Grace Brethren Church

08/31/2026

Sunday our guest speaker, Chris Rossell, spoke from Philippians 3:1-7. Paul wrote this letter from jail to encourage his supporters who were undergoing persecution. He reminds them of what Jesus has done for them; urging them to maintain joy in their faith amid the inevitable hardships. Paul strongly warns them of those enemies of the cross who would rob them of their joy; that they always take advantage when we let our guard down, appealing to our tendency toward sin. These enemies always show up in sneaky, unexpected ways to separate us from God. But God has our back wherever we are. We need to purposefully draw close; be assertive in prayer. The paradox is that we need those times. When things are smooth we tend to forget about God, feeling strong in ourselves. These worldly ideologies disfigure God’s Word, distorting the truth. Not much has changed since Paul’s day, it’s still all designed to impact our soul, pull us from God; to convince us we’re wrong to believe in Him. In those hardest times, turn and watch for God’s approach, as He brings victory for us.

08/30/2026

08/17/2026

The first chapters of Hebrews told that Jesus is supreme over all, bringing in the New Covenant that is supreme over the Old Testament Law. In light of that, Pastor’s message “Supreme Love”, from Hebrews 13:1-6, shows how we should live. We are to love: each other, strangers, the mistreated, our spouses; contentment. A hallmark of Christianity must be letting our love show and continue. The story of The Good Samaritan teaches that this love is not limited to only those within the church. As we can, we show hospitality, helping those in need. Loving and caring for those in prison, mistreated; persecuted. In the early church the prisons were a deadly place, without outside help you’d likely die. Though not as deadly today, many in prison need help with legal funds, family care; spiritual encouragement. Marriage is to be honored; held sacred. Why? Marriage is a symbol of our relationship with Christ as head of the church. We’re not to get caught up in the love of money; pursuit of things. Use what God has provided, and do what you can. The old covenant said “love your neighbor as yourself”. The New Covenant sets a much higher bar with, “love as Jesus has loved us.”

08/10/2026

Our world is craving stability. We’re seeing geologic, polar, economic; political upheaval. Pastor’s message, “Supreme Mountain” from Hebrews 12:18-29 showed the progression from the mountain of the Law (Sinai); mountain of Grace (Zion) to the unshakable Kingdom. Mt. Sinai, where God gave the 10 Commandments, here symbolizes the Law as a whole. A temporary, “shakable” system. In strong contrast, Mt. Zion references the New Covenant in Jesus. A firm, eternal system. This looks forward to the heavenly Mt. Zion; New Jerusalem. Then, there will be no temple or separation from God. Jesus is the temple; we have access to this unshakable Kingdom through Him. Due to unredeemed human sinfulness, the Israelites were forbidden to go on Mt. Sinai into God’s presence under penalty of death. Jesus opened up access to God, yet the penalty for refusing His sacrifice in our place is far greater, spiritual death; eternal separation from God. This corrupt, disintegrating world will really get shaken up when Jesus returns to begin the process of establishing His perfect Kingdom. With gratitude and service to the One Who has planned and will enact all this for us, we can know that whatever we place in His hands, including ourselves, will never be shaken.

07/27/2026

The first 10 chapters were doctrinal, Pastor’s Sunday message, “Supreme Pursuit” from Hebrews 12:12-17, continues in application, how to put chapters 1-10 into practice. This passage gives 6 actions to take when we experience God’s discipline/training. We’re told to: strengthen up, straighten up, strive, succeed, suppress; safe guard. Under pressure we can feel powerless; weak. With God’s strength we can resolve to stay the course; encourage others as well. By staying straight in the “lane” God has prepared for us we fulfill our purpose and are not a hindrance in the purposes of others. We strive to be at peace with everyone, taking on the character of Christ. We look to see if anyone around us is struggling; come alongside to help them succeed. During tough times bitterness can take root, we need to suppress this; prevent its spread. The world promotes self-protection/preservation. God asks us to serve others even as we endure struggles. Though counterintuitive, this passage encourages us to look outward, take responsibility and care about godless behavior first in ourselves and then others. Thus we grow and are helped as our focus is removed from ourselves.