Rock of Roseville Local

Living Perfectly Positioned: Emotional Time Bombs

2010-03-12T00:19:15Z

Day 24

Principle: Only God can defuse that which can destroy me.

The Queen Mary was the largest ship to cross the ocean in her day. When she was retired, the regal vessel was anchored as a floating hotel and museum in Long Beach, California. During the conversion process, her three massive smokestacks were taken off to be scraped down and repainted. On the dock, they each crumbled. Nothing was left of the three-quarter-inch steel plating from which the stacks had been formed. All that remained was more than 30 coats of paint, applied over many years. The steel had rusted away.

It is the same in life. Fixing surface problems will only work for so long; you have to get to the source of the problem.

Years ago in Germany, three construction workers were killed when they accidentally detonated a World War II bomb that had been lying dormant for over 50 years. We all have emotional time bombs that can sabotage us. Guilt, shame, and bitterness are lethal time bombs that, though they might seem dormant over time, eventually can (and will) explode.

The One who loves you the most desires to reveal the hidden parts of your heart that, unless healed, will explode, leaving a wake of destruction and pain. He longs to not just identify the problem, but to come with healing hands to touch your pain. Only God can defuse that which can destroy. That’s why Jesus went to the Cross—to destroy the works of the enemy. (1John 3:8)

Today, would you allow the Holy Spirit to disarm and heal the explosive dimensions of your life? He will do it, if you ask, without any loss of your precious life.

Ask God to show you any hidden parts of your heart (guilt, shame, bitterness, etc.) that are emotional time bombs.

How have these hidden parts of your heart sabotaged you?

Living Perfectly Positioned: Preparing for Bigger Problems Ahead

2010-03-10T17:22:19Z

Day 23

Principle: The challenging circumstances in your life are the catalyst to get to your root problem.

Was the single mom’s life in 1Kings 17 without incident from then on? Hardly! “Some time later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.” (1Kings 17:17, NIV) Now comes the bigger test!

She says to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” (1Kings 17:18, NIV) What is the root of this comment? Something in her past is obviously unresolved. She is still feeling guilty over a past sin. This reveals a priceless truth: when things seem to go wrong, your reaction will bring to the surface what God is really trying to get at in your life.

Whatever your challenging circumstance is, it is only the catalyst to get to the root problem. When the exasperated widow again questions Elijah, he obediently stretches out across the dead son and the boy is miraculously revived. God was not trying to torment her over past sins; He never does. He had chosen her desperate circumstances to reveal His loving heart toward her in an unforgettable way.

It is the same in our lives. God’s motive is always pure. His actions are designed for our greater good; His goal is always intended to bring healing and purpose to our lives.
Your circumstances are not designed to rout your fragile life, but rather to reveal God’s faithful heart. Every victory over fear, doubt, and unbelief today provides a mighty preparation for the fierce battles ahead.

What challenging circumstances are tempting you with thoughts of doubt and despair?
As you look through Romans 5:3–5, ask the Lord what positives have come from suffering in your life.

Living Perfectly Positioned: The Root Issue In Life

2010-03-09T03:12:27Z

Day 22

Principle: If you will obediently do what God asks you to do, He will graciously do what only He can do.

What is the root issue in every struggle in life? Just one thing: trust.

After the impoverished single mom told Elijah she had no more food, he encouraged her with the Word of the Lord, “For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’” (1Kings 17:14)

It takes faith, both to say this and to hear it! “So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.” (1Kings 17:15) The widow had faith to obey the Word of the Lord, and God miraculously provided flour and oil for her.

The root issue in her life, as in ours, was trust. Was she willing to trust God to provide for her every need? If she obediently did what He asked her to do, He would graciously do what only He could.

At one point Jesus, obeying the Father, stuck his fingers in a deaf man’s ears. That was big, but what followed was bigger. Jesus then took spittle and, placing it on His own fingers, put it on the man’s tongue because he could not speak, either. Now, putting fingers in deaf ears and spittle on mute tongues may be just another day at the office for some people, but for most of us that level of obedience would set a world record.

Trusting God will take miraculous faith. But that, thank God, is available to all of us, if we will but ask for it.

Has God ever asked something of you that seemed a bit much?
Did you obey Him? What was the outcome?

Living Perfectly Positioned: The Acceptable Year Of The Lord

2010-03-09T03:06:59Z

Day 21

Principle: More than anyone who has ever known me, God is fascinated with my life.

How I perceive God’s thoughts about me will affect every aspect of my life: my past, present and future. If I am so utterly unacceptable to Him, what could I possibly do to win the favor of an all-powerful God? If the One who controls my destiny is disgusted with me, then hoping for a marvelous life is wishful thinking. But, that is not the case.

One of the most refreshing revelations drawn from knowing God is realizing there is nothing I have to do to make my life special. I cannot add to my uniqueness, nor can I diminish God’s one-of-a-kind plan for my life. All of His intentions toward me far exceed my expectations and, contrary to conventional wisdom, I have never disillusioned God. Why? Because He never had any illusions about me to begin with, He is fully aware of my assets and liabilities, my strengths and weaknesses.

More than anyone who has ever known me, God is fascinated with my life. This fact, when fully received, provides perhaps the greatest sigh of relief for those of us who have at one time thought we have disappointed God, believing the lie that we had to earn His approval. The truth is this: God’s seal of approval

is on our lives from conception to the grave. As Romans 8:35 clearly states, “nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.”

Will you, today, bask in the truth that the God who is love (1 John 4:8) cannot but love you? It’s His very nature.

What do you truly believe about God’s thoughts toward you?
If these thoughts don’t line up with the truth of God’s Word, what is causing you to continue to believe them?

Perfectly Positioned Conference

2010-03-09T17:14:49Z

Do you wish God had written a different script for you? Do you see your life as an exquisite feast of burnt toast? Are you eating and enjoying every bite or is it boring, bland and predictable? Are you filled with regret and shame or hope and healing?

Our lives begin to be truly transformed when we stop asking God to change our circumstances, and allow Him to change our perspective! Behind every challenging situation there is a loving God whose victorious perspective is far greater than the trails we face.

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Living Perfectly Positioned: When God Sunbathes

2010-03-03T00:14:09Z

Day 20

Principle: The sooner you give up your addiction to understanding what you think is going on, the sooner you can rest and trust God in the bleakest of situations.

Are you a glass-is-completely-empty person?

I had a bleak roommate in college during my hippie phase. He was a completely depressed soul. He never talked and pasted dark charcoal pictures that looked like moon craters all over his closet door.

I once asked him if he was enjoying reading a certain book, just to break the two feet of solid ice in our communication. He slammed the book shut and snapped back “I wouldn’t be on page 158 if I wasn’t.” The ice remained unbroken. I’d say he was a glass-is-completely-empty person.
When Elijah requests to eat the last meal a widow has, he then tells her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.” (1Kings 17:13) Elijah is effectively saying, “I hear you—you’re going to eat your last meal and die. That’s great! While you’re at it, I’ll take two eggs over easy, hash browns, an English muffin and some waffles. Do you have any real butter?”

Elijah seems to be oblivious.

Do you ever feel that way about God? You are freaking out and you think all He’s doing is sunbathing! Nothing could be further from the truth. Whether or not we understand it or see it, God has ordered our steps in the most marvelous way possible. The test is: will we trust what we cannot see? Frankly, will we trust God?

The Bible addresses this most clearly when it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)

The sooner we give up our addiction to understanding what we think is going on in our lives, the sooner we can rest in acknowledging and trusting God in the bleakest of situations. Only then can we experience “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)

Learning to trust God accesses the peace of mind you are looking for. It’s always within reach—with arms of faith. Experience the excitement today of believing the God of the impossible. Not with presumption, based upon the desires of your heart, but upon real faith, grounded on the supreme and sublime plan of a God who loves you infinitely.

Is there a situation in your life right now that you’re not trusting God with?
What do you think is hindering you from trusting God in this situation?

Church Wounds Series

2010-03-02T23:41:24Z

Church Wounds examines the most common hurts inflicted by Christians on Christians: Hypocrisy, Judgment, Offense and much more. Join us as we allow God to touch our pain, heal us and set us free!

Hearing & Healing Night

2010-03-04T22:44:03Z

Join us for a special night of Prophetic Worship and Ministry as we gather together seeking Encounter with God. Marcus Meier will be our guest leading worship. Marcus is a key worship leader at IHOP-Kansas City and leads worship with a prophetic spirit of intercession. Come with an expectant heart to encounter the presence of God!

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One Day To Prevent Homelessness

2010-03-01T21:53:46Z

Please join hundreds of Sacramentans engaged in a region-wide initiative to end homelessness. This campaign—Sacramento Steps Forward—is a call to join together to ensure that all Sacramentans have a place to call home. Sacramento Steps Forward is a united effort to find solutions to the complex and longstanding issues of homelessness. Other cities and counties across the country have tackled this problem. We have studied their lessons and know that Sacramento can become an example of how a region can end homelessness. You can help by contributing just one days rent or mortgage payment to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation for One Day to Prevent Homelessness.

Mayor Kevin Johnson Chair, Policy Board to End Homelessness

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Living Perfectly Positioned: The Reaction To The Action

2010-02-23T19:31:40Z

Day 19

Principle: How we respond to life is far more important than what happens to us.

How we respond to life is far more important than what happens to us.

Two people can experience identical challenges and yet respond in polar opposite ways.

Some of the most potent and memorable examples of opposite responses are found in the Bible. Elijah is known as one of the greatest prophets of all time. He prophesied that it wouldn’t rain for three and a half years, and it didn’t. He believed God would send ravens to feed him, and God obliged. He prophesied the miracle of God multiplying a single mother’s food, and God did.

This final event is recorded in the book of 1Kings. Elijah asks a widowed mother in severe poverty to get him some water. While she is going to get it, he requests some of her bread as well.

Have you ever had a family member do that to you? As you’re going to the kitchen to get something to eat, they yell, “Hey, while you’re up, could you get me a glass of water… and some bread… and a napkin… and a knife… and some butter… and jelly? Hey, why don’t you just stay in the kitchen until all my needs are met?”

The widow’s bread just happens to be her last meal. She answers, “I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” (1Kings 17:12)

Even her hopeless response did not deter the God of Hope! (Romans 15:13) Her “Plan B” was His “Plan A.” May every fatalistic perspective be removed from our hearts once and for all. “I have never seen the godly forsaken…” (Psalm 37:25) Never!

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:7) He will not fail you! (1Corinthians 13:8)

Do you tend to be a “glass-half-full” or a “glass-half-empty” kind of person? How does this mindset affect your life?

Living Perfectly Positioned: Carried By Great Winds

2010-03-12T21:09:07Z

Day 18

Principle: Self-absorption keeps us from seeing what God is doing behind the scenes in each of our lives.

Have you been seduced by life? All of us have!

A young boy in South Africa once swapped a costly diamond for a few toy soldiers. He was ignorant of what he had. Satan, the enemy of our soul, trifled away his own eternal value and now attempts to devalue as many other eternal beings as possible. Once known as Lucifer, the anointed worship leader of Heaven traded the priceless for the meaningless, when the love of God was all he would ever need.

In the end, there is no secret in our heart that our conduct will not reveal. In the beginning, charisma might get you going, but it will take character to keep you going. Though character may be seen in the great moments of our lives, it is formed in the small ones. The real limitations in our lives are only in us and in our character, never in the heart of a loving God. He will gladly fulfill our heart’s desire once we fully embrace what is on His heart for us.

Though we are all seduced and distracted by the temporary pleasures of earth, “eternity is in our hearts,” and nothing else will satisfy. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Nothing outside of God’s promises and desires for us will bring the satisfaction we crave.

My father had everything anyone could ask for—wealth, fame, family—yet without God what he sought after never fulfilled him. I refuse to pass on the lie. By God’s grace, the curse has been broken.

Resolve to pass on the blessing of wealth that cannot be taken away—the eternal riches that cannot be seduced.

What is the focus of the majority of your thoughts: self or what God is doing behind the scenes?

How do you think these thoughts affect you?

Living Perfectly Positioned: Blinded By Bitterness

2010-02-23T19:18:10Z

Day 17

Principle: Don’t let the heartache caused by others define you. let God tenderize your heart.

Have you been blinded by bitterness?

The great philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” During my formative years I would mask the pain of being abandoned by my father with a casual indifference to his public distinction. But all of my vehement rejection of his disregard for my life only verified how important his approval really was.

The Bible says, “The glory of children is their fathers.” (Proverbs 17:6, BBE) The original Hebrew language implies that this glory is “an ornament to be worn in honor… for all to behold its beauty.” Even when bitterness blinded me from seeing the beauty of my father’s glory, the longing for it was always there. It left me consigned to a lifelong tension: longing for his affection, while rejecting how insignificant thinking of him made me feel.

Young children are unable to differentiate between what is normal and healthy and what is merely common and dysfunctional. Without being able to understand that difference, my broken bond with my father led to an inherent distrust of all authority. I detested the duplicity between his public persona and our nonexistent private life.

Ask God to chip away the hardness in your heart. His promise is: “I will take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts instead…” (Ezekiel 11:19b, NLT)

Do it, Lord, tenderize my heart!

How has the heartache caused by others defined you? In what ways have your responses affected your life/relationships?

Living Perfectly Positioned: Seduced By Life

2010-02-22T18:52:23Z

Day 16

Principle: Nothing outside of God’s promises and desires for us will bring the satisfaction we crave.

Have you been seduced by life? All of us have!

Resolve to pass on the blessing of wealth that cannot be taken away—the eternal riches that cannot be seduced.

As you look through the lens of John 10:10, what does abundant living look like to you?

Living Perfectly Positioned: Our Hurts Hide Our Hidden Worth

2010-02-22T18:51:58Z

Day 15

Principle: Character only comes from receiving the love of God.

Our own hurts often keep us from seeing our hidden worth, which is not to be found in the high points of our life, but rather hidden under the rubble of our greatest pain. Only time, heat, and pressure can produce the most beautiful diamond. So too, as the Master Surgeon changes us. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17, KJV)

Though our struggles may at times seem pointless, the fruit of seeing life from God’s perspective will last forever. The scales of Heaven, measuring everything in terms of eternity, will not miss an ounce of our true value. Though we think there is tragic waste in our lives, if we allow God to heal our hearts, the character being produced will far outweigh the pain suffered.

If you hear nothing else, hear this: character only comes from receiving the love of God. All attempts to change without first knowing how much God loves you will consign you to a life based on performance—what you can do—and not accepting what He has already done on your behalf. If we reject God’s infinite love, we will try in vain to remake ourselves into the image of this fallen world, realizing only too late it was all for nothing. Receiving God’s love will give us all the value we’ll ever need.

Trade the sublime for the mediocre. Fight to see the beauty of God’s love for you, rather than be crushed by the ashes of past disappointment.

In what ways have you tried to gain God’s love through performance?
As you look through the lens of Romans 8:35–39, what is most encouraging to you?

Church Wounds Book Now Available

2010-02-18T06:08:26Z

Church Wounds is now available for sale! Find it online or at the Church Shop in the lobby.

Our wounds don’t have to disable us. They’re meant to be a doorway into the restored life god always intended. God wants to heal us, if we want to be. For god to free us, we must allow him to touch our pain. Church wounds examines the most common hurts inflicted by christians on christians: Hypocrisy, judgmentalism, leader insensitivi- ties, and abuse, plus many more. Read the stories of those who were not just hurt-but healed; And then experience the healing yourself.