Inheritance – Stephen Trammell

Sincere Faith (6)

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim 3:14-15 (NIV) Make good on what your parents leave you. Financial prosperity may not travel through your family tree, yet sincere faith can. Consider what your parents have left you in the realm of faith. What did they model before you as a child? How did they impart sincere faith throughout your upbringing? Were they instrumental in developing your appetite for reading God’s Word? Did God use them to strengthen your prayer life and to fortify your faith in God? Whatever your parents have left you in the realm of faith, make good on it. Maximize what you have been given. Standing on their shoulders, your sincere faith can grow and even multiply through the relationships in your sphere of influence. Paul instructed Timothy to continue in what he had learned from the holy Scriptures. God’s Word is your best teacher. If your parents pointed you to God’s Word and demonstrated an abiding love for His Word, you are blessed. If your parents did not hand down that kind of passion for God’s Word, don’t allow their neglect to immobilize you. Commit to feeding your appetite for reading the Bible and choose to impart that lifestyle to others. What are you doing with what you have been given? Eliminate excuses and embrace daily spiritual disciplines that will enhance your walk with God and impact others for God’s glory. One of the most powerful investments in your day is the investment of time you allocate to reading the Bible. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Sincere Faith (4)

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Eph 6:1 (NIV) Are your parents still alive? Have you inherited their faith? Maybe they modeled sincere faith before you consistently or maybe they did not make those kinds of deposits in your life. It could be that one of your parents faithfully handed down the faith while the other parent failed to maximize that opportunity. As children, we are to obey our parents. God has given them the responsibility to model His love and His character before us. God has given them the privilege of knowing Him personally and making Him known relationally. As children, we have the privilege of inheriting the faith. Our responsibility is to pay attention, listen, and obey. We don’t get to heaven by living vicariously through the faith of our parents. We must have a personal experience with God by confessing our sin and trusting in Jesus alone for salvation. Yet, the faith of our parents can be inherited as they model their sincere faith before us. Assess your upbringing. What was your home life like? What part did faith play in your upbringing? Did you grow up in a home where Christ was honored and faith was a natural part of everyday life? Or, were you reared in an environment where sincere faith was invisible? The good news is that you can learn from the deposits your parents made in your life. You can benefit from the presence of sincere faith or from the absence of sincere faith. You can choose to replicate in your life now the faith they demonstrated back then. Or you can choose to elevate a sincere faith that was absent in your upbringing. God can take you to a new level! Stay close to Him! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor