Sunday Morning Series - Blueprint for Effective Prayers

Text: Various

How to keep your prayers in the ICU:

1.  I - Inform God. Don't waste your time. Informing God about your situation pulls you into doubt and unbelief.  ASK. DON'T INFORM!

2.  C - Convince God. This is begging. If you beg God, your prayers are immediately in the ICU. You need to go into prayer convinced He wants to answer your prayers.

3.  U - Don't undermine your prayers. The more time you s pend praying about something, the more unbelief comes in. Jesus prayed short prayers.

Blueprint for Powerful and Effective Prayers

1.  Proclaim

     A.  Don't complain. God doesn't listen to whining.
     B.  Proclaim the  promises of God. ASK!

          1.  Exodus 33:19
          2.  Psalms 26:7 & 96:1-4
          3.  Proverbs 20:6
          4.  I Peter 2:9

2.  Predict 

     Anticipate the promises of God coming to  pass.  Forecast a good future and outcome to your situation.

     A.  Worry is just the anticipation of a bad forecast.
     
3.  Praise

     A.  Luke 24:52-53 
     B.  Romans 15:10-11
     C.  Psalms 100

     Continually look for the good stuff, and praise God for it.

4.  Power

     A.  The power or prayer is in the faith we mix with it.
     B.  Don't mix words of doubt in your prayers.
     C.  Or words of works. (I've done so much. I deserve this.) Romans 5:1-2 tells us we access by faith.

Application:  Matthew 6:7

Know what to pray and pray it. Spend the rest of the time in the prayer of praise or fellowship.

To hear the entire message, please go to our website, and click on Listen. You can listen online, download it to your MP3 player or podcast FREE.

If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. Children's Church is available for kids and young people at 10:00 A.M. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), Warrington, PA. The church phone number is (215) 343-7686.
We'd be delighted to meet you!

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who brought in a toy for the Children's Church toy drive. We know the kids will greatly enjoy them!

Quotable Quote

"There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today." - Thomas Merton

This Week At Zoe

On Wednesday, 12/26/12, at 7:30 P.M., Pastor Steve will continue teaching the book of I Timothy. We're up to Chapter 3. If you've missed the previous sessions, you can listen online, download them to your MP3 player, or podcast.

On Thursday, 12/27/12, at 7:00 P.M., the Worship Team will meet for practice.

On Saturday, 12/29/12, at 10:00 A.M., the Ladies' Brunch will be held in the Children's Church Auditorium. Please bring a batch of your favorite cookies and nothing else!

On Sunday, 12/30/12, at 10:00 A.M., we'll gather for our regular Sunday Morning Worship Service. Children's Church also begins at 10:00 A.M.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

May you and your family have a blessed Christmas!

Christmas Eve Candle Light Service

Tonight (Monday, 12/24/12), at 7:00 P.M., we will celebrate the birth of Jesus with a candle light service. We expect to be finished by 8:00 P.M.ish, so you can make plans with family and friends.

If you're visiting the area, we invite you to share in this joyous occasion. Zoe Christian Fellowship is located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), in Warrington, PA. You can get directions and additional information at our website.

We'd love to meet you!

Mark Your Calendar

The Ladies' Brunch will be held on Saturday, 12/29/12, at 10:00 A.M. Please bring a breakfast item and your Bible. All welcome!

Christmas Eve Candle Light Service

On Tuesday, 12/24/12, at 7:00 P.M., we'll meet for a Candle Light Service. Let's celebrate the birth of Jesus together.

Quotable Quotes

"For a beggar to live at court is not so much as the King to dwell with him in his cottage." - William Gurnall

This Week At Zoe

On Wednesday, 12/19/12, at 7:00 P.M., we'll meet at Neshaminy Manor to sing Christmas Carols to the residents. You can meet us at the church at 6:50 P.M. or join us there. We'll be there until approximately 8:00 P.M. and then return to the church for a time of fellowship, cookies, and hot cocoa.

The Worship Team will meet for practice on Thursday, 12/20/12, at 7:00 P.M.

On Sunday, 12/23/12, at 10:00 A.M., we'll meet for our Sunday Morning Service. Children's Church is available for the youngsters.

Sunday Morning Series - 5 Minutes to Effective Prayers - Prayer for Those in a Tragedy

Text: Various

The killings of children and adults in Connecticut last Friday left us saddened and wondering how we could effectively pray for those affected.

How NOT to Pray

1.  Father, be with them.

A.  What does that mean? We are not to say phrases in prayer, but to ask for something.
B.  Hebrews 13:5 - God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.
C.  2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 - Paul does pray the Lord would be with them, but we must pay attention to the context. It is a greeting.

D.  Romans 15:33 - Again, this is a greeting.

2.  Father, help them.

A.  In what way? 
B.  We need to know what God can do.
C.  Know what the people will allow Him to do. Many are resistant to God's love and concern.

D.  Hebrews 4:16 - We're told to approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

3.  Father, let this see your purpose in this.

A.  God doesn't send people into schools to murder little children to teach us a lesson. Satan is
the one who comes to kill, steal, and destroy, and people are his agents.

If someone throws a live grenade at you, do you stand there because you think it's God's will? No, you run. The purpose of the one who threw it was to destroy your life.

How TO Pray

1.  Comprehension

A.  Pray for clarity on the what, why, and how.
B.  2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us that Satan is the god of this world. Jesus prayed that God's will           would be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). People have a choice whether or not to obey God's directive to not murder their fellow man.

2.  Comfort

A.  Comfort does not work by itself. (Acts 9:31, Romans 15:4-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, II Corinthians 1:3-4)  One of comfort's partners is the fear of the Lord. If people are defiant and shaking their fists at God, they will not receive His comfort. Another partner is patience. If you want the comfort of God to work, stay busy doing what He's called you to do. Don't stop.

B.  As you are comforted, God will give you the ability to comfort others.

3.  Compassion

A.  Tragedies give us two opportunities: 1) To harden our hearts against God and others or
2) To fill us with His compassion for those who suffer at the hands of evil people.
    
B.  In the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), the brother hardened his heart against the one returning.

C.  I Peter 3:8-13 - God is against those who do evil. Jesus stood against the Pharisees and other religious leaders, who tried to entrap Him and turn the people against Him. He didn't have compassion on them. Our God is a God full of compassion, but He WILL judge evil people.

4.  Compromise

A.  When something happens we don't understand, we are tempted to alter what we believe to line up with what we see.

B.  When the Israelites saw the Egyptian army behind them and the sea before them, they           immediately changed their belief. "Did God bring us here to kill us?"

So, we pray for those who suffer tragedies:

1.  Father, bring clarity. May they know You love them and ache for what they're going through.     Show them that people walk in disobedience to you and bring trouble upon the innocent.

2.  Father, may they not blame or accuse You for this terrible crime. Let the fear of the Lord,   patience work to comfort them, so they may in turn comfort others.

3.  Father, may their hearts remain soft toward you and others. May they be filled with compassion for the suffering.

4.  Father, when circumstances are almost more than they can bear, may they turn to You instead of away from You. May they be steadfast in their trust that You're a loving God, who does not bring evil upon the upright in heart.

To hear the entire message, please visit our website, and click on the Listen tab. You can listen online, download the message to your MP3 player, or podcast FREE.

If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), in Warrington, PA. The church phone number is (215) 343-7686. We'd love to meet you!


    




    

December Events

The Children's Church is collecting Christmas Presents for needy kids. They are looking for gifts for boys or girls, ages 8 and up. Any new toy you can bring for such a child would be greatly appreciated. We will need them by next Sunday, December 16th. Thank you.

On Wednesday, 12/19/12, at 7:00 P.M., we will meet at Neshaminy Manor. We'll be singing Christmas Carols for the residents. Please mark your calendar.

On  Monday, 12/24/12, at 7:00 P.M., we'll have a Christmas Eve Candle Light Service.

Quotable Quote

"Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendor." - Charles H. Spurgeon

This Week at Zoe

On Wednesday, 12/12/12, at 6:30 P.M., the Leadership will meet for prayer. At 7:30 P.M., we'll have ALL CHURCH Prayer.

 OnThursday, 12/13/12, at 7:00 P.M., the Worship Team will meet for practice in the sanctuary.

On Saturday, 12/15,12, at 8:00 A.M., the Men's Breakfast will  be held in the Children's Church Auditorium. Please bring a breakfast item and your Bible.

On Sunday, 12/16/12, at 10:00 A.M., we'll have our Sunday Morning Service. Come out and invite a friend!

Sunday Morning Series - 5 Minutes to Effective Prayer - Effective Prayer for the Unsaved

Text:  2 Corinthians 4:1-7

When sharing the gospel with unbelievers, there are two problems to overcome:

1) They do not see. This  scripture tells us they are in darkness. One who is in darkness does not need to  be blinded to be kept from seeing unless something comes along that can alter that condition.

Those born to believing parents are continually directed to the light. On the other hand, those born to unbelieving parents pass on the same blindness.

2)  They do not hear.  See Matthew 9:34-38 & Luke 10:1-2. We're not talking about an inability to understand here. Rather, the lack of messengers/preachers is the issue.

So, how do we pray for unsaved loved ones?

1)  Take authority over Satan blinding them from seeing the truth.

2)  Pray that the Father will send laborers to (name your loved one/friend). Be specific.

Note: You also must be willing to labor and share the gospel. You may be the one the Lord is sending to answer another believer's prayer.

Salvation is a combination of:

1)  Your confession.
2)  And believe in your heart. (See Romans 10:9-10)

Both are necessary to salvation.

This is a mere snippet of the entire message. To get the full benefit, go to our website, and click on Listen. You can listen online, download it to your MP3 player, or podcast.

If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), in Warrington, PA. You can find directions and other information at our website. We'd love to meet you!

December Schedule

Please mark your calendar! The Men's Breakfast will be held in the Children's Church Auditorium on 12/15/12, at 8:00 A.M. Please bring a breakfast item and your Bible.

On Wednesday, 12/19/12, at 7:00 P.M., we will be caroling for the residents at Neshaminy Manor. Please watch for further announcements.

On Monday, 12/24/12, at 7:00 P.M., a Christmas Candlelight Service will be held to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

On Saturday, 12/29/12, at 10:00 A.M., the Ladies' Brunch will take place in the Children's Church Auditorium. Please bring a breakfast item, your Bible, and invite a friend. It's a great time of fun, food, and fellowship!

Quotable Quotes

"How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts!" - Benjamin Franklin

This Week at Zoe

On Wednesday, 12/5/12, at 7:30 P.M., Pastor Steve will continue teaching on I Timothy 3.

On Thursday, 12/6/12, at 7:00 P.M., the Worship Team will meet in the sanctuary for practice.

On Sunday, 12/9/12, at 10:00 A.M., we'll meet for our regular Sunday Service. Be sure to invite your friends and neighbors!

5 Minutes to Effective Prayers - Effective Prayer for Other Believers

Text:  John 17

Jesus sees the disciples as having belonged to God and given to Him by God. He gave them what He received so that they would give to others. Don't wait for things to happen. You can study, pray, and minister to other believers.

Fellowship with God involves not only seeking Him for your own needs, but also for the needs of other believers. Jesus prayed for the disciples and future generations. Don't pray that God will take you out of this world, but commit that you'll serve Him while you're here.

In Luke 22:31-34, it sounds like Satan has asked God for permission to sift Peter like wheat, but Jesus prayed that his faith wouldn't fail. In the Greek, there are tenses for personal pronouns like the word, "you." Here the plural form of "you" is used. Peter wasn't being singled out. Jesus' prayer was for all the disciples, not just him.

The word, "sift," means to sift, shake in a sieve. Satan accomplishes this by inward agitation to put the individual on the verge of losing their faith. Jesus does not pray that their tests would be lessened or removed. He prays:

1) That their faith would not fail
2) That they would strengthen their brethren

Persecution would come to them because the Word was in them. Think about a football game. The opposition goes after the guy holding the football. If he doesn't have the football, they leave him alone. The player does everything he can to retain the ball and cross the goal line.

Sometimes we need to hang onto something and not give up. It's you that gives Satan permission to steal the Word from your heart. How does this happen?

1) Cares of this world
2) Deceitfulness of riches
3) Lack of understanding

We can pray that other believers' faith will not fail and for them to strengthen other believers.

Jesus did not pray that Peter would return to Him. Peter had a free will and that was his decision. God does not make you decide to do the right thing.

How can we fortify ourselves against the onslaught on the enemy? Prayer builds you up and gives you endurance.

As always, this is a brief summary of the message. To get the full benefit, please go to our website, and click on the Sermon player. You can listen online, download it to your MP3, or podcast it.

If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), in Warrington, PA. The church phone number is (215) 343-7686. All welcome!