Pete's Podcast & Blog

Sarah.mp3

2008-05-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Here is Crystal's talk on Sarah! Check it out, it is too good to miss :)

John the Baptist: A Friend of Christ.mp3

2008-04-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Rich Young Man: Possible with God.mp3

2008-04-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

Balaam: A Reckless Path.mp3

2008-04-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

Thomas: The Blessing of Belief.mp3

2008-04-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

Jonah: A lesson of God's Love.Mp3

2008-02-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes God uses drastic measures to show us His character. When we need to learn patience, God gives us a traffic jam; when we need to learn to be generosity, sometimes we lose money. Jonah needed to learn to love his enemies and God gave him a whale! You see, Jonah hated the Ninevites and God told him to go preach to them. He didn't want to so he tried to flee from God. At the end of Jonah chapter 4, God points out that Jonah loved insignificant things, but hated the Ninevites which God had a wonderful plan of salvation for. The story of Jonah causes all of us to consider how we can love like God loves. His love is truly unconditional - afterall, He poured His love out on us! PETE

God's Work in SE Asia

2008-02-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

It was great to hear from Julia Branham on Sunday about the work that God is doing in Cambodia and SE Asia. The problem is so big that at times it feels like there is nothing that we can do to impact change; but the truth is God is bigger and there are so many great opportunities to get involved. Keep bringing in your loose change on Sundays and dump it in the red bucket - you all have done a great job with this! Also, keep learning about what others are doing and always have your heart open to being used by God in great ways. I did some surfing around at a few online sites and there is so much to learn, so I wanted to pass them on to you. Check out these great websites to learn how you can join what others are already doing: humantrafficking.org; ijm.org; rightnow.org; www.invisiblechildren.com

Who is your favorite Bible character? READ THIS

2008-02-08T20:46:00.000-08:00

There are some pretty awesome stories of awesome (and not so awesome) people in the Bible. Jonah was swallowed whole by a big fish and lived, Baalam had a talking donkey, Daniel was a lion tamer, Samson had pretty hair, and Nebuchadnezzar was even turned into a goat for a little while! These are not your everyday stories, but there is still something to learn in everyone of them. On Feb. 17th we will embark on this journey to learn from many epic Bible characters - click here to email me and let me know of a Bible character that you would like to learn more about. Who knows, maybe some day people will be talking about you a thousand years from now in a Sunday school class!

Made Like Us In Every Way

2007-12-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

What would it be like if God could not relate to us in our time of struggle? How horrible would that be? Hebrews 2:14-18 explains the wonderful miracle of Christ's humanity and how he was made like his brothers (us) in every way so that he could help those that are being tempted. Sometimes when a friend is struggling you don't know the exact words to say to bring comfort because you just don't understand their hurt. It is not like that between us and Christ. We have a God that is so personal to us. He is so personal that he took on our nature so that he could be a faithful sacrifice for our sins and so that he could know what it is like to be tempted when we are tempted. I encourage you to dwell on this reality the next time you feel alone in your struggle. Go to God first through prayer knowing that He is not a far off God, but a friend that is close. PETE

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Filled With The Right Stuff

2007-11-20T15:08:00.000-08:00

Is it awkward to talk about beer at church? I imagine just seeing this picture on a church website makes you feel awkward. What is it about church that makes the mention of drinking beer so hush - hush? If you were at The Rock on Sunday, you saw me pull out 2 bottles of Corona and a can of Miller lite. When we walk by the beer section in the grocery store and see shelves and shelves of alcoholic beverages, not many of us snicker - so what is different about church? It is all around our lives, so I wanted to talk about it in public. If drinking is okay - why do we hide when we drink and feel ashamed if someone catches us. If drinking is not okay - we should want to obey God and live as obedient children. So you see, alcohol is an issue that every single one of us will have to take a stand on one way or another. Scripture is God's revealed will for our lives and how we should worship and glorify Him. Ephesians 5:15-18 says that we should not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. Also, Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:1-3 that we should act as newborn infants and crave pure spiritual milk. I think these two verses share an idea - that idea is that God desires that we are people that grow towards Spiritual maturity by being filled and influenced completely by his Word. His Word should be to us as milk is to a baby - nourishing, giving strength, we should long for it, we should cry for it, we should be completely satisfied by it. Nothing should take its place. When we abuse alcohol, we are hindering our intimacy with God. 1 Peter 2:16 says that we should live as free men - how do they live? "Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor." God has placed authority over us on earth: Police, government, parents, teachers, older siblings, etc. To obey our earthly authority is to obey God. If we are under 21, the answer is simple. It is illegal to consume alcohol and thus dishonoring to God. If we are over 21, we are still able to dishonor God in our use of it...but we have freedom. I hope that our discussion has opened up your heart to seeing how much of a delight it is to honor God by living a life of freedom and obedience. PETE

Clean Hands.mp3

2007-11-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

Would you be surprised if I told you that it is important to God that we, His children, have clean hands? David rejoiced that he had clean hands (Psalm 26:6-7), the Pharisees criticized the disciples for not having clean hands before eating, God even commanded that Aaron would place a basin at the entrance of the temple so that all would wash their hands before entering. I don't believe that God is a "germaphobe" but I see that God used physical cleanliness to illustrate spiritual cleanliness. Before, God's people had to wash their hands because they wanted to be with God, now we know that we have received a cleaning of our souls that only Christ could provide. God continues with this metaphor in Titus 3:5-7 when he says that we have been washed clean and that God has POURED out his Spirit on us so that we can be with God, in his presence and experiencing his Joy. David sings a song again in Psalm 24 that we would be a generation of people that have clean hands - not lifting our souls to other desires, but only to God. We lift our hands to God because we need Him to clean our hearts. PETE

Consider it Rubbish.mp3

2007-11-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

When Paul said that he considers all of his accomplishments "rubbish" in comparison to knowing Christ, he would have got the attention of the listeners. This word "rubbish" was not a word to use in normal conversation. It was offensive, crude, and even inappropriate. We don't say "rubbish", we would say CRAP! All the things that he trusted in and the things that we trust in today to maintain a relationship with Christ are all crap in comparison to the faith of Christ. They are garbage that does nothing to gain or maintain a right relationship with Christ. It is only through the faith of Christ. Christ accomplished what we could not. Do you know the power of his resurrection and do you increasingly become like Christ in his death? (Philippians 3:7-11). Each day we must pick up our cross and follow Christ. Where was Christ going when he picked up his cross? He was going to die! To follow Christ is to be faithful followers - denying our self and pursuing his righteousness. PETE

Fear.mp3

2007-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

If we would be honest with each other, we would probably realize that we all have some pretty big fears. There are things that make us uncomfortable, anxious, worry. I remember how terrifying it would be to go down to the basement in my old house with the lights off always afraid that someone would jump out of the darkness and grab me! It's not likely that we will experience such terrors, but we do have fears every day that cloud our enjoyment of God's peace and comfort. Psalm 23 is a wonderful passage that describes how wonderful a close and meaningful relationship with God can be. When we are afraid, we can be reminded that God is our "shepherd" that looks after us, cares for us, and has the power to protect us from evil influence. John 10 says that God's sheep hear his voice and follow him. It is good for us to remember that a characteristic of a true disciple of Christ is one who listens to God's voice in our life and we follow him. Take comfort in your day, God is with you and can restore you each day to live a life that is close to him. PETE

You are not a slave to sin.mp3

2007-10-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

Galatians 5:1 - "For freedom Christ has set us free...". There were three laws present in my life when I was growing up: The laws of God, which told me how to live a life that was pleasing to Him, the laws of my parents, which was an attempt to steer me in the ways that they wanted me to go, and the laws that I set for myself. These laws were expectations that I wanted to live up to; to be a man that was likable, responsible, charming, intelligent, funny, and mature. No matter how hard I tried - I would fall short in every area. When I failed God, my parents, or myself, I would experience shame, embarrassment, fear, and guilt. Have you ever felt such things? We have a tendency to "...submit again to a yoke of slavery" and rely on these laws to gain and maintain a right relationship with God. It was not until I realized that I needed a "one-way" love from God in order to be truly free. People will let you down - you will let yourself down. We live free not because we are perfect, but because we are forgiven. People can no more live up to the expectations that we set for them than we can live up to God's laws. Will you use your freedom to show others about the Grace of God? Will you forgive and extend a "one-way" love when the time calls for it? PETE

Loose Change to Loosen Chains.mp3

2007-09-30T14:46:00.001-07:00

We've kicked off a new opportunity to be involved in God's Kingdom work. Listen to the podcast or check out our bulletin board in the youth room to learn about "Loose Change to Loosen Chains. PETE

Dad...if you only knew.mp3

2007-09-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

If we have parents, then we are familiar with arguments and disagreements. How do we disagree with our parents but still honor them as the Bible has commanded us to. I shared in this podcast a little of my struggle to honor my dad while still disagreeing with him. Josh Weidmann's book "Dad...if you only knew (8 things teens want to tell their dads but dont)" really encouraged me to not deny my need for my dad's love. It encouraged me to write a letter to my dad and open my life to him. It's a difficult balance to remain obedient to God by honoring our parents while still comunicating our needs to our parents. I would imagine that your parents don't know the majority of what is going on in your heart or in your head. I encourage you to be courageous in the Lord and talk to your dad and mom. If you are having a hard time with this, talk to me; I am here for you! PETE

Mark of a Disciple: Humility.mp3

2007-09-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

I think another mark of a disciple of Christ must be humility. Philippians 2:5 says that our attitude should be the same as Christ - he humbled himself from his place in heaven and came to serve us. In the same way, we should not seek out our own glory, but in humility consider others better than ourselves. There is a common response of people after understanding God's love for them; it is one of humility. The feeling you get when you feel undeserving, small, unimportant, and yet so loved by the creator of the universe. God's love should create a response in our lives. Again in Chapter 2 of Philippians, Paul says that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We need to respond with our words and actions. Both need to follow the example that Christ gave to us - to serve. PETE

Mark of a Disciple: Great Faith.mp3

2007-09-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

I was reminded when I saw that dove outside the mall making a house with twigs that God will take care of me even greater than He takes care and provides for the birds. It takes a great faith to trust and believe in the power of God each and every day. The story of the centurion in Matthew chapter 8 is one of my favorite stories of great faith. It is tempting to think that God can only answer our prayers in ways that makes sense to you and I. The truth is, all things are under God's authority. He can cause things to happen just by of a Word. Do you believe like the centurion believed? Although this kind of faith is unique and uncommon, we should be in a passionate pursuit towards it. PETE

Mark of a Disciple: A Growing Desire to Please God.mp3

2007-08-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

I have a scar on my right cheek. There is a pretty funny story about how I got it. We started a series today called "The Marks of a Disciple". Just like having scars, all who profess to be a Christian should show signs of such a commitment. The first is that we should all have an increasing desire to please God. We read 1 Thess. 4:1-8 and saw that God calls us to live lives that are motivated by wanting to please Him...not merely ourselves or others. Paul made such a commitment in 2 Corin. 5:14-15. He tells us that he has died to the fact of living for himself or anyonen else, and now lives for Christ...have you made such a committment? PETE

Frank and Kelly from Malaysia.mp3

2007-08-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Frank and Kelly Alexander visited us last week at The Rock and were a great encouragement and example for all of us. They encouraged us to "Be Available" to God and His call for missions. It was great to hear the story about how Frank and Kelly prayed for rain for two days and then for sun on the third day and God answered! God still works miracles every day - Frank and Kelly are on the front lines of God's work...listen here for more on their visit to The Rock.

Refuge Camp and Senior Trip Videos at www.IROCKYOUTH.com

2007-08-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest Videos at "www.irockyouth.com" click on "media gallery" tab below to go there right now!

A Healthy Body

2007-07-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

A body is a great metaphor to describe how Christians relate to one another. We are the "Body of Christ". How healthy is your body? If you could take the temperature of your relationship with God and your relationship to others, how would it show? Would you show to be sick or healthy? Romans 12:1-8 shows us how we can glorify God with our personal bodies and also as a body of believers. Did you know we all have natural abilities and talents, but that we also have gifts that God gave to us in order to bring health to the rest of the "Body of Christ"? Paul mentions some of these gifts in Romans 12. Do you like to teach, encourage, help, serve, show mercy? You can go to www.eleventalents.com click on spiritual gifts and then on the youth test to help you understand what directions God has pointed your heart. I want to be able to give all of you opportunities to use the gifts that God has given you to bring health to "The body". I'd love to hear about the result of the test. PETE

Slave, Servant & Friend.mp3

2007-07-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

When I think of a servant, I think of having to do a lot of chores that I would rather not do. And when I think of a slave, nothing appealing to that title comes to mind. But did you know that the Bible refers to me, you, and anyone who claims to be a Christian as both a slave and a servant. We are slaves to righteousness. Every time we make a choice or decision about our life, we are obeying something or someone. As Christians, we are slaves not to disobedience, but obedience to God. We are all servants, too. Paul, Peter, James, Moses, and others called themselves servants in the Bible. When we call ourselves servants, we are declaring our allegiance to the one that we live for; and that is Jesus. In John 13, Jesus showed his disciples that being a servant is not a disgrace, but an act of love and commitment when he washed their feet. My loyalty to Christ is tested and tempted every day. Has your loyalty ever been tested? What was the outcome? As slaves and servants, we are called to live in such a way that demonstrates our loyalty, allegiance, and obedience to God. There is one more name that God calls us; his "friends". Christ's sacrifice on the cross brings us into a meaningful and real relationship with God. Did you know that God sees you as a friend? Think about that today. PETE

Ask, Seek, Knock.mp3

2007-07-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Luke 11:5-13 is a story of a friend that knocks on a neighbor's door to borrow some bread for a visitor. Jesus uses this story to teach us how to approach God when we pray. I learned that God is our friend, he supplies our needs, and he gives generously. God can meet our needs (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). He knows exactly what portion we need and he will not turn us away. Christ gives us some instruction in this story as well. He tells us to "ask, seek, & knock." We must come to God with our needs and come with faith knowing that he will use the best judgment and means to meet our needs. When we don't hear from God right away, we should not give up hope, but we should keep "knocking" until we hear from him. Don't give up, God is listening. Like the visitor who came at midnight in the story, trouble comes to us without warning. It's in those times that we must go to God with courage and persistence and bring before him our needs. I'd love to hear your reaction to this passage. Email me here: PETE

The Power of the Tongue.mp3

2007-06-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

The tongue has the power of life and death. Our words can reroute a life that is going bad or it can crush the spirit. Like a scalpel in the hand of a surgeon, it can heal; but that same scalpel in the hands of a careless child can harm and even kill. God desires that we use our words to heal. Proverbs gives several great images of the power of words. Proverbs 16:24 compares kind words to a honeycomb. In the Bible, the honey from a honeycomb was considered the "chief of all sweet things" and was even used as medicine. Our words can be like medicine to the people that hear it. On the contrary, our words can be like poison. God desires that we are a people that consider how to encourage one another. Make it your goal today, to seek out and encourage someone who needs it. PETE