The Rock Church

Category Archive: A Word from the Pastor

  1. Straight to the Heart

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    Straight to the Heart — a word by Pastor Steele Croswhite from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "our commitment to storing God’s Word in our hearts. Nothing is more transformative, encouraging, convicting, or life-altering"

    Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10

    I recently turned these verses into the most ridiculous-sounding song.

    Imagine the corniest-sounding game show theme song ever. Okay, you’re now almost close to the tone of this silly tune. Don’t sing with a sweet-sounding voice. Instead, it should be loud and (dare I say) as annoying as possible.

    I’ve been reading through Isaiah in my quiet times. While doing so, I’ve deeply appreciated the truth in this promise from the Lord.

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  2. East Troublesome Fire

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    East Troublesome Fire – a word by Pastor Josh Whitney from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "Troublesome things are coming, Christian. However, God has designed the local Church to be an encouragement (and support)"

    “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9

    Some of my family and I hiked to Fern Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park this summer. It was a beautiful hike, and we had a fantastic time. I had been curious to hike to Fern Lake, given that a terrible fire had destroyed it three years ago. It was appropriately named the East Troublesome Fire. Additionally, the fire burned 193,000 acres (making it the second-largest fire in Colorado history). 

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  3. Sin Magnet

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    “The flesh wars against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.” — Galatians 5:17

    Sin Magnet — a word by Pastor Bill Young from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "your “wants” will change. The power of your flesh magnet will undoubtedly decrease as you pursue Him with a fiery passion.

    I recently watched a short video on demagnetizing powerful, permanent magnets. One technique heated the magnet to a very high temperature — as high as 1390 degrees! The heat caused the electrons to spin. Then, they realigned within the heart of the metal. As a result, the magnetism of the whole object decreased. Voila!

    Furthermore, did you know that our flesh is just like a sin magnet? Sin undeniably draws us. To put it another way, our eyes, hands, feet, thoughts, and words get us into trouble. I’ve counseled in heartbreaking situations with people. They were situations where people were specifically struggling (and losing) the battle with addictions of the flesh. Alcohol, drugs, and porn are very powerful sins. In such cases, people may need a reliable treatment center. The team at Carrara luxury rehab centers ensures that every client receives tailored support, leading to lasting recovery. Offering a comprehensive approach to addiction treatment, Carrara combines luxury with expert care.

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  4. Credited

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    Credited – a word by Pastor Caleb Yetton from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "no amount of good works could pay our debt. But the truth is that the Believer is given a credited righteousness straight from Jesus."

    “David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.’” — Romans 4:6-8

    Grace is indeed a gift we could never earn. At the same time, our sin has given us an incredible debt before God. And no amount of good works could pay our debt. But the truth is that the Believer is given a credited righteousness straight from Jesus. The word “credited” (in the Bible) is a financial term for transferring a balance to our account — more specifically, a negative account.

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  5. A Hunger for True Bread

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    A Hunger for True Bread – a word by Pastor Bryan D. Edwards from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "We need the spiritual food that only comes from Him. And He invites us to His table and offers us this bread."

    “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” –John 6:35 

    I love bread. When I am not eating it, I am for sure thinking about when I will eat it again. Additionally, I am very blessed because my wife knows how to bake fantastic bread, and does it a lot! Lately, there have been days where we don’t have just one or two, but sometimes THREE, fresh, hot loaves of bread to partake of throughout the day. 

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  6. Patience and Seeking in Faith

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    Patience and Seeking in Faith – a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "seeking God isn’t passive. It’s not just about sitting back. Instead, it’s a deliberate pursuit of undoubtedly engaging in prayer,"

    “Don’t care how I want it now.” Veruca Salt sings these words while dancing in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. She also insists that she gets what she wants when she wants it. It’s easy to cringe at her horrible attitude. We tell ourselves we are certainly not like that. But on the whole, in our fast-paced world, patience is not something most of us have enough of.

    Get Rich Quick! Lose Weight Fast! Get Instant Access! We all see a good deal of these types of headlines while scrolling on our phones. It’s everywhere — instant gratification in everything from communication to consuming movies to getting meals.

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  7. Chosen

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    Chosen – a word by Pastor Billy Johnson from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "We shouldn’t grumble for not having the worldly positions and possessions others have. Instead, we need to thank God that we are His chosen"

    In Numbers 16, we read about some men who rebelled against Moses and Aaron. They were angry and envious of Moses and Aaron’s position among the congregation of Israel. Also, they assumed that Moses and Aaron were making themselves out to be more holy than the rest of Israel. Along with that, these rebels wanted to be recognized as great men, also. However, instead of humbly going to the Lord about their thoughts, they grumbled and rebelled.

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  8. Grace Rules!

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    Grace Rules! – a word by Pastor Steve McInroy from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "... clarified how to live and discern right from wrong. Admittedly, you might even call it a love letter (in the form of rules) ..."

    Being told what to do seems acceptable (and popular). Sometimes I just want someone to tell me what to do or show me how to do it. YouTube (and many other social media avenues) provide countless how-to videos. Without looking too far, you can quickly learn how to fix your hair, car, appliances, relationships, and phone. Additionally, you can learn to sing, ski, jump on a pogo stick, swim, speak a foreign language, and exercise. And the list certainly goes on…

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  9. 20/20 Vision

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    20/20 Vision – a word by Pastor Steele Croswhite from The Rock Church in Draper, Utah. "clarity, joy, and purpose that only He can bring. Pray to Him, offer away — you’re about to live a life of 20/20 vision."

    “O Lord, I give my life to you.” — Psalm 25:1

    This is undoubtedly the most profound prayer of my heart. It’s a simple little sentence found at the top of Psalm 25 — “O Lord, I give my life to you.”

    Christian, is there anyone (or anything) more wonderful, more powerful, more satisfying than Jesus to give our lives to?

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  10. God’s Will and Faithcamp

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    “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” — James 4:13-15

    A few weeks ago, many people from our church attended the Faithcamp/DTC Conference in Alamosa, Colorado. It was five days of teachings, worship, fellowship, meals, games, and heat. It was so encouraging. Also, tiring. Thank you for praying for the conference; the Lord indeed blessed it!   

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