Church On The Rock Homer

During my initial foray into the home construction realm, I had the pleasure of being invited to the open house of a very nice home that I helped to build over the course of a few months.  To my 18-year-old eyes, this particular home was dressed to impress. The highlight of my tour through the home was the “home theater” room.  Yes.  A whole room of the house designed for visual entertainment.  It was amazing; leather acoustic paneling, surround sound, mood lighting, and in the middle of the room, a giant over stuffed chair upholstered with blonde Yak fur.  I couldn’t help myself but to climb into that yak-furred chair and bask in the opulence of my surroundings.  This Sunday we start a new series in the book of Ephesians.  Paul wrote a prayer on behalf of His readers right at the outset, “I pray your eyes would be opened to the RICHES” of what you have through Christ.  Read through the first chapter before you dig into this message and we’ll dive into a further exploration of the expansive abundance of G

My dad loves fishing! In the south, fishing looks a little bit different than here in Alaska. Back home, fishing is grabbing a cooler, a bucket of crickets, a lawn chair, and rod and hanging out on the edge of a pond back in the woods. My dad was and still is a little more serious, waking up in the wee hours of the morning and putting the bass boat in the lake. As a boy my dad would tell me the night before, right before bed, to be ready to go fishing in the morning. That meant, waking up at 2 or 3 AM driving an hour, and being on the water before the rooster crows. The first word out of my mouth was always, WHY!?!?! Why do we have to be up so early? The why! I have often heard it said that we should not ask God why questions. However, most of the time these are the questions we find ourselves asking the most. Why do I have to deal with this hardship in my life? Why did this event have to happen to me? I refuse to believe that asking any question of the Lord would be fruitless and at the same time I reali

I have a very distinct memory related to my life as a young blonde Alaskan of German-Norwegian descent amidst a literal sea of dark-skinned, black-haired Filipinos. Growing up overseas in the city of Manila forced a superficial but sharp contrast of appearances that triggered an existential question in my young brain: “Why am I like me and not like them?” Why was I born to Randy and Marla Weisser? Why was I born in America? Why was I born with my specific color and complexion? Why was I born with my specific set of traits? Why was I born into a Christian home? My still developing brain began to wrestle with this truth; I didn’t have much say in choosing the life that I was given. I began to wonder about the ways of a God who made decisions about me before I even was. I began to question the methods of a God who decided about my life without consulting me. Seems like a lot of power. And then somewhere along the road of my life, those feelings and thoughts began to shift. I went from wrestling with a

I recently found a corner of a rock at the edge of my property. This had happened before and I’d dug up a decent sized rock to use in landscaping around the house. This particular rock proved to be quite difficult to move. As I dug deeper, the rock revealed itself to be more of a boulder in size. What I thought would be a quick project turned into an all day affair that tested my stubbornness. (Hint: I won…sort of) As Paul opens his letter to the Galatians he addresses a similar situation. The Galatians have found The Rock and heard of Jesus’ Gospel, and in a similar fashion are now adjusting the message of the Good News, the foundation of Christian belief, to incorporate their own efforts in being righteous before God. It’s a lie as old as time, that mankind can do a little better than what God offers, nothing could be further from the Truth! In this message, we’ll look at Paul’s letter to the Galatians and be encouraged to remain adamant toward The Truth of God’s Good News towards us! If you’d like to r

I am so thankful for our church.  So many of you have encouraged me.  So many of you have built up my faith.  So many of you have pointed me toward Christ through your own faithful pursuit of Him.  It is such an awe-inspiring thing to be in true community with each other and to experience a fellowship that is built on the foundation of God’s love for us.  As my own understanding of His goodness grows, I find myself more motivated toward the mission of making His goodness known to the others.  As I experience His kindness and learn to trust in the abundance of His promises, I find myself more at peace and with a greater joy.  This Sunday I want to look to Him together.  I want to link arms and remember; we are His body, the bride of His choosing.  I look forward to worshipping together with you. Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

I spent a while in the woods recently.  The woods has been a wonderful place for me to sit and think, especially when the moose are quietly napping and minding their own business.  The woods where we hunt is far beyond the reach of cellular service which, as it turns out, is also beneficial toward the goal of reflecting on my life and relationships. While sitting in my Muddy: The Boss XL tree stand straining my ears and eyes for any sign of ungulates, I was hit with this thought: I think I have significantly underestimated the goodness of God.  For most of my life I have fallen far short of a clear understanding of the benevolent, beneficent, bountiful good intentions and actions of God on my behalf.What triggered this realization?  I have been reading through the book of Acts, and particularly Acts chapter 10.  There was something in the story that hit hard, a feature I had not noticed before.  Then, I realized this narrative feature was in other places as well.  And there I was, in the woods, all alone with

One of our kids got their blood drawn this week at a Dr’s appointment. I anticipated my wife returning with a story of rebellion. After the check up her words were “killed it." I am thankful that I didn’t have to attend the doctor’s visit. Over the years I have increasingly grown uncomfortable at the thought of blood, other people's blood isn't as bothersome as my own, but just imaging open heart surgery makes me queasy. I’m not sure how doctors do it, cutting through bone, vacuuming liquids, opening organs. There are moments in my life where I am just as squeamish about what God is doing in my heart. What medical doctors do for physical men, the God of heaven achieves for spiritual men, taking broken hearts, removing what’s broken, and equipping us with new life. In the story we’ll examine this week it is the case that most of it’s subjects rebel against the will of God and yet are unable to do anything in opposition to His plan. God achieves open heart surgery when, where, and how He wishes. Pastor Matt

Church on the Rockers,  What do Peter, Rocky, Elle, Rudy, Jamal, Forrest, and Samwise all have in common? They are the underdogs of the story. (Bonus points if you can name the movie they’re in) They are the unlikely characters who come out on top at the end of the story line. The below average men and women of the story who are seen as unintelligent, unskilled, and unable to do great things.  This weekend we're going to hear the story of Philip, one of the Helenist complainers elected to service, filled with the Holy Spirit, and SENT by God to build His Kingdom. What we're going to see in the story is not the will power and effort for human success, but the power of God at work in the lives of those who repent, submit, and give their lives to a Wonder Working, Miraculous Savior who was also the underdog and came out on top! Pastor Matt McCarter

When we are full of Holy Spirit, love, faith and power there is no room for fear, because the perfect love of God casts out fear. When we know our assignment from God, and know who are, we become unstoppable…even in the face of flying stones.In Acts 6-7, Stephen and six other apostles are chosen, blessed and sent to meet the needs of a church that is growing daily. Stephen, doing the common work of meeting the needs of widows and orphans, finds himself doing the uncommon. God’s power begins moving through him in signs and wonders. Seeing this, self-righteous religious leaders grow jealous and conspire against Stephen. Stephen doesn’t shrink back. Full of the Holy Spirit and without fear He begins to share the indisputable truth in God’s word that is usually only known by years of study. The self-righteous religious leaders are infuriated. Stones begin to fly even though they see Stephen with the face as an angel. Stephen fearlessly and lovingly continues to share God’s word until his last. When we truly know

Most men can relate to the following scenario. You’re working on a project, maybe doing some home repair and you come to a part of the project that requires a particular tool. Maybe the tool has more power, reach, or a specific niche purpose. When we come to this point, we make one of two decisions. Either we take the cheap route and use what is available to us, often resulting in more labor and sometimes a less than desirable outcome, or we pony up and buy the tool, use it once, and relegate it to the back of the garage to collect dust, but we did it right.  For those who land in the second camp, the steady movement of technology has created a vast array of tools, which require larger and larger garages to store the tools we purchase and keep on hand for the just in case project.  For the wives, don’t go berating your husbands just yet. In this message, we are going to see that having the right “tool” for the job is actually a design instituted by God and displayed in His church.

I fell and hit my head last night. I took my two younger kids out to the homestead to do some evening dolly fishing. We parked the truck, grabbed a couple rods and a bottle of mosquito dope, and hiked up the trail to our favorite fishing spot. As I was walking along the trail, three fishing rods in my hand, I tripped on a root and fell forward. My forehead made contact with another root jutting out of the ground in front of me. Typically when I fall, I try to slow down before my forehead makes contact with the ground. This time, I tried something new. It really hurt. Once I was back on my feet and had regathered the many items in my hands, head spinning, we continued our walk. My five year old, who is the cutest ever, took it upon herself to point out and warn me about every subsequent root on the trail. “Daddy, look out, here is another root. Make sure you step over it.” Somehow I felt both cared for and condescended to. In the midst of the evident work of God that is happening right now at Churc

Let me paint the picture for you! It’s 97º and you’re sitting on a wrap around screened porch in a white rocking chair. The warm breeze rustles in the leaves of a 100 year old oak, squarely in the middle of the horseshoe driveway. Grandma’s crystal pitcher is full of iced lemonade with large lemon circles. You can hear the ice clinking the crystal glass as she pours the golden nectar. There are probably two cups of sugar in that pitcher, but no one cares, because it's so HOT, even in the shade of the porch! After a moment of silence the stories begin. There is no TV or screen to arrest your attention. The story captivates you and elicits your imagination of what was, and you begin to imagine yourself in the hero’s shoes. A good story has the power to move you, encourage you, strengthen you, and assure you that you CAN! Luke, the writer of Acts, is doing just that. The setting of Grandma’s porch is exchanged for the 70 AD Middle Easterner, Theophilus’ home. The story of Jesus Christ has flooded the world a

Jesus, the one for whom and by whom I was created, has good intentions for me and intends for me to secure a grand reward that will be enjoyed for all of eternity. The greatest threat to my ability to lay hold of the reward that he has reserved for me is my own flesh. But Jesus, in His wisdom, decided not to rest my opportunities on the foundation of my abilities. He decided to intervene with a power that is His own. And it is available to you. Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

“But, how?”  That is the question that I have been asked several times since teaching this past Sunday.  And it is a question I have asked many times myself.  I urge you some caution as you ask this.  Many ask this as a rhetorical thought experiment without any real intent to find the answer and to live the answer.  Last Sunday I talked about the wide and narrow path and those of whom the Lord will say, “I never knew you.”  This week I want to answer the question “What, then, is a life lived for Jesus?”  What does it mean to live with Him, for Him, and by Him?  In the midst of the mad-dash schedule that is your life, do you feel the weight of these eternal questions pressing in?  The answer to this question has profoundly shaped nearly every aspect of my life.  And I want to share with you this Sunday in a way that you can hear, receive, and be moved toward Him.  Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

In this message, we examine what I consider to be one of the most troubling passages in all of scripture. I say this fully understanding that ungodly fear has no place in the Christian life. I say this fully understanding that Christ does not intend for me to feel unstable and uncertain of His love for me. With that said, here are the troubling words; “And I will declare to them, I never knew you.” There are those who profess faith in Christ who do not know God. This Sunday, with GODLY fear and trembling, we will examine the words of Christ and our own hearts and answer the question, do I know Him? Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

Some PEOPLE! Some people’s KIDS! We say these phrases jokingly, but often behind the joking is a sentiment of criticism. Every man and woman has a sense of right and wrong, which becomes their moral compass. It is not quite clear to me why, but that compass becomes the standard to which we hold all others. We judge without thinking and it comes so naturally. We pettily discuss hair, speech, clothing, driving styles, diets, but most of all rearing children, often accompanied by the phrase, “I WOULD NEVER!” We judge the lowest members of our communities to the highest governing bodies without prejudice and do it to our own detriment. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the dangers of judging others and this in message we will spend some time unpacking Matthew chapter 7:1-12. So, if you find yourself a judge over others, don’t worry. Our goal wont be to judge you, but to find freedom together! Pastor Matt McCarter

God wants to set your heart free of everything that is contrary to love. This week we move into the end of Matthew 6 and examine the ways that fear wrecks our lives and drives us away from God. Here is my confession: I have, for many years, been largely unaware of the way that fear rules in my own heart and drives my behavior. Honestly, I didn’t see it. If you were to meet me and engage in casual conversation you would not walk away thinking “that guy has anxiety.” And yet the Lord has been revealing and DELIVERING even me. God wants your heart. He wants you free. He wants you to experience love without hinderance or interruption. He will do the work as you open yourself to Him. This Sunday, let’s stop denying our fears, let’s stop defending our fears, let’s stop giving into our fears as we look to Him together. Pastor Dr. Aaron Weisser

As we continue in our Sermon on the Mount series and will examine the comparison between pride and love. Pride takes on a different shape in light of faith and trust in Christ and this weekend we look at what Jesus says about our efforts to be seen and acknowledged by men vs God.  Pastor Matthew McCarter

I still remember the day when I realized I did not want to be married anymore. My relationship with Jenny had been so gratifying and satisfying up until that point. But a couple of years into marriage and our selfish tendencies were degrading our capacity for meaningful intimacy. We could no longer mask our issues. What had been a fun friendship was being overshadowed by failure. There is a line I have heard often used in PR statements put out by celebrities when they announce the end of a marriage: “The relationship has run its course.” In our case, the relationship was just beginning to run its course. What I didn’t understand at that time is that my Father in heaven, committed to my ultimate good, had hand selected Jenny to facilitate the death of selfish nature. You see, God created me for a good purpose that I was meant to enjoy now and for eternity. And my selfishness is one of the greatest threats standing in the way. When that part of me began to suffer, I felt like I wasn’t going to make it.

“God is working even when we don’t see it!!” This week I posted that message on our Facebook page. God has been reminding me of His power and wisdom and control over the happenings in our lives. Remembering that powerful message can really help us in times of struggle and persecution. In baseball my father always taught me to keep my eye on the ball. That same wisdom applies to our lives. Keeping our eye on our God can give us the victory we need and keep us from feeling like victims. Guest Speaker: Bill Wilkinson