Here we go again with me trying to get caught up. Now that the holidays and all their busy-ness have passed, I’m going to try to do just that. Pastor Jed finished his series called “Follow Me” before Thanksgiving. The last two messages are below. He followed that with a message about Thanksgiving. And I’ll be posting his wonderful Advent series as soon as I can. Thank you for your longsuffering with my delays in posting.
Follow Me, pt. 4
Review:
Three aspects of Following the Lord are:
(1) Know Him
(2) Learn from Him
(3) Behave and become like Him.
John 17:3 –Eternal Life is knowing the Father and Jesus. He wantsto be known and wants to know us! and allowing Him to know us.
John 14:15-17 – we know the Holy Spirit because He lives with us and in us
TODAY: As we get to know Him, we LEARN FROM HIM.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Take my ‘yoke’ upon you and learn from Me.” The Holy Spirit is the “Yoke.” He is the main subject in the accounts in John 3 and John 4.
Consider these two examples: Nicodemus in John 3 and the Samaritan woman in John 4.
John 3:1-10; 14-18 – “You are Israel’s teacher.” V. 10. In 21 verses, the entire plan of God for man’s redemption is revealed.
John 17:3 –Eternal Life is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ.
Teaching – John 3 (Nicodemus – “You are Israel’s teacher“) and John 4 (Samaritan Woman at the well had a more direct, personal and transformative interaction with Jesus).
One similarity is the Spirit – John 3 (“Born again of water and the Spirit”) and John 4 Woman at the Well – (“God is Spirit” and we must “worship Him in Spirit and in truth”).
The Holy Spirit (HS) is a Person, one of the Trinity, and He and His role is throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. HS is at work in the Old Testament, the Gospels (the ministry of Jesus), the Book of Acts, and the Epistles (Paul and John). He is also the active agent in the life of a Christian believer.
John 14:15-18 – we know the HS because He lives with us and in us.
John 14:25-26 – The Father sent the HS in Jesus’ Name and He will teach us.
John 15:26-27 – The HS is the Spirit of truth, and He will testify of Jesus.
John 16:13-15 – The HS receives from Jesus and makes it known to us.
To “Give Thanks” means to express gratitude or appreciation towards someone or for something. This expression can be done verbally, through actions, or even symbolically like through prayer or writing (like thank you cards or texts). Giving thanks often implies a sense of humility and acknowledgement of the efforts or help received from others.
When we give thanks to God, it is more than a polite exercise. Giving thanks to God acknowledges Him as our Source for everything and that HE is the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
In essence, giving thanks is an ________________________________.
The Bible often talks about “I will thank you.” “I give thanks.” “I come with thanksgiving.” “I offer thanksgiving.” Giving thanks is an act __________________ to worship Him. It is something that we must ______! (See Psalm 17:7, 28:7, 30:12, 35:18, 95:2, 100:4, 118:28, 132:1-3)
1 Cor. 10:31 – “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Of course, this does not include the things of sin, the flesh, the world, or temptations of the devil.
1 Thess. 5:16-18 – “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Alan spoke last Sunday on Palm Sunday and two important questions we must ask ourselves. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes and links to Scripture he references.
Palm Sunday / Triumphal Entry Sunday / The Beginning of Holy Week
There are two important questions we should ask ourselves:
Who is Jesus?
What kind of Jesus do we really want in life?
the crowd in Jerusalem began the week shouting, “Hosanna!” and ended it shouting, “Crucify Him!” – Jesus wasn’t the Messiah they were expecting.
The people were expecting a Messiah who would save them from Roman oppression – a conquering king on a white horse, rather than a prophet from Nazareth on a donkey (the suffering servant)
He brought a kingdom, not of military might, but a kingdom of:
peace
forgiveness
love
justice
righteousness
They shouted “Hosanna!”
a mix of two words
yasha (defend, deliver, help, preserve, rescue)
na (I beseech, I pray)
“Deliver us” – from Roman oppression
Jesus came for a bigger issue – sin
deliverance from the penalty of sin
by the cross & the resurrection
Jesus gives us so much more!
do you ever feel oppressed, tangled up?
the sin which so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1)
YHWH – breath
the idea in the OT was that salvation was the loosening of things that bind you so that you can breathe more easily.
