This Week: November 1st, 2026
As Christians, we can easily fall into a pattern of self confidence, believing that our good works somehow make us righteous before God. On the surface, these works may appear honorable and pleasing to Him, but beneath them can lie a false assumption: that righteousness is something we can achieve through our own actions. But what if we do these things out of love? Doesn’t that count for something? Of course it does. Scripture tells us that even if we accomplish great things for others, without love we are nothing more than a clanging cymbal. Love matters. Our motives matter. But love is not something we offer God as payment for our salvation.
If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes we approach good works as though we are collecting merit badges, believing that the more we accumulate, the more righteous we become. We begin to measure our faith by what we have accomplished rather than by the One in whom we have placed our trust. Yet Jesus Himself demonstrated a very different understanding of obedience and service. He did not seek His own glory but the glory of the Father who sent Him. Everything He did was in obedience to the Father’s will. When we walk in faith, our good works should flow from gratitude for what God has already done for us, not from an expectation of receiving something in return. We serve because we love Him, and we love Him because He first loved us.
We need nothing more for our salvation than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His blood has already been shed, establishing the new covenant God promised. Through Christ, we are reconciled to God and restored from the brokenness caused by sin, not because of anything we have accomplished, but because of what Jesus accomplished for us.
There is nothing we can do to earn that gift, nothing we can offer to repay it, and no collection of good deeds that can make it more certain. Our righteousness is not found in what we do for Christ, but in what Christ has already done for us. And when we truly understand that, our good works cease to be an attempt to earn God’s favor and become a joyful response to the grace we have already received.
This Week's Worship Service
Our righteousness is not earned through our own abilities or good works, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the grace God has freely given us. When we truly understand this gift, our good works become an expression of love and gratitude rather than an attempt to earn God's favor.
Luke 22:14-22
This Week's Church Sign Sermon
Inspirational wisdom can come from the simplest of things, so here we offer just a little Jesus as you drive by. We'd love to have you in for a visit.
Online Giving
Rockvale Cumberland Presbyterian Church is pleased to announce the opportunity for our church family and friends to tithe securely online. You can use your credit card, debit card or bank account to securely tithe a love offering or give to our church's ministries such as to our youth program or our building maintenance fund. You can also use the service's app on your Apple or Android device to give. If you chose to do so, you may also select the option to cover the fees the church is assessed for each transaction. Click the button below to make your offering and thank you.
Who We Are
Rockvale Cumberland Presbyterian Church has been a landmark in Rockvale Tennessee since 1889 at a simpler time when church was an integral part of the community. Church members were family that leaned on each other in times of struggle and celebrated together in times of joy. This spirit lives on in our diverse congregation bound together by a love for Christ and for one another. Our motto is simple, 'Whosoever will, is welcome - just as you are', in the manner as Christ said 'Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.' We hope to see you this Sunday morning.
