The Rock Church

God is on Your Side

“This I know: God is on my side! I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?” — Psalm 56:9-11

Reading this verse, I was particularly encouraged by it. David says, “This I KNOW — God is on my side!” He also said that he praises God for what He has promised.

Christian, do YOU know that the GOD of the universe, the author of all that is good, wonderful, and right, the maker of Heaven and Earth, is ON YOUR SIDE?!

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Jesus in the Middle

As a pastor, I am for sure not immune to feeling overwhelmed by difficulties. Also, whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional, life can sometimes make me feel like I’m drowning.

Perhaps the disciples felt this way. In fact, in the gospels of John, Mark, and Matthew, we are told how these fishers of men were overwhelmed with fear at the sight of their teacher walking on water through a storm. As a result, it says they were “terrified” because they thought they saw a ghost!

Isn’t it good to know we are not the only ones who experience fear and anxiety?

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Don’t Be Troubled

John 14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

In John Chapter 13, Jesus gave His disciples shocking news. He informed them that He would be betrayed by one of their closest friends. Additionally, He would soon leave them and go where they couldn’t follow. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Pray About Everything

The right response is to pray about everything. Perhaps you feel like you’re in an uphill battle. Are you distraught, downtrodden, sick, bankrupt, or confused? Oftentimes, life can be utterly brutal. And yet, in the same life, we can also experience the downhill thrill of blessings. Being in love, landing the perfect job, receiving gifts, learning new skills, having children, going on vacation, hearing, tasting, and so on.

In all our ups and downs, the Apostle Paul encourages us to assume the position of prayer.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

His Mercies Are New Every Morning (and Every Year)

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:21-23

It’s almost hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Every year, I seem more surprised by how quickly the calendar year moves. The new year always feels like a mixed bag of emotions. While January 1 can seem to give the appearance of a clean slate for goals, resolutions, and moving forward, it’s really no different from December 31.  

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Waiting on the Lord

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.

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

Grief-Stained Joy

Every day, I read from Milton Vincent’s book, “A Gospel Primer.” It has a 31-part section that fits nicely into my daily devotional routine. This phrase always catches me each time I read it (on the 14th of the month). He refers to a “grief-stained joy.” That idea resonates with me deeply when contemplating life. Especially today, as I write this, about ten steps away from my wife Jeanne’s hospital bed — it’s  awkwardly positioned in our bedroom. This verse specifically comes to mind as I search for solace.

“If your instructions hadn’t sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.” — Psalm 119:92

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Grief is an Oversized T-Shirt

Yesterday (October 23) marked three years since my father passed away. In previous posts, I have shared some of the things the Lord has guided me through so far on this path of grief. With that in mind, today will be the latest entry into that diary.

But first, a story. As children, my brother and I would oftentimes get our dad a t-shirt for his birthday. We’d get ones with his favorite rock bands on them. I always wanted to wear them to school, but they were obviously too big for me. However, as I got older, I began to grow into the shirts that once drowned me as a child. Today, I still have most of my dad’s shirts. You’ve probably seen me wear many of them often. 

These memories have me reflecting on this thought:

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Patience and Seeking in Faith

“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.

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

Remain

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:4-5

I recently read through The One Year Bible and found these verses in John; they are perhaps among my favorites. These words come from our Savior Jesus. They remind me, quite simply, that “fruit” produced in our lives comes through abiding and resting in Him. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by admin