Boundaries, Barriers, And Prejudices!
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, 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, 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, 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, Acts 10, Acts 10: 34-48, Acts 10:1-16, Barriers, Believers, Boundaries, Church, Fruit of the Spirit, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God's Faith, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's Humility, God's love, God's Power, God's Spirit, God: Father, healing, Human Integrity, Humility, Integrity, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Pentecost, Power, Prejudice, Receive The Holy Spirit, Receiving The Holy Spirit, Relational Harmony, Relationship With Jesus, repent, revelation, Revelation of God, Salvation, Sanctification, son, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Maturity, Spirituality, submission, The Breath Of God, The Gift Of The Holy Spirit, The Grace of God, The Holy Spirit, The Power Of The Holy Spirit, The Submission Of God, Unconditional Love, Wholeness in Christ, Worship
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Audio – Part A: 22min
Audio – Part B: 27min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Acts 10:1-16 Acts 10:34-48
“The gospel resists and tears down the boundaries that often separate people in the world, and the writers of the New Testament were often at pains to confront the church when it failed to unite around the gospel and break these walls down. Peter, who struggled with such issues himself, learned the importance of calling the church to brotherly unity, but his journey toward unity took the Holy Spirit paving the way in the heart of a Gentile and then in his own heart. With God, there is no favoritism, and salvation is offered to people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.”
THEOLOGICAL THEME:
God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – shows no favoritism but offers salvation to people of every ethnicity.
CHRIST CONNECTION:
God challenged Peter’s tradition of “clean” and “unclean” foods in order to further challenge his perspective of “clean” and “unclean” people. Peter learned that God does not show favoritism but calls His people to proclaim the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection to all people, to celebrate His work in their lives, and to welcome believers into His family, regardless of their ethnicity.
MISSIONAL APPLICATION:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us not to show favoritism in sharing the gospel but to extend the call of salvation to all people.
“We may still be unaware of the way implicit biases have taken up residences in our own hearts. You may not even be aware of some of these things. So like the early church, we’re wise to pause, examine our consciences, and ask whether our attitude toward people—especially those who are not like us for racial, social, economic, or political reasons—might be hindering the unity of the body of Christ. It’s a tough question but one worth pressing into for the sake of a church that knows no favoritism or distinctions for those in Jesus our Lord and our God.”
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Receive The Spirit Of The Father And Son! Part 4
Filed under: Bible, By Tim 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, 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, Sermons, Song, 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: Acts 13:2, Church, Fruit of the Spirit, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God's Faith, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's Humility, God's love, God's Power, God's Spirit, God: Father, healing, Human Integrity, Humility, Integrity, John 15: 26, John 20:19-22, Luke 11: 5-13, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Pentecost, Power, Receive The Holy Spirit, Receiving The Holy Spirit, Relational Harmony, Relationship With Jesus, repent, revelation, Revelation of God, Romans, Romans 8, Romans 8:26, Salvation, Sanctification, son, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Maturity, Spirituality, submission, The Breath Of God, The Gift Of The Holy Spirit, The Grace of God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is to be worshiped, The Holy Spirit Of Love, The Power Of The Holy Spirit, The Submission Of God, Unconditional Love, Wholeness in Christ, Worship
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Audio – Part 4A: 33min
Audio – Part 4B: 30min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Romans 8 Romans 8: 26 Acts 13:2 John 15: 26
Introduction:
This Good News Message is about Our Receiving the Holy Spirit of the Father and Son, Received by Jesus first, and then given as a Gracious Gift to Humanity. He Gives Himself and is given All of Grace and not of Works, Being Himself God!
Theological Theme:
We are called to a life of submission to God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in participation with Jesus, and that submission begins to work as He reveals Himself to us, and often in surprising and ordinary ways, described often as as “Suddenly” in the scriptures. The Holy Spirit is One Who speaks (intercedes, leads). He IS the dynamic and relational power of God, and we are to respond when He speaks even when it counteracts that which seems “normal” or “right” to us. True Godly Action means acting however the Holy Spirit wants to act in you – NOT what you have in your minds.
” The Holy Spirit works actively among us—both as a body and as individuals. Let me suggest that a primary aspect of this ministry of the Spirit among us is to enable us to make a full and proper response to the truth and reality of who God is and what he has done, is doing and will do in our church, our world and within us. Enabling us to make that response is the key.
..The Holy Spirit unbinds our wills and unscrambles our minds and refashions our affections so we can more fully respond with all that we are to all that God is. The Spirit frees us to be receptive at every level of who we are. ” – Guidelines to an Understanding of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, by Gary Deddo
Christ Connection:
The Holy Spirit brings conviction of the truth and that truth is that God wants to glorify Himself in you. God wants to give you the ACTUAL life of Jesus Christ and it is The Holy Spirit’s job to pull that off. As The Holy Spirit points us to Christ, we learn to trust only Christ. As James Torrance has spoken, “More important than our experience of Christ is the Christ of our experience.”
“Jesus lives his fully human life in and by the Spirit…….So, when the Spirit of Jesus comes upon us, he enables us to respond fully to the truth and reality of who God is and who we are in relationship to him with all we are and have. If there’s part of us not yet responding, whether the body, mind or heart, the Holy Spirit will work to bring us to the point that we do. The Holy Spirit doesn’t divide us, but heals and makes us whole, giving us human integrity before our Lord and God.
..The Holy Spirit correlates with [Jesus’] ministry to make us whole in body, soul and spirit. The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to make us more fully human, like Jesus, the one in whose image we were created and are being renewed or transformed (Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The Holy Spirit shares with us the sanctified humanity of Jesus, which makes us fully human, more completely human, more personal, filling us up with the fruit of the Spirit. True spirituality is mature humanity in full and right relationship with God.
..So we can say the Holy Spirit humanizes us by making us share in the glorified humanity of Christ. In the process, he brings us to have humility before God.” – Guidelines to an Understanding of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, by Gary Deddo
Missional Application:
All humanity is called to submit to The Holy Spirit and, for the most part, what that looks like for us is going where we know not! It involves His laying out His strategy for your life (Jesus!) so that you can stop trying to guess where you are in God’s plan. It involves submitting in trust that the Holy Spirit does know where you are and therefore you can walk with Him day by day trusting Him.
“The Holy Spirit objects to our false, resistant, self-justifying subjective orientations. The Holy Spirit is not the subjective aspect of human beings that can be shaped and formed anyway we like, made to say what we want, made to reflect our own preferences, prejudices, biases and desires. The Holy Spirit has a particular character, mind, will, purpose, desire and heart, which is identical to that of Jesus Christ. We have no power over the Holy Spirit to recreate him in our own image. The Holy Spirit has his own objective reality, which works within our subjectivity to open our eyes, minds and hearts to God.
..The Holy Spirit, then, is a healer who brings the whole of human being together from the inside out. He does not split us up.
..The Holy Spirit does not divide up human being into compartments, but harmonizes the internal with the external, sharing with us the reestablished integrity of Jesus’ sanctified humanity.” – Guidelines to an Understanding of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, by Gary Deddo
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Receive The Spirit Of The Father And Son! Part 3
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, 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, 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: God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God's Faith, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Hope, God's love, God: Father, John 20:19-22, Luke 11: 5-13, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Pentecost, Receive The Holy Spirit, Receiving The Holy Spirit, Relationship With Jesus, repent, Romans, Romans 8, Salvation, son, The Breath Of God, The Gift Of The Holy Spirit, The Grace of God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is to be worshiped, The Holy Spirit Of Love, The Power Of The Holy Spirit, Unconditional Love, Worship
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Audio – Part 3A: 30min
Audio – Part 2B: 26min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verse: Romans 8
This Good News Message is about Receiving the Holy Spirit of the Father and Son, given as a Gracious Gift to Humanity. He is given All of Grace and not of Works, Being Himself God!
It is NOT about what you need to do to apply The Holy Spirit to your life but rather what The Holy Spirit is doing to apply JESUS CHRIST to your life.
Theological Theme:
From the Father, through the Son, we are sent the Holy Spirit that we may participate with the Son in His Relationship with the Father. The Holy Spirit is the Fellowship between The Father and The Son; The Spirit of communion between The Father and Son.
The Holy Spirit is: God of God – The Spirit’s work is to take what God the Father has done to us in Jesus (the Grace of God) and live it out in and through us. He doesn’t speak on his own but only what he hears from the Father and Son, meaning He must be God as the Father and Son are God.
“The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.” – A. W. Tozer
Christ Connection:
Jesus sends the Spirit from the Father! Not much is revealed about the Holy Spirit as we may think because He is invisible and more akin to being the “shyness of God” and “the hiddenness of God” whose central purpose is to point us to the Father-Son relationship. The Holy Spirit gives us limited understanding about himself in His Person. He has come rather to mediate Jesus Christ to us and conform us to His image, and where and how he does this is like trying to observe what the wind is up to!
The Holy Spirit is the confirmation of Christ’s victory over all of our faults and all of our issues. He is the guarantee that our sins have been overcome and there is complete and total victory for us to have in Christ. We were sent the Holy Spirit so we can share in the victory of Christ.
“Just as the right relationship with Christ generates a Christian, so the proper relationship with the Holy Spirit breeds a spiritual man.” – Watchman Nee
Missional Application:
The Holy Spirit is the Bond of Love. Love is a concrete relationship – the relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit. If the Father cannot know The Son apart from the Holy Spirit, you can’t know the person next to you apart from the Holy Spirit and you can’t know God The Father apart from the Holy Spirit, nor can you receive the Son apart from The Holy Spirit. That is how crucial it is to know The Holy Spirit and to have Him. He is the unique one of a kind Spirit, the Pure Spirit who mediates and shares Christ with us that we might repent and believe the Good News of the Father’s Love for us!
We are called into mission with Jesus Christ. That mission is primarily the Father seeking to give humanity a share in His relationship with His Son – Jesus Christ – through the Person of The Holy Spirit!
“The Spirit is one with the Father and one with the Son. Jesus is conceived by the Spirit, he has the Spirit for us and he ministers in and by the Spirit even in his atoning work on the cross. Jesus and the Father send the Spirit to us. The Spirit takes us to the Father through the Son. By the Spirit we are united to Christ so that we share in his life, life in fellowship and communion with the Father. And we share, by the Spirit, in Jesus’ ongoing ministry in the church and in the world.” – Guidelines to an Understanding of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, by Gary Deddo
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A Spirit-Empowered Evangelist!
Filed under: Bible, By Ann Vinson, 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, 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: Acts, Acts 8, Acts 8:26-40, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God's Faith, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Hope, God's love, God: Father, Obedience, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Receive The Holy Spirit, Receiving The Holy Spirit, regeneration, Relationship With Jesus, repent, Salvation, son, The Gift Of The Holy Spirit, The Grace of God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is to be worshiped, The Holy Spirit Of Love, The Power Of The Holy Spirit, Unconditional Love, Worship
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Audio – Full Message: 35min
Bible Verses: Acts 8:26-40
“The church is a sign and instrument of the kingdom of God, a people united by faith in the gospel announcement of the crucified and risen King Jesus. The mission of the church is to go into the world in the power of the Spirit and make disciples by proclaiming this gospel, calling people to respond in ongoing repentance and faith, and demonstrating the truth and power of the gospel by living under the lordship of Christ for the glory of God and the good of the world.”
THEOLOGICAL THEME:
God [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s] miracle of regeneration takes place when a willing Christian shares the gospel with a Spirit-prepared listener.
CHRIST CONNECTION:
The Ethiopian eunuch was familiar with the Old Testament prophets but was unable to understand how their message was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Philip was led by the Holy Spirit to help the eunuch understand how Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was
raised from the dead, in accordance with the ancient prophecies.
MISSIONAL APPLICATION:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to be available and obedient to the Spirit’s prompting, able and willing to show Christ in all the Scriptures.
“As part of the Spirit’s work through us for the ‘common good,’ He empowers us to be His witnesses…It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But it’s absolutely vital to grasp that He didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it’s because He has something for you to do. He placed us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Eph. 2:8-10).” –Francis Chan
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Receive The Spirit Of The Father And Son! Part 2
Filed under: Bible, By Tim 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, 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, 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, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: 2 Cor 13: 13, and Spirit, and Spirit are DISTINCT, and Spirit are ONE, are EQUAL, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God's Faith, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Hope, God's love, God: Father, John 20:19-22, Luke 11: 5-13, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Pentecost, Receive The Holy Spirit, Receiving The Holy Spirit, Relationship With Jesus, repent, Salvation, son, The Breath Of God, The Gift Of The Holy Spirit, The Grace of God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is to be worshiped, The Holy Spirit Of Love, The Power Of The Holy Spirit, Unconditional Love, Worship
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Audio – Part 2A: 25min
Audio – Part 2B: 29min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: John 20:19-22 Luke 11: 5-13 2 Cor 13: 13
This Good News Message is about Receiving the Holy Spirit of the Father and Son, given as a Gracious Gift to Humanity. As usual, He is given All of Grace and not of Works Being God Himself!
Theological Theme:
A: God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are ONE in Being! When you see and hear about the Holy Spirit you are hearing about the work of The Father and you’re hearing about the grace of The Lord Jesus Christ!
B: God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are DISTINCT in Person! This distinction is what allows God to be in Relationship with The Other.
C: God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are EQUAL! So The Holy Spirit is exactly God of GOD, like The Father is and like The Son is. So The Holy Spirit is to be worshiped!
Christ Connection:
From the Father, through the Son, we are sent the Holy Spirit that we may participate with the Son in His Relationship with the Father. The Holy Spirit is the Fellowship between The Father and The Son; The Spirit of communion in the relation between The Father and Son.
The Holy Spirit is the Bond of Love. Love is a concrete relationship – the relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit. If the Father cannot know The Son apart from the Holy Spirit, you can’t know the person next to you apart from the Holy Spirit and you can’t know God The Father apart from the Holy Spirit, nor can you receive the Son apart from The Holy Spirit. That is how crucial it is to know The Holy Spirit and to have Him. He is the unique one of a kind Spirit, the Pure Spirit who mediates and shares Christ with us that we might repent and believe the Good News of the Father’s Love for us!
“Just as the right relationship with Christ generates a Christian, so the proper relationship with the Holy Spirit breeds a spiritual man.” – Watchman Nee
Missional Application:
We are called into mission with Jesus Christ. That mission is primarily the Father seeking to give humanity a share in His relationship with His Son – Jesus Christ – through the Person of The Holy Spirit!
“The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.” – A. W. Tozer
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The Spirit of Truth and Generosity!
Filed under: Bible, by Tony Marra, 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, 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, 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 4:32, Acts 5:11, Baltimore GCI, Blessing Your Enemies, Christian Living, Creation, death, Death In Christ, Deeply Rooted In Christ, Discipleship, Empowered By The Spirit, Facing False Accusation, Facing Hostility, False Accusation, Follow Me, Following Jesus, Forgiving Your Enemies, Fruit of God's Grace, GCI Baltimore, Generosity, Generous, Giving, God Father Son and Spirit, God Likes You, God the Trinity, God's Calling, God's Grace, God's love, God's Love And Life, God's Loving Authority, God's Mercy, God's Mission, God's Patience, God's Presence, Gospel, Grace, Grace Communion International, Heaven, Heavenly Riches, Honesty, Humanity Uplifted, Incarnation, Included In Christ, Jesus, Jesus' Authority, Jesus' Presence, Liberation vs. Legalism, Lord Jesus, Love, Make Disciples, Making Disciples, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Patient Endurance, Persecuted For Jesus, Persecuted For Your Faith, Persecution, Persecution For Christ, Praying For Your Enemies, Praying For Your Persecutors, Purpose, Radical Generosity, Radical Giving, Relationship With Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, Riches, Strengthened By Jesus, Strengthened By The Spirit, The Boldness Of Christ, The Father, The Father's Love, The Holy Spirit, The Persecuted Church, Treasure, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Union and Communion, Union With Jesus, Worship
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Audio – Part A: 23 min
Audio – Part B: 28 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Acts 4:32 – Acts 5:11
“Generosity should be a defining characteristic of the church because God is generous. The Father gave His Son. The Son gave His life. The Father and the Son gave the Spirit. And the Spirit gives the followers of Christ hearts of generosity. The Spirit works through these hearts to bring unity to the body of Christ through their loving support for one another. Greed is contrary to who God is and invites His judgment. The Holy Spirit of God helps us distinguish between generous and greedy giving.”
“Generosity is a fruit of God’s grace, something that an individual
should feel compelled to do from their own hearts. While in one way this understanding liberates us from any legalism around giving, it simultaneously heightens our expectations for giving. Because generosity flows from the heart, it is a tangible way of seeing the condition of the heart. This is why Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21).
Theological Theme:
Sin in the Church must not stand in the way of the gospel’s expansion.
Christ Connection:
In obedience to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, the early Christians shared their resources and gave generously to those in need, just as Jesus gave up heavenly riches to share His inheritance with all who trust in Him. But Ananias and Sapphira’s deceptive action was a sin against the church and against the Spirit. The Spirit distinguishes between giving that is from a heart of generosity and giving that is greedy and deceitful.
“Jesus serves as our model for radical giving and the Holy Spirit enables us to follow in His steps.”
“In following Jesus, we’re invited to do the same, not clinging to what we have but giving it away, becoming a servant, and allowing God to multiply it for His good and glory in His church and in the world around us. The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives should inspire such radical generosity, transforming our hearts to mirror Jesus’ own so that we don’t cling to what’s “ours” by rights but give it away to those in need.
Missional Application:
God the Father, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to show our unity with other believers, always being generous and honest as a reflection of Christ’s truth and love.
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Take Up Your Cross!
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, 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, 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: Acts 6, Acts 6: 7-60, Acts 6: 8-15, Baltimore GCI, Blessing Your Enemies, Christian Living, Creation, death, Death In Christ, Deeply Rooted In Christ, Discipleship, Empowered By The Spirit, Facing False Accusation, Facing Hostility, False Accusation, Follow Me, Following Jesus, Forgiving Your Enemies, GCI Baltimore, God Father Son and Spirit, God Likes You, God the Trinity, God's Calling, God's Grace, God's love, God's Love And Life, God's Loving Authority, God's Mercy, God's Mission, God's Patience, God's Presence, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Heaven, Humanity Uplifted, Incarnation, Included In Christ, Jesus, Jesus' Authority, Jesus' Presence, Lord Jesus, Love, Make Disciples, Making Disciples, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Patient Endurance, Persecuted For Jesus, Persecuted For Your Faith, Persecution, Persecution For Christ, Praying For Your Enemies, Praying For Your Persecutors, Purpose, Relationship With Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, Self-denial, St. Stephen's Suffering, Strengthened By Jesus, Strengthened By The Spirit, Suffering For Jesus, Suffering With Jesus, Take Up Your Cross, The Boldness Of Christ, The Father, The Father's Love, The Holy Spirit, The Persecuted Church, The Sufferings Of Jesus, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Union and Communion, Union With Jesus, Worship
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Audio – Part A: 25 min
Audio – Part B: 20 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Acts 6:8-15; 7:44-60
“In this session, we will see how God’s Holy Spirit empowers the followers of Christ to endure suffering for the sake of Christ. Whether that suffering takes the form of false accusations, death, or other variations, our faithful witness in the midst of suffering is a testimony to Jesus Christ, who came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets and to save us from our sin. When we suffer in faith, we are following in the footsteps of our Savior and bearing witness to His worth above all things, even our very lives.”- The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit strengthens his people to testify to Jesus Christ in persecution and death.
Christ Connection:
In his death as the first martyr, Stephen followed in the footsteps of His Savior. Both Jesus and Stephen were falsely accused and charged for blasphemy. Both Jesus and Stephen prayed for their executioners. Both Jesus and Stephen entrusted their spirits to God as they died. As a follower of Jesus Christ, Stephen reflected His Master, in life and in death.
Missional Application:
God the Father, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to bear witness to the greatness of Jesus Christ, even when we are maligned or persecuted for our faith.
“The history of the church is rich with stories of Christians who, emboldened by the Spirit, faced suffering and death while testifying to Jesus. Missionaries have died while going to share the gospel with hostile people. Countless martyrs the world over and through ages past have faced torture and death for their faith in the risen Savior…..
The persecution of the church and the martyring of its people is like the pruning of a plant. It grows stronger, richer, and more deeply rooted as a result…..
As we face ridicule and persecution for our faith, we are following in the faithful steps of these martyrs, just as they were following in the trailblazing steps of the Savior. He gave Himself for us—may it be our joy to give ourselves for the glory of His name.” – The Gospel Project
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Receive The Spirit Of The Father And Son! Part 1
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Evangelism, 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, Jesus Christ, 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 Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God's Faith, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Hope, God's love, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Receive The Holy Spirit, Receiving The Holy Spirit, Relationship With Jesus, Salvation, The Breath Of God, The Gift Of The Holy Spirit, The Grace of God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit Of Love, The Power Of The Holy Spirit
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Audio – Part 1a: 29 min
Audio – Part 1b: 27 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: John 20:19-22
This Good News Message is about Receiving the Holy Spirit of the Father and Son, given as a Gracious Gift to Humanity, All of Grace!
Theological Theme:
Acts 2 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”
Peter’s Sermon
14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all people;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 I will even pour out my Spirit
on my servants in those days, both men and women
and they will prophesy.
19 I will display wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.[d]
Christ Connection and Missional Application:
John 20:19-22 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Disciples Commissioned
19 When it was evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
“[W]hen there is a conflict between what human authorities require and God’s commands, we have to obey God and risk the consequences. For example, we cannot accept a command that forbids us from ever speaking about Jesus. Peter made his stand clear. John and he, and the entire company of the disciples, would never stop testifying about what they had seen and heard.” – Babu Immanuel Venkataraman
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Spirit-Empowered Ministry In Jesus’ Name!
Filed under: Ascension, Ascension of Jesus, Bible, by Tony Marra, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Evangelism, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, Jesus Christ, 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, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Allegiance For Jesus Christ, Assistant Pastor Tony Marra, Boldness Of The Church, Chains Being Broken, Chains Broken By Jesus, Early Church Example, God's Grace, God's Hope, God's love, God's People Do Good Deeds, Gospel Preaching, Healing And Deliverance, jesus ministry, Jesus' Boldness, Jesus' Love, Jesus' Miracles, Jesus' Name, Jesus' Power, Miracles, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Power In Jesus' Name, Prayer In Jesus' Name, Salvation, Speaking And Acting In The Spirit, Spirit-Empowered Ministry, Spirit-Filled Faith, Spirit-Filled Ministry, The Compassion Of God, The Holy Spirit's Power, The miracles of Jesus, The Miracles Of The Apostles, The Spirit's Healing Power
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Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Acts 3:1-10
Christian boldness isn’t something we simply have to “muster up” for ourselves; rather, it comes through faith in Jesus and through the gift of His Holy Spirit, who empowers and emboldens us to live for the glory of our Savior. He deserves first place in our lives, and this will be reflected in our actions for His name’s sake. If we are convinced that the gospel is true, then we must act on what we believe, praying to God for boldness and then proclaiming what we know to be true. We should find ourselves compelled to say and do bold things for the sake of the gospel.
Theological Theme:
The gospel spreads through bold and gracious witness to Christ.
Christ Connection:
Once the Holy Spirit arrived, the disciples began proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior. They put on display the power of His kingdom by performing miracles in His name. When confronted by earthly authorities, they reaffirmed their allegiance to Jesus and continued to declare the gospel with confidence that Jesus is mighty to save.
The Personality of the Holy Spirit: The Bible not only affirms the full divinity of the Holy Spirit but also His personhood. Many people have mistakenly believed that the Spirit is a force or power, not a person. However, Scripture affirms His personhood by acknowledging that He is treated as a person (Acts 5:3; 7:51; Heb. 10:29), acts like a person (John 14:26, 15:26; Rom. 8:14), has attributes of a person (1 Cor. 2:10-11; Eph. 4:30), and acts in personal ways (Isa. 63:10; Acts 13:2). In addition to these, the Bible also affirms that Christians relate to Him personally (Acts 5:3-4; 7:51). – The Gospel Project
“For better than all others he knows the nature of things. He knows that fierceness is not quenched by fierceness but by meekness. If you wish to see this in action, read the book of the Acts of the apostles and you will see how often, when the people…[were] rebelling and sharpening their teeth, these men, imitating the dove and answering with suitable meekness, released their wrath, quenched their madness and dissolved their impetuosity.” 6 –John Chrysostom (circa 347-407)
Missional Application:
God the Father calls us to follow Jesus through the example of the early Christians in how we boldly and graciously proclaim the gospel and minister to those in need by the Holy Spirit.
“Father, I pray for those in the persecuted church and for their leaders. Strengthen them, encourage them, and grant miracles of provision and deliverance. Cause the gospel to spread like wildfire. Give them so much joy, peace, and love that their persecutors will be convicted and fall down and worship you.” – Scotty Smith
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Jesus Is Risen! So Go…Make Disciples! Part 4
Filed under: By Tim 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, Humor, identity in Christ, Jesus Christ, 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, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Baptizing New Believers, C.S. Lewis, Christian Courage And Boldness, Confession, Destruction Of Sin, Disciple-making, disciples, Discipleship, Discipleship Defined, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, Go And Make Disciples, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God Is Love, God's Creativity, God's Deliverance, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's love, God's Love Is Concrete, God's Perfect Love, God's Salvation, God's Spontaneity, God's Unconditional Love, God-Father-Son-and-Spirit Wants to Be Known, Grace, Hope, Hope and Love, Jesus Is God's Love Revealed, Jesus Is God's Salvation, Jesus' Boldness, Jesus' Command, Jesus' Commitment To You, Jesus' Courage, Jesus' Disciples, Jesus' Love, Love, Love's Purity, Loving God, Loving Our Neighbor, Make Disciples, Make Disciples Who Can Make Disciples, Making Disciples Who Make Disciples, Multiplying Disciples, New Believers, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Pointing Others To Jesus, Pure Love, Receiving Jesus Christ As Lord, Receiving Jesus Christ As Savior, Reconciliation, repentance, Respecting Each Unique Person, Salvation, Self-giving, Selflessness, Sent Out By Jesus, Sent Out By The Father, Sent Out by The Holy Spirit, Sharing Christian Faith, Sharing God's Love With Others, Suffering For Jesus, Suffering With Jesus, Suffering With The Church, Teaching New Believers, The Father's Love, The Gospel Preached, The Gospel Proclaimed, The Gospel Taught, The Spirit's Love, Transformed by Jesus, Turning To Jesus Christ, Valuing Differences, Wholeness in Christ, Witnessing to Jesus, Your Commitment To Jesus
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Audio – Part 4a: 27 min
Audio – Part 4b: 30 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Matthew 28
This Good News series is about Jesus’ Believers and Disciples “GO”ing in Active Participation with Him, Wherever He Says to “Go!…” AND MAKING DISCIPLES WHO CAN MAKE DISCIPLES!
Theological Theme:
Christian Disciples are those who willingly, by grace through faith, and in loving obedience, participate with Jesus in offering their total humanity in allegiance to the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit! Christian Disciples participate with Jesus in his repentance and baptism, being incorporated into his body, the Church. Christian Disciples become fully committed to making disciples of Jesus who can make disciples of Jesus that make disciples of Jesus – in the Spirit, through the Son and to the Glory of our Father!
Christ Connection:
“When the people of Jesus follow the way of Jesus, their stories will begin to look like his story (which is beautiful but it also comes with a cost).” – The Gospel Project
We have been drawn into the self-giving, other centered, self-sacrificing and generous, loving compassion of the Father, Son and Spirit God, through Jesus Christ. And though it comes at great cost, it also comes with great joy!
Missional Application:
*Don’t just “Bring a Friend” (everyone needs Jesus!), more than that, bring a pre-disciple of Jesus to the community of the Church Body.
*Start with one person (and only more if Father has made it obvious!) When rejected, go elsewhere. Feel free to look everywhere! Talk to disciples more about Jesus than something called Christianity. Talk more about Jesus than his Church!
*Don’t worry too much about bringing others to Church at first (think relationship, home, small group first!)! A person genuinely called by Jesus will be drawn to his Body, the Bible, prayer, the Father, the Spirit and loving all people.
*Remember that life is short and death is sure and people are living under the sentence of death! Physical death and spiritual death are real but now is a day of salvation.
*We must not be lax in discipleship because of past and poor teachings but we must be renewed at the living voice of Jesus Christ! “Can these bones live??? You know Oh, Lord!”
You received Christ though the proclamation and discipleship of his Church! Now is not the time to put down the Church but to lift up and be the Church and pray for the Church! God is not limited to the Church but in his oversight of this world Jesus is building his Church (and his Church is called to participate with him and to go and make disciples of all nations).
For the purposes of discipleship: There is a “them” and an “us”! We must never confuse who Jesus is on behalf of all, and who we are as individuals distinct from him and each other! There are some of us who are knowing, loving and trusting Jesus as he draws us to himself, and some who aren’t knowing, loving or trusting Jesus as he draws them to himself!
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