Author: Stephen Trammell

Bearing Fruit

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Col 1:10-12 (NIV) As you invest your time, energy, and resources, consider what matters most. Does it matter how much you acquire during your brief stay on the earth? Does it matter how many trips you make to distant lands? Does it matter how many accolades you receive from others? If not, then what really matters? The answer is: living a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him. That’s what matters most! Now you can give your life to that. You can wisely invest your time, resources, and energy to that ultimate pursuit. What does that look like? That kind of life involves bearing fruit, growing spiritually, operating in His power, enduring patiently, and giving thanks joyfully. Take personal inventory. What are you giving your life to? Are you living a life worthy of the Lord? Is your life laser focused on pleasing God? If not, why not? Begin making adjustments in your time allocation, your energy allocation, and your allocation of resources to bring your life into alignment with God’s priorities. It’s not about comfort; it’s all about life change! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Decisions Discipline Focus Passion Purpose

Press On

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:12-14 (NIV) Don’t get too comfortable with your level of intimacy with God and your level of spiritual maturity. There’s more to explore! Don’t get too comfortable with your current understanding of the Bible. There’s more to explore! One indication of Paul’s spiritual maturity was his recognition of lack of spiritual maturity. Paul was not satisfied to coast down lazy river. Instead, he embraced the posture of leaning forward to become everything God had purposed for Paul to become. Paul never lost sight of the past God delivered him from, but he focused on the future in order to press on toward the goal to win the prize. Remember who you are in Christ and where God has brought you from. Remember why Jesus died for you and why God raised Him from the dead. Remember that you have been adopted into God’s family and filled by His Holy Spirit. Now forget what is behind. Strain toward what is ahead and press on! Keep your eyes on the prize! Keep your eyes on the prize! Keep your eyes on the prize! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Disciple Focus Passion

Running The Race

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Cor 9:24-27 (NIV) When I read this passage it reminds me of my experience of training for a 5k race. You may think that I meant that I was training for a marathon, but I was training for my first ever 5 kilometer race. I grew up racing motocross, bmx, and Jet Skis. But it wasn’t until I was in my mid-thirties that I embraced the challenge of running this type of race. I discovered that the intensity level in the training phase has proportionate benefits to the racing phase. Training matters! The Christian life is very similar to that of a race. Jesus calls us to run with purpose, focus, and intensity. We are to run in such a way as to get the prize. The focus of the Christian life is not comfort, but change. As we diligently run the race set before us, Jesus transforms us into His image. Knowing that we are going to receive a crown that will last forever, we are to run this race with passion and laser focus. Our lives are to be marked by discipline and self-control. There’s more to this life than preparing for and running in a 5k. God has an assignment tailor made for you to fulfill. God will comfort you as you comfort others and as He changes you. Allow God to empower you for the race. Be committed to finish strong! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Delays Life Omniscience Sovereignty Unmet Expectations

Painful Delays

“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” John 11:5-6 (NIV) Delays are painful. We understand that God is all-knowing and that God is love, but we just don’t always fully understand God’s timing. When God doesn’t respond in the time frame that we have established, we wonder if God really cares. Delays intensify our fears and magnify the reality of our meager faith. Have you ever been between a rock and hard place and wondered if God would come through for you? Have your circumstances ever taken you to a place you never thought you would go? God allows us to go through those seasons and experience those places in order to come to know the depth of His love. God is for us. God always has our best interest in mind. Nothing happens to a child of God without His permission. If God permits it, then God will use it for your good and for His glory. Martha and Mary experienced the full impact of a delay. Their brother, Lazarus, was sick and died before Jesus got there. They knew firsthand the trauma of unmet expectations. They had seen Jesus speak life into the dead. They had seen Jesus restore sight to the blind, speech to the mute, mobility to the lame, and hearing to the deaf. Yet, Jesus did not operate according to their personal time preference. Jesus delayed. Why doesn’t God show up to resolve your dilemmas sooner? Why does God seem to delay His response to your need for divine intervention? God’s timing is perfect. He is never late. God, in His sovereignty, takes the confetti of our lives and produces a portrait of His grace. Do you trust God? Are you entrusting your life and your circumstances to His care? Are you willing to obey God in the midst of a perceived delay? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Decisions Extending Forgiveness Forgiveness

Extending Forgiveness

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matt 6:12 (NIV) Forgiveness is always the best decision. The Bible teaches us multiple facets of forgiveness. We have the privilege of receiving God’s forgiveness provided by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. This vertical forgiveness initiated by God allows us to be in a right relationship with God. We also have to come to the place of forgiving ourselves. Once we have received God’s forgiveness for our sins, we need to forgive ourselves so that we can walk in the freedom Christ provides. Another facet of forgiveness is that of extending forgiveness to others. In teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus included the discipline of extending forgiveness to others. Before asking God to forgive us of our sins, we are to have already forgiven those who have sinned against us. In order to have a proper vertical relationship with God, we must ensure a proper horizontal relationship with others. When it comes to extending forgiveness to others, you never have to pray and ask God if you should forgive someone. God expects us to extend instant forgiveness to others. To harbor bitterness or resentment breaks the heart of God. To fail to forgive others is to disobey God. Spend some time in prayer asking God to search your heart. As God reveals elements of unforgiveness in your life, deal with them before God in prayer. The more specific you are in prayer the more dynamic your experience in prayer will be. Forgiveness is always the best decision. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Trust

Total Trust

“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalms 37:5-6 (NIV) A few months after I surrendered to preach at age sixteen, God placed a true man of God in my life. His name was J.D. Scott. He had been preaching for over 55 years and was serving as an interim pastor. Pastor J.D. invited me to ride with him to his church and allowed me to preach in his pulpit. It was only my third time to ever preach. A few days later, I received a personal thank you letter in the mail from Pastor J.D. and next to his signature he wrote, “Psalms 37:5-6.” As you can imagine, I immediately opened my bible to read those verses to see what God wanted to say to me. Your responsibility is to commit your way to the Lord and trust Him to do what He said He will do. God will take the imputed righteousness of Christ within your life and make it shine so that others may be drawn to Christ in you. Surrender your ambition, your desires, and your dreams to God and trust Him to shine His penetrating light through you to touch the nations. God will make the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. As you put feet to the purposes of God in your life, God will produce the momentum and establish the magnitude of your impact for His glory. Trust in God. Remember that God can do more through your life fully surrendered to His Lordship in a matter of minutes than you can do on your own. Let God have full reign in your life. Will others see Jesus in you today? Will others be drawn to the Savior of the world because of your perpetual obedience and surrender to Him? You can trust Jesus with your life! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Discipline First Integrity Priorities

Priorities

“‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’” Matt 6:33 (NIV) What is competing for “first” in your life? What gets the majority of your time, energy, and attention? Maybe you feel like you have too many plates spinning and several wobbling. Maybe you are overwhelmed with the tugs on your life and you wonder how you are going to pull it all off before each deadline. Jesus understands the allurements and tugs of life. He had to say “no” to the wrong things so that He could say “yes” to the right things. Jesus had to say “no” to the good opportunities so that He could say “yes” to the best opportunities. Jesus had to guard His mornings so that He could have unbroken fellowship and communion with our Heavenly Father. Jesus had to strategically carve out time to simply rest and be away from the crowds and the demands on His life. There is only so much of you to allocate. You cannot please everyone and you cannot satisfy every request. Some of your spinning plates will have to crash. The wonderful news is that God’s Will can be accomplished within the 24 hours that He has given you each day. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 (NIV) “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16 (NIV) Make room in your life for Jesus to occupy “first” place. Guard your daily intimacy with Him. Create margins in your life to foster balance. No one can do this for you. Only you can enthrone Jesus to the “first” position of prominence in your life. What adjustments do you need to make right now? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Devotion First Priorities

