Everyone Welcome

Sabbath School and Church

Church In Person or On-Line

Everyone is welcome to attend the worship hour. It starts at 10:45 a.m.  

We broadcast Church live on youtube.com. Church will start at 10:45 AM.  Go to youtube.com and search for "greeley sda".  Click on the circle with the church picture.  You may need to choose the "Live" tab.

OR click on the "Sermons" link in the menu selections above to access the services. (On a phone or tablet the menu selections will be in a button that looks like three bars at the top of the screen.) Select "Live" in the tabs.

Weekly Church Meetings

Wednesday - 1:30 p.m.  Midweek study 

Sabbath 4:00 - p.m.  End Time Events with Shawn Korgan

Food for Thought

Joy-Filled Giving -- “A generous man will himself be blessed.” Proverbs 22:9

“God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Years ago when we moved to Abilene, TX, our son was about ten years old. He soon made friends with a boy down the street named Mike who had a paper route and convinced Brian he needed a route, too. Brian was soon getting up very early (4:00-5:00 a.m.) and folding and throwing papers (rain or shine, hot or cold). (Mike was so anxious for Brian to have a route, he threw his papers for him every Saturday.) There was a lady on Mike’s route who made and sold pottery dishes. Brian went with Mike once to visit her and decided to spend some of his hard-earned paper route money to buy some dishes for me.

In my mind I can still see him walking into the kitchen and holding out a sack for me. He had a huge smile on his face – he was so excited to be giving me a gift bought with his own money! Those blue pottery dishes – teapot and cups – still are displayed on a cupboard shelf. They are not dishes that I necessarily would have chosen, but I’ll treasure them always because I know they were bought with love.

This gift from my son reminded me of Mary Magdalene’s gift for Jesus. Mary had fallen into sin time and again – at least seven times recorded in Scripture – but each time she kept coming to Jesus and He forgave her. Because of His forgiveness and also for raising her beloved brother from the grave, Mary’s heart was filled with gratitude. She had also heard of His approaching death so in her deep love and gratitude she wanted to honor Him. “At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of ‘ointment of spikenard, very costly,’ with which to anoint His body.” (Desire of Ages, p. 559). This was Mary’s way of pouring out her love for the Savior. Mrs. White says her “deed would be immortalized upon the pages of sacred history. Until time should be no more, that broken alabaster box would tell the story of the abundant love of God for a fallen race.” (Desire of Ages p. 563)

Another story of giving prompted by love is the widow who gave her two small coins for the cause she loved. Jesus made no comment about the Pharisees’ large gifts given for show, but he understood the widow’s reason for giving – love for God and an interest in His work. Jesus said her gift would be a monument to her memory through all time. (Desire of Ages p. 615)

Unselfish giving always brings true happiness. I’ll never forget that huge smile on my son’s face as he handed me that gift. Mary, I am sure, was filled with joy as she heard Jesus’ words of commendation for her gift. The widow’s gift not only brought her joy in the moment but we are told “will be her joy in eternity.” (Desire of Ages p. 615) “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

Sharon Oster

Fire and Our Tongue - “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.” Proverbs 17:28 (NIV)

Many years ago when we lived in the southeast corner of CO, Jerry was doing some yard work around one of the churches he was pastoring. It was Springtime and he decided to burn off some of the dry Bermuda grass. He had observed people in the area burning off the dry grass before new grass started growing. He had connected a hose nearby, just in case things got out of control. Soon he saw the fire burning rapidly towards the front of the church. He quickly turned on the faucet for the hose, but no water came out! Then he remembered he had to turn the water on in the basement of the church first. By the time he was back outside and had the hose turned on, a tall evergreen tree next to the church was in flames. Finally, he got the fire out before more damage occurred. The head elder very kindly said he thought that tree probably needed to be replaced anyway!

As Jerry was recalling this story the other day, it reminded me of different stories/texts in the Bible about fire. Elijah needed to show King Ahab and the people of Israel they were not to worship the false god Baal but the true God in heaven. After the false prophets of Baal had done everything they could to make fire consume their sacrifice with no results, Elijah stepped forward. He built an altar, laid a sacrifice on it, and then had 12 large jars of water poured over it. He then prayed for God to answer so the people would know who was the true God. Of course, fire came from heaven and burned up the altar, the sacrifice, and even the water. When the people saw this, they said, “The Lord is God!” (1 Kings 18:16-40)

There is a text in James about fire that I think is interesting. It talks about how we can all start a fire with our tongue. A forest can be set on fire by just a small spark. “The tongue also is a fire.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire.” (James 3:6 NIV)

Samson’s tongue got him into big trouble when he finally told Delilah the secret of his great strength. Once his hair had been shaved, his strength was gone, and he was seized by the Philistines. He was put in prison and his eyes were gouged out. As James said, “The tongue is a small part of the body,” but it can “set the whole course of his life on fire.” Samson learned firsthand what that meant! (Judges 16:1-22)

Peter’s tongue got him into trouble, too. Even after boasting he would never disown Jesus, he ended up denying Jesus three times! (Matt. 26:35, 69-75)  That small part of his body – his tongue – caused him to curse and swear and deny Jesus. When he realized the sorrow his tongue had caused Jesus, he went out and wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:75)

James says if we are never at fault in what we say, we can keep our whole body in check! (James 3:2) It seems we should pray daily for God to control our tongues.  

Sharon Oster