Friends And Family: The Rock Church Podcast

You know what’s bold? No, not Doritos. They are pretty good though. Paul stood up to the high priests who had him arrested and beaten ... that’s bold. In fact he was so bold that everyone around noticed that something had changed in him: “When they observed the boldness of Peter and John ... they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). What is the end result of the gospel in your life? Do other people notice?

Easter is the biggest day on our calendar. It’s our Super Bowl. It’s our opening day. It’s the biggest party we throw because we’re recognizing that Jesus defeated death and rose from the grave. He is alive, sin is defeated, and He has the power to make all things new ... including you. That’s how you can have real life now. Surrender your life to Jesus, ask Him to be your savior, and He will give you the hope that everyone desperately needs.

Have you ever seen a caterpillar transform into a butterfly? It’s the coolest thing. It’s a long and messy process, but when it’s over with there is no doubt that the caterpillar is different. The old caterpillar is gone, and there is a new creation (the butterfly). The physical change in the caterpillar is a good analogy for a Christian. When you give up your life and accept Jesus, he begins to change you. Over time the change will begin to be obvious to you and to the people you know, but unlike the caterpillar, your transformation does not end.

The Bible gives us all kinds of adjectives to describe God’s nature: just, merciful, loving, above-all, etc. All of these look good on posters and bookmarks. But for a follower of Jesus Christ, the true nature of God is visible in his life: “For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you.” John 13:13-16 God’s nature shows through service, holiness, giving, and all the other ways that you demonstrate His attributes.

Last week was the first official week spring. Pretty nice huh? Everything is starting to grow and turn green. The sun is there in the winter, but it’s not very intense is it? There’s not enough heat and light to produce real growth. The plants are just dormant. So, turning that analogy to you: does the Son (Jesus) shine intensely on your life, or do you just appear dormant? Does your life demonstrate that you’re alive for Christ?

Bow your head, close your eyes, and ... now what? Knowing what to pray doesn't come naturally. I bet a lot of the time you start to day dream before you know what to pray about ... Fortunately the Bible gives us great instruction on how to pray effectively. Join us and we'll talk about how to apply Matthew 6:9-14 practically.  

Singer/Songwriter Scott Brownson joins us to talk about his upcoming album Camp Songs and his Kickstarter project.

Guest speaker Scott Brownson steps in for Pastor Greg Payton to talk about dealing with our sinful nature of wanting more but how Jesus is our only hope and fulfillment.

You can't really have a relationship with someone unless you talk to them and spend time together. Prayer is a part of our relationship with God - without it, communication is a one-way street.

In the final installment of Win with your money, Pastor Greg talks about the tension of tithing and where that tension comes from.

Do you want to be debt free? Do you want to be in control and have a plan? Then join our conversation with Jay Thompson as he talks about his top 10 financial tips for financial freedom.

Join us as we introduce our new youth Pastor of The Rock Church, Nate Lohmoeller, and talk about Ascend Live and the upcoming events that are taking place within our youth group.

Do you think you could ever have too much money? Like, say someone just walks up to you and starts handing you $100 bills ... would you ever say, “OK, that’s enough. I don’t feel like I’ll ever want anything again now.” Or what about enough emotional satisfaction, or happiness with your relationships? We’re always going to be left wanting if we put our hope in things and in other people. That’s why the Bible tells us the only way to really be satisfied is through God.

Join Pastor Greg Payton as he looks at what God's Word has to say about the refugee crisis in America.

What's important to you? What do you spend your time in life pursuing? 1 Timothy 6:10 says "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils" ... so dedicating our lives to the pursuit of money can only lead to evil! But Paul says " But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ..."

Join us as we sit down with Pastor Greg Payton and talk about the current sermon series, small groups, and what we can look forward to in the next couple of weeks at The Rock Church.

Be honest - when you hear the word “give” in the church you get skeptical. “Oh, here it is,” you say. “They just want my money.” But God doesn’t want your money. He wants your heart. You’ll trust God with your health, employment, and family. But for you, money is the hardest thing to let go of. Don’t feel bad ... you’re not alone. Why do you think the Bible mentions finances over 2,000 times? So don’t look at giving like it’s about the money; it’s about your mentality.

We are created in God’s own image. Can you imagine, out of all of creation - the mountains, animals, oceans, and stars - we were the ones that God decided to create in His image?  Clearly God has placed great value on human life to give us that distinction. And that applies to everyone - from your God fearing grandma to the worst sinner out there. And just as much so to the babies who have not been born yet (Psalm 139:13-14). But acknowledging that sanctity and talking about it isn’t enough to preserve it. What do we do about it?

We like to think of your connection to The Church as an interconnected circle - a set of five areas where you need to grow to continue to grow closer to God. These five areas are community, home, church (Sunday), small groups, and discipleship/accountability. Which one out of these do you feel you can grow the most in this week?

We’ve all done the, “Hey, how’s it going?” “Good, thanks.” “Well, see ya later!”   We have even said “good” when things weren’t good. That’s right, you know you have. But that’s not what real fellowship is. It’s meaningful, and it requires sacrifice. And that’s what the church needs to thrive: members who sacrifice to fellowship with each other. So ask yourself, who can you fellowship with today?