Category: Beatitudes

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Beatitudes Jesus Mercy

Extending and Receiving Mercy

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matt 5:7 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves being merciful. Has the Lord been merciful to you? Capture a snapshot of what shape you would be in right now had you not been a personal recipient of God’s mercy. God is not asking you to do anything He has not already done for you. “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) “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Heb 4:16 (NIV) You need God’s mercy for salvation and in sanctification. You need God’s mercy day-by-day in order to live the Christ-centered life. His mercy is both inward and outward. You receive God’s mercy inwardly and express God’s mercy outwardly. Sing with me, “Mercy there was great and grace was free; pardon there was multiplied to me; there my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary.” God, in His mercy, did not give you what you deserved. God placed on Jesus the iniquity of us all. Shouldn’t that transform how you view others? Shouldn’t your treatment of others flow out of the mercy you have received from God? The most merciful act you will ever employ is sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. As you inquire about the spiritual status of another person you will have the opportunity to share your spiritual story and present the plan of salvation. Sharing your faith is a tangible demonstration of extending mercy to others in response to the mercy you have received from God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Holy Ambition Hunger

Holy Ambition

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matt 5:6 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves holy ambition. There is nothing more appealing to a starving person than food. For the follower of Christ, the spiritual appetite is a craving for righteousness. At salvation, you receive the righteousness of Christ and a resulting passion for righteous living. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:22-24 (NIV) “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1 (NIV) As you seek the Lord and His righteousness, He satisfies your soul. You cannot pursue worldliness and godliness at the same time. The paths are in opposition. To grow in Christ likeness is to daily pursue Jesus and His agenda for your life. Continual prayer and consistent intake of God’s Word will feed your passion for His righteousness. Remember, whatever you feed grows; whatever you starve dies. Choose to feed and nourish the life of Christ in you. Choose to starve the cravings of the sinful nature. Hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ and passionately pursue His divine purpose and plan. Orient your appetite to crave the righteousness of Christ and to despise the junk food of sin. You will be filled as you hunger and thirst for His righteousness. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Bridled Meek

Decisive Restraint

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matt 5:5 (NIV) Christ-centered living involves being bridled. Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control. You have the capacity to live a sinful lifestyle that will bring disrepute to Christianity and disdain to the character of Christ. The world, Satan, and your flesh have agendas to disintegrate your Christian witness. You have everything you need to embrace a sinful lifestyle unbridled. You can choose to walk in the flesh right now and commit the most heinous of sinful acts. However, the Christ-centered life is one of decisive restraint. The Christ-centered life is submitting to the full control of Christ in your life. It is consciously choosing to give Jesus the reigns to your life. Instead of trying to live the Christian life in your own strength, you allow Jesus to live His life in you and through you. Your fleshly desires and carnal propensities are brought under the rule and reign of Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20 (NIV) “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV) Be gentle in how you treat others. Surrender to the Spirit’s control in your life. Center your life on Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Brokenness Sin

Sensitive to Sin

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matt 5:4 (NIV) Are you constantly broken over your sinfulness? Christ-centered living involves brokenness. In the language of the New Testament, there are nine different words used to describe sorrow. The Greek word Jesus uses here is the strongest of the nine. This level of mourning is equated with grieving over the death of a loved one. Mourning over your sin is a prerequisite for receiving comfort. Brokenness over sin leads to confession of sin which leads to forgiveness of sin. Thus, brokenness precedes blessing. One cannot come into the Kingdom of God without being broken over sin. Without true repentance, there is no salvation. Once a person becomes a child of God, he or she must be continually broken over his or her sinfulness. We must love what God loves and hate what God hates. Those who are continually mourning will be continually comforted by God. “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” Psalm 51:3-4 (NIV) “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Cor 7:10 (NIV) Step 1: Demonstrate godly sorrow for your sin. Step 2: Confess and repent of your sin. Step 3: Receive God’s forgiveness and comfort. Don’t ever get numb towards sin. Allow God to keep you sensitive to sin. Sin should break your heart just like it breaks the heart of God. Now walk in the freedom you have in Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Brokenness Humility

Paved with Humility

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3 (NIV) The highway of happiness is paved with humility. Happiness and humility go together. Jesus modeled a life of humility by submitting to the Father’s agenda and by living to benefit others. In humility, Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross to provide for the forgiveness of our sins and to reconcile us back to God. What is meant by poor in spirit? It means a complete absence of pride, a complete absence of self-assurance and self-reliance. It means a consciousness that we are nothing in the presence of God. To be poor in spirit is the tremendous awareness of our utter nothingness as we come face to face with God. Discover the haven of humility. Admit that you don’t have it all together. Admit that you haven’t arrived. Recognize that you haven’t learned all that God wants you to learn and you haven’t completed everything God wants you to do. Make an accurate assessment of yourself before a holy God in light of His holiness. “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Romans 12:3 (NIV) “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Col 3:12 (NIV) Give up your kingdom so you can inherit God’s kingdom! Clothe yourself with humility. Being poor in spirit is a mark of spiritual maturity as you acknowledge your utter dependency upon God and His grace to help you live as a citizen of His kingdom. You cannot live the life God has for you without His supernatural enablement. His power comes to you through the doorway of humility. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Humility Pride

Filing Spiritual Bankruptcy

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3 (NIV) Delays, detours, and distractions are common in this life. Sin, sickness, and sorrow permeate the landscape of our humanity. Is it possible to find happiness while living in a fallen world? The keys to happiness are found in the Beatitudes. Jesus is the greatest preacher who ever lived and preached the greatest sermon ever preached. The happiness Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes is not based on circumstances or external conditions. Happy, blissful, and blessed are those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before a holy God. Pride has no part in Christ’s kingdom. The door into His kingdom is low, and no one who stands tall in pride will ever go through it. The world emphasizes self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-expression. Jesus went into the display window of life and changed all the price tags. Jesus countered what the world values and ushered in the kingdom values that bring honor to God. “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Prov 16:5 (NIV) “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov 16:18 (NIV) Take pride for a ride. Instead of an ego trip, we need to go on an integrity trip. Get honest about your destitution and your spiritual poverty before God. Identify and eliminate any fraction of pride in your life. Embrace the way of humility and recognize your dependency upon God and His abundant grace. Uncover the poison of pride. You will never reach your full redemptive potential while fertilizing pride in your life. Pride has no place in the Christian life fully yielded to the Lordship of Christ. The poison of pride will inhibit the fruit of the Spirit and stifle your effectiveness in the kingdom. Take pride for a ride! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Peacemaking Soulwinning

Helping Others Make Peace with God

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Cor 5:18-19 (NIV) Peacemaking involves helping others make peace with God. As a peacemaker, you have the awesome privilege and responsibility of building a bridge to others to help them come into a saving relationship with Jesus. God reconciled you to Himself so that you could join Him in reconciling others to Himself. You have been rescued to rescue others. God has given you ministry of reconciliation. You may think that you are not called into the ministry. However, every believer is called into the ministry of reconciliation. God has built the ultimate love bridge to you so that you can in turn build His love bridge to others. As a child of God, you not only have a ministry to fulfill but you also have a message to declare. The message of reconciliation is the wonderful news that God is reconciling the world to Himself, in Christ. The atoning work of Jesus on the cross provides for the complete and absolute forgiveness of our sins. In Christ, God does not count our sins against us. We are forgiven! We are free! We have discovered the cure to the cancer of sin. We have the remedy for the plight of sinful man. God has lavished us with His love and armed us with the most powerful life changing message on the planet. Are you helping others make peace with God? Will the population of heaven increase because of your participation in the ministry and message of reconciliation? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Justification Peacemaking

Make Peace With God

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 (NIV) The first crucial step in becoming a peacemaker is to make peace with God. Until you are in a right relationship with God, your horizontal influence for the kingdom of God will not be fruitful. God took the initiative to provide for the salvation of your soul. Your sin debt was paid in full by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. Jesus took the full wrath of God for your sin. Jesus took your place. As a result of His work of redemption, you are justified through faith. It is “just-if-I’d” never sinned! When God sees you, He sees you through the shed blood of Jesus. Have your responded to God’s redemptive act by placing your faith in Jesus alone for your salvation? That divine transaction changes your forever. Once you have made peace with God, you become a new creation. You are filled with the Holy Spirit and adopted into God’s forever family. Your salvation is sealed by the Holy Spirit. Your security is not based on your human effort, but on God’s redeeming grace. No one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand. Now that you are in a right relationship with God, walk in the peace God provides. When that peace is threatened through compromise, confess your sin and purge your life of anything that hinders your love relationship with God. Maintain peace with God by living a life of instant obedience. The convicting work of the Holy Spirit will alert you when something enters your life that does not honor God. Confess sin immediately and allow the Holy Spirit to take full possession of your life. Will others see God’s peace in your life today? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Jesus Peacemaking

Build the Bridge

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Matt 5:9 (NIV) While viewing a leadership talk delivered by pastor Andy Stanley, I was captivated by his statement, “In eternity past, God looked upon our sin-saturated planet and asked, ‘What can I do to help?’” That concept painted a vivid image in my mind of God being the ultimate bridge builder. God created us and gave us the freedom to choose Him or to reject Him. God saw our sin and our rebellion and chose to build the ultimate bridge paved with His redeeming love. God took the initiative to come to our rescue. The bridge of hope was constructed by the sacrificial death of Jesus. The gulf of our separation has been bridged by the depth of God’s love. In this seventh Beatitude, Jesus esteems the value of our participation in continuing His ministry on the earth through being peacemakers. Peacemaking involves loving people the way Jesus modeled during His earthly ministry. Being a peacemaker means viewing others through the lens of God’s redemptive pursuit. When you place the same value on others that Jesus does, you position yourself as a peacemaker. Instead of being indifferent toward others who aren’t like you, you will have a deep abiding burden for them to know Jesus personally. Instead of building a wall to distance yourself from those Christ died for, you build a bridge to engage them with the message of salvation. Let’s choose to walk in the blessing of God by becoming bridge builders. Take the initiative to start loving people with the same redeeming love you have experienced from the heart of God. Join me in looking into the eyes of those God brings into our path and being willing to ask, “What can I do to help?” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Jesus Purity

Positional and Practical Purity

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matt 5:8 (NIV) God’s standard of perfection is Christ. The purity of Christ is the bull’s-eye for the believer. To be pure in heart is to be right with God. You cannot have a right relationship with God without having a relationship with others. You cannot have a right relationship with others without having a right relationship with God. Purity is impossible without the righteousness of Christ being imparted. The impartation and imputation of the righteousness of Christ takes place at the moment of conversion. The righteousness of Christ is deposited to your account. Your new identity in Christ provides you with a righteousness that you could never produce. In Christ, you are positionally pure and fit for heaven. The Christian life is a journey of working out what God has worked in. As you grow spiritually, you learn how to exhibit practical purity as a result of your positional purity. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Eph 1:7-8 (NIV) “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) The righteousness of Christ is a grace gift from God. God is holy and demands His followers to be holy. Live in light of your position in Christ. Pursue holiness in private and in public. Stay in God’s will by staying in God’s Word. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Jesus Mercy

Pushing Compassion into Action

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matt 5:7 (NIV) Have you ever been on the receiving end of the hurtful treatment rendered by an unmerciful person? It was not an enjoyable experience was it? Being unmerciful is a direct result of our fallen nature. However, Jesus ushered in a new way to live life on this broken planet. As you extend mercy to others horizontally, you will receive mercy vertically. The Lord will be merciful to you as you are merciful to others. When you came to trust in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you received salvation as an act of His mercy. Now that you are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, you are to extend mercy to others. Being merciful to others is not simply being possessed of pity, but putting compassion into action. It is not enough to see someone in need and to feel sorry for that individual. It is not enough to pity those who are hurting. Push your compassion into action! Mercy led Joseph to forgive his brothers and to provide them with food. Mercy led Moses to plead with the Lord to remove the leprosy with which his sister Miriam had been punished. Mercy led David to spare the life of King Saul. Mercy led Jesus to endure the agony and shame of the cross. Push compassion into action by meeting practical needs. Give food to the hungry, comfort the bereaved, love the rejected, and befriend the lonely. Give time, give forgiveness, give money, and give yourself to others. Find a need and meet it! Ask God to give you eyes to see people in need and to give you a heart to respond to their needs. Begin to look for opportunities to continue the ministry of Jesus by pushing your compassion into action. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Beatitudes Jesus Righteousness

Hungering and Thirsting

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matt 5:6 (NIV) You were born with a hole in your heart that only God can fill. Once you respond in faith to the vertical tug of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, you become a new creation. Your earthly appetites are replaced with the heavenly delight of knowing God personally through His Son, Jesus. Measure the treasure of desiring God, because this Spirit-prompted desire brought you into fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. Your eternal destiny is determined by the reality of this vertical relationship. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is a result of an abiding relationship with Jesus that is real, personal, and eternal. You progress from desiring God in salvation to pursuing God in sanctification. You are in the process of becoming who you are in Christ. Your hunger for righteousness will be filled. Your thirst for righteousness will be satisfied. Move into spiritual maturity by feasting on God. Righteousness is not an optional spiritual supplement but a spiritual necessity. As you hunger and thirst for His righteousness, your decisions will be guided by God’s economy. Doing life God’s way will become your passionate pursuit. Nothing will appeal to your more than pleasing God and living a life of integrity. Righteousness is the condition acceptable to God. In salvation, the atoning work of Christ on the cross makes you acceptable to God positionally. Now you are to work out your salvation practically as you live a life of instant obedience. Hungering and thirsting for His righteousness becomes your perpetual preoccupation. Desiring God is to be the focus of your conversation and your conduct as a byproduct of your salvation. Continue to grow in your passion for God. Align your life with the heartbeat of God by taking paths that bring Him glory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Beatitudes Happiness Humility

The Haven of Humility

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3 (NIV) The highway of happiness is paved with humility. Happiness and humility go together. Jesus modeled a life of humility by submitting to the Father’s agenda and by living to benefit others. In humility, Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross to provide for the forgiveness of our sins and to reconcile us back to God. What is meant by poor in spirit? It means a complete absence of pride, a complete absence of self-assurance and self-reliance. It means a consciousness that we are nothing in the presence of God. To be poor in spirit is the tremendous awareness of our utter nothingness as we come face to face with God. Discover the haven of humility. Admit that you don’t have it all together. Admit that you haven’t arrived. Recognize that you haven’t learned all that God wants you to learn and you haven’t completed everything God wants you to do. Make an accurate assessment of yourself before a holy God in light of His holiness. “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Romans 12:3 (NIV) “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Col 3:12 (NIV) Give up your kingdom so you can inherit God’s kingdom! Clothe yourself with humility. Being poor in spirit is a mark of spiritual maturity as you acknowledge your utter dependency upon God and His grace to help you live as a citizen of His kingdom. You cannot live the life God has for you without His supernatural enablement. His power comes to you through the doorway of humility. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Beatitudes Happiness Pride

Take Pride for a Ride

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:3 (NIV) Delays, detours, and distractions are common in this life. Sin, sickness, and sorrow permeate the landscape of our humanity. Is it possible to find happiness while living in a fallen world? The keys to happiness are found in the Beatitudes. Jesus is the greatest preacher who ever lived and preached the greatest sermon ever preached. The happiness Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes is not based on circumstances or external conditions. Happy, blissful, and blessed are those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before a holy God. Pride has no part in Christ’s kingdom. The door into His kingdom is low, and no one who stands tall in pride will ever go through it. The world emphasizes self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-expression. Jesus went into the display window of life and changed all the price tags. Jesus countered what the world values and ushered in the kingdom values that bring honor to God. “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” Prov 16:5 (NIV) “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov 16:18 (NIV) Take pride for a ride. Instead of an ego trip, we need to go on an integrity trip. Get honest about your destitution and your spiritual poverty before God. Identify and eliminate any fraction of pride in your life. Embrace the way of humility and recognize your dependency upon God and His abundant grace. Uncover the poison of pride. You will never reach your full redemptive potential while fertilizing pride in your life. Pride has no place in the Christian life fully yielded to the Lordship of Christ. The poison of pride will inhibit the fruit of the Spirit and stifle your effectiveness in the kingdom. Take pride for a ride! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell