Our hometown of Calico Rock has been in the news a lot this week. And not in a positive way. Prison breaks make national headline news. Ugh!
It got me thinking about things, so I asked ChatGPT this
question:
Absolutely. Here's a short sermon (approx. 7–8 minutes)
titled "Look to the Rock" — grounded in Isaiah 51:1, with rich
biblical metaphors and references to hymns like “I Go to the Rock,” and
touching on your hometown of Calico Rock, Arkansas as a personal anchor.
"Look to the Rock"
Text: Isaiah 51:1
"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord:
look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you
were dug."
Introduction: Calico Rock and the Power of a Name
Growing up in Calico Rock, Arkansas, you learn to
appreciate the weight and beauty of stone. Our town is named for the colorful
bluffs that rise above the White River—a place that feels solid, enduring,
familiar. Maybe that’s why verses like Isaiah 51:1 speak so deeply to me.
Because I know what it means to “look to the rock.”
Isaiah’s words were first spoken to a weary people—exiles
who wondered if God still remembered them. And his answer was clear: Yes, I
remember you. And you need to remember Me. Look to the Rock.
1. Look Back to the Rock – God’s Faithfulness in the Past
Isaiah says, “Look to the rock from which you were hewn.”
And then in verse 2, he says who that rock is: “Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you.”
Abraham was just one man. Sarah was barren. They had no
child and no land. And yet God said, “I will make your offspring like the
stars of the sky.” And He did.
So when you feel small, forgotten, or without hope, Isaiah
says: Remember where you came from. Not just your hometown—but the spiritual
quarry you were carved from. You were formed by a God who keeps promises,
even when the odds say otherwise.
Like that old song says:
🎵 "Where do I go
when there's no one else to turn to?
I go to the Rock, I know He’s able, I go to the Rock."
— Dottie Rambo
2. Stand Firm on the Rock – God’s Security in the Present
Throughout Scripture, God is called our Rock—a symbol
of strength, stability, and refuge.
- Deuteronomy
32:4 – “The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are
justice.”
- Psalm
18:2 – “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.”
- Matthew
7:24 – “The wise man built his house on the rock.”
When everything else feels shaky—when health fails, finances
fall, relationships fracture—we can still stand on something unshakable. That’s
what Jesus meant when He said, “Build your house on the rock.”
And if you’ve ever stood on the bluff at Calico Rock and
watched the water of the White River flow by
rise and fall below you, you know what it feels like to stand on
something that doesn’t move.
3. Come to the Living Rock – God’s Invitation for the
Future
Peter says in 1 Peter 2:4–6:
“As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but
in the sight of God chosen and precious… you yourselves like living stones are
being built up.”
Jesus is the Living Rock—the cornerstone the builders
rejected. But now, He invites us to be part of something eternal: a spiritual
house, built stone by stone, soul by soul.
And He still invites us:
🎵 “On Christ the solid
Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.”
Conclusion: When You Need Hope, Go to the Rock
So today, if you're:
- Tired
from trying to live rightly,
- Wounded
by things you can’t control,
- Or
just wondering if you still have a purpose...
Look to the Rock.
Not just to where you came from—but to the One who never
changes, who holds you firm when the world shakes, who makes living stones
out of sinners and saints alike.
Because whether you're standing on the bluffs of Calico Rock
or walking through life’s valleys, there’s a Rock higher than you. And
His name is Jesus.
🎵 “I go to the Rock of
my salvation,
I go to the Stone that the builders rejected.
I run to the Mountain and the Mountain stands by me.”
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