Harbor Rock Tabernacle

When we trust the Lord as our Shepherd, the second verse of Psalm 23 will be ideal and desirable. But if we are hesitant to yield to Him, and still want to have some control, there will be a chronic unsettledness in our lives. In this second study of the series "Living In God's Strength", we see that the Lord has to shut down our control and prompt us to rest in His provision. He will then refresh...

In our new series on Psalm 23, we study the first verse, in which David establishes the awesome concept that the Lord is our Shepherd. But that also means that we are sheep, who are known to be dependent, somewhat unintelligent, stubborn, hesitant to listen and prone to wander away. So we need a Shepherd, and because the Lord is so gracious and faithful, we can confidently rely on Him for all we n...

Abraham's nephew Lot was someone who had been around Godly people and been helped by God. But instead of protecting himself against the pervasive depravity that was nearby in Sodom, Lot moved closer until he was fully integrated into the life of the city. He exhibited 5 steps of decline that we need to constantly guard ourselves against, because the devil is working hard to corrupt our culture. It...

What started as stomach pain quickly became a life threatening situation that brought Lee Ison close to death. He and his wife Karen share the dramatic account which showed them great evidence of God's awesome, faithful, miraculous provision.

Would people describe you as an "encourager" or a "discourager"? This applies not just to our words, but our disposition and outlook on life. It will determine the type of impact we have on other people--whether we strengthen them personally and spiritually, or cause them to lose hope and feel defeated. In this study, we contrast the illogical "bad" report of the 10 Israelite spies with the minist...

Recent events in our country have shown that the enemy is making steady progress in normalizing what is abhorrent to the Lord and our faith. Quickly, minds are being conditioned to a "new normal". So as believers, we need a balance of being informed and wise, while also zealously motivated to influence people's lives for Christ. We need to be aware of all that is going on, and get a fresh passion...

When the apostle Paul wrote to Philemon to appeal for his friend Onesimus, he was careful to make his appeal out of love, not an demand of authority. He affirms that the spiritual transformation that had taken place in Onesimus now made him a brother to them both, which meant that he needed to be seen and treated differently. By reminding Philemon, and us, of the power of forgiveness, the Holy Spi...

The apostle Paul wrote a short, very personal letter to a friend he had led to faith in Jesus Christ. He appealed to Philemon to forgive a bondservant who had run away from him. With humility, Paul writes to him as a fellow worker and fellow soldier for the Gospel. It is because of Philemon's spiritual character and reputation as someone who is distinguished for his love and faith that Paul knows...

In Genesis 16, a woman named Hagar found herself in a very unfair situation. As the maidservant of Abram's wife Sarai, Hagar was the pawn in Sarai's faithless plan to supersede God's covenant. Hagar's situation teaches us to evaluate the spiritual climate around us. It also shows us that when our faith is being tested, the Lord will minister to us, especially when we go to the "springs and wells"...

When we are weary and exhausted, it's easy to become discouraged and to doubt that we can have victory. Judah experienced that when Assyria was threatening their existence. The Lord confronted their sin, which had caused the problem, and warns them through Isaiah of their coming destruction. But He also graciously promises to ultimatwey change their situation from spiritual wilderness to a place o...

We all face the pressures of everyday responsibilities, and when those are compounded with unexpected problems, our stress can wear us down. But because our Lord is powerful and all sufficient, as believers we should be able to have victory over stress. This study identifies its four causes, in which the Holy Spirit gives us a hidden insight into the real problem. Psalm 46:10 offers the only solut...

When Jesus returned to heaven, He left us a clear example to follow, and the Holy Spirit to give us the power and ability to live like Him. The true test of whether we are living as His disciples is how fully we mirror His life. In this study from three passages in the Gospels, we examine six distinctive attributes of Jesus which should characterize every believer's life. There will be temptations...

When Israel left captivity in Egypt to go toward the Promised Land, the timing and the way they did it were spiritually significant. It was the day after Passover, and they walked out in the sight of the Egyptians as they were burying their dead. Those facts kept them humble that the Lord had been the One to deliver them and give them victory. But that didn't last, because the Jews really never le...

In an effort to "appeal" to what people want or reach a certain audience, churches often program a style of ministry for that intent. But this is not anywhere in the Bible--instead, we see believers praying and led by the Spirit, often unaware of what to say or do, but being used in profound ways. The apostle Paul wrote to Corinth, warning them against self-orientation and cleverness, showing them...

The greatest truth the world has ever heard is that Jesus Christ defeated sin and death by rising from the grave. Every person has to make a decision whether they should believe that or not. Those surrounding the cross show the different reactions people have to what Jesus has done. His cross is empty, which means that His work of redemption is done. His grave is empty, which means that He has won...

When Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples right before His crucifixion, they should have been aware of what was happening, and serve Him. But instead, they were distracted by their self-centeredness. Jesus then showed why He had come, and quietly took on the posture of a servant by washing the disciples feet. Peter's objection and the silence of the others stands as the attitudes...

When Jesus came to Jerusalem to offer Himself as the Sacrifice for our sins, He didn't do so in a bold, self-promoting way. Instead, He rode a young donkey, weeping over the town as He viewed it from the Mt. of Olives. Every aspect of that was significant: The fulfillment of prophecy, His humility and identification with the people, and the work that He was doing to restore relationship and peace...

In cultural and in art, Jesus is often depicted as soft and tolerant of sin. But in Mark 10, we see Jesus as resolved and determined to fulfill His purpose, even knowing that the religious and political leaders of Israel had decided to put Him to death. So He leads the way to Jerusalem, shocking and scaring the disciples, who finally understood that He was going to the cross to redeem man from sin...

When Israel was taken into captivity by Assyria, because they had stiffened their necks against the Lord, the Assyrians brought in exiles from other nations to occupy Samaria. The Lord didn't forget Israel, but He also expected that these foreigners in their land would respect and fear Him. They initially acted like they did, but continued to worship their own gods. The Lord warns us against this...

In this last study in our "Theology Of Giving" series, the focus is on what we can ask the Lord to give to us. Even though He has already done so much to save, transform and empower us, He is still willing to "give the increase" in certain areas of our lives. The Bible details four specific requests we should pray every day, which will bring the Lord glory and allow us to give back to others.

Michelle shares how the Lord brought her out of personal heartache to a fresh understanding of what it means to trust the Lord, and how He graciously blesses our full dependence.

Wars in the Bible can serve as a metaphor for the problems and trials in our lives. Whether they are a spiritual attack or a proving of our faith, we need to respond with unwavering faith. In 2 Chronicles 14, Judah faced the Ethiopians, and they were outnumbered and under equipped. But King Asa called on the Lord. The perspective of his prayer, and what he asked, showed that he knew the Lord would...

Everything we understand about giving starts with the pre-emptive generosity of God. His sacrifice for all people is our awesome example. So beyond money, we also need to be sacrificial in how we give of our time and our spiritual gifts. Our time is a limited, irretrievable resource, so we must be wise in spending it well. And when we align our money with our gifts, we can have a powerful, generat...

Five believers share how Jesus has changed their lives as they identify with Him in baptism.

Some of Harbor Rock's youth leaders and students share how the Lord powerfully worked in their lives on the recent Winter Retreat at Village Creek Bible Camp in Iowa.