Archive for the ‘Grace’ Tag
The Father Loves And Likes You Celebration 2018 Messages!
Filed under: Bible, By Ann Vinson, By Calvin Simon, By Richard Andrews, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Evangelism, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, good news, Good News Festival, 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 Dance and Dream of the Trinity, 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: Colossians 1: 15-23, Faith, Faithfulness, God's Faithfulness, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's Power, Good News Celebration, Good News Festival, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, John 14-16, Malachi 3: 16-18, Matthew 2, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Numbers 13:33, Philippians 4: 10-13, The Father Loves and Likes You Fest, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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THEME: “Where God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Is Our Main Event and Activity!”
Full Video Playlist Of Messages on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjILC4-exBRb9leV1gqy0qGWnYAkXTK1R
Thursday, October 11th, 2018
by Timothy Brassell – Lead Pastor, New Life Baltimore MD.
“The Heart Of Christian Faith Is God – Father, Son, and Spirit Himself!” Part1
Main Bible Passages: John 14 – 16
WatchVideo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHtpZBe3umw
Audio:
Full message:
Part1a: 37min
Part 1b: 33min
” The most basic thing in Christianity is God – Father, Son and Spirit, who is the main event and the main activity. Since God is God – Father, Son, and Spirit, this means that at the center of everything is a relationship!…
He came into our flesh and he placed inside of our actual flesh His own relationship as Father, Son and holy Spirit. …..We are empty apart from God. We have our own natural life as he created. We have our natural relationships but those arn’t love because God is love and God has to be intimate with you in order for you to share in God’s actual love and life. So God had to come inside our humanity in Jesus Christ to place His love and life inside of our humanity so that we can actually taste of God’s real life and love…
Now we know what salvation is…..sharing in the life and love of The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, being in an actual relationship with God.
The good life is built with good relationships and that is because you come from a relational God – Father Son and Holy Spirit. I encourage you to take a few dates with Him instead of screen time. Talk with your mate, or whomever else is in your room or whomever you’re spending time with…..Talk about this God because He is the main event and activity. He is where you’ve come from and He is where you’re heading whether you like it or not but he has placed it into Jesus for you to be able to like it and not just to like it but to love it” – Pastor Timothy Brassell
Friday, October 12th, 2018
by Timothy Brassell – Lead Pastor, New Life Baltimore MD.
Breakout: “Gospel Coaching In Courageous Conversation” Part 1 & 2
Questions and Responses
Main Bible Passages: Mal 3: 16-18
Watch Video On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxhzdKpNeIQ&t=44s
Audio:
Full message:
Part1a: 34min
Part 1b: 24min
Part 1c: 26min
Part 1d: 24min
Part1e: 27min
Friday, October 12th, 2018
by Ann Vinson – Assistant Pastor New Life Baltimore MD.
“You Are Not a Grasshopper!”
Main Bible Passages: Numbers 13: 33
Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MkczqlHqaE&t=7s
Audio:
Full message: 35min
“We are children of the most high God. There is no higher honor than that. You have been drawn by God. What report do you have? What did God say? He has prepared a place for you. He loves you. He has you in His arms. You are His children. Go take the land. It is flowing with milk and honey. It’s yours. May the grace of God fill your hearts as we share this good news with all that we meet.” – Pastor Ann Vinson
Friday, October 12th, 2018
by Calvin Simon – Lead Pastor New Creation Community Church – VA.
“Goodness Gracious Lord!”
Main Bible Passages: Col 1: 15-23
Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MkczqlHqaE&t=7s
Audio:
Full message: 31min
“God’s greatest desire for us is for us to enjoy Him. Romans 12. This is how good God is….He knows that us trying to struggle to do things for Him is not going to lead us to life, but He says, if you will just take a minute and look at the things I have done for you, that will give you that praise that you want to have in you. This God wants you to know that He has been good and He has been faithful and He has been just all your life and without Him, you never would have made it.” – Pastor Calvin Simon
Saturday, October 13th, 2018
by Richard Andrews – Assistant Pastor New Life Baltimore MD.
“Living The Contented Life In Christ!”
Main Bible Passages: Phil 4: 1-13
Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NERjMQzKsKM
Audio:
Full message: 50min
Part1a: 25min
Part 1b: 25min
“For those of us who want to live contented lives, we do so by fellowshipping with God’s people (Gen 1-26). God – Father, Son, and Spirit has always existed in perfect relationship for eternity. So when they say, “let us make man in our image”, it is let us make them to relate like us…….
I need you because, I was created to need you, so when I’m looking at some other thing and I am not looking at Jesus, I need you to say, “look at Jesus”. When I am struggling with abandonment issues and my self-worth before the father and wondering what’s going on with me, I need my brother to come tell me “look at Jesus” …..
We need each other because we are created in God’s image. We were created to relate to one another because that is how God is. He is the relational God.
If you want to live the ultimate life. If you want to live a contented life, stay connected to the source of life” – Pastor Richard Andrews
Sunday, October 14th, 2018
by Timothy Brassell – Lead Pastor, New Life Baltimore MD.
“The Heart Of Christian Faith Is God – Father, Son, and Spirit Himself!” Part2
Main Bible Passages: John 14 – 16
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO7qxlse4Fo&t=2s
Audio:
Full message:
Part1a: 35min
Part 1b: 40min
“The way the Christian life works is that we begin to have a central focus on Jesus because God The Father has chosen that we won’t even see Him except in the face of Jesus! So Jesus ought to be coming out of our lips, out of our teachings, out of all that we say and do. The life of God has been centered in flesh in the person of Jesus!” Pastor Timothy Brassell
“At the centre of the New Testament stands, not our religious experience, but a unique relationship between Jesus and the Father. No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him (Matt. 11.27; John 1.18, 17.25-26). This unique relationship is vividly described as one of mutual love, mutual self-giving, mutual testifying, mutual glorifying. Indeed, there is a oneness of mind between the Father and the Son, revealed supremely in the Cross, ‘to bring many sons to glory’ (Heb. 2.10), ‘that we might receive the adoption of sons’ (Gal. 4.5ff)—that we might be drawn by the Spirit into that unique life of shared communion.”—James F. Torrance
“Worship is the gift of participating through the Spirit in the incarnate Son’s communion with the Father.—James B. Torrance, Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace
The prime purpose of the incarnation, in the love of God, is to lift us up into a life of communion, of participation in the very triune life of God.—James B. Torrance
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
Photo Compliments: www.godtube.com
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
Photo Compliments: http://www.christcov.org
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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