Grace Christian Church of Monmouth County

06/14/2026

Facebook Main Post (longer, with image):

Grace Christian Church family and friends,

The Crucified Life – Old Self Dead, Christ Lives in Me.

There are two sides to the Cross. The one most commonly known is Jesus’ substitutionary atonement. The other side — not as widely taught — is the believer’s old self being crucified with Christ and raised as a new creation in Him (2 Cor 5:17).

This is positional truth that changes everything: We are no longer slaves to sin, our flesh patterns no longer control us, and Christ Himself is our source of life.

In this message we examine God’s 3 foundational truths:
1. To Live from Our Union with Christ (Galatians 2:20)
2. To Be Free from Sin’s Power (Romans 6:6–7)
3. To Be Free from Fleshly Desires (Galatians 5:24)

Practical outworking: Mind renewal replaces flesh patterns. When we abide in Christ as our source, it is impossible to sin in that moment.

▶️ Watch the full live recording here: https://youtu.be/mRh4UGVArdU

📖 Free companion study guide (with discussion questions, reflection prompts, leader notes, and the 6-month challenge) – linked in the video description or email us.

New to our meetings? We’re pleased you’ve joined us today — please feel free to learn more about us as we get to know you. Could you email us so we can share meeting links? Our interactive meetings explore The Crucified Life and related teachings like Spiritual Dialogue Training.

Who else needs this truth? Tag a friend or share with your small group / house church.

Grace and peace,
Roman
Grace Christian Church

The Crucified Life – Old Self Dead, Christ Lives in Me. Rob Parlan...

06/14/2026

Grace Christian Church family and friends,

We just uploaded the full recording from our June 13 meeting:

**Training in Spiritual Dialogue (Part 1) - The Leader-Coach Model**

In this session we dive deep into what it looks like to lead (and participate in) truly life-giving spiritual conversations. We cover the shift from monologue or group discussion to a Coach-Leader approach rooted in Scripture (especially 1 Corinthians 14), practical tools for responding in love, powerful questions that reveal hearts, and even a hands-on practice exercise you can try with your group this week.

Whether you're leading a house church, small group, or just want to grow in listening to the Spirit and others, this is for you.

▶️ Watch the full teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi6F9PaXnuE

📖 Free study guide + all the slides/resources linked in the video description (or check our recent posts).

The challenge at the end? Start one real, transformational conversation in the next 6 months.

Who’s in? Comment below or share this with someone who would benefit.

Grace and peace,
Roman/ Grace Christian Church.

06/11/2026

https://youtu.be/OVndsCGVD6M?si=VgbOH7A6u9MwsbZd

Join us in this inspiring exploration of the first-century Church m...

06/08/2026

Truths of Living in the New Covenant of Grace !

06/08/2026

Roman

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33m
Identity Questions
1. When you hear the statement “You’re already a new creation,” what emotions or thoughts usually come up for you? Why?
2. In what areas of your life do you still live as if the “old you” is still in charge, even though Scripture says it has been crucified?
3. How would your daily life change if you truly believed that your identity is no longer defined by your past failures or current struggles?
Narrative & Story Questions
4. Paul uses the clothing metaphor (“take off the old self / put on the new self”). What makes this image so powerful for understanding the Christian life?
5. Why do you think Paul tells the story of what God has already done before giving commands? What difference does that order make?
6. How does viewing Colossians 3:1–17 as a story of identity transformation (instead of just a list of rules) change the way you read it?
Personal Application Questions
7. What specific “old clothes” (attitudes, habits, or sins) is God currently asking you to take off?
8. What “new clothes” (Christlike character, virtues, or mindsets) do you sense God wants you to intentionally put on right now?
9. When temptation or negative thoughts come, how often do you stop and renew your mind with truth from Scripture? What usually happens when you don’t?
Community & Church Questions
10. How can we as a church community help each other “become who we already are in Christ” instead of just trying harder to be good?
11. In what ways might our church culture accidentally reinforce the idea that Christians are still defined by their sin, rather than by their new identity in Christ?
12. Who in your life needs to hear the message that they are already new in Christ — not someday, but right now? How could you communicate that to them?
Bonus Deeper Questions (for more mature groups)
13. Why is it sometimes harder to believe that we are already new than it is to believe we need to try harder?
14. How does the “already / not yet” tension in Colossians 3 affect the way we should think about spiritual growth and sanctification?
15. If someone asked you, “What does it actually look like to live from my new identity in Christ instead of trying to fix myself?”, how would you answer them?

06/08/2026

You’re Already New — Now Live Like It
Many sincere Christians live with a quiet frustration. They know they are saved. They believe Jesus died for them. Yet sin still feels strong. Temptation comes quickly. Old patterns reappear. And they wonder: If I’m a new creation, why does this still happen?
The Bible gives a clear and balanced answer.
What God Has Already Done
Scripture is very direct about our identity in Christ. Paul writes in Romans 6:6 that “our old self was crucified with Him.” In Colossians 3:9-10, he says we have already “put off the old self” and “put on the new self.” And in 2 Corinthians 5:17, he declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away.”
These are not future promises. They describe what God has already accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The “old you” — the person you were apart from Christ — is not being gradually improved. It was crucified. You are not a sinner trying to become a saint. You are a saint who still sometimes sins.
This truth brings tremendous freedom. Your identity is no longer defined by your worst moments or your ongoing struggles. You belong to Christ. You have His Spirit. You are a new creation.
But the Fight Is Not Over
At the same time, the Bible does not pretend that sin has completely disappeared from our lives. Paul speaks honestly about “the sin that dwells in me” (Romans 7:17, 20). He warns that “the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit” (Galatians 5:17).
This remaining sin is not a second nature that now defines us. It is the leftover influence of our old life — unrenewed habits, distorted desires, and the ongoing effects of living in a fallen world. It does not have the final word over us, but it is still real. We will not be completely free from its presence until we are glorified.
So we live in a healthy tension:
Already new in Christ. Still fighting remaining sin until Jesus returns.
How We Are Called to Live
Because of what God has already done, we are not called to manage sin or simply try harder. We are called to live from our new identity.
This happens in two main ways:
First, we renew our minds with Scripture.
Our thoughts and beliefs shape our desires and actions. When lies and old patterns rise up, we replace them with the truth of who we are in Christ. This is not positive thinking. It is actively believing and speaking what God has said about us. As Romans 12:2 says, we are “transformed by the renewing of our mind.”
Second, we put sin to death by the Spirit.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:13 to “put to death the deeds of the body” by the Spirit. This is active, not passive. When temptation comes, we don’t negotiate with it. We turn to the Holy Spirit for power and take concrete steps to resist — whether that means fleeing, confessing, or replacing the sin with something better.
A simple spiritual journal can help greatly here. Writing down the lie you’re believing, the truth from Scripture, and the action you will take makes the process of renewing your mind and killing sin more consistent and visible over time.
Living Honestly and Hopefully
You don’t have to pretend you’ve arrived. You also don’t have to live in constant defeat. You can be honest about the remaining sin in your life while standing firmly on the reality that you are already a new creation in Christ.
The Christian life is not about trying to become someone you are not. It is about learning to live more and more from who you already are because of Jesus.
You’re already new.
Now live like it — by the power of the Spirit, one renewed thought and one act of obedience at a time.

06/08/2026

https://youtu.be/C1mnsiqmYMY

The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream services every Sunday at 10:30 AM EST in Manalapan, New Jersey.
"Sealed and Secured in Christ" (njgrace.org teaching)
Core Message: Believers in Christ are eternally secure ("Once Saved, Always Saved"). The Holy Spirit seals them permanently upon belief in the Gospel. This is part of the Finished Work of the Cross under the New Covenant of Grace (not works-based performance like the Old Covenant Law). Once sealed, always sealed and secured in Christ.
Introduction & Context:
~70% of Christians (e.g., Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Methodists, etc.) believe salvation can be lost due to works-performance-based teaching, mortal sin, or the Spirit departing.
~30% (e.g., Presbyterians, Conservative Baptists, Evangelicals) believe in eternal security.
Focus on maintaining works leads to fear, spiritual stagnation, and missing Christ as the source of life (Colossians 3:4). The teaching urges resting in security to be used by Christ.
Definition of "Sealed" (used 19x in NASB 95):
Legal: Official stamp/emblem of authenticity, genuineness, and approval (like a king's signet ring).
Physical: Tightly closed container to protect/keep contents secure.
John 6:27-29: God the Father set His seal on Christ; the "work of God" is simply to believe in Him for eternal life.
Two Truths of Being Sealed and Secured:

Initially Upon Belief in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22):
After hearing the Gospel and believing → instantly sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit as a pledge/guarantee of inheritance and redemption.
The Spirit abides in all believers (promised in John 14:16-17; given at Pentecost in Acts 2).
Analogy: Believers are contents in a zip-lock bag (Christ = bag; Holy Spirit = zip-lock seal). Secure, protected, and one with Christ.
Permanently After Belief in Christ (Ephesians 4:30):
Sealed for the day of redemption (future rapture of the Church).
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: Christ returns; dead in Christ rise first, living believers are caught up to meet Him — all will be with the Lord forever.
Grieving the Holy Spirit (by living independently from Christ) is possible but does not break the seal or cause loss of salvation.
No conditions (e.g., unrepented sin, lack of works/church attendance) revoke the seal.
Key Takeaways & Application:
Eternal security is God's guarantee — not based on human effort.
Resting in this truth frees believers to focus on Christ as life source instead of fearfully "maintaining" salvation.
Reflection questions: Have you received revelation? Do you feel sealed and secured? Why or why not?
Encourages group discussion and further study of grace/Christ-as-life resources at njgrace.org.
The teaching emphasizes Scripture interpreting Scripture and urges readers to seek personal revelation from the Bible rather than denominational traditions.

The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream...

06/03/2026

The Law of Christ is to Live From Christ!

06/02/2026

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

Paul tells us this about being sealed by the Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 1:13(NASB 95)
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30 (NASB 95)
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

After we believed the Gospel, we were sealed in Him (Christ) by the Holy Spirit. And in addition, we are permanently sealed in Christ until the day of redemption when He comes back to rapture the Church in our futures.

Like we seal food in a zip lock plastic bag, the Spirit seals and locks us in Christ. The plastic bag is like Christ, believers are like the contents in the bag, and the zip lock is like the Spirit which seals the bag. The contents when zip locked are sealed and secured in the plastic bag. This illustrates believers being sealed and secured in Christ by the Spirit.

Notice: Paul doesn’t say you are sealed until you commit a horrible sin, you are sealed until you don’t maintain works of the Law, you’re not sealed because you don’t go to Church, or that you’re not sealed if you continually don’t repent of sin!

Believers are permanently sealed in Christ, but during our Christian Walk, we can grieve the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is grieved when we live independently of Christ as our source of life. Grieving the Spirit will never result in a believer being unsealed in Christ. Believers are eternally secure based on belief in Christ.

Our choice is to live from Christ as our life, not from our fleshly selves. Once sealed and secured, forever sealed and secured in Christ.

Let all God’s people say Amen!

Pastor Rob

05/31/2026

https://youtu.be/DQzAktre9nM

The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream services every Sunday at 10:30 AM EST in Manalapan, New Jersey.

"The Law of Christ"

1. Background: From Eden to the Mosaic Law

In the Garden of Eden, there was only 1 Law: Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (tree of life = type of Christ; forbidden tree = type of Satan).
Adam & Eve broke it → instant spiritual death, lost communion with God; all humanity born spiritually dead in Adam.
~2,500 years later: God gave Israel the Mosaic Law (613 commands, including the 10 Commandments).
Purpose: Reveal what sin is, show God’s standard of righteousness, and act as a tutor/schoolmaster to lead people to faith in Christ (Galatians 3:22-26).
The Law cannot justify anyone, give spiritual life, or be kept perfectly — it was meant to be broken to show our need for Christ.
The moral law is written on every person’s heart (Romans 2:14-15) — basic right and wrong is known instinctively.

2. The Shift to the New Covenant of Grace

After placing faith in Christ:
You are a new creation: old self crucified, new man raised to newness of life.
Sin’s power is broken; your new source of life is the Spirit of Christ, not works of the Law.
Believers are no longer under the Mosaic Law but under grace (Romans 6:14).
Trying to live by the Law (even the 10 Commandments) actually increases sin, not decreases it (Romans 5:20; 7:7-13).
The entire book of Hebrews shows the Old Covenant (Law) is now obsolete.

3. The Law of Christ – The One Law Believers Are Under

After Christ’s resurrection, we return to one Law — the Law of Christ.
Core meaning: The Law of Christ is to live from Christ as your source (not self-effort or flesh).
It is not just “love one another” (though love is included). It is Christ manifesting His infinite life through you in countless ways (love, evangelism, restoration, etc.).

4. Two Aspects of the Law of Christ

Believers Are Under the Law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:20-22)
Paul lived from Christ as source: he became “all things to all people” (Jew, Gentile, weak) to build relationships and win them to Christ — this is lifestyle evangelism.
He was not under the Mosaic Law, yet not without the Law of God — because he was under the Law of Christ.
Believers Fulfill the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:1-2)
Restore anyone caught in sin gently (with self-examination so you aren’t tempted).
Bear one another’s burdens → this fulfills the Law of Christ.

5. Main Takeaway

Eden: 1 Law → broken.
Israel: 613 Laws → could not save.
Church today: Back to 1 Law — live from Christ as your source.
Everything (love, evangelism, restoration, burden-bearing) flows naturally when Christ lives through you. Self-effort puts you back under Law and leads to failure.

The message calls believers to stop trying to achieve righteousness by rules and instead receive grace and let Christ manifest His life through them.

The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream services every Sunday at 10:30 AM EST in Manalapan, New Jersey."The Law of Christ"1. Back...