“‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so thatthey may see your […]
Author: Stephen Trammell
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 (ESV) You have the power to conceal or reveal God’s glory. God reveals His glory to you as you worship Him privately and corporately. Whether you encounter God […]
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Faith Revealed by Trials
“For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8 (ESV) God allows trials to come into your life to reveal your faith. Whatever is on the inside of you will come out during trials. […]
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Faith Tested by Temptation
“For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.” 1 Thessalonians 3:5 (ESV) Paul cared about the status of the faith of the church of the Thessalonians. He sent Timothy to encourage them in their faith […]
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Friends Sent by God
“And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.” 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 (ESV) Paul had a deep abiding love for the church at Thessalonica. The new believers were developing […]
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (ESV) Are you dying to live? You can spend your entire life […]
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Running the Christian Race
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” 1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV) Life is not a sprint, but a marathon. The Greeks had two athletic festivals: the Olympic games and the Isthmian games. Paul’s audience would immediately connect this running imagery […]
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Passionate Intercession
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus […]
“‘Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the […]
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Enlightened Zeal
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for […]
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Demonstrating Your Devotion
“Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.” Proverbs 23:17 (ESV) The current of our culture is counter Christian. As you seek to live out your faith in a fallen world, you will quickly discover that walking in reverence to God and in full devotion to Jesus will place you in […]
“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Romans 12:11 (ESV) What are you passionate about? What are you giving your time, energy, and resources to? What gets the best of you? You answer unveils your zeal. God placed zeal in you. Your passion is an expression of your spiritual DNA. God […]
“‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’” Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV) Jesus is always on time. He knows just what we […]
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Crossing the Finish Line
“Always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:4-6 (ESV) God is working. His […]
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Resting in God’s Timing
“And God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’” Genesis 17:15-16 (ESV) Can you imagine becoming a […]
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Practicing Bouncing Eyes
“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” Proverbs 4:25 (ESV) Eyesight is an amazing feature of the human body. God’s creation throughout the earth is awesome to behold whether taking in the sight of the blue sky in the day or the star filled sky at night or observing a […]
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Avoiding Slippery Slopes
“Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (ESV) Have you ever done something that compromised your convictions and broke the heart of God? When you look back on the experience, you still can’t believe that you did such a thing. When you get too close to the edge, you slip down the slippery […]
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Monitoring Media Input
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27 (ESV) God has called us to a lifestyle of moral purity. As followers of Jesus Christ, our constant assignment is to keep from being polluted by the world. Sin […]
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Temptation and Predictability
“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:15 (ESV) Temptation has a predictable process. James gives uses the metaphor of childbirth to capture the predictable process of temptation. In his letter to the Jews who were scattered outside of Palestine, James writes about […]
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ” James 1:13-14 (ESV) God is holy and God is love. The nature of God […]
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) Temptation is an opportunity to honor God. Our […]
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Making Wise Decisions
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!’” Luke 15:17 (ESV) Do you have someone in your life who is currently suffering the consequences of their poor choices? Everything within you wants to shift into rescue mode. You want to […]
“And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. “ Matthew 8:24 (ESV) Trials have a tendency to sneak up on us like weeds in a flowerbed. We can be living in the land of the familiar and enjoying our daily routine […]
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God’s Purpose in Delays
“As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, ‘How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.’” 1 Samuel 1:12-14 (ESV) […]
“And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:4 (ESV) Spiritual maturity may involve adversity. The child of God is not exempt from adversity. Often, God will allow adversity to enter our journey in order to move us toward spiritual maturity. God expects us to grow […]
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3 (ESV) Without a test, there is no testimony. God allows trials to come into our lives in order to prove the authenticity of our faith. We are like a tube of toothpaste, when […]
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5 (ESV) View your trials from God’s perspective. Knowledge is needed to take things apart. Wisdom is needed to put things back together. When your life is coming apart, you need God’s wisdom […]
“Count it all joy, my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3 (ESV) Rejoice is a choice. Living in a fallen world comes at a price. The consequences of sin have rippled throughout our family tree all the way back to Adam […]
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Spiritual Maturity
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of […]
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Authentically Sealed
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV) If you believe, you will receive. At the moment of conversion, you receive the […]