Mt Jewett & Hazel Hurst Global Methodist Churches

06/24/2026

Verse of the Day
Amos 5:24 NLT

Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.

06/24/2026

Following Jesus from the Edges
With a Holy Boldness
Pastor Calvin Cook
June 24, 2026
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:31
I have been praying for a long time for a holy boldness. Not that will elevate me but will honor and glorify God. Not just on certain days or at certain times but all the time. Living in to that is sometimes more difficult than actually doing. And whether you want to admit it, it is tough for you to.
As I continue my deep dive into Acts 4 – I have always loved this 31st verse. That without the Holy Spirit empowering us we can do nothing. We go through life on our own terms and with our own ideas and aspirations. In many instances we loose where we need to be.
This morning as I lingered on this verse a line from a song, I can’t even remember the name of or really any of the other lines paused me. “Walking in Jerusalem, just like John.” I don’t know if the song directly speaks to Acts 3 and 4 and both John and Peter, but I know this morning that I and all of us need that guiding power and authority of the Holy Spirit. We can’t do it on our own !
Of course, this boldness came through prayer, not just by Peter and John but the whole holy fellowship of the Apostles, the Disciples, the followers, and the believers of who Jesus was and is and what Jesus had done and continues to do. Again, not to beat the drum again for Acts 2:42 but the power of prayer was evident in all the early church was doing. They were not just thinking about doing it, or doing it half-heartedly but pausing right there in the midst of life and prayed, wherever they were, whoever they were and prayed wholeheartedly to receive that Holy boldness.
More on prayer later – but are we willing to be that prayer warrior for the move of God in our present day and time regardless of what we are facing.

06/23/2026

VBS starts on MONDAY! Click the link to pre-register! We can't wait to shine a light on Jesus! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrEUBnH2a0B68j_Ee1JLnJYy9nJuKin9aw9APgk2xqLbKBNw/viewform?usp=header

06/23/2026

Having Been With Jesus

Following Jesus from the Edges

Pastor Calvin Cook

June 23, 2026

Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled ordinary men they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

This morning as I read this verse from Acts 4:13 my mind went way back in town 40 plus years. I had just graduated from High School and started my first job about 15 miles from my home.

It was a strange new world. New people. New schedule. New ideas, dreams and hopes. I worked shifts in Howard Johnson on the PA turnpike. I really liked the job but made some new friends who would probably prove to not be the best influence. After work the people I worked with would gather in the parking lot to drink a few beers. I never did more than say a few words and head for home.

One Saturday night as the shift was about to end, one of my co-workers invited me to a keg party, saying it was a good place to party without fear of getting arrested, most were underage. I didn’t say Yes or No but tried to be cordial and cool as he gave me the location and directions to the party.

The place where the party was happening was on my way home. On the drive my mind raced with questions, thoughts, what-ifs, and maybes. As I passed by the road to the party I felt relief. Not that I would miss the opportunity to be with friends but that I chose to go home be safe and follow my gut which I would come to learn later was the Holy Spirit.

The following week at work, the guy who invited me came and asked why I didn’t show up. I remember telling him that I attended church and needed to get home so I could get up the next morning. I probably will never forget his reply “Yeah we thought you were one of those Jesus do-gooders.” From then on, our relationships and conversations were not the same. There was not normal joking, banter, or friendship. I was crushed and hurt. But what took place as the word spread that I was a Jesus do-gooder, others who did believe, spoke up and talked about their faith.

I’m pausing to think this morning – how are we desiring to be recognized? As one who has been with Jesus? Changed? Redeemed? Sanctified? A Disciple? A Follower? Genuine? Authentic? Loving? Kind? Compassionate?

Are we making the write choices that keep us focused on Jesus?

I want to offer this word of encouragement this morning. We are all going to stumble, maybe even walk away from the love of God. But regardless of who we are, where we have been, or what we have done. There is always hope and will always be hope in clinging with all of our life to Jesus.

One keg party could have been the end of that journey. I learned some time later that the keg party got raided by the State Police and several were arrested. The guy from work didn’t share that bit of information but was willing to condemn me and recognize me as having been with Jesus.

06/23/2026

📚✏️ FREE After-School Program at Kane Community Methodist Church! ✏️📚

We're excited to share that our After-School Program will now be offered completely FREE as a ministry of Kane Community Methodist Church! Through the generosity and support of our church family, we are blessed to provide this service to local families at no cost.

This program is open to children in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade and includes:

✅ Care available after school until 5:00 PM each school day
✅ Transportation/walking from school to the church by volunteers and staff
✅ Homework assistance
✅ Snacks and activities
✅ Faith-based lessons in a fun, caring environment

⚠️ Space is limited and enrollment is first come, first served. We encourage families to register as soon as possible before all spots are filled.

📱 Sign up by scanning the QR code on the flyer or by contacting the church office.

📞 For more information, call 814-837-7120.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve children and families in our community and look forward to welcoming your child to this exciting ministry!

06/22/2026

Have You Been to Church or Have You Been with Jesus?

Pastor Calvin Cook

Following Jesus from the Edges

June 22, 2026

We are going to spend some time over the next few days in Acts 4. I am convinced this chapter of the Acts of the Apostles takes us from being casual observers of faith to becoming fully engaged, committed followers of Jesus Christ—regardless of the cost.

As I have lingered in this passage during my personal devotional time, I have found both conviction and grace. I want to encourage you to approach these reflections with an open heart and mind, allowing the Holy Spirit to do a soul-changing work within you.

We pick up where we left off in worship yesterday with the sermon series Holding On. One of the first acts of faithfulness is learning to hold on to Jesus. We remain in the public square, and the discussion continues about the man who had been lame for many years but is now miraculously walking, jumping, and praising God.

Peter and John are brought before the high priest and temple authorities and questioned about what has happened and by whose authority it occurred.

Acts 4:8-12 records Peter's response:

"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: 'Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed... Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.'"

For me, these words summarize everything.

Yet they also raise questions—not about what happened then, but about what is happening now. What is taking place in our lives, our churches, our communities, and even in the spiritual realm we cannot see?

Understanding what it means to be a follower of Jesus—a disciple—requires us to understand what the Church is meant to be. There is an old children's hymn that reminds us, "The church is not a building, the church is the people." Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, many in the modern church have forgotten that truth. We can become like the religious leaders in Acts, more concerned with preserving what makes us comfortable than becoming what Jesus calls us to be—"little Christs" living in His likeness.

Consider this: the man in Acts 3 was healed at the temple gate. In many ways, he was healed at the church door for our benefit. Peter and John introduced him to Jesus. They made it clear that it was in the name of Jesus that the lame man could now walk.

Yet while a man was transformed and thousands were coming to faith, the religious leaders felt threatened. They were losing their grip on what they had come to value more than God Himself. Their focus had become the institution rather than the Savior.

Are you beginning to see the picture?

Acts 4:4 tells us that about 5,000 men believed. Their lives were changed because they witnessed what happens when people hold on to Jesus. They saw the faithfulness of the apostles. They heard the message that "salvation is found in no one else."

All of this happened around the Temple—the physical structure. Yet the power was not in the building. The power was in the Holy Spirit working through people who had been with Jesus.

The same thing is happening around the world today.

In places marked by poverty, persecution, oppression, and fear, the Church is coming alive. Believers gather under trees, in homes, in unfinished buildings, on street corners, and in hidden places. They may have little in terms of resources, but they have Jesus—and the Church is growing.

So let me ask a serious question.

What is happening in our churches today?

Are we merely going to church, or are we being equipped to follow Jesus with our whole lives?

Are we praying in the name of Jesus for the people at the church door?

Are we preaching, teaching, and living as though Jesus truly is the only way?

Are we helping people encounter Christ, or are we simply maintaining institutions?

As Acts 4 unfolds, the religious leaders take note of Peter and John and make an incredible observation:

"They recognized that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)

Perhaps that is the greatest question for us today.

Not simply, "Did you go to church?"

But rather:

Have you been with Jesus?

06/22/2026

Verse of the Day
Psalms 103:13 NLT

The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

06/21/2026

06/21/2026

Verse of the Day
1 John 1:9 NLT

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

06/20/2026

Verse of the Day
2 Corinthians 3:17 NLT

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.