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Tag Archive: joy

  1. Knit Together

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    Knit Together — a word by Pastor Billy Johnson from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "Each one of us has that same claim. God knit each one of us together; He holds us together in His goodness."

    My wife recently gave birth to our fifth child, a wonderful baby boy. He is truly God’s gift to our family. Even after five children, the process of forming a human body still amazes me. That process, along with wrapping it around an eternal soul, is no doubt an incredibly complicated thing. And it happens with very little knowledge of the mother. God is “knitting together” a baby inside of her, and the child gives absolutely no input or permission as God knits him together.

    A brother and I were talking in the lobby after church one night. We were in wonder of the fact that our wives didn’t have to take a class or watch YouTube videos to learn about how to put the baby together in the womb. Instead, their bodies knew exactly how to facilitate the miracle going on inside of them.

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  2. Philippians Sermon Series

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    Join us at The Rock Church in Draper, UT and find joy that holds fast in every season. Philippians Series begins January 24/25.

    A Study of the Book of Philippians

    Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:4-7

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  3. Your First Love

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    “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.” — Revelation 2:4-5a


    I read this verse recently, and it brought some deep conviction to my heart. The Lord sets the context of these verses when He speaks to some Believers in the final days. In this particular example, He praised them for their “hard work”, “patient endurance,” and “protection of the Truth.” But He complained that the Church had lost its first love — Jesus Himself.

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  4. Hungry for the Word!

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    “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4

    You may have heard that in 2024, Bible sales rose by 22% over the previous year. That is certainly very encouraging! At our “Hope for America” livestream event, we gave away 40 Bibles. There definitely seems to be a growing hunger for God’s Word. 

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  5. 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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  6. Sharing Love in Hard Places: A Mission to the Landfill Community

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    Missionaries from The Rock Church handing out sack lunches to children in need at a landfill in Romania.

    Before our visit, I tried to imagine what life is like for the Roma families living in the landfill. A place surrounded by trash. A place where hunger and struggle are daily realities. My heart ached knowing we were about to witness conditions so different from our own.

    To prepare, we made over 100 sandwiches and assembled essential kits for the children. Our mission was to share the love of Christ. We led a Vacation Bible School centered on Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

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  7. None of This is Random: Trusting God’s Plan on This Mission Trip

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    Short-term missionaries from Utah play music with some of the native kids in Romania. None of this is random.

    At 3 a.m., I was awakened by three taps on my shoulder and saw a hand pointing to the window. I looked out and saw one of the most beautiful, star-filled skies I have ever witnessed. None of this is here by accident. It felt like God was trying to show me something.

    Days later, during my quiet time, I read Isaiah 40:26, “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing.” This verse hit me.

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  8. Peace, Joy, and a Deep Sense of Purpose

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    The Romania mission team sharing a meal together.

    As the sun rose over the rolling hills of Cluj-Napoca, we were reminded of God’s beautiful creation all around us. Despite the long hours of travel and little sleep, our first day in Romania was marked not by exhaustion or nerves, but by peace, joy, and a deep sense of purpose.

    From the warm welcome at the airport by Liz and Bogdan to the incredible hospitality at Casa Speranței, we felt like we had come home to a place we’d never been before. Sharing this mission with our family and church team from The Rock has already made this journey unforgettable.

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  9. The Purpose of Life

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    The Purpose of Life — a word from Pastor Bill Young from The Rock Church in Draper, UT. "Unquestionably, he’s also speaking from the depths of suffering. He’s saying that if you know your purpose, you can get through anything"

    “For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?” – Ecclesiastes 6:12 (NIV).

    Let’s be honest. Life without purpose can certainly feel empty. I believe that with all my heart. Maybe you’ve felt that weight, too?

    Dr. Viktor E. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who survived Nazi concentration camps. He wrote a powerful book called “Man’s Search for Meaning.” In it, he makes two unforgettable statements:

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  10. Filled with Joy and Gelato

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    Filled with Joy and Gelato — A blog from the Croatia team while in Vrsar, Croatia. "This trip has been a good reminder to all of us to be filled in His stillness. Even in the busyness of childcare, His simple, steady Spirit"

    Our final day with the missionary kids was yesterday (Saturday). The day was filled with fun, faith and farewells. It’s hard to believe the trip is coming to a close.

    A majority of the time was spent all together – younger and older – singing, signing T-shirts & journals, and walking along the shore to find a new beach spot.

    For at least three hours, kids hung out in the sunshine and swam. Many chatted and goofed off while tossing a football or receiving henna tattoos. We concluded our afternoon the same way we did last year – by getting gelato with all the kids.

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