The Rock Church

Rejoice Always

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

It can be so easy to be discouraged. Whether it’s something in our own lives or the world around us, we are surrounded by hard situations and events. Perhaps your health is deteriorating, your job is going poorly, or your marriage is in shambles? Maybe a loved one is struggling? Do you look at the state of our world today and wonder what will happen next? No matter what the circumstances, life can be (and is) very hard to rejoice in. But, that is exactly what the Lord calls us to do!

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Jesus is a Promise Keeper

The Bible is amazing. It’s all one story that points to the New Covenant ushered in by Jesus Christ. From its first pages (with the brokenness and mess of human sin) God had His eyes on His ultimate promise to His people — Jesus. We can look throughout the Bible and see how God fulfilled His promises and covenants through Jesus. Undeniably, Jesus is a Promise Keeper!

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

We Can Experience God’s Peace

I recently read Philippians 4:6-7 in a devotional. The NLT said it this way, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

As I read this familiar verse, a few key phrases jumped out at me. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Finding Rest

One of the more frustrating things for me in life is not being able to fall asleep. I don’t often have trouble with this, but I have gone through spells of it. Sometimes, it happens when I first get in bed. Other times, it’s when I wake up in the middle of the night (and can’t fall back to sleep). Instead of finding rest, my mind races, thinking about all there is to worry about in life. 

In the still of the night, it’s so easy to reflect on those things that scare us or give us anxiety. Or, perhaps we go through items on the to-do list that we missed that day. Health, relationships, finances, parenting, news of war, what does the future hold? Admittedly, it can all feel paralyzing. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Purpose for the New Year

A new year is upon us. For many, it’s a time for assessment, introspection and resolutions. A lot of this personal analysis can be boiled down to re-evaluating two questions: “What is my purpose?” and “How do I fulfill that purpose?”

I believe the answer to those two questions is found in the Great Commandment (Matthew 22). Jesus said the greatest commandment of the law was (vs 37-38), “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

One Thing

Recently, I spoke about prayer at our monthly meeting for The Rock Men. Preparing for it reminded me how important prayer truly is. I was challenged by this question, “What is one thing I can set in place to pray more?”

Prayer really is a lifeline for Christians. Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” It is such an essential and powerful part of our lives. Sadly, it can too easily be put on the back burner in the craziness of life. Simply put, we live in the most distracting time in the history of the world. We have enough content in our phones to fill multiple lifetimes. So, how do we pray more? How do we implement that “one thing”?

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Giving Up to Gain

Jesus’ call on His disciples’ lives was clear — radical, but clear. In Luke 9:23 Jesus says, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” In a nutshell, Jesus says it’s a call to give up everything for Him.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

What the Lord has Done

I recently had the opportunity to attend the National Worship Leader Conference in Tennessee. Pastor Steele taught a workshop at the conference, so another brother and I decided to tag along to support him! During the week, we had a lot of fun being together. We talked about Jesus and laughed. Furthermore, we met several new friends and had numerous opportunities to tell people, “this is what the Lord has done in our lives.”

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Freedom

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1

Wow! That is an amazing truth for you and me — ones who walk in faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. You are free, so live like it. We are sons and daughters of a Holy God, not slaves who have to work for the favor of our Master. Indeed, we stand firmly free before a God who looks at us and is pleased — because of what Jesus has done.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

On The Rock

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” — Matthew 7:24-25

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton