Harbor Rock Tabernacle

Joseph is an interesting case study because we can relate to what he went through. He didn't do miracles, but he did experience alot of resentment and rejection. His brothers hated him, his overseer's wife falsely accused him, and he was forgotten in jail. But Joseph's life shows us that experiencing rejection provides opportunities to get insight into what Christ went through and love God's grace...

Every person struggles with insecurity, whether it's physical, emotional, vocational, relational or spiritual. This can lead a chronic attitude of defeat, or humble us about our need for the Lord. In Genesis, Jacob was someone who "wrestled" with this in every aspect of his life. In his discontentment and jealousy, he worked the angles to try to gain advantage. How we respond to disappointment--wh...

The Lord gives every believer talents, gifts and opportunities to influence, and whether it seems minor or profound, we are just called to be faithful to what He's given us. In the church in the ancient city of Colosse, there was a man named Archippus, who was called out by the apostle Paul and told to finish his work of ministry. Apparently, in a year he had gone from a committed, battle-tested w...

The church in Corinth was full of pride, worldliness and lack of love for the Lord and others. But at the end of his first letter of correction and admonition to them, the apostle Paul draws attention to a family who exemplified living for Christ. “The house of Stephanas” was the first family Paul had led to faith in Greece, and as they matured as disciples, they embodied 4 simple characteristics...

The church in Corinth was full of pride, worldliness and lack of love for the Lord and others. But at the end of his first letter of correction and admonition to them, the apostle Paul draws attention to a family who exemplified living for Christ. "The house of Stephanas" was the first family Paul had led to faith in Greece, and as they matured as disciples, they embodied 4 simple characteristics...

Sometimes as believers, especially when we are struggling, we talk about the need to "make Jesus a priority"...but that gives the connotation that He's just an important item on the "to do" list. A man who met Jesus seemed to view it that way--he had lived in great obedience to the Law, but he wasn't willing to trust Jesus fully by giving up his many possessions in order to follow Him. Many people...

Sometimes as believers, especially when we are struggling, we talk about the need to "make Jesus a priority"...but that gives the connotation that He's just an important item on the "to do" list. A man who met Jesus seemed to view it that way--he had lived in great obedience to the Law, but he wasn't willing to trust Jesus fully by giving up his many possessions in order to follow Him. Many people...

In Revelation 2, the apostle John writes to the Ephesian church with a word from the Lord. he commends them for their perseverance in the midst of a spiritually depraved city, but challenges them on the fact that they have drifted in their love for Christ. This can easily happen even to a believer who has been redeemed by the mercy of God, when we get distracted by other loves, staying only on the...

In the last section of his letter, James summarizes the need for consistent integrity into 3 themes: Be Careful With Your Words, Be Calm In Your Faith, and Be Confident In Your Anticipation. Keeping our promises and speaking with purity shows our love of Truth, which is a love for the Lord. The ability to be calm no matter what our circumstances reveals a deep and abiding faith. And living with an...

With the stage fully set for Jesus to return for His faithful disciples, the temptation will be to become apathetic and presumptuous, when we are called to endure and bear spiritual fruit. Our convictions about the future determine how we live and prioritize, and especially as Americans, whether we become focused on our material wealth instead of what has eternal value. Many times, Jesus told His...

Throughout his letter, James emphasizes the importance of humility: That it is forged out of trials, developed out of faith and submission, and proven through self-discipline, Humility is necessary to model Jesus' example, which is why James stresses "bringing ourselves low" as His disciples. When we see life from a humble angle, it elevates our view of God and gives us a proper perspective in our...

Having just celebrated the awesome and gracious sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it would be uncharacteristic for any true believer to balk at the comparably small sacrifice He calls us to live out. In 2 verses in James 4, the Lord gives us 4 simple commands that can become victorious benefits.. When we subordinate ourselves to the Lord, actively resist the enemy, and utilise the privilege of close prox...

When the news spread that Jesus’ tomb was empty on the 3rd day–just as He had foretold–several theories started to be purported: That He was still dead and HIs Body had been stolen, or that He didn’t actually die on the cross and recovered elsewhere, or that the Jews had destroyed His Body so the disciples could never find Him. But those theories had significant, logical problems…not to mention th...

When the news spread that Jesus' tomb was empty on the 3rd day--just as He had foretold--several theories started to be purported: That He was still dead and HIs Body had been stolen, or that He didn't actually die on the cross and recovered elsewhere, or that the Jews had destroyed His Body so the disciples could never find Him. But those theories had significant, logical problems...not to mentio...

When we remember times when we were personally hurt by physical or emotional abuse, relational abandonment or betrayal, or deep injustice, it feels overwhelming. In the span of 24 hours, Jesus Christ endured a devastating level of torture, abuse and rejection that no one has ever experienced in a lifetime, let alone a day. In every aspect, He suffered beyond our understanding. ..and didn't deserve...

It was a diverse crowd when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, coming to be sacrificed for our sin. His disciples, people whose lives had been changed, the curious, and the Pharisees were all there, largely praising Him. But the opposition of the jealous, hypocritical religious leaders influenced most in the crowd to turn on Jesus just 5 days later. This parallels James 4, which says that our pl...

James' teaching about obeying the Lord and providing clear evidence that we trust and serve Him isn't an issue of obligation....it's an issue of love. So what does love for the Lord look like, on a practical, everyday basis? As disciples, there must be an external expression of the internal wisdom we have from the Lord. We are called to be dramatically distinctive from a world that is gripped by s...

What we say, how we day it, and why we say it has a tremendous impact on how people view us and influence we have. In James 3, he cautions us about how we use our words. We live in a time where everyone is an expert, so it is vital that we handle the Word carefully, because the enemy will try to hinder accurate communication of the Bible. So it is essential that we guard what comes out of our mout...

As we walk by faith, the integrity of our heart and the wisdom of our actions externally impacts our witness and our relationships. We can have a tremendous influence as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, or we can do damage by showing partiality and favoritism. There are multiple ways we do this, and James 2 says it makes us judges with impure motives. Doing so signals that we have forgotten that we ar...

In his letter to Jewish believers, James encouraged them and us about the need to validate our faith and wisdom and humility through how we live. One of the enemy challenges us in this way is how we respond emotionally to frustration and difficulty. Are we disciplined and self-controlled or do we impulsively fly off the handle? Weakness in this often indicates that we are still allowing impurity i...

As we walk in humble, persevering faith, seeking the Lord's wisdom, with the goal of consecration and integrity, the test is whether we are deceived by the enemy's temptation. When we trust God's word and do what brings life, He will give us clarity. Then, it's a matter of whether we will live with conviction and courage. By asking 3 important questions, and finding strength and confidence in the...

When we're going through trials, our pride and need for pleasure demand attention. But God's ideal is that we would be humble, and have faith that perseveres because we love and trust Him. This authenticates us as His disciples. So when the enemy pushes temptation on us, enticing us to sin and rebel against the Lord, we need to listen for His voice. It is the right voice--the one that leads us to...

We are constantly searching for wisdom--everyday, situationally and about big decisions. The Bible says it is more valuable than gold, but that we will only obtain true wisdom when we fear and trust the Lord. As we go through these confusing and prophetic times, the world only offers self-focus and self-promotion. But the Lord promises in James 1 that when we seek wisdom with an unwavering faith,...

Whether it is an attack by the enemy or a refining of our faith by the Lord, trials are difficult to go through. To live out our faith during trials, we have to understand their purpose and how to respond so we can live in victory. James wrote to Jews scattered by persecution, reminded of their past history of disobedience, and shows that the long-term cost of sin is much more severe than the shor...

When Daniel was taken into captivity in Babylon along with the rest of Judah, he had no rights. Even though he was singled out to be indoctrinated as a Babylonian, he knew he could not compromise his convictions. Two different times, he fasted--once as a teen slave who didn't want to accept defiled food, and another time as an older adult who was burdened by mankind's sin and his nation's rebellio...