The Rock Church

Tag Archive: Father

  1. Reflections on My Rock Family

    Leave a Comment
    Reflections on My Rock Family — a word by Pastor Bryan Edwards from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "You (my Rock family) have been one of the most significant ways the Lord has drawn close to me. You’ve comforted and loved me"

    The Rock Church recently celebrated 25 years as a church here in Utah. Woo-hoo!!! I’ve reflected on the celebration events and all that people shared. I can’t help but think about how this church has impacted me over the last 18 years of my life.

    A friend invited me to The Rock in 2005, the first church invite I ever received. By the following year, I knew I would pursue Jesus with my life. At the same time, my girlfriend’s life soon changed, too. We both became Believers. To add to that, we married in 2010, had two sweet children, and I became a pastor in 2014. 

    Over the years of doing life in this church, I have experienced nothing but goodness from the hands of my Lord. The Rock family has been an incredible blessing for me. As 1 John 3:1 reminds us: 

    “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

    Now, this certainly doesn’t mean every day has been a walk in the park. On the contrary, I have experienced many difficult things. Doors have closed on some of our church plants. Many friends walked away from the faith after I spent years with them. Later on, I witnessed my father become a follower of Jesus. However, the Lord called him Home shortly after. 

    His Love Through You

    Through all of the highs and the lows, one thing has always remained the same:

    God’s constant provision, comfort, and love for me is through His Son and the local Church.

    You (my Rock family) have been one of the most significant ways the Lord has drawn close to me. You’ve comforted and loved me through the good and bad times.

    “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.” Romans 12:15-16

    Many of you have celebrated with me in the highs of my life. Along with that, several of you have sat with me in the caves of depression during the lows. All of those moments are reminders of God’s care for me.

    Over the last 18 years of pursuing Jesus, this family called The Rock Church, has sweetly blessed my life. In retrospect, I can only sit back and praise God for His kindness and mercy to me. Equally important, I thank Him for bringing me into this family that has loved me like Jesus — at my best and worst.

    Can I ask you, how has The Rock Church impacted your life? I’d love to hear from you.

    Cheers to you, and cheers to the next 25 years!

    Bryan

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  2. Do Not Fear

    Leave a Comment

    “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)

    What an absolutely beautiful promise from our Father! 

    When my oldest son was just a few years old, my family and I went to Lake Havasu for a boating trip. As we stopped in some coves while riding the boat, I took my son Abel into the water to swim with me. He had always been pretty hesitant when it came to water. After I put on my life jacket, I grabbed a floating swim noodle. Then, I picked up my cautious son (in his life jacket) and gently got into the lake. Abel safely floated in my arms with his head high above the water.  

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  3. He Delights in You

    Leave a Comment
    He Delights in You – a word by Pastor Steele Croswhite from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "Do you think He delights in you any less? Not at all! In fact, His love, plan, path for your life, is higher than you could ever imagine."

    As I write this, I am waiting to surprise my kids. They don’t know it yet, but we have decided to cancel school today and take them to Lagoon. We can’t wait to see the look on their faces when we say, “Instead of school, we thought it would be fun to go on roller coasters.” The entire week (for my wife and me) has largely revolved around this fun surprise.

    There is no special reason for “Lagoon day”. The only reward is to hear their voices laugh with excitement, see their smiling faces and delight their hearts.

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  4. Finding Rest

    Leave a Comment
    Finding Rest – a word by Pastor Caleb Yetton from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "All of these things keep us from finding rest on the ride. At times, we can fear that God Himself is asleep at the wheel."

    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. 

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by