“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Phil 1:12-14 (NIV) Adversity creates opportunity. The Apostle Paul knew adversity on a first name basis. He experienced the fangs of adversity as he served God and sought to spread the Gospel message. During his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul wrote a letter to the church he started in Philippi. Paul acknowledged how God used the adversity in his life to advance the Gospel. Instead of Paul’s imprisonment halting the movement of the Gospel, God utilized Paul’s adversity as an avenue for the Gospel to saturate the land. One of my favorite quotes from Rick Warren is, “Everything that happens to a child of God is father-filtered.” If God permits something to come into your life, He will use it for your good and for His glory. God does not waste pain. God does not waste the trauma we experience while living in this fallen world. God redeems our pain and creates opportunities through our adversity to spread the Gospel. What kind of adversity are you currently experiencing? Don’t ask “why”, but ask “what” is God wanting to accomplish through the adversity He has allowed into your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Author: Stephen Trammell
“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Tim 1:5 (NIV) Does your faith come across to others as sincere? Do others detect the genuineness of your faith? That kind of faith is a positive witness for Christ. Think about those who have modeled that kind of faith for you. Perhaps you can look within your immediate family to find a sincere faith. You may have to go beyond those relationships to identify a sincere faith depending on the spiritual reality found within your family. Paul recognized the sincere faith that lived in Timothy. Paul traced Timothy’s sincere faith through his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. The sincere faith was modeled faithfully and handed down intentionally. Timothy was blessed to have a godly grandmother and a godly mother committed to the sincere faith that is the fruit of a transformed life. Are you modeling a sincere faith? Are you intentionally handing down the faith to others? Spend a few moments thanking God for the individuals He has placed in your life in the past and in the present who have modeled a sincere faith before you. Consider the impact they have made on your life and give God the glory! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Finishing Strong
“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
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God’s Will (7)
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4:17 (NIV) What would God have you do today? Did you know that God has a “to-do” list for you for today? God wants you to be saved! God wants you to grow spiritually! God wants you to share His love and to shine His light! God created you to be relational, not robotic. As you walk with God, He invites you to be in such relational intimacy with Him that you respond to His voice with instant obedience. You know the good that you ought to do. It’s not that you need more information or more imperatives. Start doing what God has already told you to do. Instant obedience demonstrates your allegiance and loyalty to God’s will. There are times when you may desire God to simply write His will on the wall so that you can read it and obey. It just so happens that the wall is the pages upon which God’s Word is written for you to read personally and obey instantly. You may be waiting for God’s direction concerning a specific decision that you need to make. Walk in the light God gives you. If you are not at peace about a certain direction, don’t make a move. Wait until God gives you the release to move into that particular direction. Remember, that God has been at work long before your specific situation showed up on your radar. Nothing catches God by surprise. God has a purpose for anything and everything that surprises us. Wait on God’s timing and practice instant obedience. God’s way is always the best way! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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God’s Will (6)
“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:13-15 (NIV) God’s will is that you grow spiritually. The process of sanctification includes your obedience to God’s plan. As you submit to God’ will, your spiritual maturity continues to develop. One mark of spiritual maturity is the recognition of the sovereignty of God. Instead of presuming upon the grace of God and His plan, you acknowledge that God has the final say in what each day holds for you. His plans supersede your plans. God’s agenda becomes the priority of your life. James reminds us of the brevity of life. Another mark of spiritual maturity is recognizing how fragile life is. In light of eternity, your life on planet earth is brief. God made you not for time, but for eternity. Living in light of eternity not only helps you develop spiritual maturity, but also helps to measure your level of spiritual maturity. Your view of life on earth will determine how you invest your time, treasures, and talents. Learn to live each day with the “if” of God’s will. If it is God’s will, you will do this or that. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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God’s Will (5)
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) God’s will is that you be saved. The heart of God is for world redemption. The ultimate price has been paid for world redemption to be made possible. That price was paid by the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus paid the debt we could not pay to purchase the salvation we could not earn. Universalism teaches that all will be saved. However, the Bible is clear that only those who confess Jesus as Lord will be saved. Only those who have been born again will enter the kingdom of heaven. Without receiving the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, a person is without hope and without heaven. This would be an ideal time to take spiritual inventory of your own life and solidify your own salvation. It is God’s will that you be saved. Have you received God’s gift of eternal life? “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” Eph 2:8-9 (NIV) God saves you to secure you for eternity in heaven and to empower you to shine His light and to share His love with the lost and dying world that He has placed you in. You are rescued by God so that you can join God is His world redemption activity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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God’s Will (4)
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22 (NIV) God’s will involves listening. God speaks to us through the Bible. As you read the Bible, you read God’s revelation. God’s will is that you obey His Word. God also speaks through prayer. As you connect with God through prayer, He reveals His will to you. In order to hear God’s voice, you must listen with expectation and anticipation of God’s revelation. You learn to recognize God’s voice as you walk with God. “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:4 (NIV) “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV) Listening to God’s Word is not enough. You must do what it says. Put God’s Word into practice by obeying what God reveals to you. Sometimes God will wait for you to obey what He has already revealed to you before unveiling His next layer of revelation. Are you obeying what God has already revealed to you? Obey what you know. As you obey, God will show you more and more of His way. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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God’s Will (3)
“Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.’” John 5:17 (NIV) God’s will involves identifying where God is at work. Jesus said that God is always at work. The question is not, is God at work, but where is God at work. As Henry Blackaby says, “Look to see where God is at work so that you can join Him in what He is doing.” In your current situation, God is at work. In your neighborhood, God is at work. In your community, your country, and on every continent, God is at work. Are you willing to look to see where God is at work and choose to join Him in His activity. In order to detect where God is at work requires sensitivity. You must be sensitive to God’s activity. You can get so busy in life and so distracted by the things of this world that you become numb toward that activity of God. Sensitivity to God’s activity comes through a life of full surrender. As you surrender your agenda to God’s agenda and surrender your desires to God’s desires, you will begin seeing God’s activity. Your sensitvity to God’s activity will continue to grow as you join God in what He is doing. There’s no place on earth like being in the center of God’s will. Take some time today to evaluate your level of sensitivity to God’s activity. Have you become anesthetized to the things of God? Have you numb toward the activity of God? Surrender completely to the Lord and ask Him to give you a special sensitivity to His activity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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God’s Will (2)
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Prov 27:1 (NIV) We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow. God is eternal. God was never born and He will never die. God is infinite and we are finite. God is all-knowing and we are limited in our knowing. God is the Creator and we are the created. In other words, God is the potter and we are the clay. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalms 139:13-14 (NIV) “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jer 29:11 (NIV) We have no room to boast about tomorrow. We cannot see tomorrow, but God can. In our humanity, we have a limited view of tomorrow, but God’s view is complete. God formed us and fashioned us for His glory. God’s plans are to prosper us and not to harm us. God’s plans include giving us hope and a future. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pasto
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God’s Will (1)
God’s will involves prayer. Prayer is aligning your life with God’s agenda. God has a plan for your life. He has a purpose for you to fulfill. How do you get connected to that purpose and plan? Through alignment! Prayer is the avenue through which we connect with God. He has already broken down the barriers that separated us. God grants us access to Him through prayer based on the atonement of Christ. Because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, we have the privilege of communing with God through prayer. The Israelites communed with God through the use of the Tabernacle. “‘Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.’” Ex 25:8-9 (NIV) As believers, we commune with God through Jesus. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Heb 4:14-16 (NIV) As a Christ follower, you have direct access to God through Jesus. Are you aligned with God’s agenda? God’s will includes you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” James 4:6 (NIV) Grace is getting what we do not deserve. We do not deserve God’s forgiveness, salvation, reconciliation, favor, blessing, and heaven. But God demonstrates His love by gracing us with that which we do not deserve. God stands in opposition to the proud but responds with grace to the humble. So what does humility look like? As we examine the life of Jesus, we see humility defined. Jesus willingly put others before Himself. Jesus lived selflessly and died sacrificially. Jesus came to this earth to serve and to save. How will you respond? “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 (NIV) “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV) We are to humble ourselves. As an act of the will, we are to choose to humble ourselves. God can navigate circumstances to bring humility into our lives to remind us of our dependency upon Him. Yet, God wants to us choose the way of humility without the influence of outward circumstances. Based on our love relationship with God, we are to respond to His grace by exemplifying a life of humility. Is there an element of pride in your life? Have you exhibited the sin of pride through your conversation or your conduct? Trying to do life your way instead of God’s way is an expression of pride. Embrace the way of humility which places God’s agenda above your own agenda. Anticipate God’s grace to flow like a river! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Pride and Humility (5)
“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) Over the years I have experimented with different ways to enhance my daily intimacy with God. I have utilized the daily devotional by Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost for His Highest” and also “Experiencing God Day by Day” written by Henry Blackaby. The most vital element in my spiritual development has been a consistent intake of God’s Word such as reading through the entire Bible in one year. Sometimes I commit to reading a chapter of Proverbs each day for an entire year. Thus, I read the book of Proverbs all the way through each month. That’s been an incredible adventure. The following verses are my favorite from the fourth chapter of Proverbs. When I think of drawing near to God and living wisely, this passage immediately rises to the surface. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” Prov 4:23-27 (NIV) There are so many options for you to embrace in this world. Countless paths await your selection. Careless living will grant you unlimited choices that will never deliver what they promise. Are you guarding your heart? Is your speech laced with purity? Is your vision focused on the way that brings honor to God? Are you taking paths that are pleasing to God? Do you consistently avoid evil? Are you choosing to draw near to God and to live a life of moral purity? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (NIV) Jesus is our portrait of humility. The devil is our portrait of pride. Jesus came to earth to fulfill the Father’s will. The devil came in rebellion to thwart God’s agenda. As an angel of God, the devil pridefully sought to dethrone God. It backfired on him! God de-heavened the devil! “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.” Isaiah 14:13-15 (NIV) “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV) The devil is real. However, as you submit to God and choose to resist the devil, he will flee from you. As a child of God, you have everything you need to defeat the enemy. In Christ, you are the victor! In order to reign in this life, allow Jesus to reign in your life! Submit and resist! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Pride and Humility (3)
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (NIV) Rebellion against God is rooted in pride. Submission to God is rooted in humility. Rebellion brings harm and punishment. Submission brings relief and reward. Knowing that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, the child of God benefits from submission. To submit to God is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of wisdom. When you recognize that God is the Creator and that you are the created, you relinquish the pursuit of control. Submitting to God is allowing God to have complete control of your life. When you submit to God, you are acknowledging His supremacy and your dependency. The posture of submission resonates with the life of Christ. “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” John 4:34 (NIV) “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Matt 26:39 (NIV) How will you respond to life today? Will you submit to God? Are you in tune with God’s purpose and plan for your life? Has God’s agenda become your passion? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:2-3 (NIV) Motives matter to God. Have you ever been the recipient of a gift that was given with impure motives? When motives are not right, the gift loses its impact. How you give is just as important as what you give. How you serve is just as important as the act of serving. How you do life is just as important as what you do with your life. God is all-knowing and all-seeing. In His omniscience, God detects the motives in which you operate your life. God looks beneath the surface of your good deeds to identify your true motives. Selfishness is an indicator of impure motives. Wrong motives will cause you to mistreat others in order to get what you want. “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.” Prov 16:2 (NIV) “‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.’” Matt 7:7-8 (NIV) What if we started with a boldness to simply ask God? If there is something we need, what keeps us from asking God who is the Creator and Sustainer of life? Why do we try to take life into our own hands and allow impure motives to infiltrate our decisions? Let’s commit to go to God! He is our sufficiency! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Pride and Humility (1)
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” James 4:1 (NIV) Have you ever been in a fight? Have you ever quarreled with someone and sought to get your way at any cost? Can you imagine that kind of behavior among believers? James identifies the reality of infighting among the believers who have been dispersed as a result of persecution. Now they are persecuting each other with improper behavior. It can happen to good people who are seeking to follow God. Even after we profess Christ as Lord of our lives, we continue to battle the sin nature. The old patterns that God delivered us from seek to pop up from time to time. We have three enemies that we combat: the devil, the world, and the flesh. What if the devil eased up on us and the tugs of the world lessened their appeal? The truth is, we would still have to combat the cravings of our flesh. James points to the culprit of fights and quarrels, namely, our desires that battle from within. Selfish desires and behavior steeped in pride come from within. The outward expression of our inward desires can bring harm to the Body of Christ and contaminate our witness. Attacking other believers through our words and our deeds is an indicator of selfishness and pride. What’s the opposite of pride? Humility! God gave us a portrait of humility by allowing Jesus to pay full price for the sin debt of the world. If God was willing to do that for us, what should we be willing to do for Him? Let’s start with treating others the way God has treated us. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NIV) Here’s an overview of what we have learned from the first three chapters of James. Respond properly to trials from without. Respond properly to temptations from within. Apply God’s Word consistently in daily living. Value others as God does. Demonstrate a faith that works. Control your speech. Employ God’s wisdom in daily decisions. Do life God’s way by revering, obeying, and portraying Christ. The good life is marked by full surrender to God’s agenda. Allow God to work in you so that He can work through you to bring others to Christ. You matter to God and every moment of your life is significant. Your conversation and your conduct have eternal implications. The way you treat others is a direct reflection of your love relationship with Christ. Abandon your all to the Lord. Give Him first place in your life. Don’t hesitate to ask God for wisdom each day. God is generous and wants to shower you with heavenly wisdom for doing life His way. Trust God to be your sufficiency! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Eccl 12:14 (NIV) As you revere God and obey Him, you will be obtaining and employing heavenly wisdom. Another essential to doing life God’s way is portraying the life of Christ. God pursued you with His love and rescued you so that you would portray the life of Christ on earth. You are to bloom where God has planted you so that others will be drawn to Christ through your witness. Think of the people God has placed in your sphere of influence. Why do you think God brings such people into your life? God wants you to live in such a way as to model Christ before them. “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Tim 4:12 (NIV) “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Eph 5:15-16 (NIV) One day you will stand before God to give an account for your life. Seize the opportunities that God gives you to make Jesus known. Do life God’s way so that you will bring honor to God and populate the kingdom of heaven. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Eccl 12:13 (NIV) Another essential to doing life God’s way is obedience. Revering God is demonstrated through obeying God. Solomon recognized the priority of doing life God’s way. After experiencing life in the fast lane and having access to the wealth of the world, Solomon embraced the value of making God his top priority. Keeping God’s commandments became the central focus of Solomon’s life. “‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.’” Matt 7:24-25 (NIV) “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” 1 John 2:3 (NIV) Let me encourage you to obey what you know. As you grow in your knowledge of God’s Word and as you grow in your love relationship with God, seek to obey what God has already revealed to you. Seek to love God and to love others the way God has loved you. How would you define success in this life? Consider the bumper sticker I have seen recently: He who dies with the most toys wins! Is that true success? Success is obedience! Let’s do life God’s way Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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The Good Life (4)
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Eccl 12:13 (NIV) Imagine enjoying a cup of coffee at Starbuck’s with one of the wisest men to ever live, Solomon. That’s right! You are sitting across from Solomon and you ask him to share with you what he has learned after experiencing life in a way that few would ever experience in a lifetime. Solomon pursued wealth, wisdom, and women. At the end of his life, he looks into the review mirror and captures what matters most. Let me share the first essential to doing life God’s way: Revere God. Solomon says to “fear God.” In the language of the Old Testament, to fear God means to revere God. It means to hold God in high esteem. We are to place the worth and value on God that He deserves. We are to reverence God for who He is and for what He has done. Revering God involves giving Him first place in your life. Your ambition is to honor God with your life. His agenda becomes the focus of your life. You revere God by aligning your heart with His heart. Revering God is demonstrated by loving what God loves, and by hating what God hates. In his book, Walking with God, John Eldredge writes, “I assume that an intimate, conversational walk with God is available, and is meant to be normal.” As you walk with God and revere Him, your love relationship with God will become intimate. Doing life God’s way always produces intimacy with God and brings Him pleasure. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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The Good Life (3)
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 (NIV) Doing life God’s way involves obtaining and employing heavenly wisdom. What does that kind of wisdom look like? James has already explained the components of earthly wisdom in the previous three verses. We learned that earthly wisdom is characterized by selfishness while heavenly wisdom is characterized by selflessness. Selfishness is an expression of earthly wisdom. Selflessness is an expression of heavenly wisdom. Jesus, of course, is our model to follow. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2:3-4 (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. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!” Phil 2:5-8 (NIV) Heavenly wisdom becomes a practical expression in your daily living. As you do life God’s way, you will live a life of moral purity. You will be peace-loving, considerate of others, and submissive to God’s agenda. Heavenly wisdom will be evidenced through your lifestyle of mercy and good fruit, being impartial and sincere. What kind of wisdom are you exhibiting through your conversation and your conduct? Will others be drawn to Christ or repelled from Christ? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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The Good Life (2)
“But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” James 3:14-16 (NIV) James distinguishes between earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. Your conversation and your conduct will demonstrate the kind of wisdom you are operating from. The way you treat others will indicate the wisdom you draw from. The earthly wisdom that James identifies comes naturally. Heavenly wisdom is supernatural and is reserved for the child of God. However, it is possible for a believer to operate in the realm of earthly wisdom and neglect the wisdom from heaven. The poison of envy and the toxin of selfish ambition are earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil. The good life that God calls us to is not rooted in earthly wisdom which is marked by selfishness. Earthly wisdom feeds the cravings of the sin nature. The gratification of the flesh is centered in earthly wisdom. The devil seeks to get people to resist heavenly wisdom and to settle for the vanity of envy and selfish ambition. Disorder and every evil practice are the byproduct of a self-centered life steeped in earthly wisdom. Take personal inventory. What kind of wisdom are you drawing from? Does your life give evidence to the good life God has designed for you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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The Good Life (1)
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13 (NIV) What does the good life look like? The good life is doing life God’s way. God has created you for His glory. You are here to fulfill God’s will. God has included you in His master plan. In order to do life God’s way, you will need God’s wisdom. Moses felt overwhelmed by God’s assignment to deliver the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Notice what Moses requested of God. “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” Ex 33:13 (NIV) “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Prov 4:7 (NIV) Wisdom is something that is given by God and is also something that you seek. What you will discover in your love relationship with God through the saving work of Jesus on the cross is that God invites you to participate with Him in doing life His way. Would others consider you wise and understanding? Have you demonstrated the good life by doing life God’s way? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Stick Out Your Tongue (7)
Has your tongue ever gotten you in trouble? Examine the following verses to get a glimpse of how God views the words you speak. “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.” Psalms 34:12-13 (NIV) “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.” Prov 13:3 (NIV) “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Prov 18:21 (NIV) “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalms 141:3 (NIV) “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Prov 10:19 (NIV) “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” Prov 17:27 (NIV) In light of these verses, let’s open another door. Have you wounded anyone with your words? Words have the power to build up or tear down. Words have the power to encourage or to deflate. Your words can bring healing or your words can bring harm. “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) In humility, go to the person you have wounded with your words and acknowledge your guilt. Ask for their forgiveness and watch God do a reconciling work in your relationship. Even if the person does not respond like you desire, do the right thing to honor God. God’s way is always the best option! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Stick Out Your Tongue (6)
“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) As a child, my favorite part of the circus was watching the lions do tricks at their master’s command. To see the lions that normally would devour a human being for an afternoon snack, now obeying their master, was breath taking. The lions had been tamed. James says that no man can tame the tongue. He goes on to say that the tongue is a restless evil. To add another layer, James says that the tongue is full of deadly poison. That doesn’t sound too good does it? Is it even possible to control the tongue? The answer is “no.” You cannot control the tongue on your own. That brings us to the final step in aligning your heart with God’s heart. Step 3: Surrender to the Holy Spirit’s control. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19-10). By refusing to give the Holy Spirit full control of your life, you will grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. You do not have the power in and of yourself to tame your tongue. You do not have the power to change your heart. Only the convicting, convincing, and comforting work of the Holy Spirit in your heart can produce lasting life change. To surrender to the Holy Spirit’s control is a perpetual process of yielding to His prompting. Jesus modeled this concept of yielding in the garden of Gethsemane when He yielded to the Father’s will by saying, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will”(Mt. 26:39 NIV). Jesus is our model to follow. Are you willing to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s control? Are you willing to experience the heart transformation that will in turn transform your speech? Align your heart with God’s heart. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Stick Out Your Tongue (5)
“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) Aligning your heart with God’s heart is vital if your are going to control your tongue. Your speech is a matter of the heart. Your transformed heart will produce transformed speech. After you have asked God to search your heart, you are ready for the next step in aligning your heart with God’s heart. Step 2: Confess the sin God reveals. After King David committed adultery and murder, God brought deep conviction to David’s heart in order to position him for confession and repentance. As God revealed the sin in King David’s life, David acknowledged his sin before God. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 (NIV) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV) As God reveals the sin in your life, be willing to confess your sin specifically. In the language of the New Testament, to confess means to say that same thing about your sin that God says about it. Don’t try to neutralize your sin or water it down. Name it and say the same thing about your sin that God says about it. Once you have confessed your sin specifically, receive God’s provision of forgiveness. Now embrace a lifestyle of moral purity. As your heart is transformed by the grace of God, your speech will be transformed. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Stick Out Your Tongue (4)
“We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” James 3:2 (NIV) One of the marks of spiritual maturity is controlling the tongue. James is saying that if you control your tongue you will be able to control your whole body. The sin nature seeks to be gratified. One of the most susceptible instruments to sin is your tongue. Someone has commented that your tongue is located in an area that is slippery when wet and for that reason God has placed the tongue behind a cage of teeth walled in by the mouth. We have learned that it’s really not about the tongue, but about the heart. Jesus said that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. What does it take to align your heart with God’s heart? Step 1: Ask God to search your heart. King David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”(Psalms 139:23-24 NIV). Are you willing to pray such a bold prayer? When you ask God to search your heart, He will unearth sin that has been embedded in your heart. The light of God’s holiness will penetrate and expose any dark areas of your heart that are not in alignment with His heart. You may want to consider having a pen and some paper handy to write down what God brings to your attention. More to come… Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Stick Out Your Tongue (3)
“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” James 1:26 (NIV) Have you ever said something that you wish you could retrieve? We have all been there. The experience was painful and regretful. If only we could have thought about what we were going to say before we said it. If only we could have visualized beforehand the impact our words would make. Let’s use the word THINK as an acrostic to give us some insightful questions to ask before we speak. Is it True? Now that’s a great question for us to consider before speaking. What would our world look like if everyone only spoke the truth? Instead of spreading lies and infusing suspicion, everyone would operate based on integrity and truth. Is it Helpful? Consider your words. Are they beneficial to others? Does your conversation add value to the lives of other people? Let’s commit to speak words that bless and build others up. Is it Inspiring? God has sealed you by the Holy Spirit so that you can be a vessel of honor. Your life is designed by God to inspire others to come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and to mature spiritually. Do your words encourage others to reach their God-given potential? Are you helping others to express their gift mix? Your words have that kind of power! Is it Necessary? Sometimes silence is the best option. When we are about to say something that is not necessary, maybe that’s a good time to hit the pause button. As we contemplate the importance of what we are about to say, maybe our delivery of those words will be halted in order to prevent damage. Is it Kind? I remember hearing Dr. Jerry Vines, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, say that “a Christian never has the luxury of being unkind.” Before we speak, we might want to ask the question, “Is it kind?” Will our words reflect the heart of Jesus? Will our words demonstrate the value that God places on others? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Stick Out Your Tongue (2)
Did you know that every chapter of James addresses your speech? Your conversation and your conduct will indicate the spiritual condition of your heart. Read through these verses slowly and allow God to speak to you about your speech. “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19 (NIV) “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12-13 (NIV) “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) “Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” James 4:11 (NIV) “Above all, my brothers, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no, or you will be condemned.” James 5:12 (NIV) God weighs our words specifically. Everything we say today matters in eternity. Maybe that’s why God gave us two ears and one mouth. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Stick Out Your Tongue (1)
“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matt 12:33-34 (NIV) Do you remember the days when the nurse would ask you to stick out your tongue in order to insert a thermometer? The process was to detect your physical temperature. Your tongue is also an indicator of your spiritual temperature. The words you speak reflect what’s in your heart. Jesus affirmed that the mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart. Biting your tongue is not sufficient. It’s really not about your tongue. It’s about your heart. Whatever is in your heart will be displayed by your speech. The way you speak to others will exhibit what’s in your heart. Just as a good tree will bear good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit, your words will bear fruit based on the spiritual condition of your heart. Open your mouth and stick out your tongue. What has your tongue revealed about your heart this week? Examine the words you have spoken. Have you been gracious and kind in your conversations? Have your interactions revealed a heart aligned with God’s heart? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor