Category: One Month To Live

Passion in Action (7)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20 (NIV) Are you dying to live? You can spend your entire life trying to figure out how to really live. Your constant pursuit can be saturated with seeking to discover life. Meanwhile, life happens while you are trying to get a grasp on life. Paul gives tremendous insight into the life God has for you. In order to live, you must die. The life God has for you is really not your life. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have been crucified with Christ. You have already died to yourself so that Christ can live in you. Don’t miss the parallel. You died so that Christ can live in you and through you. Yet, the life you now live in the body is lived by faith in Jesus, who loved you and gave himself for you. You are dying to live. “Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.’” Luke 9:23-24 (NIV) “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” Romans 8:11 (NIV) Put your passion in action by allowing Jesus to live His life in and through you. Give Jesus the reins to your life and let Him have His way in you. Surrender to His Lordship and submit to His prompting. Your passion will be evidenced by your obedience. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

One Month To Live Passion Zeal

Passion in Action (6)

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Cor 9:24 (NIV) Life is not a sprint, but a marathon. The Greeks had two athletic festivals: the Olympic games and the Isthmian games. Paul’s audience would immediately connect this running imagery with the Isthmian games in their city of Corinth. Instead of receiving a gold, silver, or bronze medal like in our current day Olympics, only one prize was awarded in the Isthmian games. The winning runner would receive a wreath. Nothing was awarded to the runner who came in second or third. Only one person got the prize! Paul is encouraging us as believers to run in such a way as to get that prize. We are to live the Christian life with passion. God desires our best and God deserves our best. So, how are you running the Christian race? Are you running with passion? Too often, we divert our passion to other venues. We rob God and we give our best to that which has no eternal value. How you live is just as important as how much time you have left on this earth. The quality of your life is just as vital as the quantity of your remaining days. How will you live your life? If you had less than one month to live, would your passion in the race of life be vertical? Would your passion for God and His agenda be evident? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

One Month To Live Passion Prayer Zeal

Passion in Action (5)

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:3-6 (NIV) The Apostle Paul demonstrated his love for the church at Philippi by his passionate intercession for them. He prayed with joy because of their partnership in the gospel. He prayed with confidence knowing that God began a good work in them and would bring it to completion. Paul’s prayer life was energized by his love for the believers at Philippi. Paul was not alone. The Holy Spirit joined in the divine communication by interceding for the saints in Philippi. Jesus interceded for them from the right hand of God in heaven. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV) When you pray for others, you have the divine privilege of joining the Holy Spirit and Jesus in the ministry of intercession. Put your passion in action by embracing the ministry of intercessory prayer. Who will you begin to pray for today? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

One Month To Live Passion Zeal

Passion in Action (4)

“‘Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.’” Josh 24:14-15 (NIV) Joshua’s passion for God was contagious. He was willing to take responsibility for the spiritual condition of his home. Joshua made a bold proclamation that as for he and his household, they would serve the Lord. He did not apologize for his passion to obey God. His loyalty to God was expressed through his passion for God. Joshua’s passion to lead his family spiritually impacted the nation. “‘Now then,’ said Joshua, ‘throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.’” Josh 24:23 (NIV) “And the people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.’” Josh 24:24 (NIV) It is interesting that Joshua did not ask the people to do anything he had not already done. Joshua put his passion in action by leading his family to revere and serve the Lord. Now the people could respond to his example and to his exhortation. Are you putting your passion in action in such as way as to impact your family and those in your sphere of influence? Is your passion for God contagious or difficult to detect? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

One Month To Live Passion Zeal

Passion in Action (3)

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Romans 10:1-4 (NIV) Paul identifies the possibility of being zealous for God and yet not being saved. Paul examined the fruit of the Israelites in his day and detected their zeal for God. He noticed that their zeal was not based on knowledge. As a result, their pursuit of righteousness was faulty. They were unwilling to submit to God’s righteousness and as a result they failed to recognize Christ. “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” Prov 19:2 (NIV) Don’t allow your zeal to blind you from truth. Before you put your passion in action, make sure you are grounded in the truth of God’s revelation. God has made His salvation plan known. Make certain of your personal born again experience. Revisit your conversion and trace your zeal from that moment to now. What if you had less than one month to live? How would you inform your passion in order to properly unleash your passion for the things of God? Stay in the know. Invest time in securing a daily intake of God’s Word. If you want to know the heart of God, read His Word. If you want to know the blessings of God, obey His Word. God honors obedience! If you want to put your passion in action, be zealous to know and obey God’s Word! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Fear One Month To Live Passion Zeal

