Author: Stephen Trammell

Working for the Lord

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” Eph 6:5-8 (NIV) Where do you work? Now think about your workplace and rediscover your ultimate boss, Jesus. Therefore, you are working for Jesus. When you are working, in the workplace, for the Lord, what does that look like? Snapshot #1: You willingly do what you are asked to do. When your passion is to please Jesus, you will obey your earthly boss. Your obedience is not based on how your boss treats you; your obedience is based on pleasing your ultimate boss, Jesus. Snapshot #2: Your attitude will be consistent with your actions. Your beliefs determine your behavior. If you believe that Jesus is your ultimate boss and if you believe that you are truly working for him, then your actions at work will be consistent with your beliefs. Your actions will reflect the authenticity of your attitude. Do you have an attitude of gratitude, even at work? Snapshot #3: Your actions are consistent when no one is watching. Do you give your best when no one is looking? When the cat’s away do the mice still play, if they are Christian? You know that Jesus, your ultimate boss, is all-knowing and all-seeing. He is watching even when your earthly boss is not in visual contact. What you do when no one is watching is a clear indicator of your caliber of character. Take a close look at each snapshot of a believer working for the Lord. Identify the snapshot that needs improvement in your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Segmented

“‘I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’” Mark 10:15 (NIV) What is the Kingdom of God? God’s people on mission with God to fulfill God’s purposes on earth! Where is the Kingdom of God? Wherever Jesus is King! Is Jesus King of your heart? Is Jesus King of your home? Is Jesus King of your church? Is Jesus King of your work? Our tendency is to live segmented lives. We have our personal life, our home life, our church life, and our work life. Often believers express their faith through personal devotion to the Lord and through public worship at church. Why do we conceal our faith at home or at work? Why do we segment our Christianity as though we can only express our faith in our personal life and church life? We come into the Kingdom of God by simple childlike faith in the completed work of Jesus on the cross. The Kingdom of God is wherever Jesus is King. What if we allowed Jesus to be King in our heart, home, church, and work? What if we allowed our relationship with Jesus to be evidenced in every domain of life. Instead of concealing our Christianity, let’s reveal our love relationship with Jesus 24.7.365 in every area of life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Vocational Vision

Who do you work for? Your answer to that question will quickly identify your motivation for waking up each morning. What if you decided that you work for Jesus? What if you allowed Jesus to become your boss? “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” Eph 6:7-8 (NIV) The reality is that Jesus is your boss if you have made Him Lord of your life. His Lordship in your life is a measurement of your followership. If you are following Jesus and serving Him wholeheartedly, then He is your boss. You are not working for an earthly boss. You are not trying to please or appease an earthly boss. Your passion is to please your ultimate boss, Jesus. Jesus rewards your work. Jesus is keeping up with all you do and all you say. He knows when you have gone the extra mile and He knows when you have not given your best. Jesus sees what no one else sees. You may not receive the compensation from your earthly boss that you desire or deserve. However, Jesus is the One who gives you ultimate compensation for your work. Jesus rewards you! When you are on your way to work, begin to visualize who you are working for. Now, begin to see that Jesus is the One you are seeking to please. Jesus is the One whom you are working for. Jesus is your boss! Would you allow your vocational vision to be formed by your boss, Jesus? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Parenting

Parents

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Eph 6:4 (NIV) Parenting is a blessing from the Lord. The opportunity to mold and shape a child into a fully devoted follower of Christ is a high privilege and responsibility. God entrusts parents with the task of rearing children. That role can be appropriated in a way that honors God or in a way that breaks the heart of God. You can trace every family conflict to one common denominator: selfishness. When there is conflict, someone is being selfish. Selfishness can invade the realm of parenting quickly. Instead of doing what is best for your children, you can embrace what is best for you personally to the neglect of what is best for them. You can choose to be controlling, driving, demanding, and domineering. Or you can go the other extreme and choose to be distant, detached, and disinterested. Both extremes are unhealthy. Here’s a helpful model to follow: Caretaker (Birth-5 years) Cop (6-11 years) Coach (12-17 years) Consultant (18 & older) Think about how you were parented and compare it to the four stages of parenting. Now, examine how you are currently parenting to see where you are in the process. What adjustments do you need to make in your being parented or in your parenting? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Child of God

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3 (NIV) Are you a child of God? Have you been born into God’s family by placing your faith in Jesus alone for salvation? Recall your initial experience with Christ. Before Christ, you were running to sin. Now that you are in Christ, you are running from sin and to Christ. Now think about what you are becoming. You know who you are and whose you are. You know that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. You know that there is nothing you can do to cause God to love you any more and there is nothing you can do to cause God to love you any less. You know that God wants you to progress in your faith and wants you to mature spiritually. You know that one day you will receive your glorified body and be like Christ. You will finally and eternally see Jesus as He is. Until you cross over to the other side, God wants you to live a life of purity. You are to purify yourself by living a consecrated life. “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) “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 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 6:11-12 (NIV) “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Tim 2:22 (NIV) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Children

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’–which is the first commandment with a promise–‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” Eph 6:1-3 (NIV) God gives a clear word on the essentials for a peaceful home. A home that brings honor to God is a home where children obey their parents. When children respond to their parents with instant obedience, peace permeates the home. When obedience erodes, rebellion erupts. Children must first be in submission to their parents if they are going to be in submission to God. The horizontal obedience to parents directly affects the vertical allegiance to God. Obedience to parents is the children’s God-given role. For a child to live in rebellion to parents is to live out of fellowship with God. Obedience is an indicator of a right relationship with God. Without obedience there is no blessing. The first commandment with a promise is that children honor their father and mother. Think of what is means to dishonor. There’s no peace in the home when children dishonor their parents. To honor the Lord, children must honor the parents He gave them. Quality of life is based on the fruit of your relationship with your parents and with the Lord. A peaceful home begins with children and parents being in a right relationship with God. Anger must be diffused. Resentment must be eradicated. Bitterness must be evacuated. Forgiveness must extended and received. What needs to happen in your home for peace to permeate? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Home

Do you like to go home? Think about your current home life. When you have finished up at work or school or running errands, do you like to go home? Is your home an oasis or a war zone? Do you look forward to going home or is it a daily dread? God wants you to experience His Presence and express His love at school, at work, at church, and at home. Decide today to do your part in making your home a peaceful place. Do your part to generate an atmosphere that is harmonious and joyful. Allow God to have His way in your home. Embrace the passion of Joshua. “‘But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.’” Josh 24:15 (NIV) Take responsibility for the spiritual climate of your home. Settle in your heart to worship and serve God and to lead your family to do the same. As you extend unconditional love, instant forgiveness, clear expectations, and passionate devotion, your home will become an environment that moves the heart of God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Seeking First

Take a look at your priorities and assess your life. See where you are allocating your time and energy. One of Satan’s most effective tools to diffuse a believer’s focus is busyness. Your life becomes consumed with keeping too many plates spinning. Before you know it, you have over-committed and over-scheduled your life. Jesus has the answer. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matt 6:33 (NIV) Jesus offers a promise that is activated upon your obedience. To seek first the Kingdom of God is to align your life with God’s agenda. To seek first His Kingdom is to embrace God’s priorities. Jesus includes the pursuit of His righteousness. When a person is born again, that person receives the imputed righteousness of Christ. The believer’s position is that of being in Christ. In order to seek His righteousness, you allow the righteousness on the inside of you to be worked out. It is the process of working out what God has worked in. Make it your priority to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. All the other things that you need will be provided to you as well. Before seeking things, seek God’s agenda. Seek to love what He loves and to hate what He hates. What has first place in your life? Who gets the most of you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Worrying

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

Storing Up Treasure

“‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’” Matt 6:19-21 (NIV) How much of what you are currently doing will impact eternity? How much of what you are currently acquiring will go with you to heaven? There’s more to this life than what you see. There’s more to this life than the material and temporal. Jesus gives such a practical teaching on living for eternity. Jesus points us to the reality of the afterlife in heaven. Our tendency is to place the emphasis on our lives on planet earth. Jesus shows us that we are to live our lives with eternity in mind. Where is your heart? That’s where your treasure is. Yes, it is a matter of the heart. Jesus wants us to focus our lives on living in light of eternity. Instead of storing up treasures on earth, we are to store up treasures in heaven. So how do you store up treasures in heaven? You store up treasures by investing in that which makes an eternal difference. For example, when you give financially through the local church, you are storing up treasure in heaven. When you share the plan of salvation with a lost person and lead them to embrace Jesus as Savior and Lord, you are storing up treasures in heaven. When you pray for our missionaries around the world, you are participating in their ministry through prayer and storing up treasures in heaven. When you give, pray, fast, and forgive, you store up treasure in heaven. Are you consumed with life on this planet? Would you be willing to focus your life and your resources in order to advance the Kingdom of God? Heaven has plenty of room for the treasures you are storing up. Let’s get personal. How much of your energy is expended on things that have no eternal value? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Fasting

“‘When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’” Matt 6:16-18 (NIV) What is fasting? Fasting is conscientiously delaying gratification of your appetite. You have a God-given desire for food. Your body craves the consumption of food. In fasting, you redirect your ambition for food with your pursuit of God’s agenda. Fasting allows you to forsake your drive for food in order to focus on your relationship with God. Sometimes you feel called to fast from an activity that normally consumes much of your attention. You may feel called to fast from coffee, caffeine, golf, or television for a specific period of time. The purpose of the fast is not for you to draw attention to yourself, but to draw near to God. Why would God reward fasting? Jesus modeled that fasting was as normal to a Christian as eating food and drinking water. God rewards fasting because He is true to His Word. God keeps His promises. God promises to reward your discipline of fasting. Action Step: Fast secretly and systematically. I am reminded of a quote by John Piper: “There’s a difference in fasting to be seen and being seen fasting.” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Forgiving

Forgive instantly. You cannot live the Christ-centered life without instant forgiveness. Living in a right relationship with God and with others requires instant forgiveness. Think about where you would be without God’s forgiveness. Think about the alienation and the isolation and the rejection that would be your constant companion. But God came to your rescue by allowing Jesus to die to pay the penalty of your sin. Now think about forgiving others. Is there anyone in your life whom you haven’t forgiven? Are you holding a grudge? Has the poison of bitterness and resentment saturated your life? What is keeping your from extending instant forgiveness? “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matt 6:14-15 (NIV) If you don’t forgive instantly, God won’t forgive you! That ought to motivate you to do whatever it takes to extend forgiveness to others. They may not deserve and you are right. However, you don’t deserve God’s forgiveness, yet He gives it. Forgiving instantly is not based on how others treat you; it is based on how God has treated you. Extend God’s love to others by extending forgiveness instantly. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Praying

It is so easy to neglect prayer. One reason is because praying is such a private experience. Another reason is because we tend to be easily distracted during our times of prayer. Sometimes we have difficulty connecting with an invisible God. Prayer requires faith. Prayer requires patience and discipline. In fact, prayer is hard work. Jesus nurtured His relationship with our Heavenly Father through the consistent discipline of prayer. Jesus modeled the value of staying connected to the One who created us. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave some practical steps to developing a meaningful prayer life. “‘But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’” Matt 6:6 (NIV) Not “if” we pray, but “when” we pray, we are to embrace an intentional plan. Let me give you a concise action plan that you can plug into your daily routine. Carve out a daily time and private place to pray. Why carve out? Because if you don’t make time to pray, you won’t pray. Why a daily time? Because Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (NIV) Why a private place? Because your environment will enhance or inhibit your daily time of prayer. Action Step 1: Set an appointment to meet with God. Action Step 2: Secure a place that ensures privacy. Action Step 3: Start praying through Scripture. (Example: Pray through Matthew chapter six.) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Giving

“‘So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’” Matt 6:2-4 (NIV) What are you currently doing to benefit others? What resources has God made available to you? Are you using what God gives you to benefit others? You are blessed by God to be a blessing to others. Give secretly and God will reward you. It is not only what you give but how you give that moves the heart of God. God sees everything you do and everything you don’t do. God sees and knows. If you give to be seen of men, then that is the extent of your reward. However, when your giving is done in secret, God rewards you. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Cor 5:10 (NIV) “But just as you excel in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us –see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Cor 8:7 (NIV) Motive matters! God sees how much you give and God sees how you give. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

His Greatest Need Marriage

His Greatest Need

“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Eph 5:33 (NIV) The husband’s greatest need is respect. God created the man with the innate need to be honored and respected. Wife, your husband needs to know that you respect him. You may be thinking to yourself, “But, I don’t respect my husband.” Maybe he is not living in a manner deserving a response of respect. Maybe your husband has not earned your respect. You choose to respect your husband because of your reverence for Christ. You communicate respect to your husband not based on his behavior or based on how he treats you, but in response to your love relationship with Jesus. Whether your husband deserves your respect or not is not the issue. Are you willing to meet your husband’s greatest need because you are willing to honor Jesus? Prime the pump by taking the initiative to show respect to your husband out of reverence and obedience to Christ. As you show respect, you will be priming the pump for love to flow from him to you. If your husband refuses to take the initiative to communicate love to you, then be the first to get the water flowing by showing respect. Ask God to give you the grace you will need to meet your husband’s greatest need. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Her Greatest Need Marriage

Her Greatest Need

Marriage is God’s idea. He ordained it. He designed it. 1. God created us in His image. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Gen 1:27 (NIV) 2. In marriage, the two become one. Satan attacks this spiritual union by seeking to make the two who have become one, two again. Satan’s goal is to infuse suspicion, isolation, and insecurity. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Gen 2:24 (NIV) 3. God created the woman with the innate need for love and intimacy. Her greatest need is to be loved. The wife needs to know that her husband loves her. Intimate love moves beyond the surface and seeks to communicate understanding and validate feelings. God commands the husband to love his wife unconditionally. “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself…” Eph 5:33a (NIV) When the wife’s greatest need goes unmet, loneliness and resentment begin to germinate. Husband, God expects you to love your wife as you love yourself. God’s expects you to prime the pump by taking the initiative to communicate love to your wife. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Love Marriage

God’s Word to Husbands

How would you define love? Is love a verbal expression, an act of kindness, or a gift extended to another? Is love being willing to do what you do not enjoy in order to benefit someone else? Is love a natural flow from a heart that is full? “‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.’” John 13:34 (NIV) “‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’” John 13:35 (NIV) “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV) “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) “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV) God’s Word to the husband is for you to love your wife. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Eph 5:25-27 (NIV) Jesus is the model to follow. Jesus defined love by His willingness to die for the church and to rise again for the church. He gave His life so that we could live with Him eternally. Jesus is the ultimate portrait of unconditional love. “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” Eph 5:28 (NIV) Husband, do you love your own body and care for it? Just as Jesus loves His Body, the church, you are to love your wife as you love your own body. Loving your wife is not based on her performance. You don’t love your wife in response to her meeting your needs. You love your wife intentionally and unconditionally as a result of your love relationship with Jesus. Any adjustments needed? There’s always room for improvement. I’m feeling this one! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Marriage Submit

God’s Word to Wives

Does your husband deserve your submission? Has he earned it? Does he treat you in such a way as to warrant your response of submission? Are you motivated to submit to your husband? These are painful questions if you bypass the intent of God’s revealed Word. “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” Eph 5:22 (NIV) In the language of the New Testament, the verb is supplied in verse twenty-one and implied in verse twenty-two. The verb is the word, submit. It means to arrange under. This vital word is not a statement of value or worth, but rather of God’s order. God has arranged the home to reflect God’s order. Your value has already been established by the completed work of Jesus on the cross. “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” Eph 5:23-24 (NIV) God’s Word to the wife is that she submit to her husband as to the Lord. Because of your right relationship with God you are to willingly submit to your husband. Your submission is not based on your husband’s behavior but on your growing relationship to Christ. You choose to submit to your husband because you have chosen to revere Christ. Your submission is a direct reflection of your devotion to Christ and your obedience to Him. God knows your situation. He created the one you are married to. God knows what you need and He always has your best interest in mind. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Mutual Submission

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Eph 5:21 (NIV) Has your relationship to Christ changed the way you relate to fellow believers? If you have been adopted into God’s family, then all the Christ followers on the planet are now your family members. You may not be in close proximity to the multitudes of believers around the world. But, you have those in your sphere of influence who would be considered your immediate spiritual family. How are those relationships going? Are there any of your relationships that are under strain? Are there any relationships that need an extra measure of attention? God’s Word teaches us to submit to each other as a result of our love and reverence for Christ. In other words, because we love Jesus and are rightly related to Him, we willingly place the needs of others before our own. Out of reverence for Christ, we choose to live in such a way as to benefit and bless others. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10 (NIV) “Live in harmony with one another.” Romans 12:16a (NIV) “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Eph 4:2 (NIV) “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Eph 4:32 (NIV) Jesus is the ultimate model of mutual submission. We mutually submit to each other in the family of God just as Christ willingly submitted to the Father’s Will. Jesus placed our needs before His own. Let’s demonstrate mutual submission each day. Let’s give evidence to our reverence for Christ through how we interact with others within God’s family. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Heaven

Heaven is eternal life. Jesus has come to bring us abundant life on earth in the here and now. You don’t have to delay the reality of heaven on earth. Eternal life can be a present reality in your life. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV) Jesus has prepared your eternal habitation. You may or may not live in a mansion now, but in heaven, your mansion awaits. But heaven is more than a mansion; heaven is enjoying eternal fellowship with Jesus. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3 (NIV) How can you get in on the Good News that God has provided in His son, Jesus? “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36 (NIV) Would you like to receive God’s forgiveness by trusting in Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? If you do not believe, you will not receive. God has done His part to provide eternal life to you. Now, it’s your turn respond by faith to God’s provision. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Turn

Turn from sin and self. “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:3b (NIV) What comes to mind when you here the words “about face?” It means to make a 180 degree turn. It means to turn around in order to go the opposite direction. When Jesus told the woman caught in the act of adultery to go and sin no more, He was telling her to repent. To repent is to have a change of mind which results in a change of behavior. Trust Christ alone for salvation. “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Cor 15:3b-4 (NIV) The most incredible news I have ever embraced took place on March 28, 1979, when I turned from my sin and trusted Christ alone for my salvation. The wonderful news that transformed my life is found in this next verse. Read it slowly. “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) Have you confessed Jesus as Lord? Do you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead? If so, re-visit the event of your salvation and trace the progress of your spiritual maturity. If not, confess your sin and invite Jesus to take over your life from this moment on. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Impossible

It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven. God is perfect; we are imperfect. God is righteous; we are unrighteous. God is pure; we are impure. God is sinless; we are sinful. God is flawless; we are flawed. “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished…” Ex 34:7 (NIV) “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6 (NIV) “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NIV) Read the next verse and see if you can identify why it is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV) God is holy; we are not. So how can a person enter heaven, where God allows no sin? This creates a tremendous dilemma. How can anyone go to heaven? Our fallen nature disqualifies us. We are not fit for heaven. In and of ourselves, we are insufficient to meet the requirements for entrance into heaven. Have you come to the end of yourself? Have you realized that you cannot go to heaven based on your own righteous deeds? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Available

Forgiveness is available to all. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV) One of my best friends died of cancer two months after we graduated from college. We had studied together, prayed together, and played golf together. He was a fellow pastor who had a deep abiding walk with God and a passion for souls. I preached his funeral. If I have ever prayed for something, it has been for God to provide a cure for cancer. So many individuals have been directly impacted by cancer. Sometimes, it hits really close to home. Perhaps you can relate. There is another cancer that flows through our entire family tree all the way back to Adam. It is the cancer of sin. Every person is infected and affected by it. Every person suffers the consequences of it. The cancer of sin prevents us from going to heaven. There’s wonderful news! God has provided the cure. The cure for the cancer of sin is God’s forgiveness. And God has made His forgiveness available to all. But, it’s not automatic. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Romans 1:16 (NIV) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Forgiveness

We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God’s forgiveness. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…” Eph 1:7 (NIV) All kinds of records are broken on a daily basis. Just when you thought a particular feat was impossible, someone attempts it and pulls it off. Years ago, I was watching the television show, “That’s Incredible.” On this particular episode, they featured a young man who proclaimed that he could eat a ten speed bicycle. They showed him at the very beginning of the hour looking over a tray filled with tiny dime-sized pieces of the entire bicycle. You would not believe it, but this young man ate the ten speed bicycle one bite at a time with intervals of drinking Coca-Cola within the hour. Now, “That’s Incredible!” Of all the amazing accomplishments being done on the earth, there is one that we just can’t pull off. We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God’s forgiveness. It doesn’t matter how hard we try. It doesn’t matter who wonderful we think we are. It doesn’t matter how good we have been today. We just cannot obtain heaven and eternal life without God’s forgiveness. It is impossible. The fact that God takes the initiative to bring us into a right relationship with Himself is incredible. To think that the Creator of the universe would value us to the degree that He would provide redemption and forgiveness of our sins through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus, is incredible. What is your greatest need? God’s forgiveness! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Commitment

You become what you are committed to. Who is the object of your loyalty, passion, and energy? What are you giving your life to? How are you allocating your time? What are you committed to? “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) To become a fully devoted follower of Christ, your commitment must be to Christ and His agenda. Your disposition is to be that of instant obedience. Wherever He wants you to go, whatever He wants you to do, and whatever He wants you to say, your answer is to be a resounding “yes.” Are you committed to deny yourself daily? Jesus must have first place and top priority in your life. Are you committed to take up His cross daily? Bearing the cross of Christ is to embrace the way of suffering and being misunderstood for your faith. Are you committed to follow Him daily? Following Christ is a moment by moment submission to His authority and His plan. Jesus is Lord! “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2:9-11 (NIV) Does your daily commitment to Christ give evidence to His Lordship in your life? What adjustments do you need to make? Have you substituted anyone or anything else in the place of Christ? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Day by Day

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Cor 4:16 (NIV) Is it possible to experience renewal in the midst of decay? It depends on your focus. If you spend your life focused on the externals, then discouragement awaits. However, if you intentionally focus on the inner life, renewal and encouragement await. Paul acknowledges that this body you live in is outwardly wasting away. Even if you ascribe to physical fitness, healthy eating habits, and sufficient rest, your body remains in a state of decay. Applying more skin care products will not halt the deterioration of your body. Inwardly, you can be renewed. How is that possible? It is possible through your day by day personal love relationship with Jesus. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb 12:2 (NIV) Being renewed day by day results from daily intimacy with Jesus. Are you spending unhurried time alone with Jesus? Are you growing in your desire for Him to have full control of your life? Are you hungering and thirsting after His righteousness? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Simplifying Life

Are you longing for simplicity in your world of complexity? Solomon understood a life filled with a mosaic of opportunities. His world was lavished with unlimited choices. Solomon enjoyed the pursuit of pleasure, wisdom, and wealth. Yet, he declared that it was all meaningless. He had it all and yet it did not deliver at all. At the end of Solomon’s pursuit, he discovered simplicity in his world of complexity. “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) Jesus combated the shroud of legalism propelled by the Scribes and Pharisees. They sought to complicate the Ten Commandments. They inflated the Law of God and inflicted excessive burdens on those seeking to honor God’s Law. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brought clarity and simplicity to God’s Word. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matt 7:12 (NIV) Assess your world. Are you overwhelmed? Simplify and focus: Revere God Obey God Serve Others Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Finding Help

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

Being Spirit Filled

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Eph 5:18 (NIV) My eleventh grade Sunday School teacher took three of us boys snow skiing in Keystone, Colorado. We had an adventurous time navigating the slopes and conquering the moguls. One snowy night, we experienced the glide of a sleigh ride pulled by a horse. Once we arrived near the top of the mountain, we entered an old cabin. Inside the cabin awaited a mountaineer cooking juicy steaks over an open fire. When I ponder the Spirit filled life, I envision giving over the reins of my life to the control of the Holy Spirit. I want God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, to have complete control of my life. The Spirit filled life is all about control. Are you willing to yield to the Spirit’s control? Are you willing to give the Holy Spirit the reins to your life? The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an event. You are baptized in the Holy Spirit at the moment of your conversion. Upon confessing Jesus as Lord of your life, you are simultaneously indwelt by the Holy Spirit. You are sealed by the Holy Spirit and have eternal security. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an ongoing process. As you daily yield to the Spirit’s control, the fruit of the Spirit is evidenced in your life. At salvation you got all of Him. In sanctification, He gets all of you. Are you Spirit filled? “We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13 (NIV) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Discerning God's Will

Discerning God’s Will

“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Eph 5:16-17 (NIV) Are you wrestling with God’s will? Do you want to know what He wants you to do next? So what does it take to know and do God’s will? Read the following verses and identify God’s revealed will as specifically stated in each verse. “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40 (NIV) “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:27 (NIV) “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;” 1 Thess 4:3 (NIV) “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess 5:18 (NIV) From these four verses alone, you can ascertain: It is God’s will for you to be saved by placing your faith in Jesus alone for salvation. It is God’s will for you to be inhabited by His Spirit who will make intercession on your behalf. It is God’s will for you to be sanctified and for you to avoid sexual immorality. It is God’s will for you to be identified by an attitude of gratitude. As you read the Bible, take time to personalize Scripture. God has a word specifically for you and your situation. God has a specific plan for your life. God wants you to seek Him daily in relationship and take Him at His Word. Discerning God’s will begins with discovering God’s Word. Now walk in the light God gives you and obey what you already know. Watch to see what God does in you and through you. The best is yet to come! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care