The Rock Church

His Mercies Are New Every Morning (and Every Year)

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:21-23

It’s almost hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Every year, I seem more surprised by how quickly the calendar year moves. The new year always feels like a mixed bag of emotions. While January 1 can seem to give the appearance of a clean slate for goals, resolutions, and moving forward, it’s really no different from December 31.  

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

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.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Grief-Stained Joy

Every day, I read from Milton Vincent’s book, “A Gospel Primer.” It has a 31-part section that fits nicely into my daily devotional routine. This phrase always catches me each time I read it (on the 14th of the month). He refers to a “grief-stained joy.” That idea resonates with me deeply when contemplating life. Especially today, as I write this, about ten steps away from my wife Jeanne’s hospital bed — it’s  awkwardly positioned in our bedroom. This verse specifically comes to mind as I search for solace.

“If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.” — Psalm 119:92

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Saved by Grace

The Rock Music recently released a new single, “Saved By Grace (Live Acoustic Performance).” Additionally, we released a new live performance on our YouTube channel. It’s certainly a blessing and an honor to participate in these new TRM projects. I invite you to listen to the song on your preferred streaming platform and also watch the new video. Thank you for your support and encouragement with all the new music we have put out this year.  

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Bless the Lord

“Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.” — Psalm 113:2

I recently read this verse in my quiet time, and one word stuck out to me more than the others. The word was “now.”

It’s always easy to “bless the name of the Lord” when things are going well, but “now” implies the moment. Regardless of what this moment holds in your life, whatever situation “now” finds you in, bless the name of the Lord.

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Bold as a Lion

“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” — Proverbs 28:1

Do you read the news? There is certainly a lot out there to cause worry and fear in my heart. So much is going on — from political unrest to droughts (and now flooding), shootings, economic news (inflation, the banking crisis, or interest rates), wars, rumors of wars, increasing wickedness, the love of many growing cold, etc. All that is happening locally, nationally, and globally naturally fills us with worry and fear.

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Hope in Hardship

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” — John 14:27 (NIV84)

A few weeks ago, I taught how to have hope in the midst of hardship. Many people told me that that message was precisely what they needed. I certainly needed to hear it, too! Life is always full of suffering, and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, Jesus promised, “In this world, you will have trouble.” (John 16:33b)

The reality of pain and suffering forces us to ask ourselves, “Where is my hope?” Jean-Paul Sartre, a well-known atheist, was agonizing over the thought of death. People heard him repeatedly say, “I know I shall die in hope…but hope needs a foundation!” I am eternally thankful to God for giving us a solid foundation on which we can have hope – even as we walk through the valley of death, difficulty, grief, and sorrow.

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Can A Christian Lose Their Salvation?

I was very stressed before my last teaching. And I’m sure I know why. I was preparing a message from some challenging verses in Hebrews 10:26-39. Not surprisingly, we all know there are some Bible verses that (at first glance) can rattle our faith. Because of this, they may even challenge our understanding of salvation. I was meditating on verses like that.

However, the Lord gave me clarity. Once again, I came to the settled peace that our salvation through Jesus is eternally secure. Even as I considered other options, it was obvious that the atonement of Jesus covers ALL my sins. For that, I am beyond grateful!

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New Bodies

I’m ready for a new body. How about you? Maybe (like me) your body is experiencing the effects of over doing it a bit while celebrating Resurrection Day last weekend? As I get older, I often yearn for the new body God promises us in the Bible. Read this:

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.” — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 (NLT) 

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Though The Earth Gives Way

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” — Psalm 46:10-11

Do you realize that it has been over two years since COVID entered our reality? Our last regular church service (before we temporarily closed) was March 8, 2020. Undeniably, the two years since then have been unlike anything I’ve ever known.

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