The Rock Church

Something to Think About

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” — Philippians 4:8

The Apostle Paul reminded the Philippians that it was a good thing for them to regularly think about the things that would inspire worship and thankfulness to God. I wanted to remind us of that, too!

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1 Timothy – What Godliness Looks Like in the Church

if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. – 1 Timothy 3:15

In the book of 1 Timothy, Paul is writing a letter to a young church leader. He has specific instructions for Timothy to know how to “fight the good fight”, how to lead his church, and what it looks like to live a godly life. Many of the challenges that Timothy faced in his church, we are still facing today. Challenges such as: dealing with false teachers, worship, prayer, character qualities of leadership, how we should treat each other, and how we should live our lives. Join us as we take a look at this powerful book and discover what godliness looks like in the church.

Series runs from September 8 – December 2 at all services!

Posted in Events, News, Series by Tony D'Amico

Consult with the Lord

“So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord.” — Joshua 9:14

There is a lot we can learn from this verse… Joshua was confronted by a group of people (basically, neighbors of the Israelites) who were wanting to negotiate a treaty with them. Their intent was to deceive Joshua because they had heard of the destruction that was going to come upon them. So, they went to him and said, “we are from a city far away.” They brought moldy bread, worn out clothing, and wine skins (to help in their deception). Joshua kept asking questions, but eventually granted them their request — and made an alliance with them. There was one thing, however, that Joshua didn’t have the Israelites do. They didn’t consult with the Lord. Because of that, they made a treaty and were deceived.

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Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Tony D'Amico

Misunderstanding

Every once in a while, I get myself into a situation where I know I’ve been misunderstood. There are also times when I realize that I’ve misunderstood what somebody was trying to tell me. We all experience this, don’t we? I was recently struck by a story in Joshua (22:10-34). There was a misunderstanding that could have ended in disaster… if one group of people hadn’t been able to explain themselves to another group.

When Israel was moving into the Promised Land, one group of people were given the land on the East side of the Jordan river. They built “an altar of imposing size.” One that looked identical to the altar God had them build for the Tabernacle. They shouldn’t have done this as it was “unauthorized.” God had been very clear with them when He gave them instructions about where and how He wanted the altar built.

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In the Pocket

I’ve been thinking about my walk with the Lord lately. I’m happy to report that I think I’m “in the pocket” with Jesus.  

I’ll tell you what I mean by this. There is a sweet spot musicians call being “in the pocket”. It means singing in time and being in the “groove” with the rhythm of the song. You can be in pitch, but if you’re wavering ahead or behind the beat it won’t feel right.…you aren’t “in the pocket” unless it’s all coming together as it should be. As I write this, I’m feeling in rhythm with my Creator. It might help that I’m enjoying two cups of good coffee and a good night’s sleep. I’m also looking forward to a relatively peaceful day. As far as I can tell so far, I’m “in the pocket”.

The early church experienced something like being “in the pocket” of faith at a specific time in Acts. 
“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase” — Acts 9:31. We live in a country today where we have the freedom to pursue our faith freely. Like the early church, we enjoy peace, being built-up, and “going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.”

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Run to the Lord First

“In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me,’Flee like a bird to your mountain?'” — Psalm 11:1

I really love this verse. The reason I love it is because it is a reminder that we, as Christians, are to be vigilant to run to the Lord, first. We are to be vigilant to find our joy in the Lord.

David was wrestling with some difficult life circumstances when he wrote this Psalm. When others were encouraging him to “flee to the mountain” to find rest, David reminded them that his rest was in the Lord. David was vigilant to turn to Jesus first, he was vigilant to find refuge and joy in Him.

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