The Rock Church

Gentleness

The world we live in today is certainly not known for being very gentle. This week, I watched a guy lose his mind on another dude when he took his parking spot. I also heard a guy blow up on his kids in the grocery store. And then this morning (as I write this), I have already scrolled through dozens of brutal comments of ruthless outrage about the political division in our country. (Many coming from my own brothers and sisters in Christ!)

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The Comfort of The Suffering Servant

One of my best friend’s son has recently been in the hospital for several weeks. It has been heartbreaking to see their family walk through so much pain and uncertainty. In moments like those, when the weight of our struggles feels overwhelming, I find myself praying. I pray for the Lord to help us see that suffering, while deeply painful, is never without meaning. Equally important, we are never beyond the reach of our Great Comforter.

A quote (often attributed to Augustine of Hippo) comes to mind: “God had one Son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.” 

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Beyond Imagination

In Titus 3:7, the Apostle Paul mentions two things that are so remarkable. In fact, when you read them, it feels almost too good to be true:

“So that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:7

I want to consider two truths:

Truth #1: We are Justified.

Truth #2:  We are Heirs.

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The Best Ending

(In previous posts I have shared my journey through grief and the many ways the Lord has walked with me. This is my latest entry in that collection. These posts have been helpful for me to write and look back on. When intense waves of sadness come, I read them. In the same way, I hope that in your times of sorrow, they can help you as well.)

Over the last year, I’ve read a book series I’ve fallen in love with. But recently, I’ve had to take a break from it. You see, as much as I love the story, I am equally dreading what will happen next. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say this….the story is not ending how I want it to.

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Don’t Put This Light Away!

Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year! But, the day after Christmas… not so much. Admittedly, all the excitement that went into putting up the Christmas lights is now nonexistent. The time has finally come to take them down.

But certainly, don’t let December 26th be the day you put all of the excitement of Christmas away until next year. Instead, ponder the incarnation of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. It means He has come to illuminate our lives today and forevermore.

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Grief is an Oversized T-Shirt

Yesterday (October 23) marked three years since my father passed away. In previous posts, I have shared some of the things the Lord has guided me through so far on this path of grief. With that in mind, today will be the latest entry into that diary.

But first, a story. As children, my brother and I would oftentimes get our dad a t-shirt for his birthday. We’d get ones with his favorite rock bands on them. I always wanted to wear them to school, but they were obviously too big for me. However, as I got older, I began to grow into the shirts that once drowned me as a child. Today, I still have most of my dad’s shirts. You’ve probably seen me wear many of them often. 

These memories have me reflecting on this thought:

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A Hunger for True 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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Refreshing

We’re wrapping up our “Delighting in God’s Word” series at church, and I get the privilege of preaching our last teaching. As I’ve read and reflected on the verses, one thing comes up repeatedly. The author has such a refreshing relationship with the Lord that it literally changes every aspect of his life. This is equally true for each of us and is unique to the Christian faith. 

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Watermelon and Lawnmowers

My next-door neighbor (Mr.Grant) is an 89-year-old firecracker. He loves Jesus and has endless opinions (as you can imagine an 89-year-old man would have). Recently, his wife of 70 years passed away. I can’t imagine his grief.

Our family prays for him and loves him dearly; we offer to help him in any way we can. Unfortunately for us, he is one of them old boys who “doesn’t need any help from no one.” So, it can be difficult. Recently, however, I saw my children serve him in some beautiful ways.

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I Need Some Encouragement

The other day, I received some great encouragement from a dear friend of mine. It wasn’t much more than a simple text message. However, with just a few sentences, it was enough to totally change the mood I was in that morning. It reminded me about the sermon I recently preached from Hebrews. We read this verse, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” — Hebrews 10:24-25

As a husband and father, as a pastor and friend, I need encouragement! Giving and getting encouragement is important for all of us. When it is absent in the lives of the brothers and sisters we do life with, it’s not long before we can absolutely feel unloved, unnoticed and forgotten. I was feeling quite discouraged that morning; but, at just the right time, my faithful friend sent that text message unannounced. It radically changed my outlook on the day. It didn’t take much, but it changed much. 

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