Cornerstone Church With Dustin Bates

Cornerstone Church SC

The sermon audio podcast of Cornerstone Church in Orangeburg, S.C. Helping disconnected people find, follow, and be like Jesus.

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21 episodes
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Avg 43 min
English

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#495
October 4 · 49 min
Trembling at God's Word | Awe of God
Christianity is unique among world religions because God chose to reveal Himself to us, both through creation and through His Word. The Bible is not simply a book written by men but a divinely inspired text that has shaped nations, transformed hearts, and guided generations. The story of King Josiah offers a striking picture of what it looks like to truly encounter Scripture. When Josiah heard the long-lost words of God's law read aloud, he grieved openly, acknowledged failure honestly, and gathered every person in the community to hear it together. God's Word is living and active, capable of exposing what is hidden in the heart and rebuilding what has been lost. Reading Scripture consistently and intentionally is one of the most transformative habits a person can develop.
#494
September 28 · 47 min
Irresistible Holiness | Awe of God
Holiness is not about following a rigid list of rules or becoming someone unrecognizable. It simply means being set apart from sin and set apart for God, until we begin to look more like Him. Drawing from 1 Peter, three dimensions of holiness shape the life of every believer: holy hope, holy desires, and holy confidence. Holy hope is anchored in what God has already done through Jesus Christ and pointed toward what He has promised. Holy desires grow as we develop discernment about what feeds our spirit and what poisons it. Holy confidence rests on the truth that before the world began, God had a plan, that plan was Jesus, and that plan was for you. Holiness is not a destination you arrive at. It is a direction you choose every day.
#493
September 21 · 44 min
The God Who Truly Sees Us | Awe of God
Jacob was one of the most flawed figures in the Bible, a deceiver and manipulator who spent his life trusting only himself. His story reaches a turning point in Genesis 32, when he is left alone in the dark and wrestles through the night with God in human form. Rather than crushing him, God engaged him, and when Jacob finally told the truth about who he was, everything changed. God gave him a new name, Israel, meaning one who wrestles with God. The wrestling was not rebellion. It was honest engagement. God is not looking for people who have it all figured out. He is looking for people willing to show up honestly, hold on, and refuse to let go.
#492
September 14 · 43 min
The Fear of the Lord | Awe of God
The phrase 'fear of the Lord' appears throughout Scripture, but it is not a single concept. There are actually three distinct types of fear found in the Bible, and knowing the difference can transform your relationship with God. Sinful fear drives you away from God, rooted in shame and the lie that He is holding something back from you. Right and healthy fear draws you toward God through trembling awe at His majesty and mercy. Filial fear, the deepest and most mature kind, is the loving closeness of a child who never wants to be separated from a good and faithful Father. Understanding which type of fear is most present in your life is the first step toward a richer, more honest walk with God.
#491
September 6 · 43 min
A Man & His Calling | Men of Legacy
Every man has a calling, and it goes far beyond a job title or a church role. Through the lives of Abraham, Moses, and David, we see three dimensions of that calling: stepping out of comfort and into obedience, leading with courage and humility, and investing intentionally in the next generation. God called each of these men not because they were perfect, but because they were willing. Abraham left everything familiar, Moses was shaped through decades of obscurity, and David poured his whole story into the people around him. None of them got it right every time, yet all three are remembered for their pursuit of God. Your failures do not have to define you or the generations that come after you. The calling is real, and it is on your life right now.
#490
August 31 · 43 min
A Man and His Mind | Men of Legacy
A man of legacy is a man whose life is worth imitating, giving others something worth following. Romans 1 describes what happens when humanity rejects God: thinking becomes corrupt, and the mind becomes ruled by envy, greed, and pride. But Romans 12:1-2 offers the answer, calling believers to be transformed by the renewing of their minds rather than conformed to the patterns of this world. This transformation is not behavior modification. It is a complete overhaul, giving believers new capacity to discern not just right from wrong, but a good thing from a God thing. A battle-ready mind, as described in 2 Corinthians 10, takes every thought captive and tears down strongholds through the power of God. Philippians 4 rounds it out with a call to dwell on what is true, honorable, pure, and praiseworthy rather than the fear and division that dominate so much of daily life. Somebody is always watching, and the legacy a man leaves starts with the condition of his mind.
#489
August 24 · 45 min
A Man and His Heart | Me of Legacy
What does it mean to be a man of legacy? It starts not with outward success, but with the condition of the inner man. Scripture is clear that when men lead and love well, everyone around them flourishes. The difference between a man and a boy comes down to one word: responsibility. A man takes ownership of his actions, his failures, and the people in his care. Drawing from the life of King David, we see how even the greatest among us can fall when the heart grows cold and sin goes unaddressed. True legacy begins with a repentant, humble, and teachable heart. Let God have your heart, and everything else will follow.
#488
August 17 · 45 min
The God Who Keeps His Promises | Plot Twist
Bad things happen to good people, and the life of Joseph shows us that God is still at work even in the middle of betrayal, suffering, and broken promises. Promises form the foundation of trust, and when they are broken by people we love, they can distort the way we see God. But unlike people, God has never broken a single promise. Joseph spent 22 years moving from a pit to a prison to a palace, and through it all, God was authoring something far greater than Joseph could see. When Joseph finally faced the brothers who had betrayed him, he did not let his pain narrate his story. He recognized that what others meant for evil, God had used for good. No matter what season you are in, God's promises are active, available, and unbreakable. He is not finished writing your story.
#487
August 10 · 46 min
Don't Lose the Plot | Plot Twist
Life rarely goes the way we plan, but that does not mean God has lost the plot. The story of Joseph in Genesis 37 reveals how favoritism, resentment, and revenge can fracture even the closest relationships, and how God works through broken families to accomplish something far greater than we can imagine. Jacob's extreme favoritism toward Joseph poisoned his household, and his sons responded with hatred and violence. Yet even in the middle of betrayal and injustice, God was writing a story that pointed forward to Jesus. Just as Joseph was sold by his brothers for silver, Jesus was betrayed for silver by a man from the very line of Judah. We are not the innocent ones in this story. We are the brothers, and yet the chosen Son gave His life for us anyway.
#486
August 3 · 33 min
What Does Baptism Really Mean? | Summer School
Baptism is one of the most visible steps a believer can take, but it is important to understand what it actually means. It is an outward expression of an inward change that took place at salvation. Baptism does not save you. Jesus saves you, and the water is a symbol of that reality. When a person goes under the water, it pictures the burial of the old life. Coming up out of the water pictures being raised to new life in Christ. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, baptism is not optional. It is a command from Jesus Himself and a bold public declaration that you belong to Him.
#485
July 27 · 40 min
Why Doesn't Life Feel Fair | Summer School
Life rarely feels fair, and the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 speaks directly to that tension. Abel brought his best to God and still lost his life, proving that doing the right thing does not guarantee a fair outcome. The difference between Cain and Abel was not what they gave but the heart behind it. Cain went through the motions while Abel gave genuinely and wholeheartedly. God is not interested in religious performance. He wants an honest, authentic relationship. Faith is not a transaction where good behavior earns good results. It is a relationship built on trust, even when life does not add up. And the greatest reminder of this is the cross, where Jesus took the most unfair punishment in history so that we could receive grace we never deserved.
#484
July 20 · 38 min
How Good is Good Enough? | Summer School
Most of us believe we are good people, but we tend to slide the moral scale in our own favor while holding others to a higher standard. When everyone defines goodness for themselves, there is no real standard at all, and history shows where that leads. God does not simply possess goodness. He is goodness, and every true good thing flows from Him. In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Jesus makes clear that self-righteousness blinds us to our own need. The Pharisee listed his accomplishments, while the tax collector simply asked for mercy, and it was the tax collector who went home justified. The good news is that you do not have to be good enough. Christ died for us while we were still sinners, not after we cleaned ourselves up. Goodness is not a score you reach. It is a Person you follow.
#483
July 13 · 40 min
Who is Jesus, Really? | Summer School
Questions about Jesus are common in classrooms, workplaces, and online conversations, and Christians are called to be ready with real answers. Historical evidence for Jesus comes not just from Scripture but from hostile outside sources like Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, and Josephus, all of whom had no reason to support Christianity. Even skeptical scholars like Bart Ehrman acknowledge that the historical existence of Jesus is as certain as we can be about anyone from the ancient world. Every version of Jesus that falls short of His full identity is an edited version, and an edited Jesus cannot save anyone. Jesus made His identity unmistakably clear through forgiving sins, accepting worship, and repeatedly using the divine name I AM for Himself. The Christian faith is built not on feelings or tradition alone, but on a real person who claimed to be God, died for that claim, and rose from the dead to prove it.
#482
June 29 · 41 min
Hope Fully
Many Christians find themselves spiritually exhausted not because they have walked away from God, but because they are running on empty. Drawing from 1 Peter, four practical infusions can help restore spiritual vitality. The first is remembering your identity as someone chosen by God and adopted into His family. The second is anchoring your trust in God's living promises, grounded in the historical reality of the resurrection. The third is allowing trials to refine and strengthen your faith rather than simply trying to escape them. The fourth is shifting from a vague, wishful hopefulness to a full, assured hope rooted in what Christ has already accomplished.
#481
June 22 · 37 min
Being A Dad In the Presence of the Father
Being a godly father is one of the most important callings a man can answer, and Psalm 15 gives a clear and practical picture of what that looks like. Four key areas shape a father's lasting impact on his children: his actions, his words, his circle of friends, and his integrity. Children are always watching, and what they see in their father will shape their faith, their character, and their future far more than any advice he gives. A father who pursues God sincerely, speaks life over his children, surrounds himself with godly men, and keeps his word is building a legacy that outlasts him. The goal is not perfection but devoted, intentional pursuit of Christ in everyday life. That kind of father is exactly what Psalm 15 describes, and exactly what every family needs.
#480
June 7 · 48 min
Building A Legacy That Matters | Legacy
Jesus's parable of the talents reveals what it means to be a faithful servant while waiting for His return. Three servants received different amounts of money - two invested and doubled their talents, while one buried his out of fear. The faithful servants received identical praise regardless of the amount they managed. This parable teaches that God entrusts us with five key talents: time, relationships, resources, opportunities, and assignments. Legacy thieves like distraction, comparison, fear, complacency, and lack of faith can steal our faithfulness. True faithfulness means actively investing what God has given us rather than passively waiting, knowing we will give an account for our stewardship.
#479
May 31 · 43 min
30th Anniversary Celebration
Cornerstone Church celebrates 30 years of God's faithfulness, tracing its remarkable journey from humble beginnings to community transformation. The story begins with Pastor Henry and Doris Hunkapiller's missionary work in Liberia, whose legacy continued through their daughter Georgie and her husband Pastor Artie Davis. Despite initial reluctance after previous church planting failures, God called them to start something different in Orangeburg. From a small gymnastics center to the Willington campus, and finally to the miraculous acquisition of the old Winn-Dixie building, God has consistently provided beyond human understanding. This legacy reminds us that we live in the shade of trees we didn't plant, and challenges us to continue building for future generations through faithful obedience to God's calling.
#478
May 29 · 50 min
Choosing What You Multiply | Legacy
Life presents only two fundamental paths: walking by the Spirit or walking by the flesh. Every decision you make today actively shapes your legacy through God's multiplication principle - you don't choose whether your life multiplies, only what it multiplies. The mature Christian response isn't perfect walking, but quickly recognizing when you've strayed, repenting, and changing course. The fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - emerges naturally when you're walking in step with God. You can create fertile soil for spiritual growth by staying planted in community, saturating yourself in Scripture, maintaining prayer, repenting quickly, and crucifying the flesh.
#477
May 17 · 45 min
What Story Are You Living In? | Legacy
Life is more than daily routines and immediate pressures - you are actively building a legacy that will outlast you. Every person has two parts to their legacy: what they were given (both blessings and baggage inherited from family and circumstances) and what they choose to build with it. While you cannot control what was handed to you, you are responsible for what you pass on to others. The key is allowing God to author your story rather than trying to write it yourself. Building a godly legacy requires three actions: internalizing God's truth in your heart, verbalizing your faith in relationships, and memorializing His faithfulness in your environment. One faithful generation can break negative cycles and establish positive patterns for those who come after.
#476
May 11 · 49 min
Honoring A Mother's Legacy
Three mothers demonstrate how lasting legacy is built through everyday faithfulness rather than grand gestures. The first mother exemplified wisdom and prayer, teaching her children character while serving as their spiritual shield through constant intercession. The second showed that transformation can happen at any stage of life, demonstrating that following Jesus means knowing where to go when everything falls apart. The third faced terminal brain cancer with unwavering faith, maintaining eternal perspective and continuing to serve others even in suffering. These stories reveal that legacy isn't about perfection but about faithfulness, and the calling to nurture and point others to Jesus extends beyond motherhood to anyone willing to influence lives for eternity.

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