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

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

Farming in Heaven - “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. . . my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.” Isaiah 65: 21,22 NIV

A church member came to me one Sabbath commenting on my devotionals. He said he could never write anything because he was “just a farmer” and all he knew were animals, fields, and crops. He walked away, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said. Those were actually the very things Jesus used for many of his parables and sermon illustrations!

Morris Venden says there is a lot to be learned out there in the garden. The parable of “The Sower” is a good example. (Luke 8:1 -15) The Sower is actually Jesus Himself. Venden asks the question – “Do you think of Jesus as a farmer?” Then he says we all can join Jesus in sowing the seed of the gospel (Wonderful Words of Life, pages 48-58) In the parable there are four different kinds of soil where the seed falls. Jesus talked about four different groups of people who receive the gospel, but only the “good soil” people retain it and maintain a personal relationship with Jesus.

Another farming parable Jesus told was about wheat and weeds.  (Matthew 13:24-30)  I am certain any farmer can relate to this. Jesus said the farmer sowed the good seed, but then an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. The field is the world, and we know an enemy has been at work in our world. When we think of the field as our heart, we just need to remember that as long as we are in a relationship with Jesus, He will take care of those “weeds” that have a way of growing in our lives.

When we get to heaven, many occupations that we now pursue won’t be needed there – doctor, dentist, lawyer, etc. But a farmer can keep right on working if he so desires. The soil will be good, there will be no weeds to contend with, and the enemy will be no more. (Nahum 1:9) Perhaps we’ll all choose to be farmers in heaven!

Sharon Oster