“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20 (NIV) Each year I make a commitment to intentionally move for thirty minutes each day. My life as a pastor is by nature sedentary with hours of study, writing, and back-to-back meetings each day. The Lord has convicted me of my need to move daily. As a result, I have become intentional about going to our church’s Family Life Center in order to get on the treadmill and to spend some time in the weight room. I vary my approach by taking our dog for a brisk walk early in the mornings or playing racquetball with friends. This morning I went on an engaging mountain bike ride for an hour on nearby trails. That was fun! Your body is made to move. God rewards the movement. Your body is designed by God and for God. Christ is exalted in your body when you intentionally embrace beneficial activities. Paul demonstrated an unrelenting pursuing of exalting Christ in his body. Paul oriented his life to bring honor to Jesus both in conversation and in conduct. He chose to live in such a way as to not be ashamed to bear the name of Jesus. Is Christ being exalted in your body? What do you need to start doing in order to ensure physical health and to take care of the body God has given you? Will you join me by choosing to move thirty minutes each day? Go for a walk in your neighborhood. Join a local fitness center. Invite others to join you in the process and exalt Christ in your body. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Body and Soul
Exalt Christ in Your Body
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20 (NIV) Last week I made a commitment to intentionally move for thirty minutes each day. My life as a pastor is by nature sedentary with hours of study, writing, and back-to-back meetings each day. I coach football and baseball in the evenings depending on the season and that helps to get me moving. The Lord has convicted me of my need to move daily. As a result, I have become intentional about going to our church’s Family Life Center in order to get on the treadmill and to spend some time in the weight room. I vary my approach by taking our dog for a brisk walk early in the mornings or playing racquetball with friends. This morning I went on an engaging mountain bike ride for an hour on nearby trails. That was fun! Your body is made to move. God rewards the movement. Your body is designed by God and for God. Christ is exalted in your body when you intentionally embrace beneficial activities. Paul demonstrated an unrelenting pursuing of exalting Christ in his body. Paul oriented his life to bring honor to Jesus both in conversation and in conduct. He chose to live in such a way as to not be ashamed to bear the name of Jesus. Is Christ being exalted in your body? What do you need to start doing in order to ensure physical health and to take care of the body God has given you? Will you join me by choosing to move thirty minutes each day? Go for a walk in your neighborhood. Join a local fitness center. Invite others to join you in the process and exalt Christ in your body. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?’” Matt 16:26 (NIV) Jesus establishes the value of a soul. On one side of the scale is the world including achievements, acquisitions, and accolades. On the other side of the scale is eternal life. The bumper sticker which advertises, “He who dies with the most toys wins,” is wrong. Life is not measured by how much you attain on this side of the grave. As one of my precious members from my seminary church would say, “I’ve never seen a hearse pulling a U-haul.” There’s more to this life than ascribing to an incessant materialism. Gaining wealth, status, and prestige while losing your soul, is fatal. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV) “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11 (NIV) Making sense out of life involves living with eternity in mind. Allow Christ to be the center of your life. Make Him the number one priority of your life. Eternity is at stake! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor