“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 (NIV) Your jersey will determine your opposition. What team are you playing for? If you have turned your life over to Jesus Christ then you are wearing the Jesus jersey. You have been adopted […]
Author: Stephen Trammell
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32 (NIV) The gas light just came on. You keep driving as you wonder how far you can go before you run out. The farther you drive the more […]
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Conformity
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 (NIV) How did Bathsheba make it into the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1:6? How did you make it into the family tree of Christ? Bathsheba and you are […]
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV) While you were sleeping, God was working. He does not sleep. God is always at work. His work is continuous and consistent. Whatever you are facing today, God is […]
“But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands…” Jer 18:4 (NIV) Whenever you purchase an item that has an “as is” tag on it, you accept the fact that it may be flawed. In other words, the item may not be perfect. The beauty of salvation is that God […]
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; […]
“…and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,” Matt 1:6 (NIV) In the first chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, four women are named in the genealogy of Christ: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Mary. Uniquely, there is a fifth woman listed in the […]
“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Tim 1:5 (NIV) My dad became a severe alcoholic which led to my parents’ divorce when I was seven years old. As a result, I grew […]
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Resentment
“‘Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. “Your brother has come,” he replied, “and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’” […]
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Participation
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10 (NIV) God places the righteousness of Christ in us at salvation. His impartation of purity makes us fit for the Kingdom of God. Our response should be that of participation in the perpetual process of purity. We work out […]
“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” Psalms 51:3 (NIV) How’s your memory? Can you remember your favorite vacation from your childhood? Can you remember learning how to swim or braving the high diving board for the first time? Do you remember the day you got your driver’s license? There’s power […]
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Transition
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalms 46:1-3 (NIV) Are you currently facing any of life’s transitions? Maybe you are […]
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Personalization
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” Psalms 51:1 (NIV) David came to the point of desperation after committing the sins of adultery and murder. God used the prophet Nathan to confront David. Nathan used a parable to personalize David’s sin and then injected the […]
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Compassion
“The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” Psalms 116:5 (NIV) God’s resources are unlimited. Try to measure the depth of God’s love. Seek to weigh the hand that keeps the planets in orbit. Ponder the expanse of God’s consistent flow of gracious compassion. The prodigal son’s father exhibited God’s nature and […]
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Distinction
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But […]
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost […]
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Disposition
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” Luke 15:21 (NIV) There is power in the recognition of your true disposition. You can shroud your persona with a facade that exudes perfection while your inner life embodies disarray. Disguising the […]
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 (NIV) Have you ever felt a distance between you and God? Have you experienced seasons where God seemed far away? […]
“So he got up and went to his father.” Luke 15:20 (NIV) There are so many options out there. Think about it. You will decide what to wear today. You will decide how you are going to interact with people today. You will decide where you will go throughout the day. You will decide what […]
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Desperation
“He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.” Luke 15:16 (NIV) Desperate situations demand desperate measures. For a human being to get low enough to crave the slop that pigs eat defies logic. However, as Steve Farrar says in his book, Finishing Strong: […]
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Distractions
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” Luke 15:13 (NIV) How does a runner prepare for a marathon? He removes distractions that would impede his progress and focuses his energy and effort on intentional training. One of […]
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Restoration
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to […]
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalms 46:10 (NIV) Hit the pause button! Wait! Stop! Hold on a second! Don’t move! Freeze! Relax! Be still! Why are we in such a hurry? Why are we sprinting in this marathon called life? Why […]
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Identification
“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, […]
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Intentionality
“The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” Acts 8:34-35 (NIV) Be intentional! Make a bee-line to the cross! Maximize the opportunities that God brings to you each day. Don’t […]
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Sensitivity
“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” Acts 8:30-31 (NIV) Is availability enough? If you make yourself available […]
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Availability
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road–the desert road–that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to […]
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Soul Consciousness
“The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” Jer 8:20 (NIV) How much time do you have left on earth? How many people will die without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ within the next twenty-four hours? What difference will your life make in light of eternity? Jesus modeled a […]
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Confidence
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Heb 4:16 (NIV) Approaching the throne of grace with confidence is not equated with arrogance. Confidence is acknowledging your enablement through God working in you and through you. Arrogance is rooted in self […]
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Sufficiency
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” Heb 4:15 (NIV) Are you struggling? Are you hurting? Do you ever go through seasons of loneliness? Have you encountered frustration or […]