Sunday Morning Series - Reigning in Life - Can Anyone Help?

I Timothy 3:1-13, I Samuel 22:1-2, and I Samuel 23:1-5 were the texts for Sunday's message. Pastor Steve continued with his teaching on subversiveness.

Last week, we looked at the traits of subversive people. They exalt themselves, work to include and exclude certain people, and have a hidden agenda.

Who helps us in life? The Holy Spirit, angels, and people. We don't usually have a problem with the first two, but people are another story. So how can we discern those who will undermine our faith, our calling, and our goals? How can we identify those who are true helpers?

We're not looking for perfect people, perfect attitudes, or perfect abilities. We're looking for people who receive, who are humble, who do not hide their desires, and who are fair with everyone.

In I Samuel 22:1-2, 23:1-5, David's men are honest with him. They're afraid to go into battle. When David told them what the Lord said, they received from him and went forward. Be leery of people, who are one way with some and another way with others. Watch how they treat those who can't do anything for them.

For the entire message, go to Zoe Ministries' website. There you can listen via the sermon player, or download the message FREE to your MP3 player. Podcasting is also available.

If you're visiting or looking for a church home, you're welcome to join us for any of our services. The church is located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), Warrington, PA. You can find directions on the website.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

Next month, we will be attending a Phillies game for the men's night out. Not sure what date or day of the week it will be, but we are trying for a "dollar dog day.

Let Keith know if you're interested, so we can figure out how many tickets are needed. Since Phillies' games sell out quickly, we have to get them early.

Bring your sons (of any age) to this event.

Angel Garrett

You can pre-order one of Angel's new CD's for $12.00 at our tape/CD window in the back. See Jim next Sunday. You must pay for the CD in order to put your name on the list.

Quotable Quote & Picnic Pictures!

"Why do I feel like I'm on a hill?"















"Let's splash Pastor Steve when he walks by!"















"Hey Mom, if you put me on the diving board, I'll do a swan dive."












"Your mind doesn't stay renewed any more than your hair stays combed." - Kenneth Hagin

This Week At Zoe

Come out and study God's Word on Wednesday night, 8/26/09, at 7:30 P.M. Pastor Steve will be teaching on setbacks and comebacks and how they relate to our spiritual development.

The Youth Group meets Wednesday night, 8/26/09, during the Midweek service over in the Children's Church area. Invite a friend!










On Saturday, 8/29/09, come out for the Ladies Brunch. Bring a breakfast dish with you and your Bibles. For additional information, contact Connie or Phyllis.

Sunday Series - Reigning in Life - Subversiveness

Pastor Steve's text was I Kings 1 & 2. Today, he spoke about how the enemy uses people to get you out from under the established authorities in your life.

Subversive attackers start out soft spoken, testing you out. Eventually, they change. They use enticing words, discourage you, and try to scare you into a wrong course of action.

King David's son, Adonijah, tried to ascend to the throne even though he knew his father wanted Solomon to follow him as king. He exalted himself without talking to David. This is a major characteristic of a subversive.

A subversive includes some people and excludes others. They use flattery, insincerity, two-faced words, vain promises, and say what you want to hear. They exclude people by rumor and opinion, proclaimed error, and lack of need. Adonijah did not invite Solomon or his mother, Bathsheba, to the "coronation."

Subversives operate through words, thoughts, and opportunities. So, what do we do?

1. First and foremost, don't be a subverter!

2. Recognize them.

3. Resist them.

4. Expose them only if God shows you to do so.

To hear the message, check out our website. You can listen via the sermon player, download it to your MP3, or podcast it.

Angel Garrett

Angel Garrett led our Sunday morning worship on 8/16/09. What a blessing!

Her new CD was recorded at a live concert and will be out around the beginning of the year. If you'd like to pre-order it at the introductory price of $12.00, speak to Pastor Steve. After the CD is released, the price will increase.

Quotable Quote

"You'll never win a battle on the shellsyou fired in the last war. When a new enemy comes, it's time to reload." - Creflo A. Dollar, Jr.

This Week at Zoe

On Wednesday, 8/19/09, at 7:30 P.M., Pastor Steve will teach on Psalm 23 and, "The Spirit of the Father."

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

Sunday Series - Reigning in Life - A Good Ruler

Pastor Stephen Hecht's text was I Timothy 5:17, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine." His question was: "What makes a good ruler?"

1. The responsibilities of a king/ruler - I Samuel 8:20

A) Minimize external threats.

B) Maximize internal resources (people, money, etc.).

C) Administer justice.

2. In the area of ruling and having dominion, where has most of our focus been?

Minimizing external threats - dealing with temptation, attacks from the enemy.

3. Is there a true #1 responsibility?

There is no right answer to this question. It depends on the current situation. Where is the greatest need?

4. When Saul became king, what did he do first?

Minimized the external threat of the Philistines.

5. David spent a lot of time expanding the kingdom and increasing monetary resources, but he left himself open to criticism in the area of justice.

6. Where was Solomon's focus? Maximizing internal resources.

7. If we are going to be a good ruler, we must manage and re-prioritize each area as needed.

Special Note: Luke 4:13 - The temptation ended, and the enemy left Jesus for a season. If you focus on one area, others get neglected/weaker.

To hear the full message, visit our website. You have several choices: listen via our sermon player, download it to your MP3, or podcast. If you're visiting the area or looking for a church home, we're located at 1111 Easton Rd., Warrington, PA. For more information, call (215) 343-7686 or check out the website for service times and directions.

Angel Garrett

Angel Garrett will be here next Sunday, 8/16/09, to lead worship. Her son, Damon, should be making the trip as well.

Invite your friends for a special time of worship and the Word.

Church Picnic Re-Scheduled

Our church picnic will be at the home of the Hechts next Sunday, 8/16/09, after church. Vacationing families will be back in town at that time.

Please bring a side dish, salad, and/or a dessert. We'll take care of the meats for the grill. You can go over right after church. Feel free to bring your picnic clothes with you and change in the church bathrooms. Make sure to bring a bathing suit if you or the kids want to swim. The pool will be open!

We're looking forward to a time of food and fellowship.

Quotable Quote

"Faith in the devil is called FEAR." - Charles Capps

This Week At Zoe

On Wednesday, 8/12/09, at 7:30 P.M., we will have ALL CHURCH PRAYER NIGHT. We'll begin with some worship, and then pray for our church, community, and nation.

The Men's Breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, 8/15/09, at 8:00 A.M. We'll meet in the Children's Church area. Please bring a breakfast item and your Bibles!

Sunday Morning Series - Reigning in Life - Easy, Hard, Too Much!

Text: I Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

Many people have been taught that God screens out all trials, tests, and temptations that we would not be able to handle. This does not jibe with other scripture passages. For example, I Timothy 6:9-12 tells us that those who seek to be rich fall into temptation. Money in itself is not evil. It's the love of money that drives men into greed and covetousness. They open themselves up to temptation. There are poor people, who love money, and rich people, who do not.

II Timothy 2:22 instructs young Timothy to flee youthful lusts. I Corinthias 6:18 & 10:15 tell us to flee idolatry. Why are we told to flee these temptations if we can handle them?

What is the right view of I Corinthians 10:13? The word "temptation" is from the Greek word "peirasmos," which means any outside source that appeals to a weakness in your flesh. Some people are tempted by laziness, eating too much food, addictions, etc. The temptations we face are common.

The word "escape" comes from the compound Greek word "ekbasis," which means "out" and "walk." This means we leave it and flee it. If we hang around where we know we'll be tempted, there's a good chance we'll give in to the temptation.

Another temptation we face is to doubt God. Are we ever given too much to handle? Yes. Think of Moses and the Children of Israel with the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian Army behind them. There was nothing they could do to save themselves, but God made a way through the Red Sea and destroyed the army.

We are not promised an exemption from insurmountable temptations, just an escape route from the temptations that are too much for us to handle. God is greater than our problems.

To hear the message in its entirety, visit our website. You can listen via the sermon player, download it to your MP3, or podcast it. If you're vacationing in the area or need a church home, we're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), Warrington, PA. The church phone number is (215) 343-7686. We'd love to meet you. :)

Picnic Postponed

Our picnic got rained out last Sunday. Watch for announcements on a new date.

Angel Garrett

Angel Garrett's concert is Saturday, August 8, 2009, from 6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. at:

Christian Pentecostal Church
971 Clinton Avenue
Irvington, NJ 07111

Tickets can be purchased through Zoe or directly from Angel's website.

Angel will also be leading worship here at Zoe on Sunday, August 16th. Come out and be blessed.

Quotable Quotes

"(Negative) thoughts are like birds; you can't keep them from flying around your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair."
- Kenneth E. Hagin

This Week at Zoe

Wednesday night, 8/5/09, pre-service prayer begins at 6:30 P.M.

At 7:30 P.M., 8/5/09, Pastor Steve picks up the God's Boot Camp series, while the Youth Meet over in the Children's Church area.

Friday, 8/7/09, is Men's Night Out. An email will be sent with details. If you're not on the email list, call the church office at 215-343-7686.

Sunday Morning Series - Reigning in Life - "Piling On"

Just because we're supposed to be reigning in life doesn't mean we are actually doing so. Yesterday, Pastor Stephen Hecht talked about what to do when negative circumstances pile on top of us.

After the Israelites made things right with God and defeated Ai, they are faced with a decision. A group of travelers appear in worn-out shoes and clothing, carrying moldy provisions. They claim they're from a distant country and want to make a covenant with the Israelites. Joshua didn't inquire of the Lord and fell for their deception. In fact, they were people of the land, Gibeonites.

With the covenant in place, Joshua tells them it will be honored, but they will be slaves. The Gibeonites are happy to be alive and agree. Meanwhile, five other kings in the area are mad at the Gibeonites and attack them. They call Joshua to assist them. He does so swiftly, and ends up defeating the five kings. Because he gave his word and kept it, God helped him defeat his enemies. Scripture tells us more of them died from a hailstorm than from the Israelite swords.

Things seem to go bad all at once. The refrigerator dies, followed by several other major appliances. You lose your job right after purchasing a new car. This is not the time to back down or be afraid.

The Gibeonites told Joshua they planned their elaborate deception because they were fearful of the Israelites. Meanwhile, the Israelites were afraid of the inhabitants of the land. They were still seeing themselves as grasshoppers. When circumstances pile up on you, it's a sure sign the enemy is afraid of your faith. He sees God moving on your behalf and counterattacks.

To hear the entire message, check out the website sermon player or download it to your MP3 player. Podcasting is also available. If you're vacationing in the area or looking for a church home, you're always welcome at Zoe Christian Fellowship. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), Warrington, PA. The church phone is
215- 343-7686.