Sermon from February 24 2008 by Darryl Dash - Audio | Transcript

Our 2007 Annual Report is now online in PDF (requires the free Acrobat Reader).

Richview's Annual Meeting takes place this Saturday, March 1 at 6:00 p.m. Please plan to attend. Ice cream will be served after the meeting.

Please also review the new draft of our Incorporation (also in PDF), which will be presented for approval at the Annual Meeting.

A couple of years ago when my Dad was still alive, I spent a week with him in England. He wasn't doing well - he was suffering with dementia - and while I was there I came down with a case of shingles. It was one of the hardest weeks of my life. Looking back, I wonder why it was so hard. I've had worse things happen and it's been fine. In fact, it wasn't even as hard when my Dad passed away. The reason is because that week I was going through difficulty, and I was going through it alone. It's bad to go through trials; it's almost intolerable to go through trials completely alone.

As we come to the last night of Jesus' life, just hours away from when he would be tortured and killed, that's exactly how we find Jesus. He's going through excruciating anguish, and yet he's completely alone. And yet we're going to see that there's a reason why he's alone. As we look at Luke 22, I'd like two ways that he was abandoned. First, he was abandoned by his friends. But he also faced an abandonment far worse than that.

Sermon from February 17th, 2008 by Darryl Dash - Audio | Transcript

We're currently in a series to help us prepare for Easter. We're looking at the events of Jesus' life in the week before he went to the cross. Today we're in the last hours before his arrest on the night before he his death. Today's passage gives us some insight into who we really are, and what Jesus has done about it.

Have you ever struggled with seeing yourself as you really are? We've all probably seen pictures that shock us because we had no idea that we looked like that. I have good news for you. You don't have to face reality. Through technology it's possible to live in denial. Selected models of Hewlett-Packard cameras now come with a slimming feature. HP's website says:

With the slimming feature, anyone can appear more slender - instantly! They say cameras add ten pounds, but HP digital cameras can help reverse that effect. The slimming feature, available on select HP digital camera models, is a subtle effect that can instantly trim off pounds from the subjects in your photos!

Here's my favorite part: the slimming effect "can be adjusted for a more dramatic effect."

We laugh about that, but all of us like to see ourselves better than we really are. It's painful for us to look at ourselves and see things that are not flattering. It's much easier to have a mental image of ourselves that is more flattering than reality. But it's very important for us to see ourselves for who we really are.

This Sunday, Pastor Darryl will be speaking on Our True Condition from Luke 22:1-38. We will also be celebrating communion.

John's mother passed away this past week. Funeral details are below.

CHRISTOPHER, Mary Teresa (Gainer) - With heavy hearts we announce Mary's passing on February 7, 2008 in her 81st year. Beloved wife of Wayne for 60 years. Much loved mother of David, Donald and John (Cheri) of Toronto and Bruce (Samantha) of Alberta. Cherished grandmother of Lee and Colleen. Also saddened by her passing are siblings Kay (Bruce) Merrill, Dick (Audrey) Gainer and Jim (Sheila) Gainer. Predeceased by sisters RoseAnn Reynolds and Florence Simpkins and brother Edward. Visitation Monday, February 11th at 10 a.m. at Holy Name Catholic Church, 71 Gough Avenue. Funeral mass to follow at 11 a.m. Cremation. Interment at Resthaven Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer Society of Canada would be appreciated.

This Sunday is Family Sunday. Older children will be invited to join us in the service. We will be witnessing a child and parent dedication, and will also hear about Darryl and Charlene Dash's trip to Honduras. Join us Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Special International Pot Luck Feast - February 10th, after the service!  If your last name begins with A-M, please bring a main dish to share - preferably something from your country of origin.  For N-Z, please share a salad, soup, or side dish that brings back fond memories of home-made meals or special occasion treats.

Please bring enough for double the number of people in your group or family.

This morning we're beginning a series that looks at the climatic week of Jesus' life, the events that took place in the week before his death and resurrection. We're doing this so that we can begin to prepare ourselves for Easter, which according to the Bible is not only the central event of Jesus' life but of all of history.

I'd like you to think of a way of life that's opposed to Jesus Christ. What lifestyle do you think is completely against who he is, what he did, and what he taught?

Jesus once said:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

We all know that the small gate and narrow road is Jesus. What is the broad gate and road that leads to destruction?

Sermon from February 3, 2008 by Darryl Dash - Audio | Transcript