Rocky Messages

The natural pull for every person in the world is to be focused on ourselves. When Jesus comes along, he says that needs to change. He tells us there is ONE thing that we need to partner with him to do. Our mission is to find the lost, broken, and needy people who do not know Him and share the hope of Jesus. The Church is not here to be a social club for the 99; the church is a launching pad for the 99 to find the ONE.

The Church has a mission. Sometimes we forget what that mission is. Sometimes we value methods and politics over the mission. In 2020 the Church may have discovered a little mission drift. A little mission confusion. Just "a little" may seem okay, but friends, just okay is not okay, especially when it comes to the church. In 2021 let's focus on the mission. Let's focus on the kingdom as we continue to know Jesus and love like Him.

Too often in 2020, we found ourselves investing time, money, and energy into winning arguments that God never asked us to. God asked us to do one thing; Love people like Him. We're not here to WIN arguments; we're here to Love people. In 2021 let's stop throwing stones and start washing feet.

We have to admit it; we are all impacted and attracted to the American dream. The American dream is all about more. All about me first living. When Jesus came, he brought the kingdom of heaven with Him; He also brought the Kingdom Dream. The Kingdom dream is all about less. When we focus on the Kingdom dream, we actively choose to increase our standard of loving instead of just increasing our standard of living.

Mental wellness is a topic that can get lost in the church. More often than not, the church becomes a group of people that are just okay at dealing with depression and anxiety. In 2021, we need to do better at being open, honest, and loving when it comes to this topic. We need to remind ourselves and our communities that God is so close he could reach out and touch us in our brokenness.

We learned a lot about ourselves in 2020. We think there are six things that we need to be more than just okay at in 2021. Be ready because this may get a little uncomfortable, but we promise it will be worth it. The first conversation we want to have focuses on our relationship with Jesus. Where are you at with Jesus? What does the rhythm of your relationship with him look like?

Christmas is almost here. For some people, this holiday season will be filled with special people and familiar traditions. For others, this year will be different and even challenging. No matter who you are, we would love for you to join us on Christmas Eve. Shan has a special message on Emmanuel, the God who is with us.