The Rock Church

The Mercy Seat Connection

Recently, a sister in our church pointed out something rather remarkable to me. There is an obvious  connection between the Mercy Seat found in the Old and New Testaments.

The Ark of the Covenant was in the Old Testament Jewish tabernacle/temple. (You might remember it from Raiders of the Lost Ark). The Ark of the Covenant was a chest that contained The Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and Aaron’s staff. On the top of it was the Mercy Seat. This was, in fact, where God’s presence dwelled. The priests sprinkled the sacrificial blood there, and He gave mankind mercy. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

A Common Faith Family

I love how Paul calls Titus a true son in the faith — a common faith (Titus 1:4).

Believers, we indeed share a common faith in our Lord Jesus, in His personhood. We also share a common belief in His finished work on the cross. Additionally, we share a common faith in our hope for eternal life — the return of our King to set all things right. 

Without a doubt, our common faith unifies us, breaks down barriers, and distinguishes us from the world. Our mutual faith always sets us apart. Jesus is our connecting thread, which makes us unified and together. Despite our differences, we share faith. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Will You Be My Neighbor?

When asked what the greatest (or most important) commandment was, Jesus said it was to love God and love your neighbor. 

“Jesus answered … ‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’” — Mark 12:29a – 31

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Titus — Truth That Leads to Godliness

New Sermon Series at The Rock Church

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸ The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.” – Titus 3:4-8

Posted in News, Series by The Rock Church

Recall Who He Is and What He Has Done

I don’t know about you, but I need reminding often. I forget things so quickly. They go in one ear and out the other. Do you struggle with that? I think we certainly all do in our human nature. And I believe the writers of the New Testament knew that as well. Paul and Peter both wrote to tell the early Church to recall God’s truths. (2 Peter 1:12-13, Romans 15:15)

The disciples also knew they needed reminding. They spent three years physically walking with Jesus, and it’s clear they always required a lot of reminders from our Lord. They knew what Jesus had taught them; they could indeed repeat it. However, many times throughout their days, He reminded them. It’s almost like they needed a good shake to recall His teachings.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Gratitude and Hope

Ephesians 1:15-21 is a set of verses that really encourages me. We glimpse Paul’s heart and his thankfulness for the church in Ephesus! He speaks with gratitude and hope. On top of that, he deeply desires the saints to continue their spiritual growth.

First, Paul starts by expressing his gratitude for the Ephesians’ faith in Jesus. At the same time, he also expresses thanks for their love for the saints.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Tony D'Amico

Navigating Life With Self-Control

Many factors contribute to messing up a person’s life. Lack of self-control is a significant one. You might be on top of your finances and then wreck them by buying things you don’t need. Not to mention, you could excel at controlling your temper until something gets under your skin and you snap. Without a doubt, self-control is an essential and crucial characteristic of a Christian.

Put very simply, having self-control is sort of like driving a car. If you let go of the wheel, there’s a good chance you will run into another vehicle (or possibly off a bridge). But holding onto the wheel gives you the ability to drive defensively. Along with that, holding the wheel allows you to reach your destination. Paul certainly drove this point home (pardon the pun) when he wrote to Titus; he told him to teach everyone self-control. In fact, his instruction wasn’t just for pastors. It was for everyone who calls themselves a Christian. Indeed, he wrote about it five times in both chapters one and two.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Tony D'Amico

Even Me?

Then Jesus said to her, “I am the MESSIAH!” – John 4:26

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite encounters in the entire Bible. You remember the story. In the Gospel of John, Jesus passed through a region called Samaria on His way to Galilee. As the reader, we should by all means know that (at this time in history) the Samaritan people were despised by the Jewish people. The Jews considered the Samaritans to be inferior economically, racially, spiritually, and socially. In fact, they were “the dogs” and often even hated.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

King Jesus Series

Unity in a Divided World

We live in a polarized age. We all know it. And election years make it worse. “You have to vote, this is the most important election in the history of our country!”, “You can’t vote for him, he’ll ruin our country!” Sound familiar?

Posted in News, Series by The Rock Church

Love and Unity

“Love and unity” (together) are among the eight core values we hold dear at The Rock. We describe this particular value in these words (on our website): “We desire our ministry to be marked by a Christ-like, selfless love, loyalty, and unity with fellow believers.” Over time, the undeniable evidence of this core value within our body of Believers has struck me. Selfless love and loyalty are indeed the norm. It’s as if it’s actually in the air. Like a beautiful fragrance from a spring flower after a long winter. And ultimately, it’s so compelling it draws you in. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church