Dad

My mom sent this e-mail to me:

I just found this online (Our friend Jeff shared at Dennis' funeral). Thought
you might like a copy.


What Dennis Knable Showed the Grace Summit Family, by Jeff Yackley

Grace Summit Community Church

My name is Jeff Yackley, and I am a member of Grace Summit Community Church,
where Dennis served as an assistant pastor. I've been asked to speak on
Dennis' impact on the Grace Summit Family.

To start with, I have often bragged of the humility required, Back in 1996
when Dennis pastored Grace Covenant Community church - and we merged churches,
for Dennis to say - We would like to give you our building and join your
church - and we don't demand or even expect any leadership roles in doing so.

The first thing he taught was humility - and he did this by way of example.

Dennis was quite the student of theology and the Bible. He would often quote
from Charles Hodge and his 'Systematic Theology', Charles Spurgeon, and
Frances Shaeffer. Dennis gave his first message 31 years ago this month but
only during the past 9 years, have I had the privilege of taking copious notes
almost every time Dennis spoke, and I would like to share with you some
excerpts of sermons that he gave that I feel are particularly poignant now
that, and I quote, Dennis' "nasty now and now" has met the "great by and by".

From one of Dennis' first sermons at Grace Summit - December of 1996 - He may
very well have been speaking to each of us today when He said:

"Sometimes it is OK to get angry with God - but not for long - to express your
anger to God but always come around to, "You, Lord, know best"

"It is okay to pour your heart out to God. But, be sure to see the rest of
what Jesus prayed. "Yet, not as I will, but as Thou wilt."

God, show me the better way - if that is Your will, it must be better. Make me
willing. That is a great way to sum up a prayer that you are not comfortable
with. - He said.

To illustrate his point, Dennis quoted from Jeremiah 15 - you see, he highly
valued "Absolute Truth" - which is found throughout God's word - and he would
often quote from sections that aren't regularly quoted by most preachers:

Jeremiah was crying out to God:

Jeremiah 15:18 Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing
to be healed? Wilt Thou indeed be to me like a deceptive [stream] With water
that is unreliable?

What a thing to say to God!

19 Therefore, thus says the Lord, "If you return, then I will restore you--
Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become My spokesman.

And if you extract the precious from the worthless - "Absolute Truth IS the
reality of all of life." He would say.

Dennis would often talk about us living in a fallen world - It is not God
choosing to make things difficult - a lot of the trials we experience are from
being descendants of the first sinner, Adam. Dennis has helped us to grow up
in our faith and to realize that things won't always be rosy, and it is not
God's fault, but the consequences of sin and "The Fall".

Dennis was very good at taking the current events, and showing how they relate
to history and the gospel message. He would start his sermons with something
that happened during the week - from the news - but then he would often use
phrases like, "From antiquity" or "Through History" - He cared that we
understood the foundations of the Christian faith - He would give a sense of
history and how our destiny is tied with those early saints and how we have
our part to play.

Dennis would often tie in humor with great spiritual truths -

I'll never forget

December 5, 1999

Dennis was sharing about the book of Acts when he said -

Luke, the historian, is writing to this leader named Theophilus -then Dennis
says, "I was almost named that. The nurses came around in the nursery and
said, that has got to be 'Theophilus' looking baby I've ever seen" - then he
adds, "but it didn't stick."

But by the end of the message he shares this profound truth:

The church must expect God?s assignment to be something only God can do. The
assignment will be bigger than we think. There is a cost to doing the will of
God ? both for the individual and the group.

Regarding church-life, he spoke of the importance of everyone being involved:

And how important it is to be connecting with others:

It wasn't just Sunday morning - or Saturday - but people getting together
throughout the week and meeting needs in peoples' lives

He often told us - As Christians, we should stretch ourselves and go beyond
our comfort zone

Dennis taught us that God's truth is sometimes too big to get our arms around
- and he would use the word picture of trying to get our arms around a Giant
Redwood Tree. Things like "how the Holy Spirit indwells the believer" and "the
Divinity of Christ in the Trinity". Just because we can't get our arms all the
way around the tree, we can still grab on to what we can.

Quite often, Dennis spoke of the resurrection - December 1, 2002 - People are
scared to death of dying - they really are - but it is only when you have the
Scriptures in your heart - deep in your soul - can you have an inkling that
there is something greater - to be absent from the body is to be present with
the Lord.

Every Easter he would remind us of how the early church would greet each other
"He is Risen!" - and all the people would respond: " He is Risen Indeed!"

He said, "When we realize, because He is risen - you don't have to go to that
Total Separation place."

Because Christ rose, the grave has no sting. It is the doorway to the presence
of the Lord. But for those who do not have a relationship with Jesus, it is a
doorway to damnation. The Father accepted the payment for the sins and as
proof positive raised Him from the dead. So we get to the declaration and the
response

He is Risen

He is Risen Indeed!

In closing, from April, 2002 - After Jesus was crucified - These guys' (Dennis
was referring to the disciples) - lives were turned upside down several times
- it was difficult - they didn't know what to do But there Jesus is - they
recognized Him - He confirms to them - cooks for them - takes care of them -
and confirms His ability to supply all their needs. These things are written
for us - he said, we are His disciples also. - Jesus is able to take care of
our needs?

And in demonstrating that, he quoted:

Col. 1: 17 He was before all else began and it is his power that holds
everything together.

His hand is doing that. He is THAT involved. He is aware of what is going on.

Your life may seem like it is turned upside down -you might not know what to
do - but the resurrected Christ is able to take care of all your needs. Be
confident - God is in control.

And one final quote:

May God's love be the life-changing event of your life!