Category: Abiding in Christ

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Abiding in Christ

God’s Will & Your Steps

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) You have a new day before you today. Wonderful opportunities to experience God await your arrival. This day is filled with many options for you to select and decisions for you to make. God has placed inside you a desire to live, a desire to grow, and a desire to know and do His will. Obey what God has shown you. As you obey, He will show you the way. Be sensitive to His prompting as you navigate the day before you. Look to see where God is at work so that you can join Him. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV) Remember that nothing can thwart God’s will. God has the power to make all things work together in conformity with His divine will. God has a plan for your life that is unique to your life, your personality, your gift mix, and your DNA. God created you so that He can establish your steps and accomplish His will. God included you in His story of redemption. Make yourself completely available for God’s use today. He has blessed you so that you can be a blessing. Bloom where God plants you and make the most of every opportunity God gives you to spread the fragrance of Christ. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

Categories
Abiding in Christ

God’s Will & Your Steps

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) You have a new day before you today. Wonderful opportunities to experience God await your arrival. This day is filled with many options for you to select and decisions for you to make. God has placed inside you a desire to live, a desire to grow, and a desire to know and do His will. Obey what God has shown you. As you obey, He will show you the way. Be sensitive to His prompting as you navigate the day before you. Look to see where God is at work so that you can join Him. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV) Remember that nothing can thwart God’s will. God has the power to make all things work together in conformity with His divine will. God has a plan for your life that is unique to your life, your personality, your gift mix, and your DNA. God created you so that He can establish your steps and accomplish His will. God included you in His story of redemption. Make yourself completely available for God’s use today. He has blessed you so that you can be a blessing. Bloom where God plants you and make the most of every opportunity God gives you to spread the fragrance of Christ. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

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Abiding in Christ Commitment Discipline

God’s Idea

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” Genesis 1:26 (ESV) You were God’s idea. You are not a mistake; you are a masterpiece created by God and for God. So, what on earth are you here for? Why did God create you? Just look to the Bible to discover your purpose. God created you so that you could come into union with Him and continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. God removed the barrier of sin by providing Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for sin. Turn from your sin and turn to Jesus alone for salvation. Now that you are in union with God through Christ, enjoy the abiding relationship made possible to you. Commit to spend time in God’s Word each day and unhurried time alone with God in prayer. Stay connected to Christ and allow Him to live His life in you and through you to fulfill God’s plan. Don’t bypass the relationship in order to go do something for God. Focus on the the abiding relationship you have been given with Jesus and allow Him to feature His life through you. Commit to read through the Bible in one year. If you would be willing to read God’s Word for twenty minutes each day, in one year, you will have read through the entire Bible. Make a commitment to start today. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

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Abiding in Christ Decisions Fruit

Focus on Abiding

“‘I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.’” John 15:5 (ESV) God will never ask you to do anything without equipping you to do it. God has an assignment for you to complete during your time on earth. God’s assignment requires His empowerment. You cannot fulfill God’s agenda without God’s provision. God’s assignment for your life flows out of your abiding relationship with Christ. God’s command is not for you to bear fruit, but rather to focus your energy on abiding in Christ. Your fruitfulness will be proportionate to your level of intimacy with Christ. Don’t bypass your love relationship with Christ in order to seek to bear fruit. Your passion is not to be channeled in the area of bearing fruit. As you stay connected to Christ and allow His energy, His strength, and His life to flow through you, you will bear much fruit. Because He is the vine, you are fruitful. Jesus is the source! Stay connected to Him. Guard your love relationship with Him. Protect your daily walk with Christ. Don’t allow anything or anyone to rob your relationship with Him. Ensure that your abiding relationship with Christ gets your best and not your leftovers. Don’t give Jesus your crumbs. He deserves your passionate pursuit. Are you connected? Are you abiding? You are the branch. Remain in Him and He will bear His fruit through you. Focus on abiding! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Connected Fruit

Fruitful Connection

“‘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) God will never ask you to do anything without equipping you to do it. God has an assignment for you to complete during your time on earth. God’s assignment requires His empowerment. You cannot fulfill God’s agenda without God provision. God’s assignment for your life flows out of your abiding relationship with Christ. God’s command is not for you to bear fruit, but rather to focus your energy on abiding in Christ. Your fruitfulness will be proportionate to your level of intimacy with Christ. Don’t bypass your love relationship with Christ in order to seek to bear fruit. Your passion is not to be channeled in the area of bearing fruit. As you stay connected to Christ and allow His energy, His strength, and His life to flow through you, you will bear much fruit. Because He is the vine, you are fruitful. Jesus is the source! Stay connected to Him. Guard your love relationship with Him. Protect your daily walk with Christ. Don’t allow anything or anyone to rob your relationship with Him. Ensure that your abiding relationship with Christ gets your best and not your leftovers. Don’t give Jesus your crumbs. He deserves your passionate pursuit. Are you connected? Are you abiding? You are the branch. Remain in Him and He will bear His fruit through you. Focus on abiding! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Fruit of the Spirit Surrender

Where’s the Fruit?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) Which fruit is most lacking in your life? If patience is lacking, then God will often allow challenging circumstances to come into your life to develop that particular fruit of the Spirit in you. If there is a deficit of gentleness in your demeanor, then God will often engineer opportunities for that fruit of the Spirit to be expanded in your life. God values you and the display of the fruit of His Spirit through you. Sometimes God will allow difficult people to come into your life in order to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit most neglected in your life. Learning how to love difficult people is a fertile environment for that particular fruit of the Spirit to be developed. Loving difficult people with the same love that God chooses to love you with does not come naturally. Loving difficult people necessitates a supernatural enabling that only comes through the Spirit filled life. God will develop the fruit of His Spirit in you and through you as you yield to His control. Your flesh will battle to be placed in the display window of life. Therefore, you must choose to allow the Holy Spirit to take full possession of your life in order for His fruit to be displayed. The fruit of the Spirit is featured best in the midst of the trying circumstances you face and the difficult people you embrace. Crucify the sinful nature (Gal. 5:24) and keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Allow God to develop the fruit of the Spirit in your life so that others will be drawn to Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Busyness Family

Barriers of Busyness

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’” Luke 10:38-40 (NIV) Busyness is one of Satan’s most effective tools to fragment the life of a believer. We have places to go, things to do, and people to see. We are never finished! There are always more hills to conquer and mountains to climb. The opportunities to get swept up by the current of activity are endless. Busyness abounds! It is possible to get so busy doing life and fulfilling expectations that you bypass meaningful communication with people. You can become so task oriented that you neglect the relationships that God sprinkles along your path. The most vital relationship that gets hindered by the culprit of busyness is our love relationship with Jesus. Martha was exercising her gift of hospitality to benefit Jesus within her home. However, she got lost in her busyness and missed the opportunity to simply abide at Jesus’ feet. Martha thought the most important activity was extending hospitality. Yet, Jesus brought clarity to the confusion by affirming that Mary had chosen what was better (Luke 10:42). What if we replaced busyness with abiding in Christ. Sometimes the most spiritual activity we can embrace is sitting at the feet of Jesus! It’s hard to sit at His feet when you are sprinting! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Abiding in Christ

God’s Will & Your Steps

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) You have a new day before you today. Wonderful opportunities to experience God await your arrival. This day is filled with many options for you to select and decisions for you to make. God has placed inside you a desire to live, a desire to grow, and a desire to know and do His will. Obey what God has shown you. As you obey, He will show you the way. Be sensitive to His prompting as you navigate the day before you. Look to see where God is at work so that you can join Him. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV) Remember that nothing can thwart God’s will. God has the power to make all things work together in conformity with His divine will. God has a plan for your life that is unique to your life, your personality, your gift mix, and your DNA. God created you so that He can establish your steps and accomplish His will. God included you in His story of redemption. Make yourself completely available for God’s use today. He has blessed you so that you can be a blessing. Bloom where God plants you and make the most of every opportunity God gives you to spread the fragrance of Christ. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 159:  Proverbs 16-18) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Abiding in Christ Commitment Discipline

God’s Idea

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” Genesis 1:26 (ESV) You were God’s idea. You are not a mistake; you are a masterpiece created by God and for God. So, what on earth are you here for? Why did God create you? Just look to the Bible to discover your purpose. God created you so that you could come into union with Him and continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. God removed the barrier of sin by providing Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for sin. Turn from your sin and turn to Jesus alone for salvation. Now that you are in union with God through Christ, enjoy the abiding relationship made possible to you. Commit to spend time in God’s Word each day and unhurried time alone with God in prayer. Stay connected to Christ and allow Him to live His life in you and through you to fulfill God’s plan. Don’t bypass the relationship in order to go do something for God. Focus on the the abiding relationship you have been given with Jesus and allow Him to feature His life through you. Commit to read through the Bible in one year. If you would be willing to read God’s Word for twenty minutes each day, in one year, you will have read through the entire Bible. Make a commitment to start today. I will include a chronological reading plan for you at the end of each daily devotional to help you on your journey. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 1: Genesis 1-3) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Connected Fruit

Fruitful Connection

“‘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) God will never ask you to do anything without equipping you to do it. God has an assignment for you to complete during your time on earth. God’s assignment requires His empowerment. You cannot fulfill God’s agenda without God provision. God’s assignment for your life flows out of your abiding relationship with Christ. God’s command is not for you to bear fruit, but rather to focus your energy on abiding in Christ. Your fruitfulness will be proportionate to your level of intimacy with Christ. Don’t bypass your love relationship with Christ in order to seek to bear fruit. Your passion is not to be channeled in the area of bearing fruit. As you stay connected to Christ and allow His energy, His strength, and His life to flow through you, you will bear much fruit. Because He is the vine, you are fruitful. Jesus is the source! Stay connected to Him. Guard your love relationship with Him. Protect your daily walk with Christ. Don’t allow anything or anyone to rob your relationship with Him. Ensure that your abiding relationship with Christ gets your best and not your leftovers. Don’t give Jesus your crumbs. He deserves your passionate pursuit. Are you connected? Are you abiding? You are the branch. Remain in Him and He will bear His fruit through you. Focus on abiding! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Abiding in Christ Fruit of the Spirit Surrender

Where’s the Fruit?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal 5:22-23 (NIV) Which fruit is most lacking in your life? If patience is lacking, then God will often allow challenging circumstances to come into your life to develop that particular fruit of the Spirit in you. If there is a deficit of gentleness in your demeanor, then God will often engineer opportunities for that fruit of the Spirit to be expanded in your life. God values you and the display of the fruit of His Spirit through you. Sometimes God will allow difficult people to come into your life in order to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit most neglected in your life. Learning how to love difficult people is a fertile environment for that particular fruit of the Spirit to be developed. Loving difficult people with the same love that God chooses to love you with does not come naturally. Loving difficult people necessitates a supernatural enabling that only comes through the Spirit filled life. God will develop the fruit of His Spirit in you and through you as you yield to His control. Your flesh will battle to be placed in the display window of life. Therefore, you must choose to allow the Holy Spirit to take full possession of your life in order for His fruit to be displayed. The fruit of the Spirit is featured best in the midst of the trying circumstances you face and the difficult people you embrace. Crucify the sinful nature (Gal. 5:24) and keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Allow God to develop the fruit of the Spirit in your life so that others will be drawn to Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Abiding in Christ Busyness Family

Barriers of Busyness

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’” Luke 10:38-40 (NIV) Busyness is one of Satan’s most effective tools to fragment the life of a believer. We have places to go, things to do, and people to see. We are never finished! There are always more hills to conquer and mountains to climb. The opportunities to get swept up by the current of activity are endless. Busyness abounds! It is possible to get so busy doing life and fulfilling expectations that you bypass meaningful communication with people. You can become so task oriented that you neglect the relationships that God sprinkles along your path. The most vital relationship that gets hindered by the culprit of busyness is our love relationship with Jesus. Martha was exercising her gift of hospitality to benefit Jesus within her home. However, she got lost in her busyness and missed the opportunity to simply abide at Jesus’ feet. Martha thought the most important activity was extending hospitality. Yet, Jesus brought clarity to the confusion by affirming that Mary had chosen what was better (Luke 10:42). What if we replaced busyness with abiding in Christ. Sometimes the most spiritual activity we can embrace is sitting at the feet of Jesus! It’s hard to sit at His feet when you are sprinting! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Abiding in Christ Decisions Fruit

Focus on Abiding

“‘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) God will never ask you to do anything without equipping you to do it. God has an assignment for you to complete during your time on earth. God’s assignment requires His empowerment. You cannot fulfill God’s agenda without God provision. God’s assignment for your life flows out of your abiding relationship with Christ. God’s command is not for you to bear fruit, but rather to focus your energy on abiding in Christ. Your fruitfulness will be proportionate to your level of intimacy with Christ. Don’t bypass your love relationship with Christ in order to seek to bear fruit. Your passion is not to be channeled in the area of bearing fruit. As you stay connected to Christ and allow His energy, His strength, and His life to flow through you, you will bear much fruit. Because He is the vine, you are fruitful. Jesus is the source! Stay connected to Him. Guard your love relationship with Him. Protect your daily walk with Christ. Don’t allow anything or anyone to rob your relationship with Him. Ensure that your abiding relationship with Christ gets your best and not your leftovers. Don’t give Jesus your crumbs. He deserves your passionate pursuit. Are you connected? Are you abiding? You are the branch. Remain in Him and He will bear His fruit through you. Focus on abiding! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Bearing Fruit Pleasing God

Pleasing God in Every Way

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Col 1:10-12 (NIV) Are you living for the audience of one? God wants you to live a life worthy of the Lord. Consider all that Jesus did to purchase your salvation and to provide for your abiding peace. Think about what Jesus did to take care of your forever. You are saved for all eternity. Heaven is your home! As you live to please God, He desires for you to bear fruit, grow in your knowledge of Him, be strengthened by His might, and perpetually and joyfully give thanks to Him. God has qualified you to participate in the inheritance of the saints. You are blessed and highly favored of the Lord. You are fruitful, you are growing, you are strengthened, and you are joyful in the Lord. As a child of the living God, you have been lavished with His unconditional love. Make pleasing God the passion of your life. As you trust God daily to provide the strength for Christian living, you will bring pleasure to Him. God loves you and wants you to please Him in every way. Be conscious of His abiding presence. Be alert to opportunities to bear fruit, as you stay connected to Christ. Allow the life of Christ to be evidenced through your life as you do what Jesus did to love God and to serve others. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Faith Love Prayer

Hearing of Your Faith and Love

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.” Col 1:3-4 (NIV) What are people hearing about you? Do they hear about your obsession with hobbies? Do they hear about your addiction to technology? Are they hearing about your misplaced priorities? What if they were hearing about your faith and love? Paul and Timothy were thankful to God in prayer for the church at Colosse because of their visible faith in Christ Jesus and their love for other believers. The church was bearing the fruit of being connected to Christ. Their love relationship with Jesus was producing in them a deep abiding love for other believers. The vertical faith they had in Christ was being demonstrated through a horizontal love for fellow believers. Their faith was expressed through active love for others. Take inventory of your faith and love. How’s your faith in Christ? Are you growing in your faith relationship with Christ? Think about your connection to Christ and assess your devotion to His agenda. Are you loving others the way Christ has loved you? Are you serving others the way Christ has served you? You can’t go horizontal with love until you have gone vertical with faith. Your relationship with Christ will determine your relationship with others. You cannot give what you do not possess. Until you are connected to Christ through an abiding relationship, you will not be able to express His love to others. Make certain of your connection to Christ. Guard your daily intimacy with the Lord. Nurture your relationship with Jesus. Stay connected! Stay close and clean! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Christ-centered Intimacy with God Solitude Worship

Bringing Your Worship: Intimacy

“‘Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.’” John 15:4 (NIV) To nurture an abiding relationship with Christ involves a daily experience. Your private worship is vital to having an ongoing vibrant love relationship with Christ. Are you growing in your daily intimacy with God? It takes time to develop intimacy. You may say that you just don’t have enough time to fit private worship into your schedule. The reality is that we make space for that which we value. Do you value intimacy with God? Are you willing to plan for and prepare for a daily experience with God? If you go on a business trip or on a family vacation, you prepare for it. If you are anticipating a major exam in school or fulfilling a commitment to teach a small group Bible study, you prepare for it. The same is true in our daily walk with God. To have a meaningful and productive daily experience with God, you treat it as something you value and treasure. You prepare for your daily intimacy with God. If my private worship time alone with God is important, then how should I prepare for it? Select a time each day when you are at your best. Find a physical location that enhances your experience with God. If you enjoy nature, then plan to have your quiet time outdoors. If you enjoy soft music playing as you spend time with God, then have the music ready for the moment. If you prefer solitude, then search for that room or closet or other environment that will provide that kind of atmosphere. Have a Bible reading plan in place whether it is to read through the Bible in one year, read one chapter, or read a few verses each day. Choose to jot down insights gleaned from your reading time. Reflect on what God is saying to you. Spend time in prayer sharing your heart with God and listening for His voice. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Connected Fruitfulness

Staying Connected

“‘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) God will never ask you to do anything without equipping you to do it. God has an assignment for you to complete during your time on this blue and green planet called earth. God’s assignment requires His empowerment. You cannot fulfill God’s agenda without God provision. God’s assignment for your life flows out of your abiding relationship with Christ. God’s command is not for you to bear fruit, but rather to focus your energy on abiding in Christ. Your fruitfulness will be proportionate to your level of intimacy with Christ. Don’t bypass your love relationship with Christ in order to seek to bear fruit. Your passion is not to be channeled in the area of bearing fruit. As you stay connected to Christ and allow His energy, His strength, and His life to flow through you, you will bear much fruit. Because He is the vine, you are fruitful. Jesus is the source! Stay connected to Him. Guard your love relationship with Him. Protect your daily walk with Christ. Don’t allow anything or anyone to rob your relationship with Him. Ensure that your abiding relationship with Christ gets your best and not your leftovers. Don’t give Jesus your crumbs. He deserves your passionate pursuit. Are you connected? Are you abiding? You are the branch. Remain in Him and He will bear His fruit through you. Focus on abiding! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Abiding in Christ Afterlife Death Eternity Fruitfulness Legacy

Departure (2)

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 (NIV) How will you live before you go? Your time on earth is limited. James compares life to a mist that appears and then vanishes (James 4:14). Compared to eternity, our time on earth is brief. Yet, how you choose to live your life on planet earth has eternal implications. Each moment matters for eternity. Jesus identifies the abiding relationship made available to you. Without having an abiding relationship with Jesus, you cannot bear fruit. He is the vine. He is the source of real life. You are the branch. Your role in the relationship is to stay connected to the vine. You become the conduit through which Jesus bears His fruit. Your fruitfulness is proportionate to your abiding relationship with Jesus. To remain in Christ is to stay connected to Him through a growing relationship with Him. Once you have established the connection through your faith in the completed work of Jesus on the cross, your eternal relationship with Christ is solidified. Now that you know Christ personally, you are to grow in your relationship with Christ progressively. Moment by moment you enjoy the abiding relationship whereby you experience His life flowing through you. As the life of Christ flows through you, His life is expressed through you to a watching world. Fruit is evidenced as a result of your abiding relationship with Christ. Stay connected! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Abiding in Christ Intimacy with God Quiet Time Solitude Worship

Bringing Your Worship (2)

“‘Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.’” John 15:4 (NIV) To nurture an abiding relationship with Christ involves a daily experience. Your private worship is vital to having an ongoing vibrant love relationship with Christ. Are you growing in your daily intimacy with God? It takes time to develop intimacy. You may say that you just don’t have enough time to fit private worship into your schedule. The reality is that we make space for that which we value. Do you value intimacy with God? Are you willing to plan for and prepare for a daily experience with God? If you go on a business trip or on a family vacation, you prepare for it. If you are anticipating a major exam in school or fulfilling a commitment to teach a small group Bible study, you prepare for it. The same is true in our daily walk with God. To have a meaningful and productive daily experience with God, you treat it as something you value and treasure. You prepare for your daily intimacy with God. If my private worship time alone with God is important, then how should I prepare for it? Select a time each day when you are at your best. Find a physical location that enhances your experience with God. If you enjoy nature, then plan to have your quiet time outdoors. If you enjoy soft music playing as you spend time with God, then have the music ready for the moment. If you prefer solitude, then search for that room or closet or other environment that will provide that kind of atmosphere. Have a Bible reading plan in place whether it is to read through the Bible in one year, read one chapter, or read a few verses each day. Choose to jot down insights gleaned from your reading time. Reflect on what God is saying to you. Spend time in prayer sharing your heart with God and listening for His voice. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Abiding in Christ I am sayings Vine

Because He Is (7)

Because He is the vine, I am fruitful. “‘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) God will never ask you to do anything without equipping you to do it. God has an assignment for you to complete during your time on this blue and green planet called earth. God’s assignment requires His empowerment. You cannot fulfill God’s agenda without God provision. God’s assignment for your life flows out of your abiding relationship with Christ. God’s command is not for you to bear fruit, but rather to focus your energy on abiding in Christ. Your fruitfulness will be proportionate to your level of intimacy with Christ. Don’t bypass your love relationship with Christ in order to seek to bear fruit. Your passion is not to be channeled in the area of bearing fruit. As you stay connected to Christ and allow His energy, His strength, and His life to flow through you, you will bear much fruit. Because He is the vine, you are fruitful. Jesus is the source! Stay connected to Him. Guard your love relationship with Him. Protect your daily walk with Christ. Don’t allow anything or anyone to rob your relationship with Him. Ensure that your abiding relationship with Christ gets your best and not your leftovers. Don’t give Jesus your crumbs. He deserves your passionate pursuit. Are you connected? Are you abiding? You are the branch. Remain in Him and He will bear His fruit through you. Focus on abiding! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care