The Rock Church

Speaking Without Thinking

“There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.” Proverbs 29:20 (NLT)

Speaking without thinking can get people into quite a mess, can’t it? We definitely see this in our world every day. Especially with social media. People post almost everything they say and do online. Not just in the form of videos but also in the comment sections. And too often this ends up negatively.

This is certainly not a recent problem. People did not just discover this phenomenon with the World Wide Web. In fact, Solomon recognized this danger in the 10th century B.C. when he penned the book of Proverbs. Today, access to seeing everyone’s words and thoughts online has only increased their visibility. 

Carefree Comments

I’ll be honest, my loose tongue can get me into hot water from time to time. It’s easy for me to sink into making jokes or being carefree with my comments. To my shame, this is often at someone else’s expense. I don’t always consider how my words may affect someone else. Even the most innocent of my nonchalant quips has offended someone. Or at least made them uncomfortable. 

Of course, I’m not saying God has no sense of humor. And I’m not saying joking around is always wrong. However, I am convicted to consider, “Am I thinking before I speak?”

Proverbs 15:2 says, “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.”

Downright Hurtful

I can also be thoughtless in my speech when I am frustrated or angry. Sadly, when walking in my flesh, it can be so easy to sink back into heedless comments. My speech can be cold, dismissive, or thoughtless. Sometimes, even downright hurtful. Unfortunately, those closest to me are the ones who catch a good deal of those reckless words. 

And what does the verse above in Proverbs 29 say? In those moments when I speak without thinking, I am worse off than a fool. And if you know Proverbs, Solomon already has a low view of fools. Truly, to have less hope than a fool is pretty hopeless. 

Mercy

However, praise Jesus for His mercy that is new every day. Hallelujah for His patient, loving kindness for a fool like me. Along the way, He sanctifies me by His grace to be more like Him in my speech. And at the same time, more thoughtful before I speak. 

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Lord help us (help me) to think before we speak. To be self-controlled with our tongues. Equally important, to be considerate of others and what honors You. Help us to always “speak life” to those around us. 

Grace and peace,

Caleb

Posted in A Word from the Pastor by Caleb Yetton

The Paths We Pave

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.

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

Navigating Life With Self-Control

Many factors contribute to messing up a person’s life. Lack of self-control is a significant one. You might be on top of your finances and then wreck them by buying things you don’t need. Not to mention, you could excel at controlling your temper until something gets under your skin and you snap. Without a doubt, self-control is an essential and crucial characteristic of a Christian.

Put very simply, having self-control is sort of like driving a car. If you let go of the wheel, there’s a good chance you will run into another vehicle (or possibly off a bridge). But holding onto the wheel gives you the ability to drive defensively. Along with that, holding the wheel allows you to reach your destination. Paul certainly drove this point home (pardon the pun) when he wrote to Titus; he told him to teach everyone self-control. In fact, his instruction wasn’t just for pastors. It was for everyone who calls themselves a Christian. Indeed, he wrote about it five times in both chapters one and two.

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

Live by the Spirit

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other.” — Galatians 5:14-15

The Fruit of the Spirit is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Paul explains the fruits to the Galatians right after these verses. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues are interconnected and essential for our spiritual growth.

However, we can easily cultivate the opposite virtues. They entirely oppose the working of the Holy Spirit. Responding in our flesh leads to negative consequences, such as hate, despair, anxiety, impatience, cruelty, wickedness, unfaithfulness, harshness, and impulsiveness.

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

The Walls of Self-Control

“A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” — Proverbs 25:28

This verse likens us to a city. It’s certainly a powerful metaphor; we don’t often see it used in the Bible. I think a few themes from this verse are worth spending some time on. They’ll help us understand what can happen when we don’t exercise self-control.

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