Dreaming in Crisis Last night I had a dream. In the dream, I was walking through the church to get to the platform. As I walked up a staircase that I thought would go out to the stage I looked out over the church and realized I was at the back of the auditorium and there was no easy way to get to the stage.

2020 the Year of Double Blessings Last year in 2019 we heard from God that it was going to be a year to sow. At first, when we hear something like this, it doesn’t seem very exciting. Now, looking back over the year, we can see that the investment we made sowing into the things of God, into our families, into church and into our community were worthwhile and many of us have seen great results.

Our Senior - article_categories/pastors Dan and Jessica Roth, have encouraged you, members and friends of the Rock Church and World Outreach Center, to fast during a part of January.  This is because they have done it themselves, and so have the other pastors and leaders, at the “top of the year” for several years with many beneficial outcomes.  So you might be thinking, “What is fasting, why should I do it, and how?”

Parenting Your Teen Ps. Richard Villanueva “Why did you do that!?” “I don’t know?” “You don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to _____?” Feel free to enter your kid’s crazy situation here. How can we learn to understand the teens and pre-teens in our life? Actually, I think the real question is: “How do I get them to do what I want them to do?” This stage of life can create a huge amount of stress for parents, grandparents, and anyone who has a problem with trying to have a decent conversation with someone who refuses to take the airpods out of their ears. But, I think it can be done! We can begin to understand our teens (maybe not fully, but we can begin, at least!) and I think that understanding will create a sense of peace and compassion. These two ingredients are part of the foundation for discipleship and ministry that God has called us to have with the teens in our lives.

How to Pray for the Nations and the World Around Us At a time when the sins of God’s nation, Israel, and His city, Jerusalem, were so multiplied and pervasive, that they cried out for the wrath of the God of justice, He sent a stunning word to His prophet Ezekiel. And I sought for a man among them, who would build up the wall, and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. (Ezek. 22:30-31)  Read the first 29 verses if you have the stomach to see how evil their culture had become: people, priests, and princes. Consider this picture:  I can see the Sovereign LORD of history, the eternal God of justice, crying on His throne because He is looking for a reason not to punish the people He loves, even though they sorely deserve it.  One intercessor, sensing His heart cry and calling for mercy, would have brought an extension of grace for the entire nation!  But there was not one in the earth.

Every year in June we celebrate the birthday of the Rock Church and World Outreach Center. We often enjoy hearing how it all started with 12 people and a box of Kleenex. Some things have changed over the years but the same heart of faith and cry for the lost has remained, in fact, you will still find tissue boxes under the seats in our sanctuary.

Honoring M O M Having just come through Easter season, I was reading in all of the Gospel accounts of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the things that stuck out to me was that even in His dying moments, Jesus still made arrangements for His mother’s future care: “When Jesus therefore saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved [John] standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:26-17)

Calling all men Jesus said, I call all men to become fathers, brothers and sons. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. - 1 Corinthians 4:15 We have been commissioned by Jesus to be his followers and build kingdom men for him. This year is a vision of sowing. So this year we are sowing in the lives of men at the Rock a men’s conference. Where we are calling men to become God`s warriors and his leaders in a time where men are leaving their post and being distracted not become the strong leaders they are called to become. We have an answer to this, and we are calling it “Battle Ready” .......

In the year ahead we believe that God is asking us to sow.Sowing doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? On the surface, you are giving out and won’t see any return on what you have sown until the season of harvest has come. Sowing requires investment and hard work. There is soil preparation, plowing and scattering seed. And then you wait… and wait some more. So why would God ask us to take the year to sow?

Happy New Year A new year has begun and already we are seeing God’s goodness all around. In Jeremiah 31:14b it says that God’s desire is that we would be satisfied with His goodness. What a blessing that God wants to give His people!