Quotable Quotes

"If you go into battle again after losing, go in with everything you've got."

- Pastor Stephen Hecht

Church Picnic

Next Sunday, instead of a covered dish dinner, we will have a Church picnic at the home of the Hechts. Bring a side dish, salad, and/or a dessert. We'll take care of the meats for the grill.

We will head over to the house right after church. The pool will be open, so bring your bathing suits and towels. We expect to end about 5:00-6:00 P.M. Come out for a fun time of fellowship. For directions or more information, talk to Pastor Steve or Connie.

Quotable Quote

"Need is not what moves God: faith does.

Vain repetitions do not move God: faith does.

Much speaking does not move God: faith does."

- Charles Capps

This Week at Zoe

Wednesday, 7/29/09, at 6:30 P.M., join us for pre-service prayer.

Mid-week service, 7/29/09, begins at 7:30 P.M. Pastor will show a special video from In Touch Ministries on our founding fathers and the strong beliefs they had in God. This is one history lesson you won't soon forget.

The Youth Group will meet during the Mid-week service, at 7:30 P.M. Invite your friends!

Sunday Morning Series - Reigning in Life - Taking or Taken?

We are either taking new ground in our Christian walk, or ground is being taken from us.

One of the Israelites disobeyed God and took stuff from Jericho that was set apart to God. When they came to tiny Ai, the spies reported this enemy could be easily defeated. They recommended Joshua only send a few thousand into battle.

They were shocked when they were defeated, with a number of lives lost. Scripture reports that their hearts melted. Joshua goes before the Lord and sounds very much like the Israelites. His prayer was more fear than asking God what went wrong or seeking wisdom. God took a rather dim view of his attitude and ordered Joshua to, "Get up." The sin of one man had doomed them to destruction. They needed to remedy the situation and go out against Ai.

When Joshua was charged with leading the people, he was repeatedly told not to be afraid or dismayed. Apparently, this was a weakness. After they repented, and dealt with the sin in the camp, they went against Ai with a full contingent of soldiers. They didn't leave anything to chance.

Did you know the devil doesn't care if you pray? However, if you pray in faith, he sits up and takes notice. You become dangerous to his kingdom. Long, wordy prayers get us into fear and doubt.

We're to be on guard! II Corinthians 10:3-5

1. Guard your thoughts.

2. Guard your words.

3. Guard your actions.

To listen to the full message, check out the sermon player, podcast, or download it to your MP3 player from our website. If you're looking for a church home or visiting in the area, you'll always find a welcome at Zoe Christian Fellowship. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), Warrington, PA. For more information, call (215) 343-7686.

Men's Breakfast

The Men's Breakfast is Saturday, 7/25/09, at 8:00 A.M. Bring a breakfast item/dish and your Bible. We meet in the Children's Church.

Guest Speaker - Sister Helen Trowbridge - Part II

On Saturday morning, 7/18/09, the women gathered for breakfast and a feast from the Word of God.

Sister Helen's text was John 21:1-14. It's the story of the disciples going back to their fishing after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. They're doing all the things they know to do as fisherman. They're out at the right time of day. Their nets are ready, but they're not catching any fish.

Meanwhile, Jesus is on the shore. He instructs them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. When their nets are filled, Peter declares, "It is the Lord." He pulls on his garment and swims toward the shore. The others head back in the boat.

When you're going through hard times, it seems like an eternity. You wonder when this is going to end. We expect Jesus to come into our situation the same way He did before. He comes with questions. What have you learned through this situation? Then He has instructions. If what you're doing isn't working, do something new.

In what areas can we do something new?

Bible reading - instead of reading one chapter, read two.

Prayer

Praise - the level of my praise determines the level of my victory.

Do something new in your giving.

Plant in famine - giving of myself by writing a note, handing a single mom
$20.00, inviting a single person or widow to dinner.

When we press our way into the Master, we'll find He's been there all along with provision for our every need.

This Week At Zoe

Pre-service prayer begins at 6:30 P.M. Midweek service starts at 7:30 P.M. Pastor Steve continues the, "God's Boot Camp," series.

The Youth Group meets this Wednesday Night during the midweek service at 7:30 P.M. Come out and invite your friends.

Guest Speaker - Sister Helen Trowbridge - Part I

Sister Helen Trowbridge ministered to the women on Friday night, 7/17/09, and Saturday morning, 7/18/09. What she shared blessed us, so we're giving you a few highlights from her message here on the blog.

Her text Friday night was Philippians 4:10-13. Contentment is a calm and satisfied spirit, an abiding peace knowing God has your back.

Don't let the 10% ruin the 90%. Discontentment will destroy your life.

In the Old Testament, Sarah was a beautiful woman, married to a husband who loved her, and they were wealthy. She had everything she wanted except one thing: a child. Although God promised them a son, she was determined to get what she wanted, the way she wanted. The result: Conflict that still exists today between two half brothers.

What causes discontentment?

Unrealistic expectations - nothing in this life is perfect.

Ungratefulness - instead of being thankful for the good things, we gripe and
complain about the 10% or 20% that isn't up to our standards.

Seeking things rather than God - It's only the Giver that brings contentment.

Selfishness - life revolves around us.

Seeking appreciation from man-It might give you a momentary thrill, but it's
never enough.

How do we live a life of contentment?

We're told to rejoice in the Lord. Life a life of praise. Take opportunities
to rejoice. Be gentle - let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord knows your every need. With prayer and supplications, let your requests be made known to God. Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

We can focus on the 10% and be miserable or rejoice in the 90% that's good. It's our choice.

Sunday Morning Series - Reigning in Life - What We Face Most

Fear is something we all encounter in our lives. Did you know that we are told over and over in scripture not to fear or be afraid? Matthew 10:26-31, Luke 12:7 & 32, Revelation 2:10, Luke 1:13 & 30, Luke 2:10, Luke 5:10, Acts 18:9, and many others say, "fear not." So, if we're giving in to fear, we're disobeying God.

In Mark 4:40, Jesus asks the disciples a question. "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith." From this we see that fear is the opposite of faith. If God tells us not to fear, then fear is a decision.

Fear is an expectation of loss or gain. It is something dreaded. We feel vulnerable or afraid of exposure. If I have no knowledge of a particular danger, I don't know to fear it. The knowledge, not the truth of the knowledge, is all that matters. The Patriarch Jacob thought Joseph was dead, so he was afraid to send Benjamin to Egypt. Even though Jacob's knowledge was not true, he believed it and feared.

Ephesians 4:26-27 tells us not to give place to the devil. My enemy is not the fear, but the one who sows the expectation contrary to God's Word.

For the full message, visit our website. You can listen via the sermon player, download it onto your MP3, or podcast. Learn the dynamics of how fear operates and how to have victory over it.

Children's Church Picnic

Parents and teachers mark your calendars! On Saturday, July 25, 2009, from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M., our annual Children's Church Picnic will be held at Mayer Way Park in Warwick.

Quotable Quotes

"Stop looking at where you have been and start looking at where you are going." - Mike Murdock

Calling All Women - Special Meetings With Helen Trowbridge

On Friday, July 17, 2009, at 7:30 P.M., Helen Trowbridge will be our guest speaker. Helen ministered to the women last year, and left all of us hungering for more. This time we're blessed to have her for two meetings instead of one.

On Saturday morning, July 18, 2009, at 10:00 A.M., she will speak at our Women's Breakfast. Bring a breakfast dish, your Bible, and an open heart to receive all God has for you. If you have any questions, see Connie or call the church office at
(215) 343-7686.

To read more about Helen, check out her website.

This Week At Zoe

Wednesday evening, 6:30 P.M., we will have prayer before the mid-week service.

The Midweek service will begin at 7:30 P.M. Pastor Steve will teach on Matthew 18, and expound on what "binding and loosing" is all about.

The Youth will meet in the Children's Church area during the Midweek service. Come out and bring your friends!

The Men's Breakfast has been postponed until Saturday, July 25th, due to the special meetings for the women with guest speaker, Helen Trowbridge. (See tomorrow's blog post with information on those meetings.)

Sunday Morning Series - Reigning in Life - Enemies of the Kingdom

When Saul first became king, he had enemies. People had certain expectations of their kings. The job description included judging and fighting enemies. How did kings accomplish these tasks? (I Samuel 8:19-20)

A) Identify the enemy

B) Understand their methods

C) Know your weapons/strengths

When facing the enemy, it does not help to hide. This only strengthens the enemy's position and weakens yours. God anoints kings for battle. What do we mean by the anointing?

Think of swimming in the ocean. Currents fight against you, and often you don't make much progress. If you catch a wave, that wave will carry you a distance you could never swim. The anointing is like that wave. It gives you a supernatural ability to accomplish what would otherwise be impossible.

When facing the enemy, we must be bold. Saul got righteously angry, and God anointed him to defeat the enemy. In our lives, righteous anger against sickness, disease, and everything else coming to kill, steal, and destroy will help us be victorious.

One thing we want to emphasize. This does not mean we avoid doctors. Wherever our faith level is, whether it's to believe God alone or trust God to use the doctors, is fine. We don't run and hide from illness or disease, but confront it.

Listen to the full message on the website and learn how God wants you to be victorious over fear and every other enemy in your life. You have a choice of the sermon player, podcasting, or downloading it to your MP3.

If you live nearby, we invite you to worship with us on Sunday morning at 10:00 A.M. We are located at 1111 Easton Rd., Warrington, PA 18976. For further information, call (215) 343-7686.

Announcements

There is a family in the Doylestown area, which needs a ride to church. There are 3 adults, twin boys, and a baby. If anyone can help with a ride, talk to Pastor Steve on Sunday.

Don't forget to turn off your Cell Phone or at least put it into silent mode during the service. Thank you!

If you missed any of the meetings last week with Brothers Phillip and Noel, you can get CD's of any or all of the services. The whole series in a CD holder is $21.00, or $3.00 for each individual service. We have some of the CD's done for this week, but the final service will take a little time to piece together.

Men's Night Out

This Friday night (7/10/09)is the Men's Night Out. Keith is looking into a possible Phillies game. This would be an ideal father/son outing. Make sure you check with Keith or Pastor Steve before you leave.

Quotable Quotes

"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself." - Thomas Paine

This Week At Zoe

Wednesday night, 7/8/09, at 7:30 P.M., Pastor Steve looks at the principles involved in what we can "Bind or Loose" in prayer. Come out for this thought-provoking message.

Wednesday night (7/8/09), the children, youth, and teachers are requested to be at the church at 6:15 PM. The team will be going out to distribute postcards into the Willow Knoll community. Others who would like to help can see Gladys or Phyllis.

During that same timeframe, we will have prayer before the evening service for those not participating in the outreach.

Sunday Morning Series - Reigning in Life - Called to Reign

Text: Romans 5:12-21

Sin entered the human race through Adam and spread to all. Every person is infected with the sin nature. Many people think they do not need forgiveness because they've never murdered anyone or robbed a bank. Yet scripture tells us that sin was the doorway for death. And we all die.

Have you every wondered why Jesus had to be born of a virgin? If he had an earthly father, he would have been born under the curse because the sin nature is passed on through the man. So, the virgin birth is crucial to God's great rescue plan.

The results of what has come to you can tell you its source. God gives us life, justification, and liberty, while sin brings destruction. We've got to get rid of the mentality that when something goes wrong it's our fault. This thinking gets us so self-focused we lose sight of what Jesus did.

With these foundational truths in mind, check out the website sermon player or download the message to your MP3 and find out answers to the following questions:

1. How do I give sin permission to operate in my life?

2. Have I been freed from sickness?

3. Have I been freed from fear?

4. Have I been freed from depression?

5. How do I live in the freedom Christ purchased for me on the cross?

Life Principle

Too many Christians own nothing of spiritual value. They do ministry, but they don't possess it. Some don't because their focus is on the ministry that's coming, not the one they're in right now. Others haven't found anything they think is interesting.

REMEMBER! We are not building our kingdom. We are building His kingdom!

Thank You

Thanks to all of you who made the meetings a priority! Many arranged vacation times, work schedules, and took off work to be here.

We appreciate those who helped set up, clean up, prepare worship, and all the various tasks needed.

Quotable Quotes

"God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, and acts with a hand that never fails." - Anonymous

this Week At Zoe

On Wednesday, 7/1/09, at 7:30 P.M., Pastor Steve continues the series, "God's Boot Camp." The sub-topic of prayer is being covered.

Please note that pre-service prayer begins at 6:30 P.M.