Close Close Watch Close Close Go to our giving website Note: You will be taken to another browser tab to give online. If on phone/tablet, simply click the back button to go back to this notes page. Give Watch Interact × Bible Questions & Surveys Events Important: You will NOT lose your data entered or the tab location you are in when you close this panel. Imporant Items of Note Week of August 21, 2022 Volunteer ExpoCalling all willing hearts and helping hands. Visit our Volunteer Expo after service on Sunday, March 26th, to see where you can get connected in serving. There are a variety of places that are a fit with your gifts and talents. Your professional and spiritual background can serve in a needed volunteer opportunity. We […] Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 amPalm SundayJoin us for Palm Sunday as we celebrate Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem with a special Musical Celebration featuring our children and adult choirs. We will also celebrate our Youth who completed their first Discipleship Class. Invite friends and family to the celebration and hear a special message from Dr. Joshua. If you would […] Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 amEaster SundayOn Easter Sunday, we invite you to join us in worship and In the Text as we hear biblical insights on “The Power of the Resurrection” and how we celebrate the resurrection with our daily lives. Invite friends and family to join you for our Easter Service. Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 am“In the Text” Video Podcast on the BibleTune in online on Wednesdays for our new video podcast! “In The Text” is a contemporary conversation about the Bible focused on helping people relate to God through scripture. Take your bible reading experience to a whole new level in an engaging and creative way! Purchase an “In the Text” T-Shirt Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 amSynergy Youth MinistryThis month, we’ve got big plans for helping teenagers grow closer to God like they never knew they could before. Here’s what’s coming up in our ministry: · Volunteer Expo on March 26th · We will have Synergy on March 12th, 19th, 26th at 10:30am · Movie Night March 24th at 6pm at Zoe […] Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 amBaptism SundayHow important is baptism? It is your personal identification with the greatest act of human history, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Water baptism is a step of obedience to the Word of God and an important expression of faith for a believer. Sign up to publicly acknowledge that you have made […] Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 amDiscoverAre you interested in becoming a member or just curious about our church? Have you joined Zoe within the past year? If so, you are invited to join Dr. Joshua for our Virtual Discover Gathering on Thursday, April 6! During Discover, you will learn more about our ministry, beliefs, and will have an opportunity to […] Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 amPrayer CallsWe invite you to pray on our 30-minute weekly Prayer Conference Calls. The calls are empowering, life-changing, and a dynamic way to start or end your day. Connect to a Prayer Call (562) 999-7729 Mondays • 6am • 7pm on Zoom only Connect at 7pm Tuesdays • 6am • 7pm Thursday • 6am • […] Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 amDrive-Thru Food GiveawayThe Zoe Center Drive-Thru Food Giveaway is a caring community of volunteers who serve our church families and community with free nutritious food. We are committed to providing food at no cost on the first Saturday of the month. If you would like to volunteer, arrive at the church at 9am. Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 amBaby DedicationDo you want to dedicate your child to the Lord? Invite your family to witness and share this moment with you on Sunday, May 7. The Baby Dedication Class will be held on Thursday, May 4 at 7:30pm on Zoom. Sign Up Read more »Source: Zoe Center Sermons | Published: March 26, 2023 - 7:07 am Add Sermon Notes This note will be displayed at bottom of your sermon note when you save to pdf or email them Questions Click to open/close Full NameEmailIn case we need to write back to you, please leave us your email address. This is a:CommentQuestionYour messageHidden Email IDCommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Δ Guest Survey Click to open/close We would love to hear your thoughts about your first time visit to our church, so if you are a current or recent guest, we ask you to fill out the survey below. 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All fields are optional First NameLast NamePhoneEmail* Date of Your Visit Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY Age range of adults living in the home? 18-28 29-38 39-48 49-57 58+ Married or Single (with or without children)?Married with NO ChildrenSingle with NO ChildrenMarried with ChildrenSingle with ChildrenChurch ExperienceLots of church experienceOnly on holidaysRarely, if ever have been to churchLooking for a new churchNever been to churchWill you join us again this Sunday or an upcoming Sunday?YesNoStill thinking about itI would recommend this church to family and friendSelect ValueStrongly AgreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly DisagreePlease evaluate your experience (HONESTLY)Were you greeted at the front door?YesNoN/ADid you feel welcomed upon entering the sanctuary?YesNoN/AIf you had children with you, were you told about our Nursery and Children’s Church?YesNoN/AIf you had children, were the Nursery and Children’s Church workers friendly and helpful?YesNoN/AHow did you hear about us?FriendRelativeOther Word of mouthSignageSocial MediaAdvertisementIs there anything you would like our church to pray about?Comments (Please share your comments here – they are greatly appreciated!Hidden Email ID Δ Interact Zoe Center I Don’t Want to Talk About This Archived – August 21, 2022 View This Weeks Note View All Past Notes View This Note w/o Blanks I Don’t Want to Talk About This August 21, 2022 Introduction Proverbs 18:6 (ESV) – 6 A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. 1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV) – 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. . . . Lesson: It’s foolish to speak on matters that don’t concern you, but God uses foolishness to address matters that concern Him. Why does God humiliate us? 1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV) – 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 8 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. Free will gives fallen humans a god complex. The 4-way Intersection Example Matthew 6:33 (ESV): 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Once You defer the right of way to God, the rest of the journey immediately gets clearer. (Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV): 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.) To lean on your understanding is to make something other than God the object of your gaze. Your feet go where your eyes are fixed (Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV) – 1 . . . . let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. . . .) God is a Person The human manifestation of God as Jesus reminds us that God is a person. Before we acknowledge the personhood of the child, the mother or the father, we have to acknowledge the personhood of God. It makes no sense to honor the image bearer if we’re not honoring the person on whom the image is based. Seeking what’s first and what’s right is really about privileging the priorities of the person of Jesus. Key Questions: Do you trust Jesus? Can you handle the truth? The Rich Young Ruler Matthew 19:16–22 (ESV) – 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” [And Jesus has him here] 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. The abortion controversy is nestled in many other matters that are more fundamental than the abortion issue itself. Every sermon God inspires is designed to draw you closer to Jesus. To draw closer to Jesus is to distance ourselves from the flesh, which creates an inclination to resist the invitation. Hebrews 4:7 (ESV) – 7. . . .“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”. . . . The Parable Feedback Loop Matthew 13:10–15 (ESV) – 10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:“ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ Parables respond to the readiness of the hearer. Sermons respond to the readiness of the hearer. When you open your heart, the sermon opens to you. When you close your heart, the sermon closes to you. When we close our hearts, we put a curse on ourselves. Closing our hearts to the truth makes us doubly blind: we can’t see what we close our eyes to, but we also can’t see what God closes our eyes to. © Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2022 Save PDF Locally Click to save a copy of the filled-in notes to a PDF file on your device Download File Click to View PDF Save PDF to Google Drive (Android & PC Only) Click to save a copy of the filled-in notes to a PDF file on your Google Drive account Save File Send to Email Enter your email address below to receive a copy of your filled in notes Send