Author: Stephen Trammell

Multiply

Multiply your ministry effectiveness. “…so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:12-13 (NIV) God’s plan is for the body of Christ to connect and grow. Every member of the body matters! Every member is a minister! As you serve through the ministry of the local church, you can multiply your ministry effectiveness by inviting others into the process. Extend Your Ministry: Do you have anyone shadowing you in order to do what you do? Are you grooming anyone to participate in the ministry that you are involved in? You can multiply your ministry effectiveness by inviting others to come alongside you for a season. Eventually, your ministry will be extended through them. Do you have someone in mind? Jesus modeled the ministry of multiplication. He allowed his twelve disciples to shadow Him so that they could do what He did. When Jesus died, rose from the dead, and then ascended to heaven, the ministry of multiplication continued through the disciples. They took the ministry and message of Jesus to the ends of the earth through inviting others into the process. In fact, you have been invited into the process. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Mobilize

Your identity in Christ propels your mobility for Christ. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:11-13 (NIV) Knowing who you are and who’s you are keeps you living on purpose. Your secure identity in Christ enables you to represent Christ and do works of service that benefit others. Are you being equipped to use your gifts and abilities to serve? Have you found your specific area of service? Have you been mobilized? Express Your Faith: If you have not turned your life over to Christ, do so now by expressing your faith in Him alone. Once you are saved, you become a child of God and you are graciously adopted into His family. Explore Your Options: God loves variety. There are countless ways to serve God through the ministry of the local church. Be sure to explore the options available to you at the local church you are connected to. It is prudent to tryout a ministry opportunity and see if it fits your gift mix. If it does not fit you, then try another one. You will be most valuable where you add the most value! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Benefits of Serving (5)

Serving produces personal reward. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Col 3:23-24 (NIV) What motivates you to serve? Do you serve for immediate recognition or eternal reward? Who is calculating your service? Jesus is the Rewarder! As you live to please Him and serve Him, Jesus rewards you personally both now and in the life to come. Your belief determines where you spend eternity. Your behavior determines how you will spend eternity. Jesus rewards your obedience in serving Him. Personal Reward for Giving: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.” Prov 19:17 (NIV) “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 6:3-4 (NIV) Personal Reward for Praying: “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) Personal Reward for Fasting: “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 6:17-18 (NIV) Your life counts. Are you willing to allow Jesus to live in you and through you today in order to serve others? “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” Rev 22:12 (NIV) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Benefits of Serving (4)

Serving produces organizational stability. Who are you serving? The answer to that question changes everything. “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) Once you decide to serve the Lord, your life becomes intentional. You begin to live on purpose. In serving Jesus, you are drawn to connect with His family. Jesus is in charge! “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Eph 1:22-23 (NIV) “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Eph 4:16 (NIV) Stability flows from the Head, Jesus, down to the members of His Body, the church. The church is connected and held together by every supporting member. The design is for the church to grow and build itself up as each member does his or her part. Serving together as a team produces organizational stability. The local church is an organism that God grows as we serve. Stability is the byproduct of a church family serving together in unity. Unity produces stability. Does that describe the church you are connected to? Are you soaking or serving? Are you a spectator or a participator? Are you a consumer or a contributor? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Benefits of Serving (3)

Serving produces practical unity. “Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” Mark 2:3-5 (NIV) Are you carrying your corner? What if one of the men decided not to carry his corner? Would the paralytic have made it to Jesus and received healing? Jesus saw their faith and healed the paralytic. Each man was carrying his corner. When you serve through the ministry of the local church with others, God produces the practical unity to fulfill His plan. God honors the unified body of believers who are committed to being on mission with Him. Unity is a mark of spiritual maturity. Jesus exemplified unity in His relationship with our Heavenly Father and with His disciples. In His priestly prayer, Jesus prayed that we would demonstrate that same unity. “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:22-23 (NIV) Have you been brought to complete unity with the local expression of the Body of Christ, His Church? Is there anyone that you need to make things right with? Don’t hesitate to do the right thing in order to honor God and to bring unity to His Body. Do whatever it takes to ensure unity. Serving the one who offended you will produce practical unity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Benefits of Serving (2)

Serving produces numerical increase. “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:41 (NIV) “…And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47 (NIV) “Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” Acts 5:14 (NIV) As you grow you serve and as you serve you grow. In the midst of your serving, God brings others into the equation. He will bring people into your path to give you an opportunity to serve them and to meet their needs. At other times, God will bring people into your life to help meet your needs. Serving puts feet to your prayer life. Serving gives evidence to a watching world that you are living to benefit others. When you give your life away through selfless service, God multiplies your impact. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matt 25:35-36 (NIV) Remember, you are never more like Jesus than when you are serving. As you live out the Christ-centered life in a self-absorbed world, God will use you to bring others into the Kingdom. That’s right! Heaven’s population is multiplied by your faithfulness in serving the Living God. Keep investing in the lives of others. Continue to shine His light and share His love through serving. God will add to our number. God will draw people to know His love as you serve sacrificially. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Patoral Care

Benefits of Serving (1)

Serving produces spiritual growth. “Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.” Zeph 3:9 (NIV) As you serve God by serving others you develop spiritual muscles. Spiritual growth produces serving and serving produces spiritual growth. God does not want you to stay where you are in your spiritual development. God wants you to grow spiritually and to demonstrate that spiritual growth through serving. Serving involves placing the needs of others before your own. To be other-centered is to follow the example of Jesus and to give evidence of spiritual growth. Serving is a process of allowing the life of Christ to be realized through your life to others. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2:3-4 (NIV) Selfishness is an indication of spiritual immaturity. Selflessness is an indication of spiritual maturity. What will you model today, selfishness or selflessness? Will you diligently serve others today or persistently seek to be served by others? Spend a few moments right now expressing your availability to God for His use. Allow Him to have His way in your life today. Even when you don’t feel like serving others, faith it until you feel it. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Spiritual Toolbox (5)

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Eph 4:16 (NIV) Are you on a path of obtaining Christlikeness? Are you progressing in your faith? We have been examining habits from our spiritual toolbox. Here’s a recap of four of the five habits. Habit #1: A daily intake of God’s Word Habit #2: A daily practice of meeting with God in prayer Habit #3: A vital connection to other growing believers Habit #4: A practical application of my faith in daily life These habits focus upward and inward. Now let’s focus outward by exploring the next habit. Are you ready for it? Habit #5: The exercise of my faith through ministry and service You are never more like Jesus than when you are serving. Jesus is the ultimate example of servitude. If you ever wonder how you should live, how you should conduct your business, and how you should invest your life, just emulate the life of Christ. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 (NIV) “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) “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) Ministry opportunities abound. Be sensitive to the ministry moments God brings into your view. Sometimes the ministry moments are simply an interruption that becomes an opportunity to meet a practical need. Sometimes the ministry opportunities are long term commitments to employ your spiritual gifts in specific ministry environments through the local church. Your faith is exercised each time you serve others. It is not natural to give your life away. It is not natural to put the needs of others before your own. Service is supernatural and a by product of an abiding relationship with Jesus. What are you giving your life to? Are you living to benefit others? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Spiritual Toolbox (4)

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17 (NIV) Habit #4: A practical application of my faith in daily life Information without application is an abomination. God’s Word is to be activated through constant use. Every believer should be a reader, a hearer, and a doer of God’s Word. Your faith in Christ is to be expressed through action. How is your faith currently being evidenced by your conversation and conduct? Are you drawing others to Christ or repelling them from Christ by your behavior? “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4:17 (NIV) “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”1 Peter 1:13 (NIV) “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” 1 John 2:3 (NIV) We know more than we are doing. We have more information than we are activating. Let’s seek to apply what we already know. Sometimes your faith will be tested. Practical application of your faith in the midst of adversity and seasons of uncertainty can intensify your witness. God will put your faith on display. It’s all for your good and for His glory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Spiritual Toolbox (3)

The Christian life is not a solo flight. God calls us into a vertical relationship with Himself and a horizontal relationship with other believers and then the lost world. An isolated believer is a disconnected believer. To reach your full redemptive potential requires embracing our next habit from our spiritual toolbox. Habit #3: A vital connection to other growing believers Upon the transaction of turning your life over to Jesus Christ, you were adopted into God’s family. Now that you are connected to God through Christ, it is time to connect with other growing believers. One of the most effective environments for connecting with other growing believers is through Sunday School. This environment is a small group Bible study fellowship with people your age and life stage. It creates the opportunities to do life with one another. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10 (NIV) “Live in harmony with one another.” Romans 12:16 (NIV) “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (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) “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thess 5:11 (NIV) “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Heb 10:24 (NIV) “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Heb 10:25 (NIV) Are you connected to other growing believers? If not, why not? Pray right now and make a commitment before to the Lord to get connected this Sunday. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Spiritual Toolbox (2)

How’s your prayer life? Are you spending unhurried time alone with God? Your ministry effectiveness will never rise above the level of your daily intimacy with God. Habit #2: A daily practice of meeting with God in prayer “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 (NIV) Jesus is the ultimate model to follow. He demonstrated the daily habit of communing with God in prayer. He exemplified the epitome of an abiding relationship with God. Notice that Jesus got up early in the morning to connect with God. When are you at your best? Are you a morning person or a night owl? Whenever you are at your best is really the best time to have a special meeting with God in prayer. Where is the best place for you to connect with God in prayer? In his book, Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas identifies nine different ways that people best connect with God. For example, you may best connect with God in solitude, or outdoors, or with worship music playing. Discover what works for you. What environment helps you to focus on God in prayer? Let me give you some tracks to run on to assist you in your daily practice of meeting with God in prayer. 1) Setup a time. Make a daily appointment with God. 2) Select a place. Find an environment that enables you to focus. 3) Secure a plan. Consider learning how to pray through the Tabernacle. –(See my online devotionals [8.06.07-8.13.07] “Seven Steps to Intimacy” at championforest.org) There’s nothing like having unbroken fellowship with God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Spiritual Toolbox (1)

How do you become all that God has created you to become? What habits are essential to reaching your God given potential? Over the next five days, let’s open the spiritual toolbox and examine five habits necessary for obtaining a lifestyle of Christlikeness. Habit #1: A daily intake of God’s Word You are what you eat. If you consistently fuel your body with junk food then your level of energy and performance will be hindered. You will be like a marathoner running with ankle weights. Soul food is mandatory for spiritual growth. Nourishing your soul requires a daily intake of God’s Word. God has revealed Himself through His Word, the Bible. Your Creator has written the owner’s manual for your life. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalms 119:105 (NIV) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim 3:16-17 (NIV) Let me give you some tracks to run on to assist you in your daily intake. 1) Secure a translation of the Bible that speaks the way you listen. (As you know, I recommend the New International Version.) 2) Read four chapters of the Bible per day. (In one year, you will have read through the entire Bible.) 3) Write down one verse from each of the four chapters that really speaks to your heart. 4) Meditate on your four verses and then write an action step to employ today. Here are a few examples of action steps that I have written as a result of my daily intake of God’s Word. Love others today with the same love I have received from Jesus. Turn interruptions into opportunities to make Jesus known. Put others first. Practice the Presence of God today. Make God smile. Now, it’s your turn! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Growth

Where there is health there is growth. A healthy body will grow. A healthy believer will grow spiritually. A healthy church will grow both numerically and spiritually. You determine the level of participation in the process of maturation. God honors your devotion to daily spiritual disciplines. You also have the wonderful opportunity to assist in the maturation process in others. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” 1 Cor 3:6 (NIV) God is the source of growth. You have the privilege of participating and cooperating in the growth process. You join God in your personal spiritual development. You also join God in investing in the spiritual development of other Christ followers. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Tim 2:2 (NIV) Maturation results in multiplication. As you grow, you assist others in their growth. Moses mentored Joshua. Elijah mentored Elisha. Naomi mentored Ruth. Daniel mentored Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Paul mentored Timothy. “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Eph 4:15-16 (NIV) Does your life evidence spiritual health? Are you growing? How have you invested in another believer’s maturation? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Stabilized

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” Eph 4:14 (NIV) Spiritual maturity will ensure stability. God blesses the pursuit of spiritual maturity. His strength and stability become evident in the devoted life of the child of God. What are you striving to become? How are you allocating your time and energy? What eternal benefits are you producing by your daily decisions? We combat three enemies: the world, the devil, and the flesh. These three are anti-God. They are opposed to God’s agenda. God’s purposes do not align with this world’s system. Thus, to become a fully devoted follower of Christ will require a life of resistance. Just like in physical fitness, without resistance there is no growth. God desires for every believer to grow deeper. Stability comes when you are grounded in God’s Word and anchored to the Rock, Jesus. Instability is the result of spiritual immaturity and lethargy. God wants you to know Him more. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Phil 3:10 (NIV) Is your current walk with God characterized by stability? Are you building your life on the deep truths of God’s Word? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

In Motion

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:11-13 (NIV) The goal of your spiritual maturity is Christlikeness. Until you become just like Christ, you are not through. You are in the process of becoming who you are in Christ. Are you on a path of spiritual growth and development? Are you being intentional about becoming more and more like Christ? If you are not in motion to become more like Jesus then you are creating a commotion within the Body of Christ. Each person in the Body of Christ must grow personally. Each person must be in motion being equipped for service and being encouraged towards spiritual maturity. Where are you heading? What are you aiming for? How are you going to achieve spiritual maturity? Do you have an action plan? “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Focused

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Eph 4:15 (NIV) You become what you focus on. Diffused light is weak. Focused light can cut steel. God blesses a life that is focused on His mission. His mission involves knowing, growing, and going. God wants you to know Him personally and intimately through an abiding relationship with Jesus. God wants you to grow in Him through prayer, Bible study, and connecting with other believers in a small group. God wants you to go into the world shining His light and sharing His love. Are you focused? “But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Josh 24:15 (NIV) “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.” Prov 4:25 (NIV) “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:34 (NIV) “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.” Phil 3:13-14 (NIV) “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) Is your life fragmented? Are you trying to keep too many plates spinning? Maybe God wants you to downsize from thirty spinning plates to three. Focus your life on knowing, growing, and going. Eternity is at stake! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Organized

“Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.’” Ex 18:17-18 (NIV) Where there is order there is fruitfulness. God is a God of order, not chaos. After leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, Moses faced an administrative nightmare. He was spending all of his time trying to solve all the problems among the people. All day long he would sit and listen to each side of the story as people lined up for miles awaiting his hearing. Fortunately, God sent Jethro to the rescue. Jethro was willing to speak truth into Moses’ life and confront his leadership paralysis. Jethro challenged Moses to delegate to entrusted men. “Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.” Ex 18:22 (NIV) Doesn’t that minister to you? “That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.” Who is sharing your load? Are you connected to a church organized through Sunday School? Your small group will share your load. Life can be heavy and often our load exceeds our limit. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Connected

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Eph 4:16 (NIV) Is anyone tracking you spiritually? Are you in a weekly environment where you can know and be known, love and be loved, care and be cared for? In other words, are you connected to a small group in weekly Bible study? In this verse, God is describing the Body of Christ, the church, connected to each other in close relationship. The connectivity is realized by every person supporting each other, growing together, and serving together. We do better together. God wants His family walking together in close proximity. There is danger is being loosely affiliated with a church. God wants you to be deeply rooted and connected to His local body through a small group Bible study. In the church that I serve in, we call our small group Bible study environments Sunday School. Are you connected? Are supporting, growing, and serving together with other believers in your life stage? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Community

“There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called–one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Eph 4:4-6 (NIV) What do you have in common with those in your sphere of influence? If you look closely you be able to discover some common ground even with those different from you. God loves variety. Take a snapshot of creation. View the landscape, wildlife, and aquatic life and you will quickly ascertain that God values variety. God specializes in diversity. There are no two people alike. There are more than 12,000 people groups on our planet of 6.4 billion people. The wonder of God is displayed when He brings unity in the midst of diversity. For example, there are over 400,000 churches in the United States. Each church is unique and diverse. Yet, God produces unity in the midst of diversity. That unity is the common unity that forms community within the local fellowship of believers. Spend some time today looking for God’s evidence of unity in the midst of diversity. Try to detect the common unity that God creates among those who have been adopted into His family. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Character

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Eph 4:3 (NIV) Reputation is based on how others perceive you. Character is what you are in private. Character is revealed in crisis. Or another way to say it is that crisis reveals character. Unity flows out of the character of Christ being developed in the life of a believer. God uses every circumstance and situation to build Christ’s character in us. Christlikeness is a process. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 (NIV) “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4 (NIV) “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” 1 Cor 15:33 (NIV) God works to conform us into the likeness of Christ. God allows us to experience suffering which is vital in forming the character of Christ in us. God sprinkles godly people into our lives to model Christlikeness as well. Then there are times when we make poor decisions concerning the people we allow to influence our lives. The Bible calls them “bad company.” Are you allowing God to have His way in your life? Do you view suffering from God’s perspective? What kind of people are you being influenced by? Is the character of Christ being formed in you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Conduct

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Eph 4:1-2 (NIV) What does a life worthy of the calling you have received look like? It looks like humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance in action. It is not enough to know to do right. You must place into action what you know. Application is the activation of faith. Notice how Jesus describes such a life. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matt 7:24-27 (NIV) Jesus authenticates that hearing God’s Word is not enough. You must put feet to your faith by putting into practice God’s Word. Application determines whether you are building on sand or on the rock. James affirms the teaching of Christ. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17 (NIV) Is your faith dead or alive? Take a close look at your conduct both in private and in public. What does your conduct declare about your faith? Are you obeying what you know? Is your conduct consistent with the character of Christ? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Alone

Is it possible to be in a crowd of thousands and still feel alone? We overload our lives with the confetti of activities and saturate our schedule with deadlines and diversions. We tend to over commit and anesthetize our pain through the avenue of busyness. Constantly and persistently we are running from the lurking shadow of aloneness. Have you identified the first “not good” in the Bible? After all that God had made and affirmed that it was good, He created man and then… “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” Gen 2:18 (NIV) What’s wrong with man being alone? Why would God created man with a gap? There must be something to this aloneness that is counterproductive. Man being alone must not be a good thing in God’s economy. Man alone may be prone to fill the void with something wrong. God made man for relationship. God’s antidote to Adam’s aloneness was the creation of Eve. Adam experienced the “not good” of being alone until he met Eve. God designed Adam with a gap that only Eve could fill. Marriage is a beautiful portrait of two becoming one flesh. Did you know that in temptation, Satan seeks to make the two, who have become one, two again? His goal is to create division, dysfunction, and distraction. Jesus alone brings us into harmony with God. God has built us for relationship and companionship. How are your relationships? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Eph 3:20-21 (NIV) There’s more to explore! You are finite and God is infinite. You are limited. God is unlimited. You are vulnerable. God is invincible. You were born. God is eternal. He has always been and He will always be. You are flawed. God is perfect. You are weak. God is strong. You become. God is. In Christ you receive all that He is. The challenge is to discover what you have in Christ. The greater your awareness of His Presence in your life the greater the results. It’s not that you need more of Christ. He wants more of you. You have all of Christ. Does He have all of you? God can do more than you ask or imagine. God can do more than you can fathom. He is able. He is able to bring victory and deliverance into any area of your life. God is able to help you overcome any harmful habit, hurt, or hang-up. He is able to bring relief to a broken heart. He is able to lift you up when you are feeling down. God is able to take an impossible situation and produce a miracle. Spend a few moments in prayer asking God to heighten your awareness of His Presence in your life. Look to see where He is at work today so that you can join Him. There’s more to explore! There’s more to God than what you currently know. Are you facing anything right now that is bigger than you? God is able! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Abounding Fullness

Commercials, billboards, and newspaper advertisements remind us how food driven our society has become. We are always asking about and searching for our next meal. Then we eat as though it is our last meal and then announce, “I’m full!” Have you been there? Have you ever been so full that it hurt? God has given us an appetite for food. There’s another appetite that God has given us that cannot be satisfied by food. At salvation, God gives us a new nature that passionately desires His agenda, His desires, and His mission. His fullness becomes our reality. “…that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Eph 3:19 (NIV) “…and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Col 2:10 (NIV) When you receive God’s gift of eternal life by placing your faith in Jesus alone for salvation, you receive the fullness of God in Christ. You are complete in Christ. Salvation is an event where you receive the fullness of Christ. Sanctification is a process where Christ gets more and more of you. Have you fully surrendered your life to Jesus? Are you allowing Him to be Lord over every area of your life? Will the fullness of Christ be evident in your life today? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Indescribable Love

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–“ Eph 3:17-19 (NIV) Is it possible to comprehend the love of Christ? Think about the person in your life who you feel currently loves you more than anyone else on the planet. Now that’s a barge overflowing with love! However, that amount does not even come close to comparing to the love of Christ. Interestingly, Paul clarifies that for a believer to grasp the love of Christ requires God’s power. You must have the power of God to live the Christian life. You must also employ God’s power to be able to grasp the width, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love. “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) “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV) “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1 (NIV) Have you come to know the love of Christ by experience? Are you allowing His love for you to impact how you treat others? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Abiding Relationship

We are by nature acceptance magnets and approval addicts. We want others to admire us and to affirm us. I heard about a basketball coach who instructed his players to always acknowledge their teammate who passed the ball to them which enabled them to make the shot. One of the players responding by asking the coach, “What if they aren’t looking?” The coach responded by saying, “They’ll be looking!” Why would a basketball player who passed the ball off for a teammate to make a shot want to be acknowledged for his selflessness? He longs for acceptance, approval, admiration, and affirmation. The ultimate demonstration of acceptance and approval is Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and being raised to life for our justification. The ultimate actualization of His acceptance and approval is the fact that He permanently dwells in our heart. “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Eph 3:17 (NIV) Jesus moves in so that we can have an abiding relationship with Him. To abide means to dwell and to take up residence and to feel at home. Is Jesus at home in your life? Have you given Him access to every area of your life? “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Inner Strength

God never intended for you to live the Christian life outside of His power. In fact, it is impossible to live the Christian life without God’s power. For the believer, it is not a matter of being without God’s power. It is a matter of not appropriating the power God gives you when you are adopted into His family. Notice the progression of power in these three passages of Scripture. “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead–since he was about a hundred years old–and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” Romans 4:18-21 (NIV) Activation of God’s power comes by trusting that God has the power to do what He has promised. Here is an example of a promise that every believer can claim. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV) You do not ask God to give you something you already have in Christ. God promises that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you simultaneously at conversion and that you will be His witness locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,” Eph 3:16 (NIV) At salvation, you received the Person of the Holy Spirit. He moved in as a permanent resident into His temple, your body. God gives you an inner strength so that you can fulfill the Great Commission in your generation. His strength is made perfect in your weakness! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Family

Family is God’s idea. God is pro-family. Regardless of your upbringing, whether you grew up in a stable Christian environment or a broken home, you can be adopted into God’s spiritual family. “from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.” Eph 3:15 (NIV) God’s family is known as the Body of Christ, the church. God’s desire is for you to believe in His Son, Jesus. Once you place your faith in the completed work of Jesus on the cross, you become part of God’s family. As you examine God’s global family, you will detect instantly that God loves variety. He specializes in using all kinds of people to reach all kinds of people. What kind of family member are you being within God’s family? Are you adding value to what God is doing? Have you discovered your God-given gift mix and are you serving through ministry of God’s local family, the church? There is so much more that God wants to do through you than you can imagine. Begin asking God to reveal to you the next step that He wants you to take. Once God reveals the next step, be willing to obey instantly. It just may be something that will cause you to totally and completely depend upon His provision. God always provides for those He guides. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Source

“For this reason I kneel before the Father,” Eph 3:14 (NIV) Kneeling keeps you standing. Why would Paul assume the posture of kneeling in prayer on behalf of the saints in Ephesus? Paul had already surrendered his life and agenda to God. Kneeling was simply an outward expression of his inward position in Christ. The Father is worthy of your humility and dependence. He alone is worthy of your passionate adoration and worship. Your heavenly Father is the source of life. He rescued you from the hell bound path you were on. The Father willingly gave His best to take your place upon the cross. Your sin debt has been paid in full. Your salvation has been purchased by God’s sinless and spotless Son, Jesus. Now, what are you in need of? What do you need that your heavenly Father has not provided? God is more than enough. His resources are unlimited. His generosity is immeasurable. Has anything driven you to your knees lately? Have you been kneeling before the Father on behalf of someone in your sphere of influence? When you come to the place of desperation you will find that your heavenly Father has already been working. He is not surprised by your surprises. Nothing ever occurs to God. He already knows. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Suffering

“I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.” Eph 3:13 (NIV) The thought of someone suffering for you is a bit unsettling. What would motivate someone to suffer for you? The Bible calls it love. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” 1 John 3:16 (NIV) “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) Paul follows in Jesus’ steps by giving his life for others. Paul’s love for the saints in Ephesus is demonstrated by his perpetual concern for their spiritual maturity and unity. He is willing to suffer imprisonment and at the same time secure a measurable influence in their spiritual development. His suffering is for their glory. His suffering will be redeemed as they express their God-given potential. Have you ever tried to measure the depth of Jesus’ love for you? He really died for you. He gave His life so that you could live a life now that embodies His peace and a life forever that expresses His eternal nature. His suffering purchased your salvation. His resurrection secured your eternal life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care