God is much more committed to building godly joy and happiness into His children than we are committed to finding it”. Pastor John gives four points to recognizing Godly joy, including the need to “give up on finding joy in a trouble-free life”.

RECOMMENDED SONGS:

I’ve Got Joy by Orange Kids Music

A seriously fun and catchy song for kids about joy!

Joy (feat. Ben Rector), The Choir Room

Ben’s song performed by a massive choir and much joy.

Joy by For KING + COUNTRY

Joy in the Morning by Tauren Wells & Elevation Worship