“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Col 3:12 (NIV) What are you displaying for a watching world to see? You are chosen, holy, and dearly loved by God. Display the garments you have been given in Christ. As a child of the Living God, you have a spiritual wardrobe that must be put on each day. God places you in the display window of life to give evidence of the reality of Jesus living His life through you. Are you exhibiting the character of Christ? Put on the garment of compassion. Let others see your compassion in action. Put on the garment of kindness. Be gracious and kind toward others by placing their needs before your own. Put on the garment of humility. Don’t think less of yourself; just think of yourself less. Consider others better than yourself (Php 2:3). Be sure to put on the garment of gentleness. Show the tenderness of Christ as you interact with others today. Are you a patient person? Put on the garment of patience and trust God’s timing. Who you are in Christ on the inside needs to be evident on the outside. As you build meaningful relationships with others, demonstrate the character of Christ. As you navigate the difficult places in life, exhibit the character of Christ. God will use the tests you face in life to help build your testimony. When you are squeezed by the circumstances of life, what is on the inside of you will come out. Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Let these garments become the fabric of your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Author: Stephen Trammell
Categories
Returning to Your First Love
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Rev 2:4-5 (NIV) The church at Ephesus had a lot going for them. They were strong in deeds, hardworking, and known for their perseverance. They sought purity of doctrine, endured hardship, and served diligently. Yet, they bypassed their love relationship with God. The church had forsaken their first love. There are so many things vying for your affection and devotion. You can give your life to an endless array of commitments and neglect the most important relationship. It is possible to give a little bit of yourself to everything and have nothing left for the most vital relationship. Keeping you fragmented is one of Satan’s goals to keep you from nurturing the life-giving relationship that Christ provides. As long as you are distracted from that which is eternal, Satan knows that your effectiveness in the Kingdom of God will be stifled. Do you remember when your love relationship with Christ was your top priority? Measure how far you have drifted from that passionate intimate relationship you had with Christ. Repent! Choose to go a new direction by forsaking those things that hinder your love relationship with Christ. Give your full devotion to the One who died sacrificially so that you could live abundantly and eternally. Return to guarding your love relationship with Christ. Give the best of your life each day to the One who deserves first place in your life. Make a standing appointment with the Lord each morning to spend time with Him. Yield your life to the One who gave you life! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Living By the Spirit
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Gal 5:16-17 (NIV) Every believer is living in two worlds: the world of the Spirit or the world of the sinful nature. Light and darkness abound. They are in conflict with each other. As a result, the believer has to combat the gravitational pull of the sinful nature. At salvation, a believer receives the Holy Spirit and is made fit for heaven. However, the believer retains the sinful nature and must daily crucify the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Have you been combating the cravings of the flesh? Have you noticed that your sinful nature is addicted to sin? However, you must daily crucify the flesh. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires”(Gal 5:24 NIV). In Christ, you must starve the flesh. Whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Feed the Spirit living in you and starve the cravings of your sinful nature. Do not be a slave to sin. Choose to be a slave to righteousness. Pray with me: Father, thank You for redeeming me from my sin. You have rescued me from this body of death. You have brought me out of the kingdom of darkness and placed me in the kingdom of Light. Help me to crucify the sinful nature and to live by the Spirit. Enable me to live the Christ-centered life in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Protect me from the flaming arrows of the evil one. Help me to finish strong for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” Col 3:8 (NIV) Is it possible to stay clean while living in a dirty world? Every possibility for contaminating our lives is available to us. Sin is rampant. We face trials from without and temptation from within. The cultural current is moving in the opposite direction of the Christ honoring flow. We must make a conscious and continuous decision to walk in purity. “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Cor 7:1 (NIV) “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 (NIV) Purify yourself and perfect holiness. Purify your heart and set an example for the believers in purity. In Christ, you are positionally pure. In Christ, you are a new creation. In Christ, you are adopted into God’s family. Now live out practically what you are positionally in Christ. The only way to reign in this life is to allow Christ to reign in your life. Submit to His authority in your life. Allow Jesus to live His life through you. Staying clean while living in a dirty world is only possible in the strength Christ provides. Jesus has already set the example. Jesus has demonstrated the life of purity in a sin-polluted culture. Jesus lived a sinless life and died a sacrificial death so that you can walk in victory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Starving the Sinful Nature
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Col 3:5 (NIV) People, power, pleasure, and prestige can become idols. Idolatry is worshipping created things rather than the Creator (Rm 1:25). Anything that comes between you and God is an idol. Idolatry is the sin of the mind against God. The first two commandments of the Ten Commandments confront our propensity to have other gods and to worship idols (Ex 20:3-6). God created us for worship. We are created to worship the One true living God. God is seeking the kind of worshipers who worship Him in spirit and truth (Jn 4:23-24). Worship is in our DNA. We will worship! However, we must decide the focus of our worship. We choose who or what we worship. “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.” 1 Cor 10:14 (NIV) “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” Romans 8:8 (NIV) We are to mortify that which belongs to our sinful nature. The cravings of our sinful nature seek to pull us back into the lifestyle God delivered us from. Upon salvation, we received the imputed righteousness of Christ. We became a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Yet, we still live in this body of flesh, which craves sin. Starve the flesh. Eliminate sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. Run from sin and run to Christ. Surrender to the complete control of the Spirit. Yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Do not think about how to gratify the cravings of the sinful nature (Rm 13:14). Confess sin specifically and receive God’s forgiveness completely. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Unleashing the Life of Christ
“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Col 3:3-4 (NIV) Dying to self unleashes the life God has for you. Once you die to self and allow Christ to take over your life, the great adventure begins. From the moment of your conversion, your life is hidden with Christ in God. You are no longer your own, you belong to Christ. Because of your profession in faith, you become His possession. When God sees you, He views you through the shed blood of Jesus. You are made holy and fit for eternity. Christ is your life. Wow! That means that everything around you and everything above you takes second place. Your number one devotion is Christ. You died to self and now Christ lives His life in you and through you to bring glory to God. You are the chosen vessel that God has made holy for the habitation of the Spirit of Christ. You belong to Jesus! Because Christ is your life, you will appear with Him in glory. One day you will stand before the King! One day you will be rewarded for what you have done with the life God has given you. One day you will give an account to God for what you have done with the time, energy, and resources God provided you with. Every moment of your life matters to God. Make every moment count! What does the hidden life look like? It looks like Jesus! He must increase and you must decrease. The focus of your life is not to put yourself on display, but to put Christ on display for a watching world to see. You don’t have to convince others of the reality of Christ in your life. Just let Christ have His way in your life and His light will shine brightly through your conversation and your conduct. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“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.” Col 3:1-2 (NIV) When you placed your faith in the completed work of Christ on the cross, your identity changed. You received a new name and a new nature. Your name was written in the Lamb’s book of life and you were adopted into God’s family. You were raised with Christ. Through faith in Christ, you identified with the death and resurrection of Christ. You became a child of God! Your new identity in Christ mandates a new expression of your life on this fallen planet. Since you have been raised with Christ, you are to focus your ambition and your drive to things above. You are no longer living for this world and the aptitudes of fallen humanity. Your life is now fixated on the reality of Christ being seated at the right hand of God. The heavenly reality becomes your earthly normality. Set your heart and mind on things above. The gravitational pull of earthly things will continue to seek to pull your practical living away from your new identity in Christ. The necessity of setting your heart and mind on things above increases as you walk with God in purity and devotion. Choose to live your life with your heavenly status in mind. You have been saved and set apart to represent Christ on the earth. Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for you as you continue His ministry upon the earth. Don’t compromise your convictions. Don’t maneuver into mediocrity. Stay vertical! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Finding His Strength
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Phil 4:13 (NIV) Jesus is the person God uses to empower us. You can do all things through Christ. He is your strength. He is your sustenance. He is your energy. Your relationship with Jesus is the most vital relationship you will ever have. Your love relationship with Christ is the dynamic link to doing God’s work, God’s way. Stay connected to Christ through an abiding relationship (John 15:5). Nourish your soul through continuous communication with the One who died sacrificially and rose supernaturally to bring you life abundant and eternal. As you walk with Jesus, you will be able to do what Jesus did. He will empower you to be on mission with God just as He was on mission during His earthly existence. God created you to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. However, you cannot do what Jesus did without the strength He provides. Even on your best day, you are not fit for kingdom work without kingdom power. Your energy level will not suffice for the agenda God has for you to fulfill. To do the supernatural work of God, you will need the supernatural strength Jesus provides. Through Christ, you can do anything! Through Christ, you will experience the strength to keep you in the center of God’s will and to keep you on mission with God. As you obey His Word, Jesus will empower you to touch lives for eternity. Your investment of time and energy in serving the purposes of God in your generation will be rewarded one day. Keep serving! Keep operating in the strength Jesus provides! Fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
University of Adversity
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Phil 4:11-12 (NIV) Paul had experienced life in the palace and in the prison. He knew the extremes of life whether spending a night and a day in the open sea (2 Cor 11:25) or being shown unusual kindness by the islanders on Malta (Acts 28:2). The erratic conditions of life where no match for Paul in that he learned the secret of being content. Circumstances did not dictate Paul’s level of joy and peace. The process God uses to develop us includes the varying conditions we experience on this broken planet. The fallen world we abide in provides us with a fitness center of equipment to build our spiritual muscles and to stretch our faith. God does not waste the resistance we face in this life. In fact, without resistance, there is no growth. Paul lived with the tension of straining and pressing (Php 3:13-14) in collaboration with the tranquility of contentment. We are to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. We are to press on toward the goal for which Christ took hold of us. Contentment is best learned in the university of adversity. You learn contentment on the playing field of life. Experiencing real life in the real world of adversity will bring you to the place of learning to be content in any and every situation. If you have to move one inch to find contentment, you will never find it. Are you learning the secret of being content? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Blessed to Bless
“I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” Phil 4:10 (NIV) God chooses to use people to help us. The Christian life is not a solo flight. God saved us to live in union with Christ and in community with other believers. We need each other. We do better together. As a result of being adopted into God’s family, we are to communicate and collaborate as fellow followers of Christ. In Christ, we are family! Paul was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this personal letter to the church at Philippi. He had a deep abiding love for them and wanted to encourage them in their faith. Paul identified their willingness to put their compassion into action. They sent their gifts to Paul via Epaphroditus (Php. 4:18). Paul acknowledged their gift as a fragrant offering pleasing to God. Spend a moment thanking God in prayer for the people He has placed in your life over the years to be a blessing to you. Think about the individuals God used to encourage you on your faith journey. You may even want to write a letter or type an email to someone God has used to elevate your faith. People matter to God and He delights in bringing people into our lives to bring us closer to Christ. Are you available for God’s use? Would you be willing to be used of God to encourage someone today? Would you be willing to be used of God to model Christ before a watching world? Remember that God blesses you so that you can be a blessing to others. Who will benefit from your life today? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Living God’s Way
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” Psalms 18:30 (NIV) God’s way is always the best option. Making decisions is a perpetual necessity in this life. You have the freedom to choose to follow God’s way or to reject God’s way. You have the freedom to honor God or to dishonor God. As you make decisions each day, remember that God’s way is always the best way. Why? Because God’s way is perfect. God created you for His glory. God made you and He has a plan for your life that involves deciding to go His way. How do you find God’s way? Fortunately, God has given you His roadmap, namely, the Bible. God’s Word is flawless. His Word will never lead you down a path that brings dishonor to His name. God’s Word unveils God’s will for your life. The beauty of the Christian life is that God invites you into a journey of discovery. In relationship, God enables you to know Him personally and to walk with Him progressively. As you obey God’s Word, He entrusts you with more. Living God’s way is a threat to the devil. However, you can take refuge in the Lord for He is your shield. God will protect you from the flaming arrows of the evil one. God will give you everything you need to walk in victory. Instead of trying to live the Christian life in your own strength and fight the spiritual battles in your own power, choose to take refuge in the Lord. Let Him become your shield. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.” Josh 4:18 (NIV) The Christian life is a life of faith. To be a fully devoted follower of Christ, your life with be marked by a journey of faith. Faith is taking God at His Word and entrusting your life to His care. As you walk in daily dependency upon the Lord, you will discover the joy of seeing God at work and seizing opportunities to join God in His activity. Crossing the Jordan River on dry ground was a tremendous experience of faith for the priests carrying the ark. They remained in the middle of the river while the children of Israel passed through on dry ground. Once the priests came up out of the river carrying the Ark of the Covenant, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place. God had worked a miracle and involved the people in the process! Continue to walk in faith. Sometimes your journey will be as clear as crystal, but at other times the way may appear foggy. You will experience seasons of high spiritual energy and focus and at other times, you will experience seasons of uncertainty. That’s part of the faith journey! The scenery changes and the pace shifts from time to time. Don’t get so fixated on the destination that you miss the God-moments along the way. Enjoy the process of knowing and obeying God. Enjoy the journey. God has some Jordan’s for you to cross. He will turn your obstacles into opportunities for you to see His glory and for your faith to be exercised. Obey what you know! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, ‘Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?” tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’” Josh 4:4-7 (NIV) Don’t miss what God is up to in your life. Don’t forget what God has done to bring you to the place where you are right now. Take note of all the difficulties God has brought you through. Recognize all the mountaintop experiences God has lavished on you in your lifetime. Joshua wanted to solidify the crossing of the Jordan River as a spiritual marker for all of Israel. He wanted to ensure that future generations would know what God had done to bring about deliverance to the people of God. Joshua utilized the twelve stones, which were selected from the middle of the Jordan to serve as a memorial. Solidify your spiritual markers. Think through the activity of God in your life. When did you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? When did you follow the Lord in believer’s baptism? Where were you when God revealed Himself to you during a season of adversity? Identify some God-moments you have experienced in the journey of life. Slow down long enough to pray through those spiritual markers. You may want to list them out specifically so that you can thank God for each one. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Going Ankle Deep
“Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.” Josh 3:15-16 (NIV) Get your feet wet and go with God. God invites you to join Him in His activity. Look to see where God is at work and seek to join Him. Sometimes God may ask you to do something that just doesn’t make sense at the time. Can you imagine how the priests felt as they carried the Ark of the Covenant to the water’s edge? They were willing to get their feet wet in order to go with God. They were willing to take God at His word and watch God demonstrate His power. As they went ankle deep, the priests carrying the ark noticed the waters of the Jordan River parting. God worked a miracle in their midst. Did God need them to go ankle deep in order to perform His miracle? Of course not! God could have parted the waters without their participation. However, God delights in involving His children in His plans. God is moved when we move into position to obey Him and to trust Him with our lives. Once you choose to do your part in God’s plan, you will notice how God does His part to fulfill His plan. God involves you in the process so that you can experience His presence and to enable you to know his heart. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Navigating Obstacles
“So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.” Josh 3:14 (NIV) Joshua came face to face with an obstacle that prevented entry into the Promised Land. He was in charge of mobilizing the children of Israel to inherit the land flowing with milk and honey. The Jordan River was the obstacle, which became an opportunity for God to do something great to reveal His glory. We serve a great God who can take any obstacle and turn it into an opportunity for us to experience His power and for us to know His provision. Everyone has a Jordan. We all encounter obstacles along the path of life on this broken planet. Living in a fallen world ensures our confrontation with obstacles. The challenge is not facing obstacles, but responding to the obstacles we face. Is it possible to turn an obstacle into an opportunity? Is it possible to navigate obstacles and be in the center of God’s will? Some of the most meaningful experiences with God are those in which you feel like you are in the fourth quarter with only a few seconds left and God comes through for you. The priest carrying the ark went ahead of the people in order to confront the obstacle. The Jordan River did not stand a chance on sabotaging God’s agenda. God will make a way when there seems to be no way. God will give you just what you need in the moment of your need. God will not leave you hanging. God will not abandon you. Identify your Jordan. What is keeping you from entering the land flowing with milk and honey? What is keeping you from operating in the center of God’s will? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.’” Josh 3:5 (NIV) Have you experienced the thrill of anticipation? When you are anticipating something special, it seems as though time stands still. You live with a sense of urgency and you embrace a sense of expectancy. Joshua knew that God was up to something special that included his participation and preparation. It was vital for Joshua to have the people consecrate themselves in preparation for what God was going to do in their midst. They were to set themselves apart for God’s use. Their sin was to be confessed, their relational strife was to be released, and their motives were to be pure. God wanted the children of Israel to prepare for a demonstration of His power. Joshua declared that the Lord would do amazing things among them. Are you prepared for a move of God in your life? Have you consecrated yourself before the Lord? Have you confessed known sin and received God’s forgiveness? Make sure that your motives are pure and that your focus is on God. God wants to do amazing things among you. However, God wants you to prepare for the demonstration of His power. Prepare for your daily time alone with God through intensive soul-searching prayer. Invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart and to reveal anything in you that is displeasing to God. Ask Him to reveal any attitudes that are inconsistent with the character of Christ. Ask Him to show you areas of your life that have not been submitted to the Lordship of Christ. Stay close and clean as you walk with God and anticipate His redemptive activity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” Josh 1:6-7 (NIV) Joshua had the privilege of serving under Moses during the wilderness wanderings. Joshua reaped the benefit of seeing his leader in action responding to challenges and seizing opportunities. Moses died and Joshua became God’s chosen leader. It was time for Joshua to rise to the occasion and lead the children of Israel to inherit the Promised Land. God reassured Joshua that He would be with him just as He was with Moses. God affirmed Joshua and gave him the timely message to be strong and courageous. Obedience to God’s law was vital for bringing honor to God and for being successful in the journey ahead. Do you enjoy that kind of relationship with God where you draw daily from God’s Word? Do you have a growing relationship with the Lord that enables you to conduct your life with the strength and courage God provides? God will be with you just as He was with Joshua and just as He was with Moses. You are chosen by God to bear His image and to bring His salvation message to the masses. Your life belongs to God for His use and for His glory. Do you sense God leading you to do something that will require His strength? Are you anticipating an adventure with the Lord that will require being courageous? We are in a spiritual battle, which demands spiritual power to walk in victory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Keeping the Faith
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.” 2 Tim 4:7-8 (NIV) This verse comes to life when you bury someone close to you. There’s something about funerals that remind us of the brevity of life and the reality of heaven. Maybe it causes us to move closer to the reality of our mortality. The pace of life on earth can sometimes numb our emotions and keep us from dealing with life beyond the grave. Seeing your loved one in a casket is a stark reminder that we are one breath away from eternity. Paul was at the end of his life and wrote a final letter to his son in the ministry, Timothy. Paul had truly fought the good fight. Paul had finished the race and kept the faith. He finished strong! Paul reminded Timothy of the crown of righteousness that Jesus would be awarding at the finish line. Think about your life. How are you doing? When you look into the review mirror of life, do you have any regrets? Remember, it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish that matters most! Fight the good fight of the faith. Yes! It is a fight because we are in a spiritual battle that has eternal implications. “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” 1 Tim 1:18-19 (NIV) “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Tim 6:12 (NIV) Your life has eternity written all over it. Finish strong! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Considering Contentment
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Phil 4:11-12 (NIV) What are you waiting for? Will it ever be enough? If you have to move one inch to have joy, you will not find it. Happiness is based on happenstance. If the conditions are just right, then you may be happy for a season. However, joy is not connected to circumstances. Joy is the product of living a life of contentment founded upon your relationship with Christ. Paul experienced the palace and the prison. He knew what it meant to live with much and to live on very little. Paul had experienced popularity and persecution. He knew suffering on a first name basis. Yet, in the midst of shifting circumstances, Paul learned the secret of being content. He did not allow the external realities to rob him of the internal relationship he had with Jesus. Paul had surrendered his life to the Lordship of Christ and yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s contentment was demonstrated through the experience of peace in the midst of the storms of life. What is your level of contentment? Have you learned the secret of being content in any and every situation? Are you waiting for ideal circumstances to develop? Are you postponing your joy until a future accomplishment comes to fruition? Don’t hesitate! Don’t delay your decision to embrace contentment. Stop worrying and fretting over the things you have no control over. Rest in the peace of God and the all-sufficient provision of God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’” John 5:5-6 (NIV) We know more than we are doing. We know that we are to eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest in order to be healthy. We know that we are to give, save, pay bills, and pay taxes. We know that we are to make the most of every moment that God gives us. We know that we are to forgive others, to love others, to pray for others, to be considerate of others, and to serve others. Yet, we don’t always do the things we know we are supposed to do. Jesus asked a thirty-eight year old invalid if he wanted to get well. That question seems out of place. Why wouldn’t a lame man want to walk? What would keep a person from wanting to experience healing? It is a matter of want. If you had the “want to” then you would find a “way to” be healed. Sometimes we can become comfortable with our misery. The question is, “Do you want to get well?” Do you want to continue living like you are living? Do you want to continue to operate in your current reality? Jesus is the answer to your situation. Are you obeying what you know? Have you responded to what He has already revealed to you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 (NIV) God saved you to become like Christ. Your sin has been forgiven and your eternal destiny has been secured. In Christ, you are adopted into God’s family and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Now you are in the process of becoming who you are in Christ. God predestined that you be conformed to the image of Christ. You get to participate in the process of that transformation. What are some of the tools God uses to conform us to the likeness of Christ? Sometimes God uses the hammer of adversity and the chisel of suffering to bring us into conformity with the character of Christ. Other times, God may use seasons of silence to test our faith and to prove our devotion. God allows fully yielded and fully devoted followers of Christ to come into our path to model Christ likeness. They give us a portrait of what we can become as we mature in our faith. Assess your current reality? How is God conforming you to the likeness of Christ? Are you being responsive to His prompting? Allow God to chip off anything in your life that does not bring honor to Christ. Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal any area of your life that distracts from your spiritual progress. Daily surrender to the Lordship of Christ and seek His face in prayer. Embrace the reality of God’s will. God desires that you become more and more like Christ each day. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
God Is Working
“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) God is working in all things for your good and His glory. Nothing can thwart God’s will and nothing can circumvent His provision. God is still on His throne and has the final say on every action and interaction. Nothing happens without God’s permission. If God allows something to come into your life, He will use it. If God permits it, He will use it. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Gen 50:20 (NIV) “For I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” Phil 1:19 (NIV) Do you love God? Are you called according to His purpose? Then know that God is working in and through your circumstances to accomplish His plan. You may not know what tomorrow holds, but you can know who holds tomorrow. You may not be able to see clearly in your present situation, but God will enable the fog to lift and His path for you will become evident. Trust in God’s perfect timing. He will see you through your dilemma. Your faith will be strengthened. Your experience of God’s presence and peace will be elevated. You will come to know God at a deeper level as you walk with Him through your pain. He will provide comfort. God will redeem your pain. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Covered in Prayer
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Heb 7:25 (NIV) Jesus values intercessory prayer. You are covered in prayer. There is One who lives to intercede for you. Jesus became like you so that you could become like Him. He knows what you wrestle with. He has experienced your fears and frustrations. Jesus was tempted just as you are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). He endured the agony of the cross on your behalf. He took away your sin and imputed His righteousness. Jesus gave you a new name and a new nature to bring glory to God. The ministry of reconciliation Jesus fulfilled in you has now become your assignment. As you seek to extend the ministry of reconciliation to others, Jesus is fulfilling His ministry of intercession for you. As you serve Him by serving others, Jesus is serving you by interceding for you. Can you fathom the Son of God and the Savior of the world being that invested in you and that interested in you to level of praying for you perpetually? You are His treasure and valued possession. You are the apple of His eye. Not only did Jesus sacrifice His life for you, but also He now lives to bring your needs before our Heavenly Father. Jesus prays for you based on His all-sufficient knowledge of your circumstances, your dreams, and your obstacles. Jesus prays for you with the full knowledge of God’s will for your life. Jesus completely saved you. Jesus will completely keep you. Cast your cares upon Him. Release your fear to Him. Submit your lips and your life to His control. Rest in His intercession. Walk in the Spirit today and remember that you are covered in prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John 17:5 (NIV) Jesus valued returning to heaven. The Priestly prayer of Jesus in John17 demonstrated His passion to return to heaven to be glorified in His Father’s presence. Jesus served, preached, healed, and prayed with heaven in view. In His pre-existence, Jesus was involved in creation of man. In His incarnation, Jesus provided redemption for fallen man. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” Gen 1:26 (NIV) “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Phil 2:5-7 (NIV) Jesus was willing to leave the glory of heaven in order to become the only appropriate sacrifice for your sin. He endured the agony of the cross to benefit your forever. Once you come to faith in the completed work of Jesus, your life is transformed, your sins are forgiven, and your body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. Your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. Are you ready for heaven? Have you made your reservation by grace alone through faith alone? Jesus has made heaven and eternal life available to all who trust in Him alone for salvation. Once you have solidified your eternal transaction, invest the rest of your life helping others come to faith in Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” John 17:4 (NIV) Jesus values completing God’s mission. How do you bring glory to God? By doing God’s work God’s way! Jesus brought glory to God by fulfilling God’s mission God’s way. Jesus was sensitive to the activity of God. Jesus recognized that God was always at work (John 5:17) and that God’s invitation to join in would require faith and obedience. Jesus completed the work God gave Him to do. “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” John 4:34 (NIV) “‘For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.’” John 5:36 (NIV) What has God given you to do? God has a mission for you to fulfill. Do not bypass your love relationship with God in Christ. Being on mission with God will flow out of that abiding relationship you have with Jesus. Stay connected to Jesus through daily nurturing your love relationship through prayer and Bible study. Seize opportunities to spread the fragrance of Christ. Doing God’s work God’s way will flow out of being intimately connected to Christ. As you spend uninterrupted time alone with the Lord in solitude, you will hear His voice speaking to you through your Bible reading and prayer time. Focus on being. Focus on becoming the man or woman of God that you were created to be. Draw near to the heart of God and allow Him to reveal His specific plan for your life as you do His work His way in His timing. Start by saying, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening!” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Reaching Lost People
“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
Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell