Archive for the ‘Liturgy’ Category
“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?
Leave a comment 
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.
“How To Glorify God In These Last Days!”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, 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, 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, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, 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, GCI Baltimore, Glory After Suffering, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Hebrews, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity In Gods Story, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Our Glory, Knowing The Father's Love, Life In Christ, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, Mark 9, Mark 9: 2-13, 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, The Washing Machine Of Love, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
Leave a comment 
Audio Part A:
Audo Part B:
Audio Full Message:
YouTube Video Message:
Scripture: Mark 9: 2-13, Hebrews
Summary:
This sermon proclaims a powerful gospel vision: humanity exists to glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that glory has already been revealed in Jesus Christ. On Transfiguration Sunday, Scripture pulls back the curtain on both who Jesus is and who humanity is becoming in Him. As Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His dazzling glory reveals not only His divine identity but God’s unwavering purpose for humanity: to reflect the glory of the Triune God in and through Christ.
This moment on the mountain is not spectacle for its own sake. Jesus reveals His glory precisely because suffering lies ahead. Before the disciples face confusion, discipline, and even death, they are given a vision of the end: glory. As Hebrews later confirms, God is “bringing many sons and daughters to glory,” and that journey unfolds through Christ’s faithful obedience and loving purification.
Pastor Tim emphasized that glorifying God does not begin with human effort. It begins with denying self and looking fully to Jesus. Christ alone has glorified the Father perfectly as a human being. Our calling is not to replicate His achievement, but to participate in it by the Holy Spirit.
This is why God’s work in us often feels uncomfortable. Using the image of the “washing machine of the Father’s love,” the sermon reminds us that discipline is not rejection but confirmation of belonging. God’s love cleanses, reshapes, and reorders us for glory. As C. S. Lewis describes this transforming work:
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house… You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage, but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
What feels disruptive or painful is often God expanding our humanity beyond what we imagined. Though each journey looks different, the destination is the same: conformity to Christ.
The Transfiguration also anchors hope. Jesus’ radiant humanity shows us what lies beyond suffering. Glory is not abstract or distant, it has a face. Hebrews declares that Jesus is the “radiance of God’s glory” and the One who sustains all things. To glorify God in these last days is to remain anchored in this hope, trusting that what God has revealed in Christ will be fully realized in us.
Crucially, the Christian life is not lived by imitation alone. It is not about copying a moral example, but about Christ actively sharing His life with us in the present. As C. S. Lewis puts it:
“A real Person, Christ, here and now… is doing things to you… killing the old natural self in you and replacing it with the kind of self He has.”
This aligns with the sermon’s insistence that the Holy Spirit continues Jesus’ ministry within us, drawing us into faith, anchoring us in hope, forming us in love, and calling us back again and again through repentance and trust.
Ultimately, this sermon calls the church to recover a higher vision of humanity. In Christ, we are already being formed for shared life, stewardship, and communion with God. We glorify God not by striving upward on our own, but by receiving what has already been accomplished in Jesus and living from that reality. The Transfiguration assures us that glory has already appeared in our humanity, and because Christ has gone ahead of us, that glory will not fail.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
1. Jesus Is the Glory of God Revealed in Humanity ✨👑
Theme: The Transfiguration shows that Jesus perfectly reflects God’s glory as a human being and He does so on behalf of all humanity.
Discipleship Question: Where might I still be trying to glorify God apart from trusting Jesus to be God’s glory for me?
#JesusOurGlory
2. Glory Comes Through Loving Discipline, Not Escape 🧼🔥
Theme: God’s love often feels like pressure before it feels like comfort, yet His discipline is the Father’s way of cleansing and forming us.
Discipleship Question: How do I respond when God’s love feels uncomfortable or refining rather than reassuring?
#TheWashingMachineOfLove
3. Suffering Is Framed by Hope, Not Defeat 🌄🕊️
Theme: Jesus reveals His glory to prepare His disciples for suffering, anchoring them in the promise of future transformation.
Discipleship Question: How does seeing Christ’s glory reshape the way I interpret my present hardships?
#GloryAfterSuffering
4. We Glorify God by Participation, Not Performance 🤝✨
Theme: The Christian life is not about self-generated obedience but sharing in Jesus’ faithfulness through the Holy Spirit.
Discipleship Question: Where am I tempted to rely on my own spiritual effort instead of Christ’s completed work?
#LifeInChrist
5. Humanity’s Destiny Is Shared Glory with Christ 🌍🌟
Theme: Hebrews declares that God is bringing humanity into Christ’s glory, training us even now to steward creation and reflect God’s life.
Discipleship Question: How would my daily work and relationships change if I truly believed I was being formed for glory?
#HumanityInGodsStory
Reflective Moment:
Take a quiet moment to picture Jesus on the mountain, radiant, dazzling, and fully human. Hear the Father’s voice: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.”
Now consider this truth: the same Jesus who shines in glory walks with you in your discipline, your doubt, and your daily obedience. Ask God to help you trust His work in you, even when it hurts, knowing that He is moving you toward the same glory revealed in His Son.
“God With Us: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love!”
Filed under: Advent, Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, 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, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Sermons, Song, Spiritual Warfare, 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: 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:9, Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God Who Is Always Near, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Hope, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Isaiah 9:6, Jesus, joy, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Peace, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Romans 8:22-23, 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?
Leave a comment Christmas Reveals The God Who Is Always Near
As Christmas approaches, many of us are not longing for more celebration, we are longing for relief. December often arrives with exhaustion. Schedules fill up, spending piles on, emotions run close to the surface, and even the gatherings we hope will bring connection can carry tension and unspoken strain. We rush toward one day of joy, only to feel strangely empty, tired, or deflated when it passes.
For many, this season doesn’t feel light or magical. It feels heavy. We carry grief, disappointment, unresolved relationships, financial pressure, and the sense that nothing quite goes the way we planned. Beneath the lights and songs, there can be a quiet cloud of weariness, sadness, and confusion.
Scripture does not ignore this reality. It names it honestly:
Romans 8:22–23 (CSB) “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
And yet, this is exactly the kind of season into which Advent speaks.
As Advent comes to its close, we have been formed week by week by hope, peace, joy, and love. These are not passing emotions or seasonal themes. They are names for what happens when God comes near. Christmas is not the story of God stepping in only when things go wrong. It is the declaration that God has always intended to be with us, in joy and in sorrow, in clarity and in confusion. In Jesus Christ, God does not merely respond to human need; He reveals who He has always been.
Scripture tells us plainly how this love is made known:
1 John 4:9 (CSB) “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.”
Hope is born not because the world suddenly improves, but because God has arrived. Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of Christ. Joy is not the denial of suffering, but the deep assurance that life is held by God. Love is not something we create, but something we receive because God loved us first.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit God define love for us. We do not define it ourselves.
As the apostle John declares: 1 John 4:8 (CSB) “God is love.”
1 John 4:16 (CSB) “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.”
These are not sentimental statements. They are theological declarations. They tell us that love is not merely what God does when circumstances demand it. Love is who God is. And Christmas represents the moment when that love takes flesh and dwells among us.
Theologian T. F. Torrance captures this truth beautifully: “God loves you so utterly and completely that he has given himself for you in Jesus Christ his beloved Son, and has thereby pledged his very being as God for your salvation.”— T. F. Torrance, The Mediation of Christ, p. 94.
This is the heart of Christmas: God does not give us something other than Himself. He gives Himself. His love is self-giving, faithful, and permanent.
In a world filled with uncertainty and noise, Christmas reminds us that the most serious reality in our lives is not the chaos around us, but the God who has come to dwell with us. God is not distant. God is not neutral. God is near and He is love.
Writing in the midst of a broken and violent world, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminded the Church: “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.”
A Reflection Moment:
Pause for a moment and consider this: God did not wait for the world to become peaceful and perfect before coming near. God did not wait for us to become joyful or loving before acting. Love arrived first.
Where do you need to stop striving and simply receive this love again?
What fear might be loosened if you trusted that God has already moved toward you?
This Christmas, rest in and enjoy the good news that the One who is our hope, peace, joy, and love has come near and He is here to stay.
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
“The Priority of Jesus for His Present Church!”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, 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, 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: Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Extraordinary Ordinary, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Grace In Everyday, Having The Peace Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Jesus First, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, Love That Surrenders, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Relationships, Repent and Renew, 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, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?, Word and Spirit
Comments (1) 
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.
“The Healing Joy of God: Discovering Health in the Life of the Trinity!”
Filed under: Bible, By Karan Barthelmy-Harris, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, 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, 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, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, 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, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, Faith And Health, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Healing Joy, Healing Joy Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Heals, Joy Of The Lord, Knowing The Father's Love, Life In Christ, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, Medicine for the soul, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Proverbs 17: 22, 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, Spirit Of Life, 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?
Leave a comment 
When my husband and I returned home after visiting our son and his family, my heart was overflowing. We had just witnessed the blessing of our grandson. A sacred moment of new life, laughter, and grace.
His hugs and kisses, his bright eyes and wide smiles, even the way he giggled at the smallest things, all of it felt like sunlight to my soul. Watching him play, hearing cooing, and babbling, I felt renewed. His laughter was contagious. It filled the room with something deeper than happiness; it was life.
In those moments, I realized that the God who made us for relationship heals us through relationship. His life and joy reach us not only through Scripture and prayer but also through the touch of a child, the laughter shared across generations, and the warmth of belonging.
As someone living with diabetes, I’ve known the challenge of managing sugar levels, the careful balance of food, medication and exercise. But while I was there with my family, something remarkable happened. My blood sugar stayed in the normal range the entire time. No stress spikes, no imbalance, just peace. My dad always said that the grandkids gave him five more years, and I see that now.
I’m discovering that health is not only about what I eat, it’s also about what I carry in my heart. The stress, the worry, the hidden tensions of life can weigh the body down.
God reminded me through my grandson’s laughter that true health begins not in the body alone but in the heart. In union and communion with Him.
Health in the Light of the Trinity
The Christian understanding of health is never purely physical. It is spiritual and relational. We are made in the image of a God who is not solitary but Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A living communion of love, joy, and mutual giving.
Theologian T. F. Torrance tells us: “In Jesus Christ, the healing of our human nature has already taken place in the incarnate constitution of His Person.”— T. F. Torrance, The Mediation of Christ
This means that healing is not something we chase inside ourselves. It’s something we receive by grace through faith and participation in Christ’s own restored humanity. As we receive Him, our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives are being made whole.
Our stress, anxiety, and even our diseases have not been ignored by God. They have been taken up into Christ’s life, embraced by His compassion, and transformed by His resurrection power. Through the Spirit, He comes again and again to conform us to the victory over these things He has pulled off for us!
Joy as Medicine for the Soul
Scripture tells us, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, CSB)
When I laughed with my grandson, I wasn’t just enjoying a sweet moment, I was sharing in the joy of God Himself, Him sharing His Self with me through His Son and Spirit. Through union with Jesus, joy is not a fleeting emotion; it is the echo of divine life.
Karl Barth said: “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”— Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/3 §67
Gratitude opens our hearts to the Spirit’s renewing presence. Joy is the sound of the Trinity’s life reverberating within us; Father, Son, and Spirit delighting in love. When we live from that place, our bodies and minds align with divine rhythm. The stress that drains us gives way to Jesus’ peace that heals us.
Living from the Inside Out
Modern medicine increasingly recognizes the connection between emotional and physical health. But long before science could prove it, Scripture revealed that peace, love, and joy are not luxuries, they are the oxygen of our being.
When Jesus said, “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27), He wasn’t offering a mere feeling. He was sharing His own life with the Father in the Spirit, a peace that flows from the very heart of God. To live in that peace is to live in divine health.
“In the joy of the eternal love, God’s Spirit makes the world rejoice and gives it a share in the divine joy.”— Jürgen Moltmann, The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation
This means that laughter around a family table, a grandchild’s giggle, or a quiet morning of rest, all these can become sacred spaces where divine life breathes healing into our humanity.
Reflection
Perhaps the greatest medicine we can receive is not found in a bottle or a diet plan, but in the joy of participation. The joy of knowing that the Father’s love, the Son’s healing, and the Spirit’s peace are already working in us. Even in illness, we are not alone. We are surrounded, upheld, and can be renewed by the healing joy of the Triune God.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for who YOU ARE. Thank you for reminding me that my health is not separate from You. Teach me to rest in Your joy and release every stress into Your hands. Let Your laughter echo in my soul, and may Your peace shape my body, my mind, and my heart until all of me reflects the wholeness of Your Triune love. Amen.
“An Unfaithful People Receive Love!”
Filed under: Bible, by Tony Marra, Children's Ministry, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, 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, 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, Book Of Hosea, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, Faithful God, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Hosea, 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, Redeemed By Grace, Relationships, Relentless Love, Return to God, 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, Transforming love, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
Leave a comment 
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:
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
“How to Hear and Receive Father God’s Word! Pt 1”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Discipleship, 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, 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, Pentecost, 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: Acts 2, Acts 2: 42, Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christ Our Foundation, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Devoted To The Word, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, Hearing Through Christ, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life In Participation, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, One True Gospel, 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, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
Leave a comment 
Part 1A:
Part 1B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 42
Summary:
This week’s message from Pastor Timothy Brassell offers a deeply clarifying and convicting call to return to the foundation of all true Christian life and preaching — Jesus Christ Himself. The sermon, drawn from Acts 2:42, explores what it really means to hear and receive God’s Word as Jesus intends, not as a set of “how-to” instructions, but as a living participation in His ongoing relationship with the Father through the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Tim reminded listeners that worship is never something we perform or generate: “When we gather, we are not just getting our praise on; we are participating in Jesus’ own worship of the Father.” True discipleship, then, begins not with our doing, but with our being. Being joined to Christ, who is the living Word of God.
As Karl Barth declared in The Barmen Theological Declaration (1934):
“Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear, and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death.”
This powerful truth framed the entire message: the Church’s greatest need is not more information, activity, or innovation. It is devotion to the one Word of God: Jesus Christ.
Pastor Tim emphasized that every sermon, every act of worship, and every reading of Scripture must be centered on Christ, interpreted through Christ, and lived out in participation with Christ. Without Him as the content and foundation, even the most well-intended message becomes hollow.
From Acts 2:42, he identified the early Church’s threefold devotion, a model for the Church today:
- Devotion to Jesus Himself
- Devotion to the Proclamation of Jesus
- Devotion to the Apostolic Teaching of Scripture
Through these, believers move from hearing about God to hearing from God.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
- Jesus Is the Foundation
- Theme: Every true word of God flows from the person of Jesus Christ. Without Him as the foundation, the Christian message collapses into moralism or self-help. Discipleship Question: Is Jesus the foundation of your daily thoughts, choices, and actions, or have you built on something else?
- Hearing the Word in Christ
- Theme: Hearing God’s Word means joining in Christ’s own conversation with the Father. Scripture becomes alive when we listen through Him. Discipleship Question: How are you intentionally listening for Christ’s voice through Scripture this week?
- Devotion to Apostolic Teaching
- Theme: The early Church grew because it was devoted to the apostles’ teaching. Scripture that proclaimed Jesus as the Living Word. Discipleship Question: How can you grow in devotion to the apostles’ teaching, so your faith remains rooted in Christ and not in culture?
- Guarding the Gospel
- Theme: There is only one Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Any message that sidelines Him for other topics loses the life-giving power of grace. Discipleship Question: Are you discerning what you hear and read through the lens of Jesus as the true Gospel?
- Participation, Not Performance
- Theme: The Christian life is not about doing things for God, but joining Christ in what He is already doing through you. Discipleship Question: In what ways can you shift from performing for God to participating with Him this week?
Reflective Moment:
“Lord Jesus, quiet my heart, open my ears, to hear You. Let every word I read, every song I sing, and every prayer I pray draw me deeper into Your life and love. Tune my heart to listen, not for information, but for transformation. May my worship, reading, and serving be rooted in You, the one Word of God whom I must hear, trust, and obey in life and in death. Draw me into Your divine conversation with the Father, and help me to live as a true participant in Your ongoing life and mission. Amen.”
“Some Specific Areas of Repentance for Jesus’ Church!” Pt 1
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, 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, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, Song, 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, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Acts, Acts 2, Acts 2: 36-41, Acts 2: 37-47, Adoption, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Christ Over Culture, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Devoted To Doctrine, Faith, GCI Baltimore, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Growth In Grace, Having The Peace Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, Jesus, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Lifestyle Of Repentance, Love, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Preach The True Gospel, Relationships, Repent and Return, 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, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?
Leave a comment 
Part 1A:
Part 1B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 37-47
Introduction:
In an age when culture often redefines Christianity, this Gospel message of Acts 2 comes as both a clarion call and a corrective lens. This sermon urgently challenges believers to repent, recenter, and realign our faith with the life and teaching of Jesus Christ as preached by the Apostles and preserved in Scripture.
Pastor Timothy Brassell begins by stating what many of us need to hear: our view of repentance is often too vague, and our Gospel too shallow. But in the light of Acts 2, we are called to respond, not with fear, but with clarity and joyful surrender.
Summary:
This powerful gospel filled sermon opens by reminding us that Pentecost wasn’t just a moment, it was a movement of the Holy Spirit that continues today. In Acts 2:36–41, Peter preaches boldly, calling his hearers to recognize Jesus as both Lord and Messiah. Their response is not passive: they are pierced to the heart, and thousands repent, are baptized, and begin a new life of devotion.
But this repentance is not a moral checklist, it’s a Spirit-led turning toward Christ, in every part of life. As Pastor Tim declares, Jesus Himself is our repentance. He is the one who acts for us, and in Him, we are free to respond, not out of fear, but out of joy.
“Jesus Christ is not only God’s address to man; He is man’s address to God.”
— T.F. Torrance, The Mediation of Christ
This message invites us to rethink repentance, not as a condition to gain God’s favor, but as a response to the grace already given in Christ. Our evangelism, theology, and church life must reflect that truth.
“Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms… This movement full speed astern is what Christians call repentance.”
— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
This sermon then highlights Acts 2:42, a verse too often overlooked as the culmination of repentance. The early believers didn’t just make a decision. They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer.
“In Jesus, God wills to be true God not only in the height but also in the depth — in the depth of human creatureliness, sinfulness and mortality.”
— Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/1
This is why our repentance must touch real life. Our jobs, families, habits, thoughts, social media, and priorities. If Christ has entered the depth of our humanity, then nothing in us is off-limits to His redeeming work.
This message ends by confronting modern distortions: when we prioritize the American dream over God’s kingdom, treat the Gospel like a contract, or see ministry as someone else’s job, we have drifted. And the call of Acts 2 is to come home.
Key Themes and Reflection Questions:
1. Gospel Accuracy and Bold Proclamation 📣📖
- Theme: Like Peter, we must proclaim a clear, Christ-centered Gospel that does not depend on human effort but celebrates divine grace.
- Reflection Question: Have I clearly understood and accurately shared the Gospel, or have I embraced a cultural version?
- #PreachTheTrueGospel
2. Repentance Is Real and Daily 🔄🕊️
- Theme: Repentance is not abstract sorrow. It’s a daily turning toward Jesus in the details of life.
- Reflection Question: What is one area in my life where Jesus is calling me to lay down my arms and return to Him?
- #LifestyleOfRepentance
3. Devotion to Apostolic Teaching 📚🔥
- Theme: Acts 2:42 shows the early believers were committed to Scripture and truth, not trends or personalities.
- Reflection Question: Has my hunger for the Word of God grown or faded in this season?
- #DevotedToDoctrine
4. Rejecting the American Dream Theology 🇺🇸💭🚫
- Theme: We often place cultural success at the center of our faith. But Jesus must reign alone.
- Reflection Question: Have I expected God to serve my dreams rather than submit to His?
- #ChristOverCulture
5. Growth Is Not Optional 🌱🧠
- Theme: Like Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, every disciple is called to ongoing transformation.
- Reflection Question: How am I actively growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ?
- #GrowInGrace
Reflective Moment: Returning to the Center
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”— Acts 2:42
This isn’t a call to performance; it’s a call to participation. To repent is not to prove ourselves worthy, but to respond to the One who already stood in our place. In Christ, God has descended into the very depths of our brokenness to lift us into the life of His Spirit. You don’t need to earn this, just receive, respond, and remain.
“God does not deal with us on the basis of a contract. He acts toward us in grace.”
(Torrance, paraphrased truth from sermon)
The Gospel is not a transaction; it’s a transformation. So, let us repent, not because we fear rejection, but because we’ve been irrevocably accepted in Jesus Christ.
“Turn To Jesus And Away From The Demonic!”
Filed under: Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, 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, 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, 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: Acts 2: 29-41, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Evangelism, Faith, From Broken To Whole, GCI Baltimore, GCI Windsor Mill, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, grace First, Having The Peace Of God, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, Maryland, Matthew 3: 11, Matthew 3: 13-17, MD., Ministry, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, relationship with God, Relationships, Repent With Jesus, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Sermons, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, Son and Holy Spirit, Spiritual Reality, The Basic Christian Belief, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, The Father Loves and Like You Fest, The God Who Is Love, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Turn to Jesus, Uncategorized, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Union with Christ, Who Is God?, Worship, Worshipping Jesus Adoption
Leave a comment 
Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Scripture: Acts 2: 29-41
Summary:
In this bold, Spirit-filled sermon, Pastor Timothy Brassell offers a clarifying and convicting look at repentance through the lens of Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:29–41, delivered on the Day of Pentecost. Far from a guilt-driven concept, repentance is portrayed as a joyful, relational, Spirit-empowered turning; not just from sin, but toward Jesus Christ, who is the revelation of God’s love and grace.
The message begins by grounding listeners in the Trinitarian mission of God. Pastor Tim emphasizes that God is not a generic being in the sky, but Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, eternally relational and now present in Jesus. When Peter preached to a crowd of thousands in Jerusalem, he called them to repent and be baptized, not as a way to earn forgiveness, but because forgiveness had already been secured in Christ.
The sermon makes clear that repentance isn’t merely turning from sin, it is turning to God in Christ. That distinction is vital. Many try to repent by cleaning themselves up or breaking habits, but biblical repentance starts by looking to Jesus. Only in His presence do we receive the power to turn. To try repentance apart from Christ is to fall into legalism or self-help religion.
🧲 A Powerful Illustration:
Using a set of bent wrenches and magnets, Pastor Tim gives a vivid picture of repentance. Like warped tools, we are bent out of shape by sin and brokenness. But Jesus, as the magnet, draws us to Himself, even while we’re still crooked. As we stay near Him, our lives begin to realign. Repentance is less about straining and more about staying close to Jesus, the only one who can truly reshape us.
✝️ Repentance: What Jesus Has Done for Us:
One of the most powerful and radical truths proclaimed in this message is that Jesus repented for us. Though God is not a man that He should repent in His eternal being, God became man in Jesus Christ, and in our human flesh, He repented perfectly for us, fulfilling all righteousness.
This truth shocks even the religious mind, just as John the Baptist was shocked when Jesus came to be baptized in a baptism of repentance (Matthew 3:11, 13–17). Yet Jesus insisted, saying it was necessary “to fulfill all righteousness.” Why? Because He took on our sinful nature (though He Himself never sinned), and in it, turned fully to the Father, on behalf of all humanity.
Repentance, then, is not about “doing better”, it’s about joining the One who already did everything perfectly, and who now calls us to participate in His life through the Spirit.
🚨 The Stakes Are Real: Turn to Jesus or Be Turned by the World:
Pastor Tim asks a piercing and urgent question:
“Are you becoming more and more a heavenly creature by turning to Christ or more and more a hellish and devilish creature by turning away from Him?”
Repentance is not optional. It is essential. We are all being shaped, either by Christ’s love or by the powers of darkness that seek to scatter, isolate, and destroy. Repentance is the process of becoming whole, of being reconciled, and of being drawn into God’s eternal love. The enemy seeks to separate and divide; Christ unites and restores. We’re not fighting flesh and blood; we’re resisting demonic forces of disconnection.
The message challenges believers not to settle for religious activity or surface-level faith. Instead, we’re called to embrace the life of repentance, a life of intimacy with Jesus, openness to the Spirit, and childlike trust in the Father’s unshakable love.
💖 A Revelation of God’s Heart:
Ultimately, this sermon reveals that Jesus Christ is not just the means of repentance, He is the message. He is the very image of God, showing that God is:
- Good
- Humble
- Creative
- Lowly
- Loving
- And passionately committed to humanity
Jesus is the living proof that mankind is the object of God’s affection, not His anger. God’s justice does not cancel His mercy, it is fulfilled in love through Jesus, who was crucified and raised for our salvation.
Key Points and Highlights:
1. 🔄 Repentance Is Relational, Not Just Behavioral
- Turning to Jesus is the beginning of true change. We’re called not just to turn from sin, but to turn toward God.
- Discipleship Question: What area of your life needs less striving and more surrender to Jesus?
2. 💌 God’s Grace Comes Before Your Repentance
- Repentance doesn’t earn forgiveness; it receives what’s already been given in Christ.
- Discipleship Question: Are you resting in God’s grace or trying to clean yourself up before receiving it?
3. 🧲 God Reshapes You, Even When You’re Still Bent
- Like broken tools drawn to a magnet, our lives realign only as we stay near Jesus.
- Discipleship Question: Where are you seeing God slowly but faithfully reshaping you right now?
4. ⚔️ Spiritual Opposition Is Real, But So Is Victory
- Behind much of our resistance to repentance is demonic separation. The battle is spiritual.
- Discipleship Question: Are you recognizing the enemy’s tactics in your life or calling them something else?
5. ✝️ Jesus Repented For You. Now Walk With Him
- Jesus, in His humanity, turned fully to the Father on your behalf. Repentance is now participation in His life.
- Discipleship Question: How can you respond to Jesus’ repentance with trust instead of trying harder?
📌 Final Reflection:
“Jesus didn’t come to condemn you, but to turn you back to the Father.”
In repentance, you’re not running from failure, you’re running into grace.
Impossible Love, Made Possible in Christ
Filed under: Bible, By Karan Barthelmy-Harris, 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, 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, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Resurrection, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, Song, 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: 1 corinthians 13: 8, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, C.S. Lewis, Christ as Mediator, Christ our mediator, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Colossians 3: 12-13, Ephesians 4: 32, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, GCI Baltimore, GCI Windsor Mill, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, Hate has an end, Having The Peace Of God, healthy boundaries, Healthy connections, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, identity in Christ, impossible Love, Inclusion, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 15:4, Karl Barth, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Love, Love has won, Love has won in Christ, Love thy Neighbor, Maryland, MD., Ministry, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, relationship with God, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Romans 5: 5, Sermons, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, Son and Holy Spirit, The Basic Christian Belief, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, The Father Loves and Like You Fest, The God Who Is Love, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, torrance, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Uncategorized, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Union with Christ, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?, Worship, Worshipping Jesus Adoption
Leave a comment 
Are you struggling to love those who hurt you? Christ makes the impossible possible.
We’ve all heard the sayings: “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Simple words, easy to quote but far harder to live. Loving those who love us back feels natural. But what about those who wound us, oppose us, or repay kindness with cruelty? On our own, it feels impossible to extend grace in those moments. And that’s the truth: left to ourselves, it is impossible!
If I’m being real, I’ve struggled greatly with showing grace in the face of so much hurt in this world. Forgiveness is hard because I’m realizing I don’t have it to give on my own. My patience runs out. Your patience runs out. Our compassion falters, doesn’t it? But, fortunately for us, in Jesus Christ there is a greater love that never fails. Through His Spirit He supplies what we lack and makes possible what is impossible for us apart from Him!
“God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”— Romans 5:5, CSB
I believe that C.S. Lewis captured this reality so well when he wrote:
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”
— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
This is the hope of the Gospel: kindness and forgiveness are not virtues we manufacture by willpower; they are gifts of grace that Christ forms in us through His love.
T. F. Torrance reminds us of Jesus’ significant place in all of this love and forgiveness business:
“Jesus Christ is both God’s Word to man and man’s answer to God; in Him God’s love for man and man’s love for God meet in perfect at-one-ment.”
— The Mediation of Christ
Jesus is our Mediator. He stands in for us, offering His perfect love to the Father on our behalf, and making that same love available to flow through us toward others. It is only through His mediating life that we can forgive the unforgivable and love the unlovable.
Jesus Himself said it plainly:
“Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.”— John 15:4, CSB
Apart from Him, we cannot bear fruit. But in Him, kindness, forgiveness, and love become possible. Not because of our effort, but because His life is flowing through us.
Christlike kindness also doesn’t mean ignoring evil or allowing ourselves to be endlessly mistreated. Love is not blind tolerance. It is holy, discerning, and often courageous. The Spirit equips us to build “healthy connections while also maintaining healthy boundaries“. Sometimes love looks like patient presence. Sometimes it looks like gentle correction. And sometimes it means stepping back, while continuing to pray for the other person.
As Karl Barth wrote, God’s “No” to sin is always spoken within His greater “Yes” to humanity in Christ. In the same way, our boundaries can actually be an act of love, protecting what is good while still affirming the worth of the person before us.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.”
— Colossians 3:12–13, CSB
The world tells us that outrage is power, that payback is justice, and that hatred has the last word. But the Gospel reveals a deeper truth: “Love never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:8, CSB).
“Hate has an end. Love has already won in Christ”. In His human life, on the cross, and in His Resurrection, Jesus showed that forgiveness is stronger than vengeance, hope is greater than despair, and mercy is mightier than condemnation.
When we walk with our Savior, the impossible task of loving others becomes possible. We are not doing it alone. We are participating in His life, His patience, and His victory. Quite literally, through the Holy Spirit and His Oneness with Jesus, we actually get to share in Jesus’ own life before the Father!
“And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”— Ephesians 4:32, CSB
This week, ask yourself:
- Who in my life needs to see Christ’s kindness through me?
- What is one way I can show love, even a small gesture, to someone who may not return it?
- Where might I need the Spirit’s discernment to set healthy boundaries while still remaining Christlike?
As we surrender our hurts to Jesus at the foot of the cross, our lives become transformed, and we become living testimonies that in Jesus Christ, love always has the final word.
“Hate has an end. Love has already won in Christ.”
Lord Jesus,
You loved us when we were unlovable, and You forgave us when we had nothing to offer. I confess that on my own I don’t have the patience, the grace, or the strength to love others well, let alone forgive them fully. But You do. Fill me with Your Spirit so that Your kindness and forgiveness flows through me. Teach me when to stay present, when to speak truth, and when to set healthy boundaries in love. Give me wisdom, compassion, and courage. And let every act of grace point back to You, the ONE who has already conquered hate with love. Amen.