“But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” Psalm 52:8 (NIV) The supply of God’s love never diminishes. God’s love is unlimited and unwavering. You can trust in God’s unfailing love. When you place your trust in the immutable character of God, you will be anchored to the Rock. The uncertainties of life in a fallen world cannot alter the unfailing love of God. You are never more secure than living under the canopy of God’s love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NIV) “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV) “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV) You can flourish in this life regardless of your circumstances by trusting in God’s unfailing love. You can move beyond relying on feelings that come and go by trusting in the consistent flow of God’s love. Before you were born, God established you in His love. Before you took your first breath, God demonstrated His love for you by giving you His only Son to die so that you could live forever. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Author: Stephen Trammell
“I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.” Psalms 44:6-7 (NIV) When you identify an area that you are gifted in or an activity that comes naturally to you, it is easy to place your confidence in that area or activity. Sometimes our competence becomes our confidence. We begin to trust the gifts and abilities that God has given us to the neglect of relying upon His strength. Sometimes we may even forget how we have become victorious. What do you trust in? Who are you relying upon to live the victorious Christian life? “‘But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’” Jer 17:7-8 (NIV) “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25 (NIV) “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NIV) God gives us the victory. The credit does not belong to us for weathering the storms of life. God gives us the grace we need to both live and die. God provides us with His ample supply of Manna and quail. God multiplies the loaves and fish to nourish us. Spend a few moments thanking God for coming to your rescue. Be mindful of how needy you are and how generous God is. Weigh the privilege of trusting God and using the gifts and abilities He has given in order to live for His glory. Don’t miscalculate the value God places on your life and on your obedience. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3 (NIV) What is your life song? Has God put a new song in your mouth? As children of God, we have the life transforming message of Jesus. If you have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, then you have a song to sing. It does not matter how musically inclined you are. What matters is that you have a song to sing! Your life in Christ is a song that others will observe. Will others see Christ in your life song? Will they see and revere Jesus because of your life song? Will others place their trust in Jesus as a result of the song that your life sings? God has given us the wonderful and awesome privilege to be the tangible portrait of His grace on this planet. The conversations and interactions that you engage in on a daily basis are chords that vibrate the rhythm of God’s love. When you study the life of Jesus you will notice that Jesus maximized the opportunities presented to Him each day. Jesus lived a life that radiated the love of God. People were drawn to Jesus because His life song declared the magnitude of God’s abundant grace and mercy. Maybe you are in a season currently that has inhibited the song in your mouth. Maybe you have not had a song to sing due to hurt, anger, or disappointment. Ask God to renew your mind and to renew your strength. Ask God to put a new song in your mouth to help you persevere and experience a breakthrough. God knows right where you are and exactly what you need. Trust God! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“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
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” Psalm 20:7 (NIV) This verse became dear to my heart when I was pastoring my seminary church in 1992. My wife, Tonya, and I went through the Experiencing God study along with our deacons and their wives. My journey of faith has been enhanced by the concept of trusting in the name of the Lord our God. Trust is a fragile item in the life of a believer. Trust is like the petal of a rose. Trust can beautify a difficult path and create an aroma pleasing to Christ. Trust can also wilt when betrayed. Like a gem in the hand of a jeweler, trust in God can lead to an irresistible life in which God’s glory radiates. What do you trust in? In our society draped with affluence, it is so easy to trust in materialism. If we can only acquire one more object of our affection or jump into one more activity that produces an adrenaline rush, then we will be fulfilled…so we think. The things of this world just don’t deliver what they promise. The chariots of our culture and the horses of our entertainment are not trustworthy. Only God can deliver on the magnitude of His promises. God always lives up to the level of His nature and character of perfection. There is no lack! There is no discrepancy! God is all sufficient and more than enough! Fully rely upon God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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First
“‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.’” John 15:18 (NIV) One of our deepest needs is to be accepted by others. As a result, we invest so much of our time and energy seeking to please others. We do not like anyone to reject us or to think less of us. We strive to be admired and affirmed by others. Often our pursuit winds up streaming us into a performance trap. Satan plays into the equation in that he fuels our desire to be liked by others. He seeks to get us to neglect our daily intimacy with the Lord in order to neutralize our effectiveness as followers of Christ. Satan’s opposition is in proportion to our mobilization in God’s army. Jesus reminds us that He endured opposition for God’s glory. Jesus was hated and despised. Jesus suffered persecution and ultimately death for God’s glory. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 (NIV) “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:23 (NIV) “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” 1 Peter 4:16 (NIV) If the world hates you, remember that it hated Jesus first. If the world despises you, remember that it despised Jesus first. Walk in the honor of bearing the name of Jesus. Continue to give Jesus “first” place in your life and remember that Jesus went first for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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First
“And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” Mark 13:10 (NIV) There are over 12,000 people groups among the nations of the earth. Jesus died on the cross so that everyone person who calls upon His Name will be saved. Jesus is the hope of the world. There is no other payment for the penalty of our sin. Jesus is the only way. “‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (NIV) “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 (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) What will you do to ensure that the message of the gospel gets to every people group on earth? How will you participate in the redemptive process? How many people will be in heaven because of your witness? Shine the light of Jesus and share the love of Jesus every moment of every day. Seize every opportunity that God gives you to make Jesus known. Pray for the lost. Share your salvation story and lead others to come to know Jesus. We are not waiting on Jesus to come. Jesus has commissioned us and empowered us to get the gospel to all nations. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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First
“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.’” Mark 9:35 (NIV) Our culture thrives on being the best at whatever you do. Reality television shows have magnified the surge of cynicism and critical evaluation. You’re too tall or you’re too short or your vocal pitch is too high or too low. Everyone is striving to win. Everyone is clamoring for the top spot. In our culture, being “first” is the epitome of success. Jesus redefines success. To be first you must be last. Being at the top is all about being at the bottom. Instead of being first, success is about letting others be first. It is putting others before yourself. The portrait of success that Jesus paints is that of being selfless. The way of Jesus is counter-culture. The current of the Christ-centered life goes against the flow of culture. Descending into greatness requires placing the needs of others before your own. Jesus was willing to serve His disciples by washing their feet and ultimately washing their sins away through His shed blood upon the cross. Are you willing to serve others? Are you willing to put others first? That does not come naturally. It requires being fully surrendered to the Spirit’s control in your life. Do you qualify as “servant of all” in your sphere of influence? Look to Jesus! He is the model to follow! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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First
“‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.’” Matt 7:3-5 (NIV) We tend to judge others by a different standard than we judge ourselves. When we look at ourselves, we tend to use a filtered lens that makes us look pretty good. When we look at others, we tend to utilize the most powerful microscope to examine their lives. We can be rather selective by choosing someone who will make us look good. The truth is, everyone looks good from a distance. Proximity affects accuracy. Jesus is giving us a new lens to view ourselves and others. Instead of bypassing the reality of a massive plank in our own eye in order to identify the speck of sawdust in our brother’s eye, Jesus wants us to examine our own life first. “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” Psalms 51:3 (NIV) “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips…’” Isaiah 6:5 (NIV) “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 (NIV) Introspection paves the way for realization of God’s impartation of grace in which we live and breathe. God already knows about the plank. Be quick to remove it and be slow to critique the speck in your brother’s eye. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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First
“‘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
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First
“‘Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.’” Matt 5:23-24 (NIV) In yielded worship before the Lord, your sensitivity to the things of God is heightened. Your awareness of God’s holiness and your personal sin becomes elevated when you are consecrated before the Lord in worship. If during the act of offering your gift at the altar of worship God brings to your mind the reality of a strained relationship, leave your gift and diligently go and be reconciled. God values unity in the body. God expects us to protect the vitality of our relationships with others. You cannot have a right relationship with God, even in worship, if you are not in a right relationship with others. Living in a fallen world perpetuates the litter of strained relationships. Make reconciliation your “first” response to God in worship. You have been reconciled to God through the finished work of Jesus upon the cross so that you can be an intentional reconciler on this broken planet. “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) “Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, ‘Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.’” Gen 41:9 (NIV) Your gift becomes acceptable to God at the level of your relational purity with God and with others. Guard your relationships. Seek immediate reconciliation! Exhibit humility and brokenness! Ask for forgiveness! Extend forgiveness! Do whatever it takes to make things right between you and God. Do whatever it takes to make things right with others. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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First
“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
“From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.” Jonah 2:1 (NIV) If you spent three days and three nights inside a great fish that God provided, you would probably place that in the category of a life changing experience. Your entire life would be marked by that one experience with God. You would never be the same. Your view of God and your reverence for God would be catapulted to a new level. “The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.” Jonah 2:5 (NIV) “To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.” Jonah 2:6 (NIV) Can you imagine Jonah, with seaweed wrapped around his head, praying to God from inside this large fish that God provided? I wonder if Jonah was kneeling, standing, floating, or treading water while he was praying. It clearly illustrates that God is willing to go to extreme measures to rescue us from ourselves and from our sin. You don’t have to wait for God to bring you to a place of desperation to call out to Him in prayer. You have the perpetual invitation to nurture your love relationship with God in moment by moment prayer and surrender. Remove the seaweed that tends to cling to your mind and embrace the opportunity to commune with the Creator of the universe. Your life changing experience can continue as you faithfully seek God’s face in prayer. Whether you are in the tumultuous waters within the large fish called life or on the tranquil dry ground of daily life, pray to our Living God. God loves you and His heart beats for you. You are the apple of His eye! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“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
“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’” Dan 6:16 (NIV) Daniel had a track record of faithfulness to God. His loyalty to God was unwavering. After the king signed a decree forbidding Daniel to pray to God, Daniel allowed his devotion to God to supersede his devotion to the king. Daniel was not willing to disobey God in order to obey the king. Instead, Daniel honored God at the expense of the king’s retribution. Daniel paid a hefty price for his obedience. He was thrown into the lions’ den. “At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’” Dan 6:19-20 (NIV) “Daniel answered, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.’” Dan 6:21-22 (NIV) Your devotion and faithfulness to God may not ever lead you to be thrown into a literal lions’ den. However, your lions’ den may simply be having others misunderstand you or criticize you for your devotion to God. Your family members may not support you in your walk with God. Your co-workers or neighbors may not fully understand your commitment to serving God. Your lions’ den may be when your peers fail to comprehend your level of loyalty to God. Serve continually! Trust God completely! God can shut the mouths of the lions. God can redeem the hurt you endure. Allow God to use you to make an impact for His glory for every generation. Be comforted by the fact that God is all-knowing and nothing escapes His attention. God knows right where you are and He knows exactly what you need to accomplish His plan. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’” Dan 3:16-18 (NIV) Has your faith ever been tested? Have you ever been in an environment that provided you with an opportunity to make a bold stand for the Lord? Maybe your home is a place where your faith is put to the test. Maybe your work environment has been a difficult place for you to express your faith. Swimming upstream is always a challenge. Whenever you decide to go in the opposite direction of the cultural current, you will face resistance and opposition. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the midst of impending death if they chose not to abide by the king’s command, were willing to obey God at all costs. Instead of bowing to the golden image erected by king Nebuchadnezzar, they chose to honor God even if it meant death. They demonstrated their belief in God’s ability to save them from the blazing furnace. They went a step further by declaring that even if God did not deliver them that they would not worship the image of gold. Do you have that kind of “but even if God does not” faith? Are you willing to obey God in the face of opposition and in the face of being misunderstood by your family or peers? Even if God does not deliver you from your difficult circumstances, are you willing to obey Him and honor Him? The good news is that God did deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They would not bow, they would not bend, they would not budge, and they would not burn! God rescued them through the blazing furnace. God allowed them to go through the fire unharmed. Now that’s a life changing experience! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8 (NIV) Isaiah had a life changing experience. He looked up and saw the Lord in all of His holiness. Isaiah looked inward and recognized his own sinfulness in light of God’s holiness. Isaiah then looked outward and detected the sinful condition of others. In this life changing experience, Isaiah heard God’s call and responded with instant obedience. Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!” Will you make an impact upon every generation? Are you willing to allow God to call you to a new level of living? God’s grace always matches His assignment for your life. Where God guides He always provides. There is never a better moment than now to obey God instantly and make yourself totally available for His use. God can do more in you and through you in the next six months than all the previous years of your life combined. God values the work He does in you more than the work He does through you. Before God used Isaiah to make an eternal impact, God had to do an internal work in Isaiah’s life. The internal work always impacts the eternal work. Don’t bypass what God wants to do in you. Isaiah came face to face with the holiness of God in worship. Isaiah’s worship led to a personal assessment of his morality and then the morality of those around him. After God did this great work in Isaiah, He invited Isaiah to join His world redemptive activity. You have a chance to make an eternal impact for every generation. Are you available? Look upward! Look inward! Look outward! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“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
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Gen 50:20 (NIV) The sixty-six books of the Bible provide us with a string of pearls that demonstrates God’s redemptive activity. Long before we were born, God took the initiative to rescue us from our fallen condition. God factors in our poor choices and even the decisions others make that affect our lives. How refreshing to know that God has the final say. Your past, present, and future circumstances will never circumvent the mighty acts of God. Joseph had a life changing experience through the gateway of betrayal. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and tried to cover up their sin through deception. God elevated Joseph to Potipher’s house where he was later falsely accused by Potipher’s wife. Joseph went from the pit to the palace and then to prison. His life’s circumstances appeared to be most unfortunate. Yet, God knew right where Joseph was and what Joseph needed most. God was with Joseph and delivered him from prison to second in command over Egypt in preparation for the upcoming famine. When Joseph’s path intersected that of his brothers, he demonstrated the life giving grace of God. Instead of having them pay for their sin, Joseph forgave them and acknowledged God’s sovereignty. Have you had the ultimate life changing experience by placing your faith in the completed work of Jesus on the cross? Are you living out the reality of God’s transforming power? Have you experienced God’s forgiveness at the level of being able to forgive others in the same measure? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“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) Today is my dad’s birthday. He is now on the spiritual path to finish well. However, when I was a child, my dad became an alcoholic which led to my parents’ divorce and ultimately to his imprisonment. As a result, my dad was not an integral part of my upbringing. When I look over my childhood, the one constant in my life was church. My mother and my mamaw made certain that I went to church with them each Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night. My mother played the piano and my mamaw played the organ. God used that consistency in my life to allow me to be under the influence of the gospel each week in Sunday School, in worship, and in my church’s basketball league. God brought godly men into my life at church that would take me fishing, camping, and hunting. I watched those men closely to see how they treated their wives and their children. On March 28, 1979, I gave my heart to the Father who would never let me down. Jesus became the Lord of my life and He also became my Heavenly Daddy! Paul identified the sincere faith that Timothy’s mother and grandmother exhibited before him consistently. Timothy became a follower of Christ and devoted his life to teaching and preaching God’s Word. I love how Paul affirms the sincere faith that first lived in Timothy’s grandmother and mother. Are you handing down the faith? Is your faith sincere? Will the next generation be able to look at your life and see the reality of Jesus and His Lordship? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Bridger Generation (6)
“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) After being involved in a life altering Jet Ski accident and surrendering to preach at age sixteen, I remember officiating one of my first weddings. I was standing near the altar steps just before the wedding rehearsal was to begin when the mother of the bride asks, “Where’s the minister?” When I announced that I was the minister, you should have seen her face fall. She reacted by darting out the words of surprise that, in her estimation, I was just a kid. Those were the “good old days.” Paul’s words of encouragement and instruction to his young son in the ministry have been a life-line over the years of my ministry. Every generation has the honor of participation in God’s redemptive activity. Regardless of your current life stage, whether you are in the Bridger, Buster, Boomer, or Builder generation, you have the wonderful invitation from God for participation in God’s world redemption story. Don’t allow your inadequacies and insufficiencies to barricade you from joining God in His activity. Your usefulness to God is not based on your particular generational identification. Your usefulness to God is based on your identity in Christ and your availability to Christ. Surrender to the Lordship of Christ and be an example to others in your conversation, your convictions, and your conduct. Every person in every generation will one day stand before God to give an account for the deeds done while in the body. Set a Christ-honoring example for others. Be a model to follow! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Bridger Generation (5)
“‘And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.’” Matt 18:5-6 (NIV) Jesus loves the little children. As you read these powerful words of Christ, you may be offended by the strong language used. Jesus does not water down His conviction about the vitality and vulnerability of children. Jesus confronts us with the reality that the children are our responsibility. If we choose to mislead them, we will suffer the consequences. If we choose to guide them in the way of the Lord, we will be blessed. The vast majority of those who come to place their faith in Christ alone for salvation do so before the age of twelve. Children exhibit tenderness toward the things of God. They are so open to what God wants to do in their lives and through their lives. Children are like tender clay in the hands of a potter. God has given us the responsibility to help mold them and shape them into fully devoted followers of Christ. With this awesome privilege comes tremendous responsibility. Jesus wants us to take our responsibility of influencing children toward Him seriously. Think of what is at stake when children are misled. Not only is their immediate future jeopardized, but also their eternal destiny. I am so grateful for the godly men and women that God placed in my life during my formative years to point me to Jesus. They faithfully modeled the Christ-centered life. Every generation deserves to be lead to the foot of the cross and introduced to a saving relationship with Jesus. Are you in? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Bridger Generation (4)
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’” Matt 18:1-4 (NIV) Every generation can only enter the kingdom of heaven one way. Through repentance and childlike faith, a person from any generation can enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus not only solidifies the method of entry, but He also identifies the measure of greatness in the kingdom of heaven. The road to greatness is paved in humility. Children have the wonderful capacity to believe. They want to believe that anything is possible and they can dream some amazing dreams. Being around children has a contagious factor of faith. The simplicity of their faith can also be very convicting for those who have become too familiar with the cognitive realm. Children have the refreshing quality of demonstrating humility in their willingness to acknowledge their need for comfort, love, and acceptance. What will the next generation see in you? Will the Bridger generation be convinced that repentance and childlike faith in Jesus is the answer by simply observing the way you live? Your conversation and conduct immersed in humility for God’s glory will demonstrate to a watching world the reality of kingdom citizenship. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Bridger Generation (3)
“Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.” Luke 8:40-42 (NIV) Have you ever been desperate? Our natural tendency is to be strong and independent and seek to figure things out on our own. However, in those seasons of desperation, we recognize that we are finite and that God is infinite. God has a way of reminding us of our dependency upon Him. Sometimes the reminder comes in the package of suffering. The ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, was suffering as a parent as he watched his only daughter at the tender age of twelve lay dying. Jairus sought Jesus and fell at His feet. Jairus was in a season of desperation and pleaded with Jesus to come to his house to rescue his dying daughter. On His way, Jesus was interrupted by the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus healed this woman and then the report came that Jairus’ daughter had died. “Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.’” Luke 8:50 (NIV) “When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. ‘Stop wailing,’ Jesus said. ‘She is not dead but asleep.’” Luke 8:51-52 (NIV) “They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, ‘My child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.” Luke 8:53-55 (NIV) Jesus is the answer for every generation. The Bridger generation, those born between 1984 and 2002, has needs that only Jesus can meet. Will you be available to share Jesus with the next generation? Those in desperation need a demonstration of the love that Jesus provides. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Bridger Generation (2)
“‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.” Luke 2:49-50 (NIV) The secret to concentration is elimination. Our life on planet earth is full of distractions. It can be very difficult to focus on what really matters in this life. There are so many tugs and so many allurements. Just examine the Bridger generation for a few moments and you will notice how they are bombarded with unlimited options for entertainment. How do you get children to focus on things of eternal value when they are saturated with external impulses? In the Bible, we get a glimpse of Jesus at the age of twelve. While Joseph and Mary were in the caravan headed home, Jesus was in the temple sitting among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions. Three days later, Joseph and Mary return to Jerusalem in search of Jesus. You can imagine their consternation and relief when they found Him. Jesus responded to them by clarifying that He had to be in His Father’s house being about His Father’s business. “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:51-52 (NIV) “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” John 4:34 (NIV) Jesus oriented His life around His Heavenly Father’s agenda. Are you investing in the next generation at that level of intensity? Are you passionately giving your life to our Heavenly Father’s agenda? There’s an entire generation to reach for God’s glory. Are you in? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Bridger Generation (1)
“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals.” Judges 2:10-11 (NIV) All it takes is one generation. It is difficult to fathom how one generation can witness the mighty works of God such as water from a rock, manna from heaven, and crossing the Red Sea on dry ground and fail to pass down the faith. From generation to generation, the faith of our fathers can erode or explode, evaporate or emanate. All it takes is one generation. In our modern context, the younger generation known as the Bridger generation, are those born between 1984 and 2002. They comprise 27 percent of the United States population. They are also known as Mosaics, Millennials, and Generation 9-11. The Bridger generation has a desire for authentic faith and acceptance of others. Will the faith be handed down to them? “Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.” Prov 7:2 (NIV) “Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?” Matt 16:9 (NIV) “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Heb 2:1 (NIV) God has called us to reach and disciple every generation for His glory. Will you live in such a way that those who know you, but don’t know God, will come to know God because they know you? As Dr. Johnny Hunt says, “The people in your community may not read the Bible, but they will read the gospel according to your life.” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14 Your impact for God will never rise above your prayer life. God honors those who seek Him. God took the initiative to bring us into a right relationship with Himself. His heart is for you to know Him intimately. God has done everything needed to enable you to have an intimate love relationship with Him. Will you respond to God’s invitation? If you will humble yourself, pray, and seek God’s face and turn from the path of evil, God will respond with blessing from heaven. God promises to hear, forgive, and heal. Are you in need of God’s heavenly touch? As you seek God, He responds to your pursuit. Can you imagine where you would be had God not pursued you long before you ever thought about Him? Can you visualize where you would be had God not built the ultimate bridge to come to where you were? You are armed with an opportunity to take your relationship with the Creator of the universe to a whole new level. Will you seize the opportunity by taking God at His Word? Will you capture the awesome privilege of connecting with Almighty God through prayer? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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If
“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) God keeps His promises. If you confess your sins, God will forgive you and purify you. God’s forgiveness and cleansing is not based on your consistency, rather on His faithfulness. God is holy and demands holy living. At salvation, you received the imputed righteousness of Christ. You are a child of God and positioned in Christ as rightly related to God. However, daily cleansing from sin is needed. Living in a fallen world perpetuates the sin that can contaminate your life. “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Cor 7:1 (NIV) “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 (NIV) To confess your sin is to say the same thing about your sin that God says about it. Don’t neutralize your sin by overlooking it and ignoring it. Instead, confess your sin specifically and receive God’s forgiveness and cleansing. Walk in light of the cleansing you have received. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“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
Rejoice…God will bless you. “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.”1 Chron 29:9 (NIV) God blesses obedience. Nothing brings more joy to the heart of God and to the child of God than obedience. When you give freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, you expand your capacity to rejoice. Joy overflows as you align your life with God’s plan. David and the people rejoiced. David had a reason to rejoice; he gave freely and wholeheartedly. The people rejoiced because of the willing response of their leaders. God blessed their obedience. Are you that kind of leader? Do those in your sphere of influence rejoice because of your faithfulness to God? God has demonstrated His gracious generosity by building the ultimate bridge to you and me. If you ever need a reason to rejoice, simply look up to your Heavenly Father and realize how blessed you are to have a loving Heavenly Father who freely and wholeheartedly gave His Son to be your Savior. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor