Faithful & True - "5 2 1"

In Matthew 25:14-18, we read the parable of the talents. A man travels to a far country. Since he's going to be away a long time, he calls his servants and entrusts them with his goods according to each one's abilities.

The first man did not go from 5 talents to 10 instantly. There were steps along the way. He may even have experienced some setbacks, but ultimately he gained an additional 5 talents. The man with 2 talents also doubled what he was given. It took effort on their parts to bring increase. They researched, risked, and then obtained a reward.

Now, we have the last fellow, who was given a single talent. Rather than working to bring a profit, he was lazy and lethargic. When he returned the original talent to his master, he was declared wicked and slothful.

God cannot make us faithful. Only we can be faithful. It takes being alert, attentive, and active. Those who achieved growth used what was given to them, paid attention to its development, and were concerned about bringing a profit to the master. They were given positions of rulership because they were faithful. When you use what you have, it multiplies.

To hear the rest of this message, check out the sermon player on our website.

Blog Notes

Our blog administrator will be away next weekend and the following weekend. There will be no posts on Monday and only a sprinkling of posts throughout those two weeks.

Our normal schedule will resume on Monday, June 29, 2009. Thank you for your patience.

Special Events

Brothers Phillip Slaughter and Noel Willis will be here the week of June 21-24. The service schedule is as follows:

Sunday Morning (6/21) - 10:00 A.M.

Sunday Night (6/21) - 6:30 P.M.

Monday-Wednesday Evening - 7:30 P.M.

Quotable Quotes

"Love keeps faith from becoming selfish because love always reaches outward either to God or man." - Billy Joe Daugherty

This Week At Zoe

Wednesday night, 6/10/09, Pastor Steve will still be away. However, a video teaching by Bro. Doug Jones will be shown called, "Quenching the Spirit." Please note that pre-service prayer begins at 6:30 P.M. The service begins at 7:30 P.M.

Next Sunday, come out and worship with us, and listen as Pastor Steve brings the Word. We begin promptly at 10:00 A.M.

After church, we will have our covered dish dinner and church meeting. This will be the last one until October. Usually, during the summer months, we have a church picnic at the Hecht's home instead. Plan on hanging around after the service, and bring a main dish, side dish, and/or dessert (depending on the size of your family). Everything should wind up by 2:30 P.M. It's a great opportunity to fellowship and get to know more about the church. All are welcome!

Sunday Morning Series

Pastor Steve and his son are traveling this week for a special time of hiking, fishing, and guy stuff. Miss Connie shared what the Lord has done in her life, and brought a message on true church growth.

Three keys:

1. Power - When God starts moving in a place - people coming to know Him, getting healed, etc., people will beat a path to the church. When Jesus came to a place, He always drew the multitudes. They knew when He was around needs got met.

2. Prayer- All of the big tent ministries of years gone by relied on a team of
prayer warriors to prepare the way. They knew the importance of prayer.
If we want to see results, we must be a people of prayer.

3. Prosperity - God is a God of increased power and wisdom. He also meets our
financial needs. Why are people in the church wringing their hands and
worrying about finances? He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider.

This message probably won't be on the website until Pastor Steve gets back later in the week. You might want to check next week if you'd like to listen, podcast, or download it to your MP3 player.

Quotable Quotes

"Those who come to discover wisdom and those who come to discover trouble usually find what they are looking for."

"Don't go into situations looking for trouble. Ungrateful people stir up trouble." - Pastor Steve Hecht

Upcoming Event

Brothers Phillip Slaughter and Noel Willis are scheduled to conduct special services the week of June 21-24, 2009. Below are the dates and times:

Sunday Morning (6/21) - 10:00 A.M.
Sunday Evening (6/21) - 6:30 P.M.
Monday - Wednesday Evening - 7:30 P.M.

Quotable Quotes

"Effective faith demands a lifestyle in which you abandon yourself to the Bible." - Creflo Dollar, Jr.

This Week At Zoe

On Wednesday, 6/3/09, at 7:30 P.M., Pastor Steve will teach on the prayer of intercession and the prayer of supplication.

Men's Night Out for June is Friday, June 5th. We've decided to see the new Star Trek movie at the Warrington Regal. Times are listed at 6:50 P.M. and 7:25 P.M. Make sure Pastor Steve has your email address. You will get the final details as we get closer to Friday's showtime. We'll meet at the Regal. Please get there early to allow time to purchase your ticket.

Come out next Sunday, 6/7/09, at 10:00 A.M. for our worship service.

Sunday Series - Faithful & True - Dealing with Selfish People

Selfish people are ungrateful people. They demand much of others, while excusing themselves. On the other hand, unselfish people require less of others and more of themselves.

In Luke 11:29-54 Jesus called the people of his day an evil generation that seeks a sign. Why?

1. They wanted God to demonstrate to them in the way they wanted.
2. They didn't want anything required of them.
3. They wanted things to be given to them.
4. They refused to believe until they got the sign they wanted.

Jesus then spoke about several people. The queen of the south journeyed from a long distance to hear the words of Solomon. She received her request. The men of Ninevah weren't looking to repent, but when they were shown the way, they were receptive.

On the other hand, a Pharisee asked Jesus to dinner. Right away, the Pharisee starts having critical thoughts in his heart. He's looking for trouble instead of being excited and grateful that Jesus came to dinner. He didn't express himself out loud, but Jesus dealt with the situation openly. He didn't ignore the issue.

Then there's Zacchaeus. We're told he was a chief tax collector and very rich, which means he was taking more taxes than he should from the people. Tax collectors were considered great sinners back then. Zach is not a very tall fellow, so he runs ahead of the crowd because he wants to see Jesus. He climbs a tree, so he'll get a good view.

Jesus stops and calls to him. "Hey, Zach, come on down. I'm staying at your house today." Zach is so excited that he shimmies down the tree and receives Jesus with joy. Now, the folks around him aren't too happy. They murmur about Jesus hanging out with tax collectors and sinners. At dinner, Zach tells Jesus he'll return all the money he's taken unlawfully with interest.

Selfish people will try to pull you down. Jesus didn't tiptoe around them. He stirred the pot to bring the heart issues to the surface.

For the entire message, visit our website sermon player. You can also podcast or download it to your MP3. Have a blessed week!