Category: On Mission

The Christmas story is rooted in God’s nature and character. “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:20 (NIV) God’s story is the story of redemption. In His grace and mercy, God has come to us in order to rescue us from our sin and our eternal damnation. God’s redemptive activity is an outflow of His holiness and compassion. God became like us so that we could become like Him. The shepherds responded to God’s invitation by going into Bethlehem to see Jesus lying in a manger. They shared their angelic experience with Joseph and Mary to affirm their belief in Jesus as the savior of the world. The shepherds returned with an attitude of praise and adoration for all that God had done in their midst. They identified that their personal experienced lined up with God’s revelation. God keeps His word. When God speaks, you will know that His activity is just as He said. The shepherds anchored their faith in the certainty of God’s revelation. You can trust God to do what He says He will do. There isn’t a fraction of error. God speaks so that we can know Him, serve Him, and make Him known throughout the earth. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

“‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’” John 3:16 (NIV) According to the Registry of Peoples and Languages, there are 6,809 distinct languages. There are more than twelve thousand ethnic identities or people groups. With over 6.7 billion people on the planet, the world’s population is massive. What kind of hope is available to such a mass number of diverse people? The hope of the world is found in John 3:16. If you had to condense the entire Bible into a single verse, it would be John 3:16. God’s love for all people groups is captured by this one verse. The wonderful news is that God took the initiative to provide us with the gift of eternal life through His one and only Son, Jesus. God chose to robe Himself in flesh and become like us so that we could become like Him. Whoever believes receives God’s gracious salvation gift. There is no greater love. There is no greater gift. Bundle all the gifts from every Christmas you have experienced and you will not come close to the ultimate love gift God has provided in Jesus. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” Eph 2:8-9 (NIV) “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV) Now that you have received God’s gift of eternal life, be willing to make His gift known to others. You can present the saving news of Jesus to any lost person anywhere and radically change their forever! You can share the ultimate gift with a world in need of our Savior. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

God speaks your love language. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4 (NIV) The joy of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus and giving meaningful gifts to those we love. Jesus came to give us the ultimate gift, eternal life. As we exchange gifts this Christmas, it is an expression of valuing others. As you shop for that perfect gift to bless someone dear to you, you thoughtfully consider what they need and what they like. You consider their tastes, interests, and desires. You focus your gift on their uniqueness. God speaks your love language in that He meets you at your greatest point of need. Salvation has come in the miracle of the manger, Jesus, born to bring life everlasting. On the Day of Pentecost, God demonstrated that the Gospel is for everyone. He broke through the ethnic and language barriers by allowing those present in Jerusalem to hear the Gospel in their own language. As the people groups represented in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost returned to their homeland, the Gospel spread. “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:41 (NIV) God’s love language is universal. The miracle of Christmas is that in Christ God’s glory may be revealed to all nations. Are you available for God’s use? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

God honors unity. “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14 (NIV) Anticipating Christmas generates major excitement and energy. You can feel it in the air as people saturate their flower beds, yards, and homes with decorative lights. The traffic heightens as shoppers strategically complete their Christmas lists. Travelers prepare to make their rounds among the family traditions. Anticipation of celebrating the birth of Christ brings out the best in us. Following the ascension of Christ, a hundred and twenty believers were gathered in the upper room anticipating the arrival of the Holy Spirit. They were anticipating the fulfillment of the Father’s promise. They all joined together. They continued with one accord in prayer. The Greek word is “homothumadon” which means with one mind, one accord, and one passion. In the language of the New Testament, it means to have the same mind and to rush along in unison. God honored their unity as demonstrated in their continual praying together. God allowed them to express their unity through a ten day prayer meeting of anticipation. Unified prayer was their preparation for the impartation of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Do you pray in anticipation of God’s answer? Have you experienced unified prayer with other believers? What if you brought unified prayer into your Christmas experience? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

God is a promise keeper. “He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’” Luke 24:46-49 (NIV) Jesus developed His disciples by investing time with them. He modeled what He wanted to multiply in them and through them. Jesus commissioned His followers to preach in His name to all nations. Then Jesus affirmed that He would send them what His Father had promised. He instructed them to stay in Jerusalem until they received the impartation of the promise. God is the promise giver and He is a promise keeper. The promise He gave to the followers of Christ was the Person of the Holy Spirit. The promise He gives to every person who receives the gift of eternal life is the Holy Spirit. “We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13 (NIV) Are you a child of the promise? Have you been born into God’s family? God’s glory lives in you in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Will you live for the global glory of God by sharing His promise with all nations beginning with your neighbors? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

God’s agenda is global. “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” Luke 2:13-14 (NIV) You are here to bring glory to God. You have been created by God to fulfill His agenda. God’s agenda is global and your purpose is to live for His global glory. Don’t waste your life. You are too valuable to God. Don’t wade in the pool of apathy. Time is to too short. “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14 (NIV) The brevity of life and certainty of death are realities that should motivate us to passionately bring God glory every moment of each day. What are you doing for the global glory of God? It is impossible to be self-consumed and live for the global glory of God. It is impossible to be self-centered and live for the global glory of God. The angels got it. They demonstrated at Jesus’ birth that their focus was to bring glory to God. God alone is worthy of our adoration. God alone is worthy of a life focused on bringing Him glory. Are you willing to reorient your life around living for the global glory of God? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:6-7 (NIV) Make room for Jesus. He is the hope of the world. There is no other option for men, women, boys, and girls to be saved from eternal damnation. There is no other option for anyone to be delivered from the clutches of the enemy. Jesus is God’s response to the fall of man. Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV) “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV) Will you make room for Jesus? Will you give Him first place in your life? Your heart can be His manger. Jesus came so that you would know Him personally and to enable you to invest the rest of your life to making Him known. Seize the opportunities that God gives you this week to make Jesus known. World missions begins right where you are. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor