Leadership Chats

This is an exciting time in our church as we see more opportunities to BE the church here in Northwest Georgia. Being the church requires us to constantly align and realign ourselves to the Scriptures, to be sensitive to how the Spirit is moving among us, and to be mobilized for the mission He has given us.

Part of being the church means we need to stay united and committed about who we are, why we exist, and what God is calling us to do in His Name. So I would like to invite you to attend a "Leadership Chat" so we can discuss all God is doing among us. This chat is for anyone involved and/or interested in the current work and future direction of Rock Bridge.

We absolutely need you as leaders, influencers, owners, members, and participants at Rock Bridge to attend one of these chats. I'd even encourage you to bring someone with you who might be excited about Rock Bridge or getting more involved in God's mission here.

We have 5 options for you, so PICK THE DATE THAT FITS YOU BEST.

          August 11^th, 12:30PM – Chatsworth Campus:  Bagley

            August 14^th, 6:30PM – Dalton Campus:  Stage 123

            August 17^th, 9:00AM – Dalton Campus:  Stage 123

            August 18^th, 12:30PM – Ringgold Campus:  Remco

            August 21^st, 6:30PM – Calhoun Campus:  Gordon Hills

 

New Message Series!

We're kicking off a new series this weekend at all our campuses.

• This is a GREAT time to bring a guest with you. Why?
  
  
  
  • Because everyone needs to be loved without limits, and this is the love that God has unleashed into the world!
  
  
  
  


• We'll talk about God's love and why it is hard for people (especially men) to understand and receive.


• We'll talk about what makes God's love different from how most of us understand love.


• We'll learn how to really love the people in our lives.


• We're praying ...
  
  
  
  • for people to receive LIFE in Christ.
  
  
  • for people to be set free.
  
  
  • for people to experience healing, reconciliation, and hope.
  
  
  • for people to be loved without limits!
  
  
  
  

So join us and ask someone to join you for UNLEASHED!

We're also going to learn a new song that speaks of God's love. Here are the lyrics ... powerful!

"Love So High" by Jason Ingram, Reuben Morgan, Matt Redman, and Chris Tomlin

VERSE 1
Outside the city walls on a wooden cross
A light in the darkness
Bleeding from Your hands, flowing from Your side
A river of mercy
A river of mercy

CHORUS
Your love so great, higher than the stars
Unfailing love, deeper than the sea
Your love so sure, stronger than the mountains
Oh Your love, it's everything to me

How deep, how wide
How long, how high

VERSE 2
Thorns that made a crown, forgiveness falling down
Your wounds are our healing
The earth began to move and all of heaven knew
Death was defeated
And all because of You Jesus

Your love so high
Your love so high

Easter - OVERCOME SERIES

Easter Week - Quick Video from Rock Bridge on Vimeo.

Taking Action By Serving Our Community

Guest post by Brian Holt

A famous nun once said, "[The fame and adulation] means nothing to me. But one thing I have done which I believe is important. I have helped people to talk to the poor and not just about the poor."

Operation: Advance is about far more than simply talking about the problems facing our world. Those problems must be faced with action…with deployment of a variety of our resources. While financial giving can solve problems locally and globally, some problems can only be solved by personal interaction. We must actively serve those around us.

The Church itself is, at it's very core, about drawing people in and sending people out. We are commanded to go and make disciples of all nations. We are commanded to love our neighbors and to take care of those in need. It's a personal command as well as a corporate command. We serve to be obedient, to draw others to Jesus, and to receive the joy that comes from giving.

We want you to experience all those things.  We are asking every Small Group to serve somewhere in your community between now and the beginning of summer (June 1st).

Here's how to make it happen:

1. Find your own opportunity.

God has given each of us specific areas of passion for a specific reason. He's also gifted us uniquely and called us each to different stages of life. Find an opportunity to serve that matches those things!

When you find an opportunity to serve on your own as a Small Group, you not only find something that matches your Group best, you also take on a higher level of ownership…which leads to greater achievement and greater satisfaction. God has put you in a specific context (work, family, neighborhood, etc…). This all works best when you serve out of where God has placed you.

2. Choose an opportunity from the list of current Action Teams.

While it's best for a Small Group to discover an opportunity to serve on its own, we know that not every Small Group will be able to do so. And we want to help. We have volunteer and staff action team leaders that are serving in area ministries regularly. From serving food to the homeless and underprivileged, to reading stories to children, to fixing and building houses. There's something on this list for everyone. Visit www.rockbridge.cc/missions and click on "Action Teams" for a complete list.

The Next Step for the Holt Family

Guest Post by Brian Holt

It is with a mixture of both excitement and sadness that we would like to announce that I have accepted the position of Executive Pastor at Bridgeway Community Church in Fishers, Indiana starting in May.

For the past year, Anna and I have felt a growing burden in our hearts for the Midwest. We had been sensing that God might lead us to return someday, though we weren't sure when that might happen. That burden was in stark contrast to how we felt when we first moved to Georgia (and before I got to know SEC fans). At that time, we knew exactly where we were supposed to be and what we were supposed to be doing. Over time, as we tried to be obedient and bold, that direction has shifted.

Rock Bridge has been absolutely incredible to and for me and my family. Moving to Georgia was easily the best decision we've ever made as a family and we will cherish every minute of it and every friendship we've gained. I learned how to be a leader, pastor, strategic thinker, and a better disciple through my time under the leadership of this church. Through the relationships we gained, we learned how to be good parents, better stewards, and better spouses and have grown closer to God. In many ways, it brings me great sadness to leave this place. We are leaving, not because we have to and not because of unhealth, but rather to step out in faith into a new adventure. If not for how amazing Rock Bridge is, we'd never have been ready to accept this new journey.

But this decision is not all sad. We aren't leaving to go to a terrible place filled with terrible people. Bridgeway Community Church immediately captured our hearts. It was clear from the beginning that this was a place that aligned with our vision of what church could be. The people are kind and passionate about Jesus. They are not judgmental, but cover all things with grace. They are more concerned with loving people into a relationship with Jesus Christ through the Gospel than they are about maintaining old traditions. Their faith is evident, passionate, and directed. Their reliance on Him is clear. It will be an honor to serve God alongside each and every one of them. I pray that God will use this church for His glory, as He has Rock Bridge.

All new journeys are inherently scary. There is so much unknown. (What if they really are all terrible people and they just hide it well?) However, we take great peace in knowing that there is One who is never unknown, no matter where we go, as long as we are following Him. And that's what our family longs to be about.

 

With much love,

Brian & Anna

Operation Advance Week 1 - Pray

Operation Advance - Week 1 - Pray from Rock Bridge on Vimeo.

Ask, Seek, Knock!

Guest Blog by Alfred Turley

This week as a church we will come together and pray at our 1st Wednesday service, as well as the 24 Service, where we will pray and fast as a church for 24 straight hours. But why is prayer such a big deal? Why does God want us to pray?

For people just beginning a relationship with God, prayer can be hard to understand. Some people struggle with it, feeling like asking God for help is selfish and feels wrong. And some say we should only bother God with the big stuff, like when someone is seriously ill, or we lose a job, or have a real crisis in our lives way beyond our abilities. But listen to what Jesus encourages us to do in Matthew:

Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matt 7:6-7 HCSB)

While the word "pray" isn't used here, the act of asking God can be done in no other way. Jesus encourages us to be relentless and aggressive in the pursuit of God's help with our needs and desires. He knows that engaging in the pursuit of God's help means we are building a bridge of communication and trust with God that will be pivotal in our lives. Prayer is the channel where we call in His power to change our hearts and do what we cannot do on our own!

You see, through prayer God refines us, brings His power into our lives, and shows us His love!

• Through asking, God will show us what our true needs are, and refine our desires to what pleases Him.


• God will give us real help! He will give us victory over sin and self-centeredness, as well as meet our needs and shape our lives for the better.


• God will become our friend and trusted father, and we will begin to understand more and more how much He loves us and desires to be involved in our lives.

All that happens through "asking" - through prayer! Join us this week as we come together and pray. Plan on being a part of it all:

• Come to 1st Wednesday in Dalton, Ringgold or Calhoun, and join us corporately in prayer, worship & communion. The service starts at 6:30 PM, with dinner at 5:30 PM.


• Participate in the 24 Service for at least 15 minutes or more. The service will last from 8:20 PM on Wednesday until 5:00 PM on Thursday. Consider bringing your small group and praying together.


• Consider fasting from something on Thursday, something that shows God the seriousness of your desire to engage Him, and the seriousness of our need for Him.

Come and ask big of God in your life, and in the life of our church, community and nation! God loves us, wants us to trust Him, and wants to be the power we lean on for every aspect of our lives!

Previewing Operation Advance

This weekend we kick-off a brand new series called, OPERATION ADVANCE. However, this is more than a message series; it is an initiative centered around our desire to advance God's Kingdom in our own lives, in the life of our church, in our communities, and in the world. This is our church saying "Yes" to the movement of God; saying "Yes" to God's mission; saying "Yes" to spreading the Name and fame of Jesus. At the same time, we are saying "No" to passivity and "No" to complacency. We cannot imagine the power of a faith that actively and deliberately says "Yes" to God's purposes!!

Operation Advance will run right up until Easter weekend at the end of March. We are organizing this initiative around 4 broad categories:

• PRAY: praying for God's kingdom to advance
  
  
  
  • 24/7 Prayer service: starts on 1st Wednesday at 5pm and runs through the next Thursday. Plan to come pray at your campus sometime during those 24 hours.
  
  
  • By Name: pray every day for one person you know who is not a follower of Jesus Christ. Pray for God to open their eyes; pray for God to use you.
  
  
  • In small group: taking time in small group to pray for the Kingdom of God
  
  
  
  


• GIVE: we are taking up a special offering to meet local and global needs in the Name of Jesus. Be in prayer about how you can give to the Kingdom this month. We will investing the ADVANCE offering in the following ways:
  
  
  
  • Muslim evangelism: helping support two evangelists/church planters targeting Islamic regions of Africa
  
  
  • Clean water: helping local churches in India and Cambodia platform the Gospel by providing clean water for their villages
  
  
  • Child Survivorship Program: providing prenatal care and infant care through a local church in Ethiopia to mothers and their young children suffering in extreme poverty conditions
  
  
  • Rescue from human trafficking: supporting a transitional home for girls rescued from slave trade in India
  
  
  • 4 local initiatives:
    
    
    
    • Calhoun: tornado recovery and relief
    
    
    • Chatsworth: preparing for a future building project
    
    
    • Dalton: literacy and school readiness partnership with local government and schools
    
    
    • Ringgold: meetings basic needs and providing relational support for low income families
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Financial health: after the above needs have been supported, we will work to maintain and strengthen Rock Bridge's financial health so we can continue advancing the Kingdom
  
  
  
  DEPLOY: deploying our hearts, hands and feet in service to others through our small groups, Action Teams and/or mission trip opportunities


• EXPECT: we believe we can expect God to move on behalf of His Name; we expect the Kingdom to advance in ways we cannot predict

You can find out more information by clicking here.

 

Dalton Rock Bridge PM Time Change!!

Dalton Rock Bridge PM is at 6:00 pm this week (Thursday, December 6th). Please help spread the word!
This is due to the annual Christmas parade. The parade route will cause some roads near the church to be closed.

(Rock Bridge PM in Calhoun remains at 6:30 pm.)

The Sin of Weak Affections [Jonathan Edwards]

Below is the quote referenced in this weekend's message:

“Our external delights, our earthly pleasures, our ambition, our reputation, and our human relationships, for all these things, our desires are eager, our appetites strong, our love warm and affectionate. When it comes to these things, our hearts are tender and sensitive, deeply impressed, easily moved, much concerned and greatly engaged. We are depressed at our losses and we are excited and joyful about any worldly success or prosperity. But when it comes to spiritual matters, how dull we feel.

How heavy and hard our hearts; we can sit and hear of the infinite height and length and breadth and love of God in Christ Jesus, of his giving his infinitely dear Son, and yet sit there, cold and unmoved. If we are going to be excited about anything, shouldn’t it be our spiritual lives? Is there anything more inspiring, more exciting, more loveable and desirable in Heaven or on Earth than the Gospel of Jesus Christ? We should be utterly humbled that we are not more emotionally affected than we are.”

{Jonathan Edwards}

 

 

Processing Ethiopia

A group from Rock Bridge returned home this week from an 8-day trip to Ethiopia. Our trip continued to explore and develop our relationship with Compassion International, including a developing partnership with a local church in Awassa, Ethiopia. Additionally, we were able to visit Malissa Cawood, one of our members who serves in Ethiopia as a teacher. Trip highlights included:

• Visiting a Child Survivorship Program, including visits to slum housing.


• Overviewing Compassion's extensive work in Ethiopia on behalf of children through local churches.


• Meeting and playing with the children Rock Bridge members sponsor. Awesome!


• Deepening our relationship with our "church-t0-church" partner in Awassa.
  
  
  
  • I was able to preach in their Sunday service through a translator ... incredible experience.
  
  
  • Ben Honeycutt was able to help lead worship, including a song that had both Amharic and English lyrics = a foretaste of heaven!
  
  
  • We had extensive meetings with the church's elders to hear and understand their compelling vision to reach and minister to people.
  
  
  
  

While I'm still processing everything, here are some thoughts so far:

*Christianity is for ALL peoples & ALL nations. I was convicted about living in my "Western-American-Southern-NW GA bubble" when the God I worship is global and offering Himself to all peoples. I think my vision of God is bigger and my heart for missions is stronger. I am convinced we must press forward to be a church engaged locally and globally for the cause of Christ.

*Compassion Child Sponsorships make an incredible difference. For $38 a month the entire life trajectory of a family can be changed. I visited 4 homes of sponsored children, most of which were one room shacks with 5-9 people living in them. In every case, they shared how the sponsorship had allowed their child to receive an education, medical care, clothes, and weekly Bible study. In every case, they had pictures of  their sponsor family and the letters that had been sent to them. In every case, their joy was high, their gratitude genuine, and their hope strong.

WRITE YOUR SPONSOR CHILD: Even more than the $38, these children & families want to know us and pray for us! My child's mom told me I was in effect his "dad". These relationships, even though long distance and cross-cultural matter and make a difference.
Compassion makes it very easy to write your child via email from their web site; you can even upload pictures (which the families love!). Click HERE to create an account or login so you can write your child -- it matters!

Worship fuels missions. Most of the time we focus on secondary reasons to do missions: poverty, economic distress, disaster relief, neglect, etc. These are very important but not ultimate. The primary reason we do missions is the glory of God demands it and worship of Him fuels it. God is worthy to be praised by all peoples all over the world, but He is not. Why? Because He must first be revealed. God has chosen to reveal Himself through His people. His worth fuels our service and our mission. We want more people to worship the God Who is worthy. Before we see statistics of people who live apart from Christ and of starving children, let's see God in all His worth and then let's go with all our might wherever He sends us!

Your Feedback

Our staff and elders are always asking ourselves tough questions related to the work God has called our church to do. We also look at prayer requests, listen to our small groups, pray, follow your God stories, and track a lot of data to examine effectiveness.
However, from time to time we have found it is useful just to send out a quick set of questions to get some direct feedback from you. So we'd appreciate your help by answering the questions found by clicking the link below. Thanks a bunch!

RBCC Feedback Questions

Marriage Follow-Up...

This is a guest post by our Discipleship Pastor, Brian Holt.

If you're like me, this series on marriage is hitting you right between the eyes. It seems like nothing impacts my life more than my marriage (other than my relationship with Jesus). Because it's so important, I'm not going to sit around and simply hope it gets better.

We don't just want you to listen to an excellent sermon series. We want you to take active steps to improve your marriage. Here are a few resources to help make this all stick.

Attend Date Night Dalton. This community-wide event is specifically designed to be a applicable and entertaining night for couples. Dr. Gary Chapman will be speaking on the 5 Love Languages. With over 20 churches from Whitfield, Murray and Gordon counties involved, this is going to be a great event. May 29, 7:00pm, Northwest Georgia Convention Center. Tickets are $15 ($20 at the door). You can get more information at www.datenightevent.com

Get into a Small Group. There is really no better way to improve your marriage than by getting into a community that can help you grow. Many Small Groups study the same topic as the weekend message, while others focus on topics specific to their stage in life. We will be launching at least 3 marriage-focused Small Groups to follow-up from this message series and Date Night Dalton.

Read about it. Some of you are readers. With that in mind I wanted to suggest a few books (they should be available for purchase in the lobby areas in the next few weeks):

Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerich

Love and War by John and Stacy Eldridge

The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller

Going All The Way by Craig Groeschel

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Mostly…just do something. You can never expect your marriage to improve if you don't act upon what God is teaching you.

 

myRockBridge

This is a guest post by our Discipleship Pastor, Brian Holt.

We live in a technological world where everyone is connected. Rock Bridge leverages technology every week in our worship services with projectors, lights, sound, and video venues. We believe in the power of technology to support what is already going on in and through our congregations. That's why we're launching myRockBridge.

myRockBridge is an online community, which empowers our members and attenders to better connect, grow, and experience life together.

With myRockBridge you can give online, find and interact with a Small Group, update your information, and stay connected to what's going on at your Rock Bridge campus.

You can visit www.myrockbridge.cc to sign up or login. If you'd like more details on how to use myRockBridge, download this helpful info sheet.

 

Message Recap: Identity Theft - Part 3

This weekend we tackled the difficult subject of sin and our tendency to "control and manage" it, instead of conquering and killing it.

• 3 reasons why we tolerate, excuse, control, manage, and look for loopholes for our sins:
  
  
  
  • Sin is pleasurable and desirable (for a season) so we make it excusable.
  
  
  • Sin is enslaving and defeating so we make it identifying.
  
  
  • Sin is ultimately more about who we are vs. what we do (identity-related, not behavior-related)
    
    
    
    • Radical Depravity = born with the ability to sin but we are also not able not to sin
    
    
    • The core problem is our identity, not our behavior
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Paul's reaction to Christians continuing in patterns of sin in Romans 6:2 is understandable in light of the fact that we have been given a new identity in Christ.
  
  
  
  • Romans 6:1-10
    
    
    
    • This passage is about God's grace which is amazing for 3 reasons:
      
      
      
      • It is costly to God (but free to us)
      
      
      • It is violent power (not just forgiveness but also deliverance!)
      
      
      • It is transforming (grace by nature changes the equation from death to life!)
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Understanding the reality of the new identity for a Christian is crucial to conquering and killing sin
  
  
  
  • Tolerating and being enslaved to sin is inconceivable and incompatible with new life in Christ.
  
  
  
  


• Romans 6:11 is the first command in all of Romans
  
  
  
  • You can only kill/conquer sin that has been cancelled in Christ. This is why we can "consider" ourselves dead to sin and alive to God = because of Christ's own death and resurrection.
    
    
    
    • We see our sins and all sin on the Cross and through the lens of the empty tomb. They are dead and defeated.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Application for conquering and killing your own sins:
  
  
  
  • NEW CATEGORY: in Christ and against the Cross we can no longer excuse sin or stay in sin. This means all sin is moved from the "no big deal/just the way I am/everybody does it" pile to the "inexcusable/it killed Christ" category.
  
  
  • This NEW PERSPECTIVE on SIN leads to an EMPOWERED WILL to FIGHT SIN with all the weapons of grace God has given us -- His Holy Spirit, His Word, His Church, small groups, accountability, prayer, etc. etc.
    
    
    
    • But we fight from a position of victory, not defeat.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • My personal routine for this:
    
    
    
    • A-ADMIT I am powerless on my own and ABIDE in Christ (move to dependence on Christ)
    
    
    • S-SURRENDER all to Christ and be SATISFIED with all He is
    
    
    • K-KILL sin because is hurts my highest treasure and live for the His KINGDOM
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Message Recap: Identity Theft-Part 2 (Manhood)

• Why the confusion and debate over manhood?
  
  
  
  • Even the Bible has to command men to "act like a man" (see I Cor. 16:13)
  
  
  
  


• Genesis 2:15-18
  
  
  
  • Man was given a garden, a job, spiritual responsibilities and a family.
  
  
  • Men are divinely designed to conquer and cultivate.
  
  
  
  


• Genesis 3:9-10
  
  
  
  • Due to sin, men lost their validation from God and now enter the world (tend their garden) wounded and fearful.
  
  
  • Men pursue validation from 3 sources (these 3 points from sermon on masculinity by Matt Carter):
    
    
    
    • Men pretend to be something they are not.
    
    
    • Men look to women to validate them.
    
    
    • Men look to work for validation.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Genesis 3:15-18 -- all of these sources are cursed and will not give men the validation they need to be men.
  
  
  
  


• I Corinthians 16:14-18
  
  
  
  • Stephanas is an example and was able to "act like a man" because he was a "first fruit" = he was validated and accepted by God.
    
    
    
    • Matthew 3:17 is God's validation over His redeemed children.
      
      
      
      • This is one reason why a meaningful, biblical baptism is significant.
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • You can only love with "agape" love (unconditional, sacrificial) when you have been loved with agape love.
      
      
      
      • This love only comes from Christ and is applied to us by the Holy Spirit, through faith.
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Instead of stepping out into the world to receive validation; Christian men step into the world WITH validation of God.
    
    
    
    • Our frustrations and futility in the world remind us of how we treated God.
    
    
    • We depend on God and the depth of His love for us, not looking for perfect love from imperfect people or places.
      
      
      
      • Stand watch = alert for temptations; protecting those entrusted to us.
      
      
      • "Be strong" = persevere, endure; it will be tough and require effort/hard work
      
      
      • Serve = be leading servants in your "garden" = church, family, job
      
      
      • Refresh others (insecure men exhaust and exasperate others)
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Application this week for men:
  
  
  
  • Read Matthew 3:17 everyday.
  
  
  • Before speaking/acting, ask yourself: "Am I doing this in an attempt to receive validation OR because I have validation?"
  
  
  • Pray consistently over and with and for your family (wife, children) or begin praying with your girlfriend.
  
  
  
  


• Statistics:
  
  
  
  • 43% of Rock Bridge members are men.
  
  
  • If a husband/father becomes a Christian, 93% of the time his entire family will become Christ-followers. (This happens 17% of the time in the case of a wife/mother).
  
  
  
  

Message Recap: Identity Theft-Part 1 (Easter)

Kicked off our new series, Identity Theft, on Easter weekend with the question: "Does Easter really matter since we tend to only think about it at two times: Easter and when facing death?"

Colossians 3:1-3
--The Apostle Paul's personalizing the resurrection with the conditional statement, "...IF you have been raised with the Messiah..."
--"Raised" could literally mean "co-resurrected". Clearly, Paul is talking about the resurrection in applicable, personal terms.
--If we have been co-resurrected then we take our cues from Jesus, we focus on heavenly things not earthly ones, and we think differently.  Our lives will be "hidden" with Christ. Paul is teaching that the resurrection matters in how we live our lives on earth.

• Paul is addressing our very identity.


• We all know the power of identity: Identity determines direction. Who we think we are determines where we go and how we live our lives.
  
  
  
  • We all want something to define us and give us a healthy self-concept. We want to be perceived a certain way.
  
  
  • The world offers us a lot of choices: our bodies, our performance, our careers, our houses, our cars, our clothes, our relationships, our pleasures, fitness, etc. The problem is that what the world offers will eventually die, change, wear out, or deceive us and lead us down a dangerous path. Ultimately, our jobs will go away, our bodies will wear out, our car will break down, other people will let us down, etc.
    
    
    
    • Then, the world will condemn us for our "identity choice".
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • We will have no choice but to reconstruct, rediscovery, or redefine our identity. We feel lost because we are lost -- lost from who God created us to be.
  
  
  • We need a more reliable and secure source of identity. This is where God meets us.
  
  
  
  


• Colossians 3:4
  
  
  
  • Christ wants to be our "life". Not part of our life, but our life.
    
    
    
    • This is our battle: to let God define us.
    
    
    • This is also our hope because ultimately other things that define us will deceive us or go away.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • What is true of Christ is (can be) true of me which gives me an identity.
    
    
    
    • We see this need for a secure source of identity unfold in the Scriptures:
      
      
      
      • Job 14:14, Luke 24:46
        
        
        
        • Job cries out for the hope of a resurrection; Jesus is the resurrection.
        
        
        
        
      
      
      • Romans 4:25, Romans 6:9, I Corinthians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 1:9
        
        
        
        • From the resurrection comes our justification, our hope, and God's trustworthiness.
        
        
        
        
      
      
      • Hebrews 7:16, I Peter 1:3
        
        
        
        • Jesus is the eternal High Priest able to offer new life and a living hope because He is indestructible.
        
        
        
        
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Colossians 3:5-10a
  
  
  
  • Everything flows from this new identity as we walk a new way in a new direction because we are new in Christ
  
  
  • This is not a list of rules to follow; this is a way to walk because of WHO we are in Christ. It is based not on what we have done, but what Christ has done on our behalf.
  
  
  
  


• Colossians 3:10b-11
  
  
  
  • We have a new image: Jesus. Reliable. Indestructible. Secure. Eternal.
  
  
  • The resurrection is not just something you believe; it is how you build your life.
  
  
  • Old identity patterns are gone. The new distinction: have you been raised/co-resurrected, or not?
  
  
  
  

Message Recap: Delayed-Part 3

This weekend Beth joined me to teach and share some of her journey with God through the trial of leukemia.

2 Corinthians 12:7b-10
Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. ⁸ Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. ⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. ¹⁰ So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What do we do when God says "No." or "Not the way you want."?

• In verse 7, we see that trials (or "thorns") are often not accidental, but intentional.


• We also see that somehow God is "sovereign" even over what Satan tries to do in the lives of God's children.
  
  
  
  • Note: This is especially evident in the events surrounding Jesus' death on the Cross. The crucifixion was unjust, evil, and involved terrible suffering by God's Son. However, God the Father used it for amazing good -- our salvation and His glory in and through all things.
  
  
  
  


• Beth's perspective on her genetic disorder were shaped by two foundational passages of Scripture:
  
  
  
  • Romans 8:28
  
  
  • Psalm 139-13-16
  
  
  
  


• When you believe in God's love and trust in His sovereignty, you can plead with Him openly and honestly in prayer (see v. 8).
  
  
  
  • But we must understand that God may answer the prayer differently than we envision (v. 9a)
  
  
  
  


• God unveils that His grace is sufficient (even for daily life and not just eternal life) and that His power is actually displayed better through weaknesses.
  
  
  
  • Beth shared the frustration of unanswered prayer, the timeliness of her illness coming right after becoming a mom
  
  
  • She was able to land in a firm place of faith to fight through the illness and doubts through the perspective that was shaped by Scripture, her parents, and understanding God's "bigness" through a massive thunder storm she witnessed in Montana when she was 17.
  
  
  • When told she might die from lung toxicity, Beth felt the "peace" that passes all understanding.
  
  
  
  


• Paul, begins to transition from pleading about his weaknesses to boasting in them. This is how God platforms His power and grace (v. 9b)
  
  
  
  • This perspective is so counter-cultural. We want to glorify God when we are strong.
  
  
  • However, God often wants to be strong and sufficient when we are weak.
  
  
  
  


• We can understand and experience God's sufficiency in several ways:
  
  
  
  • Through God's Word that we must expose ourselves to and hide in our hearts.
  
  
  • Through God's people -- the importance of not just believing in God but belonging to a church family.
  
  
  • Through God's Names -- we know God and experience His character through His Names:
    
    
    
    • El Roi: The God Who sees -- God sees every tear and looks with compassion
    
    
    • Immanuel: God with us -- Jesus knew suffering and knows how we feel
    
    
    • Jehovah Sammah: the Lord is ever-present -- He is always with us
    
    
    • Jehovah Jireh: the Lord will provide
    
    
    • El Shaddai: God all-sufficient
    
    
    • Jehovah Nissi: the Lord my banner
    
    
    • Jehovah Shalom: the Lord our peace
    
    
    • Jehovah Rapha: The God who heals
    
    
    • Jehovah M'Kaddesh: The Lord who sanctifies
    
    
    • El Yeshua: God is my salvation
      
      
      
      • "The greatest miracle is my salvation" {Beth}
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • "God will put more on us than we can handle so we can know Him and that He can handle it." {Beth}
  
  
  
  


• Even though Beth's "thorn" of fanconi anemia is not gone completely, she prays that she can live the rest of her life knowing what she knows now about God.


• She is thankful for what she went through because of how she now knows God. When we are weak, He is strong!

Take A Trip!!

Can YOU go on a mission trip?
SHOULD you go on a mission trip?

When most of us ask those two questions, we come up with at least one good reason why we can not or should not go on a mission trip. Trip costs, scheduling considerations, self-doubt, fears, the sheer inconvenience, and worry all come to mind rather quickly. And when we focus on these things, odds are we aren't going anywhere, anytime soon.

But what do you do with the "itch" you have to go overseas, experience another culture, represent Christ, and demonstrate His love? What do you do with the God-give desire or "call" to go? What do you do with God's commands to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth?

Should we not at least be open to the possibility that the God of the Universe can overcome all the reasons we come up with for why we can not or should not go?
Should we not at least consider this prayerfully, biblically, and with godly counsel?
Should we not at least be intrigued by what could happen if we step up and out in faith?

So Rock Bridge, we've got some amazing trip possibilities for 2012 (Bolivia and Ukraine trip have several open spots). Yes, they cost money. Yes, you might have to give up some vacation time at work. AND yes, they are worth it!
I think a lot of us know we should go, but are focused on why we can't go. So what do we do with this tension?

#1: Everyone has a command to "go" (see Matthew 28:19-20). How we obey that command will differ for all of us but we can't ignore it and must decide how we obey it.
#2: Be open and pray. Don't disqualify yourself or let money, fear, worry, or inconveniences become louder than God's Word.
#3: Ask for help. If you want to go, but find yourself getting stuck then ask for help. Talk to your small group, a staff member, your boss, and others. There is NOTHING God commands that He does not make possible for us to obey.
#4: Make a commitment. God honors godly commitments. Commit to being a Great Commission Christian. This does not mean you take a trip but it does mean you consider any and all opportunities to spread news about Jesus whether it is through invitations to church, investing in an unchurched friend, or taking a trip.

Message Recap: Delayed-Part 1

We all struggle with God's timing, asking "God, when are you going to do something about this?"
--This struggle can take us down a path of disillusionment, doubt, and despair
--It also can lead to a deeper and richer faith.

The pattern in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation says that delays more fully display Jesus.
--Can we find this pattern in our own delays?

John 11:1-44

• Jesus' intentional delay in responding to Lazarus' sickness is challenging:
  
  
  
  • The Scripture says that because Jesus loved this family, He delayed in going to help them
  
  
  • The Scripture says that Jesus will use this sickness for His glory
    
    
    
    • We define "glory" as God's weightiness, His fullness
    
    
    • Is God's glory more important than our immediate comfort and well-being? Apparently so.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Jesus tells His disciples that He is glad Lazarus died so He can help their belief in Him.
  
  
  
  


• Delays remind us that we are not in control.
  
  
  
  • Does not mean that no one is in control; just that we aren't.
    
    
    
    • The passage clearly reveals that Jesus is in control
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • This is where lots of us leave the faith or settle for God "from a distance".
  
  
  • This also creates an opening for greater faith and connection to God because once we lose the illusion of control, we are open to the One Who actually is in control.
  
  
  
  


• Jesus meets Martha first.
  
  
  
  • Martha was looking forward to a favorable event or circumstance
  
  
  • Jesus taught her to look for Him as the "I am"
  
  
  • Who God is is bigger than when God is.
  
  
  
  


• Jesus then meets Mary and comforts her with deep emotion: tears of sorrow and anger at sin & unbelief.


• Some in the crowd understand, some do not.
  
  
  
  • If we insist on being loved the way the world does, we will miss God.
    
    
    
    • The world spells love "O-W-E" and places expectations on people, government, etc.
    
    
    • God spells love "M-Y S-O-N" and gives us Himself.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Delays help us meet God personally, and not just circumstantially.
  
  
  
  • When you can't find God in favorable circumstances, you must look for Him in His Word and at His Cross which we see visibly through the Lord's Supper.
  
  
  
  


• Delays force the issue of faith forcing us to lean on what we cannot see and trust the One we cannot comprehend.
  
  
  
  • Jesus raises Lazarus so that the people may believe in Him.
  
  
  • Lazarus' resurrection was not the point, just the platform.
  
  
  • Jesus was/is/always will be the point.
  
  
  
  


• Does this answer satisfy us? It depends on how we see Jesus?
  
  
  
  • If He is the source of life, we are satisfied and have peace that passes understanding.
  
  
  • If He is a threat to our way of life, we run or doubt or despair.
    
    
    
    • The Lazarus miracle was the catalyst for the diabolical plot to kill Jesus (see John 11:53).
    
    
    • Jesus as God is threatening to some.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 3 Choices:
  
  
  
  • Receive salvation
  
  
  • Lean into God's sovereignty
  
  
  • Live for God's glory