Category: Frustration

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Balance Frustration Pace

Fragmented and Frustrated

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’” Luke 10:38-40 (ESV) 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! It’s hard to sit at His feet when you are sprinting! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Balance Frustration Pace

Fragmented and Frustrated

“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! 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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Depression Discouragement Fatigue Fear Financial Pressure Frustration

Growing Through Depression (2)

“Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, ‘May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.’” 1 Kings 19:1-2 (NIV) Loss of perspective leads to confusion. Elijah confronted idolatry and the forces of evil with courage and boldness. He aggressively opposed the prophets of Baal and Asherah. Elijah was able to raise his hands in victory after the fire of God fell on Mt. Carmel to consume the sacrifice. The public victory had been won. Privately, Elijah shifted from faith in God to fear of the wicked woman, Jezebel. Elijah confronted the prophets with utter courage and now is running for his life as a coward because of a threat from Jezebel. Elijah displayed confusion as a result of losing his perspective. He falls into deep depression. What are some causes of depression? Frustration can lead to depression. Frustration over the circumstances you find yourself in can lead to depression. Sometimes frustration related to a strained relationship can cause depression. Fear can certainly bring you down into the pit of despair. When you stop viewing life through the eyes of faith and start viewing life through the eyes of fear, depression seeps in. Fatigue has a way of opening the door to depression. When you are exhausted, you can quickly lose perspective. Then, of course, there is the bandit of financial pressure. That kind of perpetual pressure can lead you down the alley of depression. Do you currently have God’s perspective on your life and on your circumstances? Have you experienced any level of depression in recent days? There’s hope! There’s help on the way… Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Frustration

The Frustrated Life (5)

You will find what you are looking for. If you begin to look for the activity of God, you will find Him at work. God is always at work around us. His activity is constant. God’s redemptive activity is immediate and global. God is working right now and God is working around the world. Jesus had been in close proximity to the woman at the well and was willing to put His Jewish lips to her Samaritan cup. Jesus had uncovered her past and informed her religious understanding. “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’” John 4:25 (NIV) “Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am he.’” John 4:26 (NIV) Sometimes we miss the redemptive activity of God because we are distracted by our personal preferences and prejudices. Often we try to conform God into our image instead of allowing Him to conform us to the image of Christ. In prayer, ask God to heighten your sensitivity to His activity. You may want to begin each day by reading a few chapters from the Gospel of John. Spend time walking with Jesus in the pages of Scripture. Look to see how Jesus joined God in His activity.    Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Frustration Personal Preference Seeker Worship

The Frustrated Life (4)

“‘Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.’”  John 4:23-24 (NIV) In His interaction with the woman at the well, Jesus confronted the reality of her relational choices. She shifted the focus of their conversation from her personal life to the subject of religion. She expressed her views on worship. Her theology of worship centered on the place of worship rather than the purpose of worship. Jesus defined true worshipers as those who worship the Father in spirit and truth. Religion is not sufficient to develop a person into a true worshipper. In fact, just as a flu shot will give you just enough of the flu to keep you from getting the real thing, religion can inoculate you from developing a vibrant love relationship with God. Religion, ritual, and routine are not adequate. Without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a person cannot become a true worshipper of the living God. Are you the kind of worshipper the Father seeks? Do you worship in spirit and in truth? Do you go to church to worship or do you go to church worshipping?   Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Frustration Satisfaction

The Frustrated Life (3)

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” John 4:13-14 (NIV) Nothing in this life will satisfy like the water Jesus provides. Water is essential for survival on planet earth. Our body needs water to function properly. Water quenches our physical thirst. However, there is a thirst that water cannot satisfy. There is a thirst that only Jesus can quench. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Eccl 3:11 (NIV) “They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.” Isaiah 49:10 (NIV) God has placed eternity in our hearts. There is a longing that can only be satisfied by the living water that Jesus provides. In His compassion, God draws us to Himself. “‘No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.’” John 6:44 (NIV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV) God has made the gift of eternal life available to us. There is frustration in trying to share with others something you haven’t received personally. Make certain that you have personally received God’s gift of eternal life. Now seize opportunities that God gives you to share the gift of eternal life with others. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Eternity Frustration Living Water Satisfaction

The Frustrated Life (3)

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” John 4:13-14 (NIV) Nothing in this life will satisfy like the water Jesus provides. Water is essential for survival on planet earth. Our body needs water to function properly. Water quenches our physical thirst. However, there is a thirst that water cannot satisfy. There is a thirst that only Jesus can quench. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Eccl 3:11 (NIV) “They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.” Isaiah 49:10 (NIV) God has placed eternity in our hearts. There is a longing that can only be satisfied by the living water that Jesus provides. In His compassion, God draws us to Himself. “‘No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.’” John 6:44 (NIV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV) God has made the gift of eternal life available to us. There is frustration in trying to share with others something you haven’t received personally. Make certain that you have personally received God’s gift of eternal life. Now seize opportunities that God gives you to share the gift of eternal life with others. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Creator Frustration Living Water Sustainer Thirst

The Frustrated Life (2)

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’” John 4:10 (NIV) A man was on the side of the road with the hood of his car propped open. Another man drove up, stopped behind the car, and stepped out to approach the scene. The stranger asked permission to take a look and then requested for the stranded driver to try the ignition. The car started and the driver shouted in relief. Then he asked the gracious man, “What is your name?” The reply came gently, “My name is Henry Ford.” Can you imagine the creator of the Ford Model T being the very one who showed up at just the right time to repair the car he invented? Little did the woman at the well know, but the Creator of the universe was sitting right in front of her. Had she known what we know by reading the account, the woman at the well would have been asking Jesus for a drink of living water. As a child of God, you have direct access to the Creator and Sustainer of life. You have access to the living water that Jesus made available to the woman at the well. Pray through the following Scripture: “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (NIV) “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true–even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20 (NIV) Jesus is near. Now choose to draw near to Him. Allow His living water quench your thirst.       Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Allurements Divine Appointment Frustration Fulfillment Life Love

The Frustrated Life (1)

Have you been there, done that, and left frustrated? Life is filled with unlimited options and unimaginable opportunities. We are bombarded with advertisements which are positioned to convince us that we need the product being promoted. Our landscape is littered with attractions and allurements which compete for our attention. It seems that the more we acquire, the more we desire. The more we attain, the more we strain to attain even more. Yet, at the end of the day after the varied pursuits, we are left empty. We meet a woman in the Gospel of John who has been there, and done that. In fact, she has had five husbands and the one she is with now is not her husband. She has been looking for love in all the wrong places. She has been trying to make sense out of life through relationships with men. Each relationship has not delivered what it promised. This Samaritan woman meets a man, unexpectedly, who will transform her life. “Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.” John 4:4-6 (NIV) Jesus is always at the right place at the right time. Jesus is always seizing opportunities to build bridges to broken people. The Samaritan woman encountered a divine appointment. “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’” John 4:7 (NIV) Jesus initiated the relationship that would ultimately change the Samaritan woman’s life. Jesus was willing to associate with a woman who was both a Samaritan and an adulteress. Are you frustrated with your life? Have you sought to fill the void in your life with good things at the expense of the best God has for you? Maybe it is time for you to meet Jesus at the well. Maybe it is time to give up on your personal journey to fulfillment and embrace the way of Jesus. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor