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.