107 Coldren Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15904, United States
Upcoming Sermons & Devotional Message
April Sermons 2026
4-5 - Easter Sunday Service - “The First Day”
John 20:1-10 John 20:11-16
4-12 - The Other Road”
Luke 24:1-14 Luke 24:27-35
4-19 - “Jesus and the Doubter”
John 20:24-29 John 20:30-31
4-26- “ Redemption”
John 21:1-14 John 21:15-19
Devotional Message : These will change 1-2 times a week. Stop by often to read the new message.
HOLY WEEK: Saturday—The Day to Say “BUT GOD…”
“BUT GOD is my King from long ago; he brings SALVATION on the earth.” (Psalm 74:12)
“But” is one of my favorite words in the Bible. This simple, three-letter conjunction often introduces the message of the gracious intervention of God. Throughout Scripture, we see “BUT GOD”—or “BUT CHRIST”—or “BUT WHEN…” Something was lost, BUT NOW it’s found. Someone was blind, BUT NOW they see. Someone was dead, BUT NOW they’re alive. There was no way, BUT GOD made a way. This simple term captures the nature of God—who redeems, resurrects, and makes all things new. All seems lost and then we hear, “BUT GOD”—and He intervenes. He saves.
Today is Holy Saturday—the day between the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s a day we ponder what it must have been like when all who had followed the Son of God had their hopes crushed and dreams dashed on Calvary. Jesus was dead. The movement was finished. The Kingdom was crushed. Hope was lost. Fear was rampant. Grief fell—and death reigned—BUT GOD. Death was conquered by death.
Fifty-one days later, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the first sermon of the Christian Church. After he described how the Jewish leaders had conspired with the Romans to crucify Jesus, Peter said,
“BUT GOD raised him from the dead…” (Acts 2:24)
“But God” is a declaration of faith that, come what may, we believe God is at work. No matter what the situation—God is at work. No matter what the diagnosis—God is at work. No matter what the headlines say—God is at work. No matter what the circumstances—God is at work. No matter what you are up against—God is at work. BUT GOD—is a declaration of faith and belief.
If you are a Christian, you realize both a “but God” and an “in order that” moment. As Paul explained to the Ephesians, “but God” is the story for every believer:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:1-6)
Peter and Paul—you and I—everyone whom God has rescued—also have an "IN ORDER THAT"—a purpose in Christ. God redeemed us not just from something, but to something. Not just from our past, but toward a future with hope that we must share.
As Christ-followers, we must not only be thankful for our “but God” salvation from something, but also fulfill our “in order that” purpose of salvation to something. That means:
- Soccer moms and dads are not saved in order that they might just sit on sidelines. They are saved in order that they might share Jesus and offer hope to other soccer moms, dads, and kids.
- Businesspersons are not saved to build their own kingdoms. They are saved in order that they might share Jesus with their colleagues—and so that He will be honored in their work.
- Individuals of any age and station are not saved so that they might pursue comfort and security. They are saved in order that their witness draws people to Jesus.
- We are not saved so we can hang out with other Jesus-followers in a holy huddle all the time. We are saved in order that our neighbors and friends might come to know Jesus—also be called out of darkness and into marvelous light.
On this day, before we celebrate the ultimate “BUT GOD” moment of all time, remember your own moments. Thank God for what you have been SAVED FROM—and ponder what you have been SAVED TO.
Bishop Jeff Greenway
HOLY WEEK: Friday - A Crown of Thorns—A Strange and Hurtful Gift
Jesus had endured a brutal, sleepless night. He’d been arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane—and dragged around the walls of Jerusalem to the house of the High Priest, Caiaphas. The Gospels tell us that after the Chief Priest accused Him of blasphemy, they took Jesus to the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate. They sent Him to Pilate because the Jews did not have the authority to put Him to death—besides, the Sabbath was about to begin and they needed to remain “clean” to go to Temple.
After being questioned the first time by Pilate, Luke’s Gospel tells us Jesus was shipped off to King Herod—because Pilate could tell Jesus wasn’t the problem and had done nothing to deserve execution. This was a “Jewish” problem—so Pilate's thought was to let Herod, the actual king of the Jews, deal with Jesus. Herod was intrigued with Jesus, but he ultimately sent Him back to Pilate.
Pilate could find nothing about Jesus deserving of a death sentence, but the crowd was insistent. Pilate even gave them the choice between releasing an innocent Jesus or a known insurrectionist named Barabbas as a favor to the Passover crowd—but the crowd, spurred on by the religious leaders, demanded the release of Barabbas. Pilate then asked the crowd what should be done with Jesus, the King of the Jews—and they shouted, “Crucify him!” Pilate washed his hands—saying he was innocent of the impending death of Jesus—and sent Jesus away to be crucified.
“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. 'Hail, king of the Jews!' they said.” (Matthew 29:27-29)
Did you catch that? The Roman soldiers twisted a crown of thorns, then pressed it into Jesus’ scalp. Nothing is contained in the scriptures by accident—rather, all of it has deep meaning that's often unlocked in God’s time. I understand the “crown” being a mockery of Jesus being “king” of the Jews, but why a crown of thorns?
I believe the thorns on Christ’s brow point back—both quietly and loudly—to the chastening of Adam when God told him that even the ground would share in the curse of his sin—that thorns and thistle (briars) would now appear (Genesis 3:17-19). What potent imagery, therefore, as the Lamb hung there on that cross, His atoning blood was coagulating around three of the very things symbolizing why He needed to come: 1) thorns, 2) twistedness, and 3) man-made crowns.
To miss the “why” of those thorns—so profoundly and unmistakably connected to the curse of Eden—is to miss much. Plus, if our Lord Himself volitionally stooped to ride a donkey and don a crown of thorns, why would we ever think we’re entitled to a parade and a crown of roses? Christ knew thorns too well. That should give us some measure of assurance as we’re enduring ours.
People all around are wrestling with what John of the Cross called “the dark night of the soul”—life is difficult while the peace of God seems distant. Those suffering in Ukraine—those fighting cancer—terminal diagnoses—miscarriages—Covid-related angst—failed relationships—job loss—fading hope—false accusations—lack of trust—and denominational subterfuge. Some of us may have been spared from the ravages of such pain, but we’re guaranteed to bump up against others who are struggling.
For more than three decades, four incurable diseases plagued the poet Martha Snell Nicholson. But she never once wallowed in self-pity, and instead channeled her agony as an opportunity to identify more with Christ. Her words are powerful and stunning. I pray they might provide some much-needed perspective and comfort for those who struggle.
THE THORN
I stood a mendicant of God
before His royal throne
And begged him for one priceless gift,
which I could call my own.
I took the gift from out His hand,
but as I would depart
I cried, “But Lord this is a thorn
and it has pierced my heart.
This is a strange, a hurtful gift,
which Thou hast given me.”
He said, “My child, I give good gifts
and gave My best to thee.”
I took it home and though at first
the cruel thorn hurt sore,
As long years passed I learned at last
to love it more and more.
I learned He never gives a thorn
without this added grace,
He takes the thorn to pin aside
the veil which hides His face.
May Jesus be close to you this Good Friday—even when feeling the thorns.
Bishop Jeff Greenway
HOLY WEEK: Thursday—The Strength to Surrender
It’s Thursday of Holy Week. This day is memorable because it is when Jesus SURRENDERED His will to God’s will. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed:
“Abba, Father,” he [Jesus] said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36)
Sometimes, people think of SURRENDER in terms of defeat and loss—but is it possible SURRENDER can also be a sign of great power and incredible strength?
Jesus was anything but weak. Even battered and bleeding, Jesus wasn't forced to carry His cross to suffer and die for our sins. Not really. Yes—Judas betrayed, Peter denied, and the rest of the disciples deserted Jesus. Yes—the Jews arrested, and the crowd condemned Jesus. Yes—Pilate ordered the crucifixion, and Roman soldiers scourged and nailed Him to the cross. That’s all true—but before any of those things happened, Jesus willingly SURRENDERED His life in an act of unquestioned faith and courage. Jesus wasn’t crucified as an impotent, defeated, weakened teacher—He was crucified as the all-powerful, soon-to-be-victorious, mighty King who chose to SURRENDER His life for our salvation.
As the hour grew late and their dinner came to a conclusion, Jesus took His disciples back out of the city to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is one of my favorite places to visit in modern-day Israel. Today, the Church of All Nations is built over the Rock of Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane—where tradition says Jesus wrestled with God in prayer. It’s the place of His SURRENDER.
There’s an olive grove right next to the church with 2- to 3-thousand-year-old olive trees that stand vigil over the place as surviving sentinels of the night—marking where Jesus SURRENDERED His life for us. It was called Gethsemane—which means “olive press.” This is the place where olives were crushed to yield the purest oil—the first of which was used in the Temple for worship. Jesus was about to be “crushed”—and His life would yield the purest sacrifice to God.
As we read this story in the Gospel of Mark chapter 14, all the forces are in play that would result in Jesus’ crucifixion the next morning. But Jesus wasn’t powerless that night. Yes—Judas was on his way with the Temple guards ready to betray. Yes—Jesus would be bound, dragged, kicked, and beaten on His way to the High Priest Caiaphas’ house. Yes—Jesus would spend the night being shuffled from the Sanhedrin to King Herod and eventually to the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. Yes—by all outward appearances, Jesus looked powerless—but He wasn’t.
Jesus didn’t want to die. As the anguish of what was coming was wrecking Him, Jesus prayed. Jesus was racked with fear—and He prayed. He was tempted with self-preservation—and He prayed. Jesus was overcome with anguish and grief—and He prayed. He was crushed by the weight of walking the way of the cross—and He prayed. Jesus—the Son of God—had all the power in this world and the next at His disposal. He could’ve called an army of angels to come to His rescue—yet, He PRAYED and SURRENDERED His will to His Father’s will. And as a result, He’s more in control than we could ever imagine.
Jesus knew the next 12 hours would unleash the cruelty of the human condition on His life. Jesus knew Judas would betray, Peter would deny, and the remaining disciples would desert Him. He knew He would be tried, beaten, and crucified. He knew He would have the iniquity of the human family poured into His sinless soul. Jesus knew—and in His humanity, He asked God to “let this cup pass" from Him.
Jesus also knew there was no other way. He knew He was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. He knew the purpose of His coming would be fulfilled on the cross. He knew there was no other way to redeem and restore the human family. Jesus knew—and in His divinity, He said, “Abba (which means “Daddy”)—not my will, but your will be done.”
Some people say Jesus laid down His life on the cross the next day—but I would contend He SURRENDERED HIS LIFE that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He spent the next 12 hours living into the consequences of that decision.
Jesus wasn’t powerless in the garden—He was powerful. He wasn’t a victim—but He would become a victor. He wasn’t losing His purpose—but He was fulfilling it. He reminds us redemption begins with SURRENDER. Jesus was in absolute control over everything that happened that night. He allowed it—and do you know why? Because you are worth it! He did everything He did—for you. How will you respond? Your redemption begins with THE STRENGTH TO SURRENDER. Are you willing to SURRENDER to JESUS?
Bishop Jeff Greenway
HOLY WEEK: Wednesday—The Art (or Fallacy) of Deflection
Yesterday, it almost seemed like Jesus was picking a fight with the religious leaders—and today, we see their reaction.
Have you ever noticed how, when we get uncomfortable in a conflict, we tend to deflect attention by exploiting disagreements? This happens when we experience conviction. We’ll often shift attention from ourselves to what we find wrong about the person who's pressing us. It’s called DEFLECTION. We shift attention from ourselves to the one who makes us uncomfortable.
We see this in the Gospel of Mark chapter 12:
"Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words." (Mark 12:13)
The Chief Priests, scribes, Herodians, Pharisees, and Sadducees all tried to PRACTICE THE ART OF DEFLECTION. They assumed that if they could shift attention from themselves and trap Jesus, it would restore their credibility and power as they killed the messenger. But Jesus avoided getting trapped by “religious” differences.
So—the religious leaders tried to trap Jesus by asking Him questions about a variety of hot topics. They started by asking Him about paying taxes—which the average Jew hated but the Sadducees supported. Jesus didn’t take the bait, and refocused the attention on them when He said, “Give to Caesar (the Roman Emperor) the things that are Caesar’s and give to God the things that are God’s.” What belongs to God? Our hearts and lives. What belongs to Caesar or the government? The way we often keep score in life—money.
Then the religious leaders tried to deflect Jesus by asking Him a question about the resurrection—about which the Pharisees and Sadducees already disagreed. Jesus doesn’t take the bait, but He reminded them God is the God of the living and not the dead by referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—whom they all believed still lived. Besides, He would show the world the reality of His resurrection in less than a week.
Then they tried to get Jesus involved in Bible trivia—asking Him about the greatest commandment (which the teachers of the law debated all the time). Jesus avoided the trap by boiling the essence of the entire Old Testament down to two phrases—love God and love your neighbor.
If Jesus had allowed Himself to get caught in any of these traps, the crowd would’ve become distracted away from Him by their petty disagreements. Jesus teaches us: DON’T MAJOR ON THE MINORS. We sometimes allow minor things to become major issues—especially in making the shift from practicing religion to accepting God’s offer of relationship. We fall into the trap of majoring on minor things: like Catholic vs. Protestant—traditional vs. contemporary—organ vs. guitar—dunkers vs. sprinklers—wine vs. grape juice at communion—and the various opinions about every social issue from global warming to gun control. And when we do, we get distracted from Jesus.
After avoiding the DEFLECTION into minor religious disputes, Jesus poked the bear—He appeared to pick a fight. He crossed the line by deliberately calling out the teachers of the law. Jesus said,
“Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely” (Mark 12:38-40).
This passage reminds me of the day Jesus went to the Temple and sat down across from the offering boxes. He and His disciples were watching “the show.” The Pharisees prayed loud, self-serving, manipulative prayers. The Sadducees loudly emptied bags of coins into the offering boxes to show their generosity. The religious leaders looked the part—but Jesus wasn’t impressed with their flowing robes and self-centered religion. Then Jesus saw a widow slip in the side door and drop two small coins in the offering box out of her weathered hand. No one else noticed her—but to Jesus, those two coins sounded like crashing cymbals because she’d given all she possessed. The contrast between self-centered religion and humble faith were evident.
Imagine how you’d feel if you were one of those religious leaders? You have a reputation. You’ve worked yourself to the top of your game. You’ve devoted your life to practicing your religion and keeping God's law as you understand it—and this popular, upstart rabbi’s calling you out! We know how they reacted—they killed the messenger.
But, before we skip past this, let’s ask ourselves: what would Jesus call out in your life? What sin? What attitude? What mindset? What privilege? Selfishness? Spiritual arrogance? What do you do when Jesus calls you out? Do you deflect Him? Do you ignore Him? Or—do you crucify Him all over again?
It’s my prayer we’ll listen to Jesus. Don’t DEFLECT. Don’t kill the messenger.
Bishop Jeff Greenway
HOLY WEEK: Tuesday—Face to Face with Conflict
Jesus knew exactly what He started in the Temple the previous day—CONFLICT. The Jewish leaders wanted to preserve their religion. Their careers depended on it. But Jesus was offering a direct relationship with God. They were on a collision course. The next day:
“They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. ‘By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?’” (Mark 11:27, 28)
On Tuesday of Holy Week, the religious leaders struggled with a question with which we too often struggle: “Who’s in charge?” As Jesus walked into the temple courts, the Chief Priests, teachers of the law, and Elders came to Him wanting to know, “By what authority are you doing these things?” “Who gave you authority to do this?” Power is a seductive thing. We never really understand how seductive until we’ve had some, and then someone tries to take it away. Jesus was messing with the power and authority of the religious leaders—and they demanded to know who He thought He was!
The tension was thick that morning. Their power was threatened—and then Jesus told them a story. I love a good story, don’t you? This is called the parable of the WICKED TENANTS. It’s a not-so-subtle indictment of the religious leaders. Jesus began:
“A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place” (Mark 12:1).
The man in this story is God. The vineyard is Israel and its people, and the farmers or tenants are the religious leaders of the Temple. God’s given them everything they need to be fruitful. Remember, that’s all God asks of us—to BE FRUITFUL.
Jesus continued:
“At harvest time he [the man] sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed” (Mark 12:2-5).
Jesus was referring to prophets whom the leaders of God's people mistreated and even killed. They knew their history. The prophet Isaiah was put in a log and cut in two by King Manasseh—the prophet Amos was tortured and killed by a priest—the prophet Zechariah was murdered near the altar of the Temple—Micah was killed by King Jehoram—and John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod. God had sent messenger after messenger, but the people, led by the priests, wouldn’t listen to the message and repent. So—they killed the messengers.
Jesus then said:
“He [the man] had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard” (Mark 12:6-8).
Jesus is the Son, whom they will reject, condemn, and crucify in the next three days. The seeds of this action had already taken root in the hearts of the religious leaders. They were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus.
Jesus said:
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others” (Mark 12:9).
Jesus was saying God’s judgment is coming—and the religious leaders would lose the vineyard (God’s Kingdom). Why? Because they were rejecting Jesus.
By the time Jesus finished telling the story, He was a clear and apparent threat to the religious establishment—and was FACE TO FACE WITH CONFLICT.
The religious leaders couldn’t see God’s authority standing right in front of them, and it blinded them to their own sin. Which makes me wonder: do we ever do the same thing? Who has the ultimate authority in your life? We say Jesus is Savior and Lord—but the way we prioritize our lives often reveals something else. We say we trust Jesus—but we waffle when life gets difficult and obedience is inconvenient. We say Jesus is the Living Word—until His teaching messes with our choices and preferences, and we ignore Him. We say Jesus can have our hearts—until He asks us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, turn the other cheek, or forgive that extra-grace-required person—AGAIN!
Who’s in charge of your life? Who has the ultimate authority in the way you live? I want it to be Jesus—but sometimes I fail. How about you? Perhaps there’s a little rebellion in us, too. Pay attention to Jesus this week, my friends!
Bishop Jeff Greenway
HOLY WEEK: Monday—Cleansing the Temple
Why did Jesus need to cleanse the temple? According to traditional Jewish law, animal sacrifices were necessary to atone for sin. Money changers were a regular sight in the Temple as a convenience to the people—but in Jesus' time, these money changers charged exorbitant exchange fees. They also set inflated prices for doves, pigeons, cattle, and sheep to sacrifice. People knew their sins needed to be atoned for, but their pocketbooks couldn’t afford it. God never intended people to pay for atonement for their sins, and Jesus saw that the money-changing “business” was keeping people from atonement.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus cleanses the Temple on Monday of the last week of His life (see Matthew 21:12-17). The account begins like this:
“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” (Matthew 21:12)
When Jesus entered the Temple, He expected to see people praying for their needs and praising God for His provision. Instead, He saw a marketplace where people were profiting from animals to be sacrificed—which had become an obstacle to forgiveness. He saw greed and people being taken advantage of. He became angry, made a whip from some cords, and chased the greedy salespeople from the Temple. Jesus turned tables over and scattered coins over the floor. His Temple was never meant for that. His disciples remembered the Scriptures said that passion for God’s house will consume Him (Psalm 69:9).
The religious leaders didn’t understand what Jesus was doing. Later that week, Jesus told those same religious leaders that He could rebuild the Temple in three days if they destroyed it! Those leaders had only the thought of the physical building of the Temple in mind, which had taken forty-six years to build. But Jesus meant the Temple of His own body and the following of those who would believe in Him over centuries. All of it was more than the religious establishment could bear—Jesus had to go, and those same religious leaders would plot to have Him crucified. When the disciples thought back to this event after Jesus’ resurrection, they realized how synchronized the Scriptures and Jesus’ teachings were.
We can learn four lessons from Jesus' cleansing of the temple:
1. ALWAYS PRAY AND PRAISE: We should pray and praise when we’re in the House of the Lord. And since we’re the New Testament version of the Temple, we should pray and praise every day of our lives—no matter where we are. Don’t allow other things to get between you and the worship of God.
2. PEOPLE BEFORE MONEY: Helping those who are hurting and praying for help means much more than making money. Donations to churches are important to keep them operating, and they need to operate to equip Jesus followers to live lives of faith. These efforts, however, shouldn’t be put above helping people.
3. THE REAL TEMPLE IS YOU: When you accept Jesus as your Savior, He deposits His Spirit in your heart. Imagine—the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of you! Live like it! Separate yourself from faithless, sinful living. Live differently. Live righteously. Live for the Lord. Just as Jesus didn’t like the corruption of the money changers in His Temple, He also doesn’t like when we allow the pollution of this world to get inside of us. Take care of the temple of your body that houses the Holy Spirit.
You wouldn’t walk into a beautiful cathedral and throw fast-food wrappers all over the floor. In the same way, protect your body, mind, and spirit and keep them as healthy as possible.
4. BE AWARE OF GOD’S RIGHTEOUS ANGER: God’s compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and plentiful in mercy as He waits for us to stop our rebellion and come to Him for forgiveness and hope. He doesn’t want anyone to perish, but He won’t wait forever. Someday Jesus will return. No one knows when, but He will return. On that day, full and complete justice will prevail. If you're in Christ, that day will be a glorious day! But if you’re not, judgment will come.
We need to get to work applying these lessons in our lives because we know the time is coming when Jesus will change everything. In the meantime, Jesus cleanses the temple of our hearts every day. Shine His light while there's still hope for all to repent. Spread His Good News while there’s still time to respond. He’s coming soon—so blessed are those who hear and obey His word.
As we journey through Holy Week, I encourage you to allow Jesus to cleanse you.