Category: Discipleship

Categories
Discipleship Evangelism Obedience

Tag! You’re It!

“And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach.” Mark 3:14 (ESV) Can you imagine the honor of being chosen by Jesus to serve as one of His twelve apostles? You would have a starting position on the varsity team that Jesus coached. You would have access to His life behind the scenes in the locker room and on the practice field. You would want to spend all your time in His shadow and under His personal touch ministry. To be like Him, you would want to watch His every move and to capture every word He articulated. It would be so refreshing to be that connected to the Son of God. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have that kind of connection with the Son of God. At the moment of your conversion experience, you were adopted into God’s family and placed on the winning team. You have the privilege of drawing near to the Lord and learning how to enjoy His presence. God did not save you so that you could stay in the huddle. God rescued you from eternal damnation and placed you into His forever family and filled you with His Holy Spirit so that you could continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. You have been chosen by God to be sent out to portray His love and to proclaim the saving news of Jesus. You have been armed with the cure to the cancer of sin. Every single person who places their faith in Jesus alone for salvation will be saved and adopted into the family of God. You are chosen by God to build that relational bridge to those who are lost. Tag! You’re it! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship Jesus Soulwinning

Fishing and Following

“And so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’” Luke 5:10 (ESV) If you’re not fishing, you’re not following. Following Christ will result in faithfully and intentionally fishing for souls. When you follow your Rabbi, Jesus, you go where He goes and you do what He does. Jesus alleviated Simon’s fear by clarifying his life-focus. Instead of fishing for fish, Simon was being invited to a life of fishing for souls. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.” Prov. 11:30 (ESV) “And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” Philem. 1:6 (ESV) “And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” Jude 1:22-23 (ESV) Focus your life on that which is closest to the heart of Jesus. Souls! Focus your life on fishing for souls. Join God in His redemptive activity by bringing others into a saving relationship with Jesus. Share your personal salvation story (I Pet. 3:15-16) and invite others to become followers of Jesus Christ. Focus your life on souls! Eternity is at stake! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship Jesus Spiritual Maturity

Developing Spiritual Muscles

“And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’” Mark 1:17 (ESV) Jesus invites us into a relationship that is progressive. We move from just believing that Jesus is God’s Son and the Savior of the world to following Him as Lord. We follow Jesus in order to do what He did. Our belief determines where we will spend eternity. Our behavior determines the level of spiritual maturity we attain before going to heaven. Think about the spiritual environments you are in on a daily and weekly basis. The greenhouse for spiritual maturity is found in private devotion and small group connection. You grow spiritually as you engage in daily communion with the Lord through a daily quiet time. Reading God’s Word, meditating on God’s Word, praying, listening to God’s voice, journaling, and obeying God’s directives form a greenhouse for maturation. Are you making room for unhurried time alone with God? Are you guarding your daily intimacy with God? A healthy relationship with God and with other believers will produce growth. Are you in a small group with other believers? Are you doing life with a small group of followers of Christ? That small group is made up of vital members of your spiritual family who impact your spiritual development. The environment of small group interaction allows you the opportunity to love and be loved, to know and to be known, to care and to be cared for. Jesus modeled the value of having a small group as He did life with His disciples. What condition is your greenhouse in? Are you connecting with God daily through private devotion? Are you connecting with a small group of believers weekly in order to inspire and to experience life transformation? Nurture your relationship with Jesus and your relationships with other believers for the glory of God. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship God's Word Spiritual Maturity

Spiritual Food

“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food.” Hebrews 5:11-12 (ESV) How long have you been a child of God? When did you have your conversion experience? Recount the moment you turned from your sin and confessed Jesus as Lord of your life. Now take a look at your life now compared to then. How much have you grown spiritually since the day of your salvation? What has changed over the years related to your spiritual maturity? As you grow spiritually, you develop an appetite for the meat of God’s Word. You move from the elementary truths of God’s Word to the deeper things of God. There is a clear process of movement from milk to meat. If you have been a follower of Christ for several years, then your appetite ought to give evidence to the level of your spiritual maturity. If you are slow to learn, then it is time to examine your level of teachability. When you are teachable, you receive, believe, and apply God’s Word. Your teachability enables you to experience progress in your spiritual journey. Feeding on God’s Word becomes a delight instead of a duty. What is your level of spiritual maturity? What is keeping you from reaching your God-given potential? God has designed you for physical and spiritual growth. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Christ Discipleship Paul

Being Crucified with Christ

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15 (NIV) Sometimes your greatest obstacle is you. Paul gave us insight into the civil war within him. Though a seasoned believer and a mature follower of Jesus Christ, Paul wrestled with his old sin patterns. His flesh kept calling him back to the old ways. He experienced the gravitational pull of the flesh. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel had witnessed the mighty acts of God. Think about it. They participated in the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground. They ate manna from Heaven and drank water from the rock. Their shoes did not wear out after forty years of wandering in the wilderness. The opportunity to enter the Land of Promise, the land flowing with milk and honey, was right before them. Yet, they were unwilling to embrace God’s abundant life for them. They wanted to go back to Egypt where they were slaves. “And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’” Num. 14:4 (ESV) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20 (ESV) Paul demonstrated the discipline of being crucified with Christ. When your flesh wants to go back to the bondage of Egypt and fulfill the cravings of your sin nature, choose to crucify the flesh. Remember, whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Starve the flesh! Feed your love relationship with God! Nourish the life of Christ in you! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship Example Influence

Being Imitated by Others

“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,” 1 Thessalonians 1:6 (ESV) Paul, Silas, and Timothy modeled Christ before the new believers in Thessalonica to the extent that they were motivated to imitate them. The new believers imitated Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the Lord. If people imitated you, would they be imitating the Lord? Are you living in such close communion with Jesus and doing what He did, that others would notice that you are imitating Christ? As you bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, you become their spiritual parent. They look to you to see what the Christian life is supposed to look like. They imitate you as you imitate Christ. What kind of example are you portraying for others to follow? As followers of Christ, we are to live the Gospel missionally by presenting living proof of a loving God to a watching world. God wants us to be an irresistible influence for His glory. Will others come to know Christ as a result of our love relationship with Him? Does our conversation and conduct demonstrate a consistent loyalty and devotion to Christ? Be fully yielded and fully surrendered to the Lordship of Christ and allow Him to live His life through you to touch lost souls. May others welcome the message of Christ into their lives as you faithfully sow the seed of the Gospel. Imitate Christ by loving people and showing them how they can have heaven and eternal life. If others are imitating you, will they become fully devoted followers of Christ? Will their daily walk with God be infused with passion and enthusiasm? Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Christ Discipleship Surrender

Crucified with 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.” Galatians 2:20 (NIV) You cannot live the Christian life. Keep trying! Keep seeking to measure up to God’s standard of perfection! You will always miss the mark and fall short of the standard established by God. Even on your best day, your righteousness will not be sufficient to gain entrance into heaven where God allows no sin. Paul identified his spiritual union with Christ. Though Paul did not experience the physical crucifixion with Christ, he did experience the benefits of the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Instead of Paul seeking to live the Christian life in his own strength, he lived by faith in the Son of God. Paul became a vessel through which Jesus could live His life through him. The life God had for Paul included full surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Have you come into union with Christ? Have you been crucified with Christ, died to self, and allowed Christ to live His life through you? The life you now live in your earthly body is to be lived by faith in the Son of God. Jesus loves you and gave His life for you. Jesus died in your place so that you could live in His place. You have been given a heavenly mission from God to allow Jesus to manifest His life in you and through you to a watching world. Become a fully devoted follower of Christ. Yield to His Lordship and to His leadership in your life. Submit to His authority and unleash His power. Living by faith in the Son of God releases God’s power. Christ is in you and He is the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). 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.” 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
Discipleship Learner Spiritual Growth

Equipped and Growing

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV) Where do you fit in this picture? God has placed equippers in your life to help you develop into a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. God has placed a systematic process within the local church to promote spiritual maturity. Are you an intentional part of the process? Take a close look at your level of participation in the life of the local church family. Are you being built up? Are you reaching unity in the faith and in the knowledge of Jesus and becoming mature? Are you attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ? What is your level of teachability? Your spiritual maturity will be proportionate to your teachability. Are you teachable as you listen to your pastor’s message? Are you teachable as you sit under the teaching of a godly small group leader? Are you teachable as you spend time alone with God in prayer and Bible reading? Make the most of the opportunities God has given you to grow spiritually. Maximize the moments you sit under anointed teaching from God’s Word. Move from hearing and reading God’s Word to applying God’s Word in daily living. Live out what God is depositing in you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Christ Discipleship Surrender

Crucified with 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) You cannot live the Christian life. Keep trying! Keep seeking to measure up to God’s standard of perfection! You will always miss the mark and fall short of the standard established by God. Even on your best day, your righteousness will not be sufficient to gain entrance into heaven where God allows no sin. Paul identified his spiritual union with Christ. Though Paul did not experience the physical crucifixion with Christ, he did experience the benefits of the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Instead of Paul seeking to live the Christian life in his own strength, he lived by faith in the Son of God. Paul became a vessel through which Jesus could live His life through him. The life God had for Paul included full surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Have you come into union with Christ? Have you been crucified with Christ, died to self, and allowed Christ to live His life through you? The life you now live in your earthly body is to be lived by faith in the Son of God. Jesus loves you and gave His life for you. Jesus died in your place so that you could live in His place. You have been given a heavenly mission from God to allow Jesus to manifest His life in you and through you to a watching world. Become a fully devoted follower of Christ. Yield to His Lordship and to His leadership in your life. Submit to His authority and unleash His power. Living by faith in the Son of God releases God’s power. Christ is in you and He is the hope of glory (Col 1:27). 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
Discipleship Learner Spiritual Growth

Equipped and Growing

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:11-13 (NIV) Where do you fit in this picture? God has placed equippers in your life to help you develop into a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. God has placed a systematic process within the local church to promote spiritual maturity. Are you an intentional part of the process? Take a close look at your level of participation in the life of the local church family. Are you being built up? Are you reaching unity in the faith and in the knowledge of Jesus and becoming mature? Are you attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ? What is your level of teachability? Your spiritual maturity will be proportionate to your teachability. Are you teachable as you listen to your pastor’s message? Are you teachable as you sit under the teaching of a godly small group leader? Are you teachable as you spend time alone with God in prayer and Bible reading? Make the most of the opportunities God has given you to grow spiritually. Maximize the moments you sit under anointed teaching from God’s Word. Move from hearing and reading God’s Word to applying God’s Word in daily living. Live out what God is depositing in you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship Evangelism Obedience

Tag! You’re It!

“He appointed twelve–designating them apostles–that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” Mark 3:14 (NIV) Can you imagine the honor of being chosen by Jesus to serve as one of His twelve apostles? You would have a starting position on the varsity team that Jesus coached. You would have access to His life behind the scenes in the locker room and on the practice field. You would want to spend all your time in His shadow and under His personal touch ministry. To be like Him, you would want to watch His every move and to capture every word He articulated. It would be so refreshing to be that connected to the Son of God. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have that kind of connection with the Son of God. At the moment of your conversion experience, you were adopted into God’s family and placed on the winning team. You have the privilege of drawing near to the Lord and learning how to enjoy His presence. God did not save you so that you could stay in the huddle. God rescued you from eternal damnation and placed you into His forever family and filled you with His Holy Spirit so that you could continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. You have been chosen by God to be sent out to portray His love and to proclaim the saving news of Jesus. You have been armed with the cure to the cancer of sin. Every single person who places their faith in Jesus alone for salvation will be saved and adopted into the family of God. You are chosen by God to build that relational bridge to those who are lost. Tag! You’re it! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship Jesus Soulwinning

Fishing and Following

“Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’” Luke 5:10 (NIV) If you’re not fishing, you’re not following. Following Christ will result in faithfully and intentionally fishing for souls. When you follow your Rabbi, Jesus, you go where He goes and you do what He does. Jesus alleviated Simon’s fear by clarifying his life-focus. Instead of fishing for fish, Simon was being invited to a life of fishing for souls. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” Prov 11:30 (NIV) “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Philem 1:6 (NIV) “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear–hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” Jude 1:22-23 (NIV) Focus your life on that which is closest to the heart of Jesus. Souls! Focus your life on fishing for souls. Join God in His redemptive activity by bringing others into a saving relationship with Jesus. Share your personal salvation story (I Pt. 3:15-16) and invite others to become followers of Jesus Christ. Focus your life on souls! Eternity is at stake! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship Jesus Spiritual Maturity

Developing Spiritual Muscles

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’” Mark 1:17 (NIV) Jesus invites us into a relationship that is progressive. We move from just believing that Jesus is God’s Son and the Savior of the world to following Him as Lord. We follow Jesus in order to do what He did. Our belief determines where we will spend eternity. Our behavior determines the level of spiritual maturity we attain before going to heaven. Think about the spiritual environments you are in on a daily and weekly basis. The greenhouse for spiritual maturity is found in private devotion and small group connection. You grow spiritually as you engage in daily communion with the Lord through a daily quiet time. Reading God’s Word, meditating on God’s Word, praying, listening to God’s voice, journaling, and obeying God’s directives form a greenhouse for maturation. Are you making room for unhurried time alone with God? Are you guarding your daily intimacy with God? A healthy relationship with God and with other believers will produce growth. Are you in a small group with other believers? Are you doing life with a small group of followers of Christ? That small group is made up of vital members of your spiritual family who impact your spiritual development. The environment of small group interaction allows you the opportunity to love and be loved, to know and to be known, to care and to be cared for. Jesus modeled the value of having a small group as He did life with His disciples. What condition is your greenhouse in? Are you connecting with God daily through private devotion? Are you connecting with a small group of believers weekly in order to inspire and to experience life transformation? Nurture your relationship with Jesus and your relationships with other believers for the glory of God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship God's Word Spiritual Maturity

Spiritual Food

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” Heb 5:11-12 (NIV) How long have you been a child of God? When did you have your conversion experience? Recount the moment you turned from your sin and confessed Jesus as Lord of your life. Now take a look at your life now compared to then. How much have you grown spiritually since the day of your salvation? What has changed over the years related to your spiritual maturity? As you grow spiritually, you develop an appetite for the meat of God’s Word. You move from the elementary truths of God’s Word to the deeper things of God. There is a clear process of movement from milk to meat. If you have been a follower of Christ for several years, then your appetite ought to give evidence to the level of your spiritual maturity. If you are slow to learn, then it is time to examine your level of teachability. When you are teachable, you receive, believe, and apply God’s Word. Your teachability enables you to experience progress in your spiritual journey. Feeding on God’s Word becomes a delight instead of a duty. What is your level of spiritual maturity? What is keeping you from reaching your God-given potential? God has designed you for physical and spiritual growth. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Christ Discipleship Paul

Being Crucified with Christ

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15 (NIV) Sometimes your greatest obstacle is you. Paul gave us insight into the civil war within him. Though a seasoned believer and a mature follower of Jesus Christ, Paul wrestled with his old sin patterns. His flesh kept calling him back to the old ways. He experienced the gravitational pull of the flesh. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel had witnessed the mighty acts of God. Think about it. They participated in the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground. They ate manna from Heaven and drank water from the rock. Their shoes did not wear out after forty years of wandering in the wilderness. The opportunity to enter the Land of Promise, the land flowing with milk and honey, was right before them. Yet, they were unwilling to embrace God’s abundant life for them. They wanted to go back to Egypt where they were slaves. “And they said to each other, ‘We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’” Num 14:4 (NIV) “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) Paul demonstrated the discipline of being crucified with Christ. When your flesh wants to go back to the bondage of Egypt and fulfill the cravings of your sin nature, choose to crucify the flesh. Remember, whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Starve the flesh! Feed your love relationship with God! Nourish the life of Christ in you! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship Example Influence

Being Imitated by Others

“You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thess 1:6 (NIV) Paul, Silas, and Timothy modeled Christ before the new believers in Thessalonica to the extent that they were motivated to imitate them. The new believers imitated Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the Lord. If people imitated you, would they be imitating the Lord? Are you living in such close communion with Jesus and doing what He did, that others would notice that you are imitating Christ? As you bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, you become their spiritual parent. They look to you to see what the Christian life is supposed to look like. They imitate you as you imitate Christ. What kind of example are you portraying for others to follow? As followers of Christ, we are to live the Gospel missionally by presenting living proof of a loving God to a watching world. God wants us to be an irresistible influence for His glory. Will others come to know Christ as a result of our love relationship with Him? Does our conversation and conduct demonstrate a consistent loyalty and devotion to Christ? Be fully yielded and fully surrendered to the Lordship of Christ and allow Him to live His life through you to touch lost souls. May others welcome the message of Christ into their lives as you faithfully sow the seed of the Gospel. Imitate Christ by loving people and showing them how they can have heaven and eternal life. If others are imitating you, will they become fully devoted followers of Christ? Will their daily walk with God be infused with passion and enthusiasm? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discipleship Discipline Jesus

The Power of Daily

“Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” Luke 9:23 (NIV) Every day is a new beginning. Each day provides you with new opportunities to experience God’s presence and to join Him in His activity. The new day is a launching pad for your daily decision to fully surrender to the Lordship of Christ. To live in moment-by-moment union with Christ demands a daily decision to deny self, take up His cross, and to follow Him. To be a follower of Jesus is more than just believing that Jesus died and rose again. Following Jesus is a daily experience of walking in His steps and doing what Jesus did. Being a follower of Jesus Christ is a conscious decision to know Him personally and intimately. Your love relationship with Christ is to be vibrant and growing. What needs to change in your daily routine in order to grow in your walk with Christ? As John Maxwell wrote, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” The power of daily is evidenced by your devotion to make decisions that will benefit your relationship with Christ. What adjustments do you need to make in order to become more like Christ? Is your life Christ-centered or self-focused? Are you choosing to follow the way of Jesus or drifting into the current of the world? What do you need to stop doing? What do you need to start doing? Each day matters and each decision you make will enhance or inhibit your walk with Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Categories
Discipleship Eternity Obedience Relationships

Intentional Relationships

“After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:27-28 (NIV) Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were despised. Levi was a Jew who collected taxes for the Roman government. In order to increase his personal income, Levi required more from his countrymen than the government demanded. Levi’s fellow Jews despised him and deemed him as a traitor. Jesus calls the least likely candidates to join His team. Levi was chosen by Jesus and willingly left everything to follow Jesus. Levi was willing to leave his career and forfeit his income in order to be on mission with Jesus. Following Jesus involved trusting Jesus with his life and his future. There’s not a person on earth Jesus can’t use. There’s not a person alive that Jesus cannot transform. Jesus calls us to Himself in salvation and transforms us for His service. Jesus factors in our past and our sin when He saves us and sets us apart for His mission of seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10). Is there anyone in your sphere of influence who reminds you of Levi? Do you know of someone whom you would consider despised and unfit for the kingdom of God? God has created that person for a divine purpose. Will you allow God to use you to bring that person into an abiding relationship with Jesus? You can build intentional relationships with people so that the salvation story can be shared and received. The people you think are unreachable are actually prime candidates for the personal experience of receiving the gift of eternal life. There’s no one beyond the reach of God’s grace. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Categories
Choices Day by Day Decisions Devotion Discipleship

Life on the Narrow Road (2)

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Col 2:6-7 (NIV) Continue to live in Christ. Your daily decisions determine what you become. If you want to become a fully devoted follower of Christ, then you must make daily decisions that will produce that reality. If you want to be physically fit, then you must make daily decisions that will produce that reality. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” I Tim 4:8 (NIV) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Matt 16:24 (NIV) A decision to follow Jesus daily as Lord requires discipline and devotion. Becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ demands a daily death, a daily denial, and a daily determination. The daily decision to continue in the life of full surrender to Jesus reaps immediate and eternal benefits. Your passion should be to be conformed to the image of Christ. Whatever is in your life that does not reflect Christ has no right occupying space in your life. Your daily decisions include deciding what you are going to give your allegiance to and what you are not going to give your allegiance to. Deciding to continue to live in Christ means to give Him first place in your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor