Sunday Morning Preview - December 31, 2017

This Sunday morning we will gather to say farewell to the year 2017. For some of us the year will have been marked by wonderful achievements, celebrated milestones, and great joy; others will be staggering to the finish line — thrilled to see it finally ending.

It has been a tumultuous year in the world around us. Many rich and influential men saw their lives crumble in the face scandal as abuses of power and position were exposed and condemned. Accusations of criminal corruption continue to circulate at the highest levels of government, and horrific attacks of terror spread panic in the streets from Las Vegas to London and beyond.

In Luke 12 Jesus has much to say about fear. 

Please join me as we end the year focused on the only words which really matter in times like these. 

Pastor Dan

Two Services Christmas Eve 10:30 AM and 5 PM

In the first of our two services this Christmas Eve (10:30 AM) I am planning to look at what Jesus has to say regarding traditions in Mark 7. 

The holiday season for many of us in the western world is steeped in an almost mystical kind of nostalgic feeling that is propped up in large part by family, social, and even Christian traditions. Is this a good, bad, or irrelevant thing? 

Advent candles, wise men at the manger, decorated trees, and Santa Claus; all will be tested in light of Jesus’s teaching on the place of scripture and tradition.

Our second service (5:00 PM) will feature Christmas Carols, Communion and a sincere call to come home for those who have wondered far from faith.

I hope to see each and every one of you this Sunday as we celebrate the joy of advent.

Pastor Dan

Sunday Morning Preview - December 17, 2017

Please join us at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning gets under way at 9:45 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 with our usual time of worship and fellowship, followed by Pastor Dan Van De Laar with the continuing sermon series which he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - December 10, 2017

Over the last 10 years or so this coming Sunday morning has become a favourite for many of us at DCC; I am speaking of course of our annual  Children’s Christmas Pageant and Pot-Luck Breakfast.

The day will begin with pre-service prayer at 9:30 followed by breakfast, coffee, eggnog, and fellowship until the service gets underway.

While we are sharing breakfast the children will be practicing for the concert, which we will enjoy along with a time of worship and Christmas carols, and the morning will conclude with a message from the Word of God brought by Pastor Joel.

I hope to see you all there.

Sunday Morning Preview - November 19 and 26, 2017

As we study our way through Malachi, we encounter some passages that are not directly applicable to New Testament believers. Obviously we are no longer concerned with correct procedure where sacrificial offerings are concerned because Christ “entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:12)

There are still, however, many issues presented that do speak directly to us, a few of which we will spend time examining:

• Priestly responsibilities, which are also required of faithful pastors and teachers,
• God’s expectation that correct belief be followed by correct practice, and
• Healthy (as opposed to unhealthy) fear of the LORD.

I hope you will join me November 19 and 26 for a pair of messages I have entitled “YUCK”. 

(Read Malachi 2:1-9 if you are curious about the title.)

Pastor Dan

Sunday Morning Preview - November 12, 2017

Please join us at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning gets under way at 9:45 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 with our usual time of worship and fellowship, followed by Pastor Dan Van De Laar with the continuing sermon series which he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

Sunday Morning Preview - November 5, 2017

Perhaps it's the cold weather or the short days. It could be poor nutrition or a sedentary lifestyle.Maybe it’s just the same old, same old routine, but most likely it’s just another effect of the fall, further evidence of the sin nature. 

Whatever the cause, we all experience what could be described as seasons of apathy. We haven’t quit, we aren’t throwing in the towel or walking away, it’s just … our hearts aren’t in it. We are just going through the motions, just biding time, just hoping for change. 

If the topic at hand is our work place, we may be able to go on like this for a very long time with minimal consequence, if it is marriage or family life things get a little more complicated, but what if we are talking about God? What happens when our faith becomes a wearisome burden?  

I hope you will join me this Sunday for a message I have entitled “Polluted Offerings”.

Pastor Dan

Sunday Morning Preview - October 29, 2017

Please join me this Sunday morning at DCC for Part two of “Oblivious”

If were absent last week please check out the previous SMP and listen to the podcast:

http://decormie2551.sermon.net/main/main/21035413

Pastor Dan

Sunday Morning Preview - October 22, 2017

Sometime around the middle of 2008 my sermon preparation process underwent a radical transformation. Until then the routine had mostly involved seeking God’s will and writing down whatever came to mind. On the weeks when nothing was coming I’d mine a host of resources; hot cultural issues, church problems, or perhaps relationship challenges. If I still had nothing I’d start desperately scanning the books in my personal library hoping that something would “pop”. 

The change came with the realization that this system was causing at least two serious problems. I was twisting scripture in order to make my points seem biblical and I was avoiding difficult topics by sticking to my own passions and preferences. Switching to the current exegetical model goes a long way to correcting the first of those problems and it virtually eliminates the second.

This Sunday we begin the Book of Malachi with a sermon entitled “Oblivious”. 

I am not excited! 

If you wonder why, please read the first five verses to see if you can figure it out.

