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Join us again on Wednesday at 7pm for our Bible Study series called the Journey. This Wednesday, we'll look at the importance of disciples living in community and why participation in the church is essential. Next Sunday, we start our journey through the Gospel of Mark with a series called "Following the Servant-King". It will take about a year and a half to get through this book. We had our Church Family Meeting right after the service today. Our key ministry initiatives for 2017 are... Theme: Make Disciples: Helping Others Follow Jesus  Focus on discipleship training and helping members to grow  Two My Hope Outreach Sundays The Journey, 1 year intentional discipleship (during Bible Study)  Starting Women's Sunday School class (on First Sundays)  Mission trip (three opportunities: India, Haiti, or Kenya)  Church-wide Q&A Session(s)

We have a new President and it grieves my heart to read some of the hateful things being said by Christians. No, I don't think Trump is qualified but if I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, how I talk about someone (and what I post on social media) matters. "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." Luke 6:45 (NLT) My wife said, "We should not get too hung up on who sits in the oval office and be more concerned with 'what' is in the 'oval office of our hearts". Even if you consider President Trump to be your enemy, we are called to love our enemies . And since Trump is our President (Yes, he is regardless if you want to admit it or not), we are exhorted to pray for him. "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings...

I missed worshiping with my Mt. Zion family today as I was worshiping and preached at Sovereign Grace Church of Apex .  Thanks for all who prayed for me.  It was greatly appreciated. I preached on the topic "For I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel" from Romans 1:16-17 and it was well received by the church.  It was also a blessing for my family and I to worship with another congregation of people who are different than us.  There is diversity in the Gospel and the Kingdom of God so we must embrace it and not just tolerate it. In my absence, Elder Wayne Bullock gave the pastoral emphasis.  Here are some items he mentioned. Zone 1 members ministered at Brookdale Assisted Living this afternoon at 2pm. The Male Choir rendered a mini-concert. Thanks to all that attended. Join us again on Wednesday at 7pm for our Bible Study series called the Journey. This Wednesday, we'll look at the meaning and importance of baptism. Mt. Zion is partnering with the Western ...

Happy New Year! Due to the winter weather, we did not have service on Sunday but we got on Periscope to worship and hear a Word from God.  If you missed it, you can check out my message below. RSS or Email Subscribers click through to see the video 2017 is here and our church theme is "Make Disciples: Helping Others To Follow Jesus".  This year, we'll be strengthening our walk with Jesus and equipping people to share their faith and how to disciple others. On last Wednesday, we started our new year-long Bible Study series called the Journey which will be a year-long intentional plan for discipleship.  Session 1 was about this truth: You were created by a passionate God who relentlessly pursued you to bring you into His family.  Session 2 will be about the centrality of Jesus in the life of a disciple.  Purchase your personal study guide for $4 and join us on Wednesdays at 7pm. Next Sunday, 1/15, I'll be preaching at Sovereign Grace Church in Apex...

On last Sunday, we praise God for the two individuals who rededicated their lives, the two young ladies who trusted in Christ, and Sis. Danielle Downing who joined the church. Today, we also praise God for the young lady (13 years old) who was baptized.  All Glory to God! The Christmas season is not joyous for many people especially for some who struggle with depression. During the time, suicides increase. For some, depression can be triggered by a change in season. Even believers can suffer with depression. I want to offer some encouragement with this interview with Christian author, Randy Alcorn about Going Deep with God in Depression. RSS or Email Subscribers click through to see the video For additional resources, check out my sermon series on depression, Gospel Light in Deep Darkness. You can order the messages online or watch it from the archives on our website (end of August-September timeframe). Our 2017 Church Theme is "Make Disciples: Helping Others To...

Evangelist Barry Singleton had gone to the hospital last week and at first they thought he had another heart attack but thankfully it turned out to just be a pulled muscle. He's back home resting. We were so thrilled that Bro. Dominic Downing came to church today! It was truly a blessing so see how far God has brought him in his recovery! We give all the glory and praise to our God! Don't forget the Christmas Holiday Extravaganza on 12/17 at 4pm. It will be an evening of worship, music, and sacred arts. Sovereign Grace Church in Apex will be hosting it. The admission "price" is a new unwrapped toy or Hurricane Matthew relief item. Get more details here . Oak City Academy invites us to their school's Christmas program on 12/15 from 6 to 7:30pm. CFCFC is having their annual Christmas musical entitled, "A Very Jazzy Christmas – an evening of live jazz". The concert will be held on Sunday, 12/18 at 6:00 PM at the Herb Young Community Center. ...

We have much to pray for.  Please pray for the following: Bro. George Beamon, a former member and the nephew of Deacon Wes & Sis. Donita Harrison was shot and killed recently in Durham . Please keep the Beamon, Harrison, and Durden families in your prayers during this tragic loss.  Sis. Cynthia Aldridge's sister passed from cancer.  Deaconess Shirley Smith is currently recovering from surgery at Wake Med in Cary. She is doing well.  Update: Bro. Dominick Downing is doing well and his strength is getting better. He is thankful God saved his life and wants to live his life for his Lord and Savior. Continue to pray for his recovery and physical therapy.  Update: Sis. Juanita Hunter had a good week. She is doing well and her will-power is strong. Continue to pray for her and her daughters, Sis. Thelma & Sandra, as they care for her.  Last year, Mt. Zion hosted the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda . They will be back in Cary in concert o...

We give God all the praise for the opportunity to serve our community. For Thanksgiving, our Worship Ministry sponsored five families from West Cary Middle School. I encourage everyone to look for opportunities during the holiday season and beyond to show the love of Christ to others. On Wednesday, 11/30, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm we will be having Elder-led Prayer. Everyone is invited to join us as we focus on specific prayer needs. If you are not able to attend but have prayer requests, you can submit them online . Mark your calendar for 12/17 at 4pm for a joint Christmas Holiday Extravaganza with the churches of my prayer partners. It will be an evening of worship, music, and sacred arts. More details to come.

Last week, I preached about delighting in the Lord and He will give you new desires to know Him better (see "Delight and New Desires" at http://mtzioncary.org/zion-live/ ). False teachers want to twist the Scriptures to preach a false gospel of prosperity. But to delight in the gifts over the Giver is to practice idolatry! And the prosperity gospel is utterly bankrupt when you have to face real difficulties and suffering.   RSS or Email Subscribers click through to see the video What makes God look glorious is when we cling to Christ and know that He is enough for us.  As John Piper said, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him in the midst of loss, not prosperity"! Thanks to all who came out yesterday to help clean the church for our Fall Spruce up on 11/19. 33 people attended  16 from leadership  13 members including 2 youth, 1 child  4 visitors  55 total hours worked  $1,375.00 saved  All areas of the c...

Let me address the recent election: God's sovereignty is not something you only claim when things go your way... God is also sovereign when events happen that you don't like or agree with . And I see too many Christians attacking and belittling either Trump or those who support him, claiming they're just returning what people did to Obama. But Christians are not to return evil for evil ! We overcome evil with good . Besides we have too much Kingdom work to do. Living under President Trump is NOT the worst thing that can happen. You know what is? Dying without Jesus! Thanks to all who were able to come out the home-going celebration for Sis. Claudette VanFoote. Please continue to pray for the family. Some of you have heard that Bro. Dominick Downing was involved in a tragic car accident on early Friday morning where he lost both of his legs and his cousin died. Please keep Dominick, Sis. Tracy Dunn (Dominick's mom), and the entire Downing family in your prayers. ...

For those who have not heard yet, our dear sister, Claudette VanFoote went home to be with our Lord on Thursday. We are sorrowful because we will miss her but yet we are joyful because we know she is in the presence of the Lord Jesus. And in the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy! Her home-going celebration will be on Friday, 11/11 at 11am with the viewing starting at 10am. Don't forget to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday if you didn't do early voting. But let me repeat what I've said before...our hope is not in a donkey or elephant but in a lamb...the Lamb of God! You have one more week (until 11/13) to bring your donations for the Supply Drive to help families who have been impacted by the flooding in Eastern NC as well as donating men's suits, dress shirts, socks, and shoes for the Simply Suits Drive. On 11/12, there will be a Cary Unity Walk that we want Mt. Zion to participate in. We're asking everyone to wear their Mt. Zion t-shirts (...

Thank you all for your generous donations for our Supply Drive to help families who have been impacted by the flooding in Eastern NC. Let's keep the donations coming. And thanks for the donations to the Simply Suits Drive as well. Fathers Forever have picked up a full rack of suits so we have room for more. They also have need of more dress shirts. Both drives are scheduled to end on 11/12. Speaking of 11/12, on that day, there will be a Unity Walk in Cary.  We want to have a good group from Mt. Zion participating.  We're asking everyone to wear their Mt. Zion t-shirts (150th anniversary or this year's theme). There is a $15 registration fee which will go to benefit two non-profit organizations, The 200 Club of Wake County and Read & Feed, that serve many needs in our community.  Even if you cannot pay the registration fee, they will not refuse you from participating. Go here to get more details and register. We have a new Bible Study Series starting on 11/...

We are currently having a Supply Drive for help families who have been impacted by the flooding in Eastern NC. We have flyers available for items you can donate . The drive will end on 11/12. During this same time, we are having a Simply Suits Drive where you can bring in your used men's suits to be donated to the Fathers Forever program. In addition to suits, you can donate dress shoes, socks, shirts, ties, and overcoats. Check out the video on this page to learn more about this wonderful program. Next Sunday, we'll start Twisted 3 series, where we'll be looking at more Scriptures that are often taken out of context. Here's the schedule for the Scriptures we'll be examining... 10/30 - " Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth " 11/06 - " Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap ." 11/13 - " Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of yo...

Congrats to our newer members, Daquon and Ch'ressa Johnson on getting married yesterday. Praise God for My Hope Sunday! Thanks to all who invited and had guest here.  I've already heard about some of the great conversations afterwards about how the message and videos really hit home. As follow-up, talk with your guest about the sermon and their experience.  If your guest come to faith in Christ, we have materials that you can use to provide follow-up and discipleship . From Oct. 23 to Nov. 12, we'll be having a Simply Suits Drive where you can bring in your used men's suits (that you've outgrown) to be donated to the Fathers Forever program, whose mission is to provide suits for men in unfavorable circumstances while working towards self-sufficiency.  In the Fathers Forever program, the men are setup with job interviews but they often don't have suits.  In addition to suits, you can donate dress shoes & socks, shirts, ties, and overcoats. We all kn...

My Hope Sunday was great! God was praised, the Gospel was preached, and people fellowshipped.  The topic was "Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?" coming from Luke 13:1-5 . But the reality is that there are no "good" people.  We are all "bad" (i.e. sinners) who need a Savior. The only good person is Jesus. Jesus died for our sins and rose for our victory. When bad things happen, it should cause us to repent and trust in Jesus. Now may the Holy Spirit cause the seed of God's Word to grow in those who heard it! A big shout-out to the only food truck that came after the service: Apex Peak Bar-B-Que !! The food is always great! We are having a one-night Renewal Service on this Wednesday, October 12th, at 7:00pm. Dr. Leonzo Lynch, Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Charlotte, will be the guest speaker. Everyone is invited to join us for this special service. Please join the Children's Ministry as they serve at the Brown Bag Ministry on Sa...

Please pray for Sis. Hattie Williams.  She had an accident which resulted in two broken ribs.  She is in a lot of pain so the doctors have given her pain medicine while she waits for her ribs to heal.  Please pray for a speedy recovery. With all of the strife and division that is happening in communities across our country, there will be a very cool event happening in November.  Bro. Jimmy Clemons and Officer JB announced that there will be unity walk in Cary on 11/12.  My Hope Sunday is next Sunday, 10/9.  We will address the topic, "Why Does Bad Things Happen to Good People?"  All of our guests will hear the Gospel directed plainly towards them.   Afterwards, we'll have food trucks here for you to purchase lunch and fellowship with your guests and prayerfully engage in some gospel conversations.  This week, please follow-up with those you have invited.  And there's still time for you to invite people.  Invitation car...

The following is from Don Rayno: PRAYER 2016 at Memorial Auditorium was indeed a remarkable night. All of us who were there can say, "Surely the Lord was in this place!" I have facilitated united prayer gatherings for 32 years, and I have never experienced such a time of prayer that we had Tuesday night, in such a unique setting. Over 130 churches participated, across the denominational and cultural spectrum in the area Body of Christ. But what made it so special is that as we were seated together cross-culturally with other churches, God inhabited our praise and received our prayers. We all sensed this. We felt great joy that night, and even more importantly, we felt God's pleasure in all that He saw and heard. Pastor Morgan and myself are so grateful for God's wonderful work among us at Memorial Auditorium. As Pastor Morgan said to me during the day on Tuesday: "Yesterday this was an auditorium, and tomorrow it will be an auditorium, ...

Thanks to all who attended yesterday's Theological Seminar on "The Doctrine of the Church".  If you missed it, you should go watch it from our archives on the church website.  What really stood out to me was when Walter Strickland made the point in 1 Corinthians 3:16: "Do you not know that you (plural) are God's temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?"  We together (the church) are the temple of the Lord where the Spirit dwells.  So when we neglect to gather with the saints, we remove ourselves from the move of the Spirit!  We must prioritize not only attendance but membership in the local church. Our next church-wide Elder-led Prayer is Wednesday from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.  Everyone is invited to join us as we focus on specific prayer needs.  If you are not able to attend but have prayer requests, you can submit them online . We still have some booklets, Depression: The Way Up When You Are Down by Ed Welch available. Please see me if you'd li...

Prayer 2016 is Tuesday, from 7-9pm at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.  For those who registered, you should have picked up your tickets from Sis. Sandra Broadwater after church.  If not, please contact Sis. Broadwater to make arrangements to get your ticket. In a time when salvation is so individualized, how important is the church?  Does membership in a church really matter?  Register for our Theological Seminar on Saturday, 9/24 from 9:00am to 11:15am.  Walter Strickland from SEBTS will be teaching on "The Doctrine of the Church".  Light refreshments will be served.  Register online . Next Sunday, 9/25, I will be preaching at Christ First Christian Fellowship Center at 4pm for their Ushers/Greeters Anniversary.  Minister Brandi Hancock will also be the guest soloist. Today at 3pm, I preached at Little Zion M.B. Church in Youngsville for their Annual Homecoming Service.  I preached on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, "Come Home ...

September is a busy month. Please pray for me as I have a couple of speaking engagements. I would definitely appreciate your support. Prayer 2016 is 9/20 from 7-9pm at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. Don't forget to register  as we only have a few seats remaining. Next Sunday, 9/18, I will be preaching at Little Zion MB Church in Youngsville at 3pm for their Annual Homecoming Service. Sunday, 9/25, I will be preaching at Christ First Christian Fellowship Center at 4pm for their Ushers/Greeters Anniversary. Minister Brandi Hancock will be the guest soloist. Saturday, 9/24 is our next Theological Seminar from 9:00am to 11:15am. In a time when salvation is so individualized, how important is the church? Does membership in a church really matter? Walter Strickland , Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary , will be teaching on "The Doctrine of the Church". Come out and learn about this important topic. Light refreshments will be served. Please register for th...