Dear church family:

I want to invite you to GraceAloneColorado. It’s a conference that will be held in Canon City, October 13 &14. Its purpose is to encourage believers and local churches in remaining faithful to the Scriptures and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And there’s always the need to be stirred up – to be encouraged!

Knowing he would soon be put to death for the name of his Lord Jesus Christ, Peter wrote a letter to the local churches he so loved. He wrote to ‘stir them up’ – to remind and encourage them according to the truths he’d already taught them about Christ and the cross (II Peter 1:12-14). He desired them to confirm they truly had been called and chosen by God by pressing on in obedience to Christ.

But with Spirit-wrought foresight, he made certain they had it in accurate written words: “I will be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.”

Peter understood and saw even in his day the deceit that would come from within the church and the opposition that would come from without. The man-humbling, sinner-saving, Christ-alone-exalting Gospel will always be twisted and resisted. Obedience to Christ will invariably be considered either legalistic or not-applicable. Peter, wrote that we will confirm our calling by being ‘stirred up’ by the unchanging truths of Christ. We have everything we need for life and godliness in the true knowledge of Him and we’ll confirm our belief by desiring to consistently live our lives accordingly (II Peter 1:3-11).

Today, I am so grateful for the many pastors and local churches who are faithfully holding forth the Bible for what is – the very word of God (I Thess. 2:13; II Tim. 3:16,17). Around the globe there are countless shepherds, feeding their sheep on true knowledge and instruction. Through the preaching and teaching of the Scriptures, sinners are being brought to faith in Christ and He is having the preeminence in their lives (Col. 1:28). Believers and churches are manifesting love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith (I Tim. 1:5). In other words, pastors and churches are doing what Peter wrote about.

While grateful for that knowledge, I also grieve over much of what passes for Christianity today. Much is a fancy façade with no power, at worst a diabolical delusion. Just this past week thousands responded in shock and derision when a group of Christian leaders released a statement reminding Christ’s people of the unchanging biblical standard for sexuality and marriage. The unbeliever’s response was understandable, but those professing faith in Christ who denounced the Nashville Statement confirmed Paul’s words to Timothy. In the last days there will be a form of religion but they will deny its power (II Tim. 3).

So I want, and I’m guessing you do as well, to be in the camp who stir one another up by way of reminder of what’s revealed in the Bible. I want to be part of that group who don’t require special lighting, yippy-skippy music, or comedic preaching to motivate us. But rather, we want to be those who grow in the knowledge of our Lord, those who do not throw away their confidence in the faith once delivered to the all the saints.

That’s why several pastors and local churches are sponsoring GraceAloneColorado Conference. It’s a conference intended to encourage churches and believers in the Rocky Mountain region. This year, the theme is: This We Believe. Several pastors will be speaking on the ‘Five Solas: Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, Glory of God Alone. It will be October 13 & 14 at Canon Community Baptist Church in Canon City. Details are at www.gracealonecolorado.com. There’s also a poster in the church foyer.

Please plan to attend. Please invite. Please pray! Please consider giving (you can make a check out to GraceAloneColorado and give it to Jim Phillips, conference treasurer. Or you can donate on the secure website). If you have questions feel free to contact me.

Thanking Him for you,

Pastor Tedd