In episode 73 of the "No Doubt, No Fear, Only Believe" podcast, host Greg Ryan presents a concise, ten‑minute theological survey centered on the biblical metaphor of the "chief cornerstone"—Jesus Christ. He weaves together a series of Old Testament passages (Job 38:6, Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 28:16) and New Testament citations (Matthew 21:42‑44, Mark 12:10‑12, Luke 20:17‑19, Acts 4:8‑11, Ephesians 2:19‑22, 1 Peter 2:6‑8, 1 Corinthians 2:9‑11) to demonstrate the continuity of the cornerstone theme across Scripture. Ryan emphasizes that the cornerstone is the foundation of the Church and the believer’s life, urging listeners to let the Holy Spirit embed the Word deeply, to be “broken” by Christ in a transformative way, and to build upon this foundation in love and obedience. Personal anecdotes (e.g., a broken experience in a Pep Boys bathroom) illustrate the practical impact of the metaphor. The episode concludes with a call for listeners to become “Word fanatics,” to dig into Scripture, and to allow the Holy Spirit to guide them into truth.
Welcome to episode 73, John 1:1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Spending time in the Word of God is the best way to spend time with God. Welcome to No Doubt, No Fear, Only Believe podcast, where we will encourage, inspire, and empower you to live your best life in Christ.
Here's Greg. Welcome to episode 73, you fanatic. If you listen to that last episode, episode 72, you'll know the definition of that. And if not, welcome aboard. We are in the middle, and I'm still talking about— because I did not finish the, the face of the man, the living creature of the man. I think it's such an important piece. In fact, God calls it the cornerstone, and I'm going to read the scriptures that God gives us to just show the importance of this chief cornerstone. I've just got to say before I read these scriptures that it is so incredible how God laid out his Bible, and if you just dig in, you can dig out not anything that you want, but any answer to any problem that you've got, I believe, is found in the word of God. But you have got to get it into you. You've got to, you've got to plant that seed, the incorruptible seed, and, and just let it take root. And we're talking about the cornerstone of the church, which is Jesus Christ. He's also mentioned, he mentioned it in Isaiah, and it was Isaiah 28:16. And we're going to look at Job 38:6, and then in Psalm 1 Peter 1:18-22. And I want you to notice that all 3 of those scriptures are in the Old Testament, so this was before Jesus even appeared. Oh, a few places in the New Testament where it talks about the cornerstone. So we're going to dive into all of those, but I just want you to remember that the Holy Spirit and God is the author of the Bible. He— there is one author, there are many different writers. If that makes sense. So we got 3 different writers in the Old Testament, same author, and it ties it all together. And then you bring in the New Testament, and there's 3 instances where Jesus talks about it, but— and it's found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and those are the synoptic gospels. So it's really talking about the same— the— about the cornerstone to the Pharisees. And then you've got Peter mentioning it a couple times. One time in Acts 4:11, and then the second time in 1 Peter 2:6. And then Paul, the Apostle Paul, mentions them— mentions the cornerstone in Ephesians 2:19. So I'm going to read all of those together so that you can have them all and kind of get a feel for how important this setting the corner, setting the foundation is. And then we're going to talk again— Paul said, you You know, if you build on any foundation other than Christ. So we're gonna bring all of this together and we're gonna conclude hopefully within the 10-minute timeframe that I've set for myself. So let's get busy. And the first instance I wanna talk about is in Job 38. And this is where God starts answering Job from the whirlwind. And he says to Job in 38:3, "Now prepare yourself like a man." I will question you, and you shall answer me. Now I just gotta stop. God is so cool. Whenever I wanna know why, if you've ever wondered, you know, when you've asked God, why did this happen? Or God, why is this? Or why is that? I bring myself to the last 4, I think it's 4 chapters, and I'm flipping through my little Bible real quick while you're listening on the podcast. Yeah, Job 38 through 42, and I listen to how God answers the why question, and I don't ask why much anymore because I don't have any of the answers that when he asked Job, Job didn't have an answer either. But I want to go to Job 38:6, to what were its foundations fastened and who laid its cornerstone? Psalm 118:22. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. Isaiah 28:16. Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. Whoever believes will not act hastily. Matthew 21:42-44. Jesus said to them, Have you never read the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. Wow, I've got to stop there for a minute and I've got to comment on that. God, where I— where God broke me in the Pep Boys bathroom. I don't know if you remember that. This is the scripture that God has brought me back to in the brokenness, and I fell on this cornerstone. I fell. It says that whoever falls on this stone shall be broken. If you fall on God and you fall on Jesus and you, you ask him to come into your life, God's going to break you. I mean, it's better if you ask for it, and then that's kind of humbling yourself and asking to be broken. But it's— you're going to get broken if you've accepted Christ. It may take you a minute, but it's going to happen. But if you don't accept Christ, then the second part of this, the verse 44, on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. So it's, it's a whole lot better if you fall on stone instead of having stone fall on you. All right, back to my lesson. The same incident happened in Mark 12:10-12, but it's a little different. Come, even read scripture. The stone which the builders has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. And they sought to lay hands on him but feared the multitude, for they knew he had spoken the parable against them. So they left him and went away. This was Jesus calling out the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and they knew it. And so they were wanting to lay hands on him and stone him, but they feared the multitude because the people were just eating this up. Just the common folk like you and me. Someone might call them a fanatic. I'm going to let you read Luke 20:17-19 on your own. It says the same thing pretty much that Mark said. Now I want to go to Acts 4:8-11. Peter and John were arrested, and this is the Sanhedrin. These are the same people that Jesus was talking to in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Picking it up in verse 8, then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man by By what means he has been made well? Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands here before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Ephesians 2:19-22. Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. And the last verses are in 1 Peter, and we're in 2. We're gonna, we're gonna pick it up in 4. Coming to him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious, you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore to you who believe, he is precious; but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling. A rock of ofen. They stumble, being disobedient to the word to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now that is a mouthful, and that— those are a lot of scriptures to take in while you're driving or working out or walking or or mowing the yard, or whatever you're doing right now. But I wanted to anchor that on the chief cornerstone is Christ. It is the word of God, and it is precious. And I'm gonna finish up in 1 Corinthians 2, and we're gonna start in 9 through 11. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field. You are God's building. According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. And there Paul kind of sums everything up. And what I tried to start with this whole podcast, this whole episode on, is the foundation is Jesus. The foundation is the word of God. We're going to find the other Three creatures all have specific characteristics, and each one of it, we need to continue to strive to, to reach higher in each one of those areas. But unless you dig into the Word of God, this is the beginning, this is the chief corner where it's always going to come back to this foundation. And as you lay on this found— the deeper and the stronger the foundation, the higher God can build the building. So this is the foundation. This is where everything starts. It's on the Word of God, and I want to encourage you to continue to dig in to the Word of God and let— and allow the Holy Spirit to become the helper and lead you into all truth. And I pray in Jesus' name that you become a Word fanatic. Just dive in, dig in, and fall in love again with the Word of God. Well, that's enough for today. Thank you, you fanatic, and I will see you on the next episode.
Thanks for listening to the No Doubt, No Fear, Only Believe podcast at www.nodoubtonlybelieve.com.
