Harbor Rock Tabernacle

The account of David and Goliath is always portrayed as a huge win for the underdog. But David actually had a tremendous, unbeatable advantage. He had an unshakable conviction in the power and help of the Lord, as he stood to defend Him. This conviction sharply contrasted not only with Goliath, but with the Israelite people. David's example helps identify 4 convictions that define God's people--th...

In cooking, a reduction is made when a sauce simmers at a low boil. This reduces it's volume by half, intensifying it's flavor. In Judges 7, we see this principle of reduction as the Lord subtracts Gideon's army from 32,000 to 300, to fight 120,000 Midianites. He does this to teach us 4 spiritual principles which remind us of His power, and teach us to rely on His strength and sufficiency.

Throughout the Bible, there are examples of a small object or decision having a huge spiritual impact. In the first message of the new series "Small", we look at the life-changing decision Esau made in selling his birthright for a bowl of stew. His impulsive choice revealed spiritual indifference that challenges us to evaluate our appreciation for the Lord's blessings, and our discipline to desire...

Do we really want to be led by the Lord? For the believer, the question almost seems ridiculous...but why then do we struggle with doubt, uncertainty, control, and even frustration at how the Lord is leading? And why isn't prayer a massive priority? This study examines 5 spiritual principles which explain the logical rationale for seeking the Lord's leading, and closes with a call to ask Him to sh...

The Bible tells us that when we pray, we are to be bold, confident and unwavering, knowing the Lord will work. The extent to which we approach prayer with that kind of uncertainty depends on three factors--our purity, our dependence and our maturity. These influence whether we pray with an attitude of expectancy or entitlement. In Psalm 5, David models that we can "eagerly watch" for the Lord to w...

When the Lord leads us, He always has specific purposes which point away from us and toward His generous grace. Sometimes we can become discontented because we are uncomfortable with what it requires of us. But once we realize that He is leading every person toward spiritual birth and growth, it humbles and encourages us. So when we live in His power, and allow Him to stretch our faith, even trial...

Often we have a strong sense that the Holy Spirit is moving and directing us, but we don't have complete clarity because it isn't tangible. So how do we know for sure when it's the Spirit, and not a deception of the enemy? Scripture tells us there are eight distinctive indicators that confirm the Spirit's leading. This study details the first four, which gives us clarity, confidence and strength.

One of the challenges as we get older is being willing to change. This is exacerbated by the spiritual battle for our minds. In Acts 11, there was a group of Jewish believers who were closed to the new reality of the Gentiles receiving the Gospel and being part of the Body of Christ. But the evidence was clear that the Lord was doing a new work. This study reveals how we should respond when change...

In the final study from the Psalm 23 series "Living In God's Strength", we look at one of the most amazing promises the Lord makes: That His goodness and lovingkindness actually follows believers. He pursues us with His mercy, looks after us to protect and help us, and keeps us secure, because He wants to impart what is spiritually beneficial into our lives everyday. We will experience this as lon...

Guest Speaker Jamie Cannalte encourages us to evaluate the extent of our love for the Lord.

Guest Speaker Adam Lopez exhorts us to be "on fire" for the Lord by being filled with the Holy Spirit, Who gives us power for our lives.

There is an important shift in our relationship with the Lord in the middle of Psalm 23: As believers, we are no longer treated as sheep. The Lord proves His eternal victory over sin and our enemy by inviting us to eat at His table. There, He sets us apart and anoints us with the oil of His blessing. And as we see in this 5th study in our series, "Living In God's Strength", His grace and blessing...

David not only knew what it was like to face danger as a shepherd, but he had also experienced many painful times in his personal life. And yet, he knew that fear should not control someone who knows the Lord and has experienced His mercy and help. So David writes about "walking through the valley of the shadow of death", but he chooses to not live in fear, because he knows the strength of the pro...

In Mark 10, we see the interaction Jesus had with a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. This man had a serious problem that could have caused insecurity and self-doubt, isolating him from others. But as the huge crowd went by him, Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus for mercy, not deterred by the criticism of the crowd and the desperation of his situation. Jesus' Personal response, and Bartimaeus' proactive...

There are times when our soul--our inner self--needs to be turned back to what is right and righteous. This need can be due to living in sin, yielding to temptation, or facing spiritual warfare. David had lived all three first-hand, so he spoke from experience about how this affects our soul. So in v. 3 of Psalm 23, he talks about the Lord's power to "restore" us so that we are walking in "paths o...

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...