Jesus In His Father’s House!
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Evangelism, Faith, Fiction, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Jesus Christ, Love, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Luke 2, Luke 2: 40, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Part 1a: 26min
Part 1b: 27min
Full Message:
Main Passage: Luke 2:40-5
“Jesus has a zealous love for God’s Word. As a young boy visiting the temple, Jesus asked questions and gave answers to the religious leaders. In response to His parents, who misunderstood Him, Jesus declared that He was involved in His Father’s work. Here we see Jesus as a fully human boy yet totally devoted to His Father and submissive to His earthly parents. As we join Jesus in being about His Father’s work, we too are called to grow in wisdom and obedience as we showcase His glory.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
As a boy, Jesus demonstrated His commitment to God- Father, Son and Spirit’s law and to the mission His Father gave Him.
Christ Connection:
As Jesus grew, He increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and with people. His life prepared Him step by step to implement the eternal mission He was given by His Father—to die on the cross for our sins and rise again in victory.
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to grow in wisdom and obedience as we join Jesus in being about the Father’s work.
“God’s Word to us in the person of Jesus Christ is a reference point, a source of equilibrium, a message of grace, the promise of forgiveness and healing that stands forever, in spite of our failures and sin and brokenness.” –Marva Dawn
“When we walk with the Lord In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! Let us do His good will; He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, Not a frown or a cross But is blest if we trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet We will sit at His feet, Or we’ll walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do, Where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey. Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
–John H. Sammis
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What God Becoming Human Means For Us!
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Christmas, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, 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, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Luke, Luke 2:-1-20, Matthew 2, Matthew 2: 1-12, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Part 1a: 31min
Part 1b: 33min
Full Message:
Main Passages: Luke 2:1-20 Matthew 2:1-12
“The birth of Jesus is recorded in the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew. Here we see the beautiful event in which God takes on human flesh and enters our world as a baby. In Luke’s telling of the story, we see that Jesus was born in humble circumstances, where the news of His birth was then announced to the marginalized of society. In Matthew’s account, we see how the arrival of the wise men demonstrates the plan of God for the gospel to go out to all the nations. As followers of Christ, we are to resemble the shepherds and the wise men—responding to Christ’s birth with extravagant praise and public testimony.” The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
Christ’s humble birth demonstrates the nature and extent of The kingdom of God [Father, Son, and Spirit]
Christ Connection:
The birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of multiple Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah. The promised Messiah was born in obscurity, but after His death and resurrection, He was exalted as King of the world. In the humble circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth, we see God’s love for all people in every nation.
Missional Application:
Like the shepherds and wise men, we should respond to Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, with extravagant praise and public testimony of His grace.
“We have not properly engaged with the nativity of Jesus until we find ourselves standing in the shoes of the shepherds and the magi. We are reminded once again that the rabbis said you have not walked long enough with someone until you realize that you are on the same journey. That journey from the obscurity of the sheep pens to that place beside the manger is a journey we must make as well. Like the shepherds, we must be drawn out of the daily drudgery of our lives and realize that the good news has been revealed even to people like you and me. At the same time, we are men and women who are unimaginably rich in contrast to the rest of the world. We have been gifted with an education that most of the people in the rest of the world could hardly dream of. Yet with all our possessions and education, we must acknowledge along with the wise men that something vital is missing. That “something” can be found nowhere else except at the feet of Jesus.” – The Gospel Project
“The global purpose of God is the glad praise of Christ among the peoples of the world.” –David Platt
The ONLY Cure For My Half-Hearted Worship!
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, 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: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Malachi 1-4, Matthew, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Part 1a: 25min
Part 1b: 29min
Full Message:
Main Passages: Malachi 1:6-14; 3:7-12; 4:1-6
“Malachi, the final book in the Old Testament, speaks extensively about God’s people and how they should worship Him, or perhaps more specifically, how they shouldn’t worship Him. While the people Malachi wrote to may have been free from pagan idolatry or heretical doctrine, their worship had grown stale and lifeless. The word delivered to Malachi was a wake-up call to a people who were halfhearted in worship, and Malachi’s message resonates with us still today. ” The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
True worship magnifies God [Father, Son, and Spirit]’s great worth and brings blessing to the worshiper.
Christ Connection:
After Malachi, the prophetic word of God went silent for four hundred years. But Malachi prophesied about a messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah to bring God’s kingdom. Centuries later, John the Baptist arrived as the messenger who prepared the way for Jesus. The last word of the Old Testament is “curse,” a reminder of the consequence of our sin. But in the New Testament, one of the first words we hear from Jesus is “blessing.” The One who bears our curse is the One who brings us blessing.
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to take worship seriously, to magnify His great worth so that all people everywhere will know His name.
While many reduce worship to an event or the singing of worship songs, worship is first and foremost something of the heart and extends to all areas of life. The aim and focus of worship is God, giving Him the exact due of praise and adoration that He deserves. Worship should be carried out not only at a personal level within a Christian’s life but also in joining with other Christians in the corporate act of worship and stewarding our gifts for the glory of God. Corporate worship serves to edify and strengthen other Christians, but it also serves as a witness to non-believers of the greatness of God.
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“Worship is giving to God the best He has given us, and He makes it His and ours for ever.” Oswald Chambers
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Dying And Rising With Jesus Christ!
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, 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: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Matthew, Matthew 16, Matthew 16: 13-28, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Part 1a: 27min
Part 1b: 26min
Full Message:
Main Passage: Matthew 16:13-28
“The central confession of the Christian faith is that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. When Jesus asked His disciples about His identity, He challenged their understanding of the Messiah and pointed forward to His death and resurrection. As Christians, we confess that Jesus is the Son of God who died for us and rose again. By faith, we are united with Jesus our Messiah, and therefore, we are called to take up our cross and follow Him, no matter the cost.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
The Church of God – Father, Son, and Spirit is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Messiah who suffered, died, and rose again.
Christ Connection:
Peter understood Jesus’ identity as the long-awaited Messiah for Israel, but he misunderstood what being Messiah would mean. Rather than conquering Israel’s enemies through violence, Jesus conquered sin, death, and Satan through His suffering on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Christians confess that Jesus is the Messiah, and united to Him by the Holy Spirit, we take up our cross and follow where He leads.
Missional Application:
God through His Holy Spirit calls us to take up our cross and follow Jesus, to die to ourselves so that we may live.
“Just because you are acquainted with someone does not mean you really know that person. Such was the case with Jesus. He was popular with the crowds, but they had an insufficient view of His identity. They were acquainted with Him, but they did not truly know Him.”
“Who you say Jesus is will determine everything about how you follow Him.” –David Platt
“Jesus narrowed the discussion to Himself in a more personal way: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter spoke up and identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The title Messiah, or Christ, comes from the Hebrew word for “anointed.” It referred to God’s servant who would deliver the people from their oppressors and bring about a golden age for Israel, in fulfillment of Old Testament promises.”
“Peter had learned that Christ is the Son of God. But he had not learned of the mystery of the cross and the resurrection.” –John Chrysostom
“The Gospel writers help us understand the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection in light of who He is. From the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, the reader understands the significance of Jesus’ life and ministry (Matt. 1:1,18; 2:4). But the disciples did not have the privilege of seeing Jesus from the same vantage point. The Gospel writers help us walk step by step with the disciples as they grow in their understanding of Jesus as the Messiah and what that messianic identity meant.”
“The foundation of the Christian faith is an event—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The foundation of the Christian life is a confession of the truth of Jesus’ identity and work. We confess the truthfulness and significance of Jesus—who He is and what He has done. He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God who gave Himself for our sins and was raised again to new life. This confession of faith is the foundation of our identity as Christians.” – The Gospel Project
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Ezra Read “The Law”. We Read “Jesus”! pt.3
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Trinity, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Nehemiah, Nehemiah 8, Nehemiah 8: 1-12, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Part 1a: 22min
Part 1b: 25min
Full Message:
Main Passage: Nehemiah 8:1-12
“God’s people are to be shaped by God’s Word. As Ezra proclaimed God’s word, the people honored the voice of God and responded with repentance and were renewed. Likewise, biblical fellowship must be centered on God’s Word [Jesus]. As we gather together to listen to God speak to us through the Scriptures, we are challenged to repent, strengthened in our fellowship, and empowered for our mission.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
Biblical community must be centered on God-Father, Son and Spirit’s small word (the Bible), in the Light of God’s Big Word (Jesus!).
Christ Connection:
Like the returning exiles, when we read God’s Word, we are reminded of our heritage, God’s faithfulness, and His saving work. Most of all, in reading God’s Word, we are encountered by God and reminded by Him of His master plan to bring salvation to the world through Jesus Christ and his life, suffering, cross, death, resurrection and ascension.
Missional Application:
Through His Holy Spirit, the Father is always pointing us to Jesus Christ, and Christ is always pointing us to others, including the Father, through the Spirit.
“For the most part, Christ the living word meets us in His written word. For the most part, we are being called upon to participate more with Christ and with The Father in these ways. We need to keep asking “who are you Jesus and who is The God revealed in you Jesus?” and we keep asking that question together until it bears fruit – and it is guaranteed to bear fruit because that is the normal way God works to help us grow up as Christians, and to grow into Christ. That’s the use of theology…..We are not called to do this for ourselves but this is what we are called to bring new people into. They are being brought into a relationship primarily that has all these elements in it. God’s written word, from the Living Word, is always pointing us to other people. God- Father, Son, and Spirit brought us out of nothing so that he can include us in a relationship, make room for us. Being on mission out in our community ….us always inviting people to come is just our way of participating in the way that God works…pointing people to Him through relationships.” – Pastor Timothy Brassell
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Mary Praises The Covenant-Keeping God!
Filed under: Bible, By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Evangelism, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, Relationships, Sermons, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Luke 1, Luke 1:26-38, Luke1:46-55, Matthew 1, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Part 1a: 16min
Part 1b: 18min
Full Message:
Main Passages: Luke 1:26-38 Luke 1:46-55
“Mary’s first experience of God’s remarkable call on her life was to be the mother of Jesus the Messiah. A young woman, probably still in her teens, Mary was confronted by the angel Gabriel with the news that God intended to use her to fulfill the greatest promise of His covenant. Mary’s response as “the servant of the Lord” becomes an example for all Christian obedience. In our own lives, we must recognize that God calls us to obedience, even when it is costly. Like Mary, we magnify the Lord through our obedience as servants of God and followers of Christ.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
From the Father, Jesus was conceived by the Spirit’s power and was born of a virgin.
Christ Connection:
In submitting to God’s plan for her life, even though it would bring suffering and heartache, Mary chose to magnify God. As a result, her faithfulness is an example to us. Likewise, Jesus magnified His Father through His obedient life, and He submitted to God’s plan, even to death on a cross, so that we could be saved.
Missional Application:
God through His Holy Spirit calls us to magnify the Lord in times of suffering so that others will see He is our treasure.
“When you find the real Mary of Scripture, the Mary of the first century, you’ll discover that she’ll be talking about Jesus and pointing us all to Jesus.” –Scot McKnight
“Mary responded with faith. She declared herself to be the slave of the Lord, her Master. This was her identity. After all, slaves have no choices; they surrender them all to their masters. Even though there was so much that she did not know, Mary had a deep-rooted faith and trust, and that was where her submissive spirit came from. She was ready to submit to God’s difficult plan for her life. The stories of church history reveal that following Jesus costs His disciples everything. With the exception of John, Jesus’ closest followers experienced execution as the ultimate price for their faithfulness. Even now, more Christians are dying for Christ than at any time in the history of the church. We should question the trend in American Christianity that casts our faith as something easy, something that solves all our earthly problems.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German martyr, famously wrote: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” As we listen to the Gospels, we should be ready to have our expectations challenged and values overturned. New life in Christ is not intended to be easy. Jesus never promised earthly security. His call is to “take up [your] cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). And here, at the start of Jesus’ story in the New Testament, we see a young woman of faith who boldly accepted the difficult call of God on her life.” – The Gospel Project
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From Abraham To Jesus!
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, 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: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Matthew 1, Matthew 1: 1-17, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life
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Full Message: 38min
Main Passage: Matthew 1:1-17
“Jesus’ identity is rooted in the fulfillment of the promise that through Abraham God would bless all the nations, in the promise made to David of an eternal kingdom, and in the promise made to God’s people that one day they would return from their long exile, back to the land that was promised. As Christians, grafted into the family of God, Jesus’ genealogy is also ours, for we trace our heritage back to Abraham, our forefather in the faith. In this historical line, we discover our truest identity in Christ, the One through whom God has kept all His promises.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
The Son of God, Jesus the Christ, will fulfill God-Father, Son and Spirit’s ancient promises to His people.
Christ Connection:
In the genealogy at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, we see how God’s plan of redemption is traced from Abraham to David and now to the birth of Jesus—the One who fulfills God’s promises to Abraham and David. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus incorporates us into Abraham’s family of faith.
Missional Application:
God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, calls us to proclaim Jesus as the central figure of history and the only One in whom salvation is found.
“Have you ever struggled with the question “Who am I?” It is one of those basic questions that need asking again and again if we are to grow and mature as the world changes around us and as the world inside us changes. It is the question of identity….. To answer any identity question, it is always best to go back to the beginning. “In the beginning…” Jesus is the fulfillment of a promise first spoken to Abraham, who was not just some hero of the faith—and Jesus is his direct descendant!
Jesus’ connection to the promises of God are a flesh and blood link to His genetic ancestors. Their DNA flows in Jesus’ veins. This is not “a roll call of great men”; these are members of Jesus’ family! Invariably He bore some distant resemblance—the shape of His face or perhaps the inflection of His voice. These ancestors were the unique recipients of unique promises from God. Jesus will be the One through whom each and every promise will be perfectly and completely fulfilled.” – The Gospel Project
“Now is the moment, Matthew is saying, for [salvation] to happen. The child who comes at the end of this line is God’s anointed, the long-awaited Messiah, to fulfill all the layers and levels of the prophecies of old.” –N. T. Wright
“Jesus is the perfect and trustworthy One who will lead us home, who will rescue us from the exile that was the result of our stubborn disbelief and sin. Through the ancestral promises made to Abraham and David, Jesus, their direct descendant, will perfectly and completely accomplish what God intended from the beginning: “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Lev. 26:12). In Jesus we find the fulfillment of the promise first made to Abraham to bless the nations….
Some rabbis have said that you have not really walked alongside someone until you realize that their story is also your story. When we come to the life situation of the first readers of Matthew’s Gospel, the truth of that statement comes to life…..In the years to come, those of us who follow Jesus of Nazareth will inevitably experience separation and exclusion, perhaps even exile. It is already the experience of our brothers and sisters all over the world. The promises made to Matthew’s first readers almost two thousand years ago are just as alive and relevant to us today as they were to the frightened followers of Jesus in the first centuries of the church.” – The Gospel Project
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Ezra Read “The Law”. We Read “Jesus”! pt.2
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, Song, The Church, 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: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Nehemiah, Nehemiah 8, Nehemiah 8: 1-12, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life
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Part 1a: 29min
Part 1b: 27min
Full Message:
Main Passage: Nehemiah 8:1-12
“God’s people are to be shaped by God’s Word. As Ezra proclaimed God’s word, the people honored the voice of God and responded with repentance and were renewed. Likewise, biblical fellowship must be centered on God’s Word [Jesus]. As we gather together to listen to God speak to us through the Scriptures, we are challenged to repent, strengthened in our fellowship, and empowered for our mission.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
Biblical community must be centered on God-Father, Son and Spirit’s small word (the Bible), in the Light of God’s Big Word (Jesus!).
Christ Connection:
Like the returning exiles, when we read God’s Word, we are reminded of our heritage, God’s faithfulness, and His saving work. Most of all, in reading God’s Word, we are encountered by God and reminded by Him of His master plan to bring salvation to the world through Jesus Christ and his life, suffering, cross, death, resurrection and ascension.
Missional Application:
Through His Holy Spirit, the Father is always pointing us to Christ, and Christ is always pointing us to others.
The Four Elements of Humanity as Being-In-Encounter-
1. Seeing Eye to Eye.
“Being in encounter is a being in which one man looks the other in the eye.” When we see eye to eye, we are both concerned to see the other for who they are and to let the other see me. There is a reciprocity, a give and take in this relationship. The is a kind of objectivity, and”openness” to the other to know them and be known by them without deception, without idealization, or derogation. There is a moving out of ourselves to see others and to reveal ourselves to them. What ensues in such an eye-to-eye interchange is a sharing of life together.
2. Mutual Speech and Hearing.
Being in encounter means “there is mutual speech and hearing.” This is a complex action of both I and Thou, both speaking to and hearing one other. Whereas the seeing is essentially receptive on each side, in speaking one makes one’s own contribution to the other’s perception. He participates in the revelation of himself so as to assist the other in drawing up his image of him. In this way, one gives oneself to the other actively and in greater depth than merely being seen can offer. This reciprocal speaking is to be for the benefit of the other. Not just for the sake of expressing one’s self but in order to give of one’s self to the other………..It is in this dialogue where lives are exchanged and so mutually enlarged and enriched that we speak and hear humanly.
3. Giving Mutual Assistance.
Being-in-encounter means giving assistance in the act of being. This means that we are for the other, we support the other in its life as we can, within its limits. And it means we can call for assistance because we know our own limitations and need the help of others. Assistance is mutual when the response with help corresponds to the call for support…..Our assistance is human insofar as we do act to help but only as we know our own need for assistance and as we do indeed call for assistance, admitting our need, only as we recognize that the other needs assistance as well. This is human fellowship.
4. Freely and With Gladness.
Being in encounter means, all this is “done on both sides with gladness,” that is “freely and from the heart.” The depth of relationship there is that there is a discovery of being with the other in such a way that there is recognized an inward correspondence of the other to me despite all his otherness. This is not a collapse of one into another, but the recognition that the law of my own being is fulfilled in being so completely with the other. In this correspondance, there is the sense of an unimpeachable appropriateness and freedom and so joy…….
In this he is glad, not being reluctant or neutral in relation to others, because in this relationship he is actualizing his very own humanity.
-Karl Barth’s Theology of Relations
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Ezra Read “The Law”. We Read “Jesus!”, pt.1
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, Song, The Church, The Father Loves and Like You Fest, 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: Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Nehemiah, Nehemiah 8, Nehemiah 8: 1-12, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life
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Part 1a: 24min
Part 1b: 20min
Full Message: 44min
Main Passage: Nehemiah 8:1-12
“God’s people are to be shaped by God’s Word. As Ezra proclaimed God’s word, the people honored the voice of God and responded with repentance and were renewed. Likewise, biblical fellowship must be centered on God’s Word. As we gather together to listen to God speak to us through the Scriptures, we are challenged to repent, strengthened in our fellowship, and empowered for our mission.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
Biblical community must be centered on God-Father, Son and Spirit’s Word.
Christ Connection:
Like the returning exiles, when we read God’s Word, we are reminded of our heritage, God’s faithfulness, and His saving work. Most of all, in reading God’s Word, we are encountered by God and reminded by Him of His master plan to bring salvation to the world through Jesus Christ and his cross.
Missional Application:
Through His Holy Spirit, the Father is always pointing us to Christ, and Christ is always pointing us to others.
“When we discipline ourselves to gather together to hear God’s Word, we can expect the Word to impact the way we think and view the world around us. We will develop a deeper burden to know God more intimately. We will grow in our desire to share the gospel with those who don’t know God and are not pursuing Him. Let’s be the kind of people who are passionate for Christ, whose churches are centered on Scripture-reading and preaching, and who delight in the revival God may send our way. He did so in Nehemiah 8. Who’s to say He won’t do it again?” – The Gospel Project
“Understanding the words of God was [is!] the gateway to understanding God himself, leading to delight.” –Augustine Pagolu
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Rebuilding The Wall!
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Part 1a: 22min
Part 1b: 22min
Full Message:
Main Passages: Nehemiah 4:7-14; 5:1-13; 6:15-16
“The Book of Nehemiah is the story of God restoring His people in the promised land and their reorganization as His covenant people. As we continue Nehemiah’s story, we see that God’s people are faced with conflict from the outside and inside. However, because they persevere in repentance and faith, they accomplish God’s will in spite of their circumstances. From Nehemiah we learn that God calls us to do the right thing in the right way and then give Him glory for success. We also learn that God is glorified not only in our fulfillment of a task but also in the way we fulfill that task.” – the Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is glorified not only in our fulfillment of a task but also in the way we fulfill that task.
Christ Connection:
In Nehemiah’s day, the people joined together to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem and protect the city from their enemies. Jesus later prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, but through His death and resurrection, He made a way for His people to be protected from the enemies of sin and death.
Missional Application:
God, through the Holy Spirit, calls us to participate with Jesus in doing the right thing in the right way! This glorifies Him and is a great blessing for us and all creation!
“Christian history is full of examples of God’s people triumphing despite their inability and the circumstances in which they found themselves (consider Moses before Pharaoh; the reformers before the Catholic Church; the growing church in communist China). The church itself is an example of God’s triumph despite the frequent failures of God’s people and the opposition from the societies and cultures that they inhabit.
If you look around your own church, you will be struck by the fact that it is only by the power of God that so many different people from different backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and interests can be so closely bound in love for one another (e.g., Gal. 3:28). There are no worldly explanations adequate for such things. Only God can do this!
It’s important to remember that God has a purpose in all that He does. There are no random acts that come from the hand of the sovereign God of redemptive history. During the time of Nehemiah, God was restoring His people in the promised land and reorganizing them as His covenant people. God is working just the same in our day.” – The Gospel Project
