“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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“16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!” — James 5:16-17
Recently, I’ve been reading in the book of James. These verses reminded me of the power of prayer in a fresh way. James shows us that we experience healing, breakthrough, and spiritual strength through two simple but important practices: confession and earnest prayer.
Verse 16 calls us to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that healing can flow. Confession certainly isn’t about earning forgiveness from Jesus. On the contrary, His grace already covered us at the Cross. Instead, confession is about walking in the light. It keeps the enemy from cornering us with shame and isolation. It also gives Believers permission to live in an honest, transparent, and grace-filled way. We begin to heal when we step into the light with a trusted community and invite God into our weakness.
Then James points to Elijah in verse 17. He writes of a man “as human as we are.” A man whose earnest prayers absolutely shaped the world around him. Elijah wasn’t perfect; he was simply willing. His life reminds us of something we should never forget. That fervent, faith-filled prayer from ordinary people invites extraordinary intervention from God.
Honesty opens the door to healing. Equally important, earnest prayer opens the door to God’s power. We don’t need to be spiritual giants. We just need to always surrender ourselves, be humble, and be willing to pray.
Considering this, is there something in your life He’s prompting you to confess so you can walk in the light? And how can you take steps today to pray in faith, believing He hears and responds?
Talking it out and praying with you,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church
In my previous posts, I have written about the passing of my father and my journey with Jesus through grief. This is my latest entry into that collection. Maybe one day you will find these posts a source of comfort, too.
October 23 marked five years since the day my father went into cardiac arrest while driving us home from work. It was a moment that not only changed my life but also rerouted how my brain navigates grief, pain, and loss.
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Lately, on my drive home from work, I’ve been intentionally quiet. Off goes the radio, and I sit in the silence. I think about how glorious God is and how near He is to me. I don’t ask anything in prayer, or even pray out loud. In the same way, my thoughts are about Him, and I quietly praise Him. Along with that, I enjoy the indwelling of His Spirit in me.
More recently, on one of these quiet drives home, God’s providence overwhelmed me. How incredibly detailed He must be to be truly providential in everything.
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“From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” — Isaiah 43:13 (NLT)
In this verse, God reminds His people of His eternal power and sovereignty. From before time began and until long after it ends, He is unchanging. No one can thwart His purposes. At the same time, no one can undo His promises. For those of us who belong to Christ, this is the ultimate assurance. To put it simply, nothing and no one can separate us from His love.
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Does life ever surprise you with the joys and sufferings that happen, sometimes simultaneously? There are so many encouraging things happening in and around our church. People are meeting Jesus. God is saving people as well as transforming lives.
At the exact same time, however, a brief review of my prayer journal reveals people are suffering through job loss, death, and grief. Along with that, there are hospitalizations, accidents, sicknesses, and several other challenging circumstances.
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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!
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Ever since I became a follower of Christ, I’ve prayed that God would use me and others in mighty ways. There’s nothing wrong with this prayer. It’s a prayer that applies faith to a “Here am I, send me!” boldness. That is certainly not bad at all. However, I’ve prayed this prayer for over two decades. And a quick Google search of my name proves that God hasn’t used me in any of the “mighty ways” this broken world would recognize. I’m actually thankful for that.
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Proverbs 5:21-23 gives us a sober reminder: “For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.”
Think about the truth of that verse for a second. Without a doubt, we live in a world where it’s all too easy to curate a perfect image on social media. An absolutely perfect outward appearance. In fact, we edit our feeds and filter our photos. Along with that, we keep a smile on our faces and make our lives look picture-perfect. It happens not only online but also in real life. But, even if we fool our followers and neighbors, God isn’t deceived. He sees everything. Because of this, no filter, highlight reel, or act we put on for others can hide the truth from Him. We’ve exposed our motivations, mistakes, and struggles to the One who examines every step we take.
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“ALL means ALL, and that’s ALL ALL means.” If you’ve been going to The Rock Church for very long, you have probably heard this catchy saying. And you’ve also probably heard that today is Election Day. Perhaps, if you’re like me, you may even feel a sense of relief that this day has finally arrived.
The current political environment reminds me of the time an undertow in the ocean caught me. I am a capable swimmer but I felt somewhat out of control as the waves tossed me head over heels under the water. As the tide rolled away, I could stand and get my bearings again. In much the same way, no matter how this day unfolds, I know where to find my bearings. I believe we ALL will remain under the authority of King Jesus. These verses help me immensely. I have used the NLT version and capitalized and underlined the word ALL for emphasis.
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