Riverton Cornerstone Community Church

# From Very Little to Very Great

Have you ever wondered if your prayers matter? Have you ever felt discouraged in ministry, struggled to see the fruit of your faith, or questioned whether your faithful obedience is making a difference?

In this encouraging sermon from **Luke 13:18–21**, we explore Jesus’ parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, discovering a powerful truth: **God can bring something very great from something that seems very small.**

Our faith may sometimes feel weak, our prayers may seem unanswered, and our efforts to serv...

The Compelled Life of the Reconciled

What compels you to live for Christ? In this powerful message, Pastor Gordon Penfold explores 2 Corinthians 5 and explains why the love of Jesus Christ should transform the way we live, serve others, and share the Gospel.

As Christians, we are called to live with eternity in mind. One day, we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of how we used the time, talents, and resources God entrusted to us. This reality should lead us to live with humility, faithfully serve our Savior, and...

The In Between Time

How should we live in the time between trusting Jesus Christ for salvation and the day we stand with Him in eternity?

In this message, The In Between Time, we explore Hebrews 10:19–25 and discover why God calls believers not only to draw near to Him but also to remain steadfast in faith, encourage one another, and commit to life together in the local church.

Because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we have access to God, forgiveness for our sins, and a living hope that rests on His faithfulness. But the Chri...

Into the Unknown

What do you do when God calls you to move forward, but you can’t see where He is leading?

In this message, we walk through **Genesis 12:1–9** and the calling of Abram, a man who was willing to leave behind his homeland, comfort, security, and everything familiar because he trusted the God who called him. Abram didn’t have a detailed roadmap. He had a promise—and that promise was enough.

The Christian life often requires the same kind of faith. Following God means recogniz...

With All That We Are and All That We Have

What does it look like to trust God with the future of a local church? What does it mean to faithfully steward what God has entrusted to us while keeping our focus on the gospel rather than simply growing bigger?

In this special vision-casting message from Cornerstone Community Church in Riverton, Wyoming, the church looks back at God's faithfulness over the past seven years while looking forward to what He may be calling the congregation to do next.

The message begins with the...

Discipleship Community: Biblical Church Membership, Commitment, and Growing Together in Christ

What does it really mean to belong to a local church? What does biblical church membership look like, and why does commitment to a local body matter for Christian discipleship?

In this special ministry-focused message from Cornerstone Community Church in Riverton, Wyoming, we explore the biblical foundation and purpose behind Discipleship Community—a framework designed to help believers commit themselves to the local church while enabling the church to better shepherd, disciple, encourage, and serve its people.

The message examines why Cornerstone hi...

In this powerful message from Ephesians 1:15–23, we are challenged to stop measuring our wealth by what money can buy and instead discover the incredible spiritual riches God has already made available to us through Jesus Christ.

Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus is that they would have their hearts and minds illuminated by the Holy Spirit so they could know God better, understand the hope of their calling, recognize the riches of their inheritance, and experience the greatness of God’s power available to those who believe.

Too often, Christians live as though they a...

Living Our Faith Together: The Gospel, Christian Fellowship, and Being Committed to One Another’s Good

What does it really mean to live our faith together?

In this message, “Living Our Faith Together,” we explore the biblical truth that Christianity was never meant to be lived as an isolated relationship between “me and Jesus.” Through Christ, we are brought into a redeemed community—a people who belong to God and to one another.

The gospel tells us that while we were still sinners and enemies of God, Christ reconciled us to Himself through His death. T...

Why are we often so quick to judge, criticize, resent, and hold grudges against the very people God has called us to love?

In this powerful sermon, “Go Easy,” we explore the transforming power of God's grace and the biblical call to love others as Christ has loved us.

The gospel reminds us that we are not naturally inclined to love, submit to, or seek God. We are born into a world marked by sin and spiritual death, completely dependent on the grace of God to awaken our hearts and bring us from...

The Comforting Savior | Isaiah 55:1

Where do you go when the ground falls out from beneath your feet? Where can you find lasting peace, satisfaction, hope, and comfort in a world that constantly leaves us tired, anxious, frustrated, discouraged, and thirsty for something more?

In this sermon, “The Comforting Savior,” we take a deeper look at Isaiah 55:1 and the beautiful invitation of the Messiah: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.” This message explores the spiritual thirst that exists apart from Christ and the abundant, free life that Jesus offers to those who come to...

Let Dagon Fall

What happens when our view of God collides with God's Word? What should we do when Scripture challenges our beliefs, our feelings, our experiences, or the way our culture has taught us to think?

In this powerful sermon, we explore the increasingly common topic of Christian deconstruction through the story of Dagon and the Ark of God in 1 Samuel 5. The message challenges us to consider what we are truly tearing down—and what we are putting in its place.

Biblical renewal is not about abandoning faith when we encounter difficult qu...

That You May Know – Part Two | Can We Really Know Truth? Faith, Reason & the Christian Worldview

Can we really know what is true? In a culture shaped by postmodernism, relativism, materialism, and scientism, many people claim that truth is subjective or that science alone can explain reality. But is that claim itself true?

In Part Two of That You May Know, we continue exploring one of Christianity's most important questions: How can we know what we know? This sermon examines the foundations of knowledge, truth, faith, and reason while exposing the assumptions behind today's dominant wo...

That You May Know – Part One | Can We Really Know the Truth?

How do you know what you know? In a world where everyone claims to have "their own truth," how can we distinguish genuine knowledge from personal opinion, emotion, tradition, or deception?

In Part One of That You May Know, we wrestle with one of life's most important questions: Can we truly know what is true? This sermon introduces the concept of epistemology—the study of knowledge—and explains why it matters for every area of life, including faith, relationships, morality, culture, parenting, decision-making, and et...

Mindful Worship, Part Two: Truth, Faith, and the Life of the Mind

What does it mean to love God with all your mind? In this second message in the Mindful Worship series, we continue exploring the importance of intellectual worship, spiritual formation, Christian discipleship, and the call for believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In a culture increasingly shaped by feelings, emotional reactions, social media, entertainment, cultural pressure, and the idea that truth is personal or relative, Christians are challenged to think carefully about what they believe and...

Mindful Worship

What does it mean to truly worship God? Is worship only about what we feel, or does biblical worship involve our minds, our thoughts, our understanding, and our pursuit of truth?

In this sermon, “Mindful Worship,” we explore the importance of loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. In a culture increasingly shaped by entertainment, social media, celebrity, shallow thinking, emotionalism, and competing worldviews, Christians are challenged to recover the biblical call to think carefully and deeply about the things that matter.

This message examines how art, music, ente...

Dependence Day | John 15:1–17

As we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, this message reminds us of an even greater freedom—the freedom found only in Jesus Christ. While our nation values independence, the Christian life is built on something entirely different: complete dependence on God.

Drawing from Jesus' words in John 15, we are reminded that Christ is the True Vine, the Father is the Vinedresser, and we are the branches called to abide in Him. Just as a branch cannot survive or produce fruit apart from the vine, we cannot experience the life God desi...

God's Wisdom, Design, and Glory in Creation | Psalm 104

What if every mountain, river, tree, animal, season, and sunrise is proclaiming the glory of God?

In this study through Psalm 104, we explore one of Scripture's most breathtaking portraits of God's creation and discover how the world around us reveals His infinite wisdom, power, goodness, and loving design. From the intricate design of water and the sustaining order of creation to the beauty of trees, the rhythms of nature, and the satisfaction found in God's provision, every part of creation points us to its Creator.

...

God's Wisdom in God's World | Psalm 104 | Seeing the Creator Through Creation

What can a simple glass of water teach us about God?

In this message from Psalm 104, we explore the breathtaking wisdom of God revealed through His creation. From the vast heavens to the intricate design of a single water molecule, creation continually points us to the infinite wisdom, power, and glory of its Creator.

Discover how God's attributes—including His light, wisdom, sovereignty, and sustaining power—are displayed throughout the natural world. We'll examine what Scripture teaches about God's illuminating light, why crea...

How do the Psalms shape our worship, prayer, and everyday lives? In this sermon on Psalm 104, we explore one of Scripture's most beautiful songs of praise and discover why the Book of Psalms has served as the worship playlist of God's people for generations.

Through Psalm 104, we are reminded that we were created not merely to admire creation, but to worship the Creator. This message examines the difference between praising God directly and proclaiming His greatness through His creation, challenging us to lift our eyes beyond ourselves and recover a life marked by awe, gratitude, and wholehearted...

What Matters Most? God Wants Your Heart | Matthew 23

In this powerful message from Matthew 23, Ian McFarland explores one of the most important truths found throughout Scripture: God is not impressed by outward religion—He wants your heart.

Jesus' strongest rebukes were not directed at obvious sinners, but at religious leaders who looked spiritual on the outside while their hearts remained far from God. Through a deep dive into the Pharisees' hypocrisy, Ian challenges us to examine our own lives and ask a difficult question: Are we more concerned with what people think about us, or wh...

The Only One | Revelation 5

In this powerful message, guest preacher Nathan explores the breathtaking vision of Revelation 5 and reminds us that when life’s problems seem overwhelming, there is only One who is worthy to carry the weight of our burdens. From personal struggles and family hardships to cultural uncertainty and global turmoil, Nathan points listeners to the throne room of heaven where Jesus Christ reigns as both the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and the Lamb who was slain.

Drawing from Revelation 5, Daniel 7, Isaiah 9, and other key pa...

In this powerful message, Ian McFarland preached about the overwhelming complexity of life and the beautifully simple truth that gives meaning to it all: humanity was created for the glory of God. Walking through passages like Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 2, Isaiah 43, Psalm 16, Revelation 4, and 1 Corinthians 10:31, Ian explored how people search endlessly for purpose, identity, fulfillment, and happiness, yet remain restless apart from the God who made them.

Ian unpacked the reality that while life, relationships, emotions, and even theology can feel impossibly complicated, God has made the most important truths accessible. From Romans 1:19-21, he taught...

The Wild Places – Part 3

In this message from Luke 4, we continue exploring Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and what it reveals about the spiritual battle every believer faces. Temptation rarely appears obvious or terrifying at first. More often, it works quietly through our desires, distractions, comforts, and compromises until we slowly drift from dependence on God.

This sermon examines how the enemy seeks to devour by elevating our desires above the will of the Father, and how Jesus overcame every temptation through surrender, the power of God’s Word, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit...

More Blessed – Sermon Summary

In this message, the focus is on learning to trust the goodness and wisdom of God even when life does not unfold the way we hoped. Many of our struggles come not simply from suffering, but from believing we know what is best for us better than God does. The sermon reminds us that while we often long for certain outcomes, only God fully sees the future and knows what will truly lead to life, faith, and joy.

The message contrasts the world’s self-centered mindset with the way of Christ. Cult...

Life in the Wild, Part 2 – Sermon Summary

In this message from Luke 4, the focus centers on Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness and facing temptation from Satan. The sermon explores not only the reality of spiritual warfare, but also the incredible significance of Christ entering fully into the human experience.

After His baptism, where the Father declared Jesus to be His beloved Son, Jesus was immediately led into the wilderness. There, Satan challenged both His identity and His obedience. The repeated phrase, “If you are the Son...

"If you are the Son of God..."

With these words, the greatest record of victory in human history began. In the first part of this series, we look at the wilderness not just as a physical desert, but as a spiritual battlefield. While the first Adam faced a serpent in a lush garden and lost, the Second Adam (Jesus) stepped into a barren wasteland to face that same enemy—and won.

Discover why Jesus’ victory in the desert was just as necessary for your salvation as the Cross and the Empty Tomb. If you've been feel...

Have you ever felt like a "train wreck" or a "dumpster fire"? Have you ever assumed that because of what you did this week—or how long you’ve been away—that God has finally moved on from you?

In this special devotional message, we take a "breather" between series to look at one of the most beautiful promises in all of Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:29. Whether you are struggling with addiction, cynicism, or just a numb heart, there are four words from God that can shatter every lie of the enemy: "But if from there..."

Join us as...

This transcript is a powerful conclusion to the weekend, moving from Ben’s personal, emotional connection to Wyoming into the cinematic "mic drop" of God speaking from the whirlwind.

Here are three description options for the Grand Finale of the "Out of the Storm" series.

Title Ideas: Out of the Storm: The Mic Drop of God | Everything is Going to Be Okay

Description:"I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you."

After 37 chapters of silence, God finally speaks—but He doesn't answer Job...

How do we maintain a relationship with a God we don't currently understand?

Ben Putt walks us through the "butting heads" phase of the Book of Job, contrasting the rigid, simplistic theology of Job’s friends with Job’s own desperate, spiraling search for truth. This session highlights a turning point in the book: Job 28’s poetic search for wisdom.

Key topics covered:

Innocent Suffering: Debunking the idea that suffering is always a direct punishment for sin.

The Intercessor: Examining Job’s prophetic cry for an advocate to stand between mortal man and...

"Darkness is my closest friend." It’s the bleakest line in the Psalms, and for many of us, it’s the most authentic.

In Day 2 of our "Out of the Storm" series, Ben and Jess Putt lead us into the "ash heap" of Job Chapter 3. If Day 1 was about the theory of evil, Day 2 is about the feeling of it. We explore why the Bible includes gut-wrenching honesty that doesn't always end with a "happy ever after" in the next verse.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to put on a "fine" face for ch...

Out of the Storm: Why Does God Allow Evil?

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." — C.S. Lewis

How do we reconcile a God who is perfectly good, infinitely powerful, and completely sovereign with the presence of raw, unmitigated suffering?

In this session, we welcome guest speaker Ben Putt to begin a journey through the Book of Job. Moving beyond "dry" apologetics, Ben explores the "spiritual wager" of the heavenly places and why the Gr...

Every Reason – Sermon Summary

This message explores a simple but critical question: Why do we believe?

Many people—both outside and inside the church—point to feelings, community, or a general sense that there must be something greater than themselves. While those things may have value, they are not strong enough to answer life’s deepest questions about sin, forgiveness, change, and ultimately, death.

The early church gives us a clear and consistent answer. Their message, seen throughout the book of Acts, was not built on emotion or preference but on a historical claim: J...

Pastor Ian McFarland | 1 Thessalonians 5

Pastor Ian McFarland walks through the closing chapter of 1 Thessalonians, focusing on what it means to live ready for the return of Jesus. His message is both a warning and an encouragement—calling believers to spiritual alertness, gospel-centered living, and deep trust in God’s faithfulness.

The Big Idea: Be Ready—But Not Afraid

The “day of the Lord” will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. But believers are not in darkness—they are children of the light. Readiness is...

What gives a Christian true confidence?

In this message, David Gale, Men’s Ministry Elder, walks through 1 John 2:1–6 and unpacks a powerful truth: our confidence is not found in our performance, but in the finished work of Jesus Christ—and the transforming work He is doing within us.

John reminds us that while we are called to turn from sin, we are not left without hope when we fall. We have an Advocate in Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, who stands on our behalf. He is the propitiation for our sins—the full and sufficient payment...

God Is Light - David Gale

What does it really mean that “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all”?

In this powerful message from 1 John 1, we explore one of the most foundational truths of the Christian faith—and how our response to that truth shapes everything about our lives. The Apostle John lays out two distinct paths: a downward spiral into self-deception and darkness, or an upward journey into clarity, confession, and fellowship with God.

Why do we often resist the light? Why is it so easy t...

The Word of Life: The Beginning of Eternal Joy
1 John 1:1–4 | Speaker: David Gale

In this message, David Gale opens a study through the book of First Epistle of John, a letter written to give believers confidence and assurance in their faith.

The Apostle John the Apostle wrote this letter to Christians who were facing confusion and division. Some had abandoned the original message about Christ, leaving the remaining believers wondering whether they were still holding to the truth. John responds by taking them back to the beginning—to the message they first received.

At...

Be Ready: Faithful Living While We Wait

1 Thessalonians 5:12–14

How should Christians live while waiting for Christ to return?

In this message, Pastor Ian McFarland continues walking through Paul’s closing instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5, showing that readiness for Christ’s return is not about decoding end-times predictions—it is about faithful living.

For decades, books and predictions about the end times have captured the imagination of millions. Yet Jesus repeatedly warned that His return would come unexpectedly. Instead of chasing speculation, believers are called t...

How To Be Ready | 1 Thessalonians 4–5
Pastor Ian McFarland

What does it truly mean to be ready for Christ’s return?

In this powerful and pastoral message, Pastor Ian McFarland walks through 1 Thessalonians 4:16–5:22, weaving together Paul’s teaching with Jesus’ words in Matthew 24–25 to paint a clear and compelling picture of the Day of the Lord.

Scripture tells us that “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven” with a cry of command, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. Then those who are alive will be ca...

Mercy, Mission & the Day of the Lord | Rich Martin & Pastor Ian McFarland

This powerful Sunday gathering featured two meaningful moments for our church family — a bold call to gospel mission in our community and a thoughtful return to Paul’s teaching on the Day of the Lord.

First, Rich Martin, director of Riverton Mercy House, shared his gripping testimony of redemption. From addiction, despair, and homelessness to restoration in Christ, Rich testified to the transforming power of the gospel. Once enslaved to drugs and fear, he now proclaims the hope of Jesus — the One who “came to...

Do You Enjoy God? | Guest Speaker Pete Rogers

This weekend, we were blessed to welcome special guest Pete Rogers, host of the award-winning Christian Outdoors Podcast, for a powerful and deeply personal message about what it truly means to enjoy God.

Drawing from the historic Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) and its famous first question — “What is the chief end of man?” — Pete explores the life-changing answer: “To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” But what does it actually mean to enjoy God? And does our “forever” begin only in eternity… or has it already begun?

Through humor...