Welcome to Greeley Seventh-day Adventist Church

Adult and children’s Sabbath Schools meet at 9:30 a.m. There is an adult class in the sanctuary and all the children’s classes will meet downstairs. Everyone is welcome.

Church In-Person or On-Line

Everyone is welcome to attend the worship hour 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 youtube site tabs.

Wednesday – 1:30 p.m.  Midweek study 

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

Starting Again – “I die daily.” 1 Cor. 15:31

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. I thought of this saying recently as I was reading about a father’s reaction to his 6-year old son’s piano recital. Right in the middle of the piece he was playing the boy could not remember how to finish. His teacher kept telling him to start over and try again. Finally, after a number of tries, he did remember and finish. The boy did not seem the least bit bothered by this, but the dad was a nervous wreck! I knew how he felt. Our 6-year old daughter had also forgotten her piece in a piano recital. After some agonizing minutes and several tries she finally was able to finish. I asked her recently if she remembered that recital. Her response: “Oh yes!”

I had been reading a book about Mary Magdalene by Doug Batchelor. Mary Magdalene knew what it was like to fall and fail and start over again. Both Mark (Mark 16:9) and Luke (Luke 8:2) say seven demons had been cast out of Mary, probably one demon seven different times. Apparently, she kept falling into sin again and again. But, she also kept coming back to Jesus again and again, and Jesus continued to forgive her. When caught in the act of adultery and thrown at Jesus’ feet, He said simply, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) Seven times Mary appears at the feet of Jesus – caught in adultery, in sorrow for her dead brother, listening intently, pouring perfume, at the cross, at the tomb, and the morning of the resurrection. She eventually learned she was saved not only from the penalty of sin but also from its power and someday even from its presence.

It is interesting that on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection, He waited in the garden to appear to Mary. Doug Batchelor points out all the people Jesus could have gone to first. He could have gone to Pilate or Herod to show them He was alive. He could have gone to the high priest and other religious leaders to let them know they had executed their long-awaited Messiah. He could have at least appeared to His disciples or His mother Mary. “But Jesus chose to pass by all these logical options; He first revealed Himself to a social outcast. Jesus deliberately waited until Peter, John, and even His own mother had left the garden area to bestow on a formerly demon-possessed prostitute, saved by grace, the highest honor ever to be granted any mortal. Why? Why is it that the first words spoken by Jesus after His resurrection were to Mary, and yet this is the last time she appears in the Sacred Record?  To highlight and underscore the truth that He came to seek and save the lost.” Pastor Batchelor goes on to say that “if He can transform, save, and commission a meek and weak girl named Mary—well, then, there is hope for each one of us.” (The Truth About Mary Magdalene, p. 125)

Perhaps this story is not so much about Mary as it is about Jesus and His forgiveness for our past, His power for our present, and His promise of a forever home in heaven with Him.

Sharon Oster

Sharpening the Saw – “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice: in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3 NIV

Two loggers went into the woods one day to have a contest to see who could cut the most wood. One man, big and strong, worked hard all day, never stopping at all. The other man worked hard, too, but occasionally he would stop for awhile and disappear. At the end of the day they compared their piles of wood. The man who had stopped from time to time had the bigger pile. The man who had worked hard all day said, “I don’t understand. You have the bigger pile of wood, yet you took frequent breaks. “Oh,” the other man said, “I wasn’t taking breaks. I was sharpening my saw.”

Taking time for what’s really important. I have read that Martin Luther spent an hour in prayer every morning; however, when he knew he had a really busy, difficult day ahead, he would spend two hours in prayer.

Years ago another church member and I decided we needed to begin our day spending an hour in devotional time. Since we both had very small children, it meant getting up very early. We did, however, think we could maybe take one day a week to “sleep in” rather than get up so early. Then a few years later in another church one of our members said to me one day how she had been impressed to do the same thing and spend the first hour of the day in devotional time. However, she also said, “I need Jesus with me every day, so I never miss even one day.” I knew she was right and neither have I missed a day since. My alarm is set for 5:00 a.m. but I am almost always awake before 5:00 waiting to begin my day with Jesus. Isaiah tells us, “He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” (Isaiah 50:4 NIV)

Of course, Jesus is our example. His prayer time helped guide His next steps and daily purpose. Jesus had had a busy Sabbath. Mark tells us that after sunset that evening many people began bringing sick and demon-possessed people to Jesus for healing. In fact, it says the “whole town gathered at the door and Jesus healed many.” (Mark 1:32) It must have been late into the night before Jesus could rest. Yet, we are told “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” (Mark 1:35) Jesus needed prayer to begin His day, and He is our example.

Remember the two loggers? The one who took time to sharpen his saw was the winner. Taking time with Jesus will never fail to make our day better.

Sharon Oster

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