Your First Love

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.” Rev 2:4 (NIV) When I was a teenager, I raced motocross. One afternoon I was on a track with my brother and some friends practicing in the heat of the day. At this point, I was in the lead and throttling through a sandy turn when my dirt bike slide out from under me at a high speed which slammed my body to the ground. The pain was so immense and the heat was so intense that I began to see stars. I was nauseated and just knew that I had broken my wrist. My brother came to my rescue and said, “Come on man! Ride it out! Let’s keep riding!” After my visit to the emergency room and a cast secured to my right arm, I proudly walked up to my brother and confirmed my suspicion that my wrist was broken. The X-ray enabled the physician to see what we could not see. The X-ray provided information that was not attainable from an external view of my arm. Jesus has the unique ability to X-ray the church and to X-ray our heart. Jesus detects the internal workings. Jesus weighs motives and our current reality. Jesus knows the reality of our priorities. “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 2:5 (NIV) Remember, repent, and return. Remember the former intensity of your love relationship with Jesus. Repent of those things that have caused you to drift from your first love. Turn away from those things that have robbed you of your devotion to the Lord. Return to daily surrender and full devotion to Jesus as your first love. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Jeremiah Life Changing Experience Surrender

The Potter’s Wheel

“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” Jer 18:3-4 (NIV) The safest place for you to be is in the center of God’s will. The most dangerous place for you to be is in the center of God’s will. When you are living in the center of God’s will, you experience His provision and protection. However, you are the greatest threat to Satan when you are living in the center of God’s will. When you think about it, being on Satan’s radar is an indication of being a threat to his kingdom. You cannot walk in the center of God’s will unopposed. One of my Sunday School teachers who flew an A-10 fighter jet in the Air Force used to say, “The closer you get to the enemy, the greater the conflict.” Motion causes friction. When you are living to please God, be ready for that spiritual motion to cause friction and spiritual warfare. Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, experienced the painful reality of being on the potter’s wheel. God placed Jeremiah on the potter’s wheel to demonstrate His loving and corrective touch. God demonstrated the value He places on purity, holiness, and full surrender. God expects that of every generation and every nation. Don’t resist those seasons of being placed on the potter’s wheel. Remember that God is the Potter and you are the clay. God tenderly and lovingly molds you and shapes you for His glory. God removes the impediments in your life that restrict His flow through you. Be still! Rest! Give God access to every area of your life. Allow God to shape you for His eternal significance. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Burning Bush Life Changing Experience Moses

Moses’ Identity

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” Ex 3:11 (NIV) Who am I? Why am I here? These two basic questions are innate in every human being. We long to know who we are and we strive to discover why we are placed on this planet called earth. Our security is proportionate to our understanding of our identity. God allowed Moses to experience forty years in the palace and then forty years in the desert. God wanted Moses to learn some things about his personal identity through a desert experience that he could not learn in the palace. God was preparing Moses for the purpose of delivering the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The burning bush encounter was a life changing experience for Moses. The encounter enabled Moses to come to know God in a personal way. God revealed His holiness to Moses and then unveiled His plan for Moses to embrace. As you can imagine, Moses could not visualize himself as the deliverer of the children of Israel. They had been slaves for over 400 years. Moses began making excuses and tried to deny his usefulness to God. Moses began to focus on what he lacked and missed the reality of God’s ability to do the extraordinary through ordinary people. Have you ever doubted your usefulness to God? Have you ever tried to convince God that you are not fit for His plan? God is not impressed with our abilities or our inabilities. God is not limited by our limitations. Are you willing to yield to God’s control and allow Him to have His way in your life? God is willing to take you through a desert experience to prepare you for His assignment. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Deception If Integrity

Deception

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 (NIV) Accuracy promotes intimacy. If you want to have an intimate love relationship with God, you must have an accurate estimation of yourself. Taking personal inventory can be helpful. Have you ever stopped long enough to really get down to your current reality? You can live at such a fast pace in this life that you neglect the need for introspection. Looking within to capture the truth of your spiritual status is vitally important. An accurate estimation of yourself requires truthfulness. Being honest about your thought-life, being honest about your motives, and being honest about your inner desires are marks of spiritual maturity. The tendency is to evaluate others under a microscope and to evaluate ourselves with binoculars. Everyone looks good from a distance. Take a close look at your life. Don’t live in deception. Don’t gloss over the things that break the heart of God. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” 1 Cor 10:12 (NIV) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Availability Something Great Think Big

Think Big

Think big…because God is a big God. “Then King David said to the whole assembly: ‘My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God.’” 1 Chron 29:1 (NIV) Have you ever been invited to participate in a God-sized task? Maybe you are facing something right now that is God-sized. God enjoys bringing us into His story. He is not limited by our limitations. We spend so much time evaluating ourselves in relation to others. We feel inadequate or unqualified and wonder if God could really use us. God specializes in using those deemed useless by the world’s standards. We bring pleasure to God when we simply say, “Lord, I’m Yours! Use me!” God doesn’t need you to do something great for Him. Actually, He is big enough to fulfill His plan with or without you. The beauty of God’s love is that He chooses to enable you to do something great for Him. Will you make yourself available for God’s use? I would have never dreamed that God wanted me to surrender to preach. Yet, on February 23, 1986, God allowed me to get involved in a Jet Ski accident that almost took my life. While struggling to stay alive in the intensive care unit, God called me to preach. I was only sixteen years old. Think big…because God is a big God. He can do something great through you regardless of your age or life stage. Are you willing to make yourself available to God for His glory? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Humility Making Sense Self-denial

Self-Denial

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) While driving down the interstate, I discovered a billboard advertisement that had this phrase in large gold letters with a dark background, “It’s all about you.” That phrase captures the ebb and flow of Christianity in the twenty-first century. Consumerism has captivated the local church. Christians are choosing churches based on the mentality of, “What have you done for me, lately?” We have fostered a culture of spectators. Let’s watch the show and be entertained. Embracing that self-centered and me-istic lifestyle will not help you make sense out of life. In fact, life will become muddy and unclear. Jesus explained the Christ-centered life as the one where self-denial is a prerequisite. Jesus clarifies that life is not about you. Life is about God’s agenda. To come after Jesus, you must deny yourself. It does not mean to neglect your needs or to embrace passivity. Self-denial on God’s terms is for you to utterly disown yourself. To deny yourself is to come to the place of total abandonment to God and His will for your life. Self-denial is essential in saving faith and in living out your faith before a watching world. Arthur Pink wrote, “Growth in grace is growth downward; it is the forming of a lower estimate of ourselves; it is a deepening realization of our nothingness; it is a heartfelt recognition that we are not worthy of the least of God’s mercies.” It’s not about you. It’s all about Him! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Stumbling Block

“Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’” Matt 16:23 (NIV) Peter deeply cared for Jesus. Peter had just spoken the powerful words given by God to affirm that Jesus was truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus then shared with his disciples that He would be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter had the audacity to rebuke Jesus. As one commentator observed, Peter “could hardly have understood that by his attempt to dissuade Jesus from the cross he was placing arrows in the bow of Satan to be shot at his beloved Savior.” In the language of the New Testament, a stumbling block, or skandalon, referred to an animal trap where food was strategically placed to lure the animal into harm’s way. Satan was using Peter to set a trap for Jesus. Satan had already tempted Jesus to take a shortcut to God’s plan. Now, Satan is using Peter to seek to get Jesus to bypass the way of the cross. We become a stumbling block when we think that our way is better than God’s way. We become a stumbling block when we fail to consider the way of God. Be careful not to oppose the plan of God. Be on guard not to become an instrument in the hands of the Enemy. Let’s commit to becoming a stepping stone for others to come to know Christ. Let’s eliminate our proclivity of becoming stumbling blocks. God’s way is always the best way. Let’s embrace the way of the cross. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

All Knowing Attributes of God Omniscience Omniscient

Omniscience

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.” Psalms 139:1-4 (NIV) God is all-knowing. There is nothing that God does not know. Has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurs to God? Even when you pray, you are not bringing God up on your situation or circumstances. In His teaching on prayer, Jesus said, “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him”(Matt 6:8 NIV). God knows everything you have faced, everything you are facing, and everything you will face. God knew you before you were conceived by your parents. “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations’”(Jer 1:4-5 NIV). God knew exactly what He wanted to do in you and through you to fulfill His purposes during your lifetime on planet earth. It is hard to fathom, but God even knew the choices you would make up to this point and knows what choices you will make today. The beauty of God’s love is that in His omniscience, knowing everything about us and our decisions, He chooses to love us and He chooses to use us for His glory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Christ-Centered Living Peacemaking

Peacemaking

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Matt 5:9 (NIV) The Bible opens with peace in the Garden of Eden and was interrupted when man sinned. Jesus made peace a reality again by sacrificing His life upon the cross to destroy the penalty of sin and death. In eternity, peace will be fully restored. As long as there is the presence of sin upon the earth, peace will be challenged. Christ-centered living involves peacemaking. As a follower of Christ, you have the privilege and responsibility to be a peacemaker. Being a peacemaker is the result of a holy life and the willingness to confront the culture with the claims of Christ. Peacemaking is not the art of being passive and tolerating willful disobedience. Peacemaking is not accommodating ungodly behavior. To be a peacemaker is to build bridges to broken and sinful people in order to show them the love of Christ and the way of Christ. God raised up Nathan to confront King David concerning his sinful indulgence with Bathsheba. Nathan announced to David, “You are the man!” As a result, David repented and wrote Psalm 51. Nathan was a peacemaker in that he built a bridge to David in order to help David make peace with God. You have to be willing to get close enough to people to impact their lives. Sometimes that means looking beyond yourself and your circle in order to be used of God to be a peacemaker. Paul reminded the believers in Corinth to be bridge-builders when he wrote, “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). You have been given the message. You have everything you need to obey God’s call. Are you at peace with God? Are you at peace with others? Will you help others make peace with God? Will you help others make peace with others? Remember, we are just fellow beggars who have found bread…the Bread of Life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Broken Christ-Centered Living

Brokenness

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matt 5:4 (NIV) Are you constantly broken over your sinfulness? Christ-centered living involves brokenness. In the language of the New Testament, there are nine different words used to describe sorrow. The Greek word Jesus uses here is the strongest of the nine. This level of mourning is equated with grieving over the death of a loved one. Mourning over your sin is a prerequisite for receiving comfort. Brokenness over sin leads to confession of sin which leads to forgiveness of sin. Thus, brokenness precedes blessing. One cannot come into the Kingdom of God without being broken over sin. Without true repentance, there is no salvation. Once a person becomes a child of God, he or she must be continually broken over his or her sinfulness. We must love what God loves and hate what God hates. Those who are continually mourning will be continually comforted by God. “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” Psalms 51:3-4 (NIV) “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Cor 7:10 (NIV) Step 1: Demonstrate godly sorrow for your sin. Step 2: Confess and repent of your sin. Step 3: Receive God’s forgiveness and comfort. Don’t ever get numb towards sin. Allow God to keep you sensitive to sin. Sin should break your heart just like it breaks the heart of God. Now walk in the freedom you have in Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Bankrupt Christ-Centered Living Humility

Christ-Centered Humility

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves humility. Recognizing your spiritual bankruptcy apart from God is imperative for the follower of Christ. You cannot come into the Kingdom of God without acknowledging your utter hopelessness outside of God’s provision. To be poor in spirit is to identify your true condition of lostness and separation from God apart from His divine initiative of salvation. In other words, don’t ever lose sight of where you would be had God not come to your rescue in Christ. To be poor in spirit is to continually recognize your dependency upon God. It is embracing the attitude opposite of self-sufficiency. Our culture rewards those who come across as independent and self-sufficient. In God’s Kingdom economy, He rewards those who place their sufficiency in Christ. Operating in daily dependency upon God is a true mark of the Christ-centered life. As Rick Warren says, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” The standard that Jesus raises in the Beatitudes is that of being selfless. That attitude does not come naturally. To be selfless is to place the needs of others before your own. Selflessness is a fruit of Christ-centered living. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Eph 4:2 (NIV) “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 (NIV) Center your life on Christ and embrace His way of living the victorious life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Persistence Prayer Something Great

Persistent Prayer

Do something great by praying it through. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7 (NIV) What are you anxious about right now? Is there anything keeping you up at night? It sounds like you are in need of the peace of God. How do you get to the place of peace? Pray everything through. Notice the process that Paul establishes. Instead of being anxious, be thankful as you present your requests to God. Replace anxiety with gratitude for what God is going to do in and through your situation. Take every item and pray it through. Before Jesus chose His twelve disciples, He spent the entire night praying it through. Read carefully and discern the process Jesus embraced. “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” Luke 6:12-16 (NIV) Jesus took everything to God in prayer. If Jesus, being God’s Son, valued prayer at that level, what about us? Do something great by praying it through. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Eternity Heaven Perspective Something Great

Eternal Perspective

Do something great by keeping an eternal perspective. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Phil 1:21 (NIV) Imagine flying at an altitude of thirty-thousand feet and scanning the colorful blocks of land on the earth’s surface. There is something about the view that gives you such a unique perspective on life. You begin to realize how small you are and how big the earth is. How do you view your life? Are you just breathing oxygen and taking up space or are you living on purpose by keeping an eternal perspective. God’s story is both massive and eternal. His plan includes you. You are an integral part of God’s redemptive story. God saved you, filled you with His Spirit, and gifted you to fulfill His purposes in your lifetime. Paul embraced an eternal perspective. He never lost sight of his win-win situation. If he lived, Christ lived with him. If Paul died, then he would live with Christ. Paul allowed his eternal perspective to fuel his courage and boldness for the Lord. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Phil 3:20-21 (NIV) Will you choose to live this year with eternity in mind? Remember, there’s more to this life than what you see. There is life beyond the grave! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

People God Uses Selfless

The People God Uses

God uses people who are selfless. “Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’” John 6:8-9 (NIV) The first question people ask during times of transition is, “How will this affect me?” If you have experienced the transition of a child moving onto a college campus, or taking on a new job assignment, or moving into a new neighborhood, or helping a loved one get acclimated to an assisted living center, you have probably have asked the question, “How will this affect me?” We are by nature self-centered and self-absorbed. Often we act as though the earth rotates around our axis. It is so easy to become self-consumed. Maybe that’s why this encounter that Andrew had with a boy and his sack lunch means so much to me. Here’s a boy who places the needs of others before his own. Here’s a boy who has an aggressively developing appetite, yet selflessly gives up his lunch so that others can eat. There is a valuable lesson for us to consider. It is not how much you have, but what you are willing to selflessly give in order to bless others. Jesus does not bless you based on what you have, but on how you give. Being selfish comes naturally. Being selfless is a result of walking in the Spirit. Being selfless is the product of an abiding relationship with Jesus. It is not about living the Christian life. It is about allowing Jesus to live His life in you and through you. Maybe there is a better question for us to ask: “How will this affect Jesus?” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Worrying

The Weight of Worry

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Matt 6:25-27 (NIV) Worry has a way of wearing us down. We fixate on something that we have no control over and invite it to consume our thoughts. Our emotional reserves are taxed as worry siphons our energy. The byproduct of worry is erosion. Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair; it will keep you busy, but you won’t get anywhere. Worry is an indicator of unbelief. Worry is a banner that waves declaring that we don’t trust God. Faith and worry cannot co-exist. You can’t fully rely upon God and worry at the same time. Jesus commands us: “Do not worry.” Your heavenly Father knows what you need. Do you trust God to do what He says He will do? Do you believe God has the resources necessary to meet your needs? Are you confident that God will meet your needs? You know God is able. Maybe you wonder if God is willing. Worry is a choice. Trust is a choice. We can choose to worry or we can choose to take God at His Word and trust Him. Be sensitive to God’s invitation for you to join Him in His resolution of your trying circumstances. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Finding Help

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1 (NIV) God never intended for you to walk through adversity alone. Maybe you have heard someone say that God will never put more on you than you can handle. That’s not true. God will not put more on you than you can handle with His help. The Christian life is not a solo flight. God does not launch you out into the world and expect you to live the Christian life on your own. God provides refuge when you need to retreat, strength when you need to endure, and help when you need relief. Your Heavenly Father knows exactly what you need and the exact moment you need it. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17 (NIV) God gives you His Holy Spirit at the moment of your conversion. You are inhabited by the Counselor who is the Spirit of truth. You are the walking tabernacle of God’s Presence. Your body is His temple. The Holy Spirit is your Comforter. Are you in need of help? Are you hurting, lonely, or discouraged? Share your heart with God in prayer and anticipate His response. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Fragrant Offering

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Eph 5:1-2 (NIV) What kind of fragrance are you emitting? Jesus released an aroma pleasing to God through His life of instant obedience and selfless love. Jesus made God smile. His loyalty to God and to fulfilling God’s agenda produced a fragrant offering that moved the heart of God. “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” 2 Cor 2:15 (NIV) Once you are in Christ, His life is lived through you. As you surrender to His Lordship and allow Him to bear His fruit through your life, you become the aroma of Christ to God. Your life becomes a perpetual offering to God that brings Him joy, honor, and glory. As the fragrance of Christ emanates from your yielded life, not only does God receive pleasure from your offering, but other people benefit as well. Others are watching you and how you live out the Christian life in the roadways of life. You have the potential to influence others to Christ by your fragrant offering? Who will come to Christ this week because of your instant obedience and selfless love? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Beneficial Talk

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Eph 4:29 (NIV) Our words are irrevocable. Once spoken, words penetrate like an arrow on the bull’s-eye. Our words have immense power. In fact, they carry the power of life and death. “They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.” Psalms 64:3 (NIV) “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.” James 3:9 (NIV) Paul is admonishing the believers at Ephesus to use their conversation to build each other up. He wants them to be mindful of their words. Beneficial words are those which are helpful and build others up according to their needs. Unwholesome talk does not honor God and does not benefit the Body of Christ. In those times when you speak before you think, God wants you to employ damage control. Yes! You must go to the one you have offended and seek forgiveness. Within the Body of Christ, this is a true mark of spiritual maturity. Be willing to say, “I’m sorry and I was wrong!” “If you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!” Prov 6:2-3 (NIV) Unity is at stake! It’s worth the agony to have a right relationship with God and with others. When words infuse a relational distance between you and someone else, allow God to speak words of healing and restoration through you to bring about reconciliation. Stay broken and humble before God and watch Him accomplish great things through you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Doing Life Life Restraint

Restraint

“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:7-8 (NIV) Doing life requires restraint. There are countless temptations used of Satan to entice us to compromise our Christianity. His goal is to get us to drift from our devotion to God. One of Satan’s favorite tools is an unbridled tongue. He knows that our words can do more damage than our actions alone. Have you ever said something you deeply regretted? Have you had one of those moments when you spoke before you had time to really think through and process what you were going to say? Ouch! It is impossible to retrieve words once spoken. If only we could snatch them out of the air before they made contact with the tympanic membrane of someone’s ear. If you have ever allowed words to slip and wound someone, then embrace this great word from God on how to respond. “If you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!” Prov 6:2-3 (NIV) Has God placed someone on your heart that you have wounded with your words? Are you willing to go to them in humility in order to apologize and ask for their forgiveness? God will honor your obedience to His word. God will make a way for you to experience restoration. Restoration is God’s specialty! Don’t delay. Make things right! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Stabilized

Ensuring Stability

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” Eph 4:14 (NIV) Spiritual maturity will ensure stability. God blesses the pursuit of spiritual maturity. His strength and stability become evident in the devoted life of the child of God. What are you striving to become? How are you allocating your time and energy? What eternal benefits are you producing by your daily decisions? We combat three enemies: the world, the devil, and the flesh. These three are anti-God. They are opposed to God’s agenda. God’s purposes do not align with this world’s system. Thus, to become a fully devoted follower of Christ will require a life of resistance. Just like in physical fitness, without resistance there is no growth. God desires for every believer to grow deeper. Stability comes when you are grounded in God’s Word and anchored to the Rock, Jesus. Instability is the result of spiritual immaturity and lethargy. God wants you to know Him more. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Phil 3:10 (NIV) Is your current walk with God characterized by stability? Are you building your life on the deep truths of God’s Word? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Alone

Is it possible to be in a crowd of thousands and still feel alone? We overload our lives with the confetti of activities and saturate our schedule with deadlines and diversions. We tend to over commit and anesthetize our pain through the avenue of busyness. Constantly and persistently we are running from the lurking shadow of aloneness. Have you identified the first “not good” in the Bible? After all that God had made and affirmed that it was good, He created man and then… “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” Gen 2:18 (NIV) What’s wrong with man being alone? Why would God created man with a gap? There must be something to this aloneness that is counterproductive. Man being alone must not be a good thing in God’s economy. Man alone may be prone to fill the void with something wrong. God made man for relationship. God’s antidote to Adam’s aloneness was the creation of Eve. Adam experienced the “not good” of being alone until he met Eve. God designed Adam with a gap that only Eve could fill. Marriage is a beautiful portrait of two becoming one flesh. Did you know that in temptation, Satan seeks to make the two, who have become one, two again? His goal is to create division, dysfunction, and distraction. Jesus alone brings us into harmony with God. God has built us for relationship and companionship. How are your relationships? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Source

Source of Life

“For this reason I kneel before the Father,” Eph 3:14 (NIV) Kneeling keeps you standing. Why would Paul assume the posture of kneeling in prayer on behalf of the saints in Ephesus? Paul had already surrendered his life and agenda to God. Kneeling was simply an outward expression of his inward position in Christ. The Father is worthy of your humility and dependence. He alone is worthy of your passionate adoration and worship. Your heavenly Father is the source of life. He rescued you from the hell bound path you were on. The Father willingly gave His best to take your place upon the cross. Your sin debt has been paid in full. Your salvation has been purchased by God’s sinless and spotless Son, Jesus. Now, what are you in need of? What do you need that your heavenly Father has not provided? God is more than enough. His resources are unlimited. His generosity is immeasurable. Has anything driven you to your knees lately? Have you been kneeling before the Father on behalf of someone in your sphere of influence? When you come to the place of desperation you will find that your heavenly Father has already been working. He is not surprised by your surprises. Nothing ever occurs to God. He already knows. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Excluded

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (that done in the body by the hands of men)– remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” Eph 2:11-12 (NIV) You are either a Jew or a Gentile. In the New Testament period, Jews did not associate with Gentiles. In fact, the Jews viewed the Gentiles as unclean. Jesus made a way for the two to become one in the family of God. Paul is reminding the saints at Ephesus of their former condition. He was placing a mirror in front of them and giving them a look into their life before conversion. They had to face the painful reality that they were actually separate from Christ and excluded from citizenship in Israel. Their former status was that of desperation. Being excluded from citizenship meant overt rejection. Exclusion means that one does not measure up. It means that one does not meet the standards for inclusion. Paul is reminding the believers in Ephesus of their former reality. Calculate for a moment what it would mean for you to be excluded from God’s family. Think about the separation anxiety related to not being included in God’s family tree. Do you remember what it felt like to not be in Christ? Do you remember being lost, hopeless, and separated from Christ? Let the panic subside. Now, spend some time thanking God for including you in His redemptive plan. Let our Heavenly Father know how much you appreciate Him for including you in the salvation package. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell