EXCERPT FROM CATALOG
Maybe you've heard this before...Jesus is the rock. But what does it really mean? And what does it mean to you personally? I was fifteen when I went from being a flat-out atheist to a sold-out believer. And, trust me, my life did a complete 180 turn around, but I didn't have a clue as to what my next move should be. As far as the Bible went, I didn't know First Chronicles from First Corinthians, and being in a church felt like being in a foreign country with a whole new language to go with it. In other words, although I was found, I was feeling pretty lost. But one of the very first things I learned, as a new believer, was that Jesus was not simply my new best friend, but that he was my Rock as well. And I needed a Rock. I needed Someone I could lean and rely on, Someone strong and steady and immovable and sturdy. Someone I could build my life on and who would never wimp out on me. I needed a rock--and that Rock was Jesus. As the years passed, I got more comfortable with the Bible and the church and things like praying and worshiping. And after a lot of years, I got almost too comfortable. I knew a lot of the Bible by heart, I was teaching Bible studies, and I spoke nearly perfect "Christianese." Consequently, I began to take spiritual things a little for granted--and this bothered me--in fact, it bothered me a lot. So, what did I do? I went back to the Rock. Instead of trying to "become smarter" or trying to become "theological" and understand "more of the Bible" I decided to go back to Jesus (the rock) and I got myself a redlined Bible (the kind where Jesus' words are in red font color) and I only let myself read the redlines--just the words from the rock. And, man, was I blessed. That's my whole point of this devotional--I want to share Jesus' words with you. I want to share verses that have changed and strengthened my life and I hope will do the same for you. All scriptures used in this devotional are quotes from Jesus--words from the rock--and believe me, they totally rock!
Maybe you've heard this before...Jesus is the rock. But what does it really mean? And what does it mean to you personally? I was fifteen when I went from being a flat-out atheist to a sold-out believer. And, trust me, my life did a complete 180 turn around, but I didn't have a clue as to what my next move should be. As far as the Bible went, I didn't know First Chronicles from First Corinthians, and being in a church felt like being in a foreign country with a whole new language to go with it. In other words, although I was found, I was feeling pretty lost. But one of the very first things I learned, as a new believer, was that Jesus was not simply my new best friend, but that he was my Rock as well. And I needed a Rock. I needed Someone I could lean and rely on, Someone strong and steady and immovable and sturdy. Someone I could build my life on and who would never wimp out on me. I needed a rock--and that Rock was Jesus. As the years passed, I got more comfortable with the Bible and the church and things like praying and worshiping. And after a lot of years, I got almost too comfortable. I knew a lot of the Bible by heart, I was teaching Bible studies, and I spoke nearly perfect "Christianese." Consequently, I began to take spiritual things a little for granted--and this bothered me--in fact, it bothered me a lot. So, what did I do? I went back to the Rock. Instead of trying to "become smarter" or trying to become "theological" and understand "more of the Bible" I decided to go back to Jesus (the rock) and I got myself a redlined Bible (the kind where Jesus' words are in red font color) and I only let myself read the redlines--just the words from the rock. And, man, was I blessed. That's my whole point of this devotional--I want to share Jesus' words with you. I want to share verses that have changed and strengthened my life and I hope will do the same for you. All scriptures used in this devotional are quotes from Jesus--words from the rock--and believe me, they totally rock!
