Zion Evangelical & Reformed Church

Preparing for Worship Jun 5

Posted on June 2, 2022 by blund

We will be using the following songs and passages from the Word of God in our corporate gathering this Lord’s Day. Please prayerfully use these resources to prepare your hearts to “come into His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4).

The Word of the Lord:
Ezekiel 36:27
Romans 8:5 – 9
Acts 2:1 – 4
Ephesians 1:13, 5:18
Numbers 6:24 – 26

Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs:
Come Thou Fount
Spirit of the Living God, Fall Fresh On Me
Behold The Lamb
Doxology

Means of Grace:
Holy Baptism
Congregational Prayer
Sermon: Spirit in Ephesus and Zion
Holy Communion

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To the Lord and Giver of Life: Pentecost Hymn

Posted on June 1, 2022 by blund

Sometimes art so perfectly marries music and the message, it can almost take your breath away. The Spirit of God is the breath of God, and this hymn, Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God is a sensational testament to this beauty of God’s truth and art.

On Sunday, we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, when God poured out His Spirit on His Church in Acts 2. In the fire of purifying judgment, the tongues that proclaimed the Gospel in every language, and the supernatural power, the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for each of us individually, and the Church as well.

Do you have God’s Spirit for yourself? Have you been born again (John 3:3), born of the Spirit (John 3:8), been made a new creation (II Cor 5:17), received regeneration (Matt 19:28), been born of God (I John 5:1)? We cannot be saved, and we will not see the Kingdom of Heaven, without the new birth. Pray for God to make this change within you! Attend church worship, Bible studies, give your heart & mind to His Word, and behold how God transforms you!

And Zion as a church needs the Spirit as well! We need God’s Spirit to discern the truth and be led into life, and not to succumb to the flesh and death (Rom 8:5 – 8). It is the Spirit Who produces His fruit of love, joy, peace, life, self-control, and so much more, as opposed to the fruit of the flesh (Gal 5:19 – 26). The Spirit and the Church bid us follow into eternal life (Rev 22:17), so ask yourself this: is the Holy Spirit and His Church of the highest priority in your life?

Good worship music helps us orient our minds & hearts to the above truths, so may we sing the following words with such zeal. As the Nicene Creed reminds us, the Holy Spirit is “the Lord and Giver of Life,” so may our souls live in the Spirit as encouraged by this hymn.

Holy Spirit, living breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Let the presence of the risen Lord,
Come renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see,
Give me passion for Your purity;
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within,
May Your joy be seen in all I do.
Love enough to cover every sin,
In each thought and deed and attitude.
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my strivings into works of grace;
Breath of God show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show Your power once again on earth,
Cause Your church to hunger for your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise;
Lead us on the road of sacrifice,
That in unity the face of Christ
May be clear for all the world to see.

Posted in Media, resources | Tagged Getty, holy spirit, pentecost, worship | Leave a comment

RISEFest 2022

Posted on May 10, 2022 by blund

This year’s music festival, from June 10 – 11, features some amazing bands for audiences to appreciate! As always, we are encouraging our youth groups and families to take advantage of this opportunity.

This year’s schedule is headlined by TobyMac and For King & Country. You can see some of these bands biggest hits below. Want to see the entire RISEFest schedule? Go here.

TobyMac has so many hits it is impossible to choose one, but “Speak Life” (above) is a good representative.

for King & Country has many well known hits, but they are probably best known for their Christmas album and rock version of “Little Drummer Boy.” You can listen to some of their biggest hits here.

Anyone is encouraged to make their own arrangements to enjoy RISEFest 2022, but if you would like to go through Zion and the youth group for discounted tickets, contact us!

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Soldiers For Christ In the Ukraine Conflict

Posted on March 2, 2022 by blund

Plastered across the news, shadowing every conversation, flitting around in the back of our minds, is the worrying news surrounding the border between Russia and Ukraine. Reports swirl, social media is a buzz, and Christians pray for God’s mercy in this threatening time. As soldiers of Christ, how should we engage this challenging time?

As citizens of heaven, our earthly citizenships – whether in America, or Ukraine – are secondary (Philippians 3:20). Nevertheless, our heavenly citizenship does not keep us from seeking the good of nations and cities the Lord has placed us in (Jeremiah 29:4 – 7). Christians pray for political leaders, for the safety of our soldiers, and for the cause of righteousness and justice in our world. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in foreign countries as they face these amazing challenges.

As soldiers of Christ, our weapons are spiritual, not physical. We fight for love, not victory. But fight we must, and the Church is our spiritual training ground.

The Church in Ukraine

How are Christians getting along in Ukraine and Russia? There are as many stories as there are believers in those countries. Some are fleeing. Some are hiding.

I was personally amazed by the following video, which records Ukrainian Christians singing “He Will Hold Me Fast” as they await their fate in the midst of violence and conflict. Do you know why this is especially meaningful to me? We sang this same song in worship last Sunday, in very different circumstances. How thankful we are for our freedoms. How we pray for God to hold us fast. This is a beautiful reminder of the communion of saints around the world, lifting up the same song of praise to our Glorious Savior.

Here’s one story of a pastor who has chosen to stay and minister in the midst of war. He writes,
“In recent weeks, nearly all the missionaries have been told to leave Ukraine. Western nations evacuated their embassies and citizens. Traffic in the capital of Kyiv is disappearing… My wife and I have decided to remain in our city near Kyiv… How should the church respond when there is a growing threat of war? When there is constant fear in society? I’m convinced that if the church is not relevant at a time of crisis, then it is not relevant in a time of peace.”
You can read the entire article, “To Stay And Serve” at the link below:

To Stay and Serve: Why We Didn’t Flee Ukraine

We are thankful for the faith of our spiritual siblings, and their example of steadfast courage in the face of difficulty.

What Can I Do?

The Executive Director for a Ukrainian ministry called Mulberry encourages Christians to be in prayer. Pray for:
Peace and security for so many who are being deprived. That the Prince of Peace would bring His peace
People who are trapped by the conflict, either locally or in their situations
Provisions for those who are without food & water, or electricity, or communications, or other goods that the conflict has stripped from them
For the Church of the Lord Jesus in all nations, both Ukraine and Russia, to be faithful to the Gospel and to love in Christian charity

Get in touch with others who have a ministry presence in Ukraine. We are grateful for our partnership with International Messengers, who have a number of ministry contacts in Ukraine. IM has a designated link for donations that will go directly to ministry relief, which you can learn more about here.

You can find advice about how to talk to your children about the conflict. Understand how spiritual struggles like lust even inform missions efforts in Ukraine. Learn about church planting in Ukraine.

Finally, pray for God to grant you wisdom to follow His Spirit in this time. Perhaps God will lead you to your own way to support Christians in Ukraine, or to respond in another way. Let’s ask for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and for even this conflict to spread the Gospel of Jesus, the hope of all nations.

Posted in article, news, resources | Tagged articles, missions, spiritual warfare, Ukraine | Leave a comment

Doubt and Faith Event

Posted on January 15, 2022 by blund

On January 16th, 2022, you are invited to join us Sunday night at 7pm to wrestle with our faith, receive encouragement as we deal with doubt, and look to Jesus who is the Author of our faith (Hebrews 12:1 – 2).

Do you ever wonder about God’s role in your life? If He’s even real, or if this whole faith thing is made up? Do you struggle with particular aspects of the Christian faith, or wrestle with what it means to be faithful to Jesus in a world that lacks faith? Do you feel guilty about doubts and questions, or do you feel anger about what God has allowed to happen? Our Doubt & Faith Event is for you!

With opportunities to come and listen, read and reflect, sing and listen, or probe and pray, our Doubt & Faith event will be a wonderful opportunity for you to bring you deepest doubts to a place where you can find help and Love. Talk with others and ask questions, or sit back silently and listen; either way, you are invited to consider the role of doubt and faith in your life.

Follow Along On Line

Someone may wish to attend/participate, but your schedule or health prevents you. Others may feel that their doubts and questions are so personal and painful, that appearing in person would be impossible. Either way, follow along the livestream below!

Submit A Question – There Or Away

You can participate in our event and ask your question, whether in person or from your phone! If you can join us in person, there will be question forms you can fill out anonymously to submit your thought, doubt, or question. If you want to ask a question online, click here and submit your anonymous question. If you want to ask a question from your phone, text 22333 and place “ZIONCHURCH556” in the body of your text. You’ll be ready to send in your question!

Have a question? Don’t hesitate to ask about the event, or submit a question or doubt with which you are struggling. Anonymous questions should follow this link. Or, you can simply email your question to Pastor Brian here. See you January 16th!

Posted in ministry, news | Tagged doubt, faith, Hebrews 12 | Leave a comment

New Life & Wednesday Activities Canceled 1/5

Posted on January 5, 2022 by blund

All Zion activities have been canceled for tonight, January 5, 2022 due to inclement weather. This includes New Life, 9th Confirmation, Choir, and other activities.

You can find the announcement at KIMT, KIOW, and on our social media channels. Please feel free to share this information with others.

Please trust the Lord and stay safe during this windy time!

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New Year, Same Jesus

Posted on January 1, 2022 by blund

Happy New Year to our Zion family!

As we pray and trust that the Christmas and New Year holidays have brought joy and celebration to you and yours, we want spiritually prepare ourselves for what the Lord in His providence will bring us in the new year. Let us prayerfully commit ourselves to living only for the glory of God this year!

Saturated In God’s Word For the Year Ahead

A lot of people will make resolutions this year – lose weight, drop a bad habit, improve yourself, etc. But the best thing you could do is draw deeply from God’s Word! With over a dozen different reading plans, there is something here for everyone! What are you going to let hold you back from diving in to more of God’s holy power in your life through His Word & Spirit?!
Continue reading “Reading Plans 2022” at Ligonier→

“A Practical Help For Bible Study”

Following Jesus: What’s Wrong and Right About Imitating Christ

[Scripture] calls us not simply to imitate Christ but to live out our union with him. But before [Paul] speaks an imperative, he announces the indicative of the gospel: Christ’s saving work has accomplished far more than we imagined. The Spirit’s work of uniting us to Christ makes us not mere imitators but living members of his body. We are incorporated-baptized-into Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Jesus said the same thing in John 15. His disciples are not only forgiven; joined to him as the life-giving Vine they become living branches, bearing fruit that will remain. We have no life in ourselves, he tells them. There are no resources for following Jesus, imitating him, becoming his disciple. We are dead branches, cut off, without hope in this world. Only then does Jesus issue his imperatives to love and serve each other as he has loved and served us.

There is a world of difference between having a role model whose example we fall short of ever reproducing and having yourself “killed” and re-created as branches of the Tree of Life. Doing what Jesus did is different from bearing the fruit of Christ’s righteous life. In fact, the most important things that Jesus did cannot be duplicated. Because he fulfilled the law in our place, bore our curse, and was raised in glory to take his throne at the Father’s right hand, we can have a relationship with him-and with the Father-that is far more intimate than the relationship of a devotee to a guru, a student to a teacher, or a follower to a master.
Continue reading “Following Jesus” at Monergism→

New Year’s Eve Prayer

Prayers for the New Year in 2022

Earlier, we encouraged you to re-devote yourself to Scripture for 2022. But are you praying for what is to come? Let other Christians model prayer for you, as it evokes your own prayers in your spirit to the Lord. Read on for prayers from the Puritans, the Reformed, and Billy Graham.
Continue reading “New Year Prayers” at Pastor Brian’s website→

New Year’s Resolutions as An Expectation of Faith

Everything comes around just as it has before [on New Years]… I’ll be honest, I get the same feeling whenever I reflect on New Year’s resolutions. People concoct them every year but it seems that “there is no remembrance of former things.” We fail to recall last year’s resolutions, largely the same ones, that have been left by the wayside, usually long before the red shadow of Valentine’s Day ever hits. Ironically enough, even pessimism about New Year’s resolutions is not new.

Yes, the past happened. Its failures are real. Your failures are real. But so is the reality of a God Who reigns over history and Who gives us hope and anticipation for the future.
Continue reading “New Year’s Resolutions…” at Christ and Pop Culture→

Edwards’ Resolutions

“Resolved, to do whatsoever I can think to do to God’s glory alone…” So begins the personal statements of resolve by one of America’s most brilliant minds, and highest pastors, Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758). Begun when he was just a teenager, these statements show a life determined not to settle, not to compromise, and not to give in. What resulted was one of the brightest lights that shone for God’s glory in our nation!

Read and digest these simple statements of faith, truth, and courage, and may they inspire you not to make your own resolutions, but to live life resolved. Resolved to follow Christ. Resolved to walk by faith. And resolved to live for His glory, even when no one else will!
Continue reading “Edwards’ Resolutions” at Pastor Brian’s website→

Posted in article, ministry, resources | Tagged Bible study, holidays, new year 2022, prayer, sanctification | Leave a comment