I’m Gonna Hold My Peace

It’s So Simply that it’s Not

Galatians chapter 5 is one of the easiest passages to digest when reading. It is very straightforward. The back end of the passage is quite possibly the easiest part of the easiest part. There’s no way you can mess up the instruction and identification between the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. There are, however, far reaching implications of what happens when we don’t adhere to these principles, leaving us to deal with issues running rampant in our social systems, church circles, and society on the whole. It’s about time that people begin addressing it. I’m happy to be a part of the folks that does. Where do we begin??

Believe it or not, It’s the same for us today. Whether it’s the comfort of tradition, the desire to please people, or the fear of getting it wrong, we’re often tempted to retreat to rules instead of relying on relationship. But when God calls us out of bondage, He never intends for us to return. What once held us captive has no authority in the new life God has called us to live. Never forget how horrible Egypt truly was!

Emotions Aren’t Enemies

Ahh yes…with emotions. These are things that God implanted in us as part of our creation process. Lemme be clear. This was no accident and God doesn’t make mistakes.  He didn’t wire us with feelings that He expected us to suppress. Emotions in and of themselves aren’t bad, but unprocessed emotions are dangerous and this is where our issues begin.

We live in a world that encourages avoiding processing emotions. The problem is not having feelings; it’s not knowing what to do with them. This happens for a variety of reasons, but what it usually boils down to is we comply with the lie that we need to abide in a system of social codes…given to us by mere mortals that did not create us, and ultimately deny the very good thing that God, our actual creator, gifted to us. You will never be able to make that make sense to me. Thankfully, that’s where the Holy Spirit steps in. Jesus Himself felt allll the things: anger at the Pharisees. Anger at the disciples! Sadness at the loss of His friend Lazarus. Angst and anguish in the garden of Gethsemane! And yet somehow, despite all of this, He was able to do something we would think impossible, miraculous in our current culture: He was able to hold His peace. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. And in this discovery, we suffocate the misinformation that emotions and the fruit of the Spirit can’t live in the same house. They most certainly can. You can feel rage and still be ruled by peace. You can be heartbroken and still exude joy. You can be anxious and still act out love. That’s the paradox the world doesn’t understand. But that’s the power of walking in the Spirit.

The Fruit Is the Focus

It’s easy to fixate on sin—trying not to do “the wrong thing,” trying to avoid the temptation—but Galatians makes something clear: our attention shouldn't be on sin management but on fruit cultivation. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—this is the harvest we’re after.

And how do we grow it? By keeping our focus on Jesus. When we focus on God, eventually discover that other things simply don’t seem to matter. We can detach from needs and desires we find in approval from others, accolades not attached to our purpose, and yes…even desires of the flesh. Also, and equally as important, when we focus on Him we tend to our soul. Doing that, in practice, means solitude. It means meditation (I know. I’m speaking French to many with this. I apologize on behalf of any pastor that didn’t emphasize that for you…I said what I said.).It means silence. It means deep prayer. These practices water the soil of our hearts. And when the storms of life come—when anger flares, when injustice breaks your heart, when anxiety swells—you respond not from your flesh, but from the fruit you've been faithfully growing. That’s when peace holds you, even in chaos. Just like Jesus, who frequently withdrew from all just to spend time with God and tend to His soul.

Compassion That Can’t Be Contained

The world doesn’t need more opinions—it needs compassion. Real, Spirit-led compassion that isn’t reactive but redemptive. That’s what Jesus showed us. Every time He looked at the crowd, He didn’t see problems. He saw people. And His peace wasn’t passive—it moved Him to heal, to feed, to restore. If we’re truly walking in the Spirit, we won’t just feel compassion, we’ll act on it. But here’s the secret: you can’t give what you don’t have. Many in our culture, believers included, suffer from compassion fatigue. They’re simply too exhausted to care…or so they think. That’s why love, joy, PEACE…that’s why working to submit our emotions to/place them under all of the Fruit matters. When you’re grounded in God’s shalom—His wholeness—you’ll naturally overflow into the lives of others. You’ll hold your peace, not just to keep calm, but to be a vessel of restoration in a broken world.

Be one who decides every day that you’re gonna hold your peace.

One Love,
JRNB

— Jordan Brown

Pastor (Ministries and Outreach) [OV] Church

One Size Fits All Pt. 2: Fit Check

The Temptation to Turn Back

There’s a strange magnetism to the past—especially when the present feels uncertain. Even after freedom has been given, many still feel the pull to return to old systems, old patterns, and even old chains. The people of Galatia were no different. They had been liberated from empty rituals and powerless gods, yet they began slipping back into religious systems that promised control but offered no real power.

If you read our Bible, then you also know this is t the first time that we’ve seen this. The Galatians are a type of Israel. Think about it. Israel witnessed the amazing miracle of salvation (you’ll pick up that comparison in the way out :-) ), crossed through dry land in what was supposed to be the WATERS of the Red Sea, and yet three days into their journey they encounter situations that are nowhere near as harsh as the worst persecution and IMMEDIATELY they wanna go back. Thanks to sound, prophetic leadership and about 40 years (which should’ve technically been 11 days but who’s counting?) they’re finally able to make it to their promised land. And Paul, being like Moses, sees Galatia headed in the same direction and doesn’t want that for them. At all.

Believe it or not, It’s the same for us today. Whether it’s the comfort of tradition, the desire to please people, or the fear of getting it wrong, we’re often tempted to retreat to rules instead of relying on relationship. But when God calls us out of bondage, He never intends for us to return. What once held us captive has no authority in the new life God has called us to live. Never forget how horrible Egypt truly was!

Legalism Is Not Loyalty

Here’s the hard truth: when we add man-made rules back into what Christ has already made complete, we’re not honoring God—we’re replacing Him with something. In a word: legalism. Legalism is an abuse of morality, and if left unchecked this can, and will, graduate into idolatry. It elevates the law above the Lawgiver,  disguised as holiness, creating a counterfeit version of the gospel that robs people of joy and freedom.

Paul's words cut through the noise: there is no condemnation in Christ because He did what the law could never do—He freed us from sin's grip. So why cling to something that was never designed to save us? Obedience, when rooted in love and fueled by grace, is not legalism. It’s life. As C.S. Lewis said, “Obedience isn’t legalism; it is a symptom of salvation.”

False Voices, Fragile Faith

Paul’s heart breaks for the Galatians—not just because they’re misled, but because they once welcomed the truth with open arms. They cared for him like he was an angel. What changed? The answer: false teachers with bad intentions masked as spiritual passion. Pride, ego, and insecurity caused them to distort the gospel and discredit Paul.

This happens far too often in our own churches. What begins as a desire to protect the faith can morph into gatekeeping, manipulation, and exclusion. We must be careful not to confuse passion for the gospel with control over it. God doesn’t need our help to preserve His truth—He just asks for our obedience. Anything less becomes a distraction. Anything more becomes a distortion.

Freedom, Not Factions

The story of Abraham’s two sons—Isaac and Ishmael—isn’t just a history lesson. It’s a spiritual mirror. One son was born out of human effort, the other out of divine promise. One represents bondage to law, the other freedom through faith. The message is clear: get rid of what enslaves you. You weren’t made for captivity. It has to go. Bye bye.

The church’s greatest threat isn’t cultural pressure from the outside—it’s when we allow fear and self-righteousness to fracture us from within. Real unity doesn’t come from everyone agreeing on every doctrine; it comes from honoring the Lord above all else. Romans 14 reminds us that we will each give account to God—not to each other—and our aim should be harmony, not hierarchy.

So here’s your fit check: Are you clothed in rules, or are you covered in grace? Because only one of those outfits was tailored by God Himself.

One Love,
JRNB

— Jordan Brown

Pastor (Ministries and Outreach) [OV] Church

One Size Fits All

As a large individual, I really HATE the statement above. 99.9% of the time it isn’t true. I cannot be true. There is NO WAY that it is true. No matter what it is, the guarantee is that you will most likely get your feelings hurt. I’ve healed from this hurt and grown past it (you can laugh. It’s okay.), but a major of why is because of the 0.01% where one size actually DOES fit all: putting on a new identity in Christ. It doesn’t matter how big or small, short or tall you are. He fits into every life. Perfectly.

A New Identity in Christ

What if you could wake up every morning and put on a brand-new identity—one that wasn’t defined by your past, your mistakes, or even the labels society places on you? That’s exactly what happens when we put on Christ. Paul writes that all who have been baptized into Christ have “put on” Christ like new clothes (Galatians 3:27). This isn’t just a wardrobe change—it’s a transformation.

In a world that constantly tries to categorize people based on race, status, or gender, God offers something radical: unity without uniformity, unity in diversity. There is oneness, not sameness. We’re not called to be a community of believers where everyone has everything in common, thinking the same things, acting the same and the like. We’re called to celebrate the unique differences that God Himself placed within us. In Him, it doesn’t matter what we look like. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. Instead, we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28). This truth is powerful because it means that no matter where you come from, who you’ve been, or what you’ve done, your identity is rooted in something unshakable: you are a child of God.

Adoption into the Family of Faith

Adoption is at the heart of the gospel. Before Christ, we were spiritual orphans, lost and enslaved to sin. But when the time was right, God sent His Son to redeem us so that we could be adopted into His family (Galatians 4:4-5).

This isn’t just a legal transaction; it’s deeply personal. Adoption in biblical times wasn’t a second-tier status—it was a full, undeniable inclusion into a family. And in God’s kingdom, no one gets to decide who belongs except the Father Himself. If He has called you His child, then you belong. Period. No one can take that away.

And here’s the best part: as children of God, we get to call Him “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). This is not a distant, formal relationship—it’s intimate, like a chid calling out to a loving parent. We aren’t just saved from something; we are saved into something—God’s family.

The Inheritance of the Faithful

Being a child of God doesn’t just come with a name change; it comes with an inheritance. In the ancient world, an inheritance wasn’t just about wealth. It was about identity, security, a future, and leaving a legacy. Paul explains that before Christ, we were like children under a guardian, unable to fully access what belonged to us. But now, through faith, we have stepped into our inheritance as heirs of God (Galatians 4:7).

What is this inheritance? Eternal life, the riches of God’s promises, and the mysteries of His kingdom that have now been revealed to us through Christ. Unlike earthly inheritances that can be lost, squandered, or taken away, this one is eternal and secure. No power in heaven or on earth can separate us from the riches we have in Christ.

Living as Sons and Daughters

If we are children of God, then our lives should reflect that reality. Too often, believers live as if they are still spiritual orphans—doubting their worth, striving for approval, and carrying burdens they were never meant to bear. But the truth is this: if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We don’t have to prove our place in God’s family. We don’t have to earn our inheritance. It has already been secured by the work of Jesus on the cross. The challenge for us, in the fullness of our time on this side of eternity, is to live in the freedom that comes with being sons and daughters of the King. This, again, is sanctification, and as a reminder sanctification isn’t a long time. It’s a lifetime.

So the next time you find yourself questioning your worth, your purpose, or your belonging, remember this: you are a child of God. Being Christlike is in your nature. Because in His kingdom, one size truly fits all. Stay the course.

One Love,
JRNB

— Jordan Brown

Pastor (Ministries and Outreach) [OV] Church

I Got a TESTimony Pt. 2

Every story of faith has a test. Paul’s journey wasn’t smooth—he spent fourteen years being shaped before stepping fully into his calling. The Gospel message he preached was not one he sought approval for from man; it was something God placed in him. But even then, challenges arose. There were those who tried to impose their own religious traditions on his ministry. He stood firm, refusing to let anything compromise the truth of the gospel.

Your testimony, too, will be tested. Opposition will come—some will doubt you, others will question whether you’re qualified. But your calling isn’t based on human validation; it’s rooted in God’s purpose for you. If you find yourself questioning your own journey, remember Paul’s example: Stay the course. The test is part of the testimony.

However, in saying this, I think it's necessary…imperative even to consider that the test in our testimony might also be in the lesson that we take from Peter in Gal. 2. Why is it that he even needs to be mentioned in this passage? Why is what he did so important that we need to highlight it? What does it mean for us and the possible test in our testimony? Buckle up.

When Hypocrisy Creeps In

Paul had to confront Peter—a fellow leader, a fellow believer—because he wavered under pressure. Peter, who was filled with the spirit and a (if not thee) key spiritual leader responsible for birthing and building God’s Church after Jesus ascended, had been advocating for the cause of the Gentiles being grafted into the family of believers. We see this in a variety of stories in the narrative from Acts 10 through Acts 15. Keep in mind, all of this is with his people in Jerusalem, the epicenter of Jewish faith in Jesus. Then, while in Galatia, he is boldly eating and fellowshipping with Gentile believers in a very…very Gentile land. However, when certain Jewish Christians arrived he suddenly withdrew out of fear of criticism. His actions weren’t just personal; they led others, even Barnabas, into the same hypocrisy which is wild.

How often do we allow the fear of what others think to dictate our actions? Do we adjust our faith based on who’s watching (if you can’t say amen, say ouch)? The truth is, when we compromise for the sake of approval, we risk leading others astray (yes, you can say ouch some more :-)). The world is watching—not to see if we are perfect, but to see if we are real. A true testimony isn’t about appearing flawless; it’s about standing firm in truth, even when it's uncomfortable.

Everyone Has a Role to Play

Paul and Peter had different assignments. Paul was called to preach to the Gentiles, Peter to the Jews. Their missions were distinct, but both were essential to God’s plan and equally as important. We must recognize that everyone in the body of Christ has a unique, purpose-filled assignment. Just because someone’s journey looks different from ours doesn’t mean it’s less important. Instead of tearing one another down over differences, we should honor each other’s God-given assignments. Unity isn’t about sameness—it’s about mission. When we embrace that, we move forward together.

The Power of Restoration

The beauty of Peter’s story is that failure wasn’t the end. He had messed up before—denying Jesus three times, struggling with doubt—but God’s grace remained. Paul’s confrontation in Galatians 2 wasn’t meant to condemn Peter, but to restore him to the truth of the gospel. What we need to remember here is the reason why Paul was able to do this is because he saw himself in Peter: one who committed atrocities against the Church…except his looked a little different. Through these two, we see that persecution can look like killing those building God’s Church, and it can also look like excluding those whom God has included and leading others into the same deception; a different type of death. And Peter, despite his mistakes, realized this, repented, and continued in his calling.

Your testimony isn’t about perfection; it’s about redemption. Maybe you’ve fallen short, maybe you’ve struggled with hypocrisy, maybe fear has held you back. But God’s love restores. The question isn’t whether you’re tarnished—it’s what you do after the tarnish is revealed. Will you hide, or will you allow God to shape your story into one that reflects His grace?

— Jordan Brown

Pastor (Ministries and Outreach) [OV] Church

I Got a TESTimony

I genuinely can say that I can recall a me that I don’t even know anymore. I’m sure we all do, but yeah…if we’ve been found by Jesus and navigated the waters of becoming more Christlike then we can all admit that we probably wouldn’t recognize our past selves…at all.

This is because, simply put, some stories can only be written by God. Take a moment and think about where you were before Christ found you—before His grace changed your heart, before His truth reordered your life. The beauty of the gospel is that it does not require us to clean ourselves up before approaching God. No, it is God who does the cleaning, the transforming, and the restoring.

Paul’s story is proof of this. Once a man who hunted down Christians with relentless zeal, he became the very thing he despised—a preacher of the gospel. How does something like that happen? Simple: God’s grace is greater than any past, more powerful than any sin, and capable of turning even the hardest heart into a testimony of His love. Paul didn’t just change his mind; his entire being was made new. That’s the kind of transformation only God can do.

A Testimony That Speaks for Itself

True change doesn’t need a public relations campaign. When God does something real in your life, people will see it. Paul didn’t have to announce that he was a different man. The people around him could see it. The same Paul who once persecuted the church was now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. That’s the kind of testimony that makes people stop and say, “Only God.”

And here’s the thing—your testimony is supposed to do the same. It doesn’t have to be dramatic to be powerful. The question is not how flashy your transformation is, but whether it’s real. Does your life reflect the undeniable work of God? Can people look at you and see that something is different? If so, your testimony is already doing the work of pointing others to Christ. If not, maybe it’s time to ask: What has Christ done in me that I haven’t acknowledged?

Called for a Greater Purpose

Salvation is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning. Many people rejoice in being saved but never ask, “What was I saved for?” Paul didn’t just receive salvation; he received an assignment. He understood that the grace that saved him was the same grace that sent him.

God’s call on your life is not a suggestion. He didn’t redeem you so that you could return to life as usual. There is a work to be done—a Kingdom to build, a mission to fulfill. You don’t need anyone else’s permission to walk in the purpose God has set before you. Paul didn’t consult with others to validate his calling; he simply obeyed. The same is true for you. If God has called you, step forward. Walk in the work He has prepared for you.

The Power of a Life Redeemed

Paul’s testimony wasn’t just for him—it was for those who would witness it. A genuine encounter with Jesus always results in a testimony that points back to Him. And when people see the power of Christ at work in someone’s life, they have only two choices: to deny it or to glorify God because of it.

Your testimony is not just about you. It’s about what God is doing through you. And that’s why you can’t afford to keep quiet about it. Share your story. Let the world see the evidence of God’s goodness in your life. Because when all is said and done, one thing will remain true: God has written a story worth telling.

— Jordan Brown

Pastor (Ministries and Outreach) [OV] Church