Archive for the ‘Acts’ Tag
The Message: “Christ Alone”
Filed under: Ascension, Ascension of Jesus, Bible, by Tony Marra, 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 15, Acts 15: 1-35, Adoption, Baltimore GCI, Christian Living, Creation, Discipleship, GCI Baltimore, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God Father Son and Spirit, God in Flesh, God Incarnate, God Likes You, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God the Trinity, God's Calling, God's Faith, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's Humility, God's love, God's Love And Life, God's Loving Authority, God's Mercy, God's Mission, God's Patience, God's Power, God's Presence, God's Spirit, God: Father, Gospel, grace alone, grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, Grace Communion International, healing, Humanity Uplifted, Humility, Incarnation, Included In Christ, Integrity, Jesus, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, Jesus' Authority, Jesus' Presence, Jesus: True God True Man, John 14, John 14:6, Lord Jesus, Love, One Life, One Truth, one way, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Purpose, Relationship With Jesus, Salvation, Spiritual Maturity, Spirituality, The Father, The Father's Love, The Father-Son-and-Spirit-God, The Holy Spirit, The Life, the Truth, The Way, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Unconditional Love, Union and Communion, Union With Jesus, Wholeness in Christ, Worship
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Audio – Full message: 29min
Bible Verses: Acts 15:1-35
Introduction:
The church handled a heated disagreement about the nature of salvation for Gentiles. Were Gentiles saved by faith alone or must they enter into salvation through the path of obedience to the law first? The Jerusalem Council that was convened to answer this critical question offers us a good example of how to handle disputes in the church but also was vital in preserving the gospel message of “Christ alone.”
When the sufficiency of faith in Jesus for salvation and inclusion into God’s one family was at stake, the church clearly and strongly affirmed that because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, He alone is all we need for salvation. The early church protected the core message of the gospel. Today, God continues to call us to proclaim the message that salvation is available through faith in Christ alone, and not through additional obligations and works.
– The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
The gospel revealed by God [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] announces that salvation is available by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Christ Connection:
The Jerusalem Council met to resolve a dispute in the early church: Was faith in Christ sufficient for salvation and inclusion into God’s family or was something else needed? The early church’s response affirmed the sufficiency of faith in Jesus for salvation. Because of His finished work on the cross, Jesus alone is all we need to be saved
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to proclaim the message that salvation is available through faith in Christ alone, not through additional obligations and works.
God’s love, so understood, should find focal expression at the Lord’s table, for such love is creative of community, for there Christ gathers his people and gives himself to them freely and unconditionally by the Spirit and lifts us up out of ourselves and our introspectiveness and social lethargy, and frees us to love him and to love all men in his name–where he converts us into being a loving, caring, believing community, members of his missionary body in the world. In the language of the older Scottish divines, sacraments are signs and seals of the covenant of grace–converting ordinances, not badges of our conversion. We are called by the word of the Cross daily to evangelical repentance through life in the Spirit, and we receive the Spirit by faith alone. – The Unconditional Freeness of Grace – James B. Torrance Theological Renewal – June/July 1978: 7-15
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The Messenger – Converted and Called!
Filed under: Bible, By David Stonesifer, 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, 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, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Acts, Acts 9:1-25, called to ministry, calling, Conversion to Christ, Followers of Jesus, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God's Faith, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Hope, God's love, God's Power, God: Father, Obedience, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, paul, Receive The Holy Spirit, Receiving The Holy Spirit, Relationship With Jesus, repent, Salvation, Saul, 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, transform, transformation, Unconditional Love, Witness, Worshipping Jesus
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Audio – Part A: 25 min
Audio – Part B: 24 min
Audio – Full message:
Bible Verses: Acts 9: 1-25
Introduction:
“The most meaningful changes in life are the ones that move us closer to fulfilling our God-given purpose—starting with being converted as new followers of Christ. We don’t change and grow to be better people with better lives with the goal of feeling better about who we are. We grow to become faithful Christ-followers sent by the God who sends.
Saul, later known as Paul, collided with God on the road to Damascus. More precisely, it was “the God who sends” who collided with Paul, and this Pharisee’s life was never the same. Paul’s story reminds us how God can transform even the hardest of hearts and what it looks like to become a converted, called messenger of the God who sends us on mission with His Son.”
Theological Theme:
Conversion to Christ comes with a calling to ministry with God [Father, Son and Holy Spirit]
Christ Connection:
The conversion and calling of Saul, later Paul, is a demonstration of God’s power to save. Through an encounter with the crucified and risen Jesus, this once-hardened persecutor of God’s people began his journey to becoming the greatest missionary the world has ever known. Only the gospel can transform a public opponent of Christ into a fervent witness to His salvation.
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to pray with full confidence that God can transform even the hardest heart.
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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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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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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.
Photo Compliments:
Trinity and Humanity 