Immersed 1 Corinthians 10:1–13 | Romans 6:1–11 | Numbers Central Truth: Baptism does not save us. It publicly declares that we have personally trusted Jesus Christ, been united with Him in His death and resurrection, and received newness of life through Him. This message explores the meaning of believer's baptism through Israel's wilderness journey, the saving work of Jesus Christ, and the personal testimony of a life transformed by His grace. Paul reminds the Corinthians that all Israel experienced God's deliverance from Egypt, passed through the sea, and received His supernatural provision. Yet many remained in unbelief. They were delivered out of Egypt, but Egypt had not been delivered out of their hearts. Their experience illustrates that belonging to a religious community or family does not replace personal faith in the Lord. Paul describes Israel as being baptized into Moses, identifying them with God's appointed leader. Yet Moses, despite his faithfulness, could not redeem their souls. He pointed toward the greater Mediator, Jesus Christ, who alone can save sinners. Romans 6 reveals the extraordinary reality of salvation: believers are united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Water baptism visibly portrays this spiritual reality. Going beneath the water pictures death and burial with Christ, while rising from the water pictures resurrection and the newness of life He provides. The message emphasizes that baptism is an act of obedience, not the source of salvation. Paul's distinction between preaching the gospel and administering baptism in 1 Corinthians 1:17 demonstrates the importance of placing our confidence in Christ rather than a rel

What does it mean to have a heart of stone or a heart of flesh? In this teaching, Pastor Brandon Holthaus continues his study of Hebrew idioms by examining two powerful expressions found in the book of Ezekiel: "They sit before you as My people" from Ezekiel 33:31 and the contrast between a "heart of stone" and a "heart of flesh" in Ezekiel 36:26. Scripture warns that it is possible to hear God's Word, attend church, study the Bible, and outwardly appear devoted while never allowing biblical truth to transform the way we actually live. Jesus asks, "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" James gives the same warning when he tells believers to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. Pastor Brandon explores how spiritual hardness develops through repeated resistance to truth, persistent sin, pride, unbelief, idolatry, and an unwillingness to obey. He also explains how fear and other emotions can influence our thinking and decision-making when our minds are not grounded in Scripture. But there is good news: a hardened heart does not have to remain hardened. God desires a heart that is responsive, teachable, and willing to trust Him. Through faith, obedience, and the transforming work of God's Word, believers can grow in spiritual maturity and develop a heart that is increasingly sensitive to His truth. Are we simply hearing the Word of God, or are we allowing it to change us? #Hebraisms #HeartOfStone #HeartOfFlesh #Ezekiel36 #Ezekiel33 #BibleStudy #BiblicalTruth #ChristianLiving #SpiritualGrowth #WordOfGod #BrandonHolthaus #RockHarborChurch

In Due Season This message centers on Galatians 6:6–10 and the truth that what we sow, nurture, and faithfully continue in will eventually produce a harvest. Using Caleb and Joshua as living examples, the message shows that faithfulness requires endurance. Caleb held to God's promise for decades and, at eighty-five years old, was still ready to possess what God had promised. His life illustrates Galatians 6:9: "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." A major emphasis is that weariness can become weakness if we stop believing and obeying what God has said. Israel's failure in the wilderness was not because they lacked information, but because they allowed their own reasoning, fears, and circumstances to carry more weight than God's Word. Caleb had "a different spirit" because he wholly followed the Lord. The message warns that rejecting God does not always look openly rebellious; sometimes it simply looks like deciding that our opinion, priorities, or logic are more important than what He has revealed. Galatians 6 also teaches that we reap according to what we sow. Continually sowing to the flesh—self-centered thinking, fear, worldly reasoning, bitterness, or unbelief—eventually corrupts how we see God, people, and circumstances. But sowing to the Spirit through the Word produces an everlasting way of seeing life. We learn to trust the One who controls what we cannot control and to view temporary troubles through eternal truth. The message also stresses shared responsibility within the body of Christ. Just as Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh could not simply receive their inheritance and abandon their

Ever Since This message centers on three simple words that describe the life of faith: for, with, and through. God does something for us, we respond with faith, and then He works through us for His glory. Israel had experienced the mighty works of God in Egypt and the wilderness, but at Kadesh-Barnea most of the people failed to mingle what God had said with faith. Joshua and Caleb were different. They saw the same giants and fortified cities, but they interpreted what they saw through the promise and character of God. Caleb becomes the great example of an "ever since" faith. Forty-five years after God spoke concerning him, Caleb could still say, in effect, "Ever since the Lord spoke that word, I have been living on it." The promise did not keep Caleb from having to walk through the wilderness, but it kept him faithful through the wilderness. While an unbelieving generation murmured, complained, and died around him, Caleb continued to wholly follow the Lord. At eighty-five years old, he was still strong in faith and ready to say, "Give me this mountain." The message emphasizes several truths: • What God says about a thing is more important than the thing itself. Israel's manna, their circumstances, the giants, and the land all had to be understood through what God had spoken. • Faith is not denying reality; it is interpreting reality through God's Word. Caleb saw the giants, but he also knew the Lord was with them. • Unbelief affects more than ourselves. Israel's refusal to trust God affected the next generation, while Caleb's faith became an inheritance for his children. • We need "ever since" moments. These are places in our lives where God has saved us, spoken

Why does prayer so often feel lifeless, distracted, or unreal? Why can an hour meant for communion with God become a burden rather than a joy? In *The Still Hour*, Austin Phelps speaks honestly to believers who hunger for God's presence yet struggle to find freedom and delight in prayer. He examines the hidden obstacles that weaken devotion—including cherished sin, unbelief, vague desires, mental laziness, hurried habits, and an excessive focus on self. With searching insight and vivid illustrations, he shows how prayer can become more than a religious obligation: it can be the living communion of a soul with a present and faithful Friend. Phelps calls Christians to approach God with definite desires, confident faith, thoughtful preparation, and sufficient time—to seek not merely the act of prayer, but the reality of God Himself. He also encourages brief, heartfelt prayers throughout the day, joining ordinary life to an ongoing fellowship with heaven.

This sermon explores the multifaceted ministry of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth, emphasizing His essential role in guiding believers and convicting the world. It outlines three primary functions: condemnation of sin and unbelief in the world, illumination of Scripture for understanding, and a singular focus on glorifying Jesus Christ. The message warns against cultural relativism and false spiritual experiences, urging listeners to test all teachings against biblical truth. Believers are encouraged to cultivate a love for truth, remain sensitive to the Spirit's leading, and trust in Christ alone for salvation.

The sermon explores the theological significance of 1 Corinthians 7:14, asserting that the children of believers possess a distinct status of holiness as members of God's covenant community. It clarifies that this covenantal holiness denotes being set apart to God rather than implying automatic regeneration or saving faith. The preacher emphasizes that these children hold a privileged place within the visible church, sharing in the promises and signs of the covenant established with Abraham and renewed in Christ. Consequently, parents are called to raise their children intentionally in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, avoiding both presumption regarding salvation and neglect of their spiritual identity. The message concludes by urging the congregation to support these families and direct covenant children continually toward personal faith in Jesus Christ.

The wilderness journey continues as God's people move on from Rephidim and settle at the base of Mt. Sinai. It is a large, impressive, and intimidating mountain. There is thunder, lighting, quaking, and the loud blasting of trumpets. In that awe-inspiring and fear-inducing environment, God will meet with Moses and begin setting forth the conditions of the Old Covenant. If His people will obey Him, they will be His special people, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, representing Him to the outside world. If they do not, they will surely die. In this passage, God not only continues guiding and providing for His people, He also continues revealing their need for a kind of deliverance that goes deeper than the natural realm. It is more significant than merely deliverance from Egypt. At the deepest level, they need deliverance from themselves, from their unbelief, and their own false confidence in their ability to save themselves. They need another mountain, different from Sinai, a mountain characterized not by distance and death, but by access and life. They need Mt. Zion where Jesus reigns supreme as the One who meets all the conditions, who provides full consecration, and who grants eternal life as a gift of grace. In the Exodus story, God is preparing them, and us, for this greater provision in Christ.