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.

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.

• 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

• We wanted to intentionally invite and bring lots of guests (especially, unchurched/disconnected) to church this weekend to hear about Jesus. We blew that goal out of the water! So many first time guests were at RBCC, and we met so many people who had not been active in church for a long time.
• Additionally, we prayed hard for God to show up and be present in our services. And as always, God proved faithful. At least fifteen people indicated a decision to begin a new life in Christ and many more prayer requests indicated that the God’s Spirit was actively stirring people’s hearts.
• Finally, our volunteers rocked! So many served at multiple services and all of you who served represented Jesus! Thank you! We could not have done TEN SERVICES in THREE COUNTIES over FOUR DAYS without you!!

So glory to God … but let’s not stop! Let’s encourage our guests to …
-a) Return this weekend for part 2 of IDENTITY THEFT
-b) Connect to a small group or ministry team
-c) Keep taking steps in Jesus’ direction … walking with Him is worth it!!

Praying for people to CONNECT to CHRIST and His CHURCH for His GLORY!!

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?

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!

The goal: 5000 people across NW Georgia hearing about Jesus and connecting to life in Him.
Why? God’s renown (Isaiah 26:8)
How? God’s people praying persistently and inviting & bringing people to church

1. We have multiple services and multiple campuses for people to attend: 10 services in 3 counties!!
2. Let your guest/friend choose which service and attend that service with them.
3. Help free up seats by attending Rock Bridge PM (Dalton) or a Saturday night service (Dalton/Calhoun).
4. We will be starting a new series on Easter weekend called, Identity Theft.

Short of planting a new church, one of the best things we can do to help grow God’s church is to free up seats at optimal service times. This means we especially need seats available on the Sunday morning “popular” service times such as 9:30 and 11:00. Additionally, we’ll need young families to help free up space in Children’s Ministry by attending a non-traditional service time if at all possible.

However, if you bring a guest attend whichever service they want to attend — guests are the priority!! And let’s remember that the goal is for guests to do more than just attend — we want to help them connect to Christ and His church! So pray for people to encounter God’s presence and be drawn to Him!

Calhoun Service Times [Gordon Hills Shopping Center/old Piggly Wiggly (near Ford dealership, off Hwy 41)]
Saturday at 5:30 pm; Sunday at 8, 9:30, & 11:00

Chatsworth Service Times [Bagley Middle School]
Sunday at 10:30 am (we’ll be ready to use the bleacher seating if needed … let’s need it!)

Dalton Service Times [Downtown Dalton]
Rock Bridge PM/Thursday at 6:30 pm (Stage 123)
Saturday at 5:30 pm (Wink Theatre only)
Sunday at 8:00 am (Stage 123 only)
Sunday at 9:30 & 11:00 am (Wink & Stage 123)

Psalm 25:1-9

• We must decide who is going to be “God” over our delay.
  • The first issue we must resolve is who we are going to trust (Psalm 25:1-2)
  • God gives us 2 incentives to trust Him (Psalm 25:3-4)
    • A promise to claim that those who wait on Him will not be disgraced
    • A warning to heed that short cutting God will prove costly
  • Before we quit believing on God, we often quit waiting on God.
• Once we decide to trust God over our delay, we can seek to know Him better. Knowing Him is transforming.
  • God begins to work on our character, transforming us to Christ.
  • If all God wanted was a “happy ending”, we’d all be in heaven now.
  • The process of waiting is the point of waiting.
    • What do we become while we wait.
• Character transformation leads to course/path determination.
  • God speaks to us through our character that can recognize Him, His ways, and His will.
  • We can walk down a path with clarity, confidence, and courage.
• 4 Paths that we see through trusting God and letting Him transform our character in a delay:
  • When in the meantime, you need to grow. (2 Chronicles 34:1-4)
    • Josiah chose to grow into his position as King.
    • Growth means maturing, developing convictions, making pre-decisions, forming a theology, and going to deep with God.
  • When in the meantime, you need to stay. (Genesis 16:1-4)
    • Abram & Sarai should have “stayed” and not taken matters into their own hands.
    • Staying means enduring with patience, not quitting, not running, and not falling for the “grass is greener” syndrome.
  • When in the meantime, you need to go. (Joshua 10:7-10)
    • Joshua marched all night to receive the God-promised victory.
    • Go means we fight, we take responsibility, we march in God’s direction, we do all we can while trusting God to do what He can.
  • When you’ve messed up in the meantime, do the right thing right now. (John 19:38-40)
    • Nicodemus had been wrong all his life.
    • But after Jesus’ death, Nicodemus got it right while the disciples ran in fear. He did the right thing.
    • His act of courage gave us irrefutable evidence of the death and resurrection.

Ultimately, what we do as we wait in trust on God is we give evidence like Nicodemus that the God we follow is alive!