“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’” Luke 15:28-30 (NIV) Restore ruptured relationships. Life is fragile. Relationships are vital. Peace and harmony bring pleasure to God and reflect His nature and character. Maintain a right relationship with God and maintain a right relationship with others. Tend your relationships and prevent the weeds of dysfunction and suspicion from gaining ground. When the prodigal son returned home after a season of flagrant rebellion and unconscionable self-indulgence, the father responded with open arms and a receptive heart. The father exemplified unconditional love and extended gracious acceptance to the repentant son. The older brother was enraged. Anger had been simmering and reached the volcanic eruption. The older brother did not bask in the radiance of the prodigal’s return. Instead, he allowed personal anger to expand within and evaporate the potential for celebration. The father sought to interpret the depth of meaning behind the prodigal’s arrival. “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15: 31-32 (NIV) Consider the people God has brought into your life. Measure the relational opportunities along the parade of people God has placed before you. Are there any relationships that are ruptured? Honor God by restoring those ruptured relationships. Life is a gift from God. Value life! Protect life! Choose life! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Anger
Categories
Diffuse Anger
“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous…Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” 1 John 3:11-12, 15 (NIV) The first murder in the Bible was over worship (Gen. 4:1-8). Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God and Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable. Infused with anger, Cain chose to murder his brother. Consequences ensued as God confronted Cain. Diffuse anger. Don’t allow the root of bitterness and resentment germinate into anger. Anger will erode your peace and quench the flow of the Holy Spirit in your life. Anger will not produce the righteous life that brings honor to God. “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Eph. 4:26-27 (NIV) “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” Jas. 1:19-20 (NIV) Diffuse anger by confronting the source of your anger. What is producing the poison of anger in your life? What is generating those intense feelings and internal thoughts within you? Move beyond the symptoms and excavate the depth of your soul. Isolate the pulsating source of your anger. Confront your feelings and renew your mind. Release bitterness and resentment through the avenue of forgiveness. Extend forgiveness. Receive forgiveness. Be compassionate. Be gentle. Be kind. Be understanding. Be responsive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Make necessary adjustments to conform to the likeness of Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Value Life
“‘You shall not murder.’” Exodus 20:13 (NIV) The sixth commandment was designed to help preserve society. Perhaps you wrestle with defining the boundaries between murder and permissible killing. In the sixth commandment, God is saying no to abortion, no to suicide, and no to euthanasia. God expects us to punish criminals and to preserve and to protect our Country’s freedom. This commandment refers to any type of killing that God disallows. Murder is the unauthorized taking of human life. Let’s affirm the sanctity of human life. Human life is sacred! Place the same value on life that God does. Moses had to confront the reality of his actions. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and Moses chose to kill the Egyptian and then hid him in the sand. The sixth commandment had to hit Moses on a personal level. “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deut. 30:19-20 (NIV) What does it mean to place the same value on others that God does? See others the way God sees them. Consider what God has done for you and for others when He sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The value God places on you and others has been established by His redemptive activity on the cross. There’s no greater love and there’s no greater value anyone could establish. Value life by loving what God loves and hating what God hates! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’” Luke 15:28-30 (NIV) Restore ruptured relationships. Life is fragile. Relationships are vital. Peace and harmony bring pleasure to God and reflect His nature and character. Maintain a right relationship with God and maintain a right relationship with others. Tend your relationships and prevent the weeds of dysfunction and suspicion from gaining ground. When the prodigal son returned home after a season of flagrant rebellion and unconscionable self-indulgence, the father responded with open arms and a receptive heart. The father exemplified unconditional love and extended gracious acceptance to the repentant son. The older brother was enraged. Anger had been simmering and reached the volcanic eruption. The older brother did not bask in the radiance of the prodigal’s return. Instead, he allowed personal anger to expand within and evaporate the potential for celebration. The father sought to interpret the depth of meaning behind the prodigal’s arrival. “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15: 31-32 (NIV) Consider the people God has brought into your life. Measure the relational opportunities along the parade of people God has placed before you. Are there any relationships that are ruptured? Honor God by restoring those ruptured relationships. Life is a gift from God. Value life! Protect life! Choose life! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Diffuse Anger
“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous…Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” 1 John 3:11-12, 15 (NIV) The first murder in the Bible was over worship (Gen. 4:1-8). Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God and Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable. Infused with anger, Cain chose to murder his brother. Consequences ensued as God confronted Cain. Diffuse anger. Don’t allow the root of bitterness and resentment germinate into anger. Anger will erode your peace and quench the flow of the Holy Spirit in your life. Anger will not produce the righteous life that brings honor to God. “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV) “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:19-20 (NIV) Diffuse anger by confronting the source of your anger. What is producing the poison of anger in your life? What is generating those intense feelings and internal thoughts within you? Move beyond the symptoms and excavate the depth of your soul. Isolate the pulsating source of your anger. Confront your feelings and renew your mind. Release bitterness and resentment through the avenue of forgiveness. Extend forgiveness. Receive forgiveness. Be compassionate. Be gentle. Be kind. Be understanding. Be responsive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Make necessary adjustments to conform to the likeness of Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Value Life
“‘You shall not murder.’” Exodus 20:13 (NIV) The sixth commandment was designed to help preserve society. Perhaps you wrestle with defining the boundaries between murder and permissible killing. In the sixth commandment, God is saying no to abortion, no to suicide, and no to euthanasia. God expects us to punish criminals and to preserve and to protect our Country’s freedom. This commandment refers to any type of killing that God disallows. Murder is the unauthorized taking of human life. Let’s affirm the sanctity of human life. Human life is sacred! Place the same value on life that God does. Moses had to confront the reality of his actions. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and Moses chose to kill the Egyptian and then hid him in the sand. The sixth commandment had to hit Moses on a personal level. “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deut. 30:19-20 (NIV) What does it mean to place the same value on others that God does? See others the way God sees them. Consider what God has done for you and for others when He sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The value God places on you and others has been established by His redemptive activity on the cross. There’s no greater love and there’s no greater value anyone could establish. Value life by loving what God loves and hating what God hates! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Eph 4:26-27 (NIV) He lost his cool! She flipped! What were they thinking? Can you believe what he said? Did you ever dream we would see this day? What happened? Anger is either good or bad. If your anger is righteous indignation against sin and immorality, then it is good. If your anger is a reaction to not getting your way or a result of your impatience, then it is bad. Jesus expressed anger when the Temple had been contaminated by the money changers instead of being a house of prayer for all nations. His anger was righteous indignation exposing their blatant irreverence toward the things of God. Yet, Jesus did not let the sun go down on His anger. In other words, He expressed his anger in a manner that confronted sin and prompted righteousness. “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” Psalms 4:4 (NIV) “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret–it leads only to evil.” Psalms 37:8 (NIV) “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Prov 29:11 (NIV) “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” 1 Tim 2:8 (NIV) Are your hands clean? Have you exhibited healthy anger through the avenue of righteous indignation? Or have you fertilized unhealthy anger which grows into bitterness, rage, and envy? Hate what God hates. Love what God loves. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care