“Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.” Psalms 26:2-3 (NIV) What’s going on in your mind? How’s your thought-life? What have you been thinking about lately? God has given you the ability to think, reason, […]
Author: Stephen Trammell
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Leaving Your Boat
“So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:11 (NIV) Salvation is an event followed by a process of maturation. Once you become a follower of Christ, your eternal destiny is radically altered and your daily activity should be intentionally allocated. The daily spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible intake, […]
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Focusing Your Life
“Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’” Luke 5:10 (NIV) If you’re not fishing, you’re not following. Following Christ will result in faithfully and intentionally fishing for souls. When you follow your Rabbi, Jesus, you go where He goes and you do what He does. Jesus alleviated […]
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Awe
“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.” Luke 5:8-10 (NIV) What produced […]
“When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.” Luke 5:6-7 (NIV) God’s way is always best! […]
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Simon Says
“Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’” Luke 5:5 (NIV) Do you remember those words you frequently heard as a child? You may have challenged something your parent said and then they responded emphatically with, “Because I said so!” […]
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Crisis of Belief
“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’” Luke 5:4 (NIV) Jesus had been teaching the crowd from Simon’s boat. The water’s surface propelled the teachings of Jesus with clarity to the hearers. Simon was in the boat with Jesus and […]
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Urgency
The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” Jer 8:20 (NIV) How much time do you have left on earth? How many people will die without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ within the next twenty-four hours? What difference will your life make in light of eternity? Jesus modeled a […]
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Identity (4)
“All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his […]
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Identity (3)
“All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. ‘Isn’t this Joseph’s son?’ they asked.” Luke 4:22 (NIV) Jesus shared from Isaiah 61:1-2 in the hearing of those in the synagogue and identified Himself as the fulfillment of that prophecy. The people spoke well of Him. Amazed […]
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Identity (2)
“The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for […]
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Identity (1)
“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.” Luke 4:16 (NIV) You make room for what you value. When you value participating in the ministry of your local church, you will make room […]
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Joining God (5)
“The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.” Acts 11:29-30 (NIV) God blesses generosity. You cannot join God in His redemptive activity and employ a stingy mindset. You cannot be selfish and effectively […]
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Joining God (4)
“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11:26 (NIV) As you join God in His redemptive activity, your sensitivity to His agenda will heighten. You will begin to see people the way God views them. Your heart for the lost will increase as you embrace the true meaning of being a Christian. In […]
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Joining God (3)
“Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11:25-26 (NIV) Why did Barnabas need Saul? It would […]
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Joining God (2)
“News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” Acts 11:22-23 (NIV) What did the evidence of the […]
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Joining God (1)
“Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.” […]
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Baptism (4)
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:26 (NIV) Believer’s baptism by immersion is a public proclamation of your faith in Jesus. Jesus identified with […]
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Baptism (3)
“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:21-22 (NIV) Jesus […]
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Baptism (2)
“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:21-22 (NIV) Did […]
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Baptism (1)
“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too.” Luke 3:21 (NIV) Jesus was baptized too? Why was it necessary for Jesus to be baptized? I thought He was sinless. What would Jesus need to repent of? The Bible affirms His sinlessness. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable […]
“‘Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’” “Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.” […]
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Love In Action
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I […]
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the […]
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Clarity and Maturity
“‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you.’” Acts 26:16 (NIV) Paul stood before King Agrippa to give witness to his personal salvation story. Paul was converted […]
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Parenting the Messiah
“When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.” Luke 2:42-43 (NIV) Can you imagine what it would have been like to parent the […]
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Intentional Parenting
“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. […]
“Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” Luke 2:41 (NIV) Growing up in a single-parent family after my parents divorced had its challenges. As one of my close friends likes to say, “A challenge is just an opportunity to excel in adverse circumstances.” As I reflect on my upbringing, […]
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Exit Strategy
“There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to […]
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Seeker Sensitive
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23 (NIV) Have you ever encountered God’s Presence in a personal and powerful way in corporate worship with other believers? Then, as you […]