Archive for the ‘Children’s Ministry’ Category

“Jesus’ Resurrection Changes Everything!”

Part A:

Part B:

Full message:


Scripture: Luke 24:13-49


Summary:

In this deeply theological and pastorally rich proclamation by Pastor Richard Andrews, we are drawn into the living reality that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely an event remembered, it is the decisive act of the Triune God that redefines all of reality and restores what it means to be truly human.

The Father, in His eternal love, sends the Son into our broken humanity, not as a distant observer, but as One who fully enters our suffering, bears our sin, and carries our death. The Son, Jesus Christ, in obedience to the Father and through the Spirit, walks the road of humiliation, crucifixion, and burial. Yet death could not hold Him. By the power of the Spirit, He is raised, vindicated, and enthroned over all creation.

As Karl Barth so powerfully declares: “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is God’s ‘Yes’ to the life of Jesus.” This divine “Yes” is the Father’s affirmation that the Son’s life, death, and sacrifice are fully accepted, fully sufficient, and eternally victorious. And as a faithful theological summary of Wolfhart Pannenberg reminds us: “The resurrection is the decisive act of God for the salvation of the world.”— Summarizing the theology of Wolfhart Pannenberg. This means the resurrection is not an isolated miracle, it is the turning point of history itself, where God acts once and for all to redeem, restore, and reconcile humanity to Himself.

Luke 24 brings this truth into the realm of human experience. The risen Christ draws near to discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus. He walks with them in their confusion, speaks into their misunderstanding, and reveals Himself in the breaking of bread. Here we see the heart of the Triune God at work: The Father purposes, The Son reveals, The Spirit opens eyes and ignites hearts. This is not abstract theology, it is divine participation. The resurrection is where God’s life meets our humanity.

Through the resurrection, Jesus does not simply conquer death, He invites us into His life. Humanity is no longer bound to sin, fear, or striving, but is drawn into communion with the living Christ. In Him, we receive a living hope, are made right with God, are given eternal life, and are assured that even now He intercedes for us.

Jesus’ resurrection changes everything. It reshapes how we see, how we understand, who we are, and why we live. He is not distant, but present, meeting us in every circumstance. In Him, Scripture becomes a living word that forms and reveals truth. Our identity is no longer rooted in ourselves, but in Christ who has claimed us as His own. And our lives are no longer self-directed; we are sent into the world as participants in His mission.

So, we do not merely celebrate the resurrection, we are invited to live in it, to believe, walk, abide, and share in the life of Christ. Because the risen Jesus is not just alive, He is present, He reigns, and He is drawing all things into Himself.

Key Themes and Reflection Questions:

  1. The Risen Christ Draws Near 
    Theme: Jesus meets us in real life. In confusion, grief, and doubt, and walks with us even when we don’t recognize Him.
    Discipleship Question: Where might Jesus already be present in your life that you have not yet recognized?
    #HeWalksWithUs
  2. Christ Revealed in Word & Table 
    Theme: The risen Jesus reveals Himself through Scripture and communion, turning confusion into clarity and encounter.
    Discipleship Question: How is Christ revealing Himself to you through His Word right now?
    #ChristRevealed
  3. A Living Hope Secured in Christ 
    Theme: Through the resurrection, we are given hope, justification, and the promise of eternal life.
    Discipleship Question: Are you living from the hope Christ has given you, or from the fears around you?
    #LivingHope
  4. Life No Longer Our Own 
    Theme: The resurrection reshapes our identity. We belong to Christ and live in union with Him.
    Discipleship Question: What part of your life are you still holding onto instead of surrendering to Christ?
    #NewLifeInChrist
  5. Sent Into the World 
    Theme: The risen Christ sends us to proclaim Him, empowered by the Holy Spirit in everyday life.
    Discipleship Question: Who is God calling you to share the message of Jesus with this week?
    #SentWithPurpose

Reflective Moment:

Pause and sit with this truth: The same Jesus who walked the road to Emmaus is walking with you now.

In your confusion… He is present.
In your discouragement… He is speaking.
In your unanswered questions… He is revealing Himself.

You may not always recognize Him at first, but He is nearer than you think. So ask yourself:

Where in my life do I need my eyes opened to see the risen Christ?
Where am I living as if He is distant, when He is already present?
And who is He sending me to, to share this living hope?

Because the resurrection is not just something to remember, it is a reality to step into. 

“A Picture of The Father’s Love for Humanity!”

Audio Part A:

Audio Part B:

Full Audio Message:

Watch on YouTube:


Summary:

In this sermon, Pastor Timothy Brassell proclaimed a powerful hope-filled message from Hebrews.  Rather than focusing Lent merely on self-denial, the sermon lifted our eyes to Jesus, the Son who fasted, trusted, obeyed, suffered, and was glorified on our behalf. At the heart of the message was this profound truth: Jesus took our humanity into Himself and lived the faithful human life we could not live. He actively obeyed the Father and passively entrusted Himself even through suffering and death. As Hebrews calls us:

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”— Hebrews 12:1–2 (CSB)

Jesus did not save us from a distance. He entered fully into our humanity. As John Brown wrote: “The Son of God, had He never become incarnate, might have pitied, but He could not have sympathized with His people. To render Him capable of sympathy, it was necessary that He should become man that he might be susceptible of suffering, and that he should actually be a sufferer that he might be susceptible of sympathy.”— John Brown, An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews

This is the Father’s love on display. Not abstract compassion, but incarnate solidarity. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “God loves human beings. God loves the world. Not an ideal human, but human beings as they are; not an ideal world, but the real world. What we find repulsive in their opposition to God, what we shrink back from with pain and hostility, namely, real human beings, the real world, this is for God the ground of unfathomable love.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Because of this love, we are not spectators but participants in Christ’s communion with the Father through the Holy Spirit. Hebrews warns us: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”— Hebrews 3:15 (CSB)

Lent is not about coasting but pressing on. As Bonhoeffer also wrote: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”— The Cost of Discipleship

This death is not destruction but the surrender of pride and unbelief. In Christ, humanity has already been lifted, healed, and brought into communion with the Triune God. The call of Lent is clear: take Jesus most seriously and then take your life in Him seriously. Look up. Trust deeply. Press on. Respond today.

Key Themes and Reflection Questions:

  1. Take Jesus Most Seriously 🙌👑
    Theme: Lent calls us to look up, not down. To fix our eyes on Jesus, who has already defeated sin and stands as our faithful human representative before the Father.   
    Discipleship Question: In what area of your life do you need to stop focusing on your weakness and start focusing on who Jesus is and what He has already done?
  2. You Belong to the Father ❤️🏠
    Theme: The Father’s love is revealed in giving His Son to become human forever. In Christ, humanity is not rejected but embraced, you belong to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
    Discipleship Question: Do you truly live as someone who belongs to God, or are you still trying to earn a place in His love?
  3. Participation, Not Spectating 🤝🔥
    Theme: Jesus did not act instead of us but on our behalf so we could share in His life. We are not spectators cheering from the stands. We are participants in His obedience, faith, and communion with the Father.
    Discipleship Question: Where is Jesus inviting you to actively participate in His life rather than passively admire it?
  4. Press On with Endurance 🏃‍♂️✨
    Theme: The Christian life is not coasting downhill but pressing forward with endurance. We run the race by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1–2).
    Discipleship Question: Are you striving to enter God’s rest and grow in faith today, or have you begun to coast spiritually?
  5. Guard Your Heart — Respond Today ⏳💛
    Theme: Hebrews warns against hardening our hearts. The Holy Spirit is drawing us now. Delayed obedience leads to spiritual dullness; receptive faith leads to life and glory.
    Discipleship Question: Is there something the Spirit is asking you to respond to today that you have been postponing?

Reflective Moment:

Take a quiet moment to picture Jesus standing before the Father, faithful, obedient, fully human, and fully alive. Now remember: He stands there not apart from you, but for you and with you. Hear the Spirit’s gentle call: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.” Ask the Father to soften your heart, deepen your trust, and strengthen you to press on with endurance. Thank Him that in Christ, it is “all but impossible to fail,” because Jesus has already gone before you.

“An Unfaithful People Receive Love!”

Part A:

Part B:

Full Message:


Scripture: Book of Hosea


Summary:

In this heartfelt message taken from the book of Hosea, Pastor Tony reminds us that God’s love is not distant or conditional, it’s relentless, restorative, and faithful. Like Hosea’s love for Gomer, God continually pursues His people, even when we stray. Through His mercy, He transforms judgment into grace and exile into homecoming.

“God loves us not with a love that is merely an attitude or feeling, but with a love that acts decisively and effectively in Jesus Christ.”— T.F. Torrance, The Mediation of Christ

Hosea’s story reveals the depth of divine love. A love that pays the price to redeem, heals what is broken, and restores what was lost. In Christ, this faithful love reaches its fullness. He bore our sin, redeemed us at infinite cost, and invites us back into covenant relationship.

God’s love doesn’t simply forgive, it reclaims, renews, and transforms. His voice still calls: “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Key Themes and Reflection Questions:

  1. God’s Relentless Love ❤️🔥
  • Theme: God’s love is steadfast and pursues us even when we are unfaithful. Like Hosea’s love for Gomer, God never stops seeking His people.
  • Discipleship Question: How have you experienced God’s relentless love in times when you drifted away from Him?
  • #RelentlessLove
  1. Faithfulness in an Unfaithful World 🌍🤍
  • Theme: Just as Israel turned to other gods, we too can be drawn to distractions. Yet God calls us back to faithfulness through grace and restoration.
  • Discipleship Question: What “idols” in your life might be competing for your attention and devotion to God?
  • #FaithfulGod
  1. Redeemed at a Cost ✝️💎
  • Theme: Hosea bought Gomer back despite her failures, a picture of Christ’s redemption of us at the price of His own blood.
  • Discipleship Question: How does knowing that Jesus paid the ultimate price for your redemption change the way you live today?
  • #RedeemedByGrace
  1. The Call to Repentance 🔄🙏
  • Theme: God’s love not only forgives, it invites us to return, to be healed, and to walk faithfully in His ways again.
  • Discipleship Question: In what area of your life is God calling you to return and be renewed in His love?
  • #ReturnToGod
  1. Love That Transforms 💞🌿
  • Theme: Through Christ, God reverses our brokenness into blessing. His faithful love transforms rebellion into relationship and shame into joy.
  • Discipleship Question: How can you allow God’s transforming love to shape your relationships and outlook this week?
  • #TransformingLove

Reflection:

Take a moment this week to consider where God has been pursuing you with patient love. Are there places in your heart He’s asking to heal or reclaim? Remember, no distance, failure, or sin can outlast His grace. Let His love lead you home. 

“A Son Builds The Temple!”

Part A:

Part B:

Full Message:


Scripture: 1 Kings 8: 10-61


Summary:

In this sermon, Pastor Richard Andrews reflects on the high point of Solomon’s reign: the construction of the Lord’s temple (1 Kings 6–8). The temple was more than a building, it was the visible fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham and David, a sign of His faithfulness, and a testimony that “the Lord is God.” God vowed to dwell among His people, making Jerusalem the center of worship while pointing forward to Christ as the true temple.

Solomon’s reign of peace and prosperity enabled him to complete this crowning achievement, establishing not only Israel’s defenses and economy but also a permanent dwelling place for God’s glory. At its dedication, God’s presence filled the temple in a cloud so overwhelming that the priests could not continue ministering (1 Kings 8). This affirmed God’s covenant faithfulness, His nearness, and His mission to make His name known among the nations.

Yet the temple ultimately pointed beyond itself. Jesus identified Himself as God’s temple, embodying His presence, fulfilling His promises, and extending His mission to the world. Through His life, death, and resurrection, believers are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, living testimonies of God’s dwelling on earth. Just as Solomon’s temple declared God’s faithfulness, so today the church exists as His living temple, called to reflect His presence in word and deed so that the nations may know He is Lord.

