Dranesville Church of the Brethren

We should never give up our hope for peace

The birth of Jesus is world-changing news.

Our hope in Advent is that God would rend the heavens, come down to us, and save us.

We see money as a way the raw material that we use to turn physical things into spiritual things, and lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

The purpose of the law is the love of God and neighbor, but we can easily lose sight of the forest for the trees.

Message for Prayer Service for peace in the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine

If we are all justified and saved in the same way, then there is no legitimate division between us.

Jesus made peace between God and the world, but it was not easy. Oftentimes when we make peace it is costly.

It is easy to lose our wonder at how incredible God’s love really is. We should take time to get lost in that love every once in a while.

The enemies of God are “paper tigers” which fall away when challenged. We are tasked with stumbling around the world and blessing it, almost by accident.

At the heart of repentance is the decision that the presence of God is more important than even our success. Will we be a Church that prioritizes God being with us over other ways of defining success?

At the heart of repentance is the decision that the presence of God is more important than even our success. Will we be a Church that prioritizes God being with us over other ways of defining success?

Jesus gives us a different way to labor for the kingdom.

Humans have an instinct to use whatever levers necessary to exclude people from their "inner circle," including God's Law. But we are called to use God's law for love.

God’s instructions for us are simple. We have the responsibility to be a neighbor even when it means crossing boundaries that might make us uncomfortable.

Simply trusting Jesus with your own life is a far better way to live than to be constantly comparing ourselves to others.

The forgiveness of sins is at the heart of what the kingdom of God really looks like, but it means relinquishing your privileges that allow you to judge others.

Jesus is a conquering king and we are his royal priesthood, but that looks very different from the way we would imagine it at first. He conquers by being slain and we are his representatives by holding fast in faith and by loving others.

The perfect object for all our desires is God and the New Heavens and New Earth that he is creating. But very often we find ourselves satisfied with things that are far smaller and less worthy. In order to cultivate the right desires in ourselves, we need to practice them through worship, prayer, and lament.

Even through difficult circumstances, God is the one who is ultimately in control. He is the only one that is worthy of our worship because he is the source of all beauty. He is a far better master than any human one.

God’s law is the manifestation of his wisdom, which was fully embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. Living in accordance with God’s law and obeying him makes life run smoother and it bears witness to God’s kingdom

Isaiah’s commission to be a prophet resembles our commission to the preach the gospel to the Earth. Our responsibility is to the truth of the Gospel and to obey God, even if it doesn’t look like it’s productive.

God’s holiness is totally inapproachable, which reflects how we are unable to live a life that is worthy of his presence without his guidance.

Our vision for the future of our congregation comes from our work together as a church. But living the Christian life is the only way to keep our minds open to the will of God.

We will one day see those that we have lost, and our Church family is the most lasting impact that we have on the world.