The Rock Church

Grafted

In his last published book, “The Excellency of a Broken Heart,” the great puritan author John Bunyan wrote:

“Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think . . . . It is wounding work, of course, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving. . . . Where there is grafting there is a cutting. The scion must be let in with a wound; to stick it on to the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. The heart must be set to heart and back to back, or there will be no sap from root to branch, and this, I say, must be done by a wound.”

Many blessings come with God’s gift of salvation. However, there are also many troubles and pains. There is the breaking down of our earthly bodies, the desires and temptations of our sinful flesh, and satan (the prowling lion) wishing to destroy us and ruin the joy and goodness in our lives. Additionally, hate and venom are directed toward us from a world the unregenerate part of us so longs to please. 

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Happy New Year

I don’t know about you, but I’m saying good riddance to Old Man 2022. For me, 2022 is like an old, noisy street. As I close the door on it, I find myself hoping for clarity and quietly looking forward to a new year. Honestly, we made it past 2020, 2021, and 2022 — there must be some consolation prize. For those of us who know Jesus, there is a consolation prize. It’s the same as in all the years of eternity past — 2023 holds all the fulfilled promises in Christ Jesus. This verse is like the Times Square ball drop of verses for us as Christians.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Humility

“Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” — Proverbs 18:12

“For Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” -Timothy Keller

Christian, when we walk in humility, we are within the circle of God’s blessing. The world tells us we need more power, money, fame, position, and praise. It tells us we need more of…everything!

The Bible, however, calls a person like that a leech: the world is a leech!

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Owner’s Manual

“Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.” — Psalm 119:98-100

The clock radio alarm went off at 5:40 a.m.; I turned it off and got out of bed. My wife said, “What was the rest of that commercial? The one that was just on?” I said, “I didn’t hear.” (A statement to my auto-piloting when I get up.) She replied, “The commercial said, ‘If only there were an owner’s manual for relationships?’” However, since I turned it off, we will never know. 

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What Do You Want?

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” — Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV84)

We recently asked our kids for Christmas gift ideas. Some of them went above and beyond the call of duty. They sent us their “Wish List” from Amazon! Welcome to the technology age. This electronic wish list certainly proved to be very helpful. Specifically, it showed us that our kids took our request seriously; they knew what they wanted. I think God wants us to have the same heart attitude.

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Trust in Him at All Times

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” — Psalm 62:5-8

I’m not exactly sure what each of you is going through. But I know that, most likely, we are staring something in the face that brings us to a place of needing to trust Jesus. Perhaps in the past weeks (or in the coming weeks), you are wrestling with trusting Jesus. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Discipline, Testing, or Training?

How do you want your life (or your children’s lives) to go? Smooth, easy, tranquil, and stress-free, I assume? I certainly doubt if anyone wakes up thinking, “I would like a lot of adversity today.” or “I hope my children experience some real hardships this week.”

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Being Hospitable

Not long ago, I taught about our church’s mission centered around “Winning the Lost, Building the Believer, and Sending the Sanctified”. We can approach this mission in several ways, but being hospitable certainly opens doors to winning others.

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” — Hebrews 13:2 (ESV)

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

A Lot on My Mind

I know we’re all busy. So many things occupy our thoughts and time. Some seasons are certainly busier than others. I’m in one of those seasons of life right now. With it comes overthinking, under-sleeping, and a good dose of worrying.

When I’ve got a lot going on, I make lists. To-do lists, to-buy lists, fix-it lists, need-to-schedule lists, calls-to-make lists, work lists, family lists, church lists…and on it goes. I even write my lists with a physical pen and paper! 

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Treasure

Have you ever discovered a treasure? I can easily get caught up in treasure hunt shows on TV. I’m so eager for them to find something. It seems like most of the time, however, they chase a story or a tall tale. Unbelievably, the treasure somehow slipped past the previous 5,000 treasure hunters. In fact, most of the time, they don’t find anything.

My family knows I love treasure stories. About five years ago, they bought me a metal detector for Father’s Day. I think they figured I’d share with them if I found something! One time during a family gathering, I had fun with them . I pulled out the new metal detector and waved it over a spot in the yard where the grass annually faded into the shape of a gravesite. Of course, the metal detector made all kinds of noises, and we got several shovels out. We frantically dug, and everyone was surprised to find a concrete slab below the ground. At least almost everyone (I kind of knew what we’d see).

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