SHOUT

Dear Rock Church,

I started going to The Rock around August of 2011. At that time my life was in shambles. I was 26 with 3 kids going through a divorce with no job and had just lost our place to live. Our belongings were all in my car and we slept wherever we could. We finally moved into my mom’s apartment in San Bernardino. I would look around me and see the drug deals and prostitutes all around us including three different gangs surrounding us. I couldn’t believe the situation we were in. How was I going to get through it all? What about my kids? I didn't want them in this life style. My mom has been attending The Rock for a couple of years and also went to Girlfriends on Thursdays. I finally gave in and started going.

Pastor Deborah was talking about the Proverbs 31 wife. I realized I was nothing like that, the message intrigued me. I come from a family of divorced women. I didn't know how to be a wife. After going a few times to Girlfriends, I started attending Sunday services and there I heard about Breaking Free. I heard God say, "You're going." I said, “OK.” and signed up immediately. That completely changed my life. I was set free. While I was going through Breaking Free my marriage took a drastic shift. I changed myself, I applied Pastor Deborah’s and breaking free's teachings to my life.

My husband moved back in, right after he got a great job. My life was changing. I started seeing everything in a different way. I had come to San Bernardino to find The Rock and to find God. I had to see the pain and the hurt all around me to open my eyes and to stop asking, "Why me?" There's so much more to life and now I see it. My daughters minister to the children around us. They ask them "Do you know Jesus?" I give my kids and all the neighborhood kids snacks and treats while they're outside playing and I hear my girls teach their friends how to pray before they eat. My kids are learning to have compassion for others who are less fortunate. They had never seen poverty before we came here. When they see a homeless person we pray for them, give them money and, a Shout card along with it. My husband has also changed.

After I became the wife I should be he became the husband he's suppose to be. Our marriage is now completely restored. As I'm writing this shout we are also in the middle of packing. We have purchased our first home in Loma Linda three minutes away from the church. I love my church! God knows I wanted to live closer and from one day to the next He made it possible. I have awesome friends that I met at church and my amazing mom that has always been by my side. So this is why I SHOUT!

Dear Rock Family,

This past week I had to choose between a job that I was really hoping to get this summer and being an intern at Shift; the reason why it had to be a choice between one or the other is because the job required me to move kind of far and right now with no vehicle it was simply not an option for me to drive back and forth. When making the decision God reminded me of His word that says "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things shall be added to you." The obvious choice was to not take the job, putting God first and trusting that He will provide a job that won't require me to choose and will accept my new schedule as an intern. Today I went job-hunting down the street from my house and I got an interview on the spot. I start work tomorrow! God is so faithful and I am so exited to begin my journey serving at the Rock Church!

Hi Rock Family,

I just wanted to share how God has been good to us. My brother in law has been in jail since last year in May. His ex-wife falsely accused him of something so horrible I won’t mention it here. The prosecutors wanted him to make a deal with them but he said no because he wouldn’t make a plea bargain if he didn't do it. He was going to fight it and he did! We heard good news yesterday! The prosecutors called his Lawyer and said they want to dismiss the case! We never gave up praying for him we asked The Rock to pray for him and they did. Wow God is so good! What billy was accused of was so awful if you lived in the natural, you wouldn’t think it’s possible to get out but we were thinking in the supernatural, had faith in God, and He stepped in. My brother-in-law used to be an usher at The Rock and I would love for him to tell you his testimony if he wants to. He gets out of jail next week! We have been into trials including my mother- in-law dying of cancer last year. Since we have been going to this church we have been getting blessed and God has been protecting us. Thank you Rock Church for being there for us! We love you guys! God bless you!

Dear Rock Church,

In the Spring of 2005, I married my wonderful husband Tommy. When we married, our family became a family of 6 overnight (his 3 and my 3). We were living in Arizona and traveling out here to California every other weekend. My husband made sure that we were in church every Sunday, no matter what. I spotted an ad in the Yellow Pages for the Rock Church and World Outreach Center, and we began to attend every other weekend that we came out (we already had a home church in Arizona). The first time we attended, when Pastor Jim gave the altar call, I was shocked! It was those very same things I had read in the Bible that lead me into a real relationship with Jesus Christ!

After a few months, we prayed, the Lord answered, and we moved out here to California. Since then, it has been one miracle after another:

1) We were directed to a beautiful woman of God, and when we asked her if she knew of anyone in the church who was wanting to lease a house for a year, she actually showed us the house that we wound up moving into.

2) As I read the Word, and as my own faith grew in the Summer of 2006, I fasted for 7 days, and the Lord healed me of a heart condition that I've had since I was a child. He also healed me of migraine headaches that I've had since I was a child. We were learning the Word of God “Line upon line, precept upon precept.”

3) In the summer of 2007, I was diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome. I was scheduled to have a hysterectomy. I put that off, believing that the Lord was going to heal me. Finally, in December of 2007, I came to the understanding that the Lord can heal miraculously through the laying on of hands, or through surgery. Healing was the issue, believing was the issue. Two weeks before I was scheduled to go in for surgery, my husband turns to me just after service and says, "Why don't we go down to the altar and have them lay hands on you and pray for your healing?"

I agreed and we went. I was healed NOT ONLY of the endometriosis and PCOS, but also of injuries that I had received in a car accident in 2004 (which had shortened my left leg by twisting my pelvis and knee just slightly). I had been in constant pain for YEARS, and it was all gone in an instant!

4) In 2010, I was helping a friend to paint her bathroom on a Saturday. I stood up to move, and something in my left knee ripped. It was awful! I went home, and went to bed early. I almost skipped church the next morning, but by then, we were volunteering in Children’s Ministry, and there was no way I was going miss out on that! My knee was swollen to 3 times its size, I couldn't put any weight on it, and it just hurt! Before I made it into the Sanctuary, 3 different people came up to me and prayed for my knee to be healed. I sat through Pastor Jim's message, made my way to the Childrens' Ministry, where 2 more people stopped me in order to pray for my healing. I made it to class, and as my husband began to explain to the kids why I was not teaching them that day, Pastor Tom and Pastor Heather walked in. In front of the class, they prayed for my knee to be healed. As I began to walk away, my knee just felt like it knitted back together again! By the end of class, my knee was its normal size, and I was pain free!

Weeks ago, the Lord healed me again at Girlfriends. He healed the most painful wounds of all: the pain of a miscarriage I had at 16, and the even deeper pain of shame and guilt for the abortion I had when I was 24. Not to mention that since we began to pray our “Declaration of Faith” as we give our tithe and offerings, we have received checks in the mail, gifts and surprises, debt forgiven, people coming to our door with groceries, with witty inventions and ideas, and most recently, my husband received a 'better job' and so much more!

I cannot speak for anyone else, but I will SHOUT from the rooftops that here, at our church, Jesus really is Lord! Here at our church, the Word of God is held to a higher standard. It is taught without the 'frills' and it is taught just as it is written. Line upon line, precept upon precept. And I thank God and whoever it was that put that ad in the Yellow Pages!

Dear Rock Family,

In my early years, I was on fire for God. As I got older I let the ways of the world nearly swallow me. I allowed an abusive step-father and my mother mold my attitude. Even to the point where on Christmas Eve, he pulled out a sawed-off shotgun out on my mom for not getting him the right Harley Davidson boots. I got into heavy drinking and even joined the Navy. I repeated the same patterns as my step-father with my son. I challenged God and yelled, “Why is my life was like this?” I almost gave up. One night I was contemplating running my car into something but a police officer stopped me for speeding just minutes before making a life changing decision. The alcohol had consumed me to the point that I hit rock bottom. I received a DUI with my son in the car. My relationship with my son turned sour and I didn't speak with him for a couple of years. I knew at that point, this life of alcohol and doing things on my own had to stop. I had to turn my life around through God's grace. I got back into a couple of churches and finally felt at home at The Rock. Now, I am sober, I am healthy physically and spiritually. I am again on speaking terms with my son. I am trying to teach him how to drive, God's grace will be needed tenfold. I am active with ushering and will be hosting our Men's Bible study/BBQ At my house this Friday. Faith works! The only thing left to say is that God gives you hope when you think you have squeezed out the last drop. I do have a spirit of love, power, and a sound mind. Amen!

Dear Rock Family,

Here is my SHOUT! I am still recovering from a head-on car crash in January of 2011. I sustained numerous broken bones, a blood clot, 2 titanium plates put my right arm (one since has been removed) 3 surgeries and more possible in the future. I am still here standing and praising God! I am very grateful to have a second chance at life! I have been given Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you", Declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." from more than one person at this church to hold onto...So I am holding on to it! I know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will heal me completely in His timing not mine. First I had to learn to truly trust God and that came not in my healing process but in my finances. I have always tried to stay on top of my budget and finances but after a serious car accident and having my pay altered through disability, I started having problems paying my bills. Nevertheless God was always faithful in providing for me this whole time. I made the serious mistake of taking my eyes off the Lord (BAD MOVE!) I tried to handle my financial situation on my own by maxing out credit cards and taking out loans from the bank, which only led to stress and depression. I asked God in prayer to forgive me for my stubborn ways and letting go and letting God take over. Almost instantly God moved on my behalf. Through a favorable settlement I was able to pay off all my bills, and my car loan. Thank You Jesus! I am only one of many lives in our great church at The Rock that God has given a second chance and a reason to SHOUT!

Dear Rock Family,

I recently moved to Alabama for work and I watch services online. I had an eight hour safety class I needed to take to start work and had to pass a test on it at the end to start working. The first time I took the test I did not pass. I came home and prayed to the Lord to help me on this test. I went back the next day and had to do the class over, and went to take the test over. I thought I failed but little did I know that day they changed the score you needed to pass to 70% instead of 80% and I received a 79%. I passed the test and now I can go start working! I would have not been able to do this without the Lord’s help. He works in so many mysterious ways. I just wanted to share that with you. Love you Rock family and God bless.

Dear Rock Family,

Just wanted to shout God's praise. I am not as socially equipped as my husband Michael is. I am usually the quiet one supporting what he does there at the church (drums). I help behind the scenes with the worship team. God has recently been working on bringing me out of my comfort zone. He has been building my confidence up through Christ. As a result, I have managed to meet new people and fix a few relationships with family members. That caused me to invite 14 people since January. Out of 14 invitations, 13 people have visited. Out of 13 visitors, 10 people have been coming back on a regular basis! It is exciting to witness the changes in their lives, all because I was obedient and allowed God to change mine! God is "AWE"-some. What a privilege we have to witness God's manifestation of Glory. If you have ever wanted to witness miracles first hand, this is your chance! Invite people to come party in God's house!

Dear Rock Family,

"STOP MESSING WITH GOD!" The statement is loud and clear,so why had I never heard it before? In December 2010 one of my dear friends invited me to The Rock Church to Girls Night Out. At that time, I was living in uncertainty, and I was truly "lukewarm." I responded to the altar call and received Jesus! It was wonderful and scary all at once. The most amazing things began to happen!

I was living with my boyfriend of 8 years and although we would mention marriage, I felt as if he kept putting it off. I was feeling cheated, and it was easy for us to end a conversations in arguments. We have a 7-year-old daughter and regardless of what he and I would go through, she was always our priority. One day at Sunday service, I asked God to put it in my boyfriends heart to make a decision with our relationship. I had tried to control us from falling apart, but I was failing miserably! So I placed this situation in God's hands.

Within two weeks of my prayer my boyfriend surprised me with a proposal! (We were married in November 2011) It was Father's Day in June 2011 when he accepted Jesus as his savior and we both attend church regularly ever since , not just my daughter and me. God not only delivered him to me, but He saved him. Soon after there was a Miracle Birthday Offering. God put a number in my mind, and while I had no idea if I was going to be able to do it, it didn't feel impossible. So I placed my pledge in the basket and prayed to my Lord that he would provide not just the money for the pledge, but for my school. I was getting ready to transfer to CBU in Riverside and it was going to be a financial sacrifice for me.

Well, this past Wednesday service, I walked into the sanctuary and my husband and I were early, so I wrote down a prayer. I asked Jesus to alleviate the situation in front of me. The financial aid office was already pressing me to accept loans for school and for some reason I just could not bring myself to accept it. My balance after the aid kicked in was $4,300!!! I was not prepared to pay that sum, much less borrow it. I asked the Lord to please help me, and even though my situation was not impossible, it was a tough situation for me. The very next day, right before my shift at work was over, my financial aid adviser contacted me and surprised me! We both could not understand how, but I received a Cal-Grant of $4,800!!! On top of that, I received an additional Access Grant of $770!!! I broke down in tears right there at my desk. God not only covered the $4,300 dollars, His blessing went well beyond that amount! Our God is great, He is a generous God just ask Him! He wants to bless you and make your lives abundant! He wants to restore. I will shout, I will praise! "You will find God at the Rock Church!" Thank you Rock Family.

Dear Rock Church,

Our family has so much to shout about! We have been through some hard times in 2011. We found our marriage in trouble and instead of giving up we turned to our church. Pastors Hendrick and Eleonor Becker spend time helping us to understand each other and how we should love each other Christ focused. We were excited to go to church together. Just when we were feeling strong, work slowed down and money became tight. My parents who also attend the Rock church faithfully, helped us get through financial hardships. We would still attend church and pray with our tithe excited with the believe and faith that we know God will get us through our hard time. The month of Febuary was hard, the last week was when I got offered a full time job. My job that I already had started picking up. We celebrated our 4th year being married on March 8th. Things are not back to normal just yet, but they will be because we have Faith and belong to a great church led by CHRIST.

Dear Rock Family,

This is a Shout about how good my God is. I am currently a single mom. I am a faithful tither and have been believing God for favorable settlements and gifts and surprises. Well, on Monday April, 18, 2012 I received a letter in the mail from a company that I worked for over four years ago. The letter stated that during my time of work for this company I was not paid the total contribution amount in a 401K account, which I thought I had taken the money out and closed two years prior. I found out that there was $293.25 in this account that I didn't even know I still had. God is full of gifts and surprises, now we have a little bit more to put down on a car. Thank you Lord!

Dear Rock Family,

The Word of God tells me to "Endure Hardship." (2 Timothy 2:3)

On my Lunch break today I sat in my car and cried out unto the Lord, “Father God, I'm tired of going to work everyday, faithful and never complaining. After I gave my tithes, bills and rent, I have NOTHING left over, can't even take my 2 kids to the movies. My car is on its last leg and if the car falls apart today, it wouldn't matter because I don't have any gas money to make it for the next two weeks anyways. I am living paycheck to paycheck and I'm tired! This single mom thing is not working out. You said in your word that YOU are my husband (Isaiah 54:5) My provider and would supply ALL of my needs. I need a financial breakthrough!" 6:36 PM my cousin who I haven't spoken to in months, called to see how my children and I were doing. She came over and blessed me with $300. Then I received a phone call from my job stating I have a mileage check available for pick-up. I cried my eyes out again. My God is Faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

Dear Rock Church,

I was asking God for favorable settlement as I was getting ready to get current on my student loan account. The lady on the phone told me that I owed $21,500, and asked how I intended to pay it. I wanted to ask her if she took checks, but she sounded serious. So I got bold and asked if there was any way to reduce the amount, and she said yes. YES?! A few calculations and $800 later, my new balance was $9,000! More than half of the original amount! I’m now on track to pay it off within a year. Making my faith declaration every time I tithed, definitely gave me the confidence to trust in God. Now I know what Pastor Jim means about having the SHOUT in you, ‘cause it’s in me! Thank you Jesus!

Dear Rock Church,

Last Sunday evening I went to the grocery store and as with most, on a budget. I walked out and was looking down and saw a bill. I looked closer and it was $100.00. I picked it up thinking it may be play money or fake. I opened it up though and was a real $100.00 bill. I looked around to see if anyone was near or around that may have dropped it but there was NO ONE! Then it came to my heart "finding money, bills paid off, bills decreased, blessing and increase!" Finding the money was awesome but it was more an encouraging moment for me. Earlier that day I was feeling down about some things and finding it just refueled my faith. It was more than just finding the money, it was like God Himself said "here you go baby, cheer up and go buy yourself a new dress." Thank you Jesus for the gift!

Dear Rock Family,

For about five years I've been unemployed, the last two years I spent taking care of my elderly mother, a preacher’s daughter. Mom helped me financially because of my helping her out, no matter how much I wanted to get a job. Yet, for the last two years I've been a volunteer in the Rock Bus Ministry. The first year God and I washed buses and in the second year, I recieved a class "B" license and have gladly drove one of HIS church buses bringing people to church.No matter what was taking place in my life, I would continuously tithe and give offerings in order to build the Kingdom of Our Lord Jesus Christ! The blessings I've received have been in many forms, not always financially, but God's blessings are all so great! I love the Lord and all He has done in my life.

I was once considered to be one of the most dangerous men in the state, based on my background. The powers of hell once had a hold on my life, but God changed that when I got saved on January 29, 1989. December 30, 2011 my mother passed away and went to be with the Lord, she's dancing on streets of gold, with no pain or sorrow. She made it home, Praise the Lord! I miss her, and I'm very happy for her and look forward to the day that I too can go up yonder!

After she passed, I found a great woman of God to stand beside me and help make me strong, she's the woman of God that I've been praying to God for over 20 years to find. God placed her in my path at just the right time. On March 6th I asked her to marry me, she now wears a very nice engagement ring. I made one condition before I would marry her, I told her that I needed to get a good job. For the last three months I've been struggling financially, but I continued to keep my faith strong. I did receive checks in the mail, rebates and other finances from people wanting to help me through this tough time. I began looking for work again, submitting resumes and applications. During this time, I began to doubt, but my fiancee Christine got me back on track with God.

Just recently, I got down to $10.00 dollars in the bank and that same day, I was hired as a shuttle driver at Ontario Airport! God knows all about it, HIS timing is perfect! Now as finances begin to improve, my fiancee and I can start planning on the date of our marriage! With God in my corner, I can never fail, 'cause He's got my back!

Dear Rock Family,

September of this year will be five years since my son Ethan was diagnosed with Moderate to Severe Autism. The Doctor said, "Mrs Walden I suggest you get counseling and learn how to deal with this disorder because Autism is a non-curable brain disorder."

Ethan was non verbal, aggressive, locked away in his own world. Gina and I could have done as the doctor had recommended and learned to accept his condition, but we knew that only the Word of God is true, and as it states, God has a Plan that is Good and full of Hope and a Future.

Autism, and any sickness for that matter, does not line up with Good, and Future and Hope. We decided to not settle for the reality of his condition but instead believe God.

God gave us a picture, a vision and a hope for the future and now Ethan, Devin, Gina and I have all seen that Hope become reality. God has given us "A Brand New Day".

This child who was never suppose to speak, make friends and go to regular school is now the most popular kid in his class, won't ever stop talking and is smarter than anyone can believe.

We received a letter from the school district last week that stated, "Ethan is not only excelling in class but has tested at the 99 percentile. Because of his outstanding performance Ethan has been accepted into the GATE Program.

It’s amazing what can happen when you stand up and believe God instead of your circumstances. Shout for He alone is Good.

Dear Rock Church,

About five years ago I lost custody of my three kids and lost everything that I owned. Last year I became homeless in July, I had no income, the father of my oldest two kids was murdered and I went into a deep depression. After that I continued to come to church and give my tithes and believe God. My faith began to strengthen! In December I started a new job in the field that I began when I was young which is a Hair Stylist. In February I got a new house, last week I got my youngest daughter back, and this week I will have my two other kids back with me. I’m giving thanks to God because at this point in life I’m stepping out that I will make enough money to pay my rent and take care of my kids in Jesus’ name.

Dear Rock Family,

The first day I walked into The Rock was the first time I heard God speak to me, He told me I would be getting married here. I thought that was impossible because my fiance of thirteen years and I were on two different paths. As he was battling his demons and an addiction of about fifteen years I began to believe and pray and fast! After seven months of what seemed like the worst time of my life, he was delivered! I am amazed at what God has done for him, and for us! I feel so special because Jesus loves us so much and cares about our family that he made a blessing out of what seemed like a nightmare! He heard all my prayers! He stabilized him and has made him such a great man of God. Our children have their dad again and I have my best friend back! Now a year later, I am proud to announce we will be getting married this summer here at The Rock! This church has become our home and we are so proud to shout about it! God continues to help us grow and blesses us every step of the way!

Dear Rock Family,

I was an angry lost child that was the victim of sexual abuse. At the age of 11 I started dealing with so many different anxieties and fears, I became attracted to the same sex, and was full of rage. By the time I got into High School I was severely depressed and didn't want to have anything to do with God, people, or even myself. There were several times I tried to kill myself and run away, but each attempt was failed.

A friend invited me to The Rock, and I reluctantly accepted the invitation to church. During praise and worship, I stood with my arms folded, waiting to go back to my seat. Then something fell over me that I couldn't put into words, but before I knew it, I began crying and couldn't stop. Pastor Richard started preaching, and it felt like he was preaching all the things I was going through, and that night, I gave my life to God.

Three years later, God has delivered me from homosexuality, drug and alcohol abuse, rage, self loathing and God has taught me how to trust and lean on him for strength through all my circumstances.

Last year my parents got a divorce, so my dad was sent out of my life, but immediately God replaced my loss with another family of 8 who have spiritually adopted me as their daughter. When my father left, my mom struggled with money, so we had to move at the beginning of this year. We barely had any money, and on top of that, our car completely stopped working, and we had no source of transportation. We trusted on God through this time, and now, we're living in a place close enough for me to walk to school, for my mom to walk to work, and my sister to drive the new car we got with no down payment to her school. How did we get the money? I don't know. But I do know that if it hadn't been for God who sheltered my family, and guided me through years of my rebellion and chaos, I would be lost and broken. I thank God for The Rock and for the people at Bright Hope! This is my shout, my testimony, and if it weren't for God and his unfailing love, I'd be lost.

Dear Rock Family,

My husband brought me here almost 15 years ago. We have come a long way and if you look at us now, you would never think that we were the people we were back then. I always thought that God blessed me with Jerry, but back then I had to ask myself what I did so wrong that God gave me Jerry. The violence, verbal tirades, lack of respect, and the torment we put each other through in the first 2 years together was not pretty. Our big question was is this even worth hanging onto? God saw something in us that we never saw. Or maybe it was that we never bothered to look for it, or maybe we had so many people tell us we never had it, we believed them. Then we came here and everyone we met had seen what God saw. We felt loved, we felt wanted, we felt at home. God took control of our lives at that time, although giving it all to Him was not easy.

We felt that our relationship had turned a corner and made a decision that the way to fix our problems was to have a child; which God blessed us with Jacob in 2002. We had to realize that Jacob was not given to us to fix us, we had to do that ourselves. What we put him through in his short 9 years, no child should have to endure. All this while we continued to come to The Rock. We wanted to do what we wanted. I thought divorce was eminent but God had another plan for us. He would make us listen no matter what.

We both took Breaking Free and it was an eye opener! All this time I thought it was normal to be the way we were, and you just make due. How wrong we were! I had no idea that I was so jacked up (Pastor Joel, thank you). My heart was hurting and I now had the tools to find out why, we both did. I took Breaking Free two more time and each time found a part of myself that was lost. God restored that in me, to be a better wife, a better mother, and the life partner that God intended for Jerry. Together we found the greatness that God gave us!

Jerry and I have found a new respect for each other as we re-dedicated our lives to the Lord. His presence reigns in our home. My child is so in love with God, he would rather listen to Pastor Dan preach in the car than his music. Now we shout to raise each other up, we shout our love for one another, we shout to glorify His name. We shout to honor God! God blessed me with this man, and this child. I will honor and keep them and be the Godly woman He has called me to be! Praise God for His promises! I will shout it from the mountaintops, until I can’t shout it anymore!

Dear Rock Family,

My name is Cecilia and my husband's name is Truman. I really don't know how to start this shout, but I can say that God is good! Prayer does work! There were a lot of people praying for us last year when we separated. In January 2011, I decided that I didn't want to fight for my marriage anymore. The first 5 years had been rocky and I couldn't take it anymore. I told my husband that I wanted a divorce. It was a pretty hard year for us. We have 2 kids, one together and one from a previous relationship from my past. Our son took it the hardest. He was only 3 when we separated. It was the hardest thing for me to do, but I thought it was necessary. I kind of turned my back on God during this time and my husband and I had a lot of arguments. Truman and I were separated for nearly 11 months.

One Friday in October, I went to a paralegal to find out what was left with the divorce. I didn't have $250 for the paralegal to do it for me so I went to the Courthouse to get the papers to do it myself. God wasn't going for that. This day was not going the way I'd planned. On Saturday I called Truman and asked if he could help me move a bed that a friend was giving me. He reluctantly agreed and he helped me move the bed on Sunday. We moved the bed and our son's bed and ended up talking and crying for 2 hours that day. That was the first time that we had sat and talked that long about us in over a year.

After that day, we slowly worked on getting back together. We even went to counseling again. We are doing great today and we have agreed that the word "divorce" is no longer used in our marriage. We both needed to go through everything that we did in order to grow and become stronger. I do not regret anything that has happened because I love and respect my husband more now than the day we got married. God is so good and I am so grateful that others didn't give up on us even though I did. This November we will celebrate 7 years of marriage! I can't wait for 17 years, then 37 years, then 57 and so on. Amen for favor!

Dear Rock Family,

While having coffee at a local Starbucks, somebody I have never met before approached me and asked if I attend The Rock Church. After excitedly telling her that my family and I, in fact, do attend The Rock, I asked her if she also attends. Her reply was no, but she believed she had seen me with my family on a local television commercial for the church and wanted see if it actually was me that she had seen. Also, she wanted to let me know, that after watching the ad, she and her husband had decided to attend The Rock Church's Sunday service this weekend. She explained to me, they have been "out of church" for several years and had recently started to consider finding a new place to attend. She explained to me that the reason she had recognized me was because, since she and her husband had made this important decision, her heart has been full of joy and excitement that the images of that commercial has imprinted in her mind and it is all she has been thinking about. Also, she wanted to share with me, since making this commitment to begin attending The Rock, she has picked up three extra, much needed shifts at her work. The Shout is loud and reaching far and wide!

Dear Rock Family,

We often say the offering affirmation without really thinking about it. The last two months for us causes reflection and thanksgiving. Checks in the mail; we got a refund from our mortgage company of a little over $100 but our payment went up. Two weeks later we got another check from them for over $200 and our payment went down below 2011's. Rebates and returns; we got a refund from the IRS for an 941 overpayment. Favorable settlements; We have been working for a company for over six years and they have always paid their invoices late. We found out they were closing the business. We were owed 5 figures, some 90 days old. Very much out of character they offered to pay us all of the money owed. Not only did we get all of our money but they ignored our accounting and over paid us by $2,000. Gifts and surprises; We have been working on our mom's house to get it ready to rent. The back fence was 50 years old and barely standing but our money had to go to the inside, the fence could wait. The neighbor put up a beautiful new fence without telling us. Our God is always faithful but we must trust Him.

Dear Rock Family,

Well my SHOUT started 15 years ago. I decided to write because while in the youth room recently I sat in a teal chair, with a heart of joy and a smile. I wondered if this could have possibly been the chair where my life began, well actually the second chair. I’ll explain my sister was working with a lady who weekly brought in cassette tapes of messages from her church – The Rock. My sister got the church information, attended a service on her own, and decided it was time to change churches. Her words were “I can grow here!” I’ve always been close to my big sister and she had invited me a couple of times to go to church with her, I had excuses not to go. However, she tricked me on a Wednesday and said what are you doing tonight? My reply to her was nothing. She replied back to me, good you’re going to church with me. My head was yelling WHAT! Who has church on a Wednesday? I went to my room, got dressed, did the drug of choice to be numb, and put the rest in my pocket.

When we arrived at the church she was excited, my thoughts were let this be over quick. I listened here and there and it came the altar call. I thought, I’ve done this before, and when I heard that sound, BANG my hand went up, I thought to myself oops. The call came to come forward and you guessed it I didn’t go, I stayed in my seat. When we left my sister said “that was good huh?” I replied “yea it was alright”, she then said, “good I’m glad you came. I’ll pick you up and we can go again on Sunday.” By the way, I forgot the drugs in my pocket and washed the pants – no more drugs that day. Sunday morning came, my sister knocked, but I hid behind the door. She left and then I started feeling awful, the inner pain and shame was unbearable. That afternoon I called my sister in tears and asked her to come over. I cried in her arms and told her what happened that morning; she forgave me, prayed over me, and of course brought me back to Sunday night service. I thought man does this church ever take a break? The altar call came again I sat on my hands so they wouldn’t go up. Pastor was passionate and said stop playing with God this is your day. Once again my hand went up, this time I went forward and that was the beginning of my encounter with God. I no longer had the need or desire to be numb or do drugs. I was then in church 3 to 4 services a week. Pastor said bring your Bibles, I knew I had one of those because I dusted it every week on my coffee table. I hated reading and had attempted to read it over the years but the words were just words and old stories to me. I started bringing my Bible to church and to my surprise as the pastors went through their messages, the book began to speak to me. It seemed every message was designed specifically for me and showed me exactly how and what to do to live and enjoy my life.

I learned I was God’s masterpiece, my past was just my past and so much more. The Rock Church says it’s a place that loves people to life and for me this place has done just that, loved me to life. An amazing life with Jesus. There are so many life changing stories to tell - I could go on and on and on! One of my favorite things is that I have been grafted into the most famous family known and I am blessed with awesome, gifted, and spirit filled people to love and do life with forever. The Rock is the place where God brought me and I found Jesus who changed me forever. I love sitting in my Father’s living room during services and learning how to live, and being loved, truly loved to life.

• When I started I:
• Had no car
• Rode a vanpool 72 miles one way to work
• Dreaded life and tried to end my life
• I was a people pleaser - Relationships were not good
• Felt disposable
• Rejected
• Lived with family

• I am now:
• So in love with Jesus
• A home owner
• A Rock Bible College graduate
• Excited about life
• Love the Word and read and understand it daily
• Blessed with amazing relationships with beautiful spirit filled people
• I'm just blessed that's it! That's all!!!

Forever in His hands.

Dear Rock Family,

My 2011 ended rough, as Thanksgiving approached my dad, the greatest man God could ever have given me lost his battle with brain cancer. I decided that 2012 was going to be a year of refreshing and renewal for my family and we are determined to SHOUT! One of my absolute best friends gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on February 29th (a leap baby). Benjamin came into this world at 21" long and a whopping 11 lbs 1.4 oz. BenjaFriend as I have so affectionately named him, by all accounts was a big healthy baby boy. The following morning his pediatrician came to visit and noticed Ben was having these small seizures or tremors.

They immediately admitted Ben into the NICU unit where he was put on IV therapy. Ben's parents were told that these tremors were most likely the result of an infection in his brain that could lead to brain damage and if not treated, death. You go from being on top of the world to hitting the pavement of fear in an instant. As soon as I received the call I notified several people putting Ben, my new BenjaFriend on prayer lists, asking people to stand in the gap for this baby that was only 24 hours old. He went through brain scans, lumbar puncture, and an EEG. So much in such a short period of time, and so many of us praying for Ben.

Seizures stopped two days ago, the brain scan and EEG came back yesterday NORMAL, and as of 10 a.m. this morning March 4, 2012, we found out the lumbar puncture came back NEGATIVE. Ben's parents were told that he was healthy and could go home as soon as all the paperwork was complete. Our God is so faithful. Our children are so precious, and I thank the Lord for healing Ben, my BenjaFriend. I thank all those prayer warriors who stand in the gap for our children. Shouting from one end of the city to the next! Whoop to my Jesus! Whoop Whoop!

Dear Rock Family,

Weeks ago at a Wednesday night service, there was an invitation for those who wanted the Baptism of the Holy Spirit to come to the Altar for prayer and to receive their gift of tongues.

Prayer and encouragement went forth for all to do their part since the Holy Spirit wasn't going to speak for them. I could see that one of the ladies from the Deaf Ministry was pressing in to receive, with her arms held high. Her deaf husband was in the same ready stance occasionally looking down at his wife. Her eyes were shut and focused on God so she didn't notice him. Then she got it, first speaking in loud groanings, releasing pain that was in her heart with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then her tongues came forth! Excitement broke out as others realized that this was a deaf person speaking in other tongues!

The lady’s husband was in awe! She couldn't stop speaking until she was freed from all the pain she had held onto for years. She wept grievous tears. Then I witnessed the most beautiful thing between this awesome couple. By now the sanctuary was empty except those of us in the Deaf Ministry. Her husband excitedly brought her close to him and spoke, signing simultaneously, "I heard your voice!" I lost it! I wept that this deaf man said these words! He continued, "But it's not your voice; it was the Holy Spirit talking through you!" I kept crying and didn't want to leave as I clung to this powerful revelation experienced by a deaf person!

Then the lady came and hugged me. I held her for a long time and when she was ready she shared what her pain was caused from; she and her husband had been asked to leave their former church. They wanted God to correct them if they were in error but instead He blessed them by bringing them to The Rock, then filling them with the Holy Spirit and healing them!

The Deaf Ministry has warmly accepted them, encourages them and can't wait to see all that God is going to do through them!

Thank you to all my Pastors for allowing me to be a servant at The Rock and to God's people.

Dear Rock Church,

I recently injured myself at work lifting and flipping boxes. Unfortunately the pain got worse as the months passed and I did not want to go get it checked out. However to be safe I went to the hospital anyways. The pain turned out to be unknown. I had to have blood drawn along with a CT Scan and an X-ray. Later that day I was appointed to a Urologist where I found out it had nothing to do with work. I was diagnosed with stage 1 testicular cancer. At first it was shocking and very hard to except the fact that at age 22 this was happening to me. The next morning I was appointed to a urology clinic. My family and I prayed about the situation, and continued to stand strong in our faith. God spoke to my heart and gave me a peace of mind about it all. That next morning I went to the clinic with my head held high and all my faith in God that the urologist would have a good report to give me about my diagnosis. My family and I got the news that the cancer did not spread, and I would be receiving surgery early the very next morning.

The surgery was successful. God had answered my prayers. I now stand today a survivor of cancer, and share my testimony with those who are facing or know someone who has some kind devastating illness. I want everyone to know that if you put all your trust and faith in God, speak out healing, He will do wonders in your lives. As a young man I can live everyday knowing I have a purpose on this planet which is to share my experience and lead those to God, so they can also spread the Word and lead others to live for Him. Everything happens for a reason. If I had not gotten injured at work I would have never known that I was living with a disease. I am thankful everyday to God for that and blessing me with a wonderful church, supporting family, friends, a strong "never give up" mind set, leadership, and most importantly His love. I will continue to declare daily that I am healed in the name of Jesus and all things are possible to those who seek him. I also thank you Rock Church for your continuous prayer and love. May the Lord continue to bless this church and all who seek Him. Go! Fight! Win! SHOUT!

Hello Rock Church,

There are so many great things to SHOUT about what God has done and does in my life, as well as my family's life. Recently was my husband was laid off and was told there is no longer work. He supports our family, while I am attending school. My husband has been stressed out over not working, I told him I know everything will be alright just believe and have faith, that is what I have been doing. This Monday after he went to a company to look for work they said they would give him a call when they needed him. About an hour later he received a phone call from his boss that just laid him off and asked him to come back to work. God really works in miraculous ways and this is just one thing he has done in our live's. There are so many things He has done for us and our family. We are so grateful that he is going back to work and we can continue to tithe the same amount we have been so that others get to hear about Jesus! We are both young and have two small children, tithing 10% so that others that are lost can be found and learn about all the great things Jesus will do and has done is way worth it to us.

Hello Rock Church,

There is so much to SHOUT about what God has done for me and my family here at The Rock. God set me free from drug addictions, gangs and so much more. When I came to The Rock I found out that God is love and He loves all people. I’ve learned that Jesus is no longer hanging on the cross like I grew up seeing, but He's alive and well. I learned at The Rock that I don’t have to have a poverty mentality of just getting by but that we can dream big with our BIG God. Thank God for the amazing altar call that God has given you. Our family uses it to reach the people in our sphere of influence, it's really true there's no BULL at The Rock. Thank you Pastors for doing what God would have you to do and not giving a flip what people or the devil says. God is good!

Dear Pastor Jim,

It will be three years this March since my wife and I moved from Monterey to Loma Linda. The move was a dramatic and significant event in our lives as we had only been married just over a year and a half when the downturn in the economy forced me to close my architectural business. This was not what I had imagined our honeymoon years were supposed to be. After all, I had invested thousands of dollars and close to twenty years of my life into my architectural career, and had built quite a name for myself. With no way to earn an income as a licensed architect, we moved in with my parents in Loma Linda and put everything in storage.

The slow and painful process of starting over with a new career became even more difficult and challenging as we came to terms with the magnitude of the debt my business had amassed over the years. It became a complete test of our faith as everyday we faced the reality we did not have the means to support ourselves to pay our normal bills, much less get out of this massive debt.

As the collection calls increased in frequency, so did the strain on our marriage. But with the little faith we had, we committed ourselves to put God first and tithe. At the same time we began looking for a church where we could fellowship, and that’s how we found The Rock. Little by little, God began to honor our faith in Him and began intervening in our lives. He provided Ashleigh a job; provided a quick transition for me to earn a little money doing home inspections; He worked on the hearts of some of our creditors and vendors who began reducing their account balances or settling on a reduced lump sum; a year later, He opened the door for Ashleigh to start her own fitness business with no capital investment.

As months went by, we began proclaiming our profession of faith at The Rock with our tithes and offerings. The more we believed in this, the greater the frequency of “finding money”, “bills paid off”, “sales & commissions”, etc., occurred.

We began serving as small group leaders at The Rock with a mission God put on Ashleigh’s heart to help people with their health and weight-loss challenges. This gave us purpose and I took another step of faith to move further away from my architectural past (where it was all about me), and into the future God had for us, where it’s all about Him and the people He was putting into our lives. So I soon became a certified fitness instructor and began getting more involved with the business, and also began helping her lead the Healthy Living group.

Seeing the lives on whom we made an impact was humbling, yet when at home, we would still get hung up on our financial situation. It wasn’t long, however, that we began to feel that the messages and the encouragement from the pastors at The Rock was helping our faith to grow even more and soon we began to look forward to and get excited about paying our tithe.

As we did this throughout all of 2010, we became amazed how it happened that despite working with only HALF the income of my architectural business, our debts were still being reduced, paid off or settled. Then, in 2011, God opened the doors for me to develop a witty invention, the cool thing about this was that it was an idea I had conceived of twenty years ago! We were humbled and amazed how God had waited until now to make it a reality – and at a time when I needed a new career! And as He continues to guide me in this endeavor, we are constantly reminded that He is in control.

Yesterday we received a letter informing us of a debt my architectural business had since 2005 had been cancelled! You would not believe the shocked look on our faces! This has been hanging over my head for years and all of a sudden it’s been cancelled?! No settlement, no collection – just cancelled! You want to hear the best part? The best part is that this was not $500, not $1000, not even $5000 – the debt cancelled was for $23,816.23!

This is unheard of – especially coming from a big bank! Sounds impossible? Too good to be true?! Well, it’s TRUE! We were stunned! Speechless! Completely in awe and thinking it was a dream. We didn’t know what to do but to praise God!

So you can see why we had to shout it out and say God is awesome! He is the king of our past debt, the king of our jobs, the king of our finances, the king of our careers, the king of our health, the king of our lives, the king of our future and He is good!

Dear Rock Family,

My men and I shout because God has blessed us with the honor of being able to see this church online. One of my buddies brought it up to my squad one day, he had said how his friend was able to watch church anytime of the day on the computers. His brother or cousin told him about it and little by little we all were able to watch in shifts. I shout because God has kept me and my men safe. I shout for my friend’s friend that showed us this, I give a great big shout to the brothers and sisters we have lost. What a wonderful work The Rock Church is doing. Some of us will be home soon, others will have made the ultimate sacrifice, but I'm sure they are making a great big SHOUT. God bless us all.

Dear Rock Family,

When I found out I was leaving my church in Georgia I cried like a baby. I wanted to stay because it was my home. I asked my Pastor if he knew of a good Church in San Bernardino and he said there is a Pastor named Jim Cobrae, he didn't know the name of the Church. So when I arrived here I was on a prowl to find this church, but the neighborhood I was in didn't go to church often. I met a woman who was addicted to drugs, she was high and I was witnessing to her and asked her if she knew Pastor Jim Cobrae. She had told me that it’s the church she gets food from when she doesn’t have any. She also told me a bus will pick me up and take me on that upcoming Sunday. She called for me and we both went together. I have to thank God because she is now saved and attending church regularly and so am I. This has been one of the best churches I have ever had the pleasure to be a part of. In the 2 years I have been in this church I have learned more here about GOD than in my whole life! Thank you God and Pastor Jim and Deborah for being the good teachers that you are. I SHOUT about this church everywhere I go even before the year of the SHOUT.

Hi Rock Family,

For as long as I can remember my mom has had a severe issue with alcoholism. My nursing program required that I go to an Alcoholism Anonymous meeting. When the Miracle Offering came around my focus was originally giving 450 dollars. Something told me to give 1,000 dollars instead. I thought wow that's a lot of money for someone who makes minimum wage. I had an indescribable feeling of peace when I gave that day. I was believing God to heal both of my parents who were knee deep into alcohol. An AA meeting I attended for school hours offered a small book with all the meetings listed. That day after the meeting I went home to a very intoxicated distraught mother. I went to her job to bring her Starbucks and she was not at work that morning. When I got home I asked her why she was home, and she said "I told my work I took you to the urgent care." Well everyone could clearly see this was not the truth as I had just dropped off a coffee to her desk. I calmly talked to my mom as she panicked and again I felt peace. The Holy Spirit directed the words of my mouth in a calm caring way like no other time before. I gave my mom the small book of all AA meetings in our area.

Well, this was about 2 years ago. Since then, God has worked on my stepdad also and has him living a sober lifestyle as well. My prayer before I gave into the Miracle Birthday Offering was that my parents would be dragging me out of bed and we would be sitting in church together every Sunday. This is exactly what has been fulfilled. My family has changed dramatically. We love and appreciate each other, we have found unspeakable joy in this house and we are living in joy every single day of our lives. My family and our present condition are a living testimony that God does fulfill his promises and performs miracles present day. He is the living God and while there are so many other things to shout about, I felt this was worth telling! Thank you Rock Church for equipping me and encouraging me as a nineteen-year- old young adult to believe God for his goodness. I will lift my voice and shout as my testimony reveals a reason worth shouting for! Amen.

Dear Rock Family,

My daughter was born at 1 lb 11 oz, and very sick. Within 24 hours the church had sent a pastor to come pray for her. She remained in the hospital for 6 stressul months. One day after returning from the hospital I found my mailbox stuffed with cards and letters from members of the church I had never met; encouraging and comforting me!

I had been thinking of what my shout would be when I began watching Pam's message. I was overwhelmed by her story. I began to think about what a testimony it was, about the love of the church. Then she spoke about receiving food in her time of need and I was blown away, even though I had never met her, she was talking about me, "I" had helped her!

Due to work schedules, my husband and I are not able to fully commit to a ministry, so remembering what they did for us, we joined LIFELINE ministry, and began bringing food to the church when there was a need. Now to hear her story about how our gift helped her through, I don't know what to say, but I know what I'll shout, "yes, we are a big church, but no, you won't be alone here, come see what God can do."

Dear Rock,

Julie and I began our journey at The Rock in 2005. We had re-married after a divorce. The only reason we divorced is because I did not want to have children and I could not keep Julie from her dream of having children. God changed my heart and we re-married with Christ as the center of our marriege.

In 2008 we adopted two boys, Isaiah and Andre because we were having trouble having children. Quite honestly we had given up. We were faithful at attending church and faithful tithers. Then in 2011 I felt God told me to tithel a certian amount for the Miracle Birthday Offering. I approached Julie with this amount and she first said that we could not do that, it was more than we could afford in our budget. Being the wonderful godly wife she stood behind my decision. After only two months of following through on our part of the Miracle Birthday Offering we recieved a large amount of money in a gift and were able to finally have the in vitro procedure we needed to have our own children.

God has been with this process and on December 28, 2011 Julie and I were told we were pregnant with twins. Thank you Jesus for your gift, what a blessing, and all because we were faithful. Our Rock family has been the main reason we are able to stay faithful. We now SHOUT nightly with our boys and future twins that The Rock is great and GOD is greater.

Dear Rock,

My name is Justin, I once went to your church. I sat in the back rows with the woman I loved and she begged me to go up and get saved, I didn't. I felt it wasn't right at the time and a week later I ended up killing someone and got into a shoot out with the police. Her biggest fear was that I would go to hell since I didn't get saved.

I regret not getting saved that day. I regret being worried of what others would think of me waking down there in front of them. But now all I can think of is how life would have been different had I gotten saved, listened to the Lord, and the woman I loved.

Now I'm in a prison cell doing life but I'll never forget your church and the day I turned down God. Now I am saved, I dropped out of my gang and live to make others see what is right by living right. Please pray for me.

Rock family,

I got a message from my cousin in Afghanistan, he loved todays sermon, he said over 45 men from his platoon watched with him. He is thankful for The Rock for going live and if he ever misses anything he can always go back and look at it. I too just came back to California and went to church today, it was the best. I gotta SHOUT and say The Rock Church is the best!