The Rock Church

Talk it Out, Pray it Out

“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.

These Verses Remind Us

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,

Steele

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Making a Way: God’s Work Through Conversations in Milano

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” — Isaiah 43:19

Our second day of English clubs went very well! We had both fun and meaningful conversations around the topic of music.

Several students shared that they had never been asked about their favorite song or type of music before. Many expressed genuine gratitude simply for being asked a question and for being listened to with interest. One student in particular, Vlad, was especially thankful that we took time to hear his thoughts. That moment opened the door to deeper conversations about belonging and community.

Conversations and Connection

Elijah had the opportunity to share with Vlad and his older brother about our church—how it’s a family, why it’s called The Rock, and that Jesus is our foundation and everlasting rock.

The skit we performed for the students was a huge hit—so much so that they wanted to take a photo with “George Washington” (a.k.a. Ryan)!

Later that evening, we took five students out to dinner, where even more meaningful conversations unfolded. Abbi, Ava, and Kaylee spent time with Vittoria (who came last year and stayed in touch with Andrea and Abbi throughout the year) and a new student, Ilaria. They’ve been able to share their faith multiple times, and both girls have shown genuine curiosity and asked wonderful questions.

We are so thankful that God has gone before us and prepared the way for these conversations.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) brings more opportunities for connection—through a cooking class, games, and continued conversations.

Please pray that our words will be led by the Holy Spirit, that we would continue to speak with boldness, gentleness, and truth, and that God would be glorified in everything we do.

In Christ,
The Italy Mission Team

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

God’s Delight and Our First Day of English Club

“As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” — Psalm 16:3

The night before our first English club meeting, Frank Apiza encouraged our team with these words. What a beautiful reminder that God’s delight in each one of us—even before our mission work begins.

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

Hope in Milano: The Start of Our Mission Journey

Hello Church Family!

We arrived safely in Milano! Although a little bleary-eyed from travel, everyone is in great spirits.

At the airport, we were greeted by Amanda and her two kids, Hannah and John. What a joy it was to see their familiar faces again! After some quick reunions and introductions for our new team members, we headed to their home.

Posted in Missions, News by The Rock Church

A Message From the Pastors

As a nation, we have endured many seasons marked by fear, uncertainty, and injustice. Yet, for us as a church, few moments have struck closer to home than the tragic and senseless murder of Charlie Kirk. His assassination has left us shaken. This is not only because of the deep loss we feel, but also because it happened so close to where we live and worship. This heartbreaking event has stirred fear, confusion, and sorrow in many of our hearts. 

We wanted to share a few thoughts to help us respond as followers of Jesus:

1) Be people of prayer.
Pray for the Kirk family as they grieve. Pray for our country, for revival, and for those who are hurting will find the Lord in their pain. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

2) Remember the sanctity of life.
As Steele mentioned this past weekend, every human life is precious in God’s sight—full of value and worth. That’s part of what makes this so shocking and jarring. As Christians, we trust that God will judge all things and right every wrong. We rest in that hope. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

3) Rest in God’s sovereignty.
We serve a God who is able to bring good even from terrible evil. Remind yourself again and again: God is sovereign and in complete control. We don’t understand all that is happening, but we can trust His faithfulness. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28)

4) Guard your heart and mind.
As Bryan said this last weekend, there is wisdom in who we listen to and what we consume. Listening to foolish or inflammatory voices does our hearts no good. Ask: What fruit is this content producing in me—peace or agitation, love or enmity? Choose what leads you closer to Christ. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

5) Be courageous—and loving—with the Truth.
Share the Gospel. Stand for biblical Truth with humility and love. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and spoke Truth in love. Be courageous. Share the Truth. Love your enemies. “Speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15)

If you need prayer (or someone to talk with), your pastors and church leaders are here for you.

With heavy but hopeful hearts,

The Pastors of The Rock

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

D.A.W.G.

I acquired a habit in my earlier days as a Christ follower. I made time in my busy schedule for what we lovingly called a D.A.W.G. (Day Alone With God). We can all agree that life can sometimes be overwhelming. Not only do we want to do it all, but we also want our families to do even more than we ever did. Our phones throw data at us like ants marching toward spilled pie and ice cream on a hot summer sidewalk.

As I look back on my early days as a young Christian, I see a wife, three kids, and working overtime as an electrician. In hindsight, I was just learning to zealously serve the Lord. Along with trying to figure out the concept of a balanced life. Much like a skateboarder learning complicated tricks, it was a roadrashy time in my walk with the Lord. I specifically remember one of the many conferences my wife Jeanne and I used to frequent. The speaker introduced me to the idea of a Day Alone With God.  

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Survival of the Fittest vs. God Provides?

The other day, I found a dead bird. Consequently, it got me thinking. In 1859, Charles Darwin wrote “On the Origin of Species.” He talked about limited resources and survival of the fittest. Basically, Darwin decided there were limited natural resources, like food or water. On this basis, he theorized that these limited resources led to competition (survival of the fittest) in the natural world.

In one sense, Darwin was right. As Christians, we certainly know that creation is cursed (Romans 8:20-22). This is self-evident in the death and disease we see around us. However, Darwin approached this question of resources from a naturalistic (godless) perspective. In his worldview, there was never a Creator who provided for His creation.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Wait and Pray

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” — Psalm 62:5-7

Reading through Psalm 62 recently was convicting for me. In particular, verse five stood out to me. In my opinion, our world (myself included) doesn’t like to be silent — especially when something bothers us. Because of this, we text or call friends to complain about the lousy customer experience we just had at a store. We also hop on social media to tell the world our opinion about the news story of the day. Without a doubt, we sure love to make our views heard. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

Election Day

The election is less than two weeks away (November 5). Earlier this year, we took six weeks to study what the Bible teaches about politics in our King Jesus series. We specifically covered several important lessons during that time. Here are a few significant reminders as we approach election day. 

• First, if you aren’t registered to vote, please register before Friday, October 25. 

It says in Jeremiah 29:7, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” More Christians voting biblically is a significant way we can bring good to our city, state, and country. 

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church