The Rock Church

The Power of God

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” — Ephesians 3:20

We take power and electricity for granted. That is to say, I do. I didn’t realize how dependent I am on the power till this past May. 

It was a typical Wednesday morning. And then suddenly, the power went off and on three times. Next, it was partially on, and eventually only certain rooms worked! I called Rocky Mountain Power, and a repairman showed up. He discovered that something had killed one of the two main lines to the house.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Freedom Isn’t Free

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then…” — Galatians 5:1

Over the years, I’ve for sure become something of a history nerd. (Some of you already knew that.) I’ve had the privilege of walking the corridors of Independence Hall in Philadelphia and standing on Lexington Green where someone fired the “shot heard round the world.” Along with that, I’ve traced Boston’s Freedom Trail and explored the fields of Gettysburg. Not once, but twice. Each visit reminded me of the same truth: freedom always comes at a cost.

No one accidentally becomes free.

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Pursuing Like Jesus

There have been many times in my life where I’ve been tempted to give up on someone.

I’m sure you’ve been there before, too.

You’ve watched someone make the same bad decisions over and over. Also, you’ve prayed for them and had hard conversations with them. As well as serving them over and over. And yet… nothing good seems to come from it. 

They keep jumping back into the same mistakes. Maybe they have started to avoid you. Perhaps they don’t respond anymore. Or they have flat out disappeared.  

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4th Service Coming This Fall

Have you heard we’re starting a 4th Service this fall? It’s true, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Over the past several months, we’ve been incredibly encouraged to see God continue to bring more people to The Rock Church. Our current three weekend services are consistently close to capacity, and it’s been amazing to watch our church family grow. As we look ahead, we want to create more opportunities for people to attend, invite friends and family, and experience everything God is doing in our church.

Posted in News by The Rock Church

Through the Mud

As you know, living in Utah provides many opportunities for adventure. So, a few weeks ago, my kids and I went on a little hike up to one of the reservoirs near our house. AllTrails told us the hike covered about a mile and a half round-trip. However, we decided to step it up a notch. We went around the reservoir on a lightly used trail. Looking back, I’m pretty sure it was just a game trail.

We came to the river, and we pressed on.
The path got a bit narrower, and we pressed on.
Then the path started to get muddy, and we pressed on.
Finally, the path got extremely muddy, but we pressed on.

Before we knew it, we were using sticks and rocks to keep out of the mud. Cutting up to the real trail or turning around was always an option. We were never in danger, but we wanted to keep going for the adventure of it. Knowing the mud had to end at some point gave us hope.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

The Greatest Pardon Ever Offered

Every once in a while, history gives us a story so powerful that it almost sounds like someone made it up.

In 1830, a court sentenced a man named George Wilson to death for robbing the U.S. Mail and taking a man’s life. Before Wilson’s execution, however, President Andrew Jackson did something extraordinary. He signed a full presidential pardon.

Even so, George Wilson did the unthinkable.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Jesus People

I recently had a chance to close our Philippians series with a message entitled “Jesus People.”

As Paul closed this incredible letter, he left us with what seemed like a simple farewell. But it was so much more. It was a reminder of who we are and how we’re called to live.

First and foremost, we belong to Jesus. Before others define us by our careers, accomplishments, successes, or failures, they recognize us as people who belong to Him. We don’t earn our identity. On the contrary, God gives us our identity through His grace.

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Solar Eclipses

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” — Colossians 1:16

We are about to begin our study of Colossians (July 11 & 12). In the opening chapter, Paul describes Jesus Christ as the Creator of all things. The Sun, Moon, and stars are a marvelous part of His Creation. And certainly one of the most fascinating examples of that Creation is a total solar eclipse.

My family and I witnessed a total solar eclipse in a field outside Rexburg, Idaho, on August 21, 2017. It was undeniably astonishing.

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Colossians Sermon Series

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.”  — Colossians 1:15-18

What does it mean for Jesus Christ to be truly preeminent in everything?

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Staying in the Lane

Recently, I was driving our Subaru Outback when I had a small (but memorable) reminder of how easy it is to drift.

Our Outback has a feature called Lane Keep Assist. It monitors the lane markings on the road, and when the vehicle begins to drift, it sounds an alarm. At the same time, it gently pulls the steering wheel back toward the center. On this particular trip, I lost concentration for just a moment. Before I realized what was happening, the alarm sounded, and the steering wheel corrected my direction. It jolted me to full alertness. Thankfully, I stayed safely on the road.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church