The Rock Church

The Goodness of God

“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” — 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)

I’ve often shared these verses with people in an effort to help show the “Goodness of God.” Especially when they’ve made a mistake or experienced some sort of mishap and are feeling down. And quite frankly, for many of us, that happens frequently. Without a doubt, this truth is for all of us.

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Follow

There are plenty of things to follow these days. A few that come to mind are: news, sports, popular trends, social media and music. Without a doubt, the list is endless. As I’ve thought about it, I’ve realized something. When I choose to follow Jesus (ahead of all the other things vying for my attention) I find a clarity not found anywhere else. It reminds me of these verses:

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”— Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT) 

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Waiting

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” — Psalm 27:14

Waiting for the Lord must be awfully important. I say this because it seems like almost everything in life is enveloped in waiting for Him. Everyone waits. We wait not only for birth and death, but even on a daily basis, we wait. Think about it. Today you waited; tomorrow you will wait again. In other words, all of life’s ups and downs, all encouragements (and discouragements) happen, as we wait for the Lord. 

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Secure in Christ!

Being secure (or trying to find a sense of security) can sometimes seem impossible. This is true, even for our church. Over the years, we’ve had numerous trailers and items stolen from our property. If you can believe it, we’ve even had the church truck itself (and the catalytic converter) taken twice!

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Don’t Be Selfish

Unintentionally, I think that COVID quarantining has produced an unwanted side effect. Increased selfishness. Now, hear me out. I realize that many positives and saved lives came from this necessary, safeguarding step. However, I have to admit that in this “almost” post-COVID period, it seems all too easy for me to be selfish.

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God Cares

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” — 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

I know God cares for me and I know God cares for you. How do I know this? Well, it’s not because of what you or I have been through. It’s not even what we have done. Rather, it’s because of what God has done for us. I think, perhaps, we tend to look at the bad before the good (as we examine our lives). A change of perspective is necessary.

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Happy New Year!

“Happy New Year!” has never sounded so good before and Old Man 2020 leaving us seems like it couldn’t come fast enough. Most of us are happy to drop 2020 into the dumpster of experience; we eagerly anticipate the promise of something better in 2021.

Usually, I’m not one to make resolutions. I can have fear of failure. However, I am so excited about the idea of a fresh start this year, that I’m at least going to put some goals in place and I encourage you to do the same. Here is a great goal given by the Apostle Paul: 

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Bring Your Kingdom

Recently, I listened to a teaching that reminded me how good it is to remember that we (as Christians) are citizens of God’s Kingdom. We have a large family in the faith — brothers and sisters in the Lord, all over the world. God’s Spirit is moving and the Gospel is advancing more than ever. Our family is growing, even today! 

Jesus talked about the Kingdom more than anything else. 

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I Will Never Leave You!

My grandson, Lewis, recently fell off some monkey bars and broke his arm. I was super excited to hear that he wanted to spend the day at our house a day or so after the accident — rather than go boating with his family. He knew he wouldn’t be able to swim with his friends and siblings; he also knew that at four years old, a whole day with grandpa and grandma could be a bunch of fun, especially with a lame arm. More than likely, there would be a movie or two (as well as treats) and of course, grandpa’s lunches are off the hook.

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Hold Tightly!

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” — Hebrews 10:23-25

I am so thankful for the challenge in these verses to “hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm.” I see at least three things we can glean from them so we can “hold tightly” in our own lives. They are so incredibly important for the times we are living in.

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