Equipped – Stephen Trammell

Equipped for 2012

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Heb 13:20-21 (ESV) Stepping into 2012 ushers in a fresh start. You have a clean canvas upon which God can paint His portrait of grace through you to touch the world He has placed you in. Before moving forward with passion and clarity, take a moment to look back at 2011 to thank God for His faithfulness. Identify the God-moments that brought your love relationship with the Lord to a new level. Consider the obstacles God enabled you to overcome and the time-sensitive decisions God empowered you to make. You are now positioned to do God’s will in 2012. In Christ, God has equipped you with everything good so that you may do His will. God invites you into the next chapter of His story so that you can make an eternal difference for His glory. Your life is valuable to God. He redeemed you so that He can continue to work in you so that He can work through you to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. Your life has eternal implications! Will you surrender every area of your life to the Lordship of Christ and allow Him to have His way in your life this year? Is there any harmful habits or hurtful actions from 2011 that need to be placed beneath the shed blood of Jesus? Don’t allow anything from last year to pollute the activity of God in you and through you this year. Maximize this new beginning! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Gifted To Serve (5)

“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) You are in the process of becoming. God is building you, growing you, developing you, and equipping you. God is placing people in your path to help you in the maturation process. Have you positioned yourself in an environment where you consistently sit under the preaching and teaching of a godly pastor-teacher? Are you currently being equipped for service? It is important that you shadow a godly man or woman who faithfully exercises his or her spiritual gifts. Observe their lifestyle and take note of how they walk with God and how they serve to benefit others. You may want to consider taking a spiritual gift inventory in order to discover the spiritual gifts God has given you. A vital component to being equipped is that of participating in ministry opportunities that enable you to develop the spiritual gifts you have discovered. God’s desire is for you to be built up within the body of Christ and to reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. Are you becoming mature? Are you attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ? You are gifted to serve! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor