Category: Discernment

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Discernment God's Will Numbers

Discern God’s Will

“On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff.” Numbers 17:8-9 (ESV) God reveals His will. Even when you are not clear about a direction you should take, God will bring you into the decision making process to reveal His plan. God created you and God has a specific plan for your life. Will you pursue Him daily and trust Him completely? Will you obey what God shows you? Moses obeyed God’s directive by securing the staffs of the twelve chiefs of Israel. Moses wrote their name on their staff and wrote Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. The morning after Moses placed the twelve staffs in the tent of meeting, he retrieved each staff and noticed that Aaron’s staff had sprouted. Through this very interesting process, God revealed His will. Perhaps you are going through a season of life in which you would love for God to reveal His will to you in a tangible way. You would be willing to secure a staff or any item that God would use to indicate His will. The reality is that God reveals His will through His Word. Are you reading your Bible? Are you spending time in prayer and spending time diligently seeking God’s will? As you obey what God has already revealed to you, He will illuminate the path He wants you to take. As you obey, God will show you the way. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

Categories
Discernment Holiness Leviticus

Distinguish the Sacred

“And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, ‘Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.’” Leviticus 10:8-11 (ESV) You are made to worship. God has placed within you the desire to worship. If you are not careful and attentive, you can drift into worshiping creation rather than worshiping the Creator. You determine the focus of your worship. It is vital that you not only worship God, but that you worship God His way. “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” Leviticus 10:1-2 (ESV) Aaron’s sons made a decision to forfeit worshiping God His way. Instead, they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord and God removed them from their priestly service by instant death. As you read this encounter, it appears to be abrupt and extreme. God is demonstrating the value He places on His holiness and the way we worship. God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us distinguish between that which is holy and common, between the clean and unclean. Guard against becoming too casual in your worship of the One true living God. Revere God and esteem God as you worship Him privately and corporately. Affirm the holiness of God. He alone is worthy! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell    

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Choices Discernment God's Will

Choose the Right Path

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (ESV) Decisions determine direction and direction determines destination. Life is filled with incremental decisions that place you on a particular path. You can be living in the center of God’s will and make one small decision that causes you to divert from the path God has for you. Think about the condition of your relationships. Measure the health of your relationship with Christ, your relationship with your spouse, your relationship with your children, and your relationship with others. The decisions you make impact the level of health in each of these relationships. One decision can enhance your relationships or hinder your relationships. Assess where you are right now in your life. How did you get to where you are? You are a product of the choices you make. When you chose to trust in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, your forever changed. You made a spiritual decision that placed you in a right relationship with Christ. Consider the choices you made academically to position yourself for a bright future. The location of your residence is a result of a decision you made. Sometimes the choices others make impact you directly. Perhaps someone in your family made a poor choice that led them down a path filled with consequences. You are now reaping a portion of what they have sown. God will give you the grace to navigate that path. Remember, if God allows it, He will use it! If God allowed the consequences to drift in your direction, He will use them for your good and His glory. Walk in unbroken fellowship with the Lord and ask Him to enable you to discern His will. Ask the Lord to illuminate the path He wants you to take for His glory. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Discernment Faith Humility

Obtaining a Proper View

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Romans 12:3 (ESV) Do you have a skewed view of yourself? When you examine your life, what do you see? Perhaps you have a low view of yourself. It may be that you have an inflated view of yourself. Someone has remarked that we view others based on their actions and we view ourselves based on our intentions. How does God want you to view yourself? The proper way to view yourself is in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. How do you measure that faith? You need a standard! The wonderful news is that Jesus is our standard. He is the benchmark for our assessment. God wants you to use sober judgment. In other words, you are to measure your life with accuracy. Instead of comparing yourself to others, examine your life in light of Christ. Assess your current reality using Jesus as your standard. He is the model to follow. Jesus is the example to emulate. Obtain a proper view of yourself. Allow the standard of Christ’s life to produce an element of brokenness and humility inside of you. Embrace the desperation and invite Jesus to take you to the place of being more like Him. Begin to view others through the lens of the journey you are on. Recognize that you haven’t arrived. Start viewing others through the prospect of their life fully yielded to Christ. What if they became like Christ? View yourself and others through the measure of faith God has given you. You are in Christ because of God’s unconditional love. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Discretion Wisdom

Pick Your Path

“Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” Proverbs 4:26-27 (ESV) Have you ever peaked into the rear view mirror of life and wondered, “Why did I choose that path?” Perhaps you made a decision to go in a certain direction at a critical time in your life that catapulted you onto a path that took you places you really did not want to go. You may be living with regret even now as you revisit your moment of decision that placed you on the unhealthy path. Your daily decisions determine the direction of your life. If you don’t pick your path, a path will pick you. God wants you to walk in wisdom and to exercise spiritual discernment as you seek to operate in His will. Use Spirit infused discretion in your decision making. Ask yourself, “What is the wise thing to do?” Knowing what you know about God and His ways, make level paths for your feet. Allowing the Holy Spirit to take full possession of your life, take only ways that are firm. God’s way is always the best way. God has a path for you to discover and to experience personally. Sometimes the path God has for you includes delays. You may not understand why you are in a season of uncertainty, but you know that God is with you and that He will allow the fog to lift in His perfect timing. While you are waiting for God to show you the next step on this path, obey what you already know. Enjoy His abiding presence. Share His love and shine His light. Bloom for God’s glory on the path God has for you. If you are on the wrong path, make a wise decision to move in the new direction God shows you. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Self-control Victory

Avoiding Slippery Slopes

“Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (ESV) Have you ever done something that compromised your convictions and broke the heart of God? When you look back on the experience, you still can’t believe that you did such a thing. When you get too close to the edge, you slip down the slippery slope and immense guilt follows. Have you been there? As we continue observing our MAP for walking in victory, let’s use the letter “A” to remind us to Avoid Slippery Slopes. Because of our resident sin nature, we have a tendency to see how close we can get to the edge without slipping and falling. God’s Word teaches us to guard our lives and to conduct our lives with caution. Slippery slopes abound. Opportunities to compromise our convictions are unlimited. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.” 1 Thess. 4:3-5 (ESV) “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Heb. 12:4 (ESV) God has called us to a lifestyle of self-control. Take the initiative to avoid slipper slopes. Ask God to give you wisdom to see the terrain as it is and to detect the slippery slopes awaiting your arrival. Living in a fallen world is a struggle. Resist sin at all costs. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Holy Spirit Sensitivity

Spiritual Discernment

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) Watching a 3-D movie without 3-D glasses can be very frustrating. The images on the screen appear blurry and create discomfort as you try to fixate on the images that just don’t seem to come into focus. Once you place the 3-D glasses in place, everything becomes clear and you begin to enjoy the full effects of the three dimensional experience. It’s rather entertaining to join others in trying to reach out to touch the objects that seem to come off of the screen into the air just before your face. Without the Spirit, trying to discern the activity of God is impossible. Life will appear blurry and the movement of God’s Spirit will be difficult to detect. Living the abundant Christian life mandates viewing life through the lens of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual perception comes through appropriating the spiritual lens provided to us by God through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. When you became a child of God, you instantaneously became the temple of the Holy Spirit. He moved in to take up permanent residence in your life. Your body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to illuminate God’s Word and to validate God’s will. As you come to know God better, you will learn how to detect and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. You will begin to see what others miss because you will be viewing life through the lens of the Holy Spirit. What others deem as foolish, you will deem as the clear activity of God in 3-D, namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment God's Will Prayer

Spiritual Discernment

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9 (NIV) One of the most profound prayers you can pray for others is for them to know God and to do His will. Knowing and doing God’s will is the purpose of life. God has provided the way in Jesus for us to know God personally and to obey His will completely. The knowledge of God’s will comes through spiritual wisdom and understanding. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul affirmed, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14 NIV). Spiritual discernment comes from the Spirit of God living inside of you. At the moment of conversion, you were filled with the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to teach you and to remind you of the things Jesus did and said (John 14:26). Pray that others might be saturated with the knowledge of God’s will. When you pray for others, ask God to give them spiritual wisdom and understanding. As they come to know God’s will they will have the opportunity to choose to obey God’s will. You will be involved in the process through the avenue of intercessory prayer. What a wise investment of your time! Are you in the center of God’s will? Have you asked God to fill you with the knowledge of His will? Are you willing to ask God for spiritual wisdom and understanding to know His will? Bring honor to God by obeying His will. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Discipleship Jesus

Recognizing the Voice of Truth

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV) You can live your life at a distance relationally and experience the absence of meaningful relationships with others. The relational deficit will soon erode your joy and remove your smile. God made us for relationships. The shepherd and sheep relationship is very prominent in the Bible. Dependent on the shepherd’s care, the sheep learns to respond to the shepherd’s voice. There is a connection that develops through the consistent exposure to the voice of compassion and concern. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isa. 53:6 (NIV) “For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Pet. 2:25 (NIV) Jesus is the Shepherd of our souls. He took on the full wrath of God for our sin. Jesus invites us into an intimate love relationship that is personal and eternal. We participate in the cultivation of that relationship once we turn from our sin and turn to Christ alone for salvation. Each day as we spend time in prayer and Bible reading, the love relationship deepens and our faith increases. Learn to recognize the voice of Truth. God speaks to us in alignment with His Word and His will. You will hear the still small voice of the Lord speaking to you as you practice His Presence throughout each day. Be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit living in you. Tune out the noise of worry and worldliness and tune in to the voice of the One who sought you and bought you with His own blood. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment God's Will Prayer

Discerning God’s Will

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9 (NIV) One of the most profound prayers you can pray for others is for them to know God and to do His will. Knowing and doing God’s will is the purpose of life. God has provided the way in Jesus for us to know God personally and to obey His will completely. The knowledge of God’s will comes through spiritual wisdom and understanding. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul affirmed, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). Spiritual discernment comes from the Spirit of God living inside of you. At the moment of conversion, you were filled with the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to teach you and to remind you of the things Jesus did and said (John 14:26). Pray that others might be saturated with the knowledge of God’s will. When you pray for others, ask God to give them spiritual wisdom and understanding. As they come to know God’s will they will have the opportunity to choose to obey God’s will. You will be involved in the process through the avenue of intercessory prayer. What a wise investment of your time! Are you in the center of God’s will? Have you asked God to fill you with the knowledge of His will? Are you willing to ask God for spiritual wisdom and understanding to know His will? Bring honor to God by obeying His will. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Choices Consequences Discernment

Weigh the Benefit

“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” Romans 6:21 (NIV) Sin never delivers what it promises. Sin promises pleasure, but produces pain. Sin promises escape, but produces entrapment. Sin promises freedom, but produces bondage. When you look into the rear view mirror of your life, you will quickly discern the reality of sin’s consequences. Think of the shame that clutters the landscape of your past as a result of poor choices. Weigh the benefit of the things you are now ashamed of. I’m sure that if you could go back into your past, there are choices you would love to retrieve and mistakes you would love to remove. In Christ, you are forgiven. The penalty of your sin has been paid in full by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. Yet, it is a healthy exercise to think through the benefit you reaped as a result of your poor choices. The reality that poor choices produced death brings you to the place of walking in the fear of the Lord. You recognize that God is all-knowing and all-seeing. What does victory look like in a fallen world? The portrait of victory is a child of God thinking through the consequences of sin before stepping through a door that is dishonoring to God. Victory comes in the form of a wise decision to weigh the benefit of walking in the way of the Lord. “Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.” Prov. 4:26 (NIV) “In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.” Prov. 22:5 (NIV) Weigh the benefit! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Encouragement Potential

Unlocking Potential

“The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” Proverbs 20:5 (NIV) God brings people into our lives to help us see and seize the potential God has placed inside of us. When you allow someone to get close enough to you so they can know you personally, it creates a unique relationship for your potential to be unleashed. God allows others to hold up a mirror before us to see what we haven’t been seeing. Think about the people God has brought into your life at specific moments to help you realize your potential. These wonderful people believed in you and saw things in you that you did not even detect. They had the ability to draw out the best in you. How refreshing to have someone love you and to believe in you! Jesus demonstrated the value of investing in others. He helped the disciples recognize their potential and then unleashed their potential in ministry. For example, Jesus believed in Matthew, the tax collector, and enabled him to become a fully devoted disciple. Jesus believed in Peter and helped him to become a vibrant leader of the New Testament church. Jesus can take a nobody and make him or her a somebody even when everybody fails to see the potential resident within. Jesus specializes in helping ordinary people do the extraordinary. Are you available to draw out the purposes of a person’s heart? Are you willing to invest in another person’s life at the level of seeing their potential and helping them seize their God-given potential? God wants to use you in bringing out the best in others. You can become a conduit of blessing in the lives of others. Ask God to show you an individual to invest in. The person may be a family member, a friend, or a co-worker. Seek to draw out the best in that person for the glory of God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Discernment God's Provision Guidance

Follow God’s Lead

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21 (NIV) The GPS navigational system in the Old Testament for the children of Israel was in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. God navigated their path by revealing to them the direction He wanted them to take. All they had to do was respond in obedience to the movement of the pillar of cloud or the pillar of fire in front of them. Have you ever longed for God to send a pillar of cloud your way? Have you ever experienced a season in life that caused you to need clear direction from God? Maybe you are in one of those seasons right now. Don’t get so anxious that you move before God gives you His directive. Wait for God’s timing and for God’s revelation. He will show you the next step that He wants you to take. Heighten your sensitivity to God’s activity through unhurried time in meaningful prayer. Slow down and read the Bible and expect God to speak to you personally about the direction He has for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the verses you read and to give you clarity and conviction. God wants you to operate in the center of His will. Remove distractions and mute the competing voices so that you can discern to the Voice of Truth. Walk in the light God gives you and leave room for mystery. There are some things God has for you that you are unaware of. Entrust your future to His care! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Mind of Christ Obedience

Your Compass

“But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Cor 2:16 (NIV) When you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you received the mind of Christ. Your mind is your seat of understanding. Your mind allows you to perceive feelings, to discern right from wrong, and to determine the best response to situations. Having the mind of Christ means that you perceive, discern, and do life like Christ. The mind of Christ becomes the compass for your decision-making. He informs and enlightens what you see and how you view life. Having the mind of Christ forms your perspective on circumstances and opportunities. Your daily intimacy with Jesus allows the mind of Christ to form in you. As you feed on God’s Word and infuse your life with an abiding relationship with Jesus, the mind of Christ becomes more and more evident in your life. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:5 (NIV) “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Cor 2:12 (NIV) Take note of the vital link between understanding and relationship. Jesus communicates with you by His Spirit. The Spirit, who is from God, will help you understand what God has freely given you. The Spirit lives in you and forms the mind of Christ in you. Are you obeying what has already been revealed to you? Do you need more revelation or more obedience? Obey what you know! As you obey, the Spirit will reveal more of what Jesus wants you to know from our Heavenly Father. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment God's Will Numbers

Discern God’s Will

“On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff.” Numbers 17:8-9 (ESV) God reveals His will. Even when you are not clear about a direction you should take, God will bring you into the decision making process to reveal His plan. God created you and God has a specific plan for your life. Will you pursue Him daily and trust Him completely? Will you obey what God shows you? Moses obeyed God’s directive by securing the staffs of the twelve chiefs of Israel. Moses wrote their name on their staff and wrote Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. The morning after Moses placed the twelve staffs in the tent of meeting, he retrieved each staff and noticed that Aaron’s staff had sprouted. Through this very interesting process, God revealed His will. Perhaps you are going through a season of life in which you would love for God to reveal His will to you in a tangible way. You would be willing to secure a staff or any item that God would use to indicate His will. The reality is that God reveals His will through His Word. Are you reading your Bible? Are you spending time in prayer and spending time diligently seeking God’s will? As you obey what God has already revealed to you, He will illuminate the path He wants you to take. As you obey, God will show you the way. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 61:  Numbers 16-17) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Holiness Leviticus

Distinguish the Sacred

“And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, 9  ‘Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 10 You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, 11 and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.’” Leviticus 10:8-11 (ESV) You are made to worship. God has placed within you the desire to worship. If you are not careful and attentive, you can drift into worshiping creation rather than worshiping the Creator. You determine the focus of your worship. It is vital that you not only worship God, but that you worship God His way. “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” Leviticus 10:1-2 (ESV) Aaron’s sons made a decision to forfeit worshiping God His way. Instead, they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord and God removed them from their priestly service by instant death. As you read this encounter, it appears to be abrupt and extreme. God is demonstrating the value He places on His holiness and the way we worship. God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us distinguish between that which is holy and common, between the clean and unclean. Guard against becoming too casual in your worship of the One true living God. Revere God and esteem God as you worship Him privately and corporately. Affirm the holiness of God. He alone is worthy! Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 46: Leviticus 8-10) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Holy Spirit Sensitivity

Spiritual Discernment

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor 2:14 (NIV) Watching a 3-D movie without 3-D glasses can be very frustrating. The images on the screen appear blurry and create discomfort as you try to fixate on the images that just don’t seem to come into focus. Once you place the 3-D glasses in place, everything becomes clear and you begin to enjoy the full effects of the three dimensional experience. It’s rather entertaining to join others in trying to reach out to touch the objects that seem to come off of the screen into the air just before your face. Without the Spirit, trying to discern the activity of God is impossible. Life will appear blurry and the movement of God’s Spirit will be difficult to detect. Living the abundant Christian life mandates viewing life through the lens of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual perception comes through appropriating the spiritual lens provided to us by God through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. When you became a child of God, you instantaneously became the temple of the Holy Spirit. He moved in to take up permanent residence in your life. Your body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to illuminate God’s Word and to validate God’s will. As you come to know God better, you will learn how to detect and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. You will begin to see what others miss because you will be viewing life through the lens of the Holy Spirit. What others deem as foolish, you will deem as the clear activity of God in 3-D, namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment God's Will Prayer

Spiritual Discernment

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Col 1:9 (NIV) One of the most profound prayers you can pray for others is for them to know God and to do His will. Knowing and doing God’s will is the purpose of life. God has provided the way in Jesus for us to know God personally and to obey His will completely. The knowledge of God’s will comes through spiritual wisdom and understanding. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul affirmed, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14 NIV). Spiritual discernment comes from the Spirit of God living inside of you. At the moment of conversion, you were filled with the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to teach you and to remind you of the things Jesus did and said (John 14:26). Pray that others might be saturated with the knowledge of God’s will. When you pray for others, ask God to give them spiritual wisdom and understanding. As they come to know God’s will they will have the opportunity to choose to obey God’s will. You will be involved in the process through the avenue of intercessory prayer. What a wise investment of your time! Are you in the center of God’s will? Have you asked God to fill you with the knowledge of His will? Are you willing to ask God for spiritual wisdom and understanding to know His will? Bring honor to God by obeying His will. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Discipleship Jesus

Recognizing the Voice of Truth

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV) You can live your life at a distance relationally and experience the absence of meaningful relationships with others. The relational deficit will soon erode your joy and remove your smile. God made us for relationships. The shepherd and sheep relationship is very prominent in the Bible. Dependent on the shepherd’s care, the sheep learns to respond to the shepherd’s voice. There is a connection that develops through the consistent exposure to the voice of compassion and concern. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 (NIV) “For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:25 (NIV) Jesus is the Shepherd of our souls. He took on the full wrath of God for our sin. Jesus invites us into an intimate love relationship that is personal and eternal. We participate in the cultivation of that relationship once we turn from our sin and turn to Christ alone for salvation. Each day as we spend time in prayer and Bible reading, the love relationship deepens and our faith increases. Learn to recognize the voice of Truth. God speaks to us in alignment with His Word and His will. You will hear the still small voice of the Lord speaking to you as you practice His Presence throughout each day. Be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit living in you. Tune out the noise of worry and worldliness and tune in to the voice of the One who sought you and bought you with His own blood. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment God's Will Prayer

Discerning God’s Will

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Col 1:9 (NIV) One of the most profound prayers you can pray for others is for them to know God and to do His will. Knowing and doing God’s will is the purpose of life. God has provided the way in Jesus for us to know God personally and to obey His will completely. The knowledge of God’s will comes through spiritual wisdom and understanding. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul affirmed, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14 NIV). Spiritual discernment comes from the Spirit of God living inside of you. At the moment of conversion, you were filled with the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to teach you and to remind you of the things Jesus did and said (John 14:26). Pray that others might be saturated with the knowledge of God’s will. When you pray for others, ask God to give them spiritual wisdom and understanding. As they come to know God’s will they will have the opportunity to choose to obey God’s will. You will be involved in the process through the avenue of intercessory prayer. What a wise investment of your time! Are you in the center of God’s will? Have you asked God to fill you with the knowledge of His will? Are you willing to ask God for spiritual wisdom and understanding to know His will? Bring honor to God by obeying His will. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Choices Consequences Discernment

Weigh the Benefit

“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” Romans 6:21 (NIV) Sin never delivers what it promises. Sin promises pleasure, but produces pain. Sin promises escape, but produces entrapment. Sin promises freedom, but produces bondage. When you look into the rear view mirror of your life, you will quickly discern the reality of sin’s consequences. Think of the shame that clutters the landscape of your past as a result of poor choices. Weigh the benefit of the things you are now ashamed of. I’m sure that if you could go back into your past, there are choices you would love to retrieve and mistakes you would love to remove. In Christ, you are forgiven. The penalty of your sin has been paid in full by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. Yet, it is a healthy exercise to think through the benefit you reaped as a result of your poor choices. The reality that poor choices produced death brings you to the place of walking in the fear of the Lord. You recognize that God is all-knowing and all-seeing. What does victory look like in a fallen world? The portrait of victory is a child of God thinking through the consequences of sin before stepping through a door that is dishonoring to God. Victory comes in the form of a wise decision to weigh the benefit of walking in the way of the Lord. “Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.” Prov 4:26 (NIV) “In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.” Prov 22:5 (NIV) Weigh the benefit! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Discernment Encouragement Potential

Unlocking Potential

“The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” Proverbs 20:5 (NIV) God brings people into our lives to help us see and seize the potential God has placed inside of us. When you allow someone to get close enough to you so they can know you personally, it creates a unique relationship for your potential to be unleashed. God allows others to hold up a mirror before us to see what we haven’t been seeing. Think about the people God has brought into your life at specific moments to help you realize your potential. These wonderful people believed in you and saw things in you that you did not even detect. They had the ability to draw out the best in you. How refreshing to have someone love you and to believe in you! Jesus demonstrated the value of investing in others. He helped the disciples recognize their potential and then unleashed their potential in ministry. For example, Jesus believed in Matthew, the tax collector, and enabled him to become a fully devoted disciple. Jesus believed in Peter and helped him to become a vibrant leader of the New Testament church. Jesus can take a nobody and make him or her a somebody even when everybody fails to see the potential resident within. Jesus specializes in helping ordinary people do the extraordinary. Are you available to draw out the purposes of a person’s heart? Are you willing to invest in another person’s life at the level of seeing their potential and helping them seize their God-given potential? God wants to use you in bringing out the best in others. You can become a conduit of blessing in the lives of others. Ask God to show you an individual to invest in. The person may be a family member, a friend, or a co-worker. Seek to draw out the best in that person for the glory of God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Discernment God's Provision Guidance

Follow God’s Lead

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21 (NIV) The GPS navigational system in the Old Testament for the children of Israel was in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. God navigated their path by revealing to them the direction He wanted them to take. All they had to do was respond in obedience to the movement of the pillar of cloud or the pillar of fire in front of them. Have you ever longed for God to send a pillar of cloud your way? Have you ever experienced a season in life that caused you to need clear direction from God? Maybe you are in one of those seasons right now. Don’t get so anxious that you move before God gives you His directive. Wait for God’s timing and for God’s revelation. He will show you the next step that He wants you to take. Heighten your sensitivity to God’s activity through unhurried time in meaningful prayer. Slow down and read the Bible and expect God to speak to you personally about the direction He has for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the verses you read and to give you clarity and conviction. God wants you to operate in the center of His will. Remove distractions and mute the competing voices so that you can discern to the Voice of Truth. Walk in the light God gives you and leave room for mystery. There are some things God has for you that you are unaware of. Entrust your future to His care! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Discernment Mind of Christ Obedience

Your Compass

“But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Cor 2:16 (NIV) When you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you received the mind of Christ. Your mind is your seat of understanding. Your mind allows you to perceive feelings, to discern right from wrong, and to determine the best response to situations. Having the mind of Christ means that you perceive, discern, and do life like Christ. The mind of Christ becomes the compass for your decision-making. He informs and enlightens what you see and how you view life. Having the mind of Christ forms your perspective on circumstances and opportunities. Your daily intimacy with Jesus allows the mind of Christ to form in you. As you feed on God’s Word and infuse your life with an abiding relationship with Jesus, the mind of Christ becomes more and more evident in your life. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:5 (NIV) “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Cor 2:12 (NIV) Take note of the vital link between understanding and relationship. Jesus communicates with you by His Spirit. The Spirit, who is from God, will help you understand what God has freely given you. The Spirit lives in you and forms the mind of Christ in you. Are you obeying what has already been revealed to you? Do you need more revelation or more obedience? Obey what you know! As you obey, the Spirit will reveal more of what Jesus wants you to know from our Heavenly Father. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Choices Discernment God's Will

Choose the Right Path

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Prov 14:12 (NIV) Decisions determine direction and direction determines destination. Life is filled with incremental decisions that place you on a particular path. You can be living in the center of God’s will and make one small decision that causes you to divert from the path God has for you. Think about the condition of your relationships. Measure the health of your relationship with Christ, your relationship with your spouse, your relationship with your children, and your relationship with others. The decisions you make impact the level of health in each of these relationships. One decision can enhance your relationships or hinder your relationships. Assess where you are right now in your life. How did you get to where you are? You are a product of the choices you make. When you chose to trust in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, your forever changed. You made a spiritual decision that placed you in a right relationship with Christ. Consider the choices you made academically to position yourself for a bright future. The location of your residence is a result of a decision you made. Sometimes the choices others make impact you directly. Perhaps someone in your family made a poor choice that led them down a path filled with consequences. You are now reaping a portion of what they have sown. God will give you the grace to navigate that path. Remember, if God allows it, He will use it! If God allowed the consequences to drift in your direction, He will use them for your good and His glory. Walk in unbroken fellowship with the Lord and ask Him to enable you to discern His will. Ask the Lord to illuminate the path He wants you to take for His glory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Discernment Faith Humility

Obtaining a Proper View

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: 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) Do you have a skewed view of yourself? When you examine your life, what do you see? Perhaps you have a low view of yourself. It may be that you have an inflated view of yourself. Someone has remarked that we view others based on their actions and we view ourselves based on our intentions. How does God want you to view yourself? The proper way to view yourself is in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. How do you measure that faith? You need a standard! The wonderful news is that Jesus is our standard. He is the benchmark for our assessment. God wants you to use sober judgment. In other words, you are to measure your life with accuracy. Instead of comparing yourself to others, examine your life in light of Christ. Assess your current reality using Jesus as your standard. He is the model to follow. Jesus is the example to emulate. Obtain a proper view of yourself. Allow the standard of Christ’s life to produce an element of brokenness and humility inside of you. Embrace the desperation and invite Jesus to take you to the place of being more like Him. Begin to view others through the lens of the journey you are on. Recognize that you haven’t arrived. Start viewing others through the prospect of their life fully yielded to Christ. What if they became like Christ? View yourself and others through the measure of faith God has given you. You are in Christ because of God’s unconditional love. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Discernment Discretion Wisdom

Pick Your Path

“Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” Prov 4:26-27 (NIV) Have you ever peaked into the rearview mirror of life and wondered, “Why did I choose that path?” Perhaps you made a decision to go in a certain direction at a critical time in your life that catapulted you onto a path that took you places you really did not want to go. You may be living with regret even now as you revisit your moment of decision that placed you on the unhealthy path. Your daily decisions determine the direction of your life. If you don’t pick your path, a path will pick you. God wants you to walk in wisdom and to exercise spiritual discernment as you seek to operate in His will. Use Spirit infused discretion in your decision making. Ask yourself, “What is the wise thing to do?” Knowing what you know about God and His ways, make level paths for your feet. Allowing the Holy Spirit to take full possession of your life, take only ways that are firm. God’s way is always the best way. God has a path for you to discover and to experience personally. Sometimes the path God has for you includes delays. You may not understand why you are in a season of uncertainty, but you know that God is with you and that He will allow the fog to lift in His perfect timing. While you are waiting for God to show you the next step on this path, obey what you already know. Enjoy His abiding presence. Share His love and shine His light. Bloom for God’s glory on the path God has for you. If you are on the wrong path, make a wise decision to move in the new direction God shows you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Discernment Self-control Victory

Avoiding Slippery Slopes

“Avoid every kind of evil.” 1 Thess 5:22 (NIV) Have you ever done something that compromised your convictions and broke the heart of God? When you look back on the experience, you still can’t believe that you did such a thing. When you get too close to the edge, you slip down the slippery slope and immense guilt follows. Have you been there? As we continue observing our MAP for walking in victory, let’s use the letter “A” to remind us to Avoid Slippery Slopes. Because of our resident sin nature, we have a tendency to see how close we can get to the edge without slipping and falling. God’s Word teaches us to guard our lives and to conduct our lives with caution. Slippery slopes abound. Opportunities to compromise our convictions are unlimited. “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.” 1 Thess 4:3-5 (NIV) “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Heb 12:4 (NIV) God has called us to a lifestyle of self-control. Take the initiative to avoid slipper slopes. Ask God to give you wisdom to see the terrain as it is and to detect the slippery slopes awaiting your arrival. Living in a fallen world is a struggle. Resist sin at all costs. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Choices Discernment Sin Sin Nature

Weigh the Benefit

“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” Romans 6:21 (NIV) Sin never delivers what it promises. Sin promises pleasure, but produces pain. Sin promises escape, but produces entrapment. Sin promises freedom, but produces bondage. When you look into the rear view mirror of your life, you will quickly discern the reality of sin’s consequences. Think of the shame that clutters the landscape of your past as a result of poor choices. Weigh the benefit of the things you are now ashamed of. I’m sure that if you could go back into your past, there are choices you would love to retrieve and mistakes you would love to remove. In Christ, you are forgiven. The penalty of your sin has been paid in full by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. Yet, it is a healthy exercise to think through the benefit you reaped as a result of your poor choices. The reality that poor choices produced death brings you to the place of walking in the fear of the Lord. You recognize that God is all-knowing and all-seeing. What does victory look like in a fallen world? The portrait of victory is a child of God thinking through the consequences of sin before stepping through a door that is dishonoring to God. Victory comes in the form of a wise decision to weigh the benefit of walking in the way of the Lord. “Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.” Prov 4:26 (NIV) “In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.” Prov 22:5 (NIV) Weigh the benefit! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor