“But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’” Luke 5:8-10 (ESV) What produced such awe in Simon’s heart to cause him to respond to Jesus the way he did? Simon recognized that he was in the presence of the Divine. Jesus was more than a carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus was the Master of the wind, the waves, and the fish. Jesus demonstrated His omnipotence. Simon and his fishing partners were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken. Yet, Simon was gripped more by Jesus than the catch of fish. Simon recognized his own personal sinfulness in light of the holiness of Jesus. We see similar responses from Isaiah and John when they encountered the Lord. “And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’” Isa. 6:5 (ESV) “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’” Rev. 1:17-18 (ESV) Don’t lose the awe of serving your Master, Jesus Christ. He is worthy of your wonder and awe. Jesus is holy and deserves reverence and honor. As you engage in activities throughout the day, whether menial or magnificent, remember the awe of serving Jesus! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Abundance
“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.” Luke 5:8-10 (NIV) What produced such awe in Simon’s heart to cause him to respond to Jesus the way he did? Simon recognized that he was in the presence of the Divine. Jesus was more than a carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus was the Master of the wind, the waves, and the fish. Jesus demonstrated His omnipotence. Simon and his fishing partners were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken. Yet, Simon was gripped more by Jesus than the catch of fish. Simon recognized his own personal sinfulness in light of the holiness of Jesus. We see similar responses from Isaiah and John when they encountered the Lord. “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.’” Isaiah 6:5 (NIV) “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’” Rev 1:17-18 (NIV) Don’t lose the awe of serving your Master, Jesus Christ. He is worthy of your wonder and awe. Jesus is holy and deserves reverence and honor. As you engage in activities throughout the day, whether menial or magnificent, remember the awe of serving Jesus! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16 (NIV) One obstacle to abundant life is the flesh within you. Another obstacle to abundant life is the world around you. The world around you is opposed to the Jesus in you. The cultural current is anti-Christian. The world’s values will not be in alignment with the values of the follower of Christ. The way of Jesus is counter-culture. You will likely be in the minority as you live out your faith in a fallen world. “‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’” John 16:33 (NIV) “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11 (NIV) Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? A thermometer reflects the environment and a thermostat sets the environment. God has called you to influence the culture instead of allowing the culture to influence you. The abundant life that God gives is not found on the broad road that leads to destruction. His abundant life is found on the narrow road. Consider the environments that God has placed you in to influence for His glory. Are you overcoming the obstacles and seizing the opportunities to make Jesus known? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Your best life is not your life. Your best life is God’s life for you. Who created you? What is the purpose of your existence? Why are you where you are right now? God created you to fulfill His purposes and His plan. You are not an accident. You have been appointed by God to join Him in His redemptive activity. Every thought you have today matters. Every conversation you engage in today matters. Every interaction you initiate today matters. God has saved you by His grace, sealed you with His Holy Spirit, and set you apart to serve others for His glory. “‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’” Matt 7:13-14 (NIV) You could not dream of a better life than the one that God has for you on the narrow road. The same road that leads to eternal life leads to abundant life. God does not save you so that you can experience life once you get to heaven. God saves you so that you can have eternal security and abundant life now on the narrow road. Your best life is not your life. God’s life for you is truly your best life. There is not a better option. The best option is always God’s option. The best way is always God’s way. The best path is always God’s path. Are you living the life God has for you? If not, why not? What adjustments do you need to make in order to live the life God has for you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32 (NIV) The gas light just came on. You keep driving as you wonder how far you can go before you run out. The farther you drive the more adrenaline pumps into your bloodstream. As you visualize the possibility of stepping out of your car to push it one full block to the gas pump, you decide it might be time to stop risking the inevitable and just take the time to fill up. God’s gas light never comes on. His tank never empties. He never runs on fumes. God is the God of abundance! His resources are unlimited! The beauty of His love is seen by His willingness to give us His very best, His own Son. God gave up His Son, Jesus, for us all. What an incredible portrait of His grace. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV) God did not wait until you had it all together. God did not wait until you cleaned your life up and eliminated the rough edges. God demonstrated His own love for us before we made a move toward Him. God went first! God initiated the love relationship that we enjoy! How do we know that? While we were still bankrupt in our sinful condition, Christ died for us! “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV) Notice what we truly deserve…death! Notice what we get instead…eternal life! How can that be? God who graciously gives us all things gives us the gift of eternal life. It cost Him everything, yet it is free to us. Have you received the gift of eternal life? Are you in Christ? Your union with Christ will determine your eternal destiny. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care