The Rock Church

In His Arms

I love this verse!

“Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.” — Psalm 68:19    

Praise the Lord, indeed! He carries us in His arms, WOW! When I think of Jesus actually carrying me, it takes me to a place of intimacy and security that is beyond comprehension. It’s hard to grasp that the God of the universe carefully holds us close — like a mother holding her newborn baby. Even more amazing, is that the incredible love a parent has for their newborn child, pales in comparison to the love that God has for us. God not only cradles us as infants, but holds us close into eternity. 

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Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord. An easy thing to say and read but not always an easy thing to do.

As a young man, I had a baseball glove that I was very dependent on. Without it, I felt like I couldn’t take the field. When I first bought the glove, however, I didn’t realize how much it would help me. It was stiff and seemed clunky when I tried to field a ball. In fact, I was ready to give up on it and get another one because I had such trouble with it. Eventually, after oiling it and tying a ball in it when I slept (and using it over and over again), it transformed my game. Honestly, it seemed like I was able to stop or grab any baseball that came close to me. I was phenomenal (at least in my own mind) and I loved to play the game whenever I could.

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Confidence

I regularly need to bolster my confidence in the Lord; the Bible is always my resource. Lately, the truths found in Hebrews (Chapter 11) have been incredibly helpful to me. Often referred to as the “Hall of Faith”, the author brings us to a place of remembering the past, in order to bring clarity to the present. Look at how the chapter begins:

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in the days of old earned a good reputation.” — Hebrews 11:1-2 (NLT)

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Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Brent Kendall

God’s Power

Recently, I have been thinking about God’s power. Mainly, I think, because our world is in desperate need of healing and the only one who can do that is God. In fact, one of His names is the God Who Heals, or the Great Physician.

It’s important to pray for healing and to grieve for people around the world who are in all kinds of horrendous situations. By praying, I think we wield more power to help change the world, and individual lives, than we can even grasp or imagine. As Christians, we are incredibly blessed to be connected to the only true Power Source of the universe. You might think Rocky Mountain Power has some authority, but they ain’t nothing… let me tell you about the real deal… Jesus! These verses say it all: “Tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” — Psalm 68:34-35

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In the Pocket

I’ve been thinking about my walk with the Lord lately. I’m happy to report that I think I’m “in the pocket” with Jesus.  

I’ll tell you what I mean by this. There is a sweet spot musicians call being “in the pocket”. It means singing in time and being in the “groove” with the rhythm of the song. You can be in pitch, but if you’re wavering ahead or behind the beat it won’t feel right.…you aren’t “in the pocket” unless it’s all coming together as it should be. As I write this, I’m feeling in rhythm with my Creator. It might help that I’m enjoying two cups of good coffee and a good night’s sleep. I’m also looking forward to a relatively peaceful day. As far as I can tell so far, I’m “in the pocket”.

The early church experienced something like being “in the pocket” of faith at a specific time in Acts. 
“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase” — Acts 9:31. We live in a country today where we have the freedom to pursue our faith freely. Like the early church, we enjoy peace, being built-up, and “going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.”

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Joyful

Some days it seems like finding joy can be an illusion to me. I see others enjoying a dreamy kind of life (where nothing ever goes wrong and no one even seems to have a bad thought). I think to myself, what a wonderful life they must have. Before long, you may even hear me humming the lyrics to Louis Armstrong’s song “What a Wonderful Life” (in an effort to fake it till I make it). Seriously, I think it is a daily fight to be joyful. But, we must engage in that fight to truly live a joy-filled life.

I was recently reminded of some foundational truths to help bring joy into my life (from Proverbs 8:34), “Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home!”

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Full of Love


If we can somehow grasp the truth that God is love, then it makes sense that we would strive to be full of love ourselves. I mean really, wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were all filled with love?

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What’s the Big Problem?

Is it just me or are we living in a time when people seem to be more and more disgruntled at almost everything? Have you noticed it? What’s the big problem, anyway?

Well, according to the “The Top Tens” list, the world’s top five problems are: Drug Abuse, War and Terrorism, Poverty, Population Growth, and Pollution. The list goes on; this is just the first five.

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Here and Now

I love being on mission. Not just in far away places but also in the here and now. Teaming together with Jesus (and other Christians) in prayer, planning, and sharing the Gospel, is the quintessential life in Christ. I think the here and now is the actual living out of a life in Christ, or the realization of what Jesus was talking about when He described the full life in Christ. I’m not talking about a “campfire-singing-Kum Ba Yah” sort of existence. Instead, it’s more of a real day-to-day intimacy with God. The kind that is with me through my highs, my lows, and walks me through the here and now moments of life.

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United In Christ

When closing an email or letter to a brother or sister in the Lord, I will oftentimes use the statement, “United in Christ, Mac”. Sometimes, when I am in a hurry, I will simply put, “United, Mac”. This statement has a significant and deep meaning to me that reaches far beyond any other closing I can think of.

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