Category: 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Assessment Family Home

Home Makeover

“’Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?’” 2 Sam 23:5 (NIV) 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. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Balance Family Order

Ordering Your Home Life

“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

Family Jethro Margin

Uncovering Your Current Reality

Post author By Stephen Trammell
Post date June 7, 2010
59 Comments on Uncovering Your Current Reality

“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) 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. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Busyness Family Margins Time

Family Spats: Resolving Conflict

Post author By Stephen Trammell
Post date August 31, 2009
231 Comments on Family Spats: Resolving Conflict

“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. Unforgiveness poisons harmony and erodes trust. 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 (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Devil Family Pride Sanctification Sin Time

Family Spats: Pride

“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. Jesus spoke of this fall and John recorded the fall of Satan in Revelation 12:9. “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 (This devotional was originally posted in ’07 or ’08. I’m taking a break from writing for a season of personal renewal.) Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Church Family Stewardship

Space Invaders (7)

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Heb 10:25 (NIV) Excessive church activities can become a space invader. You have probably heard people say that they were in church every time the church doors were open. That sounds really spiritual at first. However, it is possible to be at church too much. Be careful not to equate spiritual activity with spiritual maturity. Having an abundance of church activities does not ensure personal spiritual growth. You can get spread too thin saying “yes” to too many church functions. The writer of Hebrews is affirming the value of doing life together with other believers in community. You have the privilege of encouraging each other in the faith as you meet together to study God’s Word and to build meaningful relationships. God wants you to be in fellowship with other believers at the level of meeting regularly to develop your relationship with God and with each other. How can you keep from overloading your calendar with church activities? Learn to say “yes” to the right things. For example, you should be connected to three environments on a weekly basis. You need to be involved in a Christ exalting corporate worship environment, a small group Bible study where you can experience authentic community, and an area of service where you can exercise your spiritual gifts. Focus on those three environments and you will not only simplify your life, but also experience a new measure of spiritual growth. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Children Family Parenting Stewardship

Space Invaders (6)

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Prov 22:6 (NIV) Child-centered parenting is not in alignment with God’s economy. God values order. Where there is order, there is fruitfulness. 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 overcommitted to too many activities. Instead of pushing our children to be involved in a myriad of activities, what if we had them choose one or two. Would that simplify your famly 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

Family Jesus Salvation Seeker Stewardship Trust Understanding

Space Invaders (5)

“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Ex 20:11 (NIV) Work can become a space invader. Do you have room in your life for rest? Of course not! You have too much to do and work is calling your name. “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!” Work is demanding your time, energy, and attention. Work is biblical isn’t it? Doesn’t God expect you to work? Isn’t work God’s idea? Consider the reality that the Creator of the universe established a divine guideline for both work and rest. God was not tired after the six days of creation activity. God chose to model the value of working and resting. God established a pattern for us in order to keep life in balance and to do life God’s way. God knows what we need better than we know ourselves. He is the Creator and we are His creation. God is infinite and we are finite. God is all-knowing and we are limited in our understanding. God sees the whole picture while we see only a peep as through a key hole. When your work becomes a space invader, your life is out of balance. God does not want your work to rule your life and to dominate your energy allocation. God wants you to set aside a day each week to cease creating, forming, fashioning, meeting deadlines, and pushing yourself through the performance trap. You need a day to allow God to put you back together. That’s why God created the Sabbath day. You need a Sabbath. You need a day to allow God to re-create you. You need to transition off of the race track down pit road and allow God to change your spiritual tires, remove the debris from your spiritual windshield, and to refuel your spiritual tank. You need a weekly pit stop! Don’t allow work to invade your Sabbath. Don’t allow work to invade your family time. Ouch! That can be a challenge. God wants you to work when you are at work and be fully present when you are at home. God wants you to guard a day each week for His restorative work in you. Create space for God to put you back together! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

David Family Fasting Stewardship Technology

Space Invaders (4)

“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) Technology can become a space invader. 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. The armor that was to enhance David’s ability to combat and defeat Goliath actually became a major hindrance. “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) Technology has a way of enhancing our lives doesn’t it? 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. Instead of technology enhancing our lives, it has the potential of hindering us from the living the life God has given 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. Could it be that we have replaced our dependency upon God with an obsessive dependency upon technology. Instead of allowing technology to help us fulfill the Great Commission in our generation, maybe we have become distracted by the technology to the point of losing our focus and sacrificing our passion. What if God called us to a technology fast? Can we really make it without email, cell phones, text messaging, and the internet? Will we stop breathing? Can life continue if we aren’t connected to our technology? We always equate a spiritual fast with giving up food for a season. What if we sought to realign our lives with God’s agenda through a disciplined technology fast? It is possible that we may create more space for doing life God’s way… Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Family God's Agenda God's Will Stewardship

Space Invaders (3)

“‘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) Allow God’s agenda to become your agenda. 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! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Busyness Family Stewardship

Space Invaders (2)

“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. The activity never ends and the deadlines never cease. 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). Let me share one of my favorite quotes from one of my mentors, Dr. Johnny Hunt: “If you will give the Redeemer your time, the Redeemer will redeem your time.” What if we replaced busyness with abiding in Christ. Sometimes the most spiritual activity we can embrace is sitting at the feet of Jesus! But, it’s hard to sit at His feet when you are sprinting… Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Family Margins Stewardship

Space Invaders (1)

“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) 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. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Conflict Resolution Family God's Will Home

Family Spats (7)

“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” Isaiah 32:18 (NIV) Do you dread going home or do you look forward to it each day? Is your home a war zone or an oasis? Does your home drain the life out of you or impart life to you? Is your home characterized by conflict, tension, and chaos or meaningful communication, refreshment, and peace. What’s your home like? God desires that our home be a peaceful dwelling place. Don’t you just love that word, peaceful? It is so soothing and so inviting. God’s portrait for our home includes security. Our home is to be a place of refuge and safety from the venom of our fallen world. Our home is to be an undisturbed place of rest. That opens a whole new level of living. How far off is your home compared to the home God desires for you? The environment in which you call home is so much more than brick, stucco, and paint. Home is all about relationships and how we interact with each other and how we treat each other. Home is all about how we do life together as a family. Make personal spiritual growth a priority. Model what you want to multiply in your home. Mobilize your family to radiate God’s love beyond your home. My prayer is that your home will become a holy place where Jesus is honored and spiritual maturity is nurtured so that the population of heaven will be increased and the population of hell decreased. Now that’s the family business! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Conflict Resolution Family Introspection Jesus Judging

Family Spats (6)

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matt 7:3-5 (NIV) You always find what you are looking for. If we want to find fault in someone, we won’t have to look far. It is so easy to discover inconsistencies in others. When it comes to examining the lives of others, we have the eyes of an eagle. Detecting defects in others has a way of boosting our self image and stroking our ego. We tend to look through the microscope to view others and then choose to view ourselves through rose colored glasses. Jesus lobbed a major teaching on the value of proper introspection. He uncovered our human tendency to view others critically while viewing ourselves gently. Jesus even used the explosive word, hypocrite. When we critique others unfairly and then hide behind a mask that conceals our authentic current reality, Jesus exposes our hypocrisy. What if we began viewing ourselves in light of the holiness of God? What if we began to view ourselves in light of God’s Word? Our response would be like that of Isaiah, “Woe to me! I am a man of unclean lips!” (Is. 6:5). Remember, man looks at the externals, but God looks at the heart (I Sam. 16:7). Let’s deal with the gigantic log in our own eye and stop judging others for the speck in their eye. To help us find what God wants us to look for, consider praying daily through the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:3-17) and praying daily through the fruit of the Spirit. “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’” Ex 20:20 (NIV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal 5:22-23 (NIV) I think God is calling me to be a logger so that the fruit of the Spirit will be evidenced in my life and through my life for His glory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Conflict Resolution Family Growth Speech

Family Spats (5)

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Eph 4:29 (NIV) Our words have such power. With our words we can encourage and comfort or we can shatter hearts and dreams. God wants our words to benefit others. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Prov 15:1 (NIV) “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Prov 15:4 (NIV) Let’s talk about the wheel of conflict. Now, let’s imagine that conflict enters your path. You experience hurt feelings which may lead to anger. Someone has wounded you. You have a choice to make. You can flee and withdraw which leads to isolation and unresolved conflict. Or you can choose to face the conflict. Once you make that decision, two more options arise: fight or invite. You can go head-to-head with that person and launch a verbal assault and fight. Or you can take the better option: invite the person into dialogue. Simply say, “Let’s talk.” In fact, practice saying that right now. Then be willing to extend or receive forgiveness. When you respond to conflict this way, you experience growth in your relationship. The very conflict that could have destroyed the relationship actually takes the relationship to the next level based on how you respond. Would you be willing to allow the wheel of conflict to roll in a healthy direction? Ask God to give you the wisdom to make proper decisions to navigate through the tunnel of conflict and come to the place of healing, restoration, and growth for His glory. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Adversity Circumstances Conflict Resolution Family

Family Spats (4)

“John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.’” Luke 3:7-9 (NIV) When conflict arises, we can choose to react or respond. John the Baptist confronted his hearers with the reality of their spiritual condition and exhorted them to product fruit in keeping with repentance. Of course, this created a major conflict for the hearers to resolve in their own lives. They could react to the conflict or respond to the conflict. Fortunately, they responded with an appropriate question: “What should we do then?” John instructed them to share what they had with others including food and clothing. To the tax collectors, John exhorted them not to collect more than required. To some soldiers, John told them to stop extorting money and accusing people falsely and to be content with their pay (Luke 3:10-14). What kind of conflict are you wrestling with in this season of your life? Have you been confronted by a message that brings deep conviction? Is there a strained relationship that needs attention? How are you navigating the conflict? You have a choice. You can react in the flesh or respond to the conflict God’s way. If God has allowed conflict to enter your domain, then God will use it to conform you into the image of Christ and to strengthen your faith. God will use the immediate conflict you are confronting by giving you the grace you need to experience a personal breakthrough. Are you teachable? Are you willing to hear from God in the midst of your circumstances? Is your heart tender enough to ask God, “What should I do?” God knows what you are dealing with. God knows what you are feeling. He is in tune with every fiber of your being. Remember, before you were even born, God knew you (Jer. 1:5 & Ps. 139:13). How will you respond to the conflict in your life? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Bitterness Conflict Resolution Family Unforgiveness

Family Spats (3)

“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. Unforgiveness poisons harmony and erodes trust. 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

Companionship Conflict Resolution Family Relationship

Family Spats (2)

Conflict Resolution Devil Family Pride Selfishness Sin

Family Spats (1)

“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. Jesus spoke of this fall and John recorded the fall of Satan in Revelation 12:9. “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

Family Interruptions Opportunities

Interruptions (1)

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matt 14:13-14 (NIV) Has your life ever been interrupted by a hurricane? Storms have a way of intruding your normal routine and invading the conveniences of life. Your whole world of normal comes to an abrupt halt as you navigate the rugged terrain of survival. Jesus experienced a painful interruption that hit close to home. Jesus received news that His cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded. Remember, John had baptized Jesus to inaugurate Jesus’ public ministry. John was the forerunner of Christ. Now Jesus had to deal with grieving the unfortunate loss of John. Our lives here in the Houston area have been interrupted by Hurricane Ike. What if we could turn this interruption into an opportunity to identify what matters most in life? In times like these, we are reminded of the value of our faith, our family, and our friends. Spend some time in prayer thanking God for what you do have, including the life-giving relationships that God has blessed you with. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Communication Family

Family Chats (3)

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.” Prov 19:20 (NIV) Has God ever used a child to teach you a valuable lesson in life? It happened to me last night. We had a family board meeting last night at our kitchen table. In response to our pastor’s Sunday morning message, we were working through the five questions included in the sermon listening guide. Take a look at these five questions: 1. In your opinion, what are the two biggest barriers to our communication? 2. Of the five levels of communication (clichés, facts, opinions, feelings, needs), which level typically represents our communication? 3. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how well do I listen when others are speaking? 4. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how “understood” do I feel when we talk? 5. What is one specific thing we can do to improve the quality of our communication? I asked my ten year old son, Austin, to take the lead and march us through the 5 questions. Through our family board meeting experience, God spoke through my son Austin to show me how my Blackberry was a barrier to communication. Isn’t that interesting? The purpose behind the technology of my Blackberry is actually to enhance communication. However, the very instrument which enhances communication can become a communication barrier. God is honored when you take the time to have a family chat to discuss ways to improve communication. The experience can provide your family with the opportunity to go deeper in relationship with each other. Your family business is God’s business! Take some time to discuss these five questions with your family. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Communication Family

Family Chats (2)

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalms 19:14 (NIV) Have you weighed your words lately? Your words have the potential to crush or to mend. Your words have the power to destroy relationships or to restore relationships. Every word you speak matters to God. Every word you speak aloud or mutter under your breath is captured by God. “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” Eccl 5:2 (NIV) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Eph 4:29 (NIV) Give the Lord full control of your speech. May your words be pleasing to God. When you yield to His control, your communication within the home will be a blessing to your family. Your communication outside of the home will benefit others, too. Seek to please God and to build others up with your words. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Family