Series Episode 2 – The Local Church: Worshiping the One True and Triune God

In this second episode of our series, The Local Church: The Biblical Non-Negotiables That Make Us His Church, we dive into one of the most essential and defining elements of our identity as God’s people: our calling to worship the One True and Triune God.

Worship isn’t a side topic or a stylistic preference—it is central to who we are as the Church. Drawing from 1 Peter 2:9, we explore how God has called His people out of darkness and into His marvelous light so that we might declare His praises. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals a consistent truth: God’s people exist to worship Him.

But Scripture also insists that we must understand who this God is. The Bible clearly proclaims there is one God, and yet this one God is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this episode, we unpack the biblical foundation of the Trinity and why this doctrine isn’t optional, but it is essential to Christian faith and worship. To lose the Trinity is to lose the very God of Scripture.

Join us as we discuss what it means for the local church to faithfully worship the Triune God in our gatherings, in our homes, and in our daily lives. If we are truly His church, then worshiping the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in spirit and in truth must remain a core, non-negotiable part of our identity.

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What truly defines a local church according to Scripture?

In this powerful new series, The Cornerstone Perspective explores one of the most vital questions every congregation must ask: Are we fulfilling the true biblical mission of the local church, or have we become something else—perhaps a well-intentioned faith-based nonprofit?

While faith-based organizations play an invaluable role in the Kingdom of God, the local church stands distinct in its divine calling and mission. In this multi-part series, we uncover the biblical non-negotiables that form the foundation of Christ’s Church—those essential truths and functions that cannot be redefined, diluted, or discarded.

Beginning with Episode One, we examine the first and most foundational non-negotiable:

Preaching the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Through Scripture, we’ll see how Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, Paul’s message to the Corinthians, and the consistent witness of the New Testament reveal that every true local church must be rooted in the pure, bold, Spirit-empowered proclamation of the Gospel. Because in the end, good works alone are not enough—only a people transformed by the living Christ can be His Church.

Join us as we journey through what it means to be THE Church.

In one of life’s hardest questions, we explore why with a loving God, pain, evil, and suffering exists in this world. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture shows us that suffering wasn’t God’s design but the result of humanity’s sin—and yet, God steps into our pain through Jesus Christ. Drawing on the wisdom of Job, the Psalms, Paul’s letters, and the words of Billy Graham, this episode unpacks how free will, love, and God’s greater plan of redemption give us hope in the midst of brokenness. Ultimately, we find assurance that in Christ, suffering is not the end, but the path to victory and eternal life.

1. 1. The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. (Job, Psalms 13, Genesis 1–3, Romans 5, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15, Hebrews 4:15, Isaiah 53, Revelation 21).
   2. Augustine, St. The City of God. Translated by Marcus Dods. New York: Modern Library, 1950.
   3. Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. New York: Benziger Brothers, 1947.
   4. Lewis, C. S. The Problem of Pain. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2009.
   5. Piper, John. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God. Wheaton: Crossway, 2006.
   6. Wright, N. T. Evil and the Justice of God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.
   7. Carson, D. A. How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006.
   8. Graham, Billy. Answers to Life’s Problems: Guidance, Inspiration, and Hope for Daily Living. Waco: Word Books, 1988.