Passion in Action (2)

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.” Prov 23:17 (NIV) The current of our culture is counter Christian. As you seek to live out your faith in a fallen world, you will quickly discover that walking in reverence to God and in full devotion to Jesus will place you in the minority. You may forfeit popularity in this sin saturated culture, but you will not forfeit your position in Christ. You may not be affirmed by society for your faithfulness to God, but you will be rewarded by God who is all-knowing and who takes care of HIs own. Don’t allow the prosperity of the wicked to distract you in this life. Don’t allow the visible affluence of the disobedient to diminish your passion for the things of God. Always be zealous for the Lord. Guard your heart and fortify your passion for God. Revere God as your Heavenly Father. Revere God as the One who created you, pursued you, rescued you, and empowers you for victorious living. Revere God for His holiness. Revere God for His nature and character. Demonstrate your devotion to God by your unwavering allegiance to His redemptive plan. What if you had less than thirty days to live? How would your loyalty be adjusted? Would your allegiance to God’s agenda expand? How differently would you channel your passion? Let’s live life for God with the intensity of our final days on the earth. God deserves our best! God deserves our reverence and our diligence! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

One Month To Live Passion Zeal

Passion in Action (1)

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11 (NIV) What are you passionate about? What are you giving your time, energy, and resources to? What gets the best of you? You answer unveils your zeal. God placed zeal in you. Your passion is an expression of your spiritual DNA. God gives you the ability to be passionate in this life. However, it is possible to misdirect the passion God gives you. Your passion can be diverted to areas that are unhealthy or unfruitful. You can channel your passion to outlets that dishonor God or even to good things that rob God’s best for you. God’s Word teaches us to keep our spiritual fervor. Our passion in action should be vertical in nature. We are to be passionate for God. Our zeal for God and His Kingdom should never experience a deficit. As we nurture our passion for God, we are to keep our passion channeled in the paths that God provides. Are you passionate about the things of God? Does your life give evidence to the passion God desires from you? Take some time to assess your current reality. See if your passion is misdirected. Examine your life to the level of identifying the source of your passion and the expression of your passion in action. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Application Learn Obedience One Month To Live

Living The Dash (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) What have you learned? Life is full of lessons. If you had only one month to live, how would you apply what you have learned up to this point in your life? Think about your exposure to God’s Word and the verses you have memorized. Think about how much you have fed on God’s Word and sought to apply the principles from the Bible. Paul encouraged Timothy to continue in what he had learned from infancy from constant exposure to the holy Scriptures. Feeding on God’s Word is to be our continual practice and our consistent discipline. Yet, it is not enough to just read the Bible, we must apply God’s Word in daily living. “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.” Psalms 89:15 (NIV) “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Phil 4:9 (NIV) Maybe a good start for you would be to commit to read through the Bible in one year. If you will read four chapters each day, you will cross the finish line in 365 days. Daily intake and application of God’s Word will enable your dash to make a Kingdom splash. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Cross Love One Month To Live

Living The Dash (5)

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Eph 5:1-2 (NIV) Who do I love and who loves me? Love is a fruit of the Spirit and an indicator of a Christ-centered life. Loving God and loving others is the outflow of the Christian life. God wants us to live a life of love. Our model to follow is Jesus. He demonstrated His love for us by giving Himself up for us on the cross “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” 1 John 3:14 (NIV) “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV) Who do you love? Who are the people in your life who are the consistent recipients of your love? God calls us to love one another. God is love and those who know God love others. It is true that some people are difficult to love. Remember, God is not asking us to do anything He has not already done. God is not asking us to extend any measure of love that He has not already extended to us. Who loves you? Of course, God loves you and He has clearly affirmed His love for you by allowing His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for you. Who else loves you? Begin to name them one by one in a prayer of thanksgiving to God for them. Express your gratitude to God for the people He has placed in your life to allow you to experience love personally. God is so good. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Depression Elijah God's Activity One Month To Live

Living The Dash (4)

“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’” 1 Kings 19:3-4 (NIV) What kind of life am I living? As you assess your current reality, you will find that life has a rhythm. You will experience a season of highs and a season of lows and a season of in-betweens. Life will be marked by mountain top experiences, valley experiences, and uneventful plateaus. Life has a certain rhythm that requires our faith to be anchored to the Rock, Jesus Christ. Elijah had a mountain top experience on Mount Carmel and the power of God fell in a mighty demonstration. This would be considered a major spiritual marker in Elijah’s life as well as a major spiritual victory over the prophets of Baal and the prophets of Asherah. Yet, Elijah descends into major depression following this mountaintop experience to the point of wanting God to take his life. Now that’s pretty low! God came to Elijah’s rescue and provided him with rest, refreshment, revelation, and relationship. That’s the rhythm of life. Our life today is similar in that we will experience major spiritual victories as well as some personal defeats that knock the wind out of us. The question becomes: What kind of life am I living? In the midst of the realities of life on a broken planet in a fallen world, am I living the life God has for me? Am I joining God in His activity? If you had one month to live, what would be different about your response to the rhythms of life? How would you respond to adversity? How would you respond to victory? Would you choose to draw near to God or would you choose to drift in your love relationship with Him? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

One Month To Live

Living The Dash (3)

“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” Psalms 39:4-5 (NIV) When you compare your life to that of a breath, it makes life seem to be so insignificant. Yet, the psalmist is not measuring the value of life. God has already established the value of life. The psalmist is asking God to give him a glimpse of how fragile life is and how temporal life is. How would you respond if God let you know that you only had thirty days to live? What would change about your current lifestyle? What adjustments would you make in order to live like you were dying in thirty days? If your remaining time on earth became a specific number of days that was clearly communicated to you, perhaps you would rearrange your current priorities. Maybe the way you allocate your time and energy would demonstrate radical adjustments once you found out that you only had thirty days to live. The number of your remaining days would directly impact how you would spend each moment. Our tendency is to take life for granted. We so often feel invincible and act as though we are guaranteed several decades of life on earth. God has a way of reminding us how fleeting life is. Are you ready to die? Are you ready to live? Have you made reservations for eternity in Heaven? “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) Our time on earth is limited. Be ready to live. Be ready to die. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Abraham Faith Mystery One Month To Live

Living The Dash (2)

“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’” Gen 12:1 (NIV) Leave room for mystery. How would you respond if God told you to leave everything familiar and go to a land that He would show you? What if God asked you to uproot and relocate? The only catch is, you have to trust God for the details. God’s instruction to you is to simply leave and go. That’s it! So you start packing and you launch out to pursue God’s will and wait for Him to show you the next step. You do not know exactly where you are going. The destination has not been communicated to you. You are simply leaving and going. God’s will includes an element of mystery. God created you to be relational and to learn how to enter into communication with Him. God communicates His will to you. God reveals His purpose and plan for your life. You have the freedom to respond with instant obedience. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb 11:6 (NIV) “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” James 2:18 (NIV) Living the dash involves a faith journey. You are the creature whom God created. You are finite and God is infinite. You are seeking to know the heart and will of the Creator of the universe. Leave room for mystery as you walk with God. As God reveals His plan to you, obey what God shows you. As you spend time in His Word, obey what God says to you. You will discover that your obedience unlocks God’s next step. As you obey what you know, God will show you what to do next. Abraham had to trust God to show him the next step. As Abraham obeyed God, God revealed the next step to Abraham. Are you willing to obey God in what He has already shown you? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

One Month To Live

Living The Dash (1)

“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) In light of eternity, life on earth is marked by brevity. When you examine your life up close, what really matters in this life is how you live the dash. The dash represents the time you spend on earth. God has given you a certain amount of time to fulfill His plan upon the earth. It comes down to two dates and a dash. The date of your birth, the date of your death, and the dash in between capture your earthly existence. It’s hard to believe that your entire life can be placed on a marble tombstone with two dates and a dash. Is your life only a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes? If you have the privilege of living over seventy years on this earth, would that be considered a mist? In light of eternity, your seventy years of earthly existence is only a mist. Here’s the good news! We get to choose how we spend our dash. We get to make choices each day which determine how we live. God created us with the sacred trust of decision making. We can choose to invest our life or we can choose to waste our life. Ponder your dash. Invite God into your dash and ask Him to make adjustments in your life to help you live in light of eternity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor