Church words, explained.

A Hebrew word that means "so be it" or "truly." People say it at the end of a prayer, or out loud during a sermon when something rings true.

Being immersed in water as a public sign that you have received Jesus Christ and your life has changed. Jesus included it in His command to make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Watch Pastor Steve's message Water Baptism.

The collection of 66 books Christians receive as God's Word, split into the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Jesus' phrase in John 3:3 for the new life that begins when a person repents and receives Christ. Pastor Steve describes it this way: you were one thing before Christ, and now you are something completely different.

The Rock's online gathering on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm. The name comes from Jesus' words, "I am the vine; you are the branches" (John 15:5). Past episodes are in our sermon library, like Branches, Episode 26.

Praying together, as one body. At The Rock, Church Prayer is at 8:45am every Sunday, before Growth Tracks and the worship service, a way to start the morning together.

Also called the Lord's Supper. Believers share bread and the cup to remember Jesus' body and blood given on the cross, as He told His disciples to do "in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

The Rock's written posts that go further into recent Sunday messages. You can read them anytime on the Deep Dive page.

A learner and follower of Jesus. In Jesus' day, a disciple lived close to the teacher and learned to live the way he lived.

The lifelong process of growing in your relationship with Jesus and helping others grow too. At The Rock it is the heart of our mission, and we describe it in four steps: receive Jesus Christ, be present for growth, serve in the house, and faithful support. On Wednesdays at 9:00am there is also a Discipleship gathering on the back porch at Palate Coffee. See our Discipleship page.

Sharing the good news about Jesus with people who don't know Him yet. Discipleship is what follows: helping them grow.

Trust in God and in what He has said. Scripture says we are saved "by grace... through faith" (Ephesians 2:8), which means we rely on Jesus, not on our own record.

Real, shared life with other believers: worship, meals, prayer, conversations and showing up for each other.

Literally "good news." The gospel is the message that Jesus Christ lived without sin, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and offers eternal life to everyone who follows Him by faith.

God's favor and kindness that we did not earn and could never earn. Salvation itself is a gift of grace. Pastor Steve preached on this in Greater Grace.

Classes at 9:00am every Sunday at The Rock, with men's, women's and Spanish-speaking groups. Growth Tracks are where you get deeper teaching before the 10:00am service. See Sunday mornings for the full schedule.

A Hebrew word meaning "praise Yah," that is, praise the LORD. "Yah" is a short form of God's name, YHWH (see the entry below).

The third person of the Trinity, God Himself present with and in believers. Pastor Steve has described Holy Spirit as our teacher, our comforter, and the one who convicts us of sin. You will often hear us say "Holy Spirit" without "the," the way you would say a person's name. Read the Deep Dive post The Holy Spirit.

Praying on behalf of someone else. An intercessor stands in the gap in prayer for people, a city or a need.

The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, who became human, lived without sin, died for our sins and rose again. "Christ" is a title meaning "anointed one" (Messiah). His Hebrew name is Yeshua.

God's rule and reign. Jesus taught that the kingdom has come near in Him, and we believe He will return to bring its fullness on earth.

The Rock's youth ministry for 6th through 12th grade. The Line Youth meets Wednesdays at 7:00pm. See The Line Youth.

What we call our Sunday worship service at The Rock, at 10:00am. It is about 90 minutes of worship and teaching, and the livestream starts at 9:50am. First time? Plan your visit.

When you see LORD in capital and small capital letters in an English Bible, it stands for God's personal name, YHWH. "Lord" in regular letters usually translates a different Hebrew word, Adonai, meaning master. More under YHWH below.

The Rock's coffee spot in the lobby. It opens at 8:00am on Sundays and serves until 10:00am, so grab a cup before the service.

The second part of the Bible: 27 books covering the life of Jesus, the early church, and letters to believers.

A church that is not part of a formal denomination such as Baptist, Methodist or Presbyterian.

The first part of the Bible: 39 books, written mostly in Hebrew, from creation through the prophets. This is where God's name YHWH appears.

Talking with God, and listening. It can be as simple as honest words in your own voice.

Turning away from sin and turning toward God. It is more than feeling sorry. It is a change of mind and direction.

Jesus rising bodily from the dead on the third day. It is the center of the Christian faith and the promise that death does not have the last word.

The Rock's K-12 school and preschool. It has its own website, linked from our Academy page.

Being rescued from sin and brought back into relationship with God. We believe salvation is a gift of grace, received by faith, and found in Christ alone.

The process of being made holy, more like Jesus, over a lifetime. It is God's work in you, and you take part in it. In everyday church language, this is a lot of what we mean by discipleship.

Another word for the Bible, God's written Word. The Deep Dive post Scripture and You explores why it matters in everyday life.

The teaching part of a church service, where the pastor explains a passage of Scripture and how to live it. Every message from The Rock is on our Watch page.

A group of volunteers who serve together at The Rock, from kids to hospitality to the sound team. Serving is one of our four steps of discipleship. Join one on the Volunteer page.

Anything that falls short of God's will, in what we do, say or think. Scripture teaches that all of us have sinned, and that Jesus died to pay its penalty.

Your story of what God has done in your life, especially how you came to know Jesus.

A tithe means a tenth. Tithing is giving 10% of your income back to God through your local church. As our Discipleship page puts it, God asks for 100% of our lives but only 10% of our income. An offering is anything given beyond the tithe. You can give online.

The truth that there is one God in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word itself is not in the Bible, but the teaching is, and it is the first of The Rock's core beliefs.

Honoring God with your whole life. On Sunday it usually means singing and praying together, but worship also includes how you work, give, serve and love people.

YHWH is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible. It is made of four Hebrew letters, yod, he, vav, he (יהוה), which is why it is called the Tetragrammaton, a Greek word meaning "four letters." It appears about 6,800 times in the Old Testament, far more than any other name for God.

What does YHWH mean? The name is connected to the Hebrew verb "to be." When Moses asked God His name at the burning bush, God answered, "I AM WHO I AM," and told him to say, "I AM has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:14). In the next verse, God calls Himself by the name YHWH. So the name points to God as the One who simply is: eternal, self-existent, and present with His people.

Why do many Bibles print it as LORD? Out of deep reverence, Jewish readers stopped saying the name aloud and read Adonai ("Lord") in its place. Most English Bibles follow that long tradition. Wherever the Hebrew text has YHWH, they print LORD in capital and small capital letters, so a careful reader can always tell where God's personal name stands in the original.

How is it pronounced? Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels, so the exact pronunciation is not certain. Most scholars today say Yahweh. The older English form Jehovah came from combining the consonants YHWH with the vowels of Adonai, the word readers said instead. You can also hear the short form "Yah" in Hallelujah and in names like Elijah, which means "my God is Yahweh."

You will hear Pastor Steve say Yahweh often. As he has explained to new visitors, "that's simply the Hebrew name of God. It's the Tetragrammaton, the YHWH." Hear him teach on it in The Birthing.