The Rock Covenant Church

The Rock Church Worship Service

Paul Maria Imagine you are an ancient Israelite around 700 BC With what should I approach the Lord and bow down before God on high? Should I come before him with entirely burned offerings, with year-old calves? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with many torrents of oil? Should I give my oldest child for my crime; the fruit of my body for the sin of my spirit? He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:6-8 (CEB) I get faithful love and walking with you, but what does it mean to do justice What does it mean to be a community of justice Here in Micah justice is the Hebrew term mishpat, means to put things right, to intervene in a situation that is wrong, … Continue reading →

The Rock Covenant Church

The Rock Church Worship Service

Paul Maria There’s a lot going on tonight After service is potluck, Thanksgiving tradition Renee is here tonight and she is going to talk about adoption and foster cares Advent conspiracy is about reexamining how we celebrate Christmas in our community That’s why the tree is upside down, we’re flipping the traditional celebration omit s head Katie came up with a great idea where we take our ideas for this and write them on little ornament papers and pin them on the tree True confessions: ever go to church hungry and get to communion and you’re wondering “how large a chunk can I pull off?” The early church didn’t have that problem because communion for them was about coming together for a meal This is from Acts, right after the Pentecost Devoted to their shared meals They shared food with gladness and simplicity Renee is up next, but first a … Continue reading →

The Rock Covenant Church

The Rock Church Worship Service

Paul Maria Experimenting with Christmas this year using Advent Conspiracy as a template We may not be the largest church community but we have great stories popping up everywhere Latest update from our team who recently travelled to Uganda to help out with Mercy’s Village Joy Life here goes really fast, but it’s quieter and I was able to soak up the experience when I was there Broke it down to simple lessons 1) felt like a millionaire Felt like I had so much more to be thankful for It’s kind of overwhelming to visit a country with poverty It slowly sucked into me It’s awesome that Jeami has this school You just start working on one person’s life and you can make a practical difference 2) you need to be mindful of how you help I did a lot of talking and a lot of listening When the rebels … Continue reading →

The Rock Covenant Church

The Rock Church Worship Service

Josh ??? Take Heart We Exalt Thee (?) Jon Update on Beth’s twisted intestine: she’s headed in the right direction Still in pain, but thank you for your prayers (past and future) Tonight Mark 1:40-45 A man with a skin disease approached Jesus, fell to his knees, and begged, “If you want, you can make me clean.” Incensed, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be clean.” Instantly, the skin disease left him, and he was clean. Sternly, Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t say anything to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice for your cleansing that Moses commanded. This will be a testimony to them.” Instead, he went out and started talking freely and spreading the news so that Jesus wasn’t able to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, but people came … Continue reading →

The Rock Covenant Church

The Rock Church Worship Service – Gospel Edition

Paul I’d like to introduce you to Tanya, from the suburbs of Chicago My gospel choir leader She’s going to lead worship tonight Tanya You know how sometimes you feel like a storm is coming in your life Sometimes you can take your fears and worries to your family or your friends But sometimes you have to take it to God Because that’s where I found refuge These lyrics came to me when I was looking for refuge from a storm Declare His greatness This is a song that He gave me and I want to share it with you Paul We spent 4 years learning together and you kept pushing me and challenging me and throwing new things at me at the last minute So I thought I would try and return the favor, but then i found out you already knew this one! Jon First we’re going to … Continue reading →

The Rock Covenant Church

The Rock Church Worship Service

Paul Jon Looking at Phillipians 4 Next week Paul’s got a friend coming in from his Gospel signing days Week after that, Maria and I will be talking about contentment V4-14 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever … Continue reading →

The Rock Church Worship Service

Paul Jon A word in the text Phronesis Will/desire/inner part of us that makes decisions Thinking, acting, feeling But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to … Continue reading →

The Rock Church Worship Service

Paul Jon Tonight we are parabling it up Next week were starting a new series of Philippians We’ve never been through that book before, it’s a book of joy mixed with suffering He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was … Continue reading →

The Rock Church Worship Service

Paul … Jessica and Kurt Committed to going with dad the month of January and it’s a really amazing family Totally connected to the community Great to see him growing to know Christ For the month of January we’d pick him up from a VA Shelter in Santa Ana and driving him back to Buena Park People at Crave Life immediately picked up on the need for drivers and they loved on him and filled the need Jon One more month, only eight thousand more, no big deal Gods already doing what God does, we just want to participate We believe that Jesus gives us the best way of experiencing life For those who have already given graciously, we are so grateful Before we start, a couple of questions Anyone here make any dumb mistakes? Say any stupid things? Been too tough on yourselves? Grace and peace to you and … Continue reading →