The Rock Church

By Whose Power?

The Bible clearly shows that St. Peter was a bit of a hothead. We can relate to him, can’t we? He often acted impulsively. And the events in the Upper Room the night Jesus was arrested show his impulsiveness.

Jesus tells the disciples He’s going somewhere they can’t follow. Peter immediately pushes back — “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” In Matthew, he says even if everyone else falls away, he won’t. (Matthew 26:33) In Mark, he insists emphatically. (Mark 14:29) Bold claims, Peter. And Jesus simply tells him the truth he isn’t ready to hear: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” (Mark 14:30)

As John MacArthur said, “Vows are easily made in a warm room, with full stomachs and no opposition.” St. Peter was about to face opposition.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Lessons from the Life of Obed-Edom

Imagine along with me. You wake up to find someone has delivered the Ark of the Covenant (the sacred symbol of God’s very presence) to your house for safekeeping (by Amazon). That’s exactly what happened to a man named Obed-Edom. Well, not the Amazon part.
 
Let me back up a bit. King David and his men were transporting the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. A tragic incident occurred when Uzzah improperly handled the Ark and died (1 Chronicles 13). King David halted the Ark’s journey and left it in the home of Obed-Edom. What happened next has always amazed me:

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Life-Changing Prayer

Ephesians 3:14a (NIV84) “For this reason I kneel before the Father…”

Last Thursday, my wife (Mary) and I put our 20+ year-old furniture on the driveway with “FREE” signs attached. We then held hands and prayed, “Lord, have someone take these before the day is over.” Four hours later, a neighbor a few doors down claimed the well-worn couches for her daughter. Soon after, Mary and I held hands (again) and thanked the God who answers prayers!

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Pray Them Deeper

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him…” — Ephesians 1:15-17

These verses recently gripped me as I read Ephesians. The Apostle Paul hears that the faith of the people in this church is strong. Their love for one another is obviously the real deal. Everything is definitely GREAT! But then, instead of moving on with a quick, spiritual high-five, Paul presses in. He tells them precisely what he’s praying for them.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Take Courage — Free Day With the Kids

“But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” – Matthew 14:27

Today, for our mission, we had the kids from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Most days, the parents meet with their kids for meals. Today, however,  they had the gift of an entire day with no responsibility. It was a long, hectic privilege to serve this way. 

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Discovering God’s Presence in Missionary Life

Yesterday and today have been spent fine-tuning our plans for the mission trip. Our mission isn’t what Wednesday was — our first full day of the official mission. We met as a large group to map out the agenda, worship, and pray together. After that, kids 10 and under began the day with swimming. 

The teenagers went out on a city trek to visit the Cathedral of St. Martin. We also took them to the top of the bell tower. Once there, you could see all of downtown Vrsar, as well as the many islands out in the Adriatic Sea. It was beautiful. Following that, Steele gave these missionary teens a quick teaching on Psalm 90. They listened with enthusiasm as Steele related this Psalm of Moses to their own lives.

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Childcare for European Missionaries’ Children

Yesterday and today have been spent fine-tuning our plans for the mission trip. Our mission isn’t what most people picture when they hear “mission trip.” It isn’t directly evangelistic in nature, nor is it building houses, or providing medical care. Instead, we are providing childcare for European missionaries’ children while they enjoy a conference.

It is an annual event that most of these “third culture” kids look forward to. It is the only time they have to spend with kids in a similar situation to theirs. Not to mention, with just a larger group of English-speaking Christian kids. 

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Travel to Croatia and Trust the Holy Spirit

“You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do….. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” — Psalm 139:3,5

Our team, 17 of us from Salt Lake City and seven from Colorado, embarked on this past Thursday afternoon. A five-hour delay in Salt Lake caused us to miss our connection in Paris. We heard the news on the 10-hour flight across the Atlantic that our team would have to be split up. One group went from Paris to Vienna, another from Paris to Frankfurt. After factoring in customs and even longer layovers, it was hard not to feel disheartened. 

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Inner Transformation and Mind Renewal

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.

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

Home

With a heavy and thankful heart, I took a final, sweeping glance around the place my family and I had called home for the last eleven years. Then I locked the door and drove away. 

As I did, memories flooded through me. I thought of bringing my two youngest daughters home from the hospital as newborns. And then, there were all the Christmas, birthday, and Thanksgiving dinners with friends and family. Another was the treasure map I made to look old and “hid” in the attic where my son could find it. Along with that came the cloth bag of quarters he dug up in the backyard. So. Many. Memories. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church