“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Are you convinced that you are saved and that you will go to heaven? Are you convinced that God is who He says He is? That’s faith! Being confident of your current reality in […]
Author: Stephen Trammell
“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” John 11:5-6 (NIV) Delays are painful. We understand that God is all-knowing and that God is love, but we just don’t always fully understand God’s timing. When God doesn’t respond in […]
“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” “And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you […]
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On Your Way
“Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.” Luke 13:22 (NIV) In the final six months of His earthly ministry, Jesus stayed on mission with God. Embracing the reality of His impending sacrifice for the sins of the world and enduring the agony of the cross, Jesus […]
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Trust God’s Heart
“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) Consider all the moving parts that are featured in one single day in your life. The complexities of life are painted upon the canvas of our existence. […]
“And we know…” Romans 8:28a (NIV) What do you do when your world is falling apart? Sometimes you are surprised by the circumstances of life. Living in a fallen world generates unpredictable situations that require your response. How will you respond? Remember that God is working. God is always at work in the midst of […]
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Keeps on Aligning
“And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:27 (NIV) Your body is a house of prayer. When you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you were adopted into God’s family and your body became the temple of […]
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Keeps on Filling in the Gaps
“We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26b (NIV) Several summers I had the privilege of serving as a chaperone for some of the fifth grade boys for our annual preteen camp. One of the highlights was free […]
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Keeps on Helping
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” Romans 8:26a (NIV) Have you ever wondered what to say when you don’t know what to pray? Here’s some wonderful news from God’s Word. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We are finite and have limitations that keep us from always knowing what […]
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The Heart God Blesses
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Luke 8:15 (NIV) How well do you receive God’s Word? Your level of receptivity is a direct reflection of the condition of your heart. Your heart is the […]
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Levels of Receptivity
“’A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up […]
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The Encore of Forgiveness
“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’” Genesis 50:15 (NIV) Forgiveness is tested by memory. Only God has the capacity to forgive and forget. We have the capacity to forgive, but […]
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The Event of Forgiveness
“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me […]
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Family and Acceptance
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV) What kind of home environment did you grow up in? Was your home a safe place where love was extended unconditionally and where acceptance was granted freely? Do you recall if your home was filled with […]
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The Process of Forgiveness
“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.” Genesis 39:1 (NIV) How do you reverse the curse? How do you bring healing to the family after the virus of unforgiveness has […]
“So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.” Genesis 37:28 (NIV) If anyone ever had reason to be infused with the bile of bitterness, it would have to be Joseph. His […]
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Canopy of Commitment
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV) It is a miracle that marriage […]
“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:33 (NIV) A few years ago Tonya and I participated in the Love and Respect Conference led by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Dr. Emerson identified what he called the Crazy Cycle. During conflict in marriage, we […]
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Exalt Christ in Your Body
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20 (NIV) Each year I make a commitment to intentionally move for thirty minutes each day. My life […]
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The Real Zeal
“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.” Proverbs 23:17 (NIV) 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 […]
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) God established the home for our benefit and for His glory. God’s blueprint for the home includes order. God expects the husband and father to be the spiritual leader of the home. During my […]
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Equipped and Growing
“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of […]
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:16 (NIV) The enemy seeks to distort our identity by infusing insecurity. When insecurity infiltrates the life of a believer, fear is produced. God rescues us by affirming the reality of our new identity in Christ. God’s affirmation is dispensed through the […]
“Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:14-15 (NIV) In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were […]
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Divine Intervention
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” 1 Timothy 1:12 (NIV) On February 23, 1986, I was involved in a Jet Ski accident through which God called me to preach. I was sixteen years old and a junior at Bolton High […]
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Divine Assistance
“For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13 (NIV) Have you noticed the two roads available to you? One road aligns with your sinful nature and seeks to gratify the desires resident […]
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Facets of Forgiveness
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 (NIV) Forgiveness is always the best decision. The Bible teaches us multiple facets of forgiveness. We have the privilege of receiving God’s forgiveness provided by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. This vertical forgiveness initiated by God allows us to be in a right relationship with God. […]
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God’s Plan for You
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jer 29:11 (NIV) God has plans for your life. Where are you currently in relation to God’s plans? Have you had some bumps along the way? […]
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Live by Faith
“All these people were still living by faith when they died.” Heb 11:13 (NIV) It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish. Commit to finish well. When you study the Hall of Faith found in Hebrews chapter eleven, you will discover great men and women who chose to finish well. They were still living […]
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Living the Life
“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and […]