Review of 2024

Theme for Last Year

“Grown: Embracing Christian Adulthood”

• The world’s concept of adulthood is a license to act childish.
• Biblical adulthood is measured by how much we submit our lives to the Father.
• Jesus is God’s definition of adulthood.
• The more you are like Christ, the more of an adult you are.
• Becoming like Christ is about inner life development but is reflected in our outer life practice.

The “Jireh” Series

• In that series, we talked about trusting God for resources and growing to a place where we can manage those resources well.
• All of that hinge on inner life development.
• Building wealth God’s way requires that we are first rich internally.
• The purpose of wealth is human flourishing.

The “Rest” Series

• We learned that we find rest in the process of spiritual formation.
• Spiritual formation is the process of God forming our inner life in such a way that it is more and more like Christ.

The “Hustle” Series

• Don’t let technology, inflation and working conditions bully you into a life that just goes faster and faster to the point of becoming unsustainable.
• At some point, we have to take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus.

The “Words of Jesus” Series

• They took you back to the words of Jesus.

“The Sacredness of Singleness” Series

• Single life is as honorable as married life.
• God does not press you about marriage. He presses you about motives.
• Your motives are hidden in your heart.
• The status of your heart affects the status of your life.
  • Your single life.
  • Your dating life.
  • Your married life.
  • Your divorced life.

Ordinary People

• The nourishment we receive from God in church is not just through pastors, elders, deacons, and platform communicators, but through the ordinary people we see every day and week.
• We discussed that as we are intentional about gathering together out of obedience to the Lord, we are building a temple for the Lord to dwell.
• Scripture calls us the stones that make up the temple of God.
• We build Him a house; He builds us a house.
• We said that as we fulfill the vision of discipleship within the context of small groups, He will fulfill the vision of the building that we’re renovating.
• When we gather together in small groups, Pastor Jesus is present to minister through our spiritual gifts.

The “Before You Say I Do” Series

• 5 things you should do to flourish in your dating life:
  • The first is to Enjoy your single life (in the Lord). [or you will date for the wrong reasons]
  • The second is to Treat ordinary people well.
  • The third key is to Secure a quality group of friends, acquaintances and advisors.
  • The fourth key is to Take dating life seriously (and not casually).
  • The fifth is to Spend quality time with people from your local church on a regular basis. (for advice and accountability)

The “What Just Happened?” Series

• God is not asking you to deny how you feel, but to honor how He thinks.
• In His wisdom and sovereignty, God uses all things—good and bad—for the good.
• God uses and puts flawed people in power—some of them flat out evil—for the purpose of the greater good.
• But just because God uses them doesn’t mean that He’s endorsing everything they say or do.
• Which means that for Trump—or any other person in a public office—we can respect how God may be using them while still holding them accountable to ethical behavior.

Hear and Obey

James 1:22 (ESV): ²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

The Struggle is Real

Pray Like David Prayed

• Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV): ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! ²⁴ And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
  + Click to add your own note
• Psalm 51:10 (ESV): ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
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Living My Life Like It’s Golden

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?” 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 Option Flex

“Jesus, I will follow you, but first. . .”

Luke 9:59 (ESV): ⁵⁹ To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

• For context, let me quote Bible commentator Robert Stein: “For a Jew this was a religious duty having precedence over everything else. Only in the case of a temporary Nazirite vow (Num 6:6–7) or if one were the high priest (Lev 21:10–11) could one be absolved from this duty.” –Robert Stein [Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 301.]
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Luke 9:60 (ESV): ⁶⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

• • Matthew 6:33 (ESV): ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
    + Click to add your own note
    • • “Jesus demands an allegiance transcending even this greatest of filial obligations.” –Robert Stein [Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 301.]

Luke 9:60 (ESV): ⁶⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

• “This saying contains a play on the word dead. “Let the [spiritually] dead bury their own [physical] dead.” –Robert Stein[[Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 301.]
  + Click to add your own note
  • Romans 1:17 (ESV): ¹⁷. . . . “The righteous shall live by faith.”
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  • Which means that if you are really as righteous as you think you are and say you are, then you will commit to Jesus in faith.

Luke 9:61 (ESV): ⁶¹ Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”

Luke 9:62 (ESV): ⁶² Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

• Fit: εὔθετος (euthetos) (yoo’-thet-os) —1. suitable, fit, usable 2. useful, of value [James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).]
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I Corinthians 1:10 (ESV): ¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

The Fast 

 

• Monday, January 6th – Sunday, January 26th 2025
• We will fast at least two days a week (of your choosing) for each week of the fast.
• On fasting days, we will eat no solid foods until 5pm.
• See further instructions here or go to zoecenter.us and click on the banner at the top that reads “21-Day New Year Fast” 

 

Bible Reading Plan (Beginning February 1^st)

Adults

Foundations: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers

Teens

Required:

• NLT Student Life Application Study Bible
• Foundations – Teen Devotional: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Teens

Optional:

• The Action Bible Devotional: 52 Weeks of God-Inspired Adventure
• The Simple Truth Bible: The Best Minute of Your Day (365 Daily Devotions for Students)

Children

Foundations for Kids: A 260-day Bible Reading Plan to Help Your Kids HEAR God

Parents

• We’re asking all parents to volunteer at least one Sunday or event per year with Children’s ministry, Youth ministry and/or Young Adult Ministry.
• Register your commitment here or go to zoecenter.us and click on the banner at the top that reads “Student Ministry Interest” 

Men 

• We are asking men to mark their calendars for our next Man Cave on Thursday, February 20th at 7:30pm.
• Our focus will be discipleship and small groups. 
• Our guest speaker will be Pastor Kenneth Mulkey from Cottonwood Christian Center. 

 Small Group Leaders 

 For all small groups leaders and small-group-leaders-in training, mark the following dates for small group training:  

• Saturday, January 25th at 9:30 am 

• Tuesday, February 25th at 7:30 pm (Virtual) 

 

© Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2025