The Rock Church

Grafted

In his last published book, “The Excellency of a Broken Heart,” the great puritan author John Bunyan wrote:

“Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think . . . . It is wounding work, of course, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving. . . . Where there is grafting there is a cutting. The scion must be let in with a wound; to stick it on to the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. The heart must be set to heart and back to back, or there will be no sap from root to branch, and this, I say, must be done by a wound.”

Many blessings come with God’s gift of salvation. However, there are also many troubles and pains. There is the breaking down of our earthly bodies, the desires and temptations of our sinful flesh, and satan (the prowling lion) wishing to destroy us and ruin the joy and goodness in our lives. Additionally, hate and venom are directed toward us from a world the unregenerate part of us so longs to please. 

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Transformed

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” —  2 Corinthians 5:17

I recently gave a message called “The Transforming One.” In it, I talked about the importance of accurately understanding our identity in Christ. I can’t stress that enough. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (NKJV) Who I think I am, absolutely affects what I do. For this reason, there is power in understanding our God-given identity. 

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Be Defined by Good Habits

Author F.M. Alexander said, “People don’t define their futures, they decide their habits, and their habits decide their future.”

We all have habits. They range from the mundane (like brushing our teeth or what we listen to on our way to work) to practicing an instrument or creating art. Habits can be amoral, while others can be sinful. Whatever type it is, it will affect you (positively or negatively).

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

Smooth Stones

In a recent message, I shared an illustration that has made an unmistakable impact on my life. I found this story in the devotional by L.B. Cowman, “Streams In The Desert” (July 7 entry):

“There is a very famous “Pebble Beach” at Pescadero, on the California coast. The long line of white surf comes up with its everlasting roar, and rattles and thunders among the stones on the shore. They are caught in the arms of the pitiless waves, and tossed and rolled, and rubbed together, and ground against the sharp-grained cliffs. Day and night forever the ceaseless attrition goes on–never any rest. And the result?

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by admin