The Rock Church

Authority

Good vs. Evil. God vs. Satan. Two equally powerful beings in an eternal struggle between darkness and light. Yin and yang. Nobody knows who will win or who will lose. But as long as they balance each other out, all is well with the universe, right? Wrong! We call this cosmic dualism. Sadly, many people (who call themselves “spiritual”) use this idea to make sense of the spiritual realm. 

The Bible tells us a different story. It tells us that God is the eternal, sovereign Creator. Furthermore, God created Satan as a rebellious angel who can act only within the limits God permits (Job 1–2). The Bible tells us that Christ defeated Satan through His death on the Cross and His Resurrection (Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14). Coupled with this, Satan’s final judgment is certain, not undecided (Revelation 20:10).

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Yes, Lord!

I am so thankful that I said yes to Jesus. Best decision I ever made. And I love, love, love it when others say yes to Jesus as well. Just like the man in John 9.

“’Yes, Lord, I believe!’ The man said. And he worshipped Jesus.” — John 9:38

There seems to be absolutely no hesitation in his response. In fact, the yes is immediate, and the worship is instantaneous. It’s as if you can’t have one without the other. The created being, reacting to the Creator God. Together with entering into an intimate and loving relationship forever. Without a doubt, it really is the greatest love story that any of us has ever lived!

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

A New Song is Coming

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” — Psalm 40:1-3

There are definitely seasons when waiting patiently for the Lord sounds a lot easier than it actually is.

For the past three months, I have been in persistent back pain. Over the years, I’ve dealt with lower-back issues from degenerative disc disease, arthritis, and mild scoliosis. Probably from all the years of slinging my guitar around… or maybe just bad posture.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by 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.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Salt and Light

My oldest son and I recently attended DTC (our M28 Alliance conference for high schoolers) in Ft. Collins, Colorado. This year’s topic was evangelism – specifically, proclaiming the Gospel without shame. Thank you to all of you who helped raise funds for this conference during the Youth Group Bake Sale on Easter weekend!

Along with many hours of fellowship and fun, a number of tremendous pastors taught, and various M28 youth bands led worship. Some very helpful workshops equipped the teens with practical tools for evangelism. We also spent time going into the surrounding cities to practice engaging people in Gospel conversations and church invites. 

It was an encouraging few days to be around so many youth and their parents, talking about the Kingdom of God. And it was also refreshing getting our minds focused on the importance and beauty of the Gospel. It is indeed the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

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.  

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

The Difference is the Soil

Have you ever heard something that you knew was true, but it still didn’t really change you?

Maybe it was a sermon, a conversation, or a verse? Perhaps a moment where God was clearly trying to get your attention? You understood it. Also, you may have even agreed with it. But a few days later, life kept moving, distractions crept back in, and nothing really took root.

That is what makes Jesus’ parable in Mark 4:1–20 so personal.

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

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