2026 Wk 21 Pentecost Sunday
Fire in the City • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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WORD WASHING
God is your...
Hope
Savior
Need Meeter
Healing
Redeemer
Joy and Delight
Even though the world says other way
Even though your flesh feels different
Even though your mind seems confused
God is for you and not against you
and He Loves you so Much.
So remind yourself often of His love and goodness
SONG SET 1
SONG SET 1
God so loved
WELCOME w/ Marcie
WORSHIP NOTE:
Have you ever felt alone?
But we are not left alone.
Unbelief says, “You will never make it.”
God says, “I will finish what I started.”
When life feels overwhelming and your faith feels fragile, remember this:
God is faithful to complete the work He began in you. He will guide you, sustain you, and bring you safely through every storm.
Our confidence is not in ourselves—it is in the Lord alone.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Let’s worship Him who’s mercy never leaves us and will always endure. The Holy Spirit is here today to communion with us, encourage us and empower us.
SONG SET 2
SONG SET 2
Holy Spirit Come
Praise (I’ll praise in the valley)
Praises ( I sing praises to Your Name)
GENEROSITY
GENEROSITY
I feel that often we focus our tithing and offerings on getting back from God. Reaping if you might say— the benefits of being a son or daughter.
However, be a Christ Follower is not just about me, myself and I.
Being a Christ Follower has much more about being the Body of Christ!
Being a giver in the Body of Christ has many "relational purposes".
Let’s focus on that today— being the BODY!
Bringing a GIVER cultivates unity, expresses love for God, and fosters deep partnership (koinonia) within a community of believers.
This verse, from Philippians, should inspire giving us in more of a relational and community way.
Philippians 4:15-18: Paul describes the financial gifts from the Philippian church as a "partnership in giving and receiving". Your tithes and offerings physically.
15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this.
16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.
17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.
Giving of your tithes and giving offerings, relationally bind you to the ministries and people your giving supports.
Not just Cornerstone — but building relations with…
Marcie and I
Jim and C’cie and the work in Peru
Summer campers
Benevolent assistance of those struggling
Foster children
Summer sacks and
Creek Forest outreach
We give out of our abundance and we give out of our necessity— God will honor our sacrificial giving in faith as a Body of Believers, united for the Cause of Christ.
Let’s Pray!
UPDATE
UPDATE
MidWeek - Summer Fun is every Wednesday at 630p
Word, fire pit, Word, games, Word, online and so much more
Our Daily Bread
Grab it-Read it-Share it
May PRAYER TOPICS include
school ending and graduates,
summer planning.
Summer Camp
Foster Care Awareness Month.
Remembrance of Memorial Day
Memorial Day is one of the most meaningful holidays in the United States because it’s set aside to honor the men and women who gave their lives while serving in the military. It can be both reflective and celebratory in a respectful way.
Here are some meaningful ways to celebrate and remember:
Honor and Remember
• Visit a veterans cemetery or memorial and place flowers or flags.
• Attend a local Memorial Day ceremony or parade in your community.
• Observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 PM.
• Share stories or photos of loved ones who served.
• Write notes of appreciation to Gold Star families or veterans.
Spend Time with Family
• Host a cookout or picnic while taking a moment to explain the meaning of the day.
• Pray together for military families and for peace.
• Watch a patriotic film or documentary together.
• Teach children about sacrifice, freedom, and service.
Serve Others
• Volunteer with organizations that support veterans or military families.
• Help an elderly veteran with yard work or errands.
• Donate to a veterans assistance organization.
Reflect Spiritually
For many people, Memorial Day is also a time of gratitude before God for those who sacrificed for others. Churches often:
• Hold special prayer services
• Recognize fallen heroes
• Read scriptures about courage, sacrifice, and hope
A fitting verse is:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13
Simple but Powerful Ideas
• Fly the American flag properly (half-staff until noon).
• Light a candle in remembrance.
• Play “Taps” or patriotic music.
• Spend a few quiet moments in gratitude for freedoms often taken for granted
The National Moment of Remembrance is a legally established U.S. tradition. Every Memorial Day at exactly 3:00 p.m. local time, all Americans are asked to pause for one minute of silence to honor and remember those who died in military service.
The tradition is structured so that it reaches people exactly where they are—whether you are at a barbecue, in your car, or relaxing at home.
to encourage Americans to put the "memorial" back into Memorial Day amidst the holiday's barbecue and retail celebrations.
calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people might unite in prayer.
This is actively supported nationwide:
Major League Baseball: MLB games temporarily halt for an extended moment of silence.
Amtrak: Train whistles sound across the country.
Taps Across America: Thousands of musicians play "Taps" in their neighborhoods at 3:00 p.m.
Amen
Current series:
=======================SERMON REWRITE
INTRO
This bedside chest has been great to use over the last 12 years. We acquired it from the previous pastors.
?What would you put in such a piece of furniture in your bedroom?
Replaced with another plastic drawer system with daily items
Signs of Mice
Cleaned the drawers out
But that last drawer had a noise to it — I brought it over for you to visually inspect it
*Inactivity can be a breeding ground for doubt and unbelief.
*Remembering Gods Word draws us out of our disbelief and powers up Hope for us to believe again.
Series Title:
“Fire in the City—Because You Told Your Story”
Pentecost Sunday starts us on a Journey Into Spirit-Empowered Outreach
Pentecost was never meant to become merely a church celebration, a denominational identity, or a spiritual moment remembered once a year.
In Acts 2, God poured out His Spirit upon ordinary people so they could carry the extraordinary message of Jesus into the world around them.
The fire did not fall so believers could hide in an upper room. The fire fell so believers would leave it.
The Holy Spirit was given to transform fearful disciples into courageous witnesses, spectators into servants, and isolated believers into a movement of love, healing, truth, and hope within their communities.
Many people know church language, but still struggle to tell their own story of God’s grace.
Some have allowed fear to silence them.
Some have been wounded by disappointment.
Some feel unqualified because they do not know enough Scripture or feel spiritually mature enough.
Others simply believe their story is too broken, too ordinary, or too unfinished to matter.
But throughout Scripture, God continually uses imperfect people to reveal His perfect love.
This series we embark on today is built around helping believers discover the barriers that keep them from sharing the goodness of God while awakening the church to its Spirit-filled mission in the community.
It is also intentionally aligned with the heart and theology of the Foursquare Church:
• Jesus Saves
• Jesus Baptizes in the Holy Spirit
• Jesus Heals
• Jesus is Coming Again
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not merely emotional excitement; it is empowerment for evangelism, compassion, healing ministry, courage, and Kingdom impact.
We are setting aside 6 weeks for FIRE IN THE CITY!
Week 1 — Pentecost Sunday
“When the Fire Fell”
Text: Acts 2:1–18
This isn’t something to fear— Pentecost simply means 50 — Fifty!
So don’t be afraid today of “Fifty”
Lean in with faith and let God!
Week 2 — will be about feelings of being inadequate… “What’s Stopping Your Story?”
Week 3 — “Power, Not Performance”
Week 4 — “The Language of Love”
Week 5 — “Healing in the Streets”
Then we will end up in Luke 10 in
Week 6 — as we talk about being “Sent Into the Community”
OKAY…
Let’s get back to Pentecost Sunday!
Week 1 — “When the Fire Fell”
READ Text: Acts 2:1–18
On the day of Pentecost* all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,* as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.
13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
THINK ABOUT THAT…
Someone in our community is waiting to hear a story only you can tell.
A story that is Spirit led and empowered.
Someone needs to hear how Jesus carried you through pain, addiction, loss, fear, failure, or hopelessness.
Your testimony may be the doorway God uses to reach a hurting heart this summer.
So as we prepare for outreach in our community, this is more than organizing events or filling calendars.
This is a call to reawaken our first love for Christ and step into His mission.
Pentecost reminds us that God still fills ordinary people with extraordinary purpose.
Yes, we will do great exploits
Organize great events and schedule this and that— but it will be by His Spirit that the World will be changed.
The world does not merely need louder churches; it needs Spirit-filled believers who genuinely love people well.
TODAY WE BLESS A NEW TOOL IN EVANGELISM:
Snow Cone Machine
ANOINT & PRAY…
The fire of God was never meant to become a private experience hidden inside church walls.
The Holy Spirit was meant to become..
light for dark places,
warmth for wounded people, and
power for everyday believers trying to live faithfully in a hurting world
4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.
11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.
12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.
Fire in the City—
The giving of the Holy Spirit is for the world, not for us four and no more.
Fire in the City— Is to reside in you and me!
Fire in the City— Is for you to be a greater witness
CLOSE WITH THESE VERSES
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Bias in the City
Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers* in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God.
14 He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’
15 “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. 16 Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with* water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”
18 When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”
Fire in the City—
PtL
============ Morning & Evening
ME 05-18-26
“In Him dwells all the fullness of God in bodily form, and in Christ you have been made complete.” — Colossians 2:9–10
For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.* So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
Everything we need is found in Jesus.
All the fullness of God was revealed in Christ, and through Him we are made complete. That does not mean we become God, but it does mean that everything Jesus is becomes enough for everything we face.
His power works for our salvation.
His wisdom guides our lives.
His love holds us steady.
His mercy covers our failures.
His faithfulness never changes.
Every attribute of Christ is working on behalf of His people.
His unlimited power is our protection.
His perfect knowledge is our direction.
His unchanging nature is our security.
His justice guarantees our redemption.
His compassion becomes our comfort in every season.
Jesus has not held anything back from those who belong to Him.
Think about that:
The King of Heaven has opened the treasures of His grace to us. He invites us to live in the fullness of His promises instead of surviving on fear, insecurity, or spiritual emptiness.
Too many believers live as though they are lacking something, when Scripture says we are complete in Christ.
When you feel weak—His strength is enough.
When you feel confused—His wisdom is enough.
When you feel abandoned—His presence is enough.
When you feel unworthy—His grace is enough.
Everything Jesus is becomes available to those who trust Him.
That is why we can pray with confidence.
That is why we can worship with boldness.
That is why we can face tomorrow without fear.
We are not standing on our own ability—we are standing in the fullness of Christ Himself.
What peace comes from knowing that the same Savior who called us also sustains us, protects us, leads us, and faithfully supplies every need from the endless riches of His love and power.
ME 05-19-26
I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!
Life does not always seem fair. Sometimes prideful and selfish people rise to places of influence while humble and faithful people are overlooked.
But Scripture reminds us not to lose heart when the world feels upside down.
Jesus Himself, though King of kings, walked this earth in humility, serving others and enduring rejection. If Christ was misunderstood and treated lightly by the world, His followers should not be surprised when they face the same.
Throughout Scripture we see this pattern:
• Haman in the palace while Mordecai sat at the gate.
• Saul on the throne while David hid in caves.
• Jezebel in luxury while Elijah prayed in loneliness.
Yet God reversed every one of those stories in His time.
So do not envy the proud or compromise your integrity for recognition. God sees every hidden sacrifice and every faithful act. Eternity will reveal what truly mattered.
This passage also challenges us personally: don’t let fleshly desires rule your life while your spiritual walk is neglected. God did not save us so anger, pride, fear, lust, or selfish ambition could control us. He saved us so His Spirit could lead us.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, grace should reign in us. Our minds, hearts, bodies, and desires must come under the authority of Christ. When Jesus truly rules in our lives, there is order, strength, peace, and spiritual maturity.
We were created to live under that divine leadership— the Holy Spirit—not under the control of anger, lust, pride, fear, bitterness, or selfish ambition.
As believers, we are called to reign with Christ by walking in surrender to Him daily. May our spirit lead, our flesh to submit, and our whole lives bring glory to God
ME 05-20-26
“Show Your marvelous lovingkindness.” — Psalms 17:7
Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
By your mighty power you rescue
those who seek refuge from their enemies.
Jesus never loves us from a distance. Every act of His grace is filled with compassion, tenderness, and personal care.
People may give out of obligation, but Jesus gives from the depth of His heart. He does not offer leftover mercy or cold kindness. Every blessing He gives carries the warmth of His love.
When He comforts us, His peace is personal.
When He forgives us, His mercy restores us.
When He provides for us, He reminds us we are never forgotten.
Jesus comes close to the broken, the weary, and the struggling. He is not ashamed of our weakness or impatient with our failures. Instead, He sits beside us in our pain, speaks life over us with gentleness, and surrounds us with compassion.
Every act of His kindness carries the evidence of His love
The cross is the greatest proof of His sincere love for us. He gives generously without making us feel burdensome or unwanted. He delights in showing mercy to His children.
There is nothing sweeter than fellowship with Jesus. His presence heals, strengthens, restores, and satisfies the soul.
May we never lose wonder at His marvelous lovingkindness toward us.
ME 05-21-26
“If indeed you have experienced the goodness of the Lord.” —1 Peter 2:3
now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.
The word “if” reminds us not to assume we truly know God’s grace without personally experiencing it. Faith is more than knowledge—it is tasting the mercy, peace, and goodness of the Lord for yourself. Have you examined your heart lately?
God does not want His children living in constant doubt. Healthy humility is good, but we are meant to move beyond fear and uncertainty into confident trust in Christ. Don’t settle for “maybe” when God offers assurance through His promises and the witness of the Holy Spirit.
Hold firmly to Jesus by faith. Build your life on what is eternal and unchanging. Let the Holy Spirit remind your heart that you belong to God. Don’t build your life on shifting emotions or endless questions—build it on the unchanging promises of God.
Leave behind the wilderness of fear and step into the peace God provides. It may not be a perfect life free from struggle, but it is a life flowing with His presence, His promises, and His sustaining grace.
ME 05-22-26
“He led them by the right way.” —Psalm 107:7
He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.
As believers, we sometimes wonder why our lives can change so quickly. One day we feel full of peace, confidence, and hope. The next day we feel overwhelmed by fear, struggle, confusion, or discouragement. We ask ourselves, “Why is this happening? Has God forgotten me?”
But these seasons are not outside of God’s plan. Even the dark moments—the weakening of our confidence, the testing of our faith, the heaviness in our hearts—are often part of how God grows and prepares us. Trials deepen our trust in Him. Hardships push us closer to the solid foundation of Christ. The storms we fear are often the very winds God uses to move us toward His purpose.
God leads us through every season: joy and sorrow, abundance and need, peace and struggle, praise and criticism. He uses all of it to shape our souls and draw us nearer to Him. None of your pain is wasted. None of your tears are unnoticed. Even when the road feels uncertain, God is still leading you the right way.
So don’t lose heart in difficult seasons. Trust that God sees what you cannot. The path may be hard, but His hand is steady, His wisdom is perfect, and His destination for you is good.
“O Lord, quiet my fearful heart and help me trust Your wisdom. I may not always understand Your plan, but I know my life is safe in Your hands.”
ME 05-23-26
“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.” —Psalm 138:8
The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me.
The Psalmist’s confidence was not in himself, but in God. He did not trust his own strength, faith, or determination to carry him through. He knew that human strength eventually fails, but God never does.
The same God who began His work in us is the One who will continue it and bring it to completion. Our hope is not in what we can accomplish for God, but in what God promises to accomplish in us. Left to ourselves, we would fall under the weight of temptation, fear, and weakness. But we are not left alone.
Unbelief says, “You will never make it.” God says, “I will finish what I started.”
When life feels overwhelming and your faith feels fragile, remember this:
God is faithful to complete the work He began in you. He will guide you, sustain you, and bring you safely through every storm.
Our confidence is not in ourselves—it is in the Lord alone.
ME 05-24-26
