Month: June 2026

Living in Grace – Mind the G.A.P.

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

Pastor Alan returned to Colona for the summer with a message all about grace. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. As usual, I’ve included Alan’s notes and links to Bible Gateway for the Scriptures referenced.

Living in Grace – Mind the G.A.P. (Grace Alters Perception)

What is grace?  It is all we are in Christ, not based on merit, but given to us by God the Father through Christ and the Spirit. 1 Peter 5:10

Where is grace found?  In Christ who is full of grace and truth and gives us grace upon grace. A greater grace.  John 1:14-17

3 Stages of Grace

  1. Grace at the point of saving faith.  
    • The point is this, salvation is never earned. It is a gift. 
    • The word grace carries the idea of gifting. Ephesians 2:8-9
  2. Grace as the means of Christian living. James 4:6. God gives more grace!
  3. Grace in the “afterlife”. 

Conclusion:  Grace reminds us we need to talk more about what God has done, and is doing, for us and less about what we are doing for Him.

The following Sunday was Pentecost, and Pastor Alan shared an awesome message about the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, due to a technological failure, it did not get recorded. So, I am going to do the best I can and share Alan’s study notes here.

Pentecost – Acts 2

  1. What was Pentecost?  
    • The background of harvest festivals and giving of the law on Mount Sinai is the important backdrop to what is happening. 
    • The festival is called Shavout (the Feast of Weeks/Harvest).
      • Marked the early grain harvest.
      • Shavout has the same Hebrew root as Sabbath.
        • שָׁבוּעַ shabuaʿ – seven or a week
        • Shavout means 7×7 (49)
        • Pentecost is Greek for 50
    • The giving of the law was marked by wind, trumpets, fire, and smoke.
  2. Spirit’s Coming Acts 2:1-13
    • The setting: There are one hundred and twenty of Christ’s followers gathered in one place. They had been told by Christ earlier that the Spirit would come so there was no doubt an anticipation.
    • The supernatural: There are three things describing the Spirit’s coming.
      • A sound like a violent rushing wind.  vs 2
      • Tongues of fire that rested on each individual. vs 3
      • The ability for the crowd that shows up to hear the Jewish Galileans in their own language (i.e. their native tongue). 
        • These people were from all areas of the Mediterranean basin. 
        • Side-note: This phenomenon is not the gift of tongues that Paul talks about to the believers in Corinth.
      • What can we imply and apply from this supernatural event?
        • The Spirit comes in power to give power, like the noise of the powerful wind.
        • The Spirit purifies.
        • The Spirit gathers people from all nations like a giant harvest.
        • The Spirit writes the law (Mount Sinai) on the hearts of people.
          • This is explained in Peter’s sermon that follows.
  3. Peter’s Sermon (Acts 2:14-21)
    •  What’s not happening? vs 14-15
      • The strange language phenomena is not drunken speech. It’s only nine o’clock in the morning.
      • The explanation:
        • He quotes with slight alterations, from the prophet Joel and Ezekiel. 
        • The point is the time has come and God is pouring out his Spirit on all people, and those people will prophesy (speak forth about the things of God – Prophecy is more about “forth-telling” than “foretelling”).
        • Luther said, “The knowledge of God, through Christ, which the Holy Spirit kindles and makes to burn through the word of the gospel.”
  4. The Spirit Working Through the Sermon (Acts 2:37-47)
    • There is repentance when the Spirit moves.
    • There is salvation where the Spirit moves.
    • There is baptism where the Spirit moves.
    • There is devotion and communion where the Spirit moves.
    • There is sharing where the Spirit moves.
    • There is awe where the Spirit moves.
    • There is hospitality where the Spirit moves.
    • There is prayer where the Spirit moves.
    • There is growth where the Spirit moves.

Flourishing in Older Age

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

Knowing our congregation is mostly on the other side of the hill of life, Pastor Jed spoke for a few weeks on the importance of flourishing in older age. 😊 To listen to these messages, simply click play on the appropriate audio player below. Also included are Jed’s study notes with links to Bible Gateway for the Scripture.

Also, Pastor Jed blessed us with a musical service for Mother’s Day. I did my best to put together a medley of the songs he sang and placed the audio at the bottom of this post. While the recording quality isn’t great, I do hope you enjoy! ❤️

Flourishing in Older Age, Part 1

  • Psalm 91:14-16 “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” 
  • Psalm 92:12-15 “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” See also Isaiah 46:4   
  • To flourish: 
    • To grow luxuriantly: to thrive.
    • To achieve success: to prosper. A flourishing business. 
    • To be in a state of activity or production: The artist flourished around 1850.
    • To reach a height of development or influence: The company flourished with record profits under the new owner. 
  • Remember our Father Abraham:  
    • Genesis 15:15 to Abraham “And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.” 
    • Genesis 25:8 “Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.” 
    • Galatians 3:8-9   We which are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 
      • Verses 13-14 –“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” 
    • Romans 4:17-21 – Abraham gave us the example! Also Elizabeth in Luke 1:36 
  • Make a commitment to God to entrust your life to Him, every day until your last breath. This means spirit, soul (mind, will, emotions, conscience) and body.  
  • 3 John 2 – “prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.” 
  • Next Week: “Steps to Flourishing in Old Age.” What is our responsibility?

Flourishing in Older Age, Part 2

 How do you as Christian personally approach flourishing in older age? 

  • Place your life in His hands (Psalm 31:14) and trust him to cause you to flourish in your older years. Pray to God to give this to you in your life.  
    • Psalm: 18:28; 73:23-28; 90:10a,12; 91:14-16; 92:12-15; Isaiah 46:4.  
    • 3 John 2 – Make a commitment to God to entrust your life to Him, daily until your last breath. This means spirit, soul (mind, will, emotions, conscience), and body. Have faith and hope that the Lord will sustain and preserve you in older age.  
  • Give God’s Word first place in your life: Read it. Meditate upon it. Memorize it. Speak it. Live according to it. It is your food, your life.  
    • John 6:63; Psalm 1; Jeremiah 17:7-8. See also Psalm 119:159  “See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.” “Preserve my life” is mentioned many times in Psalm 119, a psalm about God’s Word.
  • Trust the Holy Spirit’s work in your life.  
    • Romans 8:11; Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13 
    • 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 – outward decay vs inward renewal day by day achieving for us an eternal weight of glory. Look not at the things that are seen (temporal) but at the unseen things (eternal).  
    • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – glorify God in your bodies, honor God with your bodies by (a) living a pure life physically and sexually, (b) practice healthy nutrition and hydration, (c) have regular exercise and activity (within your limits), (d) maintain a heathy weight, (e) get enough sleep and observe sabbath rests, (f) avoid things that are not good for the body (alcohol, drugs, etc.), and (g) limit risky behaviors.  
  • Have the faith of our father Abraham in Romans 4:11-25.  

A sampling of Pastor Jed’s Mother’s Day Service

The Power of the Resurrection

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

Pastor Jed shared this message a few weeks after Easter (sorry it’s taken me so long to get things up-to-date…I’m trying!) about the power of the resurrection of Christ. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included Jed’s study notes with links to Bible Gateway for the Scriptures.

The Power of the Resurrection

  • Romans 10:9-10 – believing and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and was raised from the dead is essential to our salvation.  
  • Acts 2:23-24 “God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”  
  • Acts 2:31-33 – JC was raised to life and exalted to the right hand of God. He received the promise of the HS and poured the HS out on us.  
  • The POWER of God (Holy Spirit) raised Christ from the dead. 
    • Romans 8:10-11  “But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.  
  • Ephesians 1:19-23 – Paul’s prayer – that we may know Him better including His power. 
    • KJV and ASV – the exceeding greatness of His power. 
    • NIV – His incomparably great power to us who believe. 
    • GOOD NEWS – how very great is his power. 
    • New Living Translation – incredible greatness of God’s power. 
    • AMP – “what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe.”  
  • Philippians 3:10 – “I want to know you and the power of your resurrection.”  
  • The resurrection of Jesus Christ from sin, the curse, and death was God’s single greatest display of His power. This is the power that is now working IN US! 
  • This is this same resurrection power that works in us day by day:
  • I Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-22 – speaks of the futility of our faith if Christ was not resurrected from the death. See also verses 35-55 – Our eventual resurrection from the dead totally, with a glorified resurrection body. See verses 49 and 56.