“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) If you have become a child of God through faith in Jesus alone, then you are a priest before God. Your new identity in Christ has given you direct access to God. You do not need to go through a human mediator. The priesthood of every believer is the reality for those adopted into God’s forever family. As a priest before God, start your day with God. Make it your daily spiritual discipline to start your day with the One who saved you. Do as Jesus did during His earthly ministry. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35 NIV). Carve out time to start your day with your Creator. Start your day with God by feeding on His Word, communing with Him in prayer, and receiving His daily provision. Guard your daily intimacy with the Lord. You will have to strive to protect this most important daily spiritual discipline. Many other things will tug at your time, energy, and attention. What needs to change in your daily routine in order to start your day with God? Have you found a place to have your time alone with God without interruption? Prepare for this daily spiritual discipline. Develop a plan for reading through the Bible. Try to read at least one chapter from the Bible each morning. If you choose to read four chapters each day, you will read through the entire Bible in one year. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Author: Stephen Trammell
“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49 (NIV) Your priorities will determine how you invest your time and energy. If you value what God values then His priorities will be reflected in your schedule. For example, after Jesus rose from the dead and revealed Himself to the disciples He affirmed that He would send what His Father promised. If the disciples value what God values, then they are going to Jerusalem to await the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. Their number one priority is obeying God. Their priorities will be validated by their obedience to the command of Jesus. The good news is that 120 believers gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem and experienced ten days of anticipation and obedience. They were willing to value what God values. They were willing to allow God’s priorities to be their priorities. As a result, they cleared their schedule and allocated their time and energy to obey Jesus. What was the result? The day of Pentecost, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the salvation of 3,000 souls! What will your schedule look like today? How will your time be allocated? Dave Ramsey says, “Tell your money where to go!” You must also tell your time and energy where to go. You have 86,400 seconds to allocate within the next twenty four hours. Now let’s take a look at your life. What does your schedule say about your priorities? What do you value? Are you willing to make necessary adjustments to bring your life into alignment with what God values? Take the initiative! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:22-23 (NIV) Jesus prayed that believers would be brought to complete unity. Jesus reconciled us to God through His atoning death on the cross. Every believer has been adopted into God’s forever family. Our unity in the midst of diversity is a witness to the watching world that Jesus has loved us just as the Father has loved Him. Unity is not natural. Displaying unity in the midst of apparent diversity is supernatural. Our new identity in Christ enables us to experience authentic community with other believers. As we deny ourselves and seek to consider others better than ourselves, we will exhibit the unity that brings glory to God. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal 3:28 (NIV) “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Eph 4:3 (NIV) In Christ, we are one with other believers. The Trinity, namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit model unity. We are to exhibit that same unity with those who are children of God. Are you seeking to keep the unity of the Spirit in the relationships you have with other followers of Christ? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.’” John 5:8-10 (NIV) What brings you personal comfort? What do you long for each day? Maybe you desire to be rid of relational tension. Maybe your idea of comfort is being nestled behind a good book. Perhaps you long for the mornings when you are winding up or you long for the evenings when you are winding down. The environment that brings you comfort may be that of peace and quiet or laughter and passionate verbal interaction. The invalid of 38 years received the comfort of instant healing when Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” And “at once” that man was healed. There was no delay. After 38 years, the lame man’s healing came instantly. The comfort of his instant healing was strained by the poison of legalism. The Jews were unable to celebrate the miracle of this man’s healing because they were so transfixed on the fact that Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath. Their legalism kept them from recognizing the Lord. Legalism bypasses relationship. God has not saved you from your sin and sealed you by His Holy Spirit so that you will live in the bondage of legalism. In Christ, God has saved you so that you can walk in the freedom of your new identity in Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Motivation from God
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1 (NIV) Where would we be without God’s mercy? The mercy we have received from God motivates us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. His mercy is our motivation. God became like us so that we could become like Him. In His mercy, God allowed us to experience the forgiveness of our sins and He replaced our unrighteousness with the righteousness of Christ. Apart from God’s mercy, we have nothing to offer. Think about that for a moment. The only way we can fulfill our spiritual act of worship as living, holy, and pleasing sacrifices is by receiving and reciprocating God’s mercy. Only the redeemed can present a living sacrifice. God’s mercy makes us fit for that service. What we have to offer God through our spiritual act of worship is packaged in God’s mercy. The marvelous mercy of God embodies His love, grace, kindness, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, righteousness, faith, justification, sanctification, and glorification. God’s mercy is displayed by what we have received from God as revealed in Romans 1-11. God’s mercy is demonstrated by what we choose to give to God in response to His mercy as revealed in Romans 12-16. Do you offer your body as a living, holy, and pleasing sacrifice to God? This is the spiritual act of worship that God’s mercy makes possible. Identify what you have received from God. Celebrate your identity in Christ and the eternal security you have in Christ. Rejoice in the reality of your personal and eternal relationship with Christ. Keep God’s mercy in view and be consistent in offering your body as a living sacrifice to honor God and to benefit others. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Comfort from God
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Cor 1:3-4 (NIV) God is the Father of compassion. He is the God of all comfort. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. God blesses us with experiences that elevate our need for Him. We come to realize our dependency upon God and how desperate we really are for God. Grief is an ongoing pain that resides within us as we try to navigate a path without someone who has meant so much to us. Grief can be encountered as a result of job loss, a shift in our personal health status, or a shattered dream. Are you currently experiencing any level of grief in your life? Can you identify the source of your grief? God does not bring comfort into our lives in order for us to be comforted alone. God brings comfort into our lives during seasons of pain and difficulty so that we can also comfort others who go through trying circumstances. We come to know God by personal experience. We become better equipped to bring comfort to others. Who are you building a bridge of comfort to? Who has God brought into your path lately who simply needs to know God’s comfort through you? That’s one of the many ways that God redeems your pain. Have you been the recipient of God’s compassion? Have you come to know His comfort through personal experience? Dispense the compassion you have received to serve others. Build a bridge to those in need of God’s comfort. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Reaching the Lost
“For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:2-3 (NIV) Jesus values reaching lost people. As Jesus was praying in the Upper Room, the Disciples had the privilege of overhearing the sacred communication. Jesus identified the authority He had been given to give eternal life. Then Jesus defined eternal life as that of knowing God and knowing the One whom God had sent. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Lk 19:10). His mission was to bring salvation to fallen humanity. The entirety of Jesus’ life and ministry was centered upon reconciling the world to God. Jesus provided eternal life through His atoning work on the cross. “‘Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.’” John 3:36 (NIV) “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12 (NIV) Do you place the same value on reaching lost people that Jesus did in His earthly ministry? If His life was focused upon bringing people into the kingdom of light, shouldn’t that be our mission? Decide to view people through the eyes of Jesus. He established our value and their value on the cross. The price Jesus paid for the penalty and removal of our sins is far too much to calculate. If you ever wonder how much Jesus values reaching lost people, just look to the cross. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.’” John 17:1 (NIV) Jesus values bringing 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. Jesus prays for Himself, He prays for the Disciples, and then He prays for future followers, which includes us. You can discover what is important to people by listening to their prayers. The Disciples had the privilege of overhearing this prayer of Jesus while they were in the Upper Room. 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. 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. Everything Jesus said and everything Jesus did was to bring 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? Eliminate motives that are contrary to God’s heart. Eradicate the corrosive attitudes that dishonor the Lord. Bring your life to the place of living to bring glory to God. God deserves all of the glory for what He has rescued you from and saved you for. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
God’s Compassion
“The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” Psalm 116:5 (NIV) The prodigal son’s father exhibited God’s nature and character as he embraced his repentant son. The father’s compassion demonstrated that he valued his son’s return more than he judged his son’s rebellion. What does righteousness in action look like? Well, it looks like a father showing compassion to a wayward son. 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. David painted a portrait of the nature and character of God as that of being full of compassion. Aren’t you eternally grateful that our Living God is the God of Compassion? His compassion is His righteousness in action. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 NIV). What does compassion look like in your life? When have you experienced the compassion of God? Imagine your life without God’s righteousness in action. What if God withdrew His compassion from your life today? Pray with me: “Father, thank You for being a God of communication. We praise You for making Your compassion known to us even while we were living in rebellion and disobedience. We marvel at Your patience with us. Enable us to live in light of Your compassion today. Empower us to extend Your compassion to others in the measure that You have extended Your compassion to us. May others see Jesus in us through every interaction and interruption that You allow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Celebration or Rejection
“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 when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’” Luke 15:28-30 (NIV) If you have ever lost anything that you valued then you know what it feels like to celebrate when the recovery is made. Can you imagine someone you treasure being displaced? Do you sense the anticipation of their return? How would you respond? The prodigal son was fortunate to have a father waiting, watching, and anticipating his return. However, the older brother was not in a celebratory frame of mind. He was bitter and resentful. The older brother could not understand why his father would throw such a massive party for his young wayward brother. It just did not make sense. The father made a distinction between the two brothers. Did you see it in the passage? The father affirmed the older son’s distinction by acknowledging their special connection that was not hindered by the younger son’s rebellion. On the other hand, the father made a clear distinction by identifying that the younger son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. The prodigal son was in desperate need of the father’s mercy, grace, and love. Have you been there? Spend some time thinking about how God has fathered you through difficult times. Aren’t you grateful that He doesn’t give you what you deserve? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“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 and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:22-24 (NIV) After a few minutes of channel surfing on your television you will discover that the media ruthlessly demeans human beings. Cynicism, pessimism, and sarcasm permeate the air waves. In order to bestow dignity you must value the other person. How you view others will directly affect how you treat others. The prodigal son obviously negated his right for a welcome home party. He had dishonored his family name and wasted his family fortune. His lifestyle of gratifying his sinful appetite would have seemingly burnt the bridges back home. However, the prodigal son’s absence of dignity did not circumvent the presence of dignity the father beheld. The prodigal son’s negligent behavior did not evaporate the father’s love. The father was willing to look beyond his son’s sin and embrace his son’s value. The father was willing to retrieve the diamond in the rough. The prodigal son’s reception was not based on his sin but on the father’s endless source of love. Sound familiar? God doesn’t give us what we deserve. Now that is mercy! God also gives us what we do not deserve. Now that is grace! His love shines through our failure and selfishness in order to bring the dignity of Christ into our lives. Our value is based on His unconditional love. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Disposition Recognition
“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 reality of your inner self has the potential to delay being found out. However, the manifestation of your true disposition will appear at some point. God has a way of exposing our current reality. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Gen 3:8-10 (NIV) When God asked Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” He was not perplexed that He had misplaced the crown of His creation. His question was not one of confusion related to an inability to find the couple that He created. His question was to heighten their recognition of their true disposition. God wanted Adam and Eve to recognize their current reality. The prodigal son identified his true disposition and responded with the confession, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Consider the holiness of God. Are you sensing a need for confession in light of His holiness and your true disposition? His purity exposes our sinfulness. He graciously offers forgiveness. Get honest before God and encounter His love at a new level. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Close the Gap
“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) You determine the level of intimacy you have with God. The gap widens as you drift from God’s plan and God’s pursuit. When you become fixated on your personal agenda and seek to fulfill your fleshly cravings, the intimacy you once enjoyed with God erodes. Have you ever felt a distance between you and God? Have you experienced seasons where God seemed far away? Who moved? Remember, the prodigal son made the life altering decision to get up and go back to his father. Notice how the prodigal son was still a long way off when his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. Who ran? Well, the son ran away from his father and then decided to return. The father ran to his son. That blesses my heart. The father ran to his son! God draws us near in salvation and we respond by drawing near to Him through daily intimacy. When we make poor choices or neglect our love relationship with God, we are to return to God by confessing sin specifically and instantly. Sin grieves the heart of God and quenches the Spirit of God living in us. We navigate the relational proximity by our response to God’s compassion. Close the gap by responding to God’s redeeming love. Your performance and your productivity do not grant you access into the reservoir of God’s compassion. Come to God in brokenness and humility as you recognize your dependency upon Him. God loves you completely and has a wonderful plan for your life. Remember, God factored in your sin and made the provision for your cleansing and renewal. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Decisions Determine Direction
“So he got up and went to his father.” Luke 15:20 (NIV) God has enabled you to make decisions. As you know, with that kind of privilege comes an awesome responsibility to decide responsibly. 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 kind of attitude you will exhibit today. The prodigal son decided to leave his father’s presence, protection, and provision in order to embrace a lifestyle of instant gratification. His perpetual poor decisions led him down the muddy path into the pigpen. In the midst of the painful and devastating consequences proportionate to his poor decisions, the prodigal son made a decision that radically changed his future. He decided to get up and go back to his father. Joshua illuminates the power of making wise decisions when he says, “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Josh 24:14-15 NIV). Don’t delay. Don’t procrastinate. You do not have to get your life in order before you decide to come back to our loving Heavenly Father. Come as you are and allow God to put you back together. His love is unconditional and His plan is personal and eternal. Your decision will determine the direction of your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Invitation to 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 called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father. “ Luke 15:17-20 (NIV) You are not a robot. God created you with the capacity to accept His plan or to reject His plan. He made you to be relational. You can respond to God’s offer of restoration or you can choose to go your own way. God grants the freedom to accept Him or reject Him. By the power of His Holy Spirit, He comforts and convicts. He guides and He provides. However, God will allow you to freedom to choose a selfish path or a selfless path. He will alert you when you are taking a path that is not His best for you. Yet, God will allow you to maneuver in the direction of your choice. The prodigal son made a poor decision when he selfishly requested his share of the estate so that he could carelessly spend it. Yet, God allowed him to get to the pigpen level of living. It was there that the prodigal son came to his senses and made the life-giving decision to get up and go back to his father. Where are you in your walk with God? Are you in the center of God’s will or have your drifted from God’s best? You can come back home to the Lord. His invitation to restoration has been delivered to your address. How will you respond to His offer? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Antidote to 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 Satan’s primary tools is to keep us distracted from God’s plan. We begin to major on the minors and minor on the majors. We drift from our core values and seek to embrace superfluous agendas. The prodigal son allowed the allurements of the distant country to distract him from his father’s plan. He sought to bypass his father’s protection and provision in order to court a cheap but appealing substitute. Sin never delivers what it promises. What’s the antidote to distractions? How do you overcome the lure of leaving the straight life? Here it is: Make up your mind! “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:1-3 NIV). Set the trajectory of your hear and your mind on things above. Look up and make up your mind! Pray this prayer with me: “Lord, I have made up my mind. Since I have been raised with You, I will set my heart on things above where You are seated at the right hand of God. Lord, I have made up my mind. I will set my mind on things above and not on earthly things. I have made up my mind. Since you died on the cross for me, my life is now hidden with You in God. I have made up my mind in Jesus’ Name, Amen.” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Devotion and Diligence
“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.” Prov 23:17 (NIV) On this Mother’s Day think about the devotion and diligence your mom has emulated. Think about the sacrifices she made to help you become the person God created you to be. Where would you be without her investment in your life and her willingness to believe in you and to pray for you? Allow her devotion and diligence to inspire you as you continue your walk with God. 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 the minority. You may forfeit popularity in this sin-saturated culture, but you will not forfeit your position in Christ. You may not be affirmed by society for your faithfulness to God, but God will reward you because He is all knowing and takes care of His own. Don’t allow the prosperity of the wicked to distract you in this life. Don’t allow the visible affluence of the disobedient to diminish your passion for the things of God. Always be zealous for the Lord. Guard your heart and fortify your passion for God. Revere God as your Heavenly Father. Revere God as the One who created you, pursued you, rescued you, and empowers you for victorious living. Revere God for His holiness. Revere God for His nature and character. Demonstrate your devotion to God by your unwavering allegiance to His redemptive plan. Thank God for the devotion and diligence your mom exemplified. Continue to be devoted to God’s agenda and diligently seek to bring honor to God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Express the Message
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:20-21 (NIV) Express the message; you became the righteousness of God. God took the initiative to do for you what you could not do for yourself. God built the bridge you could not build. He established the only way for you to come into a vibrant love relationship with Him. How did God make this eternal relationship possible? God made Jesus to be sin for you so that you could become righteous like Him. At the moment of your salvation, you received the imputed righteousness of Christ. God justified you through your faith in Christ. As a result of the divine transaction, your identity has shifted from that of a lost person to that of a saved person. You are now in Christ and reconciled to God. In Christ, you have been called and commissioned to share the most important message on the planet. You have been armed with the cure for the cancer of sin. The message of reconciliation that brought you into a growing relationship with Jesus is the same message you are to share with others. You are an ambassador for Christ. God has saved you and filled you with the Holy Spirit to enable you to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. Express the message of reconciliation. Just as you have become the righteousness of God in Christ, you can share the message of reconciliation with others. Will you allow God to use you as an ambassador for Christ? Will you continue the ministry of Jesus on this broken planet full of broken people? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Extend the Ministry
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Cor 5:18-19 (NIV) Extend the ministry; you are reconciled to reconcile. The freedom we enjoy in America comes at a great price. Thousands of men and women have given their lives in service to our country to preserve our freedom. We are blessed to worship God corporately without fear of invasion. Thank God for our fallen warriors and their families. Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for our reconciliation. Jesus died to provide for the forgiveness of our sins and to remove the barrier separating us from Holy God. Jesus was obedient to death on the cross to satisfy the righteous requirements of God (Phil. 2:8). As the sinless sacrifice, Jesus provided to us heaven and eternal life. Now that you have been reconciled to God, extend the ministry of reconciliation to those disconnected from Christ. You are reconciled in order to reconcile. You have been given this life-changing ministry from God. God has empowered you to be a minister of reconciliation. Build intentional relationships with those who are disconnected from Christ. Join God in reconciling the world to Him. Your reconciliation qualifies you to partner with God in reconciling others through Christ. Extend the ministry as God gives you opportunities this week to bring others into a saving relationship with Jesus. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Exhibit the Miracle
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17 (NIV) Exhibit the miracle; you are a new creation. In Christ, you are a new creation. The light of God’s love has illuminated your life and transformed your forever. You are no longer bound by the past. You are no longer a prisoner of sin. You have been purchased with the shed blood of Jesus. God has placed you in the display window of life to present to others the grace He has lavished on you. You are a living exhibit of the grace of God. You were shown mercy in order that Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience in you as an example to others (1 Tim. 1:15-16). Portray the grace you have received. Encourage others in their journey by displaying the new creation God has redeemed you to be. The new has come. In Christ, you have been re-created to bear His image and to bring forth His message of salvation. God has chosen you to exhibit the miracle you are in Christ. Don’t hide the grace God has extended you. Don’t conceal the mercy you have received. Continue to grow in your love relationship with Christ and choose to glow in this dark world. Allow the light of God’s love to radiate through the brokenness in your life. Portray the love of God by treating others the way God has graciously treated you. You are a living miracle of the gracious work of God. He has pursued you with His unfailing love and rescued you from eternal damnation. God has made you a new creation. Exhibit the miracle you are in Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
God Is Patient
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) Have you ever lost your patience? Waiting in a fast food line for an extended period of time has a way of testing your capacity to embrace patience. In our instant gratification saturated society, we just don’t wait well. Our lifestyles have been conditioned through advancing technology to expect everything to come to fruition in a matter of seconds. Aren’t you thankful that God is patient with us? God has graciously given us time to respond to His salvation love gift. God has been patient with us in the process of our spiritual development. In the midst of our sins of omission and sins of commission, God patiently conforms us into the image of Christ. God forgives us of our sins and cleanses us of our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God’s patience means salvation! The heart of God is for everyone to come into a vibrant love relationship with Him through Christ. God does not want anyone to spend eternity in hell. God wants everyone to come to repentance. Yet, God has given us the freedom to choose Him or to reject Him. God did not create us to be robotic, but rather to be relational. Will some perish and experience eternal separation from God? Yes! Those who fail to confess Jesus as Lord and believe in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead will spend eternity in hell (Rom. 10:9-10). God has provided the way for those who believe in Jesus to not perish (John 3:16). Have you come to repentance? Will you invest the rest of your life helping others come into a growing relationship with Jesus? Remember to be patient with others just as God has been patient with you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV) Perspective is everything. When you view life from your own perspective, the view can be incomplete. In our humanity, we may only view ten yards at a time on the football field. God sees the entire field of our lives. God is not limited by time or space. God is eternal. God was never born and God will never die. God is not decaying nor growing old. God is immutable in that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). In other words, God is. God is omnipresent. There is nowhere God is not. God is omniscient. There is nothing God does not know. Nothing ever occurs to God. Nothing catches God by surprise. Nothing happens without God’s permission. God is sovereign. He rules and He reigns. From our human perspective, a thousands years is a long time. For us, it is more than twelve times our life expectancy. God views a thousand years like a day. From God’s perspective, a day is like a thousand years. God does not operate in the confines of our human perspective. God is not limited by our finite comprehension of His eternal nature. Choose to live your life in light of eternity. Realize that there is more to this life than what you see. There is life beyond the grave. Every moment counts. Therefore, make every moment of your life count Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
The Ark of Salvation
“By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:6-7 (NIV) Sin infected the earth God created. In Noah’s day, man’s wickedness had become great (Gen. 6:5). In His holiness and righteousness, God judged sin by destroying life on earth. “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark–you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.” Gen 6:17-19 (NIV) God will not tolerate sin. Rebellion against God will not go unnoticed. Just as God’s wrath was unleashed in Noah’s day with water, God’s wrath will be released to destroy the heavens and earth by fire. This day of judgment will bring about the destruction of ungodly men. God demonstrated His mercy and grace in Noah’s day by providing the ark of safety for Noah and his family. Noah was righteous in God’s eyes and he was rewarded for his obedience. God has lavished us with His love and provided for our salvation. The ark of safety became our reality through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Knowing of the future destruction by fire, are you motivated to share God’s rescue plan with those who are disconnected from Christ? Are you willing to lead them to the ark of God’s salvation found in God’s grace alone through faith alone? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Wholesome Thinking
“Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.” 2 Peter 3:1-2 (NIV) The Bible was written over a period of 1,400 years by forty human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament is made up of thirty-nine books and the New Testament is made up of twenty-seven books. The sixty-six books are God’s revelation to us. God has revealed Himself to us through His Word so that we can know His plan and experience His love. The common thread throughout the Bible is God’s redemptive love. God pursues us with His everlasting love. In Christ, we are reconciled to God. In his second letter, Peter writes to remind his readers of the revelation they have received from God through the holy prophets and through the apostles. The message of Christ has been conveyed. Peter reminds them in order to produce unmixed and uncontaminated thinking. In Christ, right thinking produces right behavior. Wholesome thinking involves knowing God’s will and obeying God’s will. To be unmixed in your thinking is to operate your life in alignment with God’s purpose and plan. God reveals His truth so that you can live out His truth. God’s reveals His agenda so that you can fulfill His agenda. Recall what you have learned. Recite the Bible verses you have memorized. Apply God’s truth in your daily decisions. Prepare for the future by obeying God’s Word today. Are you obeying what God has already revealed to you? Are you walking in the light God has provided? Is your thinking pure, unmixed, and uncontaminated? Where there is purity there is clarity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
The Last Days
“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” 2 Peter 3:3 (NIV) We are living in the last days. Don’t be surprised by the turbulence of the times. Those who laugh at the things of God and dismiss the activity of God will continue to increase in number. Scoffers will litter the landscape of this life as we get closer to the coming of Christ. Wickedness will increase and love will deteriorate (Mt. 24:12). The fleshly desires of the unsaved will be fertilized and fed. Understand your current reality. Where do you fit in the flow of end time events? Are you on the winning team? Have you received God’s offer of salvation in Jesus and turned your life over to Him? If you are in Christ, you are secure for eternity. However, you must be cognizant of the features of the end times. Sin will parade the property on this fallen planet. The scoffers will obey the cravings of their sin nature. Their behavior will reflect their disregard for plan of God. Be alert to the presence of sin. Be mindful of the pervasiveness of sinful conduct. Satan realizes that his time is short, so he will spare no time to unleash his assault. As the deceiver, the enemy specializes in convincing scoffers to unleash their personal rebellion against God and God’s family. If there were ever a time to get right with God, the time is now! Crucify your flesh and seek to please God with your life and your lips. Make sure that the tongue in your mouth lines up with the tongue in your shoe. Live with integrity as you surrender to the full control of the Holy Spirit in your life. Confess sin. Live above reproach. Stay close and clean. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
God’s Perfect Timing
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:4-6 (NIV) God is working. His purpose and plan will be accomplished. Satan cannot thwart God’s will. Even when you experience doubts, delays, and distractions, God is still fulfilling His agenda. God is sovereign. He rules and He reigns. God factors in our sin. God factors in the reality of demonic opposition. God is not surprised by our surprises. God’s master plan includes you. It is God’s will for you to be saved, to grow spiritually, and to join Him in His redemptive activity. Jesus took on the full wrath of God for your sin so that you could be set free to have a vibrant love relationship with God in Christ. You were filled with the Holy Spirit at the moment of your conversion so that you could continue the ministry of Jesus on this broken planet. God will complete the good work He began in you. What God starts, He always finishes! God is not through with you. You are still in the process of becoming who God has made you to be. God is molding you and shaping you into the man or woman of God He created you to be. Will you allow God to continue His work in you so that He can accomplish His work through you? Are you willing to trust God’s timing? God knows where He wants you. God knows what the finished product of His character development in you looks like. God’s timing is perfect. Entrust your life to His care. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Master Conductor
“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” Eph 1:11-12 (NIV) Has your life ever become complicated and messy? Have you traveled down a road you never thought you would navigate? Living in a fallen world tends to cause us to experience unexpected turns in life. Sometimes we make poor choices and sometimes the decisions of others negatively affect us. It could be that a relationship has diverted into unhealthy patterns or personal behaviors have drifted away from God’s best. The good news is that God is sovereign. He rules and He reigns. He always has the final say in any and every situation. Even when you make a disastrous move, God can orchestrate your path for your good and His glory. Notice how our Bible verse says that God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. He is God! There is nothing that is impossible with Him. He can handle your situation. He can handle your relationships. God orchestrates everything we encounter to bring about His will. Right now your current challenge may seem like an uphill climb dragging two dead elephants. God can take any difficult situation and orchestrate the details to conform to His plan. Are you willing to surrender your hurts, your frustrations, your disappointments, and your fears to God? Release them and entrust them to God’s sovereign care. He is the master conductor in the orchestra called life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Resurrection Power
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33 (NIV) How is resurrection power evidenced in your life? The apostles demonstrated resurrection power as they testified of the bodily resurrection of the Lord. They combated immense opposition to share the gospel. They were willing to risk everything for the sake of witnessing to the reality of the resurrected Lord. As they gave witness of the Lord’s resurrection, the grace of God was upon them. Could it be that God reserves His resurrection power for the most important task? Is it possible that God unleashes His resurrection power when you join Him in His redemptive activity? When you testify of His redeeming love, God releases His power in you to accomplish His task of spreading the fragrance of Christ. When you enter the spiritual battlefield for the souls of men, women, boys, and girls, God empowers you for the mission. Are you attempting anything that requires resurrection power? Are you living on mission with God to the extent that you are desperate for His divine enabling? God has given you everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). As you share the gospel, remember that it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). There’s no need to be ashamed. Operate in the resurrection power God provides. Allow God to take you places you have never been in your love relationship with Him. Trust God to give you the boldness and the courage to confront the culture and to present the wonderful saving news of Jesus. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Belief and Relief
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26 (NIV) Belief brings ultimate relief. Believing in Jesus brings the ultimate relief of knowing that you will never die. In Christ, you will never experience the sting of death (1 Cor. 15:55-57). Those who choose to live and believe in Jesus will never die. For the Child of God, death is not a wall to climb, but rather an open door to enter. Jesus has built the bridge to transfer a believer from life on earth to life in heaven. Martha was troubled by the death of her brother, Lazarus. She did not understand why Jesus delayed in coming to the rescue. Jesus comforted Martha and affirmed that He was the resurrection and the life. Martha placed her faith in Jesus (John 11:27). Jesus called Lazarus forth from the grave and he came out wrapped in grave clothes. Jesus commanded that his grave clothes be removed. Lazarus experienced Jesus as the resurrection and the life. Martha witnessed the miracle of resurrection. As a child of God, you are armed with the powerful message of eternal hope and security. You can personally deliver the good news that whoever confesses Christ will never die. You can participate with God in His redemptive activity by sharing the saving news of Jesus with the lost. Heaven and eternal life are fixtures in the life of every believer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Post Resurrection Ministry
“Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV) What did Jesus do? He lived a sinless life, He died a sacrificial death, and He rose bodily from the dead. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to over five hundred eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15:6). Then, Jesus ascended back to His Father in heaven (Lk. 24:51). Now what? What does Jesus do? Jesus intercedes for us. He is at the right hand of God praying for us. Jesus always lives to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25). Not only do we enjoy the fruit of His death, resurrection, and ascension, but we also continue to benefit from Jesus’ ministry of intercessory prayer. Jesus is alive and actively fulfilling God’s agenda. You can receive God’s offer of salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). You can be adopted into God’s family (Eph. 1:5). Your name can be written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27). Your sins can be forgiven (1 Jn. 1:9). You have access to everything you need for life and godliness (2 Pt. 1:3). As you abide in Christ and grow in your love relationship with Him, you have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit within you. In Christ, your salvation is secure and Jesus makes intercession for you. Not a moment goes by in which Jesus is not praying for you. Your name, your life, your circumstances, and your future continually go before our Heavenly Father through the compassionate lips of Jesus. Jesus died for you and Jesus lives to intercede for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell