Exodus 3:1-15 & Romans 12:9-21 & Matthew 16:21-28 Micah Bales They say that to achieve mastery in something, you need to put in about 10,000 hours of practice. You’d think that after spending more than a decade learning about God, going to seminary, doing ministry out in the world, and trying really hard to follow…
Category: calling
GOOD TROUBLE: DISOBEYING THE POWERS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124; Matthew 16:13-20 Jennifer Hosler A leader stands up and says, “They are taking over. They are ruining our country. They are overrunning our cities. They are plotting, they are seeking to undermine our values and our prosperity. Those people must be stopped, must be controlled, must be contained, so that we…
WAS IT GOD: CHARLOTTESVILLE VS. EGYPT
Genesis 45:1-15, Psalm 133, Matthew 15:10-28 Nate Hosler Though the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville and counter protest—which included many clergy, including some Brethren pastors—happened over a week ago it remains on our minds. In part, this is because of the responses, lack of responses, and responses to responses that have happened this week. While…
FROM DEATH TO LIFE
Genesis 22:1-14 & Romans 6:12-23 Micah Bales This is a tough passage to preach on. It’s one of the most iconic stories of the Bible – the time that Abraham and Isaac went up to that mountain, and Abraham only thought only one of them was coming back. God told Abraham to take his…
THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL
Genesis 18:1-15 & Matthew 9:35-10:8 Micah Bales This morning, I want to tell you a story about Stephen Grellet. Stephen Grellet was a French-born Quaker minister, one of the best-known Quakers of the early 1800s. He traveled extensively and preached to thousands. One day, as he was in prayer, he felt that God was…
GLORIFYING THE STRENGTHS GIVEN BY GOD, FOR GOD
Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42, Psalm 95 Emmy Goering I’ve just returned to D.C. after spending the last week in the Chicago area at the Brethren Volunteer Service retreat. There, I was able to get some much needed rest and was able to connect with the friends who I’d bonded with at our orientation. While we…
What if Everything I Think I Know is Wrong?
Psalm 36, Matthew 6:19-34 Micah Bales I’m going to start with the heresy and work back to the gospel this morning. Because reading on the sermon on the mount reminds me of what a tough time I have with the Bible. The Bible, for me, is pretty uneven in terms of how it impacts me….
WAIT! WHAT?!
Matthew 5:21-48 Jeff Davidson Last week Jenn introduced our six week series on the Sermon on the Mount. I thought it was an excellent sermon, and if you weren’t here I encourage you to go to the church website and give it a read. Jenn talked about the Beatitudes as nine values that define us…
WE’RE ALL IN THE WILDERNESS NOW. WHAT COMES NEXT?
Psalm 40:1-12 & John 1:29-42 Micah Bales The wilderness beyond the Jordan river is where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. It’s where the Hebrew people wandered for forty years after their escape from Egypt. In this same wilderness, Elijah heard the still, small voice of God. The wilderness is a place…
ARE WE THERE YET?
Matthew 1:18-25 & Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 Micah Bales It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas. As an American, I have a stereotyped vision of what Christmas ought to look like. It’s a cold, dark, wintry time. We’re bundled up, rushing from our warm houses to gathering places like this one, and back to our…
Washington City Church of the Brethren 