The Rock Church

The Olivet Discourse — Holy Tuesday

The Olivet Discourse is one of the most important prophetic teachings Jesus ever gave. It’s recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 24–25, the Gospel of Mark 13, and the Gospel of Luke 21. We call it the Olivet Discourse because Jesus delivered it on the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem, shortly before His crucifixion.

The setting matters. In the Gospel of Matthew 24, the disciples point out the grandeur of the temple. Jesus responds with a shocking prophecy: not one stone would be left upon another. That prompts two questions from the disciples: “When will these things be?” and “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

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His Full Picture — Holy Monday

I have a question. “Have you created a picture of Jesus that only exists in your mind?”

A philosopher once said, “Men create gods after their own image.” That’s a sobering thought.

When you imagine Jesus, are you and Jesus in total agreement? Does Jesus love all the things you love and hate all the things you hate?

As we commemorate Holy Week (the seven days leading up to Easter) on this Monday before Easter, we remember an intense moment in Jesus’ ministry. It’s when He cleared the Temple.

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Don’t Miss the Day — Palm Sunday

I still remember someone handing me a palm branch when I was about seven years old at my grandmother’s Presbyterian church. Since I didn’t grow up going to church, I had no idea why everyone had these branches. Years later, after becoming a Christian, I realized Palm Sunday marks the beginning of one of the most important weeks in all of human history.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. But this week points us to something even greater — the moment Jesus willingly walked toward the Cross to bring salvation to the world.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt, just as the prophet Zechariah foretold. Crowds waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna!” welcoming Him as King. It was the first time Jesus openly allowed Himself to be publicly declared the Messiah.

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Promises

I’ve been convicted about God’s promises in the Bible. While there is no “official” count of the number of His promises to mankind, the most widely cited figure is 7,487. This comes from a meticulous study by a Canadian schoolteacher, Everett R. Storms. He spent one and a half years tallying them. This happened during his 27th reading of the Bible. Without a doubt, that’s a lot of promises. 

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To See His Glory is to See His Goodness 

Recently, I have been reading a tremendous book called “Gentle and Lowly” by Dane Ortlund. I would highly recommend it to anyone who longs to know the gentle and wonderful heart of God. As I read, a particular section from a familiar passage in Exodus moved me deeply.

The Lord chose to reveal His name to Moses in Exodus 34:5: “Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.”

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Holy Week — Easter Series 2026

Easter at The Rock Church

Holy Week is the most important week in history. And Easter is significantly more than just a single day. Holy Week was marked by powerful teachings, betrayal, warnings, fulfilled prophecy, and the clear display of God’s plan, power, and love.

It all happened in just eight days. Jesus Christ — the Son of God — entered Jerusalem on Sunday, was arrested on Thursday, was crucified and buried on Friday, and rose from the dead three days later. Why do those eight days still matter so much two thousand years later? What does that week mean for our lives today?

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Pray and Post a Guard

Nehemiah 4:9 — “But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”

At our Men’s Nights this year, we’ve been studying Nehemiah. He returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall — and immediately faces opposition. Enemies threaten, intimidate, and scheme. Nehemiah’s response is one of my favorites in all Scripture: “We prayed to our God and posted a guard.”

That’s it. Prayer and action. Dependence and responsibility. They didn’t choose between spiritual and practical. Instead, they did both. Some people only pray. Others only act. Faithful believers do both.

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Live Worthy of the Gospel

I have had many people (of other faiths) try to challenge my belief in Grace. They say things like, “Pastor Bill, it seems like many Christians claim they just pray a prayer, and even if they live like hell, they go to heaven. That doesn’t seem fair.”

It’s an honest question. And if Grace simply meant “say a few magic words and do whatever you want,” I’d agree. That definitely wouldn’t seem fair at all.

But that’s not the Gospel.

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