Show Notes
This episode was recorded midweek with Pastor Rob and Tim as we continue our “Not Quickly Broken” series. We’re talking about faith that holds steady in the middle of real battles, prayer that fixes our eyes on God, and the power of worship even when we’re hurting.

You’ll hear honest conversation about fear, fasting, healing, and community, and why trying to carry everything alone leaves us exhausted. Scripture shows us a better way. In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat admits he doesn’t know what to do, but he lifts his eyes to God. That kind of faith matters more than pretending we’re strong.

If you’re in a season where things feel heavy or unclear, this episode will speak to you. God is near, and you’re not alone.

Listen in, be encouraged, and stay connected with us online.

Linktree

https://linktr.ee/ctrfallriver

🎙️ Podcast Show Notes

Holy Awe: Rediscovering the Fear That Draws Us Closer

This week we kicked off our brand new Bible study, The Awe of God, and while Pastor Rob was at City Hall for a grant meeting, Pastor Erica stepped in and led the night with both faithfulness and fresh insight. We’re grateful for her heart, her preparation, and her willingness to serve when needed.

We’re also thankful for Marty and Abby for covering our kids ministry, allowing our adults to lean in, be present, and grow together.

As a church, we’re stepping into 2026 with a desire for MORE. More faith. More depth. More fruit. More awareness of God’s presence. But more of God doesn’t come from trying harder or doing more. It begins with seeing God rightly.

In this episode, we talk about what the Bible calls the fear of the Lord, also described as holy awe. Not fear that pushes us away from God, but awe that draws us closer. A reverence that guards our hearts, shapes our decisions, and deepens our intimacy with Him.

We also take a few minutes to encourage everyone walking through our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. If you’ve had a misstep, missed a day, or need to adjust your fast, you’re not out. Get back up and keep going. There are no hard rules here, just a hunger to seek God together. And if you haven’t started yet, jump in now and finish strong with us as we wrap up on the 24th.

In this episode, we cover

🔹 What holy awe really is (and what it isn’t)
🔹 Why losing awe leads to drifting faith
🔹 Why Scripture calls the fear of the Lord a treasure
🔹 The difference between legalism and true holiness
🔹 How holy awe produces wisdom, stability, joy, and intimacy with God
🔹 Why MORE in 2026 begins with reverence, not striving

Discussion Question

How can we pursue holiness that flows from intimacy with God, without drifting into legalism or settling for a casual faith?

Join our prayer and fasting devotional, Bible studies, events, and more through our Linktree:

Get Connected

https://linktr.ee/ctrfallriver

📝 Show Notes

We’re kicking off 2026 with the first message in our new series Not Quickly Broken. In this episode of the Rock Sermon Podcast, Pastor Rob and Tim talk about what it looks like to run the race God has set before us with endurance, faith, and community.

This conversation flows right out of the first Sunday of the year, the start of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, and a powerful moment in worship where God met our church family in a real way. There’s a clear sense that this year isn’t meant to be rushed or forced, but written together with God, step by step.

Throughout the episode, we talk about slowing down enough to walk with God, staying rooted, and learning how to remain steady when pressure comes. Faith that lasts is rarely built in isolation, it’s strengthened through connection with Jesus and with one another.

In this episode, you’ll hear about
• What it means to be “not quickly broken” through faith and community
• Running the race God has marked out for you, not someone else’s
• Fixing our eyes on Jesus and growing endurance over time
• Identifying the weights and encumbrances that slow us down spiritually
• Making space for God to speak during prayer and fasting
• Expecting God to move in lasting, meaningful ways

Pastor Rob also mentions a book he’s currently reading called The Common Rule, which focuses on simple, daily practices that help followers of Jesus stay grounded, attentive, and faithful in everyday life. It’s a helpful reminder that spiritual strength is often built through ordinary rhythms, not just big moments.

Learn more about the book here
https://www.thecommonrule.org/

This episode is shaped by several key Scripture passages
• Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 – We are stronger together, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken
• Hebrews 12:1–2 – Running with endurance while fixing our eyes on Jesus
• Colossians 3:1–2 – Setting our hearts and minds on things above
• Psalm 32 – The freedom that comes through confession and honesty before God
• Matthew 6:16–18 – Jesus’ teaching on fasting with humility
• 2 Chronicles 7:14 – God’s response when His people humble themselves and pray

We’re currently in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, and it’s not too late to join us. Whether you’re starting now or jumping back in, you’re welcome.

You can access the daily devotional, prayer and fasting group, and ongoing encouragement here
👉 https://linktr.ee/ctrfallriver

You don’t have to run alone. We run better together.

📝 SHOW NOTES

As the year comes to a close, Pastor Rob and Tim sit down for an honest, pastoral conversation to reflect on Christmas, faith, and where God is leading next.

After a little family talk and Christmas tradition banter, the conversation turns deeper as they revisit the final two messages from the Songs of the Season series:

• The Little Drummer Boy

• Do You Hear What I Hear?

Together, they explore what it means to recognize that God is often doing MORE than we realize, even when things feel quiet

or slow. From the shepherds who listened and moved, to the little drummer boy who offered what he had, this episode challenges listeners to stop underestimating what God has placed inside them.

You’ll hear encouragement for anyone who feels overlooked, unqualified, or stuck in comparison, along with a reminder that God delights in surrendered hearts, not perfect performances.

The episode also looks ahead to what’s coming next at Christ The Rock Church:

• 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting beginning January 4

• A new Sunday sermon series, Not Quickly Broken

• A Thursday night Bible study exploring The Awe of God

• A shared desire to pursue MORE of God in the year ahead

This is a reflective, hope-filled episode meant to help you end the year listening closely and start the next one ready to respond.

🔗 Connect with Christ The Rock Church

Find service times, upcoming events, ways to give, and more here: https://linktr.ee/ctrfallriver

🎧 Whether you’re tired, expectant, or somewhere in between, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, offer what you have, and trust that God is already at work.

🎙️ Rock Sermon Podcast

Make Room for More | Rock Life Advent Finale

As we close the Advent season, this Rock Life episode looks back with gratitude and forward with expectation. What started with laughter and Christmas trivia led into a deeper question God has been asking since the first Christmas.

Is there room?

In this episode, Pastor Rob reflects on the heart of Advent, the call to hunger for more of God, and how prayer and fasting help us clear space for Him to move. We also look ahead to our upcoming 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting starting January 4, believing God for more in the year ahead.

Whether you were in the room or listening later, this episode invites you to slow down, listen, and make room.

✨ Episode Highlights

• A joyful opening with Christmas and Advent trivia• Reflection on the meaning of Advent beyond December• Why Jesus came when there was no room• Wanting more of God starts with hunger, not activity• Biblical insight into prayer and fasting• An honest conversation about sacrifice, desperation, and breakthrough• A simple weekly challenge to help prepare your heart• Looking ahead to 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting (January 4–24)

📖 Key Scriptures Referenced

Luke 2:7Jeremiah 29:13James 4:8Matthew 5:6Psalm 46:10Matthew 6:16–18Isaiah 58:6–12Joel 2:12–13Psalm 42:1

📝 Weekly Challenge

Take ten quiet minutes this week.
No phone.

No noise.

No multitasking.

Ask one honest question in prayer:
“Jesus, what’s filling the room that You’re asking me to move?”

As we approach the 21 days of prayer and fasting, begin asking God what sacrifice would deepen your hunger and draw you closer to Him.

🔥 Looking Ahead

📅 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting🗓️ January 4–24
We’re believing God for more this year—more faith, more clarity, more breakthrough, and more of His presence.

Whether this is your first fast or a deeper step than you’ve taken before, God honors hearts that seek Him.

🔗 Stay Connected

Find everything in one place—• Prayer & fasting resources• Church updates• Social media• Giving• Podcast episodes

👉 https://linktr.ee/ctrfallriver

Thanks for listening and being part of what God is doing at Christ The Rock. Let’s make room for more—together.

Episode Description / Show Notes

As we continue our Advent series Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room, this week’s Bible study centers on a simple but challenging question, are we actually making room for Jesus, or are our hearts just too crowded?

In this episode, we talk about the difference between wanting more of God and creating space for more of God. Using the Christmas story, practical illustrations, and Scripture, we explore how busyness, noise, and even good things can quietly crowd out God’s presence.

You’ll hear encouragement to slow down, clear the clutter, and intentionally open your heart to the Lord again. This isn’t about perfection, it’s about space. A heart that makes room is a heart God loves to fill.

What We Talk About

• Why “no room in the inn” still speaks to our lives today

• How spiritual saturation can block awareness of God’s voice

• The difference between sin and weight, and why both matter

• Clearing emotional, mental, and spiritual clutter

• Why making room invites God to do more within us

• A simple Advent challenge you can practice all week

Key Scriptures

Luke 2.7

Psalm 46.10

Jeremiah 29.13

Psalm 139.23–24

Luke 10.38–42

Isaiah 40.3–4

Hebrews 12.1

Psalm 51.10

Revelation 3.20

This Week’s Challenge

Each day, choose one area of your life to open to God, a habit, a worry, a moment in your schedule. Whisper the prayer, “Jesus, there is room for You here,” and watch how awareness and peace begin to grow.

Stay Connected

Find sermons, Bible studies, giving options, events, and more through our Linktree

https://linktr.ee/ctrfallriver

Thanks for listening.

We’re praying this episode helps you slow down, clear space,

and prepare your heart for what God wants to do in this season.

This week, Pastor Rob and Tim sit down to unpack Week 2 of our Christmas series, Songs of the Season, with a message built around one simple truth, you were made to shine.

If you’ve ever felt like the misfit, the odd one out, or the person who doesn’t quite fit the mold, this episode is for you. We talk Rudolph, real struggles, biblical callings, and why God often uses the very things we try to hide.

Inside this conversation

• Why God never makes mistakes when He creates someone

• How your “red nose” might actually be your calling

• Moses, Jeremiah, Mary, Gideon, David, and what they teach us about feeling unqualified

• How the enemy uses shame and old labels to hold us back

• Trading sorrow for joy and fear for confidence (Psalm 30)

• Why God’s timing is always right, even when it feels slow

• How Robert May’s real-life heartbreak shaped Rudolph and ended up redeeming his story

• Encouragement for anyone who feels overlooked or forgotten

Key Scriptures

Psalm 139:14

Jeremiah 1:5

Ephesians 2:10

2 Corinthians 12:9

Psalm 30

Galatians 4:4

Romans 8:28

Matthew 5:16

Need prayer?

We’d love to stand with you. Use the prayer link on our Linktree to reach out anytime.

Everything CTR in one place

Sermons, prayer requests, giving, food pantry support, tower restoration, events, and more

👉 https://linktr.ee/ctrfallriver

If today’s episode encouraged you, share it with someone who needs a reminder that God created them on purpose and for a purpose.

You were made to shine. ✨

He Came To Be With Us:

Why God’s Presence Changes Everything

Episode Summary

In this week’s episode, Pastor Rob dives deeper into the Thursday night Advent study on Immanuel: God With Us. Whether you were in the room tonight or you’re listening from home, this expanded conversation will strengthen your faith, stretch your perspective, and remind you that God’s presence is personal, constant, and more than enough.

We explore big faith, “hippo-sized” prayers, the power of praise, and how to walk with God during the “not yet” seasons of life.

You’ll also hear updates on outreach, worship highlights from tonight, prayer needs, and what’s coming up this weekend at CTR.

Key Scriptures from Today’s Episode

Matthew 1:23

Isaiah 7:14

John 1:14

John 14:23

Psalm 34:18

Hebrews 13:5

Psalm 139:7–10

Romans 8:26

Isaiah 9:6

Psalm 46:1

Romans 8:32

Psalm 115:1

Episode Highlights

• Why Immanuel isn’t just a Christmas idea; it is a daily reality

• What it means to want MORE of God

• Why silence never means absence

• How to practice awareness of God’s presence

• Why your praise matters and why God deserves the glory for your breakthroughs

• A reminder about hippo-sized faith and daring prayers

• Outreach updates and how God is preparing CTR to serve our city

• Worship recap and prayer for Jonathan’s healing

Upcoming CTR Events

• Men’s Prayer at Spindle City Church Saturday 9am

Carpool available from CTR. Let’s show up strong.

• Cocoa & Carols Sunday Night

Set-up at 4pm, event begins at 6pm

A free night of joy, worship, and Christmas cheer

Bring somebody with you.

• Sunday Morning

Week 2 of “Songs of the Season” continues.

Resources Mentioned

DeGarmo & Key Casual Christian

https://youtu.be/pccjua26Yos?si=qCRNIh6ltkgPYcap

Amy Grant – Emmanuel

https://youtu.be/hUGZ6wMD-oU?si=h_iD4eQn-Y46HKeE

More Love More Power

https://youtu.be/q539OrgDxk0?si=LEosyCDMLTwhlZ_y

CTR Linktree (Give, Connect, Watch)

https://linktr.ee/ctrfallriver