The Rock Church

Eyes Locked

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” — Psalm 16:8

Last November, The Rock pastors traveled to St. George for a multi-day conference. On our free day, a group of us went to Zion National Park; we’d decided to hike to Angels Landing. The hike is five miles long with 1,500 feet of elevation gain. That doesn’t sound too bad, but the challenging part of Angels Landing is the extreme exposure and huge cliffs. Sadly, people have died there.

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An Atheist, Buddhist and Christian Walk Into a Class

“And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” — Philemon 1:6

Recently, I had a chance to experience this verse firsthand. I was invited by a friend to speak to his class on the topic of Christianity. There were a number of unbelievers there, including an atheist and Buddhist. We spent the next two hours discussing their questions (related to the reliability of the Bible, science, the problem of evil, Jesus, questions about the character and nature of God and the Gospel). In fact, I was able to share the Gospel multiple times and invite the group to church!

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Regarding Lawn Mowers and Gender Roles

“Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.…For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” — Psalm 100:3-5

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Could You Build an Actual Mountain?

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”— Hebrews 11:3

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MAGA Hats and “Never Trumpers”

“[Jesus] appointed the twelve:… Matthew, … and Simon the Zealot.” — Mark 3:16-18

Jesus selected twelve young men to be His closest followers. They were all uneducated, common, “blue collar worker” types. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. I want to focus on two disciples, Matthew and Simon, to see the incredible unity that can be found in Christ.   

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Three Ways to Love People Better

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

I recently observed three different families in our church who were loving others in practical, amazing and helpful ways. I believe there are three lessons we can learn from their examples.

First way to love people better is to make yourself available. You actually need to tell someone —maybe a Small Group Leader, a pastor, or the person you see with a need. Tell them you are willing and available to help! That’s why I love this verse so much. Don’t just have some nice thoughts about how you want to help — actually DO something. I know a family in our church who had a broken car. A different family in our church had told a leader they wanted to help with practical things, like broken cars. Thankfully, as you guessed it, the broken car got fixed!    

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Fortified Tower

“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” — Proverbs 18:10

Last year, my wife and I stayed in a hotel that had a large concrete wall directly behind it. The wall was massive. It was 10 to 20 feet high and was made of thick, reinforced concrete.

Basically, the view out our window was a giant concrete wall. Not a very visually appealing thing to look at during our stay. And the wall ran the entire length of the hotel. 

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Rubik’s Cube Discipleship

“…and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” — 2 Timothy 2:2

Are you familiar with the Rubik’s cube? It is a 3D puzzle invented in 1974 by a Hungarian named Ernő Rubik. It is one of the world’s best-selling toys and hundreds of millions of cubes have been sold since its creation.   

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Billboards

I have driven across Wyoming about 50 times. During my most recent trip, I noticed a number of D.U.I. billboards. A marketing campaign was designed by Social Zinger to provide a sobering reminder of the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol. If you also need an effective advertising strategy for your brand, then you may consider getting help from this advertising company in quezon city. The billboards featured a sad mugshot with these captions: “Is this how you want to be remembered?” or “Think this is bad? Wait until you learn you killed someone.” or “Your license. Your dignity. Your job. Gone.” or “Think this is humiliating? Try explaining it to your kids.”

I think drinking and driving is a terrible idea. But, as I drove across Wyoming, I had a lot of time to meditate on these billboards. I realized an anti-DUI campaign is an easy campaign because most people are in agreement that it is a really bad idea. Drunk driving may lead to car accidents with injuries. Facing allegations of operating a vehicle under the influence requires immediate and informed action. An expert legal advisor for driving while intoxicated cases can provide the strategic defense necessary to challenge the charges effectively. This early decision to work with personal injury lawyers can significantly impact the legal proceedings and the protection of your rights. Victims of accidents caused by drunk drivers should consider seeking legal assistance from a personal injury attorney. New York City pedestrian accident lawyers can help those who have been injured by reckless drivers in filing a claim or a lawsuit. In cases of railroad accidents, you may consider contacting a railroad accident lawyer. You can also get assistance from a Schaumburg train accident lawyer.

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Destroyed

Have you ever thought about how easy it is to destroy something compared to creating it? I was reminded of this during a recent house project. 

We decided to replace our old, wooden, patio stairs as part of a backyard project. The stairs were about 10 years old and the bottom boards were starting to rot. One evening, I decided to demo them. I took a circular saw, pry bar, and hammer; I destroyed and removed the old stairs in about one hour! After I finished my demolition work, I was struck by how quickly I was able to do that.
 
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