Pastor Steve’s inspiring Mother’s Day Service focused on recognizing the contributions, sacrifices, and love embodied in all women. Pastor Steve also spoke about gift of The Holy Spirit that the disciples received after Christ’s ascension. The inherent fleeting nature of life on earth magnifies the importance of opening our hearts to Christ’s love flowing through us and of letting that love flow out from us to bless others.

Job 1:21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and

the Lord has taken away;

may the name of the Lord be praised.”

On May 12, Pastor Steve’s inspiring message at the special Mother’s Day Service focused on recognizing the contributions, sacrifices, and love embodied in all women in their many roles as mothers, grandmothers, caretakers, and role models. His sermon highlighted scripture about the gift of The Holy Spirit that the disciples received after Christ’s ascension. Pastor explained that the inherent fleeting nature of life on earth magnifies the importance of opening our hearts to Christ’s love and the Holy Spirit gifted to us. The loving gift of the Holy Spirit flows through us thanks to our Savior's many sacrifices and Pastor Steve encouraged us to open our hearts and let the blessings of Christian love flow out from us to bless others. Our time on this earth is transitory and the Bible reminds us, as we celebrate Mother's Day, that our real home awaits us in Heaven--praise God in all circumstances from birth to death: 

Job 1:21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

In this sermon, Pastor Steve expounds on the meaning of Acts 8, verses 26 to 40, the encounter between the Disciple Philip and an Ethiopian eunuch. He notes that this is a story with a happy ending, wherein Philip is directed by God to meet the Ethiopian man on the way to Gaza and to tell him about the Good News of Jesus Christ, as foretold in the Old Testament by the Prophet Isaiah. Acts 8: 26-40 (NIV) reports:  

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip,  “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian ^]eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.² The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”  Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea."

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God calls us to love one another. This commandment from Jesus to his disciples was the thrust of today's message. Pastor’s April 21 sermon focused on John 13 and highlighted verses 34-35, wherein Jesus said:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Pastor Steve went on to elaborate that love is God’s nature and at the very core of God’s being. He emphasized that love is what brought Jesus to this world and love is how our Savior lived every day of his life. It was deep and abiding love that took Jesus to the cross--love was the reason he sacrificed his life, he said. Pastor reminded those in attendance that we are to love one another just as Jesus loves us. It’s a very difficult thing to do but far too important not to take to heart as Christians and faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Steve's April 14 sermon reminded those in attendance that, as faithful and believing Christians, Jesus promised that he is our companion every step of the way on the road through life. Pastor quoted several scriptural passages to remember when life is especially difficult and trying. Those passages included King David writing in Psalm 4: 4 (NASB): "Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah." Selah can be translated as an invitation to pause or to praise. 

The folly of thinking we are alone is illustrated in the conversation of the travelers on the Road to Emmaus. One of the lessons we learn from Jesus appearing to the distraught disciples is showing just how difficult it is to carry on after someone's passing. Jesus opened the eyes of those Emmaus-bound travelers to his presence and to the scriptures. The question that Pastor Steve asked the congregation is:

Do we simply need to open our eyes and hearts in order to see Jesus more clearly and to understand God's plan for us?

The extraordinary and unearthly love demonstrated by Jesus during his lifetime culminated in his crucifixion and resurrection, an ultimate sacrifice to offer salvation to all men and women. Pastor Steve cites scripture and expands on the meaning of various verses found in John 20: 1-18. Pastor especially focuses on Jesus' appearance to Mary Magdalene in John 20: 11-18--

¹¹Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb¹²and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”¹⁴At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶Jesus said to her,“Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,“Rabboni!”(which means “Teacher”).

¹⁷Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

The DCCC Candlelight Service included special songs, nativity for children, a sermon by Pastor Steve, and closing with all attendees singing Silent Night by candlelight. All guests received gifts of ornaments and cookies upon exiting. The children who helped with the Nativity received gifts as well. It was a beautiful night of honoring and remembering the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Please listen to Pastor Steve's sermon below.

Luke 2, verses 1-20, was the focus of Pastor Steve's Christmas Eve sermon, recounting the birth of Jesus (NIV): 

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.²(This was the first census that took place while^[a]Quirinius was governor of Syria.)³And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehemthe town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to himand was expecting a child.⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.⁹An angelof the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.¹¹Today in the town of David a Saviorhas been born to you; he is the Messiah,the Lord.¹²This will be a signto you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peaceto those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising Godfor all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

October 8 was Pastor Appreciation Day and love was in the air at DCCC.  The congregation enjoyed special songs, readings, video and a wonderful sermon by Pastor Steve. After the service, an Italian lunch and fantastic desserts, along with lots of laughter and fellowship, were the perfect end to the day. Pastor delivered a message about the rich young man who asked Jesus about the way to get into heaven. The price was too high for the rich young man and Pastor reminded everyone in attendance that having a lot of money does not buy love, happiness, or a ticket into God's good graces.