Church on The Rock Homer

In this message, we are going to jump into a three weeks series covering the life of one my favorite Biblical characters. We get to meet him as a teenager and my hope is that his story will encourage and inspire those who are in their teens and early twenties. But maybe not in the way you would expect...

Our main character is Joseph, and he was definitely going to do great things. Right after some really terrible but necessary things. If you get a chance, read Genesis 37 and then buckle up.

Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the midst of our morning routine. Wake up, get dressed, breakfast, load up, choose the morning mix for our drive to school. Most of the time it’s kids' music on the way to school. After drop off, Dad does some reminiscing. I love going down the rabbit hole and finding old tunes and enjoying them again. Remember the classics Matchbox 20, Oasis, Weezer, Garth Brooks, Joe Diffie, MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, AC/DC, Jimmy Hendrix, CCR…etc.

On this particular day, I had re-re-re discovered Brooks and Dunn, one of my favorites, just as I hit the cul-de-sac, I imagined myself singing karaoke. However, I was sitting in the driveway singing at the top of my lungs and rocking the truck as I did so.

A couple of songs in, and I looked up to find my wife doubled over in the window, hysterically laughing at me. It's easy sometimes to get caught up in the moment and lose track of what is happening outside of our periphery.

This weekend, we examine Jacob’s life and his marriages and how, in the midst of all his struggles, he is head down trying to make the most of it while being detached from the promises of God that are directing his life. Instead of wrestling so hard, he should have considered the larger story God was writing on his life and the generations around him.

Read ahead. Take a look at Genesis 27 - 32.

Pastor Matt McCarter

This Sunday's teaching will focus on the life of Esau and the sobering reality of what happens when we allow our appetites to take the place of God. Esau’s story is more than a historical account; it’s a mirror. It reveals how easily we can trade what is eternal for what satisfies us in the moment.

I’ll be exploring the concept of “irreversible moments”, those decisions that seem small in the moment but carry lasting spiritual consequences. The message will also contrast Esau’s response to his failure with the woman caught in adultery's response in John 8. While both were confronted with sin, their responses, and ultimately their outcomes, could not be more different. One reveals a heart that clings to appetite; the other, a heart that encounters grace and transformation.

The aim of this message is deeply practical. I want to call people to examine themselves honestly before the Lord: Who is really on the throne of your heart? Are you trusting in your appetites, or are you trusting in God?

Ultimately, this message ties into our series theme of Trust, challenging us to trust in what is eternal rather than being led by the impulses of the flesh.

Joseph Collier

Have you ever witnessed the chaotic messy urgency of performance artists? These artists create on canvas but do so in front of an audience in very dramatic and hurried fashion. Maybe you have seen the same kind, but there is a version of this performance where the artist flips the canvas upside down at the last moment revealing a portrait that up until the final moment appeared to be nothing but splashed ink on a black background.

What makes the performance even more gripping is the camera panning to the confused audience and, on occasion, the annoyed talent judges who are convinced the artist in front of them is just lousy. They grimace and squint, cocking their heads to a slight angle in an attempt to make some interpretation of what is appearing before them.

Then, just before an impatient judge smashes the big red button of doom, the canvas is flipped, the genius of the artist is revealed and the audience gasps in awe. “Wow, what a masterpiece.”

In this message, we jump back into the Genesis narrative and pick it up in

chapter 24. My hope is that you will see the brilliant master artist at work in a way that leads you to trust His work in your own life, even when you can’t make sense of it.

Dr. Pastor Aaron Weisser

A few weeks ago as we were planning this series and the Easter services, the graphic for this series was unleashed in a weekly meeting. Some of our team were filled with excitement and others with anxiety. As you look at the images your mind starts to wander and if you’re like me, you think about how a certain person can’t be a christian. Didn’t so and so say something about… Didn’t that person commit such and such… Isn’t that person being indicted for…

Last week Aaron answered the question "What is a Christian?" by addressing the internal reality of the believer, the supernaturally empowered ability to Love the Almighty God. This Sunday we look toward the external expression of the believer and the act of demonstrating one’s love for God by Loving your Neighbor!

Hint: The people in this graphic are no different from your neighbors!

Some passages I’ve been meditating on are 1 John 2 and Ephesians 4.

Pastor Matt McCarter

I find it curious to observe what seems to be an increasing public confidence of professing Christians in the celebrity/media/political worlds. In the last few years it has become more acceptable, even commendable, to own your faith convictions in public spaces. Along with this I have observed a related trend. Notable public personas aggressively feud with other famous figures online, while both parties make claims to the same faith and religion as the driver of their convictions. I am perplexed not just because their viewpoints are so diametrical, but because the tone of these spats is often crude and malicious.

There is an aspect of this trend that I find heartbreaking. As more public figures make faith claims, there seems to be an increasing number of them making such claims while living lifestyles at odds with their basic faith tenets. And I find myself troubled by what seems to be a very public yet misleading example of what it means to follow Jesus.

On the one hand, you have passages like 1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then praise will come to each person from God." Paul argues that we simply don't know the condition of another person's soul and we should be content to let the Lord reveal it on His timeframe.

But in Matthew 7:15-16 where Jesus says "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?" So there are bad people with bad intentions who profess the name of Jesus and we should be aware of their falsity and avoid it!

What to do, what to do.

In this message, we jump into a two-week series titled "What is a Christian?" This week I want to look at what the Bible says about the internal reality of a Christian or a "Christ follower." What should we expect of the unseen world of the soul? Looking forward to examining some hard questions together with you.

Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

I find it curious to observe what seems to be an increasing public confidence of professing Christians in the celebrity/media/political worlds. In the last few years it has become more acceptable, even commendable, to own your faith convictions in public spaces. Along with this I have observed a related trend. Notable public personas aggressively feud with other famous figures online, while both parties make claims to the same faith and religion as the driver of their convictions. I am perplexed not just because their viewpoints are so diametrical, but because the tone of these spats is often crude and malicious.

There is an aspect of this trend that I find heartbreaking. As more public figures make faith claims, there seems to be an increasing number of them making such claims while living lifestyles at odds with their basic faith tenets. And I find myself troubled by what seems to be a very public yet misleading example of what it means to follow Jesus.

On the one hand, you have passages like 1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then praise will come to each person from God." Paul argues that we simply don't know the condition of another person's soul and we should be content to let the Lord reveal it on His timeframe.

But in Matthew 7:15-16 where Jesus says "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?" So there are bad people with bad intentions who profess the name of Jesus and we should be aware of their falsity and avoid it!

What to do, what to do.

In this message, we jump into a two-week series titled "What is a Christian?" This week I want to look at what the Bible says about the internal reality of a Christian or a "Christ follower." What should we expect of the unseen world of the soul? Looking forward to examining some hard questions together with you.

Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

F.O.M.O. is an acronym for Fear of Missing Out. We experience F.O.M.O. when there is a constant anxiety that there might be something better we are not currently experiencing. It is anxiety about the future, anticipating a better event, a better car, a better relationship…

There is another side to F.O.M.O., the Fear of Missed Opportunity. This is the realization that a moment is gone and can never be regained. It’s the realization your child is x number of years old, and you haven’t done what you said you always would. It’s the weight of considering what you should have said to your loved one before their death. It’s looking at your past and wishing you’d done more.

The consequence of both sides of F.O.M.O. is that we never really live a full life in the present. We miss what is in front of us because we’re too busy hoping and wishing, while the sands of time pass through our hands.

This Easter weekend, as we celebrate the Risen Savior, Jesus Christ, I hope you will come to a new place of fullness that can ONLY be found in Him.

In Christ, there is true grace, true hope, and true freedom! No more F.O.M.O., instead ABUNDANT LIFE!

Before you dig into this message, dig into any of the passion narratives in the Gospel accounts, Matt. 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-2.

Pastor Matt McCarter

I have an assignment for you to complete before diving into this message. Grab your Bible and find Luke chapter 19. The story known as Christ’s Triumphal Entry begins in verse 29. Take a minute and read that story to refresh your perspective.

I have been reflecting on this story for a few weeks now after reading it again. Something caught me by surprise that I had not caught before, something weighty. The same story is referenced in John 12, beginning in verse 12.

I don’t think the people are celebrating what they think they are celebrating, and a careful read of the story is providing new clues as to what is really going on. Which leads me to my question for this week: As we celebrate Jesus, do you know for sure what you are celebrating?

Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

Maranatha and I have driven the Alcan three times thus far. It is an incredibly beautiful drive and one of my wife’s favorite experiences. The most recent time we traveled to Montana and crossed the border leading to Banff, Alberta. This part of the road has multiple options to connect you to the Alcan in Dawson Creek. On long road drives like this, there can be an eerie feeling of having gone the wrong direction. It's a guttural feeling that leads to digging through maps and meticulously watching for the next road sign. Come to find out, we’d traveled quite a ways in the wrong direction and needed to turn around to hit Banff. We eventually found our way and made our way to Alaska. 

In life, we look for signs that we are headed in the right direction. We follow Gideon’s example and lay out fleeces to test God’s will for our lives. What I find interesting is that mankind seeks certain signs from God while trying our best to ignore the more difficult illustrations He clearly lays out for us. 

In this message, we examine the life of Sarai. Her life is particularly difficult and is a life that is challenging for us to consider because of the pain that comes with barrenness. Sarai’s life is marked by God in a seemingly cruel manner, but when properly understanding God’s nature, we can see that in even in the horror of barrenness, God is speaking to our hearts! 

You can read ahead by reading Genesis 12-21. 


Pastor Matt McCarter