ROCC Devotion

Thankfulness

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:48:13 +0000

In my devotional reading today I read Habakkuk 3:17-19. In verse 17 we see that Habakkuk is describing a time of extreme poverty like many of our friends and family are facing in our challenging economic times. Even in the face of this challenge we find encouragement in verse 18 when he says “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Do we find joy in the Lord even when we face the hardships of life? Thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.

Thank you Jesus for giving me the gift of salvation! That is more than enough to bring joy in my heart!!!

Great Service!

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:09:19 +0000

This past Sunday was definitely one to remember. All the awesome testimonies and expressions of thanks towards God! After hearing all that God is doing it was really awesome to see everybody leaving with frozen turkeys. Thank you Lord for all of your blessings!!!

Between the fences

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:47:40 +0000

I had to go into Division 1 of the Cook County jail to visit someone that was recently incarcerated the other day. After going through intense screening and security I was allowed to walk through this sprawling detention center campus on my way to the division 1 building. Not knowing my way around I had to find a Correctional Officer that could help direct me to the correct building. He pointed at a narrow sidewalk that had a fence on each side and barbed wire over head. He told that I had to walk between the fences to the building that was ahead. As I was walking on this sidewalk I couldn’t help but realize that I was walking a narrow pathway between bondage and freedom. On one side was the detention center with all the guards and thick iron doors. On the other side was a parking lot with people getting in their cars and heading in all sorts of directions. On side was imprisoned the other was free!

It hit me at that point that point that in life we all walk between the fences of eternity. In this life we will choose which side of the fence we will spend eternity on.

Joshua 24:14-15: ¹⁴ “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Which side of the fence are we on today? As for me and my family we will serve the Lord and choose the side of eternal freedom!

900 Job Seekers!

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:55:08 +0000

What an incredible day! We had just under 900 registered job seekers come through today for the Job Fair that we hosted along with the Village of South Holland. I was really amazed and very humbled by what I saw today. I was amazed at how many cars we really could squeeze into the parking lot, while at the same time I was humbled by the great need that is all around us. My heart goes out to all who are unemployed as you try to stand out in this crowded job market. Today I am making a FIRM commitment to pray for jobs to open up all over the South Suburbs!

Good Weekend

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:31:50 +0000

This was definately a ver busy weekend, yet it was totally incredible!

Friday, we were blessed by the start of another year of Night of Worship with Atmosphere of Heaven! The group came ready to worship the Lord and they truly ushered the atmosphere of heaven, which the bible clearly says is an atmosphere of praise and worship, to earth! I have already heard testimonies about how the Lord really helped put things in perspective during that time of complete abandonment and total dedication to Lord. I simply cannot wait until the next one!

Saturday…Well, what can I say other than THANK YOU! Our leaders and volunteers came out for a time of fellowship and encouragement from our Assistant Superintendent. The evening was great as we share lots of laughter and some really great food and heard an inspiring message from Rev. Gary Blanchard. I have said it before and I will say it again, we really have the best group of volunteers here making things happen on a weekly basis all so that the glory of the Lord can shine in this place! Thank you for serving the in this ministry as you serve the Lord!

Sunday…Two words: BABY DEDICATION! My girls were dedicated along with 5 other babies! What an incredible charge we have been given by God. We are charged with the Christian training and education of our children so that when they are of age to make decisions they will be able to know and accept Christ in their lives for themselves. All of the babies are just so adorable and we are blessed to continually have so many new ones being added to the family here at the ROCC!

Great Team here at the ROCC

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:50:47 +0000

I am simply overwhelmed at the quality of teachers and leaders that we have here at the ROCC. For the last couple of months I have had the privilage of simply walking around and observing the various groups on Wednesday nights. First off there is so many groups and activities on Wednesday nights that it blows my mind to think back to the days when we only had 15 people in the building on those week night meetings. Now we have at least 9 different groups of people meeting in various areasof the building! So just the unbelievable growth on Wednesday nights is enough to send my mind spinning at what God is doing in this place. Aside from all the groups and people that we have coming together to celebrate the Lord we have some really awesome teaching happening. The thing that gets me the most is that in each room and each group there is so much energy that this building is just flowing with the great power of God. I am blown away at the intensity of every area whether I am in one of the various children rooms or in the youth gathering an even in the adults there is a tremendous excitement that comes from those leading the various groups.

Well, that’s it I have just had all that on my heart and had to get it out! Leaders here at the ROCC are the best that I have ever seen! Tell someone you know that this is the place to be on Wednesday nights!

Spring Break 2010

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:19:37 +0000

What a WEEK! It is such a huge privilege and blessing to be able to serve the community that God has placed us in. This past week we worked with the Village of South Holland to provide a safe and fun filled week of activities for Spring Break. I can safely say that this week proved to be all that and then some. We had over 115 students each day and even had to turn parents and students away because we had intended to cap the participation at 100 students. Each day we had over 100 junior high and high school students enjoying activities here at our church! Can you imagine a church where we literally had that many young people pressing to get in the doors early each day! I can admit that the week was not geared to be a time to proselytize, yet it is good knowing that these young people are now familiar with the building and our hopes and prayer is that they will come visit and bring their families to a worship service here.

The week ended with our church hosting the Youth Hip Hop night from Spirit of God Fellowship. This combination allowed us to have a youth event that could speak into these young hearts. I did see a few of the youth that had been here through the week in attendance. My hope and prayer now is that after the week of fun and games and the night of spoken word, rap and a heart wrenching message from Dexter, that these young hearts might be impacted with the love of Jesus. While I am physically exhausted from all that has taken place I can yet sit back and enjoy the incredible opportunities that God continues to provide for us to do His work here on earth.

All in all I have to say…This was a good day!

I Have The Best Family EVER!

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:33:15 +0000

It is so hard to get any work done these days. It seems all I want to do is sit and look at the pictures of the wonderful little angles that my wife has carried the last nine months. I realize that as I stare at the two amazing gifts God has given us that I am even more blessed because God has also allowed me to be married to the greatest wife ever! Yea, I may be bragging but this is my blog so I guess I can brag if I want to. Anyway, I am not sure if it is bragging if I am simply stating the obvious truth! I can honestly say that I am truly blown away by the whole birth and pregnancy experience and am simply amazed at how awesome our God is. God prepared the womans body for this miracle and then the body just begin the process of readjusting to a new normal. AMAZING!

So let me end by sharing this picture and thanking God for His tremendous BLESSINGS! Have a blessed day and remember to thank God for all He is doing!

Week of Prayer — Day 5

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:37:07 +0000

Day 5

Adoration

The Lord my God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:17–18)

My soul magnifies the Lord

And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

For the Mighty One has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

His mercy is on those who fear Him,

From generation to generation. (Luke 1:46–47, 49–50)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

God’s eyes are on the ways of a man,

And He sees all his steps.

There is no darkness or deep shadow

Where the workers of iniquity can hide.

He does not need to examine a man further,

That he should go before God in judgment. (Job 34:21–23)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

Renewal

May I flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)

May I not set my heart on evil things, or be an idolater, or commit sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 10:6–8)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

Let me hear Your unfailing love in the morning,

For I have put my trust in You.

Show me the way I should walk,

For to You I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8)

Faithfulness as a Steward

Of time

Of talents

Of treasure

Of truth

Of relationships

My activities for this day

Special concerns

Intercession

May I honor all people, love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, and honor the king. (1 Peter 2:17)

Government

Spiritual revival

Local government

State government

National government

Current events and concerns

Affirmation

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

We have the prophetic word made more certain, to which I will do well to pay attention, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in my heart. (2 Peter 1:19)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

The Lord my God is the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

I will tell of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord,

The praises of the Lord,

According to all the Lord has done for us,

And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,

Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,

And according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. (Isaiah 63:7)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

I know that my Redeemer lives

And that in the end He will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been destroyed,

Yet in my flesh I will see God;

Whom I myself will see

And behold with my own eyes and not another.

How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25–27)

God is exalted beyond our understanding;

The number of His years is unsearchable. (Job 36:26)

Boa, K. (1997, c1993). Handbook to prayer : Praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.

Week of Prayer — Day 4

Pastor Troy O'Quin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:10:03 +0000

Day 4

Adoration

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and joy are in His place.

I will ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

I will ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name

And worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Tremble before him, all the earth.

The world is firmly established, it will not be moved. (1 Chronicles 16:25–30)

You are the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac. (Genesis 31:42)

Pause to express your thoughts of praise and worship.

Confession

Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

The God of my salvation,

And my tongue will sing aloud of Your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,

And my mouth will declare Your praise.

For You do not desire sacrifice, or I would bring it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

A broken and contrite heart,

O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:14–17)

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

Renewal

May I remove the places of idolatry from my life, and like Asa, let my heart be fully committed to God all my days. (2 Chronicles 15:17)

May I trust in the Lord and do good; may I dwell in the land and feed on Your faithfulness. When I delight myself in the Lord, You will give me the desires of my heart. I will commit my way to the Lord and trust in You, and You will bring it to pass. You will bring forth my righteousness like the light, and my justice like the noonday. May I rest in the Lord and wait patiently for You; I will not fret because of him who prospers in his way, with the man who practices evil schemes. (Psalm 37:3–7)

Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal.

Petition

May I not pervert justice, show partiality, or accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. (Deuteronomy 16:19)

Relationships with Others

Greater love and compassion for others

Loved ones

Those who do not know Christ

Those in need

My activities for this day

Special concerns

Intercession

We are the fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death; to the other, an aroma from life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:15–16)

Evangelism

Friends

Relatives

Neighbors

Coworkers

Special opportunities

Affirmation

There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Your sake and the gospel’s, who will not receive a hundred times as much in this present age—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. (Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:29–30)

If anyone comes to You and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be Your disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow You cannot be Your disciple. (Luke 14:26–27)

Pause to reflect upon these biblical affirmations.

Thanksgiving

You have loved me with an everlasting love;

You have drawn me with lovingkindness. (Jeremiah 31:3)

You led Your people with cords of human kindness,

With bands of love;

You lifted the yoke from their neck

And bent down to feed them. (Hosea 11:4)

Pause to offer your own expressions of thanksgiving.

Closing Prayer

You are the Lord, the God of our fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. This is your name forever, the name by which you are to be remembered from generation to generation. (Exodus 3:15)

I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted.

The Lord is my strength and my song;

He has become my salvation.

He is my God, and I will praise Him,

My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. (Exodus 15:1–2)

Boa, K. (1997, c1993). Handbook to prayer : Praying scripture back to God. Atlanta: Trinity House.