Category: Family

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Family Mission Statement

Family Mission Statement

“‘Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.’” John 4:34 (ESV) Jesus focused His life on God’s agenda. He didn’t allow anyone or anything to distract Him from living a life pleasing to God and a life faithful to God’s work. We should employ no less focus on the family business God has blessed us with. Does your family have a mission statement? Use the following content as a guide to formulate a family mission statement. Family Mission Statement We The _________________ Family Hereby Declare That We exist as a family to please God and to bring glory, honor, and praise to His name. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17-4:1; Joshua 24:15) We exist as a family to love each other unconditionally in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. (Isaiah 32:18; Ephesians 4:29-5:2; Colossians 3:12-17; Philippians 2:1-11) We exist as a family to learn, live and model Christian values and a biblical worldview. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 5:13-16; Acts 1:8) Signed By ________________________________ On The Day Of _________________________ Personalize this family mission statement to fit your family. Seek input from your family members so that they can be part of the process. Enjoy the fruit of your strategic thinking. Ask God to enable your family to focus on His agenda. Be a model for other families to follow for God’s glory! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Family Mission Statement

Exemplify

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 1 Cor. 11:1 (ESV) Your home should be a place to run to, not run from. God wants your home to be an oasis. Your home should be the safest place on earth to be yourself. Trust is essential. In fact, without trust there is no relationship. Without trust, your home will not be an oasis. Relationships are built on trust. Your love relationship with Jesus is in your response to your trusting in Jesus alone for salvation. God has entrusted you with the gospel message and spiritual gifts to serve others. God has demonstrated His trust in you which makes your unbroken fellowship with God possible. In order to be trusted by others, you must be trustworthy. To create an environment of trust within your home, the members of your family must be trustworthy. Living a life of integrity elevates the level of trust within your home. You can be the example for other family members to follow. If you want to be encouraged, spend a few moments thanking God for the family members who have modeled Christ before you. You may even consider sending them a note, a text, or an email expressing your gratitude for their example in your life. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Family Mission Statement

Extending Acceptance

“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:7 (ESV) What kind of home environment did you grow up in? Was your home a safe place where love was extended unconditionally and where acceptance was granted freely? Do you recall if your home was filled with an atmosphere of trust? We exist as a family to love each other unconditionally in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. What about now? What’s your home life like? Have you nurtured an atmosphere of acceptance? When you accept God’s acceptance of you, every relationship takes on a new dimension. Drawing from what God has done in your life, you will be able to extend acceptance of others. When you accept others, it does not mean that you condone their behavior or affirm inappropriate conduct. Rather, you are demonstrating that your acceptance of them is not based upon performance. Clothe yourself with the garment of God’s love and acceptance. Treat your family members the way God has so graciously treated you. God has already given us so much more than we deserve. God simply wants us to let His life flow through us to influence our home for His glory! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Family Mission Statement

Peaceful Habitation

“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Isaiah 32:18 (ESV) We exist as a family to love each other unconditionally in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. Now that statement is loaded with meaning and with life giving principles. Is your family characterized by love? Does your family consistently extend unconditional love? Love is the mark of a mature follower of Jesus Christ. If our home and family are going to bring honor to God, love must be the supreme demonstration. The unconditional love God has shown us in Christ is to be duplicated in our home. Love is also a fruit of the Spirit which is evidenced through our treatment of others. Seize opportunities within your home this week to demonstrate the unconditional love of God. Whenever you go through seasons of not wanting to love that way, just remember how God has lavished you with His unconditional love. God is not asking us to do anything He has not already done for us in Christ. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Family Mission Statement

Pleasing God

“So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9 (ESV) Have you ever wondered what the purpose of your family is? Have you discovered why you exist? God wants your family to maintain a vertical orientation. You exist to please God. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul reminded the church family that their goal was to please God. Are you a God pleaser? The enemy assaults the family. You have to fight for your family and you have to guard your passion to please God. You will have to combat the attempts the enemy makes to diffuse your focus on pleasing God. You have a choice to make. Joshua faced the onslaught of attacks which sought to erode the commitment to God embraced by the children of Israel. On behalf of his family, Joshua made the right choice. Will you lead the way for your family to please God? Will you make the bold commitment to serve the Lord? Let me encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus. Stay vertical! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Family Glory Mission Statement

Our Family Focus

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) What motivates you to live the Christian life? Do you live the Christian life to get others to think highly of you or to generate words of affirmation? No, you live the Christian life to bring glory to God. The same is true for your family business. Your family exists to bring glory to God. It gets personal when you begin to assess the reason for your family’s existence. Your family does not exist to accumulate wealth and parade personal acclaim. Instead, your family exists to operate in such a fashion as to bring glory to God during every season of family life. Think about your home. Does your home bring honor to God? Is your home life a testimony to God’s faithfulness and holiness? Maybe you are the only believer in your home or maybe your entire family has known the Lord. As a unit, would you say that your family brings glory to God? Examine your home life this week and take note of ways that your family honors God. If you identify areas of your life at home that dishonor God, confess those things to God and ask for His help in bringing everything under His care. Make the smile of God the goal of your home and family! Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Family Mission Statement

God’s Family Plan

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (ESV) God designed the family and God defines the family. The family business is God’s business. God created Adam and Eve in His image. God created them for His pleasure. He blessed them and commanded them to fill the earth and subdue it (Gen. 1:28). Their assignment was to love God, to love each other, and to be fruitful and increase in number. What comes to your mind when you think of the word, family? You may have warm feelings of special memories that where made in the context of a loving environment. Perhaps the concept of family for you may surface feelings that are less desirable due to neglect or fractured relationships. Think about your current reality. What does your current family scenario look like? God has a plan for you and for your family. His plan includes your need for loving relationships. God’s desire is that you know Him personally and then express His love within your family and to a lost world. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Family

God’s Family

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.“ Ephesians 3:14-15 (ESV) Family is God’s idea. God is pro-family. Regardless of your upbringing, whether you grew up in a stable Christian environment or a broken home, you can be adopted into God’s spiritual family. God’s family is known as the Body of Christ, the church. God’s desire is for you to believe in His Son, Jesus. Once you place your faith in the completed work of Jesus on the cross, you become part of God’s family. As you examine God’s global family, you will detect instantly that God loves variety. He specializes in using all kinds of people to reach all kinds of people. What kind of family member are you being within God’s family? Are you adding value to what God is doing? Have you discovered your God-given gift mix and are you serving through ministry of God’s local family, the church? There is so much more that God wants to do through you than you can imagine. Begin asking God to reveal to you the next step that He wants you to take. Once God reveals the next step, be willing to obey instantly. It just may be something that will cause you to totally and completely depend upon His provision. God always provides for those He guides. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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Assessment Family Home

Home Makeover

“‘For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?’” 2 Samuel 23:5 (ESV) These were the last words of King David. His life was decorated with a colorful past and a perpetual reaping of what he had sown. David was known as a man after God’s own heart. His question is worthy of our consideration. Is not your house right with God? Let’s think through that question in two layers. The first layer reminds us that your body is a house. In fact, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). Is your body right with God both spiritually and physically? Are you feeding your house spiritually? Are you walking with God and giving evidence to a growing relationship with Christ? Examine your life physically. Are you embracing a healthy lifestyle including proper diet and exercise? Let’s transition to the second layer of this question. Is not your house right with God? Think in terms of your family. How’s your marriage? How’s your parenting? Is your home a holy place where God is honored and where your family is encouraged to grow spiritually? Is your house in order spiritually? Getting your house right with God begins with your daily intimacy with Christ. Your private time alone with the Lord is the secret to getting your house right with God. In the solitude of daily intimacy with God, you will learn to hear His voice and respond to His prompting. When something in your life or in your family is out of order, the Holy Spirit will bring that to your attention specifically. Consecrate yourself before the Lord and allow Him to illuminate the areas of your life and your family that need adjusting. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Balance Family Order

Ordering Your Home Life

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) God established the home for our benefit and for His glory. God’s blueprint for the home includes order. God expects the husband and father to be the spiritual leader of the home. During my upbringing, my parents divorced and as a result, my mother became the spiritual leader of our home. The spiritual leader of the home is responsible to set the spiritual temperature for the home. Thus, the spiritual leader of the home is to be the spiritual thermostat for the home. When our children are elevated to the place of setting the environment for the home, something is out of order. When parenting becomes child-centered, in that everything centers around the wants and wishes of the child, something is out of order. Excessive extra-curricular activities for our children can become space invaders. When our lives and our schedules resemble a perpetual rat race, then something is out of order. We can overload and overwhelm our home by being overextended and over-committed to too many activities. Instead of pushing your children to be involved in a myriad of activities, consider having them choose one or two. Would that simplify your family life? Would your schedule have more space or margin to do life? Who is making the tough choices in your home to keep your family in alignment with God’s economy? Who is guarding the priorities and the order ordained by God for your home? The decisions you make to create space for doing life together as a family will serve as a tangible model for your children to emulate when they become parents one day. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family Jethro Margin

Uncovering Your Current Reality

“Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.’” Exodus 18:17-18 (ESV) You are structured for the results you are getting. How’s life? Are you stressed out? Are you overextended, over-scheduled, or overwhelmed? Are you getting enough rest at night? Are you still tired the next day? Do you feel that you have too many plates spinning? As you assess your current reality, what is God showing you about your life? The truth is that you are simply getting the results that your life is currently structured for. The way you have chosen to live and the way you have chosen to allocate your time has determined your current reality. Moses slipped right into a harmful lifestyle because his life was structured for results he was getting. The way he was doing life and the way he was fulfilling his role as leader of the nation of Israel produced the results he was getting. Jethro was willing to get involved! Moses was willing to allow Jethro into his life at a proximity for objectivity. Moses was also willing to allow Jethro to speak into his life. Jethro spoke these words to Moses with clarity, “What you are doing is not good.” Let’s begin there. As you take a close look at your life, what do you sense a “Jethro” in your life would say about your current reality? Would that person acknowledge that what you are doing is not good? Be still before the Lord for a few moments and ask God to help you uncover your current reality. You may even want to ask God to show you a Jethro that you can invite into close proximity to express objectively concerning your current reality. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family Forgiveness Joseph

The Encore of Forgiveness

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’” Genesis 50:15 (NIV) Forgiveness is tested by memory. Only God has the capacity to forgive and forget. We have the capacity to forgive, but we struggle with forgetting what happened to us. Inevitably, something will trigger the memory of the pain of our past. Remember, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and Joseph experienced quite a ride before becoming second in command in Egypt. Joseph had revealed himself to his brothers. He had forgiven them in private before God, then he went public with his forgiveness and even provided for the needs of his family. Their father, Jacob, dies and it triggers the pain of the past. Joseph has already forgiven his brothers for their mistreatment, but they now fear retribution as a result of Jacob’s death. Forgiveness has an Encore. After you have forgiven the one who offended you, wounded you, neglected you, or betrayed you, something may come along and trigger the memory of the pain in your past. Though you do not have the capacity to forgive and forget, by the grace of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit, though you remember, you can choose to forgive. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Gen. 50:20 (NIV) “‘So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” Gen. 50:21 (NIV) Joseph demonstrated a depth of spiritual maturity and embraced God’s perspective on his current reality. Instead of billowing in bitterness, Joseph addressed the encore of forgiveness by reassuring his brothers and being gracious to their children. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Acceptance Christ Family

Family and Acceptance

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV) What kind of home environment did you grow up in? Was your home a safe place where love was extended unconditionally and where acceptance was granted freely? Do you recall if your home was filled with an atmosphere of trust? We exist as a family to love each other unconditionally in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. What about now? What’s your home life like? Have you nurtured an atmosphere of acceptance? When you accept God’s acceptance of you, every relationship takes on a new dimension. Drawing from what God has done in your life, you will be able to extend acceptance of others. When you accept others, it does not mean that you condone their behavior or affirm inappropriate conduct. Rather, you are demonstrating that your acceptance of them is not based upon performance. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Col 3:12-14 (NIV) Clothe yourself with the garment of God’s love and acceptance. Treat your family members the way God has so graciously treated you. God has already given us so much more than we deserve. God simply wants us to let His life flow through us to influence our home for His glory! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family Forgiveness Pain

The Process of Forgiveness

“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.” Genesis 39:1 (NIV) How do you reverse the curse? How do you bring healing to the family after the virus of unforgiveness has infected your family? It is vital that you recognize the process of forgiveness. The process begins with pain. You identify the pain related to the offense. Someone may have hurt you, neglected you, or offended you. Those closest to us can often wound us the most. At some point in the process, the pain of unforgiveness becomes greater than the pain of the original offense. God will not allow unforgiveness to reside in you without pain. Harboring unforgiveness does not align with God’s will. In the process of forgiveness, you will experience dual pain: the pain of the offense and the pain of unforgiveness. The dual pain will bring you to a place of personal conviction. You will begin to recall that you cannot have a right relationship with God if you do not have a right relationship with others. You begin recognizing that life is too short to live with a strained relationship. Then you move into compassion. God allows you to brush up against the cross and feel the love and forgiveness Jesus lavished on you. His mercy and His grace begin to grip you personally and you are overwhelmed with His unconditional love. That experience moves you into compassion. Acknowledge that you don’t deserve the forgiveness Jesus has extended to you. Let compassion flow as you confess to Jesus in private that you now choose to forgive the one who offended you. Consciously articulate in prayer to Jesus the desires of your heart. Bring honor to Jesus by extending forgiveness privately in prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Children Family Home

Your Family’s Future

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”  Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) God established the home for our benefit and for His glory. God’s blueprint for the home includes order. God expects the husband and father to be the spiritual leader of the home. During my upbringing, my parents divorced and as a result, my mother became the spiritual leader of our home. The spiritual leader of the home is responsible to set the spiritual temperature for the home. Thus, the spiritual leader of the home is to be the spiritual thermostat for the home. When our children are elevated to the place of setting the environment for the home, something is out of order. When parenting becomes child-centered, in that everything centers around the wants and wishes of the child, something is out of order. Excessive extra-curricular activities for our children can become space invaders. When our lives and our schedules resemble a perpetual rat race, then something is out of order. We can overload and overwhelm our home by being overextended and over-committed to too many activities. Instead of pushing your children to be involved in a myriad of activities, consider having them choose one or two. Would that simplify your family life? Would your schedule have more space or margin to do life? Who is making the tough choices in your home to keep your family in alignment with God’s economy? Who is guarding the priorities and the order ordained by God for your home? The decisions you make to create space for doing life together as a family will serve as a tangible model for your children to emulate when they become parents one day. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family Fasting Technology

Fasting from Technology

“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.” 1 Sam 17:38 (NIV) As you can imagine, King Saul had the latest in warfare technology. His armor was the best of the best and fit for a king. Yet, Saul tried to shroud the shepherd boy, David, with this state of the art technology and it just didn’t fit. “David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. ‘I cannot go in these,’ he said to Saul, ‘because I am not used to them.’ So he took them off.” 1 Sam 17:39 (NIV) “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” 1 Sam 17:40 (NIV) We have more technology at our fingertips than at any other time in history. We are in the fast lane when it comes to our technology. Yet, it seems that over the years we have not really had technology; technology has had us. Maybe we need to find ourselves once again. Maybe it’s time to go back to the One who Created us and ask Him to show us our five smooth stones and sling. God created us to fulfill His agenda in His power with the technology of His choosing. What if God called you to a technology fast? Can you really make it without email, cell phones, Facebook, text messaging, and the Internet? Consider realigning your life with God’s agenda through a disciplined technology fast. Perhaps you will have more time to invest in the relationships closest to your heart. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family God's Plan Surrender

