The Rock Church

Author Archives: Tony D'Amico

  1. Inner Transformation and Mind Renewal

    Leave a Comment
    Inner Transformation and Mind Renewal — a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "It’s an invitation to undergo a continual process of transformation. One that aligns our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors with God’s will."

    I recently read some New Testament verses that resonated with me deeply. Their powerful message centered around how we live as Christians. Although distinct in context, they were also intertwined. In this case, they offered me a transformative perspective on faith, purity, and the renewal of the mind. Let me explain.

    In Mark 7:15, Jesus spoke about how we can act to ensure we appear perfect on the outside. Yet He said the external isn’t the issue. “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” His words cut the religious traditions of His day to the core and challenged the norms. They were religious norms which heavily emphasized external purity laws and rituals. Everything had to do with the outward appearance.

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  2. Waiting on the Lord

    Leave a Comment
    Waiting on the Lord – a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "Waiting on the Lord is an integral part of our Christian walk. It is a journey marked by trust, growth, and deepening faith."

    I often find myself reflecting on the idea of waiting on the Lord. Waiting can seem frustrating in our fast-paced world, where immediate results and quick fixes are highly prized. My personality is to get in and fix things as soon as possible. So, it’s not easy when I have to wait days, weeks, or months for something. I can start to get anxious very quickly.

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  3. Sharper Than a Double Edge Sword 

    Leave a Comment
    Sharper Than a Double Edge Sword  — a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "The Bible isn’t just a book, printed and bound to only be placed on a bookshelf. More than that, it’s alive and active. It’s also sharper..."

    Over the last few weeks, I’ve been learning about the historical use of a long sword. It takes great precision to design them. The long edge faces away from you, while the short edge is toward you. Additionally, the blade has three sections. First, there is the “Strong” — the section from the crossbar to the “Middle” section. After the “Middle” comes the “Weak” or the top half. Each part has advantages for combat. Swords are both defensive and offensive weapons. All of the parts work together to make it formidable.

    The comparison of God’s Word being like a sword (found in Hebrews) certainly came to life for me.

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  4. Patience and Seeking in Faith

    Leave a Comment
    Patience and Seeking in Faith – a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "seeking God isn’t passive. It’s not just about sitting back. Instead, it’s a deliberate pursuit of undoubtedly engaging in prayer,"

    “Don’t care how I want it now.” Veruca Salt sings these words while dancing in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. She also insists that she gets what she wants when she wants it. It’s easy to cringe at her horrible attitude. We tell ourselves we are certainly not like that. But on the whole, in our fast-paced world, patience is not something most of us have enough of.

    Get Rich Quick! Lose Weight Fast! Get Instant Access! We all see a good deal of these types of headlines while scrolling on our phones. It’s everywhere — instant gratification in everything from communication to consuming movies to getting meals.

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  5. Live by the Spirit

    Leave a Comment
    Live by the Spirit – a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "ask the Holy Spirit for help when a conflict or a hard conversation develops. I ask myself, “What is the desired fruit from this situation,"

    “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other.” — Galatians 5:14-15

    The Fruit of the Spirit is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Paul explains the fruits to the Galatians right after these verses. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues are interconnected and essential for our spiritual growth.

    However, we can easily cultivate the opposite virtues. They entirely oppose the working of the Holy Spirit. Responding in our flesh leads to negative consequences, such as hate, despair, anxiety, impatience, cruelty, wickedness, unfaithfulness, harshness, and impulsiveness.

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  6. Shield of Faith

    Leave a Comment
    Shield of Faith – a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "It’s a shield that deflects the lies, temptations, and fears, as well as the doubts that Satan throws at us."

    “In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” — Ephesians 6:16

    Paul used this metaphor to represent the Christian’s faith and belief in God. This shield unquestionably extinguishes all (not just some) of the flaming darts the evil one shoots at you.

    Just as a physical shield protects a warrior in battle, so, too, the Shield of Faith protects us from the devil’s spiritual attacks. It’s a shield that deflects the lies, temptations, and fears, as well as the doubts that Satan throws at us. 

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  7. The Walls of Self-Control

    Leave a Comment
    The Walls of Self-Control – a word from Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "the metaphor reminds us that a city without walls has no defense. It is vulnerable and open to attack. That is us without self-control."

    “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” — Proverbs 25:28

    This verse likens us to a city. It’s certainly a powerful metaphor; we don’t often see it used in the Bible. I think a few themes from this verse are worth spending some time on. They’ll help us understand what can happen when we don’t exercise self-control.

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  8. Being Hospitable

    Leave a Comment
    Being Hospitable – a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "We can approach this mission in several ways, but being hospitable certainly opens doors to winning others."

    Not long ago, I taught about our church’s mission centered around “Winning the Lost, Building the Believer, and Sending the Sanctified”. We can approach this mission in several ways, but being hospitable certainly opens doors to winning others.

    “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” — Hebrews 13:2 (ESV)

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  9. Be Defined by Good Habits

    Leave a Comment
    Be Defined by Good Habits – a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "we should analyze our habits. Let’s take stock of the ones leading us closer to Christ (and those leading us to our fleshly desires)."

    Author F.M. Alexander said, “People don’t define their futures, they decide their habits, and their habits decide their future.”

    We all have habits. They range from the mundane (like brushing our teeth or what we listen to on our way to work) to practicing an instrument or creating art. Habits can be amoral, while others can be sinful. Whatever type it is, it will affect you (positively or negatively).

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by

  10. Let It Go and Simply Sow

    Leave a Comment
    Let It Go and Simply Sow – a word by Pastor Tony D'Amico from the Rock Church in Draper, UT. "don’t hold on to the seeds God has given you. Don’t clench your fist in fear. Sow the Gospel and trust God with the rest."

    This past week was Mission To The City. We set out (as a church family) to serve our city with the love of Christ. That motivation is at the forefront of everything we do! The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4) guides our outreach.

    We’re to spread His Word, sow Gospel seeds, and let God do the rest. It’s refreshing to know that all I’m supposed to do is plant some seeds (even as small as a mustard seed) in someone’s life. I can do that by sharing the Gospel, passing out a flyer, inviting someone to church, or doing a kind act in the Lord’s name.

    (more…)

    Posted in A Word from the Pastor by