Archive for the ‘Lent’ Category
“Our Father Loves All Creation With Human Participation!” Pt 2
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Easter, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Lent, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Resurrection, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God | Tags: Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, Faith In Action, GCI Baltimore, God Is Love, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Lent journey, Life In Christ, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, NLF, Participate with Christ, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Revelation 4, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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Audio Part 2A:
Audio Part 2B:
Full Audio Message:
Scripture: Revelation 4
Summary:
In this deeply pastoral and theologically rich message, Pastor Timothy Brassell continues his Lenten journey through the Book of Revelation, calling the Church to unlearn fear-based readings and rediscover the book as a revelation of God’s triune love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
At the heart of this sermon is a needed reorientation: Revelation is not primarily about destruction, but about participation in God’s love through Jesus Christ. Pastor Tim reminds us that Jesus Christ is the key to understanding all of Scripture, and especially Revelation. The unveiling is not chaos for chaos’ sake, it is the unveiling of Jesus as both fully God and fully human, revealing that humanity itself has been lifted into God’s life.
A central theological truth runs through the whole message: God has made His life our life, and our life His life in Jesus Christ. As Thomas F. Torrance writes, “Jesus Christ has made our human life his own, that he might make his divine life ours.” The early church confessed this same mystery when Athanasius wrote, “For He became man that we might become god.” Pastor Tim makes clear that this does not mean we become God by nature, but that in Christ we are brought into real participation in His life.
From there, the sermon presses into a powerful reminder: grace is not a concept, it is a Person. Jesus Christ Himself is God’s grace, living and active in us through the Holy Spirit. Through Him, we are not merely forgiven, but transformed, empowered, and drawn into His ongoing life and mission.
Pastor Tim also reframes how we hear Revelation. Instead of beginning with fear, he asks us to begin with love: Do you see how much the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love you? Revelation 4 gives us a throne-room vision of worship, sovereignty, and peace in the middle of a chaotic world. The 24 elders and living creatures show that all creation is ultimately gathered around the throne of God, giving glory to the One who is worthy.
The sermon also helps us understand that Revelation speaks through apocalyptic language, symbolic, not merely literal. Pastor Tim compares it to coded language, like that used in the Underground Railroad, meant to communicate truth faithfully in dangerous times. These symbols are not meant to confuse believers, but to strengthen them with hope: God is in control, evil will not win, and Christ’s people are called to endure with courage.
Even in the midst of chaos, Pastor Tim emphasizes that God is not absent. He is overseeing, redeeming, and working all things toward His purpose. In one of the sermon’s most memorable lines, he reminds us: “What matters more than your brokenness is Jesus’ fixedness.” That is why our lives matter now. As N. T. Wright says, “What you do in the present… will last into God’s future.” Our participation in Christ today is not wasted, it is caught up in God’s eternal purpose.
Finally, Pastor Tim brings the message into the present by naming some of the “beasts” of our own day: loss of meaning, isolation, consumerism, and the decline of embodied community. In response, the Church is called not to retreat from the world, but to participate with Christ in redeeming it through worship, witness, love, and real community. Even when the Church feels small or weak, it remains central to God’s purpose for the sake of the world.
Reflective Moment:
Take a moment to pause and reflect:
Have I been viewing Revelation through fear, or through the lens of God’s love?
Do I see myself as merely forgiven, or as someone sharing in the very life of Jesus?
Where is God inviting me to move from observation into participation?
Because of Jesus, you are not outside of God’s plan, you are included. Because He lives, you are not alone in the chaos, He is present within it. And because of His love, your life right now matters in His eternal purpose.
“Our Father Loves All Creation With Human Participation!” (Part 1)
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Easter, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Lent, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: #Victory In Christ, Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Creation Care, Faith, Fully alive In Christ, GCI Baltimore, God Is Love, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Kingdom Living, Knowing The Father's Love, Life In Christ, Life's meaning and Significance, Living Hope, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, No fear in Christ, No Fear In Death, Participation not performance, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Revelation 4, Revelation revealed, serve and reign, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, Take Jesus seriously, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, True Humanity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Walk with Jesus, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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Audio Part 1A:
Audio Part 1B:
Full Audio Message:
Scripture: Revelation 4 (CSB)
Summary:
On this Fourth Sunday in Lent, Pastor Timothy Brassell invites us into a deeper, often overlooked truth: God takes our humanity seriously, so seriously that He has united it to Himself forever in Jesus Christ. This powerful Gospel-Centered message reframes how we understand both the Christian life and the Book of Revelation. Rather than a book of fear or catastrophe, Revelation is unveiled as a vision of God’s extravagant, unconditional love. A love revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully human.
