The Joy in Being Forgiven

Morning

Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work.

Psalms 92:4

Do you believe that your sins are forgiven, and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now? Luther said, Smite, Lord, smite, for my sin is forgiven; if thou hast but forgiven me, smite as hard as thou wilt; and in a similar spirit you may say, Send sickness, poverty, losses, crosses, persecution, what thou wilt, thou hast forgiven me, and my soul is glad. Christian, if thou art thus saved, whilst thou art glad, be grateful and loving. Cling to that cross which took thy sin away; serve thou him who served thee. I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Let not your zeal evaporate in some little ebullition of song. Show your love in expressive tokens. Love the brethren of him who loved you. If there be a Mephibosheth anywhere who is lame or halt, help him for Jonathan's sake. If there be a poor tried believer, weep with him, and bear his cross for the sake of him who wept for thee and carried thy sins. Since thou art thus forgiven freely for Christ's sake, go and tell to others the joyful news of pardoning mercy. Be not contented with this unspeakable blessing for thyself alone, but publish abroad the story of the cross. Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a good preacher, and all the world will be a pulpit for you to preach in. Cheerful holiness is the most forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it you. Seek it this morning before you go into the world. When it is the Lord's work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad. Sent from the Morning and Evening Devotional, by Charles Spurgeon. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com

Grace, Freedom, Laughter! 

To Him Who Is Able!

Commanded to Love

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."Galatians 5:14

People who think they have a good understanding of the command to love are badly mistaken. To be sure, they have this command written on their hearts. By nature, they know that they should do to others what they want done to them (Matthew 7:12). That doesn't mean they truly understand it; otherwise they would also show it in their actions and prefer love above other works. They wouldn't make such a big deal about their antics and superstitions, which amount to nothing. Some examples of such behavior include walking around with a sad face and hanging head, being celibate, eating only bread and water, living in the desert, dressing shabbily, and so on. These are strange and superstitious works, which they choose for themselves and which God neither commands nor accepts. They consider these works so glorious and holy that they cast a dark shadow over love, which is the sun that shines over all works. The blindness of human reason is so limitless and incomprehensible that reason cannot come to a correct understanding of faith, much less make correct judgments about life and works.

Therefore, we must strongly resist our own opinions. In matters of salvation, we by nature would rather base our opinions on our hearts than on the Word of God. We also should strongly object to the mask and halo of self-chosen works. Instead, we must learn to value our calling and the responsibilities that go with it. Although these works may appear puny and contemptible, they are commanded by God. In contrast, we should despise the works that reason chooses to do apart from God's command no matter how glorious, meaningful, great, or holy they appear.

From Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional by Martin Luther, James C. Galvin. ©2005 by Zondervan. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced without written permission from Zondervan, 5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49530. Sent from the Martin Luther's Faith Alone Devotional. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com

Grace, Freedom, Laughter! 

Sunday August 12, 2012 at DCC

This Sunday morning we will share communion and then continue to look at the necessary ingredients for establishing and maintaining unity in the church as laid out by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:2 

In this first segment of the passage Paul is explaining that unity amoung the believers has much to do with how we treat one another. Although fallen people have a tendency to be very aware of their own rights and sensitive to any violation of those rights; Paul is saying that this is not to be the case amoung the followers of Jesus. Using words like humility, gentleness, and patience; he insists upon a very high standard for Christian interaction.

I wonder if you would say that the Christians you have encountered, for the most part, line up with what Paul is describing here? What about you, is this how you treat brothers and sisters in Christ, and if not, why not? 

I hope to see you Sunday for more along these lines in: “Grace at Work 3” 

Charles Spurgeon - Morning and Evening

Evening

I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands.

Haggai 2:17

How destructive is the hail to the standing crops, beating out the precious grain upon the ground! How grateful ought we to be when the corn is spared so terrible a ruin! Let us offer unto the Lord thanksgiving. Even more to be dreaded are those mysterious destroyers-smut, bunt, rust, and mildew. These turn the ear into a mass of soot, or render it putrid, or dry up the grain, and all in a manner so beyond all human control that the farmer is compelled to cry, This is the finger of God. Innumerable minute fungi cause the mischief, and were it not for the goodness of God, the rider on the black horse would soon scatter famine over the land. Infinite mercy spares the food of men, but in view of the active agents which are ready to destroy the harvest, right wisely are we taught to pray, Give us this day our daily bread. The curse is abroad; we have constant need of the blessing. When blight and mildew come they are chastisements from heaven, and men must learn to hear the rod, and him that hath appointed it.

Spiritually, mildew is no uncommon evil. When our work is most promising this blight appears. We hoped for many conversions, and lo! a general apathy, an abounding worldliness, or a cruel hardness of heart! There may be no open sin in those for whom we are labouring, but there is a deficiency of sincerity and decision sadly disappointing our desires. We learn from this our dependence upon the Lord, and the need of prayer that no blight may fall upon our work. Spiritual pride or sloth will soon bring upon us the dreadful evil, and only the Lord of the harvest can remove it. Mildew may even attack our own hearts, and shrivel our prayers and religious exercises. May it please the great Husbandman to avert so serious a calamity. Shine, blessed Sun of Righteousness, and drive the blights away.

Sent from the Morning and Evening Devotional, by Charles Spurgeon. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com

Grace, Freedom, Laughter! 

PCC/DCC Combined Service This Sunday

Another holiday weekend is upon us and with it comes another PCC/DCC combined service. Please join us in the UPSTAIRS Sanctuary for a wonderful time of worship and sweet fellowship as we glorify God together and celebrate unity in the Body of Christ!

We are going to break out the lawn chairs on Sunday after church for lunch. If its raining we will use the basement. 
All are welcome - We want to have a simple lunch and would ask you to bring whatever you want and more.  There will be people from both congregations and The PCC folks also have friends visiting from Finland - about eight of them.  So please be generous and bring extra. 


Look forward to seeing everyone this Sunday!

Charles Spurgeon - Morning and Evening

Evening

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?

Romans 8:33

Most blessed challenge! How unanswerable it is! Every sin of the elect was laid upon the great Champion of our salvation, and by the atonement carried away. There is no sin in God's book against his people: he seeth no sin in Jacob, neither iniquity in Israel; they are justified in Christ for ever. When the guilt of sin was taken away, the punishment of sin was removed. For the Christian there is no stroke from God's angry hand-nay, not so much as a single frown of punitive justice. The believer may be chastised by his Father, but God the Judge has nothing to say to the Christian, except I have absolved thee: thou art acquitted. For the Christian there is no penal death in this world, much less any second death. He is completely freed from all the punishment as well as the guilt of sin, and the power of sin is removed too. It may stand in our way, and agitate us with perpetual warfare; but sin is a conquered foe to every soul in union with Jesus. There is no sin which a Christian cannot overcome if he will only rely upon his God to do it. They who wear the white robe in heaven overcame through the blood of the Lamb, and we may do the same. No lust is too mighty, no besetting sin too strongly entrenched; we can overcome through the power of Christ. Do believe it, Christian, that thy sin is a condemned thing. It may kick and struggle, but it is doomed to die. God has written condemnation across its brow. Christ has crucified it, nailing it to his cross. Go now and mortify it, and the Lord help you to live to his praise, for sin with all its guilt, shame, and fear, is gone.

Here's pardon for transgressions past,

It matters not how black their cast;

And, O my soul, with wonder view,

For sins to come here's pardon too.

Sent from the Morning and Evening Devotional, by Charles Spurgeon. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com

Grace, Freedom, Laughter! 

This Sunday morning we will continue to look at the necessary ingredients for establishing and maintaining unity in the church as laid out by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:2 

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

Paul is saying here that, in light of what Jesus has done to rescue us and redeem us to himself from our former hopeless state, in light of the example He set in humbling himself - though He is God in the flesh - and submitting to death in our place. In light of that; we have no reasonable recourse except to joyfully follow suit taking positions of humility and service towards everyone we encounter.

Hope to see you when the saints gather!

Welcome & Good Morning!

Welcome to Dakota Community Church
Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Good morning!

Our aim today is to Glorify God by making much of Jesus and all that He has done for us!

Today’s sermon is a continuation of our journey through the Book of Ephesians. For three Chapters Paul has been unpacking God’s amazing plan of redemption - NOW he turns to instruction about how that is to look in the life of the redeemed!

Enjoy the service and feel free to follow along in the scriptures using the links below.

Scripture for today’s sermon:

Ephesians 3:14-21; Jude 1:24-25; 1 Timothy 1:17-18;

Romans 11:33-36  Ephesians 4:1-16; John 17:11-23; Philippians 2:3-8; Jude 1:3

Sunday Morning Preview - July 22, 2012

This Sunday morning marks the half way point in our journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. I hope you are enjoying this process as much as I am!

For three chapters now Paul has been unpacking God’s awesome eternal plan for humanity. A plan involving new life rising from spiritual death, reborn men and women forming a new community - the Church - being reconciled in Christ to God, and reunited with each other - brothers and sisters from every tribe and race - equal and accepted.

Having looked at these “new men”, and this “new society”; Paul now turns his attention to the “new standards” that will define this new order. I hope you will join me this Sunday for; “Grace at Work” as we begin to define what the grace life looks like when the rubber meets the road!

As We All Know

Sunday July 15, 2012 - Welcome to DCC!

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

I trust everyone is enjoying our incredible summer weather! This morning at DCC our aim is to Glorify God by making much of Jesus and all that He has done for us!

Today’s sermon is a continuation of our journey through the Book of Ephesians.

Enjoy the service and feel free to follow along in the scriptures using the links below.

Scripture for today’s sermon:

Ephesians 3:14-21; Jude 1:24-25; 1 Timothy 1:17-18;

Romans 11:33-36 

This Sunday at Dakota

I trust everyone is enjoying this beautiful summer weather we are having and... I sincerely hope you will be able to join me at DCC on Sunday when the plan is to wrap up our examination of Ephesians 3:14-21.

If you missed the first two sermons on this passage - Paul’s Powerful Prayer 1&2 - they are available on iTunes (Subscribe to the Podcast - just go to the iTunes store and search Dakota Community Church) or on the church website by clicking here. 

Paul closes his prayer with a wonderful doxology in which he makes clear that the church glorifies God by providing the stage upon which the work of Jesus Christ can take effect. Again the point being that this drama is not starring you or I - It is about Jesus.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Dan

Book Club Tonight

Hey All,

Just a reminder that we begin Tim Keller's "Gospel in Life" tonight at 7:30.

Pastor Dan and Kathy's house.
Dan

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"Backyard Beauty"

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Mirrors

Tim Keller Wisdom (@DailyKeller) 2012-07-10 6:09 AM When Christians who understand the gospel see a poor person, they realize they are looking into a mirror.

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Sunday July 8, 2012 at Dakota

Welcome to Dakota Community Church

Grace, Freedom, Laughter

Our aim in this service is to Glorify God by making much of Jesus and what He has done for us!

Today’s sermon is a continuation of our journey through the Book of Ephesians.

I trust that the Word of God and time in worship will have the strong effect that the Lord desires upon you.

Enjoy the service and feel free to follow along in the scriptures using the links below.

Scripture for today’s sermon:

Ephesians 3:14-21; Ephesians 3:10-11; Jude 1:24-25;

1 Timothy 1:17-18; Romans 11:33-36 

Charles Spurgeon - "Pray for Us"

Morning

Brethren, pray for us.

1 Thessalonians 5:25

This one morning in the year we reserved to refresh the reader's memory upon the subject of prayer for ministers, and we do most earnestly implore every Christian household to grant the fervent request of the text first uttered by an apostle and now repeated by us. Brethren, our work is solemnly momentous, involving weal or woe to thousands; we treat with souls for God on eternal business, and our word is either a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death. A very heavy responsibility rests upon us, and it will be no small mercy if at the last we be found clear of the blood of all men. As officers in Christ's army, we are the especial mark of the enmity of men and devils; they watch for our halting, and labour to take us by the heels. Our sacred calling involves us in temptations from which you are exempt, above all it too often draws us away from our personal enjoyment of truth into a ministerial and official consideration of it. We meet with many knotty cases, and our wits are at a non plus; we observe very sad backslidings, and our hearts are wounded; we see millions perishing, and our spirits sink. We wish to profit you by our preaching; we desire to be blest to your children; we long to be useful both to saints and sinners; therefore, dear friends, intercede for us with our God. Miserable men are we if we miss the aid of your prayers, but happy are we if we live in your supplications. You do not look to us but to our Master for spiritual blessings, and yet how many times has He given those blessings through His ministers; ask then, again and again, that we may be the earthen vessels into which the Lord may put the treasure of the gospel. We, the whole company of missionaries, ministers, city missionaries, and students, do in the name of Jesus beseech you

BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US. Sent from the Morning and Evening Devotional, by Charles Spurgeon. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com

Grace, Freedom, Laughter! 

The Good Old Days

Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions.Ecclesiastes 7:10

When people are ungrateful to us, we often start complaining, "Things are worse now than they ever were." But we shouldn't talk like this. Elderly people tend to say, "When I was a child, everything was better." They are the "people who praise the days gone by," as one poet calls them. But the author of Ecclesiastes says this isn't true. Things never really went that well. We only realize how bad things are now because as we grow older, the number of things that annoy us also increases.

Children don't pay much attention to news about someone deceiving or murdering someone else. They keep on playing, running, and riding. They think it's the worst thing in the world when someone steals another's marbles. Only then do they become angry. But when they become adults, they become sensitive to the troubles and disloyalty of people around them. They get angry when a horse breaks a leg, when the cattle don't fatten properly, and so on.

The world has always been filled with troubles, but we haven't always been aware of them all. When we were children, nothing bothered us. Our lives remained relatively calm. But the world has always been wicked. Therefore, make sure that you have a quiet and peaceful heart. Don't become upset when you see these evils. Though you can't change the world, make sure you are changed into a new person.

From Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional by Martin Luther, James C. Galvin. ©2005 by Zondervan. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced without written permission from Zondervan, 5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49530. Sent from the Martin Luther's Faith Alone Devotional. For devotionals like this one for your iPhone, visit us at 43rdElement.com

Grace, Freedom, Laughter!