Scripture References for the First Sunday of Advent 2008

Jeremiah 23:5-6
5 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our righteousness."

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
"2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned...6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."

Isaiah 53:1-6
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

John 1:1-5, 9-14
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it...9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 95:2

"Let us come before him with thanksgiving..."

Sermon Notes for Sunday, November 23, 2008

"How Jesus Dealt with the Devil"

2 Corinthians 4:3-6
3…if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost:
4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Matthew 4:1-11
1…Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was, afterward, hungry.
3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Three times the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, before His ministry began. In three ways he tried to appeal to Him, with three goals in mind: to kill, steal, and destroy.

He appealed to His body, His soul, and His spirit…

The body, is made of flesh, and has appetites – for basic human needs: food, sustenance, and the survival instinct; it is the animalistic part of a human being.

The soul is the aspect of the human essence that has hungers for greater aspirations – for stimulation of the mind, longs for the acceptance of others, for power, for position, for authority.

The spirit is that part of the human being which is eternal, and is comprised of the core personality of a man or a woman – it can be influenced by the flesh, by God, or by Satan. It’s like the analogy of the black and white dogs within every man, according to Native American mythology – they are at war with one another, and the dog that wins the battle is the one you feed the most.

Satan tried to appeal to Christ’s fleshly body by tempting him with the thought of food.

Satan tried to appeal to Christ’s soul by tempting him with aspirations of grandeur made with promises he could not, ultimately, fulfill.

Satan tried to appeal to Christ’s spirit by tempting him to forsake Divine instruction contained in the Word, and risking his body and, in turn, his immortal soul by going against the instruction of His Heavenly Father…

God is the Creator of the Garden, the source of Life.

Lucifer, who is the god of this world, is the destroyer of life, the defiler of truth, and the thief of all prosperity.

Where God offers pure, rich soil, Satan is the lord of rocks and stones, from which only pain and suffering come…

God’s Spirit seeks to reside in the potting soil of our soul, to take root within us, and enable us to grow and bear fruit.

Satan seeks to harden our hearts, and transform our hearts of flesh into hearts of stone and rock…

2 Corinthians 3:3
3…show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Benefit Concert - 11/20/2008

On Thursday night, 11/20/2008, the pastor's sister, Angela Jenness Brady, presented an evangelistic benefit concert to raise money toward the pastor's & Tim's upcoming trip to Israel. Angela blessed our congregation again, and we welcomed her in the name of the Lord. Over $100 was raised toward the trip. For slideshow images of some of the things Pastor Jenness and Mr. Lancaster will be seeing in Israel in January, click here.

Soup & Sandwich Benefit

On Monday, November 17th, ZION UMC's UMW hosted a Soup & Sandwich benefit to help Pastor Jenness and Tim Lancaster raise money toward their upcoming trip to Israel in January. Dinner was served starting at 6, with an all-you-can-eat soup and sandwiches for $6.00 - over $700 in donations were raised! May God's richest blessings be extended upon all who contributed...

Sermon Notes for Sunday, November 16th, 2008

2 Corinthians 2:11 says we need proper Biblical instruction – “11Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not [or should not be] ignorant of his devices.”

WHERE IS THE DEVIL?

Here on earth, unseen, but present, nonetheless...

1 Peter 5:6-8 “6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Ephesians 6:1-18 – “11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

WHAT DOES HE LOOK LIKE?

Ezekiel 28:13-19 “13Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

2 Corinthians 11:14-26 “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”

Hebrews 13:2 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

WHERE DID HE COME FROM?

Isaiah 14:12-17 “12 How you have fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!

13 You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. ^[c]

14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High."

15 But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths of the pit.

16 Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:
"Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,

17 the man who made the world a desert,
who overthrew its cities
and would not let his captives go home?"

Luke 10:16-18 “6"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." 17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

HOW CAN HE BE DEFEATED?

Be steadfast, and call upon the name of the Lord…

Hebrews 10:23-31 “23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

WHAT IS HIS FUTURE?

Revelation 20:7-10 “ 7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Seven Springs Christmas Parade 2008

It was a little early in the season for a Christmas parade, but our UMYF & parents had a nice time. This year we get to enjoy some scenes from a different perspective. The holidays are rapidly approaching!

Sermon Notes for Sunday, 11/09/2008

"Thank you for the privilege to allow me to speak the Good News." - Tim Lancaster

Children's Message:

1. How do you get someone's attention? You call their name.

2. What is a name? It a word that you put with your thoughts of a person and that word makes you think of them.

3. Where did Jesus get his name? The Angel of the Lord came to Joseph and told him what to call Jesus, and Gabriel an Angel of God came to Mary and told her what to call him Jesus.

4. There is only one name that people can be saved by, what is that name? Jesus, don't forget that name.

Sermon Notes:

Calling on the Name of The Lord

Definition: Call - to speak in a loud distinct voice so as to be heard at a distance.

Definition: Name - A word or words by which an entity is designated and distinguished from others.( It identifies the peron you are calling)

Definition: Lord - One having power and authority over others.

Definition: Jesus - The New Testament was written in Greek, and the name "Jesus" here means the same in Greek as the Hebrew name "Joshua."

"Joshua" means literally God is salvation. So the angel's message to Joseph was "You shall call His name 'God is salvation,' for He will save His people from their sins." That name tells us of Jesus' purpose in God's plan-that it is through Him that God saves humanity.(He is our door to the God of Heaven and Earth, the one with all authority over every person and everything.)

Genesis 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 12:8 (Abram called on the name of the Lord)And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 16:13 (Hagar called on the name of the Lord)And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

Genesis 26:25 (Isaac called on the name of the Lord)And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.

Exodus 3:15 (God told Moses)God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

Exodus 33:19 (God speaks to Moses again about proclaiming His name)And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Deuteronomy 6:13 (God spoke to Israel) Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.Deuteronomy 32:3 (Moses proclaining the name of the Lord)I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

Judges 15:18 (Samson called on the Lord)And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

Judges 16:28 (Samson called unto the Lord)And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

1 Samuel 12:17 (Sameul called unto the Lord)Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

1 Samuel 12:18 (Sameul called unto the Lord) So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

2 Samuel 22:4 (David called on the Lord after the Lord had delivered him from the hand of Saul) I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

2 Samuel 22:7 (David speaking of calling on the Lord) In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

2 Samuel 22:50 (David praising the name of the Lord) Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.

1 Kings 18:24 (Elijah's message about calling on the name of the Lord)And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

1 Chronicles 4:10 (Jabez calling on the name of the God os Israel) And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

1 Chronicles 16:8 (David speaking of the importance of calling on the name of the Lord)Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

1 Chronicles 21:26 (David again calling on the name of the Lord) And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon.

2 Chronicles 14:11 (Asa that reigned in Judah called to the Lord) Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."

Psalm 8:9 (David mentioning how magestice is the name of the Lord) O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 20:7 (David trusting in the name of the Lord) Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 30:4 (David mentioning praising the Lord's Holy Name) Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.

Psalm 91:14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

Psalm 113:1 Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

Like the Psalmist, let's rejoice that God has given us the heritage of those who fear Your name (Psalm 61:5). And we can pray, "Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love your Name" (Psalm 119:132).

Psalm 116:13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.

Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Isaiah 12:4 In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Zechariah 13:9 This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God."

Luke 23:42 (the theif on the cross beside Jesus, call Jesus Lord) And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Acts 2:21 (Peter's Sermom) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 7: 54 (Stephen calling on the Lord while being stoned) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Acts 8:12 (Philip preaching the good news and the name of Jesus) But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 9:14 (Ananias speaking to the Lord about how Saul arresting and hurting Christian's who call on the Lord's name) And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

Acts 22:10 (Saul, after the Lord spoke to Him called Him Lord) So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.'

Acts 22:16 (Paul mentioning calling on the name of the Lord) And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'

1 Corinthians 1:2 (Again a mentioning of the church calling on the name of the Lord) To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours.

1 Corinthians 12:3 ( No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 9:17 (Paul mentioining how God's name needs to be proclaimed)For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." We need to be a people that call upon His name, and we need to keep calling and proclaiming His name.

Romans 10: 9-15 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Let's confess His name to Him today.

Romans 10:10-11 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11 It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Philippians 2:8-11 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hebrews 13:15 (Let's confess His name) Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

Revelation 22:3-5 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Pilgrimage 2008

Slideshow of the event can be found here.

Holy Land Trip 2009

On June 8th, 2005 our pastor was ordained an Elder in Full Connection by our currently seated Bishop, Rev. Alfred Wesley Guinn, Jr.

As has long been a tradition within our Conference, Bishop Guinn asked all of his ordinands, including Pastor Jenness, to accompany him on an educational trip and spiritual retreat to Israel in January of next year. Participants depart on January 27th, and will be gone for 10 days, touring all the major sites of the Holy Land. This opportunity is not restricted to clergy, and interested laity are encouraged to inquire about going, if they're are interested. One of our newest members, Tim Lancaster, has already registered for the trip, and plans to accompany our pastor, the Bishop, and the other representatives from the Eastern District of the North Carolina Conference.

The trip for the pastor, while at a reduced cost, is not free, and there will be a few fund-raisers for Pastor Jenness and Mr. Lancaster in the weeks ahead - we hope you will prayerfully consider contributing, as it is our hope that this trip will be a life-changing and spiritually-impacting experience for all who are able to go and see the lands and places described in our Holy Scriptures first-hand, and walk on the very ground upon which our Lord and Savior trod...

Founder's Day Sermon Notes - 11/02/2008

Zion United Methodist Church was founded in 1877 – It was a post Civil War congregation.

The airplane had not been invented yet. There were no telephones, no telephone poles; the first World War had not yet been considered as even a possibility.

There were no cars. Travel was done by horse or mule, by buggy or cart, or by foot. There were no paved roads. No highways. Dirt trails were everywhere…

Churches held services twice a month, when the horseback circuit rider was able to make it. Sometimes they held brush arbor revival meetings…but the intention for church services and revivals was to ask the question: WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH GOD?

This was before Political Correctness, when ministers of the Gospel were unconcerned with hurt feelings…nowadays it seems that some ministers are "avoiding stepping on people's toes" to the endangerment of their congregations eternal souls.

What were the concerns of the original congregation of Zion Church back in 1877? What would their hopes be for this current generation? Would not their question for us, as it was for them back then, be WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH GOD?

In modern times it seems everyone wants to go to Heaven, but hardly anyone wants to do anything to merit it. Fear of Hellfire and Eternal Damnation has become a laughing stock, as has the concept of a moral absolute, Hardly anyone talks about SIN anymore, or the importance of REPENTANCE, and turning from one's sin, even though the Word of God is plain when God states in it, "If my people who are called by My name would HUMBLE THEMSELVES and PRAY, and seek My face, and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, then would I hear from Heaven, and heal their land..."

Jesus Christ himself spoke of Hell FOUR TIMES MORE than he spoke of Heaven.

If your neighbor's house was on fire, would you not shout out a warning to them, even if you didn't know them very well, or like them very much? Why, then, are we letting friends and family slip away into eternity, without telling them that we're concerned about their eternal souls?

If we can be certain of anything about the founders of Zion Church, we can rest assured that they were concerned about the souls of others - and so should we be in 2008, 131 years later.

Harvest Party 2008 Pictures

Click HERE to see the Slideshow Images...