“The place of God’s glorious dwelling is not to be found in an ornate temple of marble, gold, and precious stones, but rather in Jesus. The place of God’s glorious dwelling is the flesh of his Son!”— Sam Storms

Key Points and Highlights

  1. The Temple: God’s Presence With His People 🏛️✨
  • Theme: The temple visibly displayed God’s glory and affirmed His desire to dwell with His people.
  • Discipleship Question: How can you live more aware of God’s nearness in daily life?
  • #GodWithUs
  1. God’s Covenant Faithfulness 📜✅
  • Theme: The temple fulfilled God’s promises to Abraham and David, proving that His word never fails.
  • Discipleship Question: Which promise of God do you need to hold onto more tightly this week?
  • #FaithfulGod
  1. Jesus, the True Temple ✝️🔥
  • Theme: Jesus embodied God’s presence and fulfilled the temple’s purpose, becoming the true center of worship.
  • Discipleship Question: How can you keep Christ, not self or tradition, at the center of your worship?
  • #JesusIsTheTemple
  1. Believers as God’s Living Temple 🙌🕊️
  • Theme: Through the Spirit, God dwells in His people, making our lives sacred spaces that reflect His glory.
  • Discipleship Question: How can you honor God’s presence in your body, words, and actions this week?
  • #TempleOfTheHolySpirit
  1. The Mission: Making God Known 🌍📢
  • Theme: Just as the temple testified that the Lord is God, the church now carries that mission through word and deed.
  • Discipleship Question: Who in your life needs to see and hear through you that Jesus is Lord?
  • #MakeGodKnown

“One cannot pass without interruption from Christ to the Church. The Cross stands between. In being the Body of Christ, the Church meets her Lord; she does not prolong Him, but she expresses Him here and now. She does not replace Him, but makes Him visible, demonstrates Him without being confounded with Him.”— Thomas F. Torrance

Reflective Moment:
As Solomon’s temple declared God’s presence and faithfulness, our lives as the temple of the Holy Spirit are meant to do the same today. The world is not looking for perfection but for evidence of God’s presence at work within us. Reflect: in your words, actions, and relationships, what story are you telling about God-Father, Son and Holy Spirit? May we live as temples of His Spirit, carrying His presence into our homes, workplaces, and communities so that others may see and know the Lord is God.

Becoming An Ethically Responsible Christian Disciple! Part 2 (Our Christian/ Biblical Worldview)

Part 2A:

Part 2B:

Full Message:


Bible Verses: Colossians (various scriptures)


Introduction:

Because Jesus Himself is our Ethic (our humanity living properly among his neighbors and glorifying the Father), ethics is the free gift of God given to us in Jesus Christ. Christian ethics are not a way to earn God’s love or a way to earn salvation through human works and achievements. It is the gift of participating with Jesus in his human life by Grace! Jesus is God’s Grace to us! Ethics is what it means to participate with Jesus in living his life in this world by the Spirit!

Theological Theme:

You begin life as a child but only so you can grow up into an adult. Similarly, through your union and participation with Jesus, by the Spirit, you are in the state of growing up and becoming a little Christ who glorifies the Father.

Christ Connection:

Jesus is the One Who stands in our human place and lives life in this world with our human nature and on our behalf in a renewing way that brings and gives us revitalized human life, destroying sin completely. He Himself, then, is our Ethic. He is the way we are called to live! Jesus is our proper human response to God and our neighbor! He is the only true Learner of God, and the only human fully obedient to the Father, AND he was and is this so that we might participate with him, glorifying the Father!

Missional Application:

As members of Christ and as people in this world, Christians have a dual citizenship. We have a complex responsibility – the response-ability of Christ, by the Spirit, to be equipped for the works of Christ’s service in the spheres of the Church, the Kingdom, and the State. The goal and mandate is to prioritize our relationship with God, and then, at his direction and under his authority over all, to love everyone, pointing them, through his mission, to him that they too may be in union and participation with him.

Photo Compliments: www. justbetweenus.org

Jesus Christ Transforms Our Fallen Expectations!

Jesus being praised by children

Audio – Part 1a: 34 min

https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/19.1.20-jesus-christ-transforms-our-fallen-expectations-part-a-matthew-21.1-21-tah.mp3”

Audio – Part 1b: 34 min

https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/19.1.20-jesus-christ-transforms-our-fallen-expectations-part-b-matthew-21.1-21-tah.mp3.mp3”

Audio – Full Message:

https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/19.1.20-jesus-christ-transforms-our-fallen-expectations-matthew-21.1-21-tah.mp3”


Bible Verses: Matthew 21:1-21


Matthew 21 contains three scenes that occurred on the day Jesus entered Jerusalem during the week prior to His crucifixion. Jesus’ entry into the city was welcomed with great fanfare, even though He approached in humility while sitting on a donkey. He cleansed the temple of those there to take advantage of the worshipers. And as the true Son of David, He permitted and welcomed the praise of children. In these events, Jesus fulfilled Old Testament expectations and longings for the Messiah, who would redeem His people, restore true worship, and receive all praise.

Theological Theme:

Jesus is the Messiah who cleanses the temple and welcomes the unworthy into God’s presence.

Christ Connection:

By entering Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah. Through His actions in the temple, Jesus conveyed His judgment toward those who would misuse God’s house for exclusionary and greedy purposes. For the sins of His people, Jesus offered His own body as a temple to be destroyed and then raised again.

“Only the redeeming, all-powerful, transforming grace of God can raise our sin-besotted heart from the dead, give us eternal life, and set our gaze on Jesus, our blessed hope.” –Gloria Furman

Missional Application:

God calls us to put away hypocritical and hollow worship and to exalt Jesus as Savior of the world.

“Let his coming in the name of the Lord be mentioned with strong affections, to our comfort, and joyful acclamations, to his glory. Well may we say, Blessed is he; for it is in him that we are blessed. Well may we follow him with our blessings, who meets us with his.” – Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

Photo Compliments: img0.etsystatic.com

Contending For The Faith Delivered To The Saints! – Part 10

contending 5

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X08EByCsRQg

Audio: Part 10a: 31min

“https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2-18-11-11-contending-for-the-faith-delivered-to-the-saints-part-10a-gen-1-2-jude-john-4-tah.mp

Audio: Part 10b:  26min

“https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2-18-11-11-contending-for-the-faith-delivered-to-the-saints-part-10b-gen-1-2-jude-john-4-tah.mp3”

Audio: Full Message:

“https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2018-11-11-contending-for-the-faith-delivered-to-the-saints-part-10-gen-1-2-jude-john2-tah.mp3”


Main Passages: Jude 1  John 4   Gen 1-2


This Specific Message in the Series Points to the Truth in Christ that: To be made in the image of God in Christ is to be male and female, to be in union, distinction, and with equality. This message points to the clarity we can have regarding love gender, marriage and sex because of being made in the image of Jesus (The true Image of God).

This message of God’s Good News urges believers to contend FOR the faith once delivered to the Church, in participation with Jesus Christ!, and AGAINST the ungodly cultural pressures and influences of our current times!

This is a Gospel message to a specific congregation of our times facing issues similar to congregations in other times as seen in the scriptures, particularly the Books of Jude and John. In this series, we make Christ-centered comparisons with the congregation in Jude and the Samaritan woman of Jesus’ time in John 4 to our particular congregation. You may see that the Church in general (especially if in the United States!), faces these same issues and also be helped by WHO and HOW He is proclaimed!

In the light of Jesus and the God revealed in Him (and over the course of 12 messages), we address today’s big questions regarding relationships, race, marriage, love, gender/sexual identity, politics, and worship and witness as it relates to the Christian God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Photo Compliments: http://www.tclministries.org/nt-scripture-gallery/

 

Christmas: God’s Plan and Response For Man!

God With Us

https://trinityandhumanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/15-12-20-christmas-gods-plan-and-response-for-man-matt-1-2-9-10-tah.mp3”

In this Message on the 4th week of Advent, and heading toward Christmas, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed to those gathered in worship at New Life Fellowship of Baltimore. The special emphasis of this message is that just as the Head, Jesus, was born into this world 2000 years ago as God’s Plan and Response for humanity, His Body, the Church, follows Him today, participating with Him in his ongoing work of redemption in this present world!

Check it out and be assured and unafraid as you GO with Jesus into our world, proclaiming Him in word and deed!

 

picture courtesy of ad-ne.org

Train Up A Child…

From a youth I have had a keen appreciation for antiques… sort of. Let me explain. While I do appreciate fine antique furniture and ornate wrought iron gates it is the tools used to create them that have always intrigued me. I have a growing collection of antique tools that I love to use. I am not one to buy an old tool and put away only to look at it or show it off to visitors- I put them to use. From my anvil that was made in England in the 1830’s to old chisels and hand planes (some of which were made before the Revolutionary War) I use them to do the tasksTrain Up A Child for which they were intended.

One of the first rules of hand tools or any tool for that matter is to use it for its intended purpose. I once saw someone take a finely honed 19th century Lakeside chisel and scrape a sticker off a metal lunch pail. YIKES!

In Proverbs 22:6 we are told to “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Wow, those words can either be an encouragement to parents or worrisome. It mostly depends on how you read it.

Well without boring the reader with the grammars and morphologies of ancient languages let me just tell you that the original text would read more like… “Train up a child the way he/she is bent and they will not depart from it even in old age.”

So the writer of the wisdom in Proverbs 22:6 is basically admonishing parents to look for where the child is naturally gifted and then to encourage and assist them in exploring that gift.

Think of another type of tool, a bow, if one wishes to launch an arrow with a bow one must draw the bow the way it is “bent”. If one were to draw the bow a different way from how it is bent the bow will perform poorly and may even break.

Our children are certainly not tools that we use but they, like a finely set Isaac Field smoothing plane, must be carefully observed and encouraged to do what they were created to do.

Some children love mathematics, some love animals, some love to act and entertain, some are gifted musically. Whatever gifts the Father, Son, and Spirit have given your kids encourage them, in any way possible, to chase their passions and even when they are old they will not depart from it.

Now where did I put that Stanley no. 48 tongue and groove plane Davina got me…

Group Hug

Higher Ground LodgeRecently I had the privilege of serving as Chaplain at Higher Ground Summer Camp in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Throughout the camp each dorm is given multiple opportunities to sit and chat about whatever is on their minds. I have attended many of these chats over the past decade and I have to say they are never boring and to my perpetual amazement young people seem to be far more tuned in to the world around them than we might think. Teens and preteens are concerned about many of the same things that matter to adults. What is so different is that teens and preteens often feel powerless to control their circumstances. They often feel unequipped and unprepared to handle the myriad of challenges that they face.

So there I was with boys’ dorm 3B fielding questions and facilitating discussion about everything from whether we should stomp on little beetles just for fun to why bad things happen to good people. Well, during the course of our time together a young man named Jared asked me a very serious question.  His demeanor in asking the question told me how important this was for him. He leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands in nervous anticipation of how his question would be received. Clearing his throat he managed, “How do I get closer to God?”

Now the me in me tends to answer right away and the answers tend to be less than stellar when that happens but on this occasion I waited to hear from Holy Spirit. What she gave me was worth sharing with the readers of Trinity and Humanity.

As I waited for Holy Spirit she gave me two words and a picture. I looked at Jared and said the two words , “You can’t.” Fear overcame his expression so I asked him to stand up. Now we were going to build the picture. I then asked permission to give him a hug. He agreed and right in front of the whole dorm I embraced him. As I held him tight in my arms I said to him, “Jared, Jesus has embraced you. But this is not a clear enough picture.” I motioned to a staff member named Linn. Linn came over and he wrapped Jared and I in his arms. I then repeated to Jared, “Jared, Jesus has embraced you in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit but this is not a clear enough picture.” I motioned for one of the counselors to come over and Jonathan embraced the three of us. I repeated again, “Jared, Jesus has embraced you in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with the Father’s embrace.” Then I whispered to him, “Now you tell me how you get closer to this?” Jared was over-joyed to the near point of tears.

You see, Jesus has embraced us in the Holy Spirit with the Father’s embrace. We are in Jesus and He is in us. (Jn 14:20) We may sense a separation we may sense an estrangement but we can never be any closer to Triune God and we can never escape this all-inclusive embrace.

Lord show us and help us feel the group hug that surrounds us all! In Jesus name! Amen.

~ Bill Winn