Author: Stephen Trammell

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Abiding in Christ

God’s Will & Your Steps

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) You have a new day before you today. Wonderful opportunities to experience God await your arrival. This day is filled with many options for you to select and decisions for you to make. God has placed inside you a desire to live, a desire to grow, and a desire to know and do His will. Obey what God has shown you. As you obey, He will show you the way. Be sensitive to His prompting as you navigate the day before you. Look to see where God is at work so that you can join Him. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV) Remember that nothing can thwart God’s will. God has the power to make all things work together in conformity with His divine will. God has a plan for your life that is unique to your life, your personality, your gift mix, and your DNA. God created you so that He can establish your steps and accomplish His will. God included you in His story of redemption. Make yourself completely available for God’s use today. He has blessed you so that you can be a blessing. Bloom where God plants you and make the most of every opportunity God gives you to spread the fragrance of Christ. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Proverbs Relationships Wisdom

Walk with the Wise

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20 (ESV) Who do you walk with? Who are the people influencing your life? God instructs you to walk with the wise and to guard against becoming the companion of fools. God has created you to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth by shining His light and by sharing His love. You are to be light in this dark world and you are to be salt in our decaying culture. Be intentional about growing in your love relationship with Christ by walking with the wise. Surround yourself with people who have a vibrant love relationship with the Lord and exemplify the wisdom of Christ. Learn from their successes and from their failures. Observe how they think and why they do what they do. Learn from their life lessons and glean from their treasure chest of wisdom. “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22 (ESV) “Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.” Proverbs 15:32 (ESV) God places people of wisdom in your life to help you develop into the person God created you to be. As you walk with the wise, you will become wise. You will have more to offer those in your sphere of influence. List the names of a few of the wise people God has placed in your life. Spend a few moments calling out each name before the Lord and thanking Him for enriching your life through those relationships. Continue to walk with the wise. Commit to become a person of wisdom so that others can walk with you. As others walk with you, may they be drawn to the wisdom of the ages, the Lord Jesus Christ! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Proverbs Redemptive Activity Soulwinning

Worth Capturing

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30 (ESV) You were worth capturing. God intentionally pursued you with His redeeming love. God poured out His love on you and lavished you with His grace and covered you with His compassion. Before you were conceived, God thought of you and developed a master plan for your life. His plan included the plan of redemption that delivered you out of the kingdom of darkness and placed you in the kingdom of light. God pursued you, redeemed you, adopted you into His family, and sealed you by His Holy Spirit so that He can produce the fruit of righteousness through your life to influence others. In Christ, you become a tree of life. You have the God-given capacity to point others to the One who gives eternal life. Your life is to branch out and to bear fruit that draws others to Christ. God has sanctified you so that you can join Him in His redemptive activity. Be sensitive to the opportunities God gives you today to capture souls. Be an irresistible influence for the Lord today and allow Him to shine His light through your life to radiate His love, His compassion, and His story of redemption. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (ESV) Every person you encounter today is worth capturing for the Lord. You will not cross paths with any human being that Christ cannot redeem. His atoning work on the cross is sufficient to save anyone, anywhere, at any time, in any culture! The fruit of His righteousness through you is a tree of life. Be wise! Capture souls! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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God's Word Proverbs Treasure

Worth Treasuring

“My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 7:1-3 (ESV) What do you treasure? What do you keep close to your heart? You cannot pursue worldliness and godliness simultaneously. While living in the world, you can bring honor to God by keeping His words and treasuring up His commandments. Value God’s Word by keeping His commandments. The life God blesses is the life fully surrendered to God’s Word. Keep His teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers and write them on the tablet of your heart. Value God’s Word by aligning your life with God’s revelation. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) Become a student of God’s Word. Read your Bible daily and seek to connect with a small group Bible study. Grow in your understanding and application of God’s Word by sitting under anointed preaching each week. Commit to a consistent intake of God’s Word and develop your spiritual muscles. Cultivate an appetite for knowing and obeying God’s Word. Share what you are learning with others so that they can benefit from your spiritual maturation. God’s Word is worth treasuring and worth sharing. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Decisions Proverbs Wisdom

Exercise Spiritual Discernment

“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27 (ESV) Have you ever peeked into the rear view mirror of life and wondered, “Why did I choose that path?” Perhaps you made a decision to go in a certain direction at a critical time in your life that catapulted you onto a path that took you places you really did not want to go. You may be living with regret even now as you revisit your moment of decision that placed you on the unhealthy path. Your daily decisions determine the direction of your life. If you don’t pick your path, a path will pick you. God wants you to walk in wisdom and to exercise spiritual discernment as you seek to operate in His will. Use Spirit infused discretion in your decision making. Ask yourself, “What is the wise thing to do?” Knowing what you know about God and His ways, make level paths for your feet. Allowing the Holy Spirit to take full possession of your life, take only ways that are firm. God has a path for you to discover and to experience personally. Sometimes the path God has for you includes delays. You may not understand why you are in a season of uncertainty, but you know that God is with you and that He will allow the fog to lift in His perfect timing. While you are waiting for God to show you the next step on this path, obey what you already know. If you are on the wrong path, make a wise decision to move in the new direction God shows you. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Discretion Proverbs Wisdom

Wisdom for the Upright

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.” Proverbs 2:6-8 (ESV) God’s way is paved with wisdom. You have unlimited options available and countless decisions to make during your earthly existence. Each day of your life is filled with choices. You have the freedom to choose your own way or to choose God’s way. You have the freedom to fulfill your personal agenda or to fulfill God’s agenda. Knowledge and understanding come from the Lord. He imparts wisdom so that you can know how to make decisions each day that honor God and benefit others. The Lord stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to you as you walk in integrity. God guards the paths of justice for they are consistent with His nature and character. God watches over the way of His saints. What do you do if you lack wisdom? Where do you turn when you do not know which direction to take or what decision to make? “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6 ESV). Walk in the light God gives you. Stay broken before the Lord and dependent upon His daily provision. Remain teachable as the Lord imparts His wisdom and understanding. Use discretion as inspired by God to make wise decisions. Allow time for God to affirm the direction He wants you to take. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles David Service

Progressive Worship

“These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of fathers’ houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 25 For David said, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.’” 1 Chronicles 23:24-26 (ESV) The Levites experienced a transition in their role before the Lord. They were assigned to carry the tabernacle which was a tent of mobility that allowed Israel to worship God as God led them through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Under King David’s reign, the transition took place as God raised up Solomon to build the temple in Jerusalem. God had given rest to His people and chose to dwell in Jerusalem. The Levites embraced their new assignment of doing the work for the service of the house of the Lord. Worship of the Lord God transitioned from the tabernacle in the wilderness to the temple in Jerusalem. God was preparing the way for Christ to become the sacrificial lamb for our sin. When a person becomes a child of God by placing their faith in Jesus alone for salvation, that person’s body becomes the habitation of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV). In Christ, you become the walking tabernacle of God’s presence. You now have direct access to God’s presence. You don’t have to go into a tabernacle or a temple to encounter God’s presence. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles 2 Samuel David

Mourning into Dancing

“Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, ‘Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number.’” 1 Chronicles 21:1-2 (ESV) When you see God at work you can rest assured that Satan is also at work. God loves you and has a plan for your life. Satan hates you and he also has an plan for your life. God’s plan is for you to honor Him and benefit others. Satan’s plan is for you to compromise your commitment to the Lord and for you to become casual in your Christianity. In opposition to Israel, Satan incited David to drift from God’s will. David’s decision to number Israel was in violation to God’s will. “But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. And David said to God, ‘I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly’” (1 Chronicles 21:7-8 ESV). David recognized his own iniquity and acknowledged his sin before God and asked God to remove the iniquity. Mourning over his sin, David confessed the foolishness of his actions. God gave David the opportunity to choose the consequences. David chose the pestilence of the land and 70,000 men of Israel fell. David personally experienced the mercy of God. “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” Psalm 30:11-12 (ESV) Have you mourned over your sin? Confess your sin and receive God’s forgiveness and allow Him to turn your mourning into dancing. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles David Gratitude

Cultivate Gratitude

“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord God!’” 1 Chronicles 17:16-17 (ESV) King David expressed utmost gratitude for what God had done for him. Cultivate gratitude. Put gratitude in your attitude. Consider Jim Elliot’s insight, “One of the greatest blessings of heaven is the appreciation of heaven on earth.” Be thankful. Be appreciative. Be grateful. As you cultivate gratitude, you will notice that your perspective on life will become healthier. Your interaction with others will be seasoned with grace. Instead of being critical of others, you will become compassionate towards others. Gratitude will enable you to enjoy what God has given you and will enable you to appreciate the blessings God has lavished on you. “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!” Psalm 105:1 (ESV) “And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’” Revelation 7:11-12 (ESV) Cultivating gratitude will unleash God’s love in you and through you. Be thankful for what God has done to reconcile you to Himself. Be appreciative of God’s invitation for you to join Him in His activity. Be grateful for the opportunities God gives you to spread the love of Christ. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles Ark of the Covenant Obed-edom

Entrusted with the Gospel

“And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had.” 1 Chronicles 13:14 (ESV) Obed-edom must have been a very special man to be chosen to bring the ark of God into his house. For three months, Obed-edom took care of the ark of God. He was entrusted with the sacred ark. The Lord’s favor was upon Obed-edom’s household and all that he had was blessed by God. “Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” 1 Chronicles 16:23-24 (ESV) “For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (ESV) As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have been entrusted with the gospel. You have been chosen by God to declare His glory among the nations. You have the privilege and the responsibility of making Jesus known. Now that you know Jesus personally, make Him known intentionally. What are you doing with the gospel entrusted to you? How are you communicating the saving news of Jesus Christ? Think about the opportunities God has given you to make Jesus known. Seize the divine appointments God orchestrates for you to join Him in His redemptive activity. God wants to use you in spreading the fragrance of Christ. Does your life draw people to Christ? Commit to point people to Jesus. You have been entrusted with the cure for the cancer of sin. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles David God's Timing

Trust God’s Timing

“All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them.” 1 Chronicles 12:38-39 (ESV) Before David became king, he genuinely served King Saul and waited patiently for God’s timing. David endured severe persecution and unfair treatment by King Saul. David’s own family doubted his suitability. By the world’s standards, David did not fit the mold. “When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” 1 Samuel 16:6-7 (ESV) God continued to work and paved the way for David to become king. In God’s perfect timing, David fulfilled the position God had established for him. Nothing can thwart God’s will and nothing can dismantle God’s impeccable timing. God will always accomplish His plan in His perfect timing. Do you trust God’s timing? Is there anything you are worrying about or fretting over? Release your fears and reaffirm your faith in the Living God. Pray specifically about those things that are weighing you down. Submit your uncertainties and your frustrations to the Lord in prayer. God looks at the heart and He knows your heart. Before God formed you He knew you personally and before you were born God set you apart for Himself. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles Justice Saul

Keep the Faith

“So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (ESV) Where do you turn for guidance? What is your source for knowing God’s will? Saul drifted from God and forfeited his faith through his willful disobedience. Instead of seeking God for guidance, he consulted a medium. Instead of keeping the command of the Lord, Saul went his own way. He did not keep the faith. As a result, the Lord allowed Saul to be put to death and gave the kingdom to David. You have the capacity to choose how you will live your life. You can embrace the way of selfishness and choose the way that satisfies your personal ambition and fleshly cravings or you can choose the way of the Lord. You can bypass the faith and take paths that are contrary to the will of God or you can seek the Lord and obey His promptings. The Apostle Paul, in his final letter to Timothy, affirmed the heavenly reward of keeping the faith. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV) Fight the good fight. Finish the race. Keep the faith. The Lord will award you with the crown of righteousness. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles Commitment David

Do Your Part

“These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order.” 1 Chronicles 6:31-32 (ESV) God blesses order. As one of my mentors would often say, “Where there is order, there is fruitfulness.” As you examine creation, you will quickly detect that God values order. God designed order in the family unit as well as in the establishment of government. David positioned the worship leaders to minister with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. They performed their service according to their order. In God’s economy, everybody matters. Everyone has a contribution to make in God’s order. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV) Who is more important, the one who plants or the one who waters? Who is more important, the one who builds a tabernacle or the one who ministers with song? Neither! It is all about God and all about what God wants to accomplish through His people. God gives the growth. God gets the glory. We are created in God’s image to fulfill God’s plan. Your function in the body of Christ is vital. You are a crucial component to the redemptive activity of God. Do your part! Invest your time, energy, and resources in doing your part to advance God’s work on the earth. Make an eternal difference right where you are. Bloom where God has planted you! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles Jabez Prayer

Jabez & Jesus

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (ESV) You can discover what is important to people by listening to their prayers. Jabez prayed for God’s blessing, for God’s abundance, for God’s provision, and for God’s protection. As Jesus prayed to His Father in heaven, He requested to be glorified by God so that He in turn could bring glory to God. There are 650 prayers in the Bible and the Gospels record nineteen occasions upon which Jesus prayed. The longest prayer we have of Jesus is found in the twenty-six verses of John 17. The Disciples had the privilege of overhearing this prayer of Jesus while they were in the Upper Room. Jesus prays for Himself, He prays for the Disciples, and then He prays for future followers, which includes us. “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.’” John 17:1 (ESV) As you study the life of Christ in the Gospels, you will discover that Jesus oriented His life around the focus of bringing glory to God. His message, His miracles, and His personal touch ministry were featured to bring glory to God. What do you value? What have you been praying? Your prayers indicate what you value. Do you value bringing glory to God? God deserves all of the glory for what He has rescued you from and saved you for. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Chronicles Genealogy God's Purpose

Orchestrated by God

“Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” 1 Chronicles 1:1-4 (ESV) People matter to God. As you read chapter one and chapter two of 1 Chronicles, you read a list of names. Some of them may be familiar to you while some of the names may seem foreign. The chronicler detailed the Davidic dynasty in Judah and traced the genealogies to demonstrate how David and Judah were chosen by God. Only one of Noah’s three sons, Shem, would be the one through whom the redemptive blessing would come. God’s story of redemption is filled with people. God uses all kinds of people to accomplish His purposes and His plans. Nothing can thwart God’s will. Remember, that life is not about your story that you invite God into. Life is about God’s story that He invites you into. Will you allow God to have His way in your life? What names do you have on your list? If you were to write down the name of every person God has used in your life to point you to Christ, to encourage you in the faith, or to model Christ before you, how many names would be on your list? God strategically places people in your life to help you become the fully devoted follower of Christ you were created to become. Throughout your journey, God sprinkles relationships along the path to draw you closer to Christ and to sensitize you to His abiding presence. Don’t rush past the people God places in your life. Slow down and enjoy the abundance of God’s blessings. Just as people matter to God, you matter to God! Allow God to use you to be an irresistible influence for His glory. You are on His list! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Identity Jesus Security

Shaped By His Love

“When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.“ Luke 4:28-30 (ESV) Jesus communicated to His hearers in the synagogue that a prophet is not accepted in his hometown. He was implying that many would miss the fact that He was the Messiah and forfeit the benefits just as many in Israel did not enjoy the benefits of the ministry of Elijah. The people were so furious with Jesus that they tried to throw him down the cliff. Jesus’ popularity in His hometown was not very positive! Your identity is not based on what people say about you. Your identity in Christ is based on what God says about you. You are shaped by God’s hand. Your destiny is determined by the loving provision of your Heavenly Father. In the midst of opposition and being misunderstood, you can stand firm in the security of your identity in Christ. “‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.’” John 15:16 (ESV) “‘If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.’” John 15:18 (ESV) Find a place of solitude and begin to eliminate the voices of falsehood and tune in to the voice of Truth! Now listen for God’s voice and allow Him to affirm your identity in Christ. Remember who you are in Christ! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Conflict Leadership Opposition

Friction

Motion causes friction! As you fulfill the vision God gives you with the passion God supplies for you, expect the enemy to generate tension. When you are on mission with God you can expect opposition. Often the friction you encounter as you are on mission with God is related to difficult people that come into your path.  Conflict is an ongoing reality in a fallen world. Don’t be surprised by the pervasive cynicism and skepticism in our culture. The human condition projects the gravitational reality of our fallenness. Decipher the cultural current and learn to swim upstream without losing your dream. Conflict is an opportunity to glorify God. As you know, it is not a matter of if you face conflict, but when you face conflict. The differentiator is how you respond to the reality of adversity. You can bring glory to God by how you navigate the canvas of conflict. Conflict will be absent when we get to heaven. That puts the race into its proper place! Conflict has a timeline as well as a deadline. You won’t have to combat conflict in heaven because conflict will not be allowed in that holy place, our eternal home. How much does it take to discourage you from fulfilling the dream God placed inside of you? Anticipate opposition. Expect resistance. Anything worthy of making an eternal difference will require perseverance. Border bullies will awaken and vision vandals will appear. Be tenacious. Be resilient. Be loyal to the vision God has given you. What if you allow the friction caused by your motion to sand off the rough edges of your character to refine you, reshape you, and propel you? Let the friction forge your faith. Let the tension transform your trajectory. Let’s go to the next level in our leadership! Leveraging Leadership Lifters, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Persecution Victory

Persecution

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10 (ESV) It has been estimated that as many as 160,000 Christians are martyred each year worldwide. Godliness generates hostility. To live for Christ is to live in constant opposition to Satan and his crafty agenda to undermine God’s agenda. You cannot wholeheartedly follow Christ and never anticipate opposition. If you are a threat to Satan, then you can expect to encounter persecution at some level. You may not face martyrdom as a result of your Christianity. But, you may be harassed for your faith in Christ in a culture that is anti-God and anti-Christian. Our culture is not Christ-centered and thus as a child of God, you will never be completely accepted and understood. The level of persecution for you may be that of trying to live out your faith in a home environment that does not honor Christ. Maybe for you it is a work environment that tempts you to compromise your convictions. Persecution may come in the form of an unhealthy relationship that stretches your faith and pushes your patience to the limit. Jesus says that you can be blessed in the midst of the persecution. You can know His abiding peace even in the darkest places and most difficult situations. Jesus promises to give you the ultimate relief from persecution by allowing you to experience the abundant life His gives on earth and eternal life in heaven. It is a win-win situation. There’s no one who can comfort you more than Jesus. He knows persecution first hand. If you are experiencing persecution at any level, turn to Jesus and receive the comfort He provides. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Peacemaking Soulwinning

Helping Others Make Peace with God

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (ESV) Peacemaking involves helping others make peace with God. As a peacemaker, you have the awesome privilege and responsibility of building a bridge to others to help them come into a saving relationship with Jesus. God reconciled you to Himself so that you could join Him in reconciling others to Himself. You have been rescued to rescue others. God has given you the ministry of reconciliation. You may think that you are not called into the ministry. However, every believer is called into the ministry of reconciliation. God has built the ultimate love bridge to you so that you can in turn build His love bridge to others. As a child of God, you not only have a ministry to fulfill but you also have a message to declare. The message of reconciliation is the wonderful news that God is reconciling the world to Himself, in Christ. The atoning work of Jesus on the cross provides for the complete and absolute forgiveness of our sins. In Christ, God does not count our sins against us. We are forgiven! We are free! We have discovered the cure to the cancer of sin. We have the remedy for the plight of sinful man. God has lavished us with His love and armed us with the most powerful life changing message on the planet. Are you helping others make peace with God? Will the population of heaven increase because of your participation in the ministry and message of reconciliation? Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Justification Peacemaking

Make Peace With God

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 (ESV) The first crucial step in becoming a peacemaker is to make peace with God. Until you are in a right relationship with God, your horizontal influence for the kingdom of God will not be fruitful. God took the initiative to provide for the salvation of your soul. Your sin debt was paid in full by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. Jesus took the full wrath of God for your sin. Jesus took your place. As a result of His work of redemption, you are justified through faith. It is “just-if-I’d” never sinned! When God sees you, He sees you through the shed blood of Jesus. Have your responded to God’s redemptive act by placing your faith in Jesus alone for your salvation? That divine transaction changes your forever. Once you have made peace with God, you become a new creation. You are filled with the Holy Spirit and adopted into God’s forever family. Your salvation is sealed by the Holy Spirit. Your security is not based on your human effort, but on God’s redeeming grace. No one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand. Now that you are in a right relationship with God, walk in the peace God provides. When that peace is threatened through compromise, confess your sin and purge your life of anything that hinders your love relationship with God. Maintain peace with God by living a life of instant obedience. The convicting work of the Holy Spirit will alert you when something enters your life that does not honor God. Confess sin immediately and allow the Holy Spirit to take full possession of your life. Will others see God’s peace in your life today? Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Jesus Peacemaking

Build the Bridge

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9 (ESV) While viewing a leadership talk delivered by Pastor Andy Stanley, I was captivated by his statement, “In eternity past, God looked upon our sin-saturated planet and asked, ‘What can I do to help?’” That concept painted a vivid image in my mind of God being the ultimate bridge builder. God created us and gave us the freedom to choose Him or to reject Him. God saw our sin and our rebellion and chose to build the ultimate bridge paved with His redeeming love. God took the initiative to come to our rescue. The bridge of hope was constructed by the sacrificial death of Jesus. The gulf of our separation has been bridged by the depth of God’s love. In this seventh Beatitude, Jesus esteems the value of our participation in continuing His ministry on the earth through being peacemakers. Peacemaking involves loving people the way Jesus modeled during His earthly ministry. Being a peacemaker means viewing others through the lens of God’s redemptive pursuit. When you place the same value on others that Jesus does, you position yourself as a peacemaker. Instead of being indifferent toward others who aren’t like you, you will have a deep abiding burden for them to know Jesus personally. Instead of building a wall to distance yourself from those Christ died for, you build a bridge to engage them with the message of salvation. Let’s choose to walk in the blessing of God by becoming bridge builders. Take the initiative to start loving people with the same redeeming love you have experienced from the heart of God. Join me in looking into the eyes of those God brings into our path and being willing to ask, “What can I do to help?” Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Jesus Purity

Positional and Practical Purity

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 (ESV) God’s standard of perfection is Christ. The purity of Christ is the bull’s-eye for the believer. To be pure in heart is to be right with God. You cannot have a right relationship with God without having a relationship with others. You cannot have a right relationship with others without having a right relationship with God. Purity is impossible without the righteousness of Christ being imparted. The impartation and imputation of the righteousness of Christ takes place at the moment of conversion. The righteousness of Christ is deposited to your account. Your new identity in Christ provides you with a righteousness that you could never produce. In Christ, you are positionally pure and fit for heaven. The Christian life is a journey of working out what God has worked in. As you grow spiritually, you learn how to exhibit practical purity as a result of your positional purity. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” Eph. 1:7-8 (ESV) “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.” Rom. 6:11-12 (ESV) The righteousness of Christ is a grace gift from God. God is holy and demands His followers to be holy. Live in light of your position in Christ. Pursue holiness in private and in public. Stay in God’s will by staying in God’s Word. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Jesus Mercy

Compassion in Action

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Matthew 5:7 (ESV) Have you ever been on the receiving end of the hurtful treatment rendered by an unmerciful person? It was not an enjoyable experience was it? Being unmerciful is a direct result of our fallen nature. However, Jesus ushered in a new way to live life on this broken planet. As you extend mercy to others horizontally, you will receive mercy vertically. The Lord will be merciful to you as you are merciful to others. When you came to trust in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you received salvation as an act of His mercy. Now that you are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, you are to extend mercy to others. Being merciful to others is not simply being possessed of pity, but putting compassion into action. It is not enough to see someone in need and to feel sorry for that individual. It is not enough to pity those who are hurting. Push your compassion into action! Mercy led Joseph to forgive his brothers and to provide them with food. Mercy led Moses to plead with the Lord to remove the leprosy with which his sister Miriam had been punished. Mercy led David to spare the life of King Saul. Mercy led Jesus to endure the agony and shame of the cross. Push compassion into action by meeting practical needs. Give food to the hungry, comfort the bereaved, love the rejected, and befriend the lonely. Give time, give forgiveness, give money, and give yourself to others. Find a need and meet it! Ask God to give you eyes to see people in need and to give you a heart to respond to their needs. Begin to look for opportunities to continue the ministry of Jesus by pushing your compassion into action. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Jesus Righteousness

Thirst Quencher

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 (ESV) You were born with a hole in your heart that only God can fill. Once you respond in faith to the vertical tug of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, you become a new creation. Your earthly appetites are replaced with the heavenly delight of knowing God personally through His Son, Jesus. Measure the treasure of desiring God, because this Spirit-prompted desire brought you into fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. Your eternal destiny is determined by the reality of this vertical relationship. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is a result of an abiding relationship with Jesus that is real, personal, and eternal. You progress from desiring God in salvation to pursuing God in sanctification. You are in the process of becoming who you are in Christ. Your hunger for righteousness will be filled. Your thirst for righteousness will be satisfied. Move into spiritual maturity by feasting on God. Righteousness is not an optional spiritual supplement but a spiritual necessity. As you hunger and thirst for His righteousness, your decisions will be guided by God’s economy. Doing life God’s way will become your passionate pursuit. Nothing will appeal to your more than pleasing God and living a life of integrity. Righteousness is the condition acceptable to God. In salvation, the atoning work of Christ on the cross makes you acceptable to God positionally. Now you are to work out your salvation practically as you live a life of instant obedience. Hungering and thirsting for His righteousness becomes your perpetual preoccupation. Desiring God is to be the focus of your conversation and your conduct as a byproduct of your salvation. Continue to grow in your passion for God. Align your life with the heartbeat of God by taking paths that bring Him glory. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Bridled Meek

Decisive Restraint

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 (ESV) Christ-centered living involves being bridled. Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control. You have the capacity to live a sinful lifestyle that will bring disrepute to Christianity and disdain to the character of Christ. The world, Satan, and your flesh have agendas to disintegrate your Christian witness. You have everything you need to embrace a sinful lifestyle unbridled. You can choose to walk in the flesh right now and commit the most heinous of sinful acts. However, the Christ-centered life is one of decisive restraint. The Christ-centered life is submitting to the full control of Christ in your life. It is consciously choosing to give Jesus the reigns to your life. Instead of trying to live the Christian life in your own strength, you allow Jesus to live His life in you and through you. Your fleshly desires and carnal propensities are brought under the rule and reign of Christ. “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.” Gal. 2:20 (ESV) Be gentle in how you treat others. Surrender to the Spirit’s control in your life. Center your life on Christ. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Brokenness Sin

Good Grief

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (ESV) Are you constantly broken over your sinfulness? Christ-centered living involves brokenness. In the language of the New Testament, there are nine different words used to describe sorrow. The Greek word Jesus uses here is the strongest of the nine. This level of mourning is equated with grieving over the death of a loved one. Mourning over your sin is a prerequisite for receiving comfort. Brokenness over sin leads to confession of sin which leads to forgiveness of sin. Thus, brokenness precedes blessing. One cannot come into the Kingdom of God without being broken over sin. Without true repentance, there is no salvation. Once a person becomes a child of God, he or she must be continually broken over his or her sinfulness. We must love what God loves and hate what God hates. Those who are continually mourning will be continually comforted by God. “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.“ Psalm 51:3-4 (ESV) “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” 2 Cor. 7:10 (ESV) Step 1: Demonstrate godly sorrow for your sin. Step 2: Confess and repent of your sin. Step 3: Receive God’s forgiveness and comfort. Don’t ever get numb towards sin. Allow God to keep you sensitive to sin. Sin should break your heart just like it breaks the heart of God. Now walk in the freedom you have in Christ. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Beatitudes Happiness Pride

Take Pride for a Ride

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 (ESV) Delays, detours, and distractions are common in this life. Sin, sickness, and sorrow permeate the landscape of our humanity. Is it possible to find happiness while living in a fallen world? The keys to happiness are found in the Beatitudes. Jesus is the greatest preacher who ever lived and preached the greatest sermon ever preached. The happiness Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes is not based on circumstances or external conditions. Happy, blissful, and blessed are those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before a holy God. Pride has no part in Christ’s kingdom. The door into His kingdom is low, and no one who stands tall in pride will ever go through it. The world emphasizes self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-expression. Jesus went into the display window of life and changed all the price tags. Jesus countered what the world values and ushered in the kingdom values that bring honor to God. “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Prov. 16:5 (ESV) “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov. 16:18 (ESV) Take pride for a ride. Instead of an ego trip, we need to go on an integrity trip. Get honest about your destitution and your spiritual poverty before God. Identify and eliminate any fraction of pride in your life. Embrace the way of humility and recognize your dependency upon God and His abundant grace. Uncover the poison of pride. You will never reach your full redemptive potential while fertilizing pride in your life. Pride has no place in the Christian life fully yielded to the Lordship of Christ. The poison of pride will inhibit the fruit of the Spirit and stifle your effectiveness in the kingdom. Take pride for a ride! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Easter Jesus Resurrection

The Tomb Is Empty

“But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.’” Matthew 28:5-6 (ESV) Are you looking for Jesus? He has risen! Death has been conquered. Sin has been atoned for. Forgiveness has been made available. Reconciliation has been established. Satan has been defeated. Hell has been invaded. Heaven has been decorated: gates of pearl, streets of transparent gold, river of the water of life, the tree of life, light from the Glory of God, light from the Lamb of God, no more night, no longer any curse, absence of tears, absence of mourning, absence of crying, absence of pain, and the presence of jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, carnilian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.” Rom. 6:8-10 (ESV) “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Rom. 6:4 (ESV) Are you living in light of the resurrection of Jesus? Are you walking in anticipation of heaven? The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you. The tomb is empty. The victory has been won. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Adversity Crucifixion Servitude

Opportunity in Adversity

“And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’” Mark 15:39 (ESV) What was it about the final hours of Jesus’ life that made an eternal impact on the centurion who approved of the crucifixion of Jesus? What were the features of Jesus’ death that convinced the centurion that Jesus was the Son of God? I wonder how many crucifixions this centurion had witnessed before he even knew Jesus existed. Perhaps the centurion had personally witnessed hundreds of these executions. There was something about the way Jesus died that changed everything for this centurion. Maybe the centurion overheard the conversation between Jesus and the thief on the cross who said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42 ESV). Jesus responded to the thief, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43 ESV). Perhaps the centurion saw the grace of God in action as Jesus put the needs of someone else before His own. The centurion could have been standing close enough to overhear Jesus say to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” and to the disciple whom Jesus loved, “Behold, your mother!” (John 19:26-27 ESV). Maybe the centurion detected the deep love that Jesus had for His mother and the compassion Jesus extended from the cross. In the midst of extreme adversity, Jesus made sure His mother’s needs would be met. Of all the crucifixions the centurion assisted in, perhaps he had never seen such love. Adversity creates unique opportunities to show the love of Jesus as you serve others. Jesus exemplified servitude in the midst of extreme adversity. Are you watching for opportunities to serve others while you navigate the terrain of adversity? Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Crucifixion Jesus Obedience

Good Friday

“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30 (ESV) Jesus died so we could live. Our destiny was destruction. Our identity was diluted by sin. Our iniquity was placed upon Jesus (Isa. 53:6). Jesus became sin for us so that we could be recipients of His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus bore our sins on the cross. The penalty for our sin was atoned for. Jesus paid our sin debt in full. It is finished! “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Pet. 2:24 (ESV) “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 (ESV) God took the initiative to communicate His unconditional love (Rom. 5:8). The cross is a visible and tangible demonstration of God’s redeeming love. Jesus died as the sinless atoning sacrifice for you. You can now die to sin and live for righteousness. His physical wounds spiritually heal you. When God sees you, He views you through the shed blood of Jesus. Your life is now hidden with Christ (Col. 3:3). God’s love is made complete in you. What if you started living in light of that reality? In Christ, you are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus demonstrated complete obedience to purchase your salvation. Take a moment to consider the depth of God’s love. Try to fathom the finality of the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. What if everyone you knew came to the recognition of their personal need to place their faith in Jesus alone for salvation? Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell