On Sunday mornings Pastor Dirk and other guest speakers take the Bible and provide inspiring, encouraging, and often challenging messages to help you grow spiritually and discover good news from Jesus for your life.
If you are going to participate online, you can get the sermon notes and bulletins for each week below. Also there are links to the specific sermons, and an audio player for most Sunday messages.
If it was simple, everyone would do it. People don't read the Bible for many reasons, but there a few main reasons.
1 lack of time
2 not knowing where to start
3 is not getting anything out of it
Listen to this message to help get you going in reading the Bible in a way that changes your life. Sermon Notes.
How is this for a great image of a wonderful life:
"…like a tree planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season, with leaves that never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”
This line is from the first poem in the book of Psalms in the Bible. It is surrounded by great advice to have a rich and prosperous life. Sermon Notes
How good is your memory? God has many desires for you, and one of them is for you to remember. To remember what God has done, what God has promised, what God has commanded. Because when we do things God's way, it just works better. This message get's to God's message which calls out to you, "Don't Forget." Sermon Notes Deuteronomy 6:1-9
God never calls people to be brave, but you are called to be courageous! What is courage, where does it come from, and how does it grow in your life? You are encouaged to listen to this message, and be more courageous in the face of fear! Sermon Notes
Does Jesus matter in day to day life? There are spiritual blessings, but what about everyday blessings which impact what's happening right now? This sermon lays out why Jesus is relevant today. See what you think.
The name is Emmanuel Reformed Church - What does Reformed mean? It ties into history, it is definitely a theological matter, and it impacts how people function as a church. In this message Pastor Dirk takes on a huge topic and gives you the highlights. What does Reformed mean, and more importantly, how can this branch of Christianity guide you to a great life with God. A life of gratitude not guilt. Sermon Notes
Pastor Dirk's working definition of Reformed:
A historical movement within the Church which sought to realign belief and practice based on reverent and thoughtful study of the Bible, and continues today; highlighting the sovereignty of God with people who recognize their guilt, receive God’s grace, and live in gratitude as local churches governed by assemblies with Christ at the lead.
Trusting God can be hard. It is easy to quote verses about trusting God, about God having good plans, but when push comes to shove - we actually have to trust God if we are to find the peace and prosperity God can give. Do you struggle with trust? Whether you have known God for a long time, or are just awakening spiritually, this message can guide you to trust better. Sermon Notes
How to build relationships - How to build community. These are important topics in today's fractured world. While most people start looking for techniques and methods, the Bible points to something deeper. If you want to do it God's way, you need to listen to God's advice - and "Love your Neighbor as Yourself" contains an important truth we often skip over. Take time to listen to this sermon on relationship building, it might just change your life!
With decades of ministry experience, Pastor Chuck Gieser comes to share reasons why we should pray. Are we changing God's mind when we pray? Are we changing ourselves when we pray? What difference does prayer make in the world? Listen to this helpful message.
Request a Sermon #1 - how do our decisions impact our lives? Well, they do even more than that - they imact our minds. In this sermon Pastor Dirk digs into modern neuroscience and ancient wisdom - all to help you live the life God wants for you, a transformed life from a renewed mind. Sermon Notes
We can easily divide the world into us vs. them. We can seek to try and figure out who is in and who is out. But when we openly examine the Bible, it often challenges us to make our circle wider, encompass more, and extend God's grace further. Pastor Abby Norton-Levering (RCA, Synod Ministry Coordinator) shares about how this has challenged her, and can guide you in your journey of faith.
What does it take to become great? If we want the whole package, we need something beyond ourselves. We need a confidence in more than ourselves, we need God-confidence - and God-confidence comes from God. With God as your helper you can accomplish so much more! Sermon Notes
Stephen might be able to claim the title of the first church staff member - actually there were seven who started at the same time - had a life which changed the world. He was called out based on a lie about Jesus, but boldly stood his ground. Sermon Notes
Some of our high school students shared this Sunday, basing their reflections on a statement they developed: The church should be people who look beyond this world for their hope, joy and peace.
The barrier was broken, something new began - it was in the house of a soldier in a newly founded port city. Hear and learn from this important story in Acts chapter 10. Sermon Notes & Encounter Guide
Pastor Dawn Alpaugh from Wynantskill Reformed Church comes and shares a message of hope taken from Acts chapter 9, the story of a devoted woman who was raise to life - Tabitha.
A few years back there was a movement of "random acts of kindness." In the Bible we find something a bit different, we find amazing acts of kindness. Literally acts which left those who saw them filled with wonder and amazement. In Acts 3 we find one of these acts of kindness, and can learn from what happened way back then... Sermon Notes and Encounter Guide
When people hear about churches, when there is news about Christians, or a refrence is made to faith in a movie, those who don't know sometimes ask, "What does this mean?" It is not a new question, in fact, it goes all the way back to the start of the Church. How can you answer this question? Sermon Notes & Encounter Guide
It is time to find out what happens next. It is a bit of church history - ancient church history. The book of Acts is the first 30 years of the church. We even glimpse of the Church before it really came to life. Sermon Notes & Encounter Group Guide
When God tells us to GO! We need to respond to him in the affirmative. What does that look like?