In Jesus, we see not only what God is like, but also what humanity is meant to be. Christ does not merely act for us; He lives with us and now lives through us by the Spirit. His life becomes our life, and His relationship with the Father becomes the relationship we are brought into.
As has been expressed in the theology of Gary Deddo (paraphrased), “Jesus Christ is not only the object of our faith, but the one in whom we participate by the Spirit.”
Pastor Tim emphasizes that the law of Moses pointed outwardly to what true humanity looks like, but only in Christ does that reality take root in the heart. Through the Spirit, we now participate in the very works of God, not as external duty, but as shared life with Jesus. At the heart of this message is a powerful call: Take Jesus seriously, and therefore take your humanity seriously.
This truth echoes the early church witness of Irenaeus of Lyons: “For the glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God.”
God has not abandoned creation. Instead, He has chosen to involve human beings in its care, redemption, and flourishing. In Christ, we are called to rule and serve creation in love, reflecting God’s own heart.
As T. F. Torrance reminds us: “He has made our human nature his own in such a way that in him it is sanctified and perfected.”
Revelation reveals a God who does not withhold love but lavishes it abundantly, even beyond what we can comprehend. This divine love confronts, corrects, and heals, not as punishment, but as the active expression of a Father determined to bring His children into fullness of life. Eternal life, as Pastor Tim reminded us from Scripture, is not merely future existence, it is relational participation in God now:
“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.” — John 17:3 (CSB)
Because Jesus has conquered death, we are freed from its fear. We are even invited to participate in helping others face death with hope, dignity, and peace, bearing witness to Christ’s victory in the most human moments of life.
Ultimately, this sermon calls us to see that:
- Revelation is not about fear—it is about love.
- Humanity is not disposable—it is redeemed and glorified in Christ.
- Our lives are not insignificant—we are participants in God’s eternal purposes.
God is not distant. He is actively drawing us into His life, through the Son, in the Spirit, so that we may live fully human lives that reflect His glory in all creation.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
1. Take Jesus and Your Humanity, Seriously 👤✨
- Theme: In Jesus Christ, God reveals both who He is and what true humanity is meant to be. To take Jesus seriously means taking our humanity seriously as well.
- Discipleship Question: Am I treating my life and calling as something sacred, the way Jesus does?
- #TrueHumanity #TakeJesusSeriously #FullyAliveInChrist
2. Revelation Reveals Love, Not Fear ❤️🔥
- Theme: The Book of Revelation is not primarily about destruction, but about the unveiling of God’s unconditional, relentless love for all creation.
- Discipleship Question: Do I read Scripture through fear, or through the lens of God’s love revealed in Christ?
- #GodIsLove #RevelationRevealed #NoFearInChrist
3. Participation, Not Performance 🤝🌿
- Theme: The Christian life is not about external rule-keeping but about participating in the life and works of Jesus through the Spirit.
- Discipleship Question: Am I trying to perform for God, or am I learning to participate with Him?
- #LifeInChrist #ParticipationNotPerformance #WalkWithJesus
4. Called to Rule by Serving Creation 🌍👑
- Theme: Humanity is entrusted with overseeing and serving creation in love, reflecting God’s care and purpose in every detail of life.
- Discipleship Question: How am I reflecting God’s love in the way I treat people, creation, and everyday responsibilities?
- #ServeAndReign #CreationCare #KingdomLiving
5. Victory Over Death—Live and Die Well ✝️🌅
- Theme: Because Jesus has conquered death, we are freed from fear and can live and even face death, with hope, helping others do the same.
- Discipleship Question: How does Christ’s victory over death shape the way I live today?
- #VictoryInChrist #NoFearInDeath #LivingHope
Reflective Moment:
Take a moment to pause and reflect: God is not holding back from you. He is not measuring out His love in small portions. He is lavishing it, pouring it out beyond what you can contain. In Jesus, your humanity has been taken up, healed, and destined for glory. Your life matters. Your participation matters. Every moment matters.
So today, consider this: Where is God inviting you, not just to believe in Him, but to participate with Him? And as you step into that invitation, remember: You are not walking alone.
You are living the very life of Christ—through the Spirit—unto the Father.
“The Hidden Life In Christ!”
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Lent, Liturgy, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Colossians 3, Colossians 3: 1-3, Faith, Faith In Trials, Follow Jesus, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Hidden In Christ, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Pray without Ceasing, Rejoice In Hope, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Romans 12: 12, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Audio Message:
YouTube Video:
Scripture: Romans 12:12 (CSB)
Summary:
In this deeply personal and honest Lenten message, Pastor Richard Andrews invites us into a real question many believers wrestle with: What does it truly mean to have life in Christ?
Drawing from Colossians 3:1–3 and Romans 12:12, the sermon reveals that the Christian life is not something we create or control, it is a life hidden with Christ, rooted in His finished work, and lived through Him by the Spirit. This means the Christian life is not first about our activity for God, but about our inclusion in the life of the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. At its core, it is a life of participation in the communion of the Triune God.
Pastor Richard shares from his own journey of struggle, disappointment, and prayer, showing that even when life becomes harder after seeking God, this does not mean God is absent. More often, it is in those very places that the Father is drawing us to Himself, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit, not away from struggle, but into His presence within it. For He has not remained distant from our tribulation; He has entered into it and holds us there by His own sustaining life.
Sermon Points & Key Highlights:
1. Our Life Is No Longer Our Own. It Is Hidden in Christ
From Colossians 3, we are reminded that our old life has passed, and our true life is now found entirely in Jesus. Our lives are hidden with Christ in God, held securely within the loving purpose of the Father. As John Calvin writes, “Christ is our life.” This is not metaphor, it is reality. Our identity, direction, and future are no longer self-defined, but are grounded in the Son’s relationship with the Father, into which we have been brought by the Spirit.
2. Life in Christ Is Lived by Following Jesus Through the Spirit
To live this hidden life means denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus in real and tangible ways. Yet this is not mere imitation, it is participation. By the Spirit, we are drawn into the Son’s own obedience to the Father. We go where He leads, say what He says, and take part in what He is doing, even when it leads into difficulty. The life we are called to live is the very life of Christ being lived in us.
3. Rejoicing in Hope Is Living from the Father’s Gift in the Son
Hope is not something we produce, it is given. The Father, in His great mercy, has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This hope is secure, unfading, and eternal because it is grounded in the finished work of the Son. To rejoice in hope is to trust the Father’s Word as truth, resting in what has already been accomplished for us in Christ and made real to us by the Spirit.
4. Patience in Tribulation Is Sharing in Christ’s Life Within Suffering
Tribulation is not a detour from the Christian life, it is a place where we are drawn more deeply into it. In our suffering, we are not abandoned. The Son has entered fully into our brokenness and carried it into the presence of the Father. By the Spirit, we are sustained in Him. To be patient in tribulation is to endure without murmuring, trusting that Christ’s strength is sufficient, and that even here, we share in His life and His victory.
5. Constant Prayer Is Participation in the Son’s Communion with the Father
Prayer is not occasional, it is the rhythm of the hidden life. Jesus made prayer the pattern of His life, continually turning to the Father in the Spirit. Even now, He lives to intercede for us. To be constant in prayer is not simply to speak to God, but to be drawn into the Son’s ongoing communion with the Father, sharing in His intercession through the Spirit who dwells within us.
The Heart of the Message:
At its core, this sermon reminds us that we are not striving to build a life for Christ, we are being invited to live a life already held in Him. The Christian life is not something we achieve, but something we are graciously included in through Jesus Christ. We are brought into the Son’s relationship with the Father, and by the Spirit, we are enabled to share in that life. This is why, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” For in dying with Christ, we discover that our life has always been hidden in Him, secure in the love of the Father, accomplished in the Son, and sustained by the Spirit.
Reflective Moment:
Take a moment to consider: Where in your life does it feel like things are getting harder, not easier? Where have your prayers not led to the outcome you expected? The hidden life in Christ does not always look like progress on the surface.
Sometimes it looks like surrender.
Sometimes it looks like waiting.
Sometimes it looks like walking through difficulty with quiet trust. And yet, this is where Christ is most present. Your life is not slipping away. It is hidden, secure, held in Him. Held by the Father, in the Son, through the Spirit.
So today, rest in this truth: You are not alone in your struggle. You are not responsible for producing this life. Christ is your life. And because Christ is your life, your hope is secure, your endurance is sustained, and your prayers are never offered alone.
“The Only True Source Of Humanity Is Jesus!”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Easter, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Lent, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Called to be human, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Endure with Jesus, Faith, Faith In Action, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Grace Transforms, Having The Peace Of God, Hebrews 10-13, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, True Humanity In Christ, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
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Audio Part A:
Audio Part B:
Full Audio Message:
Summary:
In this powerful Lenten sermon, Pastor Timothy Brassell brought us to the heart of the gospel through the book of Hebrews with a clear declaration: Jesus Christ is the only true source of humanity.
Too often, we define our identity, purpose, and what it means to be human through culture, experience, or personal perception. But Scripture reveals something radically different: true humanity is not self-defined; it is revealed in Jesus Christ. He is not merely showing us how to live; He is what it means to be fully human.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, did not come to fix sin from a distance. He entered into our humanity, took it seriously, and lived it perfectly before the Father on our behalf. The “debt” humanity owed God was not only sin, it was our failure to be truly human as He created us to be. Jesus fulfilled that humanity for us and now shares it with us through the Holy Spirit.
As T. F. Torrance writes: “He has made our human nature his own in such a way that in him it is sanctified and perfected.”
Hebrews shows us that this was not accomplished through external sacrifices, but through the very humanity of Jesus. His life, obedience, and relationship with the Father. In Him, a new and living way has been opened.
This gospel includes us. God does not work apart from humanity. He works through humanity. Because Jesus is the true human and we are united to Him, we are called into participation, not passivity. The Christian life is relational, lived out in trust, obedience, endurance, and community.
This means:
- We don’t wait passively for God to act
- We don’t reduce faith to ideas
- We actively participate in the life of Christ by the Spirit
As Torrance also reminds us: “All that Jesus Christ has done for us, he shares with us.”— T. F. Torrance
This is the heart of the gospel: Jesus not only lived for us, He shares His life with us. The call is clear: Take Jesus more seriously than yourself. Then take your humanity as seriously as He does. God reveals Himself through people, through Scripture, the Church, and one another. To ignore His voice through others is to miss His work among us.
Grace is not passivity, grace empowers participation. Through Christ, we are no longer trapped in sin. Though we still wrestle with weakness, we are now able—by the Spirit—to resist, endure, and grow. Even struggle and discipline become part of God’s loving formation in us.
Hebrews calls us to:
- Run with endurance
- Fix our eyes on Jesus
- Encourage one another
- Live out our faith relationally
This path is not easy. It may involve struggle, sacrifice, and perseverance, but it is the very life Jesus lived and now shares with us. In the end, everything that can be shaken will be shaken, but what remains is the unshakable kingdom found in Christ. Our identity, our humanity, and our life are secure in Him.
So the invitation stands: Not to define ourselves…Not to withdraw…But to step into the life Jesus has already lived and now shares with us.
Jesus Christ is the true human and in Him, we are becoming truly human.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions
- Jesus Defines True Humanity 👤✨
- Theme: Jesus is the source and definition of true humanity.
- Discipleship Question: Where am I looking for my identity apart from Jesus?
- #TrueHumanityInChrist
- Participation, Not Passivity 🤝🔥
- Theme: God works through humanity and calls us to active participation.
- Discipleship Question: Where is God inviting me to engage rather than remain passive?
- #FaithInAction
- Grace That Transforms 🌿💧
- Theme: Grace empowers us to become who we are in Christ.
- Discipleship Question: Where is God’s grace calling me to grow right now?
- #GraceTransforms
- Endurance in the Journey 💪😭
- Theme: The life of faith includes struggle, but always with Jesus.
- Discipleship Question: Where do I need to endure with Jesus today?
- : #EndureWithJesus
- Take Your Humanity Seriously ⚖️❤️
- Theme: Because Jesus took our humanity seriously, so should we.
- Discipleship Question: What would change if I lived with this awareness daily?
- #CalledToBeHuman
Reflective Moment:
What if becoming truly human isn’t about striving…but receiving what Jesus has already lived for you? He has taken your humanity seriously. He has lived it fully before the Father. And now He shares that life with you. Don’t look within, look to Jesus. Step into the life He is already living in you.
“A Picture of The Father’s Love for Humanity!”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Children's Ministry, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Easter, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Lent, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, Father's love, First Sunday In Lent, fix your eyes on jesus, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Hebrews, Hebrews 3:15, Hebrews12:1-2, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life In Christ, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Participate Doc't Spectate, Press On, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Run With Endurance, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, The Basic Christian Belief, The God Who Is Love, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?, You Belong
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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:
- 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? - 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? - 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? - 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? - 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.
“The Priority of Jesus for His Present Church!”
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 36-42
Summary:
In this powerful and deeply reflective message, Pastor Timothy Brassell reminds us that Jesus is the living priority of His Church, not just in heaven, but here and now. Preaching from Acts 2:36–42, he invites us to rediscover the extraordinary presence of Christ in what we often call “ordinary time.” Though daily life may seem routine or wearisome, the Holy Spirit meets us in the ordinary, turning our everyday moments into sacred opportunities for transformation.
Pastor Tim explains that God Himself must teach us how to meet Him in Scripture. True preaching and faithful reading of the Bible begin not with what we should do, but with Who God is in Jesus Christ. The Father’s revelation in the Son, made alive to us by the Holy Spirit, draws us into participation with His divine life. Christ is both the message and the messenger, the Living Word through whom God reveals Himself and through whom we are transformed.
As theologian T. F. Torrance writes: “It is through Jesus Christ that we come to know God, for in Him the Word of God and the response of man meet together in one person.”— The Mediation of Christ
In this light, Pastor Tim reminds us that Jesus’ priorities for His Church, devotion to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, are not four separate activities, but one shared life in Him. Through this shared life, the Church participates in Christ’s own faithfulness before the Father. God’s love, revealed unconditionally in Jesus, calls us not to passive belief but to unconditional surrender, a living response that takes shape through repentance, forgiveness, and the daily renewal of our hearts and communities.
This transforming love compels us to live and share the same grace we have received. Because the Father loves us unconditionally through the Son and Spirit, we are sent into the world to embody that same love. To be living witnesses of Christ’s ongoing life and mission.
As C. S. Lewis beautifully reminds us, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”— The Weight of Glory
Even the most ordinary days become extraordinary when Christ is at the center. Every word of Scripture, every act of fellowship, every prayer, and every moment of kindness is an encounter with the Living Word who still walks among His people.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions
- The Extraordinary in the Ordinary ✨🙌
- Theme: What seems “ordinary” in our daily lives is actually extraordinary because Jesus is present in every moment. His Spirit turns even the mundane into a sacred space for transformation.
- Discipleship Question: How can you become more aware of Jesus’ presence in your everyday routines this week?
- #ExtraordinaryOrdinary
- The Priority of Jesus for His Church ⛪🔥
- Theme: Jesus Himself remains the center and priority of His Church, His people, both on earth and in heaven, calling us to live in constant participation with Him.
- Discipleship Question: In what ways can you make Jesus, not activity or achievement, the true center of your faith community?
- #JesusFirst
- Hearing the Living Word through Scripture 📖🕊️
- Theme: God meets us personally in Scripture through the Spirit of Jesus; true preaching and reading begin with Who God is, not what we can do.
- Discipleship Question: When you open the Bible, are you seeking information or an encounter with the Living Word Himself?
- #WordAndSpirit
- Repentance and Renewal 💧❤️🔥
- Theme: Repentance isn’t about guilt but transformation. Turning from self-centered readings of Scripture to Christ-centered participation in His life and love.
- Discipleship Question: What areas of your spiritual life might need to be re-centered on Jesus’ way rather than your own?
- #RepentAndRenew
- Unconditional Love and Costly Forgiveness 💞✝️
- Theme: God’s unconditional love revealed in Jesus calls us not to passive acceptance but to unconditional surrender and costly forgiveness that mirrors His own.
- Discipleship Question: How can you practice forgiving others in the same costly, grace-filled way Jesus forgave you?
- #LoveThatSurrenders
Reflective Moment:
In the quiet rhythm of ordinary days, we are reminded that God still speaks, not only in the spectacular, but in the steady, everyday moments where His presence often goes unnoticed.
When we slow down and allow Scripture to reveal Who He is before asking what we must do, we discover that Jesus Himself is our pattern of life, the Living Word who interprets both Scripture and our hearts.
Let His unconditional love draw you into unconditional surrender.
Let His forgiveness teach you the costly joy of forgiving others.
And let His Spirit renew your ordinary moments into holy encounters with the extraordinary Christ.
“Remembering What Is Often Forgotten about Pentecost! (Relationship!)”
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 17-21
“The Holy Spirit is not a power you activate; He is a person you relate to.” – Pastor Timothy Brassell “God has made us this way, in his own image, because he himself is a personal, relational being.”– Gordon D. Fee, Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God
“The Holy Spirit is not merely an influence or a power or an illumination but is a Person just as real as God the Father or Jesus Christ His Son… To have as one’s ever‑present Friend, and to be conscious that one has as his ever‑present Friend, the Holy Spirit … this is true Christian living.”– R.A. Torrey, The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit
Summary:
In this sermon, Pastor Timothy Brassell challenges modern misunderstandings of Pentecost by reframing it as a deeply relational encounter, not merely a spiritual experience or ritual. He explains that the Holy Spirit is not a force to be “activated,” but a divine person—the third person of the Triune God who is meant to be known, honored, and related to in reverent intimacy.
Through biblical exposition, early church creeds (such as the Athanasian Creed), and real-life analogies, Pastor Tim explores the often-overlooked relational nature of the Spirit. Drawing especially from Acts 2 and John 3, he re-centers Pentecost around God’s desire for personal connection rather than performance or emotional hype.
This message clarifies the Spirit’s role and presence in the believer’s life, calling us not to treat the Spirit as a tool for spiritual success, but to embrace Him as God with us. It invites believers into deeper understanding, relational trust, renewed thinking, and Spirit-led participation in God’s ongoing redemptive work.
🔑 Key Points and Highlights:
The Holy Spirit Is a Person, Not a Power
• The Spirit is not an impersonal force to be triggered; He is God, to be reverently related with.
• Theme: Recognizing the Holy Spirit as a divine person
• Discipleship Question: In what ways am I tempted to “use” the Holy Spirit instead of honoring Him?
#HolySpiritIsPerson
🌟 Pentecost Is Relational, Not Ritualistic
• Pentecost celebrates the Spirit’s personal presence among God’s people, not just an event or tradition.
• Theme: The personal nature of Pentecost
• Discipleship Question: How do I relate to the Holy Spirit: as a person or as a tradition?
#PentecostIsPersonal
🎁 True Worship Is Centered on God, Not Results
• The Holy Spirit cannot be manipulated or bought; true worship honors His personhood.
• Theme: Authentic worship is grounded in reverence
• Discipleship Question: Am I approaching God to worship or to “get something”?
#WorshipNotTransaction
🕊️ The Spirit Works Uniquely in Each Life
• The Spirit works uniquely in each person’s life; not everyone experiences Him the same way.
• Theme: God works uniquely in every believer
• Discipleship Question: Am I open to how the Spirit might work differently in others than in me?
#SpiritMovesUniquely
🧠 Transformation Through Renewed Minds
• Pentecost means more than emotional experience. It calls for a renewed mind and perspective.
• Theme: Spiritual renewal begins with our thinking
• Discipleship Question: How is my mind being shaped by the Spirit today?
#MindRenewed
Reflective Moment:
Are you relating to the Holy Spirit as a person or treating Him like a distant power source? Consider your posture in worship and prayer. Do you come to church seeking God for who He is, or for what He can do for you? Pastor Tim’s message reminds us that the Spirit’s work is intimate, relational, and often surprising. Reflect on how you can engage more personally with the Triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—not just through religious activity, but through relational trust and reverence.
“Keeping First Things First This Easter/Resurrection Season!”
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15
As we gather and prepare our hearts for this upcoming Resurrection Sunday, this message calls us to remember that the empty tomb means nothing without the cross — and that the risen Christ invites us not just to celebrate, but to participate in His life, death, and victory.
“The resurrection of Jesus was not just a coming back to life of a dead man, but the coming of eternal life into our world of sin and death, breaking its way through into the form of a new creation.”
— T.F. Torrance, “Space, Time and Resurrection”
Summary:
In this deeply reflective Easter sermon, titled “Keeping First Things First”, Pastor Timothy Brassell delivers a powerful Gospel message that proclaims the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — revealed in Jesus Christ. It’s a call to realign our Christian life and church practice around the full narrative of Jesus’ life, not just the Resurrection.
Pastor Tim walks the congregation through the context of 1 Corinthians, exposing the moral, theological, and communal dysfunctions within the Corinthian church — all of which trace back to losing focus on Christ’s full story: His life, crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
This message isn’t only about looking forward to our personal resurrection — it’s about being transformed now by the risen Christ and living into His life today. In a world and church distracted by individualism, factionalism, pride, and cultural confusion, the message calls for repentance, humility, and renewed dependence on Christ’s death and resurrection. It is both sobering and hope-filled — reminding us that the resurrection is not just a future hope but a present way of life.
Key Highlights from the Sermon
1. ✝️ The Whole Gospel: Life, Death, and Resurrection Are One
Jesus’ Resurrection cannot be rightly celebrated apart from His life, crucifixion, and death. The full Gospel is one seamless act of redemption.
💬 Discipleship Question: Have you embraced all parts of Jesus’ life—or only the ones that comfort you?
2. 🤝 Christian Unity Over Division
Paul calls out divisions in Corinth — factions over leaders and prideful preferences — and reminds them (and us) that unity in Christ demands humility and sacrifice.
💬 Discipleship Question: In what ways do my preferences get in the way of Christian unity?
3. 🚫 Immorality & Legal Disputes: Signs of Forgetting Jesus
The Corinthians’ sexual sin and lawsuits reveal what happens when Jesus’ sacrifice isn’t central to Christian life.
💬 Discipleship Question: Where do I seek justice or gratification outside the life of Christ?
4. 🏛️ Your Body: A Temple of the Risen Lord
Paul reclaims the body as sacred, affirming its value through the Resurrection. Holiness isn’t optional — it’s our new normal.
💬 Discipleship Question: Do I honor Christ in how I treat my body and others’?
5. 💍 Singleness and Marriage in Light of Christ
Whether single or married, Paul teaches that our status is secondary to our call to serve Christ in love, sacrifice, and purity.
💬 Discipleship Question: Am I using my current relationship status to fully serve Christ?
6. 🔄 Misusing Spiritual Gifts Without Gospel Centrality
Confusion and pride around spiritual gifts erupted in Corinth because they forgot the Cross. True gifts serve others, not self.
💬 Discipleship Question: Do my spiritual gifts point to Christ or to me?
7. 🌅 Resurrection Power Starts Now
Resurrection isn’t just for the future — Jesus brought the future into our present. His life changes our now.
💬 Discipleship Question: How is Jesus’ resurrection transforming your life this week?
8. 🍇 Communion: Remembering Christ Together
The Lord’s Supper isn’t just a ritual — it’s a communal encounter with Jesus’ broken body and poured-out blood. It demands reflection and unity.
💬 Discipleship Question: Am I truly seeing Christ — and His church — when I take Communion?
9. 📣 Include the Cross in Your Gospel
A true Gospel is not just inclusion into life but inclusion into Christ’s death and crucifixion. That’s the path to transformation.
💬 Discipleship Question: Does my Gospel include the cost of following Jesus?
10. 🕊️ Live the Risen Life in Community
Living into Christ’s resurrection means radically loving, serving, and forgiving within the church. Our witness starts with one another.
💬 Discipleship Question: How are you revealing the risen Jesus through your church relationships?
Reflection: The “He Is Risen Indeed” Tradition
The sermon beautifully affirmed the rich Christian tradition of proclaiming:
“He is risen!”
“He is risen indeed!”
It’s more than a greeting — it’s a declaration of shared life, rooted in Christ’s victory over death. But the full meaning only comes when we remember that Resurrection follows crucifixion. Jesus died to kill death — and rose to raise us now.
“Jesus Christ IS The Revelation of Revelation!”
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Revelation 1 (CSB)
Summary:
This sermon, the second in a series on the Book of Revelation, centers on one powerful truth: Jesus Christ IS the Revelation. In this foundational message, Pastor Timothy Brassell boldly proclaims that Revelation is not primarily about cataclysmic events or mysterious prophecies — it is about encountering the glorified, victorious Christ at the center of it all.
Delivered during Lent, the message reflects on Christ’s victory over temptation and evil, inviting believers to engage deeply in this season through repentance, self-denial, and devotion. Pastor Brassell calls the church to move beyond surface-level readings of Scripture and see Revelation as a stunning unveiling of Jesus’ divine nature, His majesty, and His eternal union with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
This sermon lays the groundwork for approaching the book not with fear, but with awe, reverence, and hope, urging a renewed view of Jesus — not only as the crucified Savior, but as the reigning Lord of glory.
“The Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself.”
— Irenaeus of Lyons
“In Jesus Christ, the revelation of God has taken place, does take place, and will take place. … Revelation in fact does not differ from the person of Jesus Christ nor from the reconciliation accomplished in Him. To say revelation is to say ‘the Word became flesh’.”
— Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics I/1, pp. 111–119
Key Points and Highlights:
📖 1. Jesus Is the Revelation, Not Just in It
• The Book of Revelation is not primarily about end-times events — it’s about Jesus Christ Himself being revealed in glory.
🧎 2. The Fear of God: Good Scary vs. Bad Scary
• God’s holiness is awe-inspiring (“good scary”), but terrifying only to those who reject His love and truth (“bad scary”).
🔥 3. Lent as a Season of “Bright Sadness”
• Lent is a time of repentance and reflection, but also of joy — knowing Christ has already won the victory.
👁️ 4. Seeing Jesus as He Truly Is
• Many know Jesus as the suffering servant, but Revelation reveals Him as the radiant, reigning Son of God.
🕊️ 5. The Holy Spirit Enables True Understanding
• We cannot grasp Christ fully without the Spirit; knowledge alone is not enough — we need divine revelation.
🔑 6. Christ Holds the Keys to Death and Hades
• Jesus has full authority over life, death, and eternity — offering believers confidence in His victory.
🪞 7. Revelation Calls Us to Reflection and Readiness
• The call is not to predict the future, but to live faithfully in light of who Jesus is now.
🧬 8. Participation in the Divine Nature
• Christ invites us into union with the Father through the Spirit, making us partakers in the divine nature (2 Peter 1).
🌎 9. The Church as a Spirit-Filled Witness
• Believers are called to be light in the world, pointing others to the glorified Jesus — the Alpha and Omega.
🛐 10. True Worship Begins with a Right View of God
• Revelation draws us into reverent, Christ-centered worship, based on who God truly is, not our projections.
Context:
This sermon was delivered on the first Sunday of Lent as part of an ongoing teaching series on the Book of Revelation. Pastor Timothy Brassell sets a theological and spiritual foundation for how to read and interpret the book — through the lens of Jesus Christ as its core revelation. He bridges the liturgical season of Lent with the apocalyptic vision of John, urging believers to repent, rejoice, and recognize the awe-inspiring reality of Christ’s victory.
No One Can – Except The Lord Jesus!
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Part 1A
Part 1B
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:16
Introduction:
We’re in the season of Lent, biblically, walking with the historic Jesus as he fights for us against everything that is against us, including the evil that exists in this present evil age! And rather than just focusing on “giving something up” or even “taking something in”, we proclaim to you the Gospel of Someone, namely Jesus, and the Father-Son-Holy-Spirit-God revealed in Him. We proclaim not ideas to you but Someone Who loves you, meets you, and acts on your behalf that you might know Him, call on Him and participate in His action with Him! And in announcing Him we announce His Kingdom that is breaking in now and that will take over everything fully someday! And we do it with him as a source of your encouragement, and reorientation, and warning! We keep calling on you in participation with him to repent and believe this Good News and to enter, by grace through faith, this active relationship with Jesus and the Father you were created for!
Theological Theme:
In Jesus’ conception, life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension we see the great mercy of God to give us all time to see him, to learn of him, accept him, know him, rethink/act, and join sides with him before he returns for His final judgment! There is coming a point-of-no-return for everyone, including you, at some point! And the questions stand before you: 1.) Who do you say Jesus is? And Whose are you? and Whose world/creation is this?
Christ Connection:
In the light of Who Jesus is Revealed to be, and what he has accomplished on our behalf that
every person might share in his relationship with his Father by the Spirit (John 17:3, John 16:13-
15), you must not underestimate the priority of the Who question. As “Christ”ians we don’t
believe that just anyone could be and do who Jesus is and what he did in his birth, life, suffering
and death, resurrection, ascension and coming again. We don’t believe that just anyone
could achieve the same outcome/s. Jesus is the unique and only Begotten of the Father
(John 3:16). He is the only human Mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). He is the only
one to whom every knee will bow and tongue confess that he is Lord (Phil 2:9-11) This
“Who” is in contrast to the popular “What?”, “How?”, “When?”, “Where?” and “Why?
questions that often claim priority in our lives. (You know what we mean: What will be done about these
troubling political and social issues!? How long will the world continue to suffer racial
discrimination and injustice!? When will this physical, mental or emotional pain end!? Where is that stimulus check??? Where is the man or woman with the real leadership solution to this COVID mess, and why is it taking so long to get understood, organized and solved!? (this year we especially felt the pressure of those questions and issues.)
Missional Application:
Because this is the Son’s world, the Father’s world, and the world of the Holy Spirit, and They, in Christ have done everything to give us life and godliness – and have done everything to pull off every good thing for us, we share this Good News with everyone we can, inviting them to place their trust in God and be his fully devoted son or daughter by the Spirit, in participation with Jesus!
Photos compliments: quotesbeste.blogspot.com, Dr. Gary Deddo,