Before You Were Born

“‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’” Jer 1:5 (NIV) Before you were born, God existed. God is eternal. That means that God has always been and God will always be. God was never born and God will never die. Yet, you have a beginning. You have a birth date! Nine months before your birth date, you were conceived. Thus, you have a date of conception. To know the heart of God for you, we must travel even further back into time. Before God formed you, He knew you. Wow! That means that you were not an accident. You were created by God for a divine purpose. Before you were born, God set you apart. The concept in the language of the Old Testament is that of being sanctified. Before you were born, God had in mind exactly what He wanted you to become and God had in mind exactly when He wanted to introduce you to life on planet earth. God orchestrated all of this before you were born. Before you were born, God set you apart to participate in His kingdom activity. God loves you and has a purpose for your life. God’s purpose for your life is for you to experience His redemptive love personally and then for you to join Him in expressing His redemptive love locally and globally. You have a massive mission to fulfill on this planet during the time God gives you. Don’t waste it! Don’t allow space invaders to rob you of your divine destiny. Don’t allow anything to steal your passion for God and your passion to be on mission with God. Allow God’s agenda to become your agenda. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Abiding in Christ Busyness Family

Barriers of Busyness

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’” Luke 10:38-40 (NIV) Busyness is one of Satan’s most effective tools to fragment the life of a believer. We have places to go, things to do, and people to see. We are never finished! There are always more hills to conquer and mountains to climb. The opportunities to get swept up by the current of activity are endless. Busyness abounds! It is possible to get so busy doing life and fulfilling expectations that you bypass meaningful communication with people. You can become so task oriented that you neglect the relationships that God sprinkles along your path. The most vital relationship that gets hindered by the culprit of busyness is our love relationship with Jesus. Martha was exercising her gift of hospitality to benefit Jesus within her home. However, she got lost in her busyness and missed the opportunity to simply abide at Jesus’ feet. Martha thought the most important activity was extending hospitality. Yet, Jesus brought clarity to the confusion by affirming that Mary had chosen what was better (Luke 10:42). What if we replaced busyness with abiding in Christ. Sometimes the most spiritual activity we can embrace is sitting at the feet of Jesus! It’s hard to sit at His feet when you are sprinting! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Decisions Family Margin

Making Room

“Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.’” Ex 18:17-18 (NIV) Do you have margin in your life? Margin is the space between your load and your limit. God has designed you to handle a certain amount of His work during your brief stay on this planet called earth. God has given you all the time you need to accomplish His plan. Moses reached a breaking point due to being overextended and overwhelmed. The masses of people each wanted a piece of him. They wanted his time, his attention, and his decision making prowess. Though serving as judge over Israel, Moses failed to exercise proper judgment over his own life. God came to the rescue by bringing Jethro into Moses’ life. Jethro lovingly spoke into Moses’ life to declare, “What you are doing is not good.” Moses couldn’t see the unhealthy path that he was on. Jethro saw it clearly and succinctly. Jethro was willing to help Moses’ de-clutter his life. What is overwhelming you right now? Has your load exceeded your limit? What are you giving your life to that is outside of God’s will? Step back and evaluate your current reality. You may want to ask someone you know and love and trust to help you examine your life. Allow that person to give you feedback on what they see going on in your world. Their perspective could help you see what you are not seeing. God uses other people to help us walk in obedience to His will. Pray and ask God to bring a Jethro into your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Creation Family Marriage

From Me to We

“The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” Gen 2:18 (NIV) God created us for relationship. The first “not good” in the Bible is connected to aloneness. God created us for companionship. We do better together. God designed us to be relational, not robotic. God’s desire is for us to be rightly related to Him and rlghtly related to each other. God created Eve to complete Adam. Adam transitioned from “me” to “we” and from “mine” to “ours” in response to God’s gracious creation activity. God knew what Adam needed most! Adam needed companionship. As you read God’s Word, you will discover that the Bible is the story of God’s relationship with His creation and their relationship with each other. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:21 (NIV) “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV) Satan is anti-relationship. Satan is anti-companionship. Satan is anti-family. The devil does not want you to be in a right relationship with God and he does not want you to be in a right relationship with others. Don’t allow the enemy to keep you from enjoying a loving relationship with God and with others. You are made for relationship. If you are battling aloneness, ask God to bring some life-giving relationships into your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Conflict Conflict Resolution Family

Conflict Resolution

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV) Families that resolve conflict together stay together. If the devil came to you for counsel on how to destroy families, what would your advice entail? Perhaps you would recommend the weapon of mass destruction, unforgiveness. Harmony is poisoned and trust is eroded by unforgiveness. Unforgiveness perpetuates suspicion and fertilizes bitterness. As a result of living in a fallen world among fallen people, conflict is inevitable. In other words, motion causes friction. It is not a matter of “if” conflict will happen, but a matter of “when” conflict will occur. Conflict is a natural part of life on a broken planet. Conflict is the normal confetti of living in a fallen world. Every relationship at some point will hit the wall of conflict. As my pastor, Dr. David Fleming says, “Every wall of conflict has a door which leads to conflict resolution, meaningful conversation, and intimacy.” Unfortunately, we often react to the wall of conflict by withdrawing or attacking. Instead of patiently pursuing the door of conflict resolution, we take a short cut and forfeit the potential on the other side of the wall of conflict. What if we were willing to risk the pursuit? What if we were willing to allow God to navigate us through the process of locating the door positioned at every wall of conflict? What if we decided to resolve conflict together as a family? Could it be that revival would come to the home through the doorway of conflict resolution? Forgiveness unlocks the door! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Communication Family Listening

Family Communication

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:19-20 (NIV) Communication is vital for the home and family to operate in a way that pleases God. Relationships deepen as communication strengthens. The more effective we are in communicating understanding and communicating love within our home, the more effective our witness for Christ will be. God magnifies the witness of the family that communicates effectively within the home. Your home becomes a testimony before the Lord. When it comes to communication, how well do you listen? Are you intentional in listening empathetically and compassionately? Do you seek to understand and communicate that understanding? “Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’” 1 Sam 3:10 (NIV) “He who answers before listening–that is his folly and his shame.” Prov 18:13 (NIV) Let’s commit to be quick to listen. Remember, God has given us one mouth and two ears. What would happen if we intentionally listen twice as much as we speak? Our level of effective communication may very well increase. Thank God for the listening ears He has sprinkled throughout your life to help you along the way. People who came alongside you with a compassionate ear are worthy of your thanksgiving. Now be that kind of person in the lives of others for the glory of God. Start with your family and become a good listener. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family Trust Trustworthy

Family Trust

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Cor 11:1 (NIV) Your home should be a place to run to, not run from. God wants your home to be an oasis. Your home should be the safest place on earth to be yourself. Trust is essential. In fact, without trust there is no relationship. Without trust, your home will not be an oasis. Relationships are built on trust. Your love relationship with Jesus is in your response to your trusting in Jesus alone for salvation. God has entrusted you with the gospel message and spiritual gifts to serve others. God has demonstrated His trust in you which makes your unbroken fellowship with God possible. In order to be trusted by others, you must be trustworthy. To create an environment of trust within your home, the members of your family must be trustworthy. Living a life of integrity elevates the level of trust within your home. “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.” 3 John 1:11 (NIV) “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” Phil 3:17 (NIV) You can be the example for other family members to follow. If you want to be encouraged, spend a few moments thanking God for the family members who have modeled Christ before you. You may even consider sending them a note or an email expressing your gratitude for their example in your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Conflict Family Pride

Pride and Conflict

“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.” Isaiah 14:13-15 (NIV) Every conflict has pride at its root. Before God created man in His own image, God had to resolve conflict that erupted in heaven. Pride infused Lucifer (Satan, the devil), the angel of God. In pride, Lucifer sought to lead a rebellion against God and thought he could dethrone God. However, God is holy and does not tolerate sin. Thus, God “de-heavened” Lucifer. “He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.’” Luke 10:18 (NIV) “The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Rev 12:9 (NIV) Pride causes us to think of ourselves before thinking of others. Pride causes us to embrace selfishness and self-centeredness. In pride, we forfeit God’s agenda and become absorbed in our own personal agenda. Pride is evidenced by our pursuit of gratifying our sinful nature (Gal. 5:16). If pride seeps into your home, your family will experience major conflict. Pride corrupts and erodes relationships. Satan is the mascot of pride. He does not want your family to operate in peace, unity, and trust. Examine the weeds inside your home. Don’t try to cut the weeds off at ground level by dealing with the symptoms of pride. Get to the root of the conflict within your home. As you trace the origin of conflict, you will find the root of pride. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family Forgiveness Joseph

The Encore of Forgiveness

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’” Genesis 50:15 (NIV) Forgiveness is tested by memory. Only God has the capacity to forgive and forget. We have the capacity to forgive, but we struggle with forgetting what happened to us. Inevitably, something will trigger the memory of the pain of our past. Remember, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and Joseph experienced quite a ride before becoming second in command in Egypt. Joseph had revealed himself to his brothers. He had forgiven them in private before God, then he went public with his forgiveness and even provided for the needs of his family. Their father, Jacob, dies and it triggers the pain of the past. Joseph has already forgiven his brothers for their mistreatment, but they now fear retribution as a result of Jacob’s death. Forgiveness has an Encore. After you have forgiven the one who offended you, wounded you, neglected you, or betrayed you, something may come along and trigger the memory of the pain in your past. Though you do not have the capacity to forgive and forget, by the grace of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit, though you remember, you can choose to forgive. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 (NIV) “‘So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” Genesis 50:21 (NIV) Joseph demonstrated a depth of spiritual maturity and embraced God’s perspective on his current reality. Instead of billowing in bitterness, Joseph addressed the encore of forgiveness by reassuring his brothers and being gracious to their children. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Acceptance Christ Family

Family and Acceptance

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV) What kind of home environment did you grow up in? Was your home a safe place where love was extended unconditionally and where acceptance was granted freely? Do you recall if your home was filled with an atmosphere of trust? We exist as a family to love each other unconditionally in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust. What about now? What’s your home life like? Have you nurtured an atmosphere of acceptance? When you accept God’s acceptance of you, every relationship takes on a new dimension. Drawing from what God has done in your life, you will be able to extend acceptance of others. When you accept others, it does not mean that you condone their behavior or affirm inappropriate conduct. Rather, you are demonstrating that your acceptance of them is not based upon performance. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Col 3:12-14 (NIV) Clothe yourself with the garment of God’s love and acceptance. Treat your family members the way God has so graciously treated you. God has already given us so much more than we deserve. God simply wants us to let His life flow through us to influence our home for His glory! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family Forgiveness Pain

The Process of Forgiveness

“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.” Genesis 39:1 (NIV) How do you reverse the curse? How do you bring healing to the family after the virus of unforgiveness has infected your family? It is vital that you recognize the process of forgiveness. The process begins with pain. You identify the pain related to the offense. Someone may have hurt you, neglected you, or offended you. Those closest to us can often wound us the most. At some point in the process, the pain of unforgiveness becomes greater than the pain of the original offense. God will not allow unforgiveness to reside in you without pain. Harboring unforgiveness does not align with God’s will. In the process of forgiveness, you will experience dual pain: the pain of the offense and the pain of unforgiveness. The dual pain will bring you to a place of personal conviction. You will begin to recall that you cannot have a right relationship with God if you do not have a right relationship with others. You begin recognizing that life is too short to live with a strained relationship. Then you move into compassion. God allows you to brush up against the cross and feel the love and forgiveness Jesus lavished on you. His mercy and His grace begin to grip you personally and you are overwhelmed with His unconditional love. That experience moves you into compassion. Acknowledge that you don’t deserve the forgiveness Jesus has extended to you. Let compassion flow as you confess to Jesus in private that you now choose to forgive the one who offended you. Consciously articulate in prayer to Jesus the desires of your heart. Bring honor to Jesus by extending forgiveness privately in prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Children Family Home

Your Family’s Future

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Prov 22:6 (NIV) God established the home for our benefit and for His glory. God’s blueprint for the home includes order. God expects the husband and father to be the spiritual leader of the home. During my upbringing, my parents divorced and as a result, my mother became the spiritual leader of our home. The spiritual leader of the home is responsible to set the spiritual temperature for the home. Thus, the spiritual leader of the home is to be the spiritual thermostat for the home. When our children are elevated to the place of setting the environment for the home, something is out of order. When parenting becomes child-centered, in that everything centers around the wants and wishes of the child, something is out of order. Excessive extra-curricular activities for our children can become space invaders. When our lives and our schedules resemble a perpetual rat race, then something is out of order. We can overload and overwhelm our home by being overextended and over-committed to too many activities. Instead of pushing your children to be involved in a myriad of activities, consider having them choose one or two. Would that simplify your family life? Would your schedule have more space or margin to do life? Who is making the tough choices in your home to keep your family in alignment with God’s economy? Who is guarding the priorities and the order ordained by God for your home? The decisions you make to create space for doing life together as a family will serve as a tangible model for your children to emulate when they become parents one day. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family Fasting Technology

Fasting from Technology

“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.” 1 Sam 17:38 (NIV) As you can imagine, King Saul had the latest in warfare technology. His armor was the best of the best and fit for a king. Yet, Saul tried to shroud the shepherd boy, David, with this state of the art technology and it just didn’t fit. “David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. ‘I cannot go in these,’ he said to Saul, ‘because I am not used to them.’ So he took them off.” 1 Sam 17:39 (NIV) “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” 1 Sam 17:40 (NIV) We have more technology at our fingertips than at any other time in history. We are in the fast lane when it comes to our technology. Yet, it seems that over the years we have not really had technology; technology has had us. Maybe we need to find ourselves once again. Maybe it’s time to go back to the One who Created us and ask Him to show us our five smooth stones and sling. God created us to fulfill His agenda in His power with the technology of His choosing. What if God called you to a technology fast? Can you really make it without email, cell phones, Facebook, text messaging, and the Internet? Consider realigning your life with God’s agenda through a disciplined technology fast. Perhaps you will have more time to invest in the relationships closest to your heart. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

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Family God's Plan Surrender

Before You Were Born

“‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’” Jer 1:5 (NIV) Before you were born, God existed. God is eternal. That means that God has always been and God will always be. God was never born and God will never die. Yet, you have a beginning. You have a birth date! Nine months before your birth date, you were conceived. Thus, you have a date of conception. To know the heart of God for you, we must travel even further back into time. Before God formed you, He knew you. Wow! That means that you were not an accident. You were created by God for a divine purpose. Before you were born, God set you apart. The concept in the language of the Old Testament is that of being sanctified. Before you were born, God had in mind exactly what He wanted you to become and God had in mind exactly when He wanted to introduce you to life on planet earth. God orchestrated all of this before you were born. Before you were born, God set you apart to participate in His kingdom activity. God loves you and has a purpose for your life. God’s purpose for your life is for you to experience His redemptive love personally and then for you to join Him in expressing His redemptive love locally and globally. You have a massive mission to fulfill on this planet during the time God gives you. Don’t waste it! Don’t allow space invaders to rob you of your divine destiny. Don’t allow anything to steal your passion for God and your passion to be on mission with God. Allow God’s agenda to become your agenda. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell