I’m first and foremost a follower of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, striving to learn more and grow closer to Him. I am also a former public middle school English, Reading, Social Studies teacher now spending my days trying to figure out where God needs me to go next! I'm privileged to help author-friends with beta-reading and editing their work. I’m honored that I get to lead a Bible study and play librarian at my little church in southwestern Colorado. I love to serve God, meditate on His Word, read great books, take photos, be crafty, jot down random thoughts, and crochet poorly.
The second week of August, we welcomed Gigi from Life Choices Family Resource Center of Montrose to come speak with us about their work and ministry. Terry followed her report with a message based on Proverbs 24:11-12. To listen to the LCFRC report and Terry’s message, simply click play on the audio player below.
To start off August, Alan was ill, so we were blessed to have Terry step in to speak. He spoke about how to walk in the will of God, based on Proverbs 3. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes and links to some of the verses Terry references. 😊
Walk in the Will of the Lord
God’s desire is for none of us to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9); unfortunately, our sin causes us to wander. But once we hear His call and mix it with faith, once we accept and believe, we no longer have to make bad choices and wrong decisions, if we yield completely to Him.
God has a specific plan & purpose for our lives – it’s a safe place to be (a place of blessing) when we are walking in the will of the Lord.
The Christian life is to grow in the grace/knowledge/understanding/love relationship of God.
Unfortunately, too many people today accept His salvation, but don’t want to be in submission to Him and His will.
God wants to use us, but we can’t be used by Him unless we yield our will to His will.
In his continuing series, Alan taught about “The Heart and Loving God” in relation to living out the Great Commandment. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included Alan’s outline with links to Scripture he references. Be blessed!
Proverbs 23:7, Matthew 12:34, Matthew 5:8, 1 Peter 1:22 I. What do the scriptures mean by the Heart? The seat of action, emotions, will, thoughts, courage, strength, affections, discernment, and being.
Two conditions of the heart: 1) Made new or 2) in its natural state — it’s a dangerous thing to follow your heart if it’s not in relation to God.
A rather long descriptive list: hateful to God; full of evil/evil imaginations; full of vain thoughts; fully set to do evil (Ecclesiastes 8:11); desperately wicked; far from God; not prepared to seek God; a treasury of evil (Matthew 12:33-37); a heart that is darkened, prone to error/depart from God, unbelieving, blind, of little worth, deceitful, deceived, divided (1 Peter 3:8-12), hard, haughty, influence by the devil, carnal, covetous, foolish, forward, idolatrous; a heart of madness (Ecclesiastes 9:3), mischief, pride, rebellion, elated by its own prosperity.
Alan has been taking us through a series on Living the Great Commandment. To listen to part one of this series, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included Alan’s outline with links to the Scriptures listed. Enjoy!
2. Loving God is a matter of heart affection more than moral behavior. Mark 7:1-23, Matthew 12:39
3. Serving God is grounded in loving God but serving God is not a substitute for loving God. Matthew 6:24.
4. Keeping God’s commands is made possible by love. John 14:15
5. Our level of love is in direct proportion to our understanding of God’s forgiveness. If you think it’s all “those others” that should be asking for God’s forgiveness you don’t know love.
6. Love involves the whole of our being. More on this later.
7. Love is seen in what we call the Golden Rule, which is “do unto others as you would be have them do into you.” The Golden Rule is basically the same as “love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31
Hi all! It’s been a while since I’ve posted messages, and I apologize for not getting them on the site in a timely manner. So, I will try to get caught up as quickly as I can. I’m going to start by posting a few of Terry’s messages. To listen to these messages, simply click play on any of the audio players below. I wasn’t able to be there to take notes for some of these, so I’ve just included links to the main verses Terry is teaching about. Praying they bless you!
June 25, 2023: The Godly & the Ungodly – a teaching on Psalm 1
July 23, 2023: The Importance of Every Day – a teaching on Luke 19:11-27
July 30, 2023: The Least Among Us – a teaching from Jeremiah 38
Last Sunday, Alan gave his last message on the book of Proverbs by taking us through Proverbs 31. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included Alan’s outline with some notes and links to verses her references. Enjoy!
The Praise of Wise and Godly Women
Proverbs 31
Big Theme: Wisdom is personified as a woman in Proverbs. Three significant passages in Proverbs give the full picture of Lady Wisdom (1:8-33; 8:1-36; 9:1-12). Lady Wisdom was even present at Creation (Proverbs 8:22). When you look at creation, you can see the wisdom of God.
Proverbs closes with an exhortation to praise wise and godly women, specifically wives. So the overall thrust is to give godly women the respect and authority they are due. This would involve respecting their gifts, wisdom, and voices. This is the overarching theme of scripture in relation to women. One of the things Jesus obviously stood against was the oppression of women by the male-dominated religious structures of the day.
An Old Testament and New Testament Review of Women in Ministry
Old Testament
Two books named after (and centered around) women:
She earns her family’s praise for her competent strength [hayil in Hebrew] (v. 28-29)
She has earned and deserves the praise of all because she knows the principle characteristic of wisdom (v. 30-31)
Practical Application to Decide Upon
How can a community of faith show the honor and respect that is due women is an important question to answer, not only in theory but in actual practice of the church.
The right for women to teach, to vote, to serve communion, what about women pastors? Are our views on these questions in line with Jesus’ treatment and respect of women?
Paul wrote this to a specific church, at a specific time, for a specific reason – those women were causing dissension in their church. Paul didn’t write that admonition because they were women, but because they were causing problems in their sin.
It is a question worth thinking upon and answering.
Alan took us back into the book of Proverbs with a lesson on how to walk in the way of wisdom from Proverbs 4. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included Alan’s outline, along with some notes and links to Scriptures referenced. Praying it blessed you as much as it did me!
How to Walk in the Way of Wisdom
Proverbs 4:10-27
Introduction: Walking in the way of wisdom versus walking in the way of evil is a common theme of Proverbs. It’s also a choice we have to make every day.
New Testament Equivalent: Jesus refers to Himself as the Way (John 14:6). Believers are called to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7).
The Call and Command to Walk in the Way of Wisdom (Proverbs 4:10-13)
The call to listen and act (v. 10)
Wise choices lead to prolonged life
Unwise choices can shorten your life
This idea is also found in the beginning and the end of the Sermon on the Mount
Good afternoon! A few weeks ago, Terry stepped in when Alan wasn’t feeling well to teach about Christian giving. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes with links to Bible Gateway for verses he referenced. Enjoy and be blessed!
Giving
Everything we have belongs to the Lord.
In the OT, 10% of the peoples’ increase was to go to the Lord (Deuteronomy 14:22-23)
Memorial Day weekend found Terry teaching about what’s next, based ultimately on 1 Corinthians 15. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included notes and links to BibleGateway for the verses he references. May it bless you richly!
What Next?
Genesis 3 – man fell into sin & generally made a mess of everything
God, in His love and mercy, made a way for fallen, sinful man to be reconciled unto Him – the blood of Jesus Christ
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – created in the image of God means that we are three parts (spirit, soul, body), just as He is three parts (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
Ephesians 1:13-14 – the Holy Spirit brings salvation (comes to indwell those who believe), seals/marks us as the property of God (a down payment/earnest money for eternal life)
God bought us out of sin & death at a tremendous cost to Jesus
We are a purchased possession of God
Spirit and Soul are made alive at the moment of salvation, but we are still looking forward to the redemption of the Body (which is dying every moment of every day)
It takes the grace of God to nurture this bag of bones over the finish line!
Romans 8:28 – our bodies breaking down is part of the humbling that we need to realize our need for the salvation that is found only in Christ.
The full, eternal, everlasting inheritance that we have in God includes redeemed bodies.
Our already redeemed spirit and soul are for us to be the salt and light for those who are still in darkness
Hello! Two Sundays ago, Alan continued his teaching through the Proverbs by taking us to Proverbs 13:1-25. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included Alan’s outline, along with some notes and links to BibleGateway for Scriptures referenced.
*Note: the audio recording was not started until about halfway through the message. Check the outline for where the audio matches up with the notes.
Proverbs on Wealth, Speech, Satisfaction, and Destinies
The Big Theme: Through morally good behavior there are gains earned.
Proverbs 13:1 – sets the stage, essentially saying that you will listen to the rest of what he has to say if you are wise; if you are foolish, however, you will ignore it.
Proverbs on Wealth from an Ethical Perspective – Proverbs 13:7-11
Morality (the quality of what you do) vs. Ethics (how you should live) in our culture.
v. 7: The fraudulent use of money.
Here there are two ways to be a fraud:
“Thousand-dollar millionaires” – those who lead others to believe they are wealthier than they actually are, who live outside their means.
Those who pretend to have nothing – not flaunting their wealth, but also not willing to share with others, using the excuse that they can’t afford to help
v. 8: Two dangers with wealth:
The danger of finding false security in your wealth
The attitude of not caring because you don’t have wealth, which could (not always) be linked to lack of ambition and not saving
v. 9: Just as speech was connected to righteousness or wickedness, so is the use of money:
The righteous use money and speech in their lives in a way that lights up life
The wicked use their speech, money, and lives in ways that God will see to it flicker out in the end
v. 10: This proverb is a word on listening:
A person whose pride rules their view of everything will always be ready for a fight
A humble person will listen because of their wisdom (One can’t have godly wisdom without God! You can only have worldly wisdom, which is foolishness to God. – 1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
Surround yourself with wise people, not “yes” men
v. 11: This proverb deals with the danger of high risk, get-rich-quick schemes versus the virtue of diligent accumulation of wealth
Proverbs on Fulfillment (Satisfaction) or Frustration – Proverbs 13:12-19
v. 12: The truth is, it’s impossible to live a fulfilled life without hope.
You can survive almost anything if there is a ray of hope, but without it, it’s a sickness slowly killing you.
The believer’s hope is Christ – our Living Water & Tree of Life
v. 13: Two choices with two outcomes are given in life.
You can esteem God’s Word and be rewarded.
You can despise God’s Word and face the built-in penalty
It’s the maxim of you reap what you sow.
v. 14: This world is an ever-increasingly dangerous minefield. *Note: this is where the audio recording begins.
There are traps we cannot see without the life-giving fountain of God’s wisdom in Christ.
We need to be in connection with God to be able to discern traps and then avoid them.
v. 15: We need the moral clarity that comes from Proverbs’ instruction to shape our conduct.
Bad conduct is inherently destructive – it never ends well.
v. 16: A shrewd person is characterized as knowing not to openly play a fool’s life.
Know how to use self-control
v. 17: This proverb asks the question of us, “Are we faithful messengers of God who don’t speak on our own authority, or are we the world’s foolish messengers?”
We are supposed to be God’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), speaking from God’s authority.
v. 18: If you can’t be disciplined (by self or others), you end up a poor disgrace.
If you can be disciplined, there is hope for you!
v. 19: All about the frustrated life of the fool…
A fool doesn’t want to give up what may well be poisonous “fun”
Addictions are hard to break
Because a fool abhors the idea of giving up evil fun, they can’t know what would be a truly sweet deal, what will truly satisfy their soul.
Colona Community Church 