Church On The Rock Homer

17 years! For almost two decades we have experienced God's faithfulness as a church. As we say yes to Him, He keeps leading us into greater and greater grace and truth. Every year, on Covenant Sunday, we settle in and consider our yes. This coming Sunday is our chance as a church to collectively say yes and pursue God's promises and will as a family. God is doing amazing things in our church, community, nation, and around the globe. I can’t wait to see what He does in us and through us over the next year!Pastor Matt McCarter

To the Men of Church on the Rock,I want to speak to you this Sunday. This is a message I have not shared. I would ask that you would come prayerfully, humbly, and prepared to take action. Do not be like the one who looks in the mirror and then walks away unchanged. I am praying for our time together,Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

Over the past several years I have been on a personal mission. Maranatha and I got married in our early thirties which meant that we were combining the lives of two self-sufficient adults. Our wedding registry didn’t include the typical newlywed items. Many of those items we already had, like pots and pans.Last year I noticed that our sauce pan was two different colors and shortly after my mother informed me that the pan I’d inherited from her used to be a nonstick pan. All of the nonstick was completely gone on the bottom half of the pan. Since then I've been working to remove all nonstick pans from our house in favor of other long lasting pans such as my great grandmother's cast iron pans. I see this same exchange happening in other areas of my life, the long lasting but more difficult choice is set aside for a quick fix. Many of us approach politics the same way. Our hope is that the latest political candidate will offer us a quick fix, and yet the older I get the quick fixes seem to fade away fast

I remember it like it was yesterday! For months my parents had been talking about a vacation. They’d heard about Destin, FL and were making plans for our family to go. We'd looked over the brochures, picked the best place to go, and booked the trip. My dad came home the evening before our 7½-hour drive with a rented minivan. I thought we were living in style! We crammed it full of our stuff and tried to get some sleep. The night flew by, and waking up at 3 AM felt like being in a whirlwind as we climbed into the van. The soundtrack for the entire drive to Florida was Brooks & Dunn’s album Hard Workin’ Man, and as much as I love me some Boot Scootin’ Boogie, it didn’t take young Matthew very long to start asking the question, “Are we there yet?” “How much longer?” “What is taking so long?”Many of us ask this same question of the Lord and His return. How much longer is this experience of a broken world going to take? How much longer is God going to keep us waiting? Didn’t He say He’d return soon!This we

As we walk further into the chapters of Revelation, it can be easy to get trapped in the weeds of imagery and imagination. Dragons, beasts, harlots, and everything else tend to distract us from the true purpose of the book, though it was never intended to. From the beginning of the book, the Holy Spirit is revealing to God’s servants (us) the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1). If we forget God’s intent in giving this revelation, then deciphering any of it will become a mess, full of confusion and misunderstanding. We, however, have the opportunity to see what God’s purpose is in revealing Christ to us. This is by understanding what is said to the seven churches of Revelation 2-3. The two common themes among all of the churches are “repent” and/or “hold fast.” Christ is calling these churches to repent of what is evil and hold fast to what is good. The rest of the book shows us why this is so vital to us as God’s servants.As we walk through Revelation 17-19, we will see how desperately important it is fo

When I was single and living in Columbia I had a buddy named Jimmy. Jimmy was a punk teenage kid that showed up to our church. He had been kicked out of his home and at first when you heard his story you’d be very angry at his prior caregivers. He appeared to be a very sweet and innocent kid who also had intellectual disabilities. His demeanor was always happy go lucky when you first met him, but if you stuck around and got to know Jimmy, you’d eventually start to empathize with those who had cared for him before. Jimmy didn't want to follow any of the basic rules for living. He pitched fits when he didn’t get his way. He didn’t care about his hygiene. Jimmy was living in his own world, playing by his own rules and when you didn’t go along, he let you have it. Over time our niceties fade and our true colors come out. This weekend we continue our series in Revelation and wade into the warnings of an enemy that seeks to deceive us by proclaiming peace and harmony, while actively seeking our destruction. Jesus,

Have you ever walked into a place and felt the heeby jeebies?  You couldn’t put your finger on it exactly but something about the space kinda creeped you out or filled you with a sense of dread?  Confession; abandoned underground tunnels kinda do that for me.  Especially when they include giant balls of clustered daddy longlegs overhead.  Eek.  I’m getting creeped out just thinking about it.  Get me outa here!This Sunday we continue our study of Revelation into chapter six.  The question at hand, what does a world look like that has completely shut out the light of Christ?  Turns out, it is a very dark and dreadful place. But we have a greater hope.  Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

At our church in SC I lead a men’s house church. It was full of young men who had recently decided to follow Jesus. Every week we sat around a table and discussed life and what Jesus was doing. In that group was a young man named Dustin. He was from sticks and even to my trained southern ear, he spoke “uniquely”. He was rough around the edges, no frills, his military experience taught him to call it as it is and to not back down. As a group, our house church attended a Hillsong concert. At that concert, Dustin let it all out. Hands raised, volume at 110%, he wrapped his arm around me as far as he could and we began to sing in unison, if you can call it that. Our hips even synced for a few moments as we worshiped our King! After leaving the concert he wouldn’t stop talking about Jesus. The whole way home, everyone in the car, every car that passed us, everyone at the gas station got an earful. I loved seeing Him love Jesus. This weekend we lean into one of the most important passages regarding the worship of G

I want my kids to do well. I want them to see how growth now leads to a reward later. Some bad habits die only painfully. But there is a promise of something good, something better, something more permanent. And I realize this is always a hard sell for kids, but “I PROMISE that you will be glad you pressed through the pain and pursued the good.”In Matthew 7, Jesus says essentially “Given that you are corrupted by your own sinful nature and you still lead your children into what is good, imagine how committed and capable a perfect God is in leading YOU toward what is good.This Sunday we will examine Revelation chapters 2 & 3. What we find is a beautiful example of a loving God who is deeply committed to the eternal good of his children. And there are some painful parts.

Earlier this summer we held our annual planning meeting for the coming year. In that meeting we lay out our teaching schedule and discuss what we’ll study as a church. We also have a pattern at COTRH to teach through the Bible sequentially, and laid out our return to Genesis. At the thought of skipping over the last text in Scripture, I insisted that we take the time to dive into one of my favorite texts, Revelation.Earlier this year we discussed Eschatology, the idea of the last days, but now we will embark on a journey through the final Word. I can’t wait to wade into the waters with you and to set your expectations of meeting and seeing our glorious God face to face as high as I possibly can. I am eager for you to experience Revelation as a guide that leads us into the worship of a good good Father, and wonderful Savior, and powerful Holy Spirit. Pastor Matt McCarter

You’ve heard me talk about God dealing with my hard heart toward my younger sister. The hypocrisy and unforgiveness that I held onto in my relationship with her was a burden. He refused to leave unaddressed. I remember the relentless onslaught of people in my life, sermons and teachings I listened to, and the Scriptures He brought to my attention. One of the main texts God used to address my heart was 1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” God led me to a fork in the road and called me to task, either I would hold onto my sinful unforgiveness or I would choose to love, by laying down the debt I held against her. I’ve come to this fork again and again in my life, being faced with the same challenge. God will not allow me or us to say we love Him and refrain from loving others. The choice is ours, to live in His light is to walk in obedience of loving others or to live in the

I don’t know what is happening to me but it is getting more and more difficult to hold it together during weddings. My son Damon got married last week and I was doing pretty good until I saw my son see his bride in white for the first time. All of the joyous celebration of love touches something deep in my heart and triggers of wave of gratitude for the beauty of love and the God who sources it all.This Sunday we jump into a quick 2 week series on I John. It’s a book about love and light, two related concepts that are meant to teach us about the character of God. It’s a short book that packs a punch. Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

Eight kids in and I still have never succeeded convincing a young child of mine of their future love of naps.  A good nap seems to be the bane of childhood existence.  Even once they resolve that it is definitely happening and there will be no negotiation, they want to express their displeasure in some form. Then I tell each one the truth; some day you are going to love a good nap.  Also, without a good nap now, you are a very different kind of child.  The nap is good for you NOW and you’ll appreciate that later on.  You don’t have to believe me, it’s still true.This is how I often feel explaining the beauty of life in Christ to the immature believer; you depend on it now in ways you do not comprehend, and you’ll grow to appreciate it in ways you cannot imagine. This Sunday we wrap up our study in Paul’s letter to the Colossians.  Paul gives a brief run down of the implications of Christ’s life in us.  It is so simple and so stunning. Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

I have heard on many occasions that at some point I will miss the phase of childrearing that I am currently lamenting. I can say that I have not missed changing diapers, nor do I anticipate missing it. In a couple days my oldest hits double digits. It’s hard to believe and I do have the sense that how I interact with my older kids is changing. They no longer need me to assist them in the ways I did when they were little. They know how to clothe, feed, and bath themselves…mostly. I am not chasing them around the house wondering if they will eat something they aren’t supposed to. I’m not holding their hands as they awkwardly take their next step forward in attempting to walk. I am however teaching them to navigate life in new ways…relationally connecting with friends in appropriate and healthy ways, building skills, gaining an education, but most importantly to me growing in their understanding of God. Many of us learn about God and how to follow Him in similar ways. We learn the rules, what He likes and doesn’

This week our family took a little trip down the Diamond Creek trail. When I arrived home from work, the car was loaded and ready to go. Once on the beach, we gathered up some wood to start a fire. Jenny handed me a lighter, a bottle of lighter fluid and a bunch of old newspapers to make my job easier. She then spread out some blankets to make our seating more comfortable. Once the fire was crackling, Jenny brought out several different kinds of hotdogs and brats for roasting along with our metal campfire hotdog skewers. There was a bag of buns and condiments to go along. Once my bacon and white cheddar bratwurst was sizzling, Jenny handed me a paper plate, a napkin, a Coke Zero that was on ice, and offered me several options for chips to go with my gourmet entrée. She even brought Chicharron. Because the brat was so good, I decided to try one of the cheddar jalapeno dogs as well.After cleaning my plate, my wife handed me a chilled slice of watermelon and warned me that it wasn’t the best tasting. It was de

The concept of love changes over the course of life. At an early age, love is represented by various entities. Disney portrays one sense where love leads us to a place of “happily ever after.” Our parents' marriages, whether for good or bad, teach us the ins and outs of what a loving relationship is or is not supposed to be. As we age, our experiences in the world teach us about love through our communities, close relationships outside the home, and media. We learn about love from so many sources because love is such an essential part of what it means to be human. It is core to our identity. We need to be loved. Everyone wants it, but so few know how to truly deliver it.As I have gotten older, the concept of love has taken one major shift from pleasure seeking and receiving affirmation to making a choice to give up myself for the betterment of someone else. I do not always get it right, but I can look back and say I now understand love more in light of what Christ has done for me on the cross than I did b

It is our routine every Tuesday to gather as a leadership team and eat pizza with chicken salad, celebrate what God is doing, and talk about what is ahead. Although this is primarily a staff meeting, our elders and board members are always welcome to attend. A while back, my uncle Kerry, one of our elders, dropped in to attend our little powwow. He also had the mannerisms of a robot. Because of the extreme pain in his neck, he was having to turn at the torso in order to change the direction of his gaze. I’ve had the same kind of experience with my neck and it makes everything more difficult. After sitting for a few minutes on one our staff lounge club chairs, Jordan Tutt quietly brought him a swivel chair from behind one of our desks. It was the sweetest thing ever. With the slight push his his toes, he could now see the whole room without wincing. Honestly, at the time, it made me think of our passage for this week. On Sunday, we dive into 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. Take a moment and read through it ahea

I’ve been to prison……and there is a difference between prison and jail. Jail is a place where you wait to be moved to your final destination. Prison is where you go to stay, to be confined…where you go to rot. I was recently reminded of a trip I took to San Francisco. While there I visited Alcatraz and I distinctly remember refusing to stand inside one of the cells. The thought of the door closing behind me was too much to bear, my freedom was worth far more to me than experiencing the interior of a 9' x 5’ cell. That tiny room is not the only prison cell I have been faced with. Throughout life, we find ourselves trapped not by physical boundaries, but ideas, words, beliefs, thoughts and other immaterial walls that are much more frightening than a prison cell. This weekend we continue our series in 1 Corinthians, focusing on chapters 8&9 and Paul’s call for us to exchange immaterial prisons for freedom in Christ!Pastor Matthew McCarter

You know that moment when your brilliant idea suddenly reveals itself to be... not so brilliant? Mine came on our first vacation as a family. We were camping in Estes Park, down to our last few dollars before payday. When the kids wanted candy at the grocery store, I proudly stood firm: "No candy. Put it all back." Father of the Year material, right? Then I turned to my wife Renda, and her body language said, “What are you doing? It’s vacation. Give the children candy, and give me candy!" But I couldn’t imagine my wife actually wanting to spend our last few dollars on the kids eating candy. So, I innocently suggested, "But honey, YOU can pick out some candy if you want, just for you." The look I received could have melted the Rocky Mountains. Turns out, marriage isn't just about the rules or about having your own way. It's about sharing life's sweetness and bitterness together. In 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds us that "Marriage is not a place to 'stand up for your rights.' Marriage is a decision to serve the ot

It gets messy. And complicated. “What about this?” “What about that?” And “Oh wow, didn’t expect that!” Look around, take a poll, everyone seems to agree, the world is broken and is inhabited by broken people. But few agree as to why. According to the Proverbs, “Where there are no oxen, the stalls are clean.” You want a clean home? Get rid of the inhabitants. Scrub until every surface shines and make every effort to ensure that nothing is soiled by the careless presence of other people!Over the years I’ve heard many express the sentiment, “I prefer church on the Bay.” Or the beach, or the woods, or the mountain tops, somewhere away from everyone else. “I prefer family reunions… without the family.” Some feel this way because of past hurt. Some feel this way because other people are just too much. And some feel this way because of self-righteous pride. Paul didn’t feel this way. His church family in the city of Corinth was a hot mess. And yet he consistently refers to them as his brothers and sisters, his fami