“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:10 (NIV) It has been estimated that as many as 160,000 Christians are martyred each year worldwide. Godliness generates hostility. To live for Christ is to live in constant opposition to Satan and his crafty agenda to undermine God’s […]
Author: Stephen Trammell
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Matt 5:9 (NIV) The Bible opens with peace in the Garden of Eden and was interrupted when man sinned. Jesus made peace a reality again by sacrificing His life upon the cross to destroy the penalty of sin and death. In eternity, peace will be fully […]
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matt 5:8 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves purity. God’s standard of perfection is Christ. The purity of Christ is the bull’s-eye for the believer. To be pure in heart is to be right with God. You cannot have a right relationship with God without having a […]
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matt 5:7 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves being merciful. Has the Lord been merciful to you? Capture a snapshot of what shape you would be in right now had you not been a personal recipient of God’s mercy. God is not asking you to do anything He […]
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matt 5:6 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves holy ambition. There is nothing more appealing to a starving person than food. For the follower of Christ, the spiritual appetite is a craving for righteousness. At salvation, you receive the righteousness of Christ and a resulting […]
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matt 5:5 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves being bridled. Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control. You have the capacity to live a sinful lifestyle that will bring disrepute to Christianity and disdain to the character of Christ. The world, Satan, and your flesh have […]
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matt 5:4 (NIV) Are you constantly broken over your sinfulness? Christ-centered living involves brokenness. In the language of the New Testament, there are nine different words used to describe sorrow. The Greek word Jesus uses here is the strongest of the nine. This level of mourning is equated with grieving over the death […]
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves humility. Recognizing your spiritual bankruptcy apart from God is imperative for the follower of Christ. You cannot come into the Kingdom of God without acknowledging your utter hopelessness outside of God’s provision. To be poor in spirit is […]
Do something great by relying on Christ’s strength. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Phil 4:13 (NIV) Jesus has saved us to represent Him on the earth. He has instructed us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, to forgive our debtors, to judge not, to go […]
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Something Great (6)
Do something great by praying it through. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7 (NIV) What are you anxious about right […]
Do something great by releasing the past. “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” […]
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Do something great by serving others. “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2:4 (NIV) Analyze your family tree for a moment. Think about those in your family tree who have consistently proven themselves as tender, compassionate, thoughtful, and generous. You may want […]
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Something Great (3)
Do something great by keeping an eternal perspective. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Phil 1:21 (NIV) Imagine flying at an altitude of thirty-thousand feet and scanning the colorful blocks of land on the earth’s surface. There is something about the view that gives you such a unique perspective […]
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Something Great (2)
Do something great by partnering with others. “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day […]
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Do something great by extending God’s grace and peace. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Phil 1:2 (NIV) You cannot give what you do not have. On this first day of the year, reflect on your salvation event. Remember, salvation is an event followed by a process. […]
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Doing Life (5)
Doing life involves anticipating the Lord’s return. “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” James 5:7-8 (NIV) […]
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Doing Life (4)
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (NIV) Doing life involves submission and opposition readiness. God is at work and the devil is at work. Anytime you choose to join God in His activity, Satan will oppose. You can walk in victory by submitting to God. Submission is a […]
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Doing Life (3)
“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:7-8 (NIV) Doing life requires restraint. There are countless temptations used of Satan to entice us to compromise […]
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Doing Life (2)
“Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” James 2:21-22 (NIV) Doing life requires faith. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are in […]
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“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 (NIV) My dad has had a life of trials. His parents were alcoholics and a […]
The Christmas story is rooted in God’s nature and character. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:20 (NIV) God’s story is the story of redemption. In His grace and mercy, God has come to us in order to […]
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For Christmas (4)
Merry Christmas to you and your family! The day we have been anticipating all year is finally here. We have the wonderful privilege of celebrating the birth that changed our past, present, and future. Jesus is born! “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be […]
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For Christmas (3)
“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 (NIV) Think back to a Christmas experience you had in which you were deeply moved. Do you remember the specifics of the event that made it so touching? With our modern day affinity for technology, you probably captured the experience with a camera or a […]
God’s revelation demands a response. “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in […]
God’s activity is perpetual. “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you […]
God speaks your love language. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest […]
God honors unity. “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14 (NIV) Anticipating Christmas generates major excitement and energy. You can feel it in the air as people saturate their flower beds, yards, and homes with decorative lights. The traffic heightens […]
God is a promise keeper. “He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send […]
God’s agenda is global. “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” Luke 2:13-14 (NIV) You are here to bring glory to God. You have been created by God to fulfill His agenda. […]
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The People God Uses (7)
God uses people who are hospitable. “When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.” Acts 16:15 (NIV) Have you ever been to someone’s house and you […]