They wanted a kingdom of earthly power.
Jesus brought a kingdom of heavenly power
the Beatitudes teach us how to live a kingdom life
Alan is back and began his spring/summer teaching by giving a message on Communion and Our Purpose. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes and link to Scripture he references.
Communion & Our Purpose
Intro: The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a tradition that was to be used by fathers to teach their children the important parts of the faith. It can still help us understand our purpose today.
What is the chief end of mankind?
to glorify God & to enjoy Him forever
we glorify Him by enjoying Him
what & who do we love most in life?
to glorify God is to love Him/to enjoy Him more than anything else in life
Terry wrapped up his six-month series with a few messages on Matthew chapter 7. Each of the messages is included below, although one is missing notes (Sorry!). To listen to a message, simply click play on the audio player of the message you’d like to hear. All links will take you to the Scriptures referenced at BibleGateway.
Intro: Matthew 6:33 tells us how to live in God’s peace and rest. When He is our priority, everything else falls into place. It’s not an idle life; we must be disciplined and diligent. All we need to know can be found in the Word and we need to walk that out in our lives. Psalm 139 reminds us that we are continually on the mind of God; He wants you to have Him on your mind continually. To love God is to know His Word.
Review: Judges have the power to set free or condemn. We are able to judge those in the Church; God judges those who are unbelievers. The point of judging is to bring people to repentance.
Hello! I must apologize for taking so long to post these messages (and for the missing message and/or notes). Life gets in the way sometimes, technology fails us, but God is always faithful and good! So here are a few of Terry’s recent messages in his series on True Christianity from the Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew.
True Christianity, pt. 10
Intro: In this section of Scripture, Jesus is going deep on issues to help us be the salt & light – to live an upright life – to manifest true Christianity to those around us. We can’t do this on our own; Christ can do it through us. As Christians, we have to forfeit our rights and take offense without demanding retribution. Taking matters to court makes us just like the world. Don’t lose your witness/testimony over “stuff.” God uses those situations to work in the hearts of unbelievers (Proverbs 25:21-22). Be willing to lose things for the sake of His kingdom.
This is true Christianity. God wants to use you and me to reach the lost, but we have to yield to Him to do that.
Corrie ten Boom & her sister, Betsie, are great examples.
In every aspect of the Christian life, we NEED God.
True Christianity, pt. 11
Intro: It’s easy to love the lovable, but Christ calls us to love our enemies. Romans 5:6-11 says that we used to be God’s enemies, but even while we were His enemies, He died for us. God exhibits His love by action. We must conform to God’s standard, but there’s a wrestling that comes with that conforming (Genesis 32). God will continue to work with us as we yield to Him.
Jesus dealt primarily with doctrine & teachings of the false religious teachers in chapter 5. Now in chapter 6, Jesus will deal with what the false religious teachers were doing.
*Unfortunately, this message did not get recorded, and I was out of town, so there are no notes available. Sorry!
True Christianity, pt. 14
Intro: Jesus is comparing what the Word of God says to what the religious leaders were teaching. We can never meet God’s standard on our own – we need the indwelling Holy Spirit to work in and through us. Luke 19:10 No one is born saved – we are called to salvation & choose to believe, follow, yield. John 14 tells us He went to prepare a place for us (Revelation 21:1-5 describes the place) in eternity. We are in training now for dwelling with Him for eternity – the Sermon on the Mount is part of that training.
The last three messages tell us we need to do things in “secret”: 1) our giving should be glorifying to God, not ourselves; 2) our prayer life should not be about impressing other people; 3) our times of fasting are important to teach us to deny ourselves in order to get in tune with God & allow God to work in us.
Intro: Last week, God was telling us about how the kingdom operates. We need to seek Him first (v. 33). We all have a tendency to worry, but worry saps your joy & puts the focus on your circumstances, instead of on the Lord (v. 34). Romans 5 tells us that the Spirit puts God’s agape love in your heart so you can manifest it back to Him and then extend it to others in His family, to those outside the kingdom, and even to your enemies. Cast your cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7).
Matthew 6:33 – First is a command – seek Him & it will trigger the second part which is a promise – He will be faithful.
What God Says About His Word
The more time you spend in His Word, the more you’ll know/understand.
Hello! Terry has begun a series, entitled “True Christianity,” to explore the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. The first three parts of this series are included below, with both audio and written notes. Praying this series blesses you, whether you can be with us in person or over the internet.
True Christianity, part. 1
Intro: What does true Christianity look like? Jesus tells us.
Jesus’ Ministry Begins
Matthew 4:17 is where Jesus begins to preach (His earthly ministry)
people wanted to know how to get into the Kingdom of God
Pharisees & teachers of the law each set their own standards of external righteousness & requirements were different depending on which teacher you followed (called the “yoke” of the law).
Our life apart from the Lord is like a cup with a big rock in it. That rock is our pride, filling up the cup. We must empty it out (humble yourself) before we can fill it up with Christ.
Matthew 5:4 – mourn over the things God mourns about
the sin in my life
the hell-destined world filled with transgression against a holy God
Last Sunday, Terry continued his flyover of the Book of Revelation by taking us through chapter 8 and into chapter 9. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes and links to verses referenced.
If you’ve missed any of the messages and would like to catch up or hear them from the beginning, check out the archives to the right of this post. Terry began this series in October 2023.
God Is Coming, pt. 9
Introduction: God’s wrath during the Tribulation is because there will be people who will refuse to receive Jesus, and God will have done all He possibly can to soften their hearts. He will always (up until the final moment) give the opportunity to be saved. Many will come to salvation during the Tribulation. God’s people are not appointed to wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Matthew 24 & 25 are a snapshot of the Book of Revelation in Jesus’ own words.
The last Sunday in November in his overview of the Book of Revelation, Terry took us through the end of chapter 6 and all through chapter 7. If you have missed any of these messages and want to hear them from the beginning, check out the archives on the right of this post. The first message was in October 2023. All of the teachings include notes and links to BibleGateway for any Scriptures referenced in his message. Simply click on the audio player below to hear this message. Enjoy!
God Is Coming, pt. 8
Introduction: The entire Bible is the story of Jesus and of God making a way for fallen, sinful man to come back to Him. Isaiah 45:22 – salvation begins by looking (turning) to God. God’s wrath will be poured out on those who reject Jesus.
Review: Revelation 6 begins the time of God’s judgment on rebellion.
We live in a fallen world. This is never more apparent than when something as awful and tragic as a school shooting occurs, but the darkness surrounds us all day, every day, whether we notice it or not.
What is darkness, but the absence of light. And what is light? According to the Word of God, Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12). Therefore, it stands to reason that the darkness in our world is evidence of a lack of Jesus in society.
If we are followers of Jesus, if we believe in Him, have trusted in Him for salvation, have given our lives to Him, He lives within us. We believers, His Church, are the lampstands (Luke 11:33), the cities on a hill (Matthew 5:14), the jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7) that Jesus shines His light through. If we don’t shine His light onto others, how will they ever see it?
Wherever the light of Jesus shines, the darkness can never extinguish it (John 1:5). But one small candle in a stadium of darkness doesn’t feel like it’s making much difference. We need to come together, put aside petty differences and offenses, focus on Jesus and His truth, and combine our lights into one brilliant spotlight, shining Jesus so brightly onto the world around us that they cannot deny His presence. When they see Jesus in us, they will see hope.
Light up a path to Jesus, so that the lost can find their way to Him and know He is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life!
Colona Community Church 