Author: Stephen Trammell

Transforming Grace

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.” Eph 2:8-9 (NIV) How refreshing to receive something special that you did not deserve! That’s grace in action. God saved us by His transforming grace. In mercy, He did not give us what we deserved. In grace, He gave us what we did not deserve. Grace is better than mercy. Grace is the blessing that places us in Christ. Once we are in Christ we live the rest of our lives in light of our new identity in Christ. We are blessed with a new position, a new power, and a new purpose. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17 (NIV) How many portraits of grace have you known? What kind of portrait of grace have others seen in you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Display

During my sophomore year in High School, I worked in a large grocery store. After spending a week outside fetching grocery baskets, I was promoted to mopping floors on the inside. A few weeks later I catapulted to the next level, that of being a display clerk. My job was to build captivating displays at the end of each aisle. Customers who came in just for milk and bread would often be drawn to one of the displays and end up purchasing one of the featured items. God specializes in displaying His grace by featuring His children. One of God’s featured converts was Saul who became Paul. God intersected Saul’s path on the road to Damascus and transformed his life. Saul became Paul and was transformed from being a persecutor of the church to a preacher of the Gospel. He was transformed from a murderer to a minister. Later in Paul’s life, he writes to one of his young sons in the ministry, Timothy, to describe how God specializes in placing His children on the display of His transforming grace. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” 1 Tim 1:15-16 (NIV) Wow! God is so good! Now take a look at another reality of our being rightly related to God in Christ. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:6-7 (NIV) God will display what He transforms. God will show off those who have experienced His grace expressed in His kindness to them in Christ. Will you allow His grace and kindness expressed to you be put on display this week? Are you willing to start viewing others through the lens of God’s tenderness and patience He extends to you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Seated

Jesus prayed that God’s Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. His desire is to see heaven’s reality realized on earth. What is keeping that from happening? Sin! Yet, in Christ, we have the reality of heaven authenticated in our love relationship with God. We are living in the Spirit realm whereby our identity in Christ is secure. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:6 (NIV) Our current reality in the Spirit realm is that of being seated with Christ. It speaks of our position in Christ. It speaks of our being adopted into His family. It also speaks of our future glorification and exaltation. Notice the intimate communion between Jesus and our Heavenly Father during one of Jesus’ prayer times while on the earth. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:24 (NIV) In His promise to the church at Laodicea which includes those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, Jesus affirmed our future reality when we get to heaven. “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Rev 3:21 (NIV) So, where are you seated? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Bible Inspiration Raised

Raised

The Bible is divided into two sections: Old Testament and New Testament. There are sixty-six books in the Bible: thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament. God inspired forty human authors over a period of sixteen hundred years to record His Word to humanity. The Bible’s overall theme is that of God revealing Himself and His persistence in redeeming fallen man. We are the recipients of the transforming grace of God through Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible. Identify your position in Christ as a result of God’s initiative in the following verses. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:6 (NIV) “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4 (NIV) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Col 3:1-2 (NIV) You cannot raise yourself up. You cannot live the new life in Christ outside of God’s provision. It’s not about what you can do. It’s all about what God has done in Christ to raise you up so that you may live a new life. Stop trying to live for God and start allowing His resurrection power to flow through you as He lives His life through you. What is your response to being raised with Christ? Set your heart on things above. In other words, allow your passion to be fueled by God’s agenda. Set your mind on things above. Nurture a heavenly and eternal perspective so that your decisions will reflect the mind of Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Alive with Christ

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.” Eph 2:4-5 (NIV) Why would God go to such lengths to rescue us and redeem us? God’s great love and rich mercy are two reasons God comes to our rescue. His love is limitless. His mercy is proportionate to His love. Even when we were dead in our sinful indulgence, God made us alive with Christ. We were hopeless and destitute, but God resurrected us from our deadness. God did for us that which we could not do for ourselves. “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” Romans 6:11-12 (NIV) What is your response to God’s initiative? Have you turned your life over to Christ and fully submitted to His Lordship? Have you measured His love and received His mercy? Then, you have been made alive with Christ. You are dead to sin but alive in Christ. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Col 3:3-4 (NIV) Will you allow Christ to live His life through you today? The best is yet to come! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Objects of Wrath

An honest look at what we were before Christ keeps us humble and teachable. We live in light of our “in Christ” realities, but we keep an eye on our “before Christ” reality to remind us of what we have been delivered from. In Paul’s letter to the saints in Ephesus, he identified the believer’s condition before submitting to the Lordship of Christ. Notice what we were before Jesus became Lord of our lives. “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.” Eph 2:3 (NIV) Why would we be objects of God’s wrath? God is holy! The Psalmist affirms, “God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.” Psalms 7:11 (NIV) The wonderful news is that in Christ we are no longer objects of God’s wrath, but rather objects of God’s love. Sin must be punished. Sin must be atoned for. God’s grace has changed our desperate situation. “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” Romans 5:9 (NIV) “…for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thess 1:9-10 (NIV) “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess 5:9 (NIV) You are treasured by the Creator of the universe. God took the initiative to make a way for you to be in right standing before Him. His way is the only way. Through faith in the atoning work of Jesus on the cross, you are delivered from being the object of God’s wrath. Now we are on shouting ground! Walk in light of your new identity in Christ. You are victorious! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Cravings

If you have ever had surgery you know that it takes time for you to regain your appetite. You have been blessed with a God given appetite for food. That appetite can be a blessing and help you grow and develop. However, that appetite can be abused and cause your body harm. Your sinful nature has an appetite for sin. It craves sinful indulgence. Whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. When you feed your sinful nature, it grows. When you starve your sinful nature it dies. As a believer, your appetite for sin is transformed into an appetite for righteousness. Your new nature in Christ craves purity and holiness. “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.” Eph 2:3 (NIV) “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Gal 5:16-17 (NIV) “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal 5:19-21 (NIV) What will you choose to feed today? Will you choose to feed the cravings of your sinful nature or the cravings of the Spirit? What will you choose to starve today? Will you choose to starve the cravings of your sinful nature or the cravings of the Spirit? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Evil Spirit

People are not the enemy! Your spouse, your children, your brother, your sister, your mom, your dad, your boss, your neighbor, or your in-laws are not the enemy. Your enemy is the Devil and his demons. Your enemy is his spirit at work in the world. Your enemy is his evil spirit trying to coerce your flesh to follow its natural fallen cravings. “…in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” Eph 2:2 (NIV) “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) “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph 6:12 (NIV) Read Ephesians 2:2 again and pause when you get to the words “used to” before reading the rest of the verse. Now spend some time thanking God that you are no longer what you “used to” be. Praise Him for what you are now “in Christ” and what you are becoming as you work out what God has worked in. God has equipped you to combat the real enemy. Pray for those in your life that have become difficult and remember that they are not the enemy. In fact, God gave them His best when He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for them. Oh, and He gave His best for you! You were worth dying for. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Sins

Imagine our world without sin. Prisons would be empty. Crime would be absent. Poverty would be eliminated. Corruption would be nonexistent. The reality is that sin is rampant throughout society and the world. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NIV) “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Eph 2:1 (NIV) To sin is to miss the mark. Failing to obey God is sin. When you sin, you break the heart of God. As Steve Farrar identified in his book, Finishing Strong: Sin will take you farther than you want to go. Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay. Sin will cost you more than you want to pay. Sin never delivers what it promises. God promises that sin will produce spiritual death. So why do people sin? Why is there a natural bent toward sin? It all goes back to the fall of man when Adam sinned against God. We inherited the sin nature. Our only hope is the transforming grace of Jesus Christ. He is our only hope. Spend some time confessing to God the specific times that you missed the mark of His holiness and righteousness. Acknowledge your dependency upon God and walk in His way. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Transgressions

What do an eraser, white-out, and a delete button have in common? Each item provides compensation for our mistakes. If you make a mistake on a document then all you have to do is erase it, white-it-out, or delete it. Don’t you wish that the mistakes we make in life could be handled that succinctly? The reality is that we are flawed and live in a fallen world. Life gets messy and we make mistakes. We deliberately choose our own way and sometimes we may deviate from God’s best. Sometimes we make poor choices and break the heart of God. A name for that willful disobedience is called transgressions. We select a path that does not honor God and therefore commit a transgression. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,” Eph 2:1 (NIV) Before Christ, we were spiritually dead which was evidenced by our willful disobedience. Our transgressions flowed from our state of decay. We were dead! Thus, in our deadness rebellion came naturally. We acted according to our spiritual reality. Let the word “were” in verse one capture your heart for a few moments. Meditate on what you were when you were dead in your transgressions. Weigh the reality of “were” and see if your level of appreciation for God’s intervention escalates. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Dead

What were you before you came to Christ? Go there for a moment and ponder your condition. I remember as though it were yesterday. My parents were divorced and I was a few weeks shy of my tenth birthday when I came to the place of decision. The Holy Spirit had convicted me of my lostness and convinced me of my need for a Father who would never let me down. On March 28, 1979, I turned my life over to Jesus Christ and He saved me. Before that moment of decision, I was dead. Paul reminded the saints at Ephesus about their condition before they came to know Christ in a life-altering way. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,” Eph 2:1 (NIV) Before Christ came into your life, you had no spiritual sensitivity. You were dead! It may have appeared that you were alive since you demonstrated some level of life physically. However, you were spiritually dead. Do you remember the story Jesus told about a father who had two sons? The younger son took his share of the father’s estate and wasted it in riotous living and then hit rock bottom in the pig’s pen. He came to his senses and decided to go back home to his father. Notice how the father responded to the son’s return home. “‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:24 (NIV) What were you? What are you now in Christ? Jesus came to resuscitate you spiritually and eternally. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Fullness

How much of Christ did you receive on your day of salvation? Did you only get a part of Him and then at a later date receive a little bit more of Him? Or, did you receive all of Him? When you placed your faith in the completed work of Jesus on the cross, you received all of Him. Instantly, upon your profession of faith in Jesus you received the fullness of Christ. “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) “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Col 1:19-20 (NIV) “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Col 2:9-10 (NIV) The question is not, “Did you get all of Him?” The question is, “Did He get all of you?” At salvation, you get all of Christ. In sanctification, He gets more and more of you. You must daily surrender your life to His Lordship in order to give Him all of you. You have all of Him. You are full of Christ. That’s right! You have been given the fullness of Christ! How will you express the fullness of Christ today? Will it be evident to others that you are full of Him? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Dominion

“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) The supremacy of Christ is affirmed in Paul’s letter to the saints in Ephesus. God, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, positioned Jesus as head of the church. He is in charge. All things are under His feet. Remember, anything over your head is beneath His feet. “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Col 1:18 (NIV) Our function in the body is to manifest the Head. As His body, the church is to express the love of the Head. We are His dominion. We are made by Him and for His glory. As His dominion, we are under the control of His Lordship. Our desire is to please Him and to fulfill His agenda. He empowers us to live for His glory on the earth. May our obedience to Christ impact every Continent. “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!’” 1 Chron 16:31 (NIV) You are living under His dominion. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Power

Do you fully know the power made available to you as a Christ follower? When you made the divine transaction by trusting Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life, you were indwelt by the Holy Spirit. His power became part of your spiritual DNA. Paul prayed for the saints at Ephesus to come to fully know the resurrection power made available to them. His prayer should be your prayer as well. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” Eph 1:17-21 (NIV) The power that God exerted to raise Jesus from the dead is made available to you. The same power that ascended Jesus to heaven and exalted Him to the right hand of our Heavenly Father is the same power that empowers you to live out the Christian life. God does not expect you to be Christ on earth in your own strength. His power is more than enough to empower you and equip you to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Riches

At conversion, you get Jesus and He gets you. You become a saint, blessed, chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, included, sealed, and secure. When you become a follower of Jesus Christ, you get all of Him. He permanently indwells you by His Spirit. “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9 (NIV) As a believer, you have the royal treasure of the Holy Spirit living in you. You become the walking tabernacle of the Presence of God. He lives in you and expresses Himself through you. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Eph 1:18 (NIV) Those who have been adopted into God’s family are the riches of Jesus’ glorious inheritance. We get Jesus and He gets those of us who have placed our faith in Him alone for salvation. Jesus sees us as His treasured possession. We are His glorious inheritance. The beauty of this reality is seen in the persistence of Christ to form us into His image. This process of sanctification is ongoing. We are still in process. We are perpetually on the Potter’s wheel to be molded and shaped by the Master’s hand. Think of where you are now in your relationship to God in Christ. Imagine where you will be in your relationship with God as you continue to walk with Him daily and consistently yield to His Lordship and leadership in your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Hope

Have you ever faced a seemingly hopeless situation? How did it make you feel? Hopelessness erodes passion for living. However, for the follower of Jesus Christ, hope awaits. Feast on the following verses and notice the hope made available to every believer. “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV) “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Tim 6:12 (NIV) “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” Eph 1:18 (NIV) Remember, life is not about our story that God plays a part in. Life is about God’s story that we get to play a part in. God has an agenda for us to fulfill. We get to join Him in His activity. As a child of God, you have the confident expectation of the hope to which He has called you. God called you to Himself in salvation and God calls you to Himself in sanctification. Your calling involves life in time on planet earth and in eternity in heaven. Do you know the hope to which God has called you? Are you secure in His calling? God has paved the way for you to live a life of hope. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Enlightenment

Do you remember the Polaroid cameras that produced the photo for you within a minute of you taking the picture? Now we have digital cameras that provide a picture instantly. The old Polaroid cameras were considered state of the art innovation in its time. You would take a picture and then watch it develop right before your eyes. That process of development is similar to the Greek word, photizo, which Paul uses in his letter to the saints in Ephesus. This particular Greek word is translated as “enlightened.” Notice how Paul uses the word in the following context. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” Eph 1:18 (NIV) Your heart, which represents your capacity to understand and comprehend God’s truth, has room to grow. Your ability to know, grasp, and understand has the potential to develop. You can grow in your knowing. God wants you to be enlightened. God desires for you to develop in your knowledge of Him. Personalize Ephesians 1:18 and pray through it by asking God to open the eyes of your heart. God will unveil His Word to you in a personal and powerful way. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Heart

Take heart! Let’s get to the heart of the matter! My heart has been deeply touched by God’s amazing love! Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30 (NIV) Your heart matters to God. God wants you to put your heart into loving Him. Your heart represents your thinking, knowing, and understanding. God desires for you to activate your will to demonstrate your love for Him. In Paul’s prison prayer for the saints at Ephesus, he prayed specifically for their hearts. He had such a profound love for them and exhibited compassion for them as he prayed for their spiritual perception. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” Eph 1:18 (NIV) In the language of the New Testament, the Greek word for heart does not refer to emotions. It refers to your capacity to know and comprehend. Your heart represents your understanding informed by God. God does not deposit His deepest treasures in the shallow waters of your emotions. God entrusts His treasures to your heart. What are you doing with the heart God has given you? Are you growing in your knowing? Have you given God full access to your heart? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor Leadership and Pastoral Care

Knowing God

Years ago I read J. I. Packer’s book, Knowing God. I recently picked it up again and read it. Your walk with God will be enhanced and your passion for God will be intensified by reading Packer’s book. Make a commitment to secure a copy at a local library or bookstore and feast on it. God wants you to know Him intimately. That doesn’t just happen. You must participate with God in developing and maintaining intimacy with Him. He makes the relationship possible through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. You get the privilege of knowing God and growing in your knowledge of God. Paul had a loving desire to see the saints at Ephesus grow in their relationship with God. From prison he prayed for their sanctification. Meditate on his prayer. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Eph 1:17 (NIV) Why would Paul pray that God would give the saints at Ephesus the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? He prayed that specifically so that they would know God better. In other words, there is room to grow. Yes, there’s more to explore. We are finite. God is infinite. There’s so much more to know about God and more to explore in knowing God. The beauty of a love relationship with God is that it is progressive. You can continually grow to know God more. What a privilege! What an honor! What a responsibility! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Revelation

Our God is a God who speaks. He desires to communicate His love to His creation. Henry Blackaby, in his study, Experiencing God, taught us that God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. God is a God of revelation. He unveils that which was once hidden. God passionately reveals His truth so that we can know Him and serve Him and fulfill His plan. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Eph 1:17 (NIV) Paul, in his prison prayer, is praying for the saints in Ephesus. His focus is asking God to give them the spirit of revelation. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to understand and apply God’s Word. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 (NIV) Meditate on this verse for a few moments. In fact, you may want to read it again slowly to really take in each word. Notice how the Holy Spirit is identified as a Teacher and a Reminder. God, through the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom to appropriate His Word in our daily living. The Holy Spirit teaches us God’s Word and reminds us of what God has spoken. As you read God’s Word, pray and ask God to give you the Spirit of wisdom so that you may know Him better. Are you growing in your knowing? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Wisdom

God’s passion is for you to know Him intimately and accurately. However, you cannot know Him without the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Eph 1:17 (NIV) The Holy Spirit imparts wisdom to the child of God so that the believer can know God on an intimate level. Wisdom is the God-given ability to discern truth. Truth is not a cafeteria of facts, but rather the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor 2:14 (NIV) The third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, imparts wisdom to the believer which awakens spiritual sight. This illumination enables the believer to detect the activity of God. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to impart God’s wisdom in your life? Have you sought Him today and asked for the Spirit of wisdom? He freely gives to His children. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Strategic Praying

“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Eph 1:16 (NIV) Is somebody praying for you? I want you to begin to calculate where you would be had it not been for the people who have prayed for you. Your name, your circumstances, and your future have been placed before the throne of God by those people who have prayed for you. God has a unique way of prompting people to pray for you. He will nudge them with a gentle reminder of your life. They may respond by praying for you to realize God’s will. Maybe they pray for you to have a heightened awareness of God’s presence and activity. Paul exhibited a deep love for the saints in Ephesus. He constantly thanked God for them and for their obvious faith in the Lord and their love for their fellow believers. Paul consistently remembered them in his prayers. They were as natural to his prayer life as water to a fish. Carve out a few moments right now to thank God for the people who have prayed for you. This could get emotional! It’s okay. You matter to God and He deeply loves you and cares for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Love

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” 1 John 3:17 (NIV) When you pull up to a traffic signal and notice a man holding a cardboard sign saying, “Need food! Please help!” What kind of thoughts race through your mind? Do you wrestle with the notion to roll down your window and extend a dollar bill or maybe even a five dollar bill? Then again, you may start pondering what he might spend the money on. In your mind you are thinking that he may take the money and go buy alcohol, cigarettes, or a lottery ticket. You question whether he will really use the money to buy food as his sign advertised. Does God expect us to use good judgment? Yes! But, God also expects us to help meet needs. Remember this concept: God does not bless you based on how that person spends the money you give. God blesses you based on your heart in giving to meet needs. John takes the concept of meeting needs into the arena of the family of God. We are to help fellow believers. In fact, if we are unwilling to use the resources God has blessed us with to help a brother in need, then how can the love of God be in us. In other words, God’s love is evidenced as we meet needs. God’s love compels us to be generous. Generosity will not flow naturally. It is a supernatural experience. God has blessed us to be a blessing. Ask God to show you some needs this week that He wants you to meet for His glory! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Faith

The most incredible relationship you can ever have is vertical. Having a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the ultimate relationship. Think about the vertical beam of the cross. Allow it to represent your relationship with God. What does that relationship look like currently in your life? “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Gal 5:6 (NIV) “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Eph 1:15-16 (NIV) Paul identified the evidence of one’s right relationship with God as faith expressing itself through love. When you are living in harmony with God your faith will be apparent. The Ephesians embraced their vertical relationship with God to the extent that Paul heard about their faith from his prison cell. What is your faith relationship with God saying to those in your sphere of influence? In what environment is your faith in God most tested? How’s your vertical relationship with God expressed in your home, at work, at church, and in your neighborhood? Spend some time assessing your vertical relationship. Let God have His way in your life so that your faith will be evident to all. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Visible

Are you making Jesus visible to others? “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matt 5:14-16 (NIV) Jesus is the light of the world. When you become a Christ follower, you become His light in the world. As you let your light shine for Jesus, your good deeds will be visible to others and they will praise God. Writing from prison, Paul acknowledges the Ephesians for their strong faith in the Lord and their vibrant love for the other believers. Their Christian walk became evident to others in their part of the world. “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Eph 1:15-16 (NIV) How did Paul hear about their faith and their love? Could it be that their lives visibly demonstrated their growing relationship with Jesus? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Provision

“But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’” “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.’” Gen 22:11-14 (NIV) God’s provision always exceeds our sacrifice. Just when you think you have given God your all, He surpasses your sacrifice with His provision. God will never ask you to do anything that exceeds His provision. God’s timing is not limited by our schedule. His provision always comes through at the perfect moment. He is never late. We serve an on-time God. Sometimes it may seem as though God waits until you are in the fourth quarter with only a few seconds left on the clock. Yet, God’s provision appears right on time. Abraham obeyed God and demonstrated his reverence for God. In response, God provided a substitute for Isaac at the exact moment of greatest need. What did Abraham learn about God through his willingness to trust and obey God in every situation? He learned that God was dependable and trustworthy. In response to the encounter of God’s provision, Abraham acknowledged God as Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Will Provide. What is keeping your from obeying God and trusting Him to provide? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Sacrifice

“When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” Gen 22:9-10 (NIV) Is there anything in your life that takes priority over your relationship with Jesus? Are there any allurements sifting your affection away from your devotion to Christ? Do you have an Isaac in your life that you are unwilling to sacrifice? Abraham demonstrated absolute loyalty and devotion to God by his willingness to sacrifice his promised son. Abraham and Sarah were beyond child bearing years. Yet, God provided the miracle of Isaac’s conception. Now God is asking Abraham to sacrifice that which was promised to him. What is standing in the way of your realization of unbroken fellowship with God? What is taking the number one place of prominence in your life which is reserved for God? Whatever that item, ambition, or person is may be your Isaac. Could it be that God wants you to sacrifice that Isaac in your life to enable God to have top priority in your life? God wants first place in your daily walk. God wants to be the supreme object of your energy and affection. He not only deserves it, but He demands it. Spend a few moments taking inventory of your current priorities and identify what is preventing God from being your top priority. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Preparation

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’ Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.’” Gen 22:2-5 (NIV) Abraham prepared for worship. Worship is our response to God. Our worship reveals our level of obedience to God. Abram demonstrated absolute passion and submission to God through his worship of God. I once heard someone say, “We don’t come to church to worship, we come to church worshipping.” That’s sounds like the lifestyle that Abraham embraced. His preparation for worship was in fact an outflow of his lifestyle of worship. Everybody worships something or someone. Who is the focus of your worship? How do you prepare for that expression of worship? Worship is expressing your love to God. Abraham expressed his love to God both in preparation for worship and in the presentation of worship. So, how’s your worship? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Delays

“God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’ Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’” Gen 17:15-17 (NIV) Can you imagine becoming a parent at age ninety or a hundred? That’s difficult to fathom. However, the greater challenge would be to desire parenthood and having to wait until you were almost a century old to realize the dream. Abraham and Sarah had to learn to live with delays. God had promised to bless them and to make them into a great nation. However, they had to walk in obedience to God and wait for His timing. Have you noticed how our personal timetable doesn’t always line up with God’s timetable? We tend to want our blessing now. We don’t usually “wait” very well. God has a divine purpose in our delays. Sometimes delays are a result of poor choices we have made and sometimes a consequence of poor choices others around us have made. Either way, God can use delays to portray His grace. God has the final say doesn’t He? Nothing happens without God’s permission. If God allows a delay in your life, He will utilize the delay. Now rest in God’s timing. Entrust your life to Him. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care

Obedience

“So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.” Gen 12:4 (NIV) What is keeping you from obeying God? Do you fear the unknown? Are you uncomfortable making a move without having more information? Maybe God has chosen to limit His revelation to match your obedience. Once you obey what He has already said, then He will show you the next step. Abram took God at His word! He simply obeyed God. God told Abram to leave and go to a land that He would show him. Guess what? Abram left, as the Lord told him. He obeyed. You can never go wrong obeying God. His way is always the best way. Even when it doesn’t make sense or seem remotely logical, God’s way is the right way. If you are confused about your next step, just obey what He has already said. Start there! Identify what you are wrestling with right now? What is keeping you from taking the next step? Place that fear or frustration before the Lord in prayer and see how He helps you take the next step. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care