The Rock Church

Tag Archive: John

  1. The Best Gift You’ll Ever Receive

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    “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16  (NIV84)

    Hi, Rock Church Family! As we step into this new year, I wanted to take a moment to remind us of something. We talked about it a couple of weeks ago during our Christmas series. And honestly, for me, reminders are always a good thing (especially as I’m getting older :-)).

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  2. What Really Matters

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    What Really Matters — a word by Pastor Bill Young from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "had an incredible impact on hundreds of lives. Her death made me once again reconsider what really matters in this life."

    “Yes, a wise man thinks much of death…” (Ecclesiastes 7:4a LB)

    My wife’s mom, Judy, passed away just before Thanksgiving. We traveled back to Iowa a few weeks ago to celebrate her life. Christian funerals are always bittersweet for me. On the one hand, I am so sad at the loss of our loved ones. On the other hand, however, I feel almost envious that they are now in Paradise with Jesus! How incredible it is to know that in Heaven, there are no more tears, pain, poor eyesight, worries, migraines, sorrows, or death.

    Without a doubt, the death of a loved one is never easy. But, as followers of Christ, our hope is sure; it’s never just wishful thinking.

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  3. Jesus Saves

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    Jesus Saves — a word by Pastor Bill Young from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "I visited with him in the hospital, we talked of eternity. Along with that, we discussed healing and being with Jesus."

    “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

    With Christmas just a couple weeks away, I’ve been contemplating eternal matters. I’d like to share two different true stories that I experienced a few years ago. They are similar stories but have different endings. Both accounts involve funerals. One involved someone I’d never met, the other a dear friend.

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  4. The Mercy Seat Connection

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    Recently, a sister in our church pointed out something rather remarkable to me. There is an obvious  connection between the Mercy Seat found in the Old and New Testaments.

    The Ark of the Covenant was in the Old Testament Jewish tabernacle/temple. (You might remember it from Raiders of the Lost Ark). The Ark of the Covenant was a chest that contained The Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and Aaron’s staff. On the top of it was the Mercy Seat. This was, in fact, where God’s presence dwelled. The priests sprinkled the sacrificial blood there, and He gave mankind mercy. 

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  5. Even Me?

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    Even Me? — a word by Pastor Steele Croswhite from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "Oh, that we might see Jesus. Even now, we must ponder what He thinks of us over anything or anyone else. Astonished, amazed, and delighted,"

    Then Jesus said to her, “I am the MESSIAH!” – John 4:26

    Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite encounters in the entire Bible. You remember the story. In the Gospel of John, Jesus passed through a region called Samaria on His way to Galilee. As the reader, we should by all means know that (at this time in history) the Samaritan people were despised by the Jewish people. The Jews considered the Samaritans to be inferior economically, racially, spiritually, and socially. In fact, they were “the dogs” and often even hated.

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  6. Love and Unity

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    Love and Unity — a word by Pastor Steve McInroy from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "our love and unity (with each other) bring us closer to the Lord. Additionally, we can together catch glimpses of what’s to come."

    “Love and unity” (together) are among the eight core values we hold dear at The Rock. We describe this particular value in these words (on our website): “We desire our ministry to be marked by a Christ-like, selfless love, loyalty, and unity with fellow believers.” Over time, the undeniable evidence of this core value within our body of Believers has struck me. Selfless love and loyalty are indeed the norm. It’s as if it’s actually in the air. Like a beautiful fragrance from a spring flower after a long winter. And ultimately, it’s so compelling it draws you in. 

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  7. Musings on Miracles

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    Musings on Miracles — a word by Pastor Josh Whitney from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "What is the purpose of miracles? These verses in John teach us that one purpose is to point us to believing in Christ."

    “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” — John 20:30-31

    What is a miracle? One dictionary defines a miracle as an event that is an addition to the established laws of nature and attributed to God.

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  8. Pray About Everything

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    Pray About Everything – a word by Pastor Steve McInroy from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "The right response is to pray about everything. Perhaps you feel like you’re in an uphill battle. Are you distraught, downtrodden, sick,..."

    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.

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