Category: Joy

Rejoice Is Your Choice

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3 (ESV) Living in a fallen world comes at a price. The consequences of sin have rippled throughout our family tree all the way back to Adam and Eve. When sin entered the human race, trials became the shadow. Trials are as much a part of life as the air we breathe. The question is not a matter of whether we will face trials or not in this life. The issue is how we choose to respond to the trials we face. Trials are inevitable in a fallen world. However, we can choose to rejoice in the midst of the trials we navigate. We need not be surprised by the multifaceted trials that come our way. Instead, we need to live in the ready mode in order to anticipate trials and more specifically, plan our response to trials. Will you choose to rejoice? You cannot choose your trials, but you can choose your response to the trials. Consider the trials that you are currently experiencing. How will you respond today? Will your choice be to rejoice? Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

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1 Kings Joy Temple

Joyful and Glad

“On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.” 1 Kings 8:66 (ESV) The elders of Israel and the priests brought up the ark to the Temple and positioned it in the Most Holy Place. Solomon obeyed God and honored his earthly father, David, by building the Temple and establishing the house of prayer. Solomon prayed a prayer of blessing over the people of Israel. This magnificent moment in the story of God’s redemptive activity was filled with awe, wonder, sacrifice, and worship. After the sacred seven day celebration, Solomon sent the people away and the people went to their homes filled with joy and gladness for all the goodness that the Lord had shown them. The faithfulness of God to His people had saturated their lives and filled their journey with joy and gladness. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12 (ESV) “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (ESV) Contemplate the goodness of God in your life. Think about all that the Lord has done to see you through seasons of uncertainty and storms of adversity. Ponder the spiritual markers God has strategically placed in your journey with Him. Celebrate the faithfulness of God over each day of your life and each year of your existence. God has brought you out of Egypt and supernaturally enabled you to cross the Red Sea and the Jordan River on dry ground. God has delivered you from the bondage of Egypt and He has brought you safely into the land that flows with milk and honey. Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

Tags Devo

1 Kings Joy Temple

Joyful and Glad

Tags Devo

1 Kings Joy Temple

Joyful and Glad

“On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.” 1 Kings 8:66 (ESV) The elders of Israel and the priests brought up the ark to the Temple and positioned it in the Most Holy Place. Solomon obeyed God and honor his earthly father, David, by building the Temple and establishing the house of prayer. Solomon prayed a prayer of blessing over the people of Israel. This magnificent moment in the story of God’s redemptive activity was filled with awe, wonder, sacrifice, and worship. After the sacred seven day celebration, Solomon sent the people away and the people went to their homes filled with joy and gladness for all the goodness that the Lord had shown them. The faithfulness of God to His people had saturated their lives and filled their journey with joy and gladness. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12 (ESV) “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (ESV) Contemplate the goodness of God in your life. Think about all that the Lord has done to see you through seasons of uncertainty and storms of adversity. Ponder the spiritual markers God has strategically placed in your journey with Him. Celebrate the faithfulness of God over each day of your life and each year of your existence. God has brought you out of Egypt and supernaturally enabled you to cross the Red Sea and the Jordan River on dry ground. God has delivered you from the bondage of Egypt and He has brought you safely into the land that flows with milk and honey. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 164: 1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 5) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Contentment Joy Worrying

Considering Contentment

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Phil 4:11-12 (NIV) What are you waiting for? Will it ever be enough? If you have to move one inch to have joy, you will not find it. Happiness is based on happenstance. If the conditions are just right, then you may be happy for a season. However, joy is not connected to circumstances. Joy is the product of living a life of contentment founded upon your relationship with Christ. Paul experienced the palace and the prison. He knew what it meant to live with much and to live on very little. Paul had experienced popularity and persecution. He knew suffering on a first name basis. Yet, in the midst of shifting circumstances, Paul learned the secret of being content. He did not allow the external realities to rob him of the internal relationship he had with Jesus. Paul had surrendered his life to the Lordship of Christ and yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s contentment was demonstrated through the experience of peace in the midst of the storms of life. What is your level of contentment? Have you learned the secret of being content in any and every situation? Are you waiting for ideal circumstances to develop? Are you postponing your joy until a future accomplishment comes to fruition? Don’t hesitate! Don’t delay your decision to embrace contentment. Stop worrying and fretting over the things you have no control over. Rest in the peace of God and the all-sufficient provision of God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Joy Mission Mountaintop Experiences Reveal Soulwinning

Our Mission

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matt 28:18-20 (NIV) The Great Commission is our mission. I live in awe of the reality that God would choose someone like to me to be adopted into His family, to be included in His redemption story, and to be empowered for His redemptive mission. If you have turned your life over to Jesus Christ and allowed Him to become the Lord of your life, you to have been adopted, included, and empowered by God and for God. Your life has true meaning and your life matters to God and directly impacts the population of heaven. You have been given authority by Jesus to make disciples of all people groups. Now that’s something worth giving your life to! Don’t get distracted by materialism and the pursuit of prestige. Don’t allow your passion for God and His redemptive activity to be dissolved by the pursuit of worldly pleasures. Laser focus your life on that which moves the heart of God. Give your life to influencing people for Christ. As you go, make disciples. Maximize every opportunity that God gives you to make Jesus known. You may be the only Jesus others see. Reveal God’s love to every person you come into contact with. Be an irresistible influence for Christ on this broken planet called earth. Reveal the grace you have been given by God to others. Reveal the mercy you have received through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. Reveal the hope to others that you have come to know firsthand. 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

Jesus Joy Treasure

Facing Death

“‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.’” Matt 13:44 (NIV) When I stood behind the pulpit to speak at the funeral of the surgeon who saved my life, it was as though time stood still. He had been our family doctor during my childhood and teenage years. He was a devoted husband, father, and deacon at my home church. Every scar on my body bears his workmanship from stitching up deeps cuts to performing emergency surgery following my Jet Ski accident during my junior year in High School. He was a godly man my family treasured. There’s something about death that makes us measure the value of life. When someone dear to us dies, we experience the agony of their loss and the joy of their gain. Knowing that we will see them again in heaven brings such comfort. Knowing that they are in the Presence of God beholding the face of Jesus and walking on streets of gold generates the affirmation of our faith. Jesus shared a parable that helps us understand what the kingdom of heaven is like. When a man found treasure hidden in the field, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field. The kingdom of heaven is to be treasured. The kingdom of heaven is worth being treasured. Your most valued possession is the gift of eternal life that you received at the moment of your conversion. When Jesus became the Lord of your life, you became secure for eternity. You became a kingdom citizen. Death is not a wall to climb, but a bridge to cross. Jesus has made a way for you to face death with certainty and clarity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

God's Presence Joy

Joy in God’s Presence

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalms 16:11 (NIV) God fills you with joy in His Presence. The thought of having access to the presence of God is still amazing. God has made known the path of life. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We have gained access to God through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. Our sin debt has been paid in full. In Christ, we have been reconciled to God. God chooses to fill us with joy in His presence. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to enjoy God’s presence. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to enjoy the eternal pleasures. God is for us. He created us. God is with us. Jesus redeemed us. God is in us. The Holy Spirit indwells us. The presence of God is no longer confined to the Old Testament Tabernacle or Temple. God’s presence is no longer confined to the Ark of the Covenant. God has chosen to take up residence in us. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Cor 6:19-20 (NIV) “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NIV) Are you walking in the joy of God’s presence? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Heart Joy

Joy to the Heart

“The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Psalms 19:8 (NIV) God honors our obedience to His Word. One of the benefits of obedience is joy. Joy is not connected to our circumstances. As followers of Jesus Christ, we experience joy as a result of our abiding relationship with Christ marked by obedience. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalms 1:1-2 (NIV) “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:25 (NIV) Are you receiving joy to the heart? Take a look at your level of obedience to God’s Word. Your joy will be proportionate to your level of obedience. Obey what God has shown you. Obey what you already know and enjoy the benefit of joy. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Joy Rejoice Suffering Trials

Real Trials (1)

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3 (NIV) Rejoice is a choice. Living in a fallen world comes at a price. The consequences of sin have rippled throughout our family tree all the way back to Adam and Eve. When sin entered the human race, trials became the shadow. Trials are as much a part of life as the air we breathe. The question is not a matter of whether we will face trials or not in this life. The issue is how we choose to respond to the trials we face. Trials are inevitable in a fallen world. However, we can choose to rejoice in the midst of the trials we navigate. We need not be surprised by the multifaceted trials that come our way. Instead, we need to live in the ready mode in order to anticipate trials and more specifically, plan our response to trials. Will you choose to rejoice? You cannot choose your trials, but you can choose your response to the trials. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” Phil 1:29 (NIV) “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV) Consider the trials that you are currently experiencing. How will you respond today? Will your choice be to rejoice? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor