Category: Disobedience

Categories
Disobedience Jonah Running

Running from God

“But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah 1:3 (ESV) Our natural proclivity is to do life our own way. We value independence and we like to make decisions that benefit us personally. Often we bypass God’s way and face the natural consequences of our selfishness. Instead of running to God, Jonah sought to run from God in order to avoid obeying God’s will. God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. Jonah refused to embrace God’s way and chose to go the opposite direction. Running from God generates consequences that affect innocent people. Jonah’s disobedience put the sailors on the ship at risk. Their journey was interrupted by the consequences inflicted upon Jonah. Jonah’s rebellion against God eroded his peace and stifled his fellowship with God. When you choose to run from God, your relationship with God will be negatively impacted. You cannot enjoy peace with God and unbroken fellowship with God while running from God. Satan will provide the transportation for disobedience. The enemy gladly accommodates your decision to run from God. You are created by God not to be robotic, but to be relational. Thus, you have the freedom to obey God or the freedom to disobey God. You can choose to submit to His will or refuse to obey Him. God will let you go your own way. However, God will pursue you with His redeeming love. Decide today to follow God’s will. Surrender your life completely to the Lord and keep your “yes” on the altar. God’s way is always the best option! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

Categories
Disobedience Moses Numbers

God’s Way

“Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.’” Numbers 20:6-8 (ESV) God’s way is always the best way. When you are contemplating a direction you should take or a decision you should make, remember that God has a specific plan for you. God’s will is to be done God’s way. Moses and Aaron learned a painful lesson about doing God’s work God’s way. Instead of speaking to the rock to provide water for the people of Israel, Moses struck the rock with his staff twice. Water came out abundantly and the congregation and the livestock drank. Everything appeared to go as planned until God spoke. “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them’” (Num 20:12 ESV). Disobedience brings discipline. “Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Heb 12:9-10 ESV). God’s way is always the best way. God blesses obedience. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

Categories
Confession Disobedience Judges

Continual Realities

“And the Lord said to the people of Israel, ‘Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.‘” Judges 10:11-14 (ESV) God delivered some strong words to the people of Israel after their willful disobedience in spite of God’s perpetual gracious treatment. God rescued them and delivered them from their oppressors. They still chose to forsake God and served other gods. As a result of their incessant rebellion, God told the people of Israel to go and cry out to the gods whom they had chosen. God encouraged them to let their gods save them in their time of distress. Of course, their gods would not respond. The propensity to sin is a common thread throughout human history. Living in a fallen world and combating the sinful nature are continual realities. To live in victory requires forsaking sin and following Christ. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Romans 13:14 (ESV) “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) Your flesh craves sin. Crucify the flesh by starving the flesh. Be robed in the righteousness of Christ and walk in the power of His resurrection. Make no provision for the flesh. Flee sinful allurements and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

Categories
Disobedience Joshua Judges

Drifting from God

“And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.” Judges 3:7 (ESV) How quick they were to forget the Lord their God after all He had done to deliver them from Egyptian bondage! Sound familiar? The generation following Joshua’s death was marked by disobedience. They drifted from the Lord. “And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10 (ESV) “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1 (ESV) We are made to worship. We will worship something or someone. Idolatry seeps in when devotion to the Lord shifts. An idol is anything that dilutes our passion for God or diverts our affection from God. Drifting from God is a perpetual reality for the child of God who neglects practicing instant obedience. We are to pay close attention to what we have received from the Lord and adhere to the principles of God’s Word so that we can walk in alignment with God’s purpose and plan. Jesus left the glory of heaven to come earth in order to provide the atoning sacrifice for our sin. Jesus was obedient to death on a cross. His passion was to fulfill God’s will and to finish His work. The story of redemption is marked by the instant obedience that Jesus practiced throughout His life and ministry on earth. Instead of drifting from God, decide to yield to the Lordship of Christ and be a fully devoted follower of Christ. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

Categories
Disobedience Moses Numbers

God’s Way

“Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.’” Numbers 20:6-8 (ESV) God’s way is always the best way. When you are contemplating a direction you should take or a decision you should make, remember that God has a specific plan for you. God’s will is to be done God’s way. Moses and Aaron learned a painful lesson about doing God’s work God’s way. Instead of speaking to the rock to provide water for the people of Israel, Moses struck the rock with his staff twice. Water came out abundantly and the congregation and the livestock drank. Everything appeared to go as planned until God spoke. “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them’” (Num 20:12 ESV). Disobedience brings discipline. “Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Heb 12:9-10 ESV). God’s way is always the best way. God blesses obedience. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

Categories
Disobedience Jonah Running

Running from God

“But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah 1:3 (ESV) Our natural proclivity is to do life our own way. We value independence and we like to make decisions that benefit us personally. Often we bypass God’s way and face the natural consequences of our selfishness. Instead of running to God, Jonah sought to run from God in order to avoid obeying God’s will. God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. Jonah refused to embrace God’s way and chose to go the opposite direction. Running from God generates consequences that affect innocent people. Jonah’s disobedience put the sailors on the ship at risk. Their journey was interrupted by the consequences inflicted upon Jonah. Jonah’s rebellion against God eroded his peace and stifled his fellowship with God. When you choose to run from God, your relationship with God will be negatively impacted. You cannot enjoy peace with God and unbroken fellowship with God while running from God. Satan will provide the transportation for disobedience. The enemy gladly accommodates your decision to run from God. You are created by God not to be robotic, but to be relational. Thus, you have the freedom to obey God or the freedom to disobey God. You can choose to submit to His will or refuse to obey Him. God will let you go your own way. However, God will pursue you with His redeeming love. Decide today to follow God’s will. Surrender your life completely to the Lord and keep your “yes” on the altar. God’s way is always the best option! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Disobedience Favoritism Purity

Favoritism and Sin

“But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” James 2:9-11 (ESV) Have you ever heard of the domino effect? If you accidentally tip one domino, it triggers an effect that ultimately impacts every other domino. Tip toeing through life in a fallen world is very similar to the domino effect. It doesn’t take much to sin. One impure thought is sin. Failing to do what God wants you do is sin. Doing what God does not want you to do is sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23 (ESV) “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 (ESV) Our sin nature causes a chain reaction. The more we sin the more our sin nature craves sin. Whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Crucify the flesh! Make no provision for sin! Favoritism is a sin that we can succumb to subtly. It can sneak up on us. We can drift from having God’s perspective and then fail to see others through His eyes. Let’s commit to stay sensitive to the presence of sin. Sometimes favoritism is not as tangible in our own lives. We may not even realize that we are showing favoritism. Let’s ask God to help us detect even a fraction of favoritism resident in our lives. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Disobedience Jonah Running

Running from God

“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 (NIV) Our natural proclivity is to do life our own way. We value independence and we like to make decisions that benefit us personally. Often we bypass God’s way and face the natural consequences of our selfishness. Instead of running to God, Jonah sought to run from God in order to avoid obeying God’s will. God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. Jonah refused to embrace God’s way and chose to go the opposite direction. Running from God generates consequences that affect innocent people. Jonah’s disobedience put the sailors on the ship at risk. Their journey was interrupted by the consequences inflicted upon Jonah. Jonah’s rebellion against God eroded his peace and stifled his fellowship with God. When you choose to run from God, your relationship with God will be negatively impacted. You cannot enjoy peace with God and unbroken fellowship with God while running from God. Satan will provide the transportation for disobedience. The enemy gladly accommodates your decision to run from God. You are created by God not to be robotic, but to be relational. Thus, you have the freedom to obey God or the freedom to disobey God. You can choose to submit to His will or refuse to obey Him. God will let you go your own way. However, God will pursue you with His redeeming love. Decide today to follow God’s will. Surrender your life completely to the Lord and keep your “yes” on the altar. God’s way is always the best option! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Confession Disobedience Judges

Continual Realities

“And the Lord said to the people of Israel, ‘Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.‘” Judges 10:11-14 (ESV) God delivered some strong words to the people of Israel after their willful disobedience in spite of God’s perpetual gracious treatment. God rescued them and delivered them from their oppressors. They still chose to forsake God and served other gods. As a result of their incessant rebellion, God told the people of Israel to go and cry out to the gods whom they had chosen. God encouraged them to let their gods save them in their time of distress. Of course, their gods would not respond. The propensity to sin is a common thread throughout human history. Living in a fallen world and combating the sinful nature are continual realities. To live in victory requires forsaking sin and following Christ. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Romans 13:14 (ESV) “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) Your flesh craves sin. Crucify the flesh by starving the flesh. Be robed in the righteousness of Christ and walk in the power of His resurrection. Make no provision for the flesh. Flee sinful allurements and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 93:  Judges 10-12) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Disobedience Joshua Judges

Drifting from God

“And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.” Judges 3:7 (ESV) How quick they were to forget the Lord their God after all He had done to deliver them from Egyptian bondage! Sound familiar? The generation following Joshua’s death was marked by disobedience. They drifted from the Lord. “And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10 (ESV) “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1 (ESV) We are made to worship. We will worship something or someone. Idolatry seeps in when devotion to the Lord shifts. An idol is anything that dilutes our passion for God or diverts our affection from God. Drifting from God is a perpetual reality for the child of God who neglects practicing instant obedience. We are to pay close attention to what we have received from the Lord and adhere to the principles of God’s Word so that we can walk in alignment with God’s purpose and plan. Jesus left the glory of heaven to come earth in order to provide the atoning sacrifice for our sin. Jesus was obedient to death on a cross. His passion was to fulfill God’s will and to finish His work. The story of redemption is marked by the instant obedience that Jesus practiced throughout His life and ministry on earth. Instead of drifting from God, decide to yield to the Lordship of Christ and be a fully devoted follower of Christ. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 90:  Judges 3-5) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Disobedience Moses Numbers

God’s Way

“Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8  ‘Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.’” Numbers 20:6-8 (ESV) God’s way is always the best way. When you are contemplating a direction you should take or a decision you should make, remember that God has a specific plan for you. God’s will is to be done God’s way. Moses and Aaron learned a painful lesson about doing God’s work God’s way. Instead of speaking to the rock to provide water for the people of Israel, Moses struck the rock with his staff twice. Water came out abundantly and the congregation and the livestock drank. Everything appeared to go as planned until God spoke. “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them’” (Num 20:12 ESV). Disobedience brings discipline. “Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Heb 12:9-10 ESV). God’s way is always the best way. God blesses obedience. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 62:  Numbers 18-20) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Disobedience Jonah Running

Running from God

“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 (NIV) Our natural proclivity is to do life our own way. We value independence and we like to make decisions that benefit us personally. Often we bypass God’s way and face the natural consequences of our selfishness. Instead of running to God, Jonah sought to run from God in order to avoid obeying God’s will. God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. Jonah refused to embrace God’s way and chose to go the opposite direction. Running from God generates consequences that affect innocent people. Jonah’s disobedience put the sailors on the ship at risk. Their journey was interrupted by the consequences inflicted upon Jonah. Jonah’s rebellion against God eroded his peace and stifled his fellowship with God. When you choose to run from God, your relationship with God will be negatively impacted. You cannot enjoy peace with God and unbroken fellowship with God while running from God. Satan will provide the transportation for disobedience. The enemy gladly accommodates your decision to run from God. You are created by God not to be robotic, but to be relational. Thus, you have the freedom to obey God or the freedom to disobey God. You can choose to submit to His will or refuse to obey Him. God will let you go your own way. However, God will pursue you with His redeeming love. Decide today to follow God’s will. Surrender your life completely to the Lord and keep your “yes” on the altar. God’s way is always the best option! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Disobedience Jonah Running

Running from God

“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 (NIV) Our natural proclivity is to do life our own way. We value independence and we like to make decisions that benefit us personally. Often we bypass God’s way and face the natural consequences of our selfishness. Instead of running to God, Jonah sought to run from God in order to avoid obeying God’s will. God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. Jonah refused to embrace God’s way and chose to go the opposite direction. Running from God generates consequences that affect innocent people. Jonah’s disobedience put the sailors on the ship at risk. Their journey was interrupted by the consequences inflicted upon Jonah. Jonah’s rebellion against God eroded his peace and stifled his fellowship with God. When you choose to run from God, your relationship with God will be negatively impacted. You cannot enjoy peace with God and unbroken fellowship with God while running from God. Satan will provide the transportation for disobedience. The enemy gladly accommodates your decision to run from God. You are created by God not to be robotic, but to be relational. Thus, you have the freedom to obey God or the freedom to disobey God. You can choose to submit to His will or refuse to obey Him. God will let you go your own way. However, God will pursue you with His redeeming love. Decide today to follow God’s will. Surrender your life completely to the Lord and keep your “yes” on the altar. God’s way is always the best option! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Disobedience Favoritism Purity

Favoritism and Sin

“But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” James 2:9-11 (NIV) Have you ever heard of the domino effect? If you accidentally tip one domino, it triggers an effect that ultimately impacts every other domino. Tip toeing through life in a fallen world is very similar to the domino effect. It doesn’t take much to sin. One impure thought is sin. Failing to do what God wants you do is sin. Doing what God does not want you to do is sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NIV) “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 (NIV) Our sin nature causes a chain reaction. The more we sin the more our sin nature craves sin. Whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Crucify the flesh! Make no provision for sin! Favoritism is a sin that we can succumb to subtly. It can sneak up on us. We can drift from having God’s perspective and then fail to see others through His eyes. Let’s commit to stay sensitive to the presence of sin. Sometimes favoritism is not as tangible in our own lives. We may not even realize that we are showing favoritism. Let’s ask God to help us detect even a fraction of favoritism resident in our lives. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell