The Rock Church

Staying in the Lane

Recently, I was driving our Subaru Outback when I had a small (but memorable) reminder of how easy it is to drift.

Our Outback has a feature called Lane Keep Assist. It monitors the lane markings on the road, and when the vehicle begins to drift, it sounds an alarm. At the same time, it gently pulls the steering wheel back toward the center. On this particular trip, I lost concentration for just a moment. Before I realized what was happening, the alarm sounded, and the steering wheel corrected my direction. It jolted me to full alertness. Thankfully, I stayed safely on the road.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

What’s Your Distraction?

Nehemiah shows us something that most of us know — but don’t always want to admit. We rarely drift away from what matters because of just one massive decision. For the most part, we drift through small distractions, quiet compromises, and everyday busyness. And ultimately, those things slowly pull our attention away from God.

When Nehemiah heard that enemies had broken down the walls of Jerusalem, he didn’t just feel bad and move on. Instead, he sat down, wept, fasted, and prayed. The burden became personal. That is often where purpose begins. Not with ego, ambition, or trying to be impressive. But with letting God break our hearts for something that matters.

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

What Really Matters

“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.

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by The Rock Church

Priorities

I’ve been at my new job as a maintenance electrician for almost three months. For over a decade, I’ve worked a lot of overtime as an industrial/commercial electrician. I worked in mines, salt plants, airfields, factories, and high rise buildings. It wasn’t uncommon for me to get to work before the sun came up, work all day, and come home after dark. I would then sit at the kitchen table to do paperwork, while my wife waited (for an hour or so), to have a conversation with me. I worked hard to provide for my family and make sure my jobs came in on time and under budget. This is what God called me to do, right? Wrong.

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Posted in A Word from the Pastor by admin