But we also know and believe that He is not done with us and that the best is yet to come.

Here are some hopes and prayers for us in this new year:

1) For the “magnet” and the drawing power of Rock Bridge to be Jesus Christ.

In other words, the main attraction is Jesus Christ. We’ve called this being Gospel-centered. We’ve taught that “Jesus + nothing (still) = Everything.” But let’s double down and trust the promise of John 12:32 – “As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.”

Rock Bridge, in our daily lives, in our worship settings, and in all of our ministries, let the magnet be Jesus Christ crucified, buried, raised, and reigning forevermore!

2) For us to be a family.

Families care for one another, love one another, encourage one another, and bear one another’s burdens. The New Testament lays out around 58 one another commands!

I know this; my spiritual walk is a community project. My spiritual walk needs a family!

Let’s be committed to one another. Let’s ensure we practice meaningful and biblical church membership. Let’s be sure people know we are disciples of Jesus by how we love (John 13:34).

If you EVER have a prayer or pastoral care need, please let us know! You can use this online form.

3) For us to be a team.

Teams have a mission. Teams want to win. Teams have a purpose bigger than any one individual.

We want to make disciples. We want to see people escape the wrath of God by turning to Christ. We want to serve our communities. We want to care for the hurting.

Let’s be more than consumers of spiritual goods and services.

Let’s be contributors to the cause of King Jesus! It’s bigger than any one of us but it takes all of us!

*Note: #2 and #3 above are two reasons why we revamped church membership at Rock Bridge with our “ALL IN” process. Click here for more information.

*We are excited that Blake Allison (RB Cleveland) has completed the Elder selection process and is ready to help serve and oversee RBCC as a team and a family for Jesus. Please commit him and his family to prayer.

Any questions, please reach out directly to me: matt@rockbridge.cc

4) For us to seek His power, provided by His Spirit, to accomplish His purposes.

The greatest spiritual reality is that I am NOT and that I can NOT.

But God is THE GREAT “I AM.” God can, God has, and God will!

This recognition is why the apostles had to wait on the Holy Spirit to come (see Acts 1).

This is why we must pray and seek the Holy Spirit like never before.
Rock Bridge, would you make this your most frequent prayer – to be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49).

A few things to keep in mind about ALL IN:

• It is a process, not just an event.
  • New members have a “host” that helps them learn more about Rock Bridge, connect to community, and move forward in their spiritual journey. This process is designed to be highly relational and encouraging.
• The overall goal is to help all members of Rock Bridge become and take steps as disciples of Jesus.
  • Remember: our goal is always to make disciples of Christ, not merely decisions for Christ! We want church membership—which is biblical—to encourage discipleship, which is what Jesus wants (see Matthew 28:18-20).
• We are encouraging all current members to participate in ALL IN as a way to renew one’s membership commitment.
  • Find out more information here.

#4: Make a difference – ONE thing we all can do.
At the close of every worship service, one of our pastors is ALWAYS going to clearly offer a way for people to take a next step, receive prayer, or get more information. This is a climatic moment in our services. It is the time when people are invited to hear from the Holy Spirit as He personalizes God’s work in our lives, calls people to Christ, convicts people of sin, comforts people with grace, and directs our paths.

Here’s how we can all make a difference: 
pray with intensity and intentionality during that time.

• Don’t get up to leave early so you beat the crowd out the door. Instead, pray for people to come to Christ, honor the Word of the Lord, and step with the Holy Spirit.
• Don’t tune out or start gathering your belongings. Instead, listen by faith to what God might want to do in you or through you. Ask Him to give you ears to hear …
• Don’t get in a hurry. Instead, be still in the Lord’s presence, intercede for others as you are in His presence, and enjoy the reality of His presence … after all He is Emmanuel (God with us)!

I believe this one simple act—done in faith—will infuse our church with fresh power and open doors for the Holy Spirit that might otherwise stay closed!

Praying with you for a Christ-centered Christmas and believing that the best is yet to come!

Matt

It’s hard for me to believe that 20 years ago this month, I left the Navy so Beth and I could move back home and begin Rock Bridge Community Church! We believed then—like we do now—that the local church IS the hope of the world! Why? Because we steward the Gospel message, represent Christ, and seek His Kingdom.

As we move toward this 20-year milestone, we believe this season should be more about the future than the past … that while we can and must thank God for what He has done, we know that He is not done with Rock Bridge! Rather than a season marked by reflection and nostalgia, we are praying this is a season of renewal and moving forward in fresh faith AND fresh power from God.

For this season (and God-willing, the favor and momentum that comes from it), we would aspire to the following:

• For a greater passion for the glory of God (Isaiah 26:8);
• For a fervent and fresh seeking of God (Psalm 105:3-4; Matthew 6:33);
• For the Holy Spirit to rest on us … to be at home in us … to work through us (Luke 11:13; 1 Corinthians 3:16);
• For a greater commitment to grow as disciples and followers of King Jesus (I Thess. 4:1);
• For salvations & conversions, for prodigals to return and for the disconnected to connect … and for us to have a holy burden for people far from God (Luke 19:10; Romans 9:1-3).

So here’s the gameplan for our 20 Year Anniversary as we aspire to all of the above.

• Wednesday’s at 6:33 pm: Fasting & Prayer → Seeking God …
  • Starting with First Wednesday in August (8/3) and going through First Wednesday in September (9/7), we will have six weekly worship & prayer services. Each will have a slightly different focus and theme.
  • Matthew 6:33 is our theme verse
  • We’ll encourage Rock Bridgers to fast from something each Wednesday and end that fast when we observe the Lord’s Supper together each Wednesday night
  • We’ll also have a Prayer Guide and encourage participation in the prayer text that is sent out each day. Text RBPRAYS to (888-744-0761) to receive it.
• The Word of God: a new series going through all of First Corinthians
  • Part of any spiritual renewal is a fresh commitment to God’s Word. We’ll kick-off a new series, “Ripple Effect”, on August 4^th (RB PM) and Sunday, August 7^th.
  • The structure, topics, and truth of 1 Corinthians will set the agenda as we walk through this incredibly relevant book for our times.
  • This will be the longest series I have ever preached as we submit ourselves afresh to the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word!
• Serve the City: living sent in the communities where we live
  • Dates and projects to bless our communities will be in September
• Anniversary Weekend on September 8^th & 11^th: INVITE A FRIEND!
  • Rock Bridge began the Sunday after Labor Day in 2002 so we’ll use this date as a time to encourage all Rock Bridgers to bring a guest to one of our services.
• All In: a revamped membership process to encourage spiritual growth as we love God, love others, and live sent as followers of Jesus

So would you please begin praying NOW for this season. Pray personally and pray corporately for renewal. Let’s sit on the edge of our seats for what God will do next …

Gracious God, we need your wisdom, favor, grace, and Holy Spirit for what comes next. We are grateful for the past as it reflects what only You could have done. Praise You!

Grant that Rock Bridge Community Church would also be a Christ-exalting, Gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered, Word-saturated, missions-mobilizing, soul-winning, praying, humble, loving church.

Inflame our hearts with a passion and zeal for Your glory.

Give us ears to hear Your authoritative Word correctly and apply it obediently.

Bless our communities through our good deeds.

Bring more people into Your forever family and eternal Kingdom through our witness.

Protect us and awaken us from lukewarmness, complacency, fear, and doubt.

Let Your truth hold sway and Your strength be ours for Your grace is sufficient.

O Lord of power, mercy, and grace,

The cattle on a thousand hills are Yours, all hearts are in Your hands, and all events are at Your disposal … let this 20 Year Anniversary be a season of renewal, of fresh wind, of new wine, and of new power … please set the seal of Your Spirit on Rock Bridge Community Church.

AMEN

¡Es difícil para mí creer que hace 20 años, en este mes, dejé la Marina para que Beth y yo pudiéramos volver a casa y comenzar con la Iglesia Rock Bridge Community Church! En aquel entonces creíamos, al igual que ahora, que la iglesia local es la esperanza del mundo. ¿Por qué? Porque transmitimos el mensaje del evangelio, representamos a Cristo y buscamos su reino.

¡Al acercarnos a este punto en el que cumplimos 20 años, creemos que en esta temporada el enfoque debe ser más sobre el futuro que sobre el pasado, que aunque podemos y debemos agradecer a Dios por lo que ha hecho, sabemos que Él todavía tiene mucho por hacer en Rock Bridge! Más que una temporada marcada por la reflexión y la nostalgia, pedimos que sea una temporada de renovación y progreso con una nueva fe y un poder de Dios renovado.

Para esta temporada (si Dios quiere, con el favor y el impulso que viene de ella), aspiramos a lo siguiente:

Así que este es el plan de juego para nuestro 20º aniversario en el que aspiramos a todo lo anterior.

Los miércoles a las 18:33: Ayuno y Oración→ Buscando a Dios.

• A partir del primer miércoles de agosto (3 de agosto) y hasta el primer miércoles de septiembre ( 7 de septiembre), tendremos seis servicios semanales de adoración y oración. Cada uno tendrá un enfoque y tema un poco diferente.
• Mateo 6:33 es nuestro versículo principal.
• Animaremos a los miembros de la iglesia a ayunar algo cada miércoles y terminaremos ese ayuno cuando celebremos juntos la Cena del Señor cada miércoles por la noche.
• También tendremos una guía de oración y los animaremos a participar en el texto de oración que se envía cada día.  Envía un mensaje de texto con la palabra RBPRAYS al (888-744-0761) para recibirlo.
• La Palabra de Dios: una nueva serie que abarca toda la primera carta a los corintios.
  • Dentro de toda renovación espiritual es necesario un nuevo compromiso con la Palabra de Dios. Comenzaremos una nueva serie, “Efecto dominó”, el 4 de agosto (RB PM) y el domingo, 7 de agosto.
  • La estructura, los temas y la verdad de 1 Corintios establecerán la agenda conforme avanzamos en este libro de increíble relevancia para nuestros tiempos.
  • ¡Esta será la serie más extensa que he predicado en mi vida y nos someteremos de nuevo a la autoridad y suficiencia de la Palabra de Dios!
• Sirve a la ciudad: vivir enviados en las comunidades donde vivimos.
  • Las fechas y proyectos para bendecir a nuestras comunidades serán en septiembre.
• El fin de semana del aniversario será el 8 y 11 de septiembre: ¡INVITA A UN AMIGO!
  • Rock Bridge comenzó el domingo siguiente al Día del Trabajo en 2002, así que utilizaremos esa fecha para motivar a todos los miembros de la iglesia a traer un invitado a uno de nuestros servicios. 
• Totalmente comprometido: un proceso de membresía renovado para estimular el crecimiento espiritual al amar a Dios, amar a los demás y vivir enviados como seguidores de Jesús.

Así que, por favor, comienza YA a orar por esta temporada. Oremos personalmente y corporativamente por renovación. Estemos a la expectativa de lo que Dios está por hacer.

Bendito Dios, necesitamos de tu sabiduría, de tu favor, de tu gracia y de tu Espíritu Santo para lo que viene. Estamos agradecidos por el pasado, ya que refleja lo que solo tú podrías haber hecho. Te alabamos.

Permite que Rock Bridge Community Church sea también una iglesia que exalte a Cristo, que esté centrada en el evangelio, que esté empoderada por el Espíritu, que esté saturada de la Palabra, que se movilice a las misiones, que gane almas, que ore, que sea humilde y que ame.

Enciende nuestros corazones con una pasión y celo por tu gloria.

Danos oídos para escuchar correctamente tu poderosa Palabra y aplicarla con obediencia.

Bendice a nuestras comunidades a través de nuestras buenas obras.

Trae a más personas a tu familia y reino eterno a través de nuestro testimonio.

Protégenos y despiértanos de la tibieza, la complacencia, el miedo y la duda.

Haz que tu verdad prevalezca y que tu fuerza sea la nuestra, porque tu gracia es suficiente.

Oh, Señor poderoso, misericordioso y lleno de gracia, el ganado en mil colinas es tuyo, todos los corazones están en tus manos, y todos los acontecimientos están a tu disposición. Permite que este 20 aniversario sea una temporada de renovación, de viento fresco, de vino nuevo, y de poder renovado. Por favor pon el sello de tu Espíritu en Rock Bridge Community Church.

AMÉN

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on Him.

What higher hope could I have for us as God’s people at Rock Bridge in our 20^th year of existence?  What greater endeavor could we devote ourselves to than that of building our lives on Jesus and His Word?  What strength do we need more in these tumultuous times than the strength that comes from God?

Over the course of our latest message series “How To …,” we’ve been teaching some of the essential parts of “how to follow Christ.” Each message provided an acronym to help us remember and be equipped so that when faced with a challenge, an opportunity, a temptation, or a decision we would follow Jesus no matter what, knowing that following Him is always best and means the best is always yet to come!

We have put all these acronyms together in a quick reference resource as a gift to encourage you to “continue to follow” Christ, to grow in your faith, to deepen your love for Him, to worship Him, and to boldly live sent for His glory. You can also find this resource online at rockbridge.cc/howto?.

Perhaps I am being naïve … but I envision some of us at work struggling with a tough choice and remembering S.T.E.P. and being able to trust God in the moment with one of His amazing promises.

Or perhaps you decided to wake up a few minutes early and read God’s Word … I picture you using H.E.A.R. as a tool to truly detect the voice of God to you through His living and active word and then using P.R.A.Y. to speak with God as Father!

Or maybe for some of you it’s in a moment of temptation … and you decide to intentionally turn to Christ in worship and W.O.R.T.H. helps your mind and heart cherish Jesus more than sin.

Wouldn’t living this way be wonderful?! Wouldn’t we experience more of the abundant life Jesus promises and the peace and joy He offers? Wouldn’t Rock Bridge look increasingly more like Jesus? Wouldn’t Jesus be glorified through us as His grace works more powerfully in us?

Be blessed and keep the faith! He is risen!

When we follow Jesus, the best really is yet to come!

matt 

I know we are all tired of the pandemic—whether it’s the adverse effects on health, the politics surrounding it, or the disruptions caused by it—we are ready to move forward (and thankfully, in many ways we are).

However, there is another pandemic working itself across our nation. The Church—while possessing the power to be immune from it—can easily become sick by it.

This is a pandemic of disunity and division.

The Church is created and designed by God to be unified around the essentials of our faith—the Gospel, Christ-centered teaching and worship, and a commitment to fulfill the Great Commission.  However, Satan would love nothing more than to see the Church divided over non-essentials (and many churches are experiencing this). The enemy would love for the Church that Jesus died to create to become divided into tribes and factions that are in reality nothing more than a special-interest group sharing a false unity based on what we are against, who we can blame, and what we are angry about.

However, this would not be a church, but a satanic gathering marked more by the following:

• Unforgiveness, anger and fear (versus love for neighbor and firm trust in God)
• A false gospel built around positions on current events (versus the “of first importance” true and only Gospel of Jesus crucified, buried and raised to reconcile sinners to God)
• Seeing people as part of a “group” that is either “with us or against us” (versus seeing all people as made in God’s image and in need of His amazing grace);
• Rage at “what is happening” (versus steadfast hope in what God has promised).

How can we avoid becoming infected by this sickness?

1) Never graduate from the Gospel and never lose one’s “first love.”

At Rock Bridge, we’ve resolved to ensure that the Gospel remains the central element and the fuel that propels us forward in faith, hope and love. We recognize, however, that we are forgetful, we drift, and we leak; in other words, we move away from the Gospel and allow other things—lesser things—to become more central and more important.

So, every week we want our corporate worship services to be “Shechem” moments (you can watch that message here).

Daily we want to read God’s Word and allow it to read us (subscribe to Time with God by texting TWG to 888-744-0761).

Frequently, we want to gather for the Lord’s Supper (First Wednesdays and monthly during a weekend service) to be reminded of His love for us and empowered to love others with that same love. Being loved by God makes us immune to this pandemic and to Satan’s schemes. Being loved by God in His Gospel makes us truly one (Colossians 3:11) and makes us “more than victorious” (Romans 8:37-39).

2) Become a disciple of Jesus in the area of love.

This is what our current series, “Bottom Line” (click here for messages) is all about. Many of us have been a student of Jesus in making a big decision or getting through a tough time. but maybe we’ve been a student of the world, or our past, or of Hollywood in how we love (or fail to love) others. We believe now is the time to invite Jesus to teach us how to love others, even those who are different from us in any way … and yes, even our enemies (Matthew 5:44-46).

3) Fight for the faith we cherish, fight against sin and evil (in ourselves and in the world), fight for justice, and fight to make Jesus known to the ends of the earth.

We fight from His love and as His beloved family. Therefore, we do not wage war like the world. We fight with compassion, gentleness, kindness and humility. We fight with hope that can survive anything because the Kingdom of Jesus will outlast everything. So yes, we fight, but we fight FROM victory, not for it!

The best is yet to come … but at the same time, we have the best because through the Gospel we have Jesus as our King and Savior and His Spirit lives in us!

Staying healthy in the faith with you Rock Bridge!

matt

I want to share how I prayed for us this morning and then offer a few resources that might just help us do the single best thing we could do in 2022!!

My prayer for us comes from Galatians 4:19 – “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” In this verse we see Paul longing and laboring for Christ-likeness in the churches of Galatia. It reminds us of the importance of holiness and the priority of God shaping us to be more and more like His Son. Later in Galatians 5, Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit which ultimately are the virtues and characteristics that Jesus perfectly exhibited.

Rock Bridge, I know of no greater prayer we can pray for ourselves and our church, and no greater effort worth our best energy, than that of being shaped, formed and discipled into Christ-likeness. I hope in our corporate worship services thus far in 2022 you sense our collective seriousness and greater intentionality in pursuing God through worship and allowing Him both space in our lives and surrender in our hearts to allow Him to shape and form His Son in us. We are going to start observing the Lord’s Supper more frequently during our weekend services and not only during First Wednesday (starting THIS weekend!). We believe this commanded practice is an important way to strengthen our faith, renew our hope and remind us that the Gospel is of “first importance” (I Corinthians 15:3), while calling us to confession and repentance and assuring us of His forgiveness.

However, perhaps the greatest thing we can do to cooperate with God’s forming of His Son in us and to connect with Him in a personal and vibrant relationship is to meet Him in and through His Word. Therefore, we are encouraging everyone to read the Gospel of John during our “Decide Now” series. The unity and sense of momentum from doing this together as one church can be powerful and encouraging in our journey of being formed by God.

We have created a tool to help you hear from and connect with God as you read. It’s called H.E.A.R. If you would like to learn more about How to Study the Bible from me, click on this link. 

Here’s the reading plan for this series (you can also text TWG to 888-744-0761 to receive the daily reading via text):

• Week of January 16th → Read John 1-4 (Monday-Thursday)
• Week of January 23rd → Read John 5-8 (Monday-Thursday)
• Week of January 30th → Read John 9-12 (Monday-Thursday)
• Week of February 6th → Read John 13-16 (Monday-Thursday)
• Week of February 13th → Read John 17-21 (Monday-Friday)

God’s commitment to form a people who live connected to His Son, filled with His Spirit and bearing His fruit is steadfast and determined. Let’s join Him in this holy ambition in 2022!

It’s going to be a great year!!

matt

Many of you ask about our financial health, given all the challenges we have faced (COVID effects, inflation, etc). Please take a moment to watch this short video for an update. And THANK YOU for supporting our ministry financially!!

Each year we go through a detailed process of selecting Elders based on Titus 1:5-9 and I Timothy 3:1-7.  This process includes multiple conversations and lots of prayer. We are excited to ask you to pray over the following individuals who have completed this discernment process and have also agreed to serve a 3-year Elder term starting in January.

If you have any questions or concerns about these individuals, please feel free to reach out to myself, your campus pastor or an actively serving Elder (you can see the full list of Elders here). 

Calhoun:  Drew Holland

Chatsworth: Tracy Callahan

Dalton:  Adam Winkler; David Traywick

Hixson:  David Lipe

Ringgold: Kevin Hill; Ken Mahon

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

matt

Note: Parts of this have been adapted from Pastor Kevin Myers’ (12Stone Church) “Fight Night Rules.”