Pastor Dan

Sunday Morning Preview - October 15, 2017

Please join us at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:00 (Joel is teaching from “Pilgrim’s Progress” at Adult Sunday School) Followed by pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 with our usual time of worship and fellowship, followed by Pastor Dan Van De Laar with the continuing sermon series which he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - October 8, 2017

Let me begin by wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

This Sunday morning at Dakota Community Church we will be celebrating the holiday and sharing Communion. 

Please join me as we examine the difference between genuine heartfelt gratitude and the vain lip service we often offer instead. 

My sermon is entitled simply; “Thankful.”  

Over the next few days I want to encourage all of you to be reflecting on the many good things that we have to be thankful for in Christ. Our God is gracious! 

Come and give thanks this Sunday morning!

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - October 1, 2017

The Lord’s Prayer in our ESV Bible is missing the ending that many of us remember from Sunday School. The omission is the result of textual criticism, which is basically the science of studying ancient manuscripts in order to restore a text as nearly as possible to its original form.

The doxology as it appears in earlier English translations of the Bible is absent from all of the ancient Latin manuscripts but present in most of the Greek ones. The Didache, or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (an early Christian treatise) dating to the first century ends with the doxology included.

All of this raises the question as to whether or not it is appropriate for us to conclude the Lord’s Prayer with the traditional phrase; “For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen”

Please join me this Sunday for the conclusion of our Summer Series in a message I have entitled; “Forever Reign”.

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - September 24, 2017

In Matthew 6:13 Jesus teaches us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” This Sunday we will seek to better understand what it means to ask the Father not to lead us into temptation.

The primary strategy of Satan is to deceive; he is a deceiver by nature, so he tempts us by planting thoughts and/or feelings that are false. He lies to us about what will bring satisfaction and where true happiness is to be found.

How then does the Father deliver us? 

Please join me for Week 11 of the Lord’s Prayer Series and a message entitled, “A Desperate Plea.” 

Dr. Ann Mckenzie will also be sharing and answering questions regarding what Christians can do to support Bill 34. If you haven’t seen the video you can check the DCC Facebook page or visit  www.canadiansforconscience.ca

I hope to see you all Sunday morning!

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - September 17, 2017

This Sunday morning at DCC we continue our Summer Series on the Lord’s Prayer with a sermon entitled “Cause Us To Flee”.

Jesus now instructs his disciples to ask the Father for deliverance from temptation and evil —  indicating that this is a necessity on par with the need for forgiveness or daily bread. The situation, as the Apostle Paul describes it:

“I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin…”

In light of this truth, how are believers to treat the ongoing reality of temptation and sin? Are we meant to just ignore it? Should we pretend sin doesn’t exist, dusting ourselves off after each fall and denying that anything happened? Or are we are meant to drag ourselves through life under the constant weight of guilt and shame?

I hope you will join me as we rejoice in the often elusive gospel solution to the problem at hand.

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - September 10, 2017

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Pastor Dan Van De Laar will be continuing the sermon series he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - September 3, 2017

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Joel Cormie will be continuing his sermon series with week nine in the book of Colossians. 

If you missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - August 27, 2017

I hope everyone will be able to make it out to Church this Sunday morning for a special sermon from DCC Elder Tyson Keffer entitled, “The Confidence of Man.”

We are living in a time when the world seems to be turning upside down. Standards of social acceptance are shifting quickly away from traditional values, and more so from the biblical world view. On this shifting moral landscape, where are we as Christians to plant our feet?

When the truth proclaimed in God’s word comes under attack, where do we as Christians find our confidence? 

Join me this Sunday as we explore our citizenship in God’s kingdom and what it means for us who call Christ our king.

Tyson Keffer

Sunday Morning Preview - August 20, 2017

Please join me this Sunday morning as we continue our Summer Series on the Lord’s Prayer with a sermon entitled, “Forgive Our Debts.”

From this next petition in the Lord’s prayer we learn two significant truths, first that we are debtors to God because of our sin and second that we are not the only ones in debt. We have debtors of our own, people who owe us something because of what they have done to/against us. 

Jesus has freed us from the debt of our sin, and because of that, we must freely forgive others.Picturing sin as a debt owed to God, points us to the heart of the Christian faith—forgiveness. I hope to see you all tomorrow morning!

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - August 13, 2017

Please join me this Sunday morning as we share communion and continue our Summer Series on the Lord’s Prayer with the conclusion of last week’s sermon “Daily Bread.”

If you missed Part 1 of this message it is available here:

Daily Bread - Part 1

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - August 6, 2017

Please join me Sunday morning as we return to our Summer Series on the Lord’s Prayer with a message entitled “Daily Bread.”

In the early days of DCC there were many times when money was scarce and pastoral paydays occurred more like pleasant surprises than regularly-scheduled events. I wish I could tell you that I handled those times with graceful patience and a deep trust in the Lord - but to do so would be worse than a lie! I grumbled and complained - A LOT. I did things I should not have done. At times I endured mistreatment, not for godly reasons, but for fear of losing someone and their offerings. A close friend used to frequently listen to my griping and attempt to lift my mood by  telling me that all my problems would end as soon as I could get my hands on some “Forget you”* money. 

{*Not his exact phrase.}

It may surprise you to learn that when I look back on those difficult days now my heart swells with gratitude to the Lord for each of them. They are among the most precious of God’s gifts to me. Each one was an effective tool, crushing foolish pride, stripping away the drive for sinful independence, and opening my eyes to my deep need of daily bread.

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - July 30, 2017

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Joel Cormie will be continuing his sermon series with week eight in the book of Colossians. 

If you missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - July 23, 2017

Please join me at DCC this Sunday morning for what is sure to be a wonderful time in fellowship and in the Word of God.

The morning begins at 9:30 with pre-service prayer and then coffee time.

The service will begin at 10:30 during which we will enjoy our usual time of worship, fellowship, and finally, Pastor Dan Van De Laar will be continuing the sermon series he has entitled; A Study Through the Epistle of Hebrews. 

If you’ve missed any of the earlier messages in the series they are available on our website at www.dakotacommunitychurch.com

Hope to see you all there! 

- Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - July 16, 2017

A Google search of the phrase, “How can I know the will of God?” returns nearly 48,000 responses in just over half a second. Of the 10 links on the first page I was pleasantly surprised to discover that 9 of them directed me to the Bible as the primary source for the answer to my query. 

In teaching us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus is revealing some significant spiritual truth. In one brief sentence we understand that God is a king, that he rules according to His will, that in heaven His will is always obeyed and that we are to desire His will to be obeyed in the same way here on earth. Going to the Bible I soon discover that much of the will of God seems to run contrary to my will, in fact it often appears that to submit to it will result in an immediate end of my personal happiness. 

God wants His children to be happy, doesn’t He?

Please join me Sunday for more on the Lord’s Prayer in a message entitled “Thy Will Be Done”.

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - July 9, 2017

Those of you who have been listening to my sermons for any length of time will already know that I am a member of that elite Canadian social group known affectionately by its members as “Military Brats.” What you may not be aware of is that I was born to Canadian parents who were stationed “abroad” and that means I enjoy the privilege of dual citizenship. I carry two passports and I am free to make my home either in Canada or in the land of my birth. 

In the late fourth century Augustine of Hippo spoke of a city of God and a city of man as a way to explain that all Christians are in fact dual citizens. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God and at the same time citizens of the kingdom of man. The city of God is eternal while the city of man is temporary, however, because God made the city of man for His glory we cannot despise or abandon it. Each of these two cities are characterized by a love of their own so Jesus taught Christians to pray for the coming of God’s Kingdom on earth.

Please join me Sunday morning for a message I have entitled “City of God”. 

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - July 2, 2017

It is popular in our time to avoid clear delineation in favour of less-offensive generalizations. The oft repeated “I’m spiritual, not religious” is a prime example of this. “Spiritual” is hard to nail down, it’s blurry around the edges and could mean almost anything. Picture Oprah smiling and nodding her approval. “Religious”  on the other hand is easily defined. Which religion do you practise? At once a concise understanding emerges; sanctuaries, bibles, worship styles, prayers, and observances all come clearly into view. 

In teaching the disciples to pray, Jesus was precise regarding Who we are praying to and how His name is to be treated. Our prayers need to reflect that precision.

I hope you will all join me this holiday weekend as we continue our series on the Lord’s Prayer with a message entitled “Hallowed Be Your Name”.

Pastor Dan 

Sunday Morning Preview - June 25, 2017

This Sunday morning at DCC we continue our series on the Lord’s Prayer with a message entitled “God Our Father”. 

The Bible has much to say about the human condition and the various ways that sin has permeated and perverted it. “Incurvatus in se” is the Latin phrase used perhaps first by Augustine of Hippo and later by Martin Luther to describe our sinful state as “man curved inward on himself" rather than outward toward God and others. 

In teaching His disciples to pray, Jesus confronts this selfish tendency head-on by directing them/us to pray “Our Father” rather than the more-natural-feeling “My Father”.  All alone in my prayer closet it seems silly to be using the plural form. Am I not seeking forgiveness for my sins, deliverance from my temptations, and most importantly the provision of my daily bread? Isn’t it Jesus who instructs us to secure our own breathing apparatus before trying to help others in the event of a loss of cabin pressure? Like it says, “God helps those who help themselves”, right? 

Pastor Dan

Sunday Morning Preview - June 18, 2017

This Sunday morning at DCC we continue our series on the Lord’s Prayer with a message entitled “Hypocrisy vs. Humility”.

In the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector in Luke 18 Jesus ignites a religious revolution with the utterance of a single sentence. “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.”

From our vantage point 2000 years later the tendency is to view the Pharisees as the New Testament equivalent of the Axis of Evil from the modern war on terror. We forget that these men took the law most seriously, were trying hard to live righteously and saw themselves as worthy of God’s acceptance, especially when compared to the common folk.

Besides the shocking truth presented regarding justification this passage also illustrates two types of prayer, one correct and effective, the other not so much. 

I hope you will join me as we investigate this revolutionary teaching. 

Pastor Dan