“Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house.” Numbers 2:35 (ESV) When Moses set out to deliver the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage, he discovered the challenge of moving a large mass of people through the wilderness. The assignment was overwhelming and the task was too large for him to pull off on his own. God commissioned Moses and God equipped Moses to fulfill the assignment. The people of Israel were in the second month in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. God instructed Moses to take a census of the people and to arrange them by clans based on the twelve tribes of Israel. The process was thorough and meticulous. God gave detailed instructions to Moses for the task. We see demonstrated in the Old Testament and we learn in the New Testament, that God values order. “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33 ESV). God has infused His creation with order. The enemy attempts to bring disorder by inserting sin into the equation. Sin corrupts order in relationships, in families, in government, and in churches. Disorder brings confusion, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness. Disorder does not reflect the nature and character of God. Bring honor to God by ordering your life. Take time to assess the current condition of your life, your routine, and your priorities. Is your life out of order? Is your life out of balance? Make intentional adjustments in your life to come into alignment with God’s purposes and plan. What do you need to stop doing? What do you need to start doing? What do you need to continue doing? Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Order
“Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.’” Exodus 18:17-18 (ESV) Do you have margin in your life? Margin is the space between your load and your limit. God has designed you to handle a certain amount of His work during your brief stay on this planet called earth. God has given you all the time you need to accomplish His plan. Moses reached a breaking point due to being overextended and overwhelmed. The masses of people each wanted a piece of him. They wanted his time, his attention, and his decision making prowess. Though serving as judge over Israel, Moses failed to exercise proper judgment over his own life. God came to the rescue by bringing Jethro into Moses’ life. Jethro lovingly spoke into Moses’ life to declare, “What you are doing is not good.” Moses couldn’t see the unhealthy path that he was on. Jethro saw it clearly and succinctly. Jethro was willing to help Moses’ restructure his life. What is overwhelming you right now? Has your load exceeded your limit? What are you giving your life to that is outside of God’s will? Step back and evaluate your current reality. You may want to ask someone you know and love and trust to help you examine your life. Allow that person to give you feedback on what they see going on in your world. Their perspective could help you see what you are not seeing. God uses other people to help us walk in obedience to His will. Pray and ask God to bring a Jethro into your life. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.’” Exodus 18:17-18 (ESV) Our lives are bombarded with information and endless opportunities to expend our energy. Do you have margin in your life? Margin is the space between your load and your limit. God has designed you to handle a certain amount of His work during your brief stay on this planet called earth. God has given you all the time you need to accomplish His plan. Moses reached a breaking point due to being overextended and overwhelmed. The masses of people each wanted his time, his attention, and his decision making prowess. Though serving as judge over Israel, Moses failed to exercise proper judgment over his own life. God came to the rescue by bringing Jethro into Moses’ life. Jethro lovingly spoke into Moses’ life to declare, “What you are doing is not good.” Moses couldn’t see the unhealthy path that he was on. Jethro saw it clearly and succinctly. Jethro was willing to help Moses’ de-clutter his life. Has your load exceeded your limit? What are you giving your life to that is outside of God’s will? Step back and evaluate your current reality. You may want to ask someone you know and love and trust to help you examine your life. Allow that person to give you feedback on what they see going on in your world. Their perspective could help you see what you are not seeing. God uses other people to help us walk in obedience to His will. Pray and ask God to bring a Jethro into your life. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.’” Numbers 11:16-17 (ESV) When you love and care for people, you will experience fatigue. Life has a way of draining your energy and depleting your emotional reserves. Relationships can be refreshing and wonderful, yet some can be taxing and demanding. You can become weary to the point of total exhaustion. Moses hit a low point after caring for nearly two million Israelites. The journey of wandering in the wilderness had taken its toll. The Israelites were irritable and ungrateful for all that God had done and wanted to go back to Egypt. Moses felt the weight of their complaints. His emotional reserves were empty. God responded to the desperation Moses was experiencing by providing some much needed help. Moses could not bear this burden alone. God instructed Moses to bring a select group of Israel’s elders to the Tent of Meeting. God put His Spirit on them and empowered them to help Moses carry the burden of the people. Are you overwhelmed by life? Have you experienced compassion fatigue? Perhaps your load has exceeded your limit and you have no margin in your life. Ask God to bring some godly people into your life to help you carry the load. Ask God to show you what you need to stop doing, what you need to continue doing, and what you need to start doing. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) God established the home for our benefit and for His glory. God’s blueprint for the home includes order. God expects the husband and father to be the spiritual leader of the home. During my upbringing, my parents divorced and as a result, my mother became the spiritual leader of our home. The spiritual leader of the home is responsible to set the spiritual temperature for the home. Thus, the spiritual leader of the home is to be the spiritual thermostat for the home. When our children are elevated to the place of setting the environment for the home, something is out of order. When parenting becomes child-centered, in that everything centers around the wants and wishes of the child, something is out of order. Excessive extra-curricular activities for our children can become space invaders. When our lives and our schedules resemble a perpetual rat race, then something is out of order. We can overload and overwhelm our home by being overextended and over-committed to too many activities. Instead of pushing your children to be involved in a myriad of activities, consider having them choose one or two. Would that simplify your family life? Would your schedule have more space or margin to do life? Who is making the tough choices in your home to keep your family in alignment with God’s economy? Who is guarding the priorities and the order ordained by God for your home? The decisions you make to create space for doing life together as a family will serve as a tangible model for your children to emulate when they become parents one day. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Ordering Your Life
“And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.“ 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (ESV) Strive earnestly to live a disciplined life. What does that look like? It looks like a life that is orderly and balanced. It is a life that is disciplined and focused. Allow these words to be absorbed in your spirit: order, balance, discipline, and focus. Lead a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands. Maximize your potential and do not be dependent on anybody. That is not to say that you don’t need others. You need others, but your dependency is not to be a result of laziness or passive neglect. What is the goal of a balanced life? Is it to produce personal happiness? Is it to minimize stress? Those are certainly by-products of a balanced life. However, the goal of a balanced life is to be an irresistible influence for Christ in our culture. Your life is to be lived in such a way as to win the respect of outsiders. Those who are outside of the family of God should be able to view your life and be drawn to Christ. Your life should be magnetic and convincing. Do you lack order, balance, discipline, and focus? Maybe you have too many plates spinning. Maybe it is time to simplify your life. Identify and remove the clutter from your life. Create some space. It may be the most spiritual thing you do this week. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NIV) Take a walk outdoors and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. You will quickly notice that God values order and that everything is in its place. You will see that God values variety, harmony, and unity. The nature of God’s character is exhibited throughout His creation. When you examine the human body, you will notice that balance and symmetry are valued by God. God is not a God of disorder. Chaos is not consistent with God’s nature and character. God is a God of peace. Bring that concept into your personal relationship with Jesus and assess your daily walk with Him. How would you categorize your love relationship with the Lord? Is your relationship sporadic, chaotic, and inconsistent? Or would you say that your love relationship with Christ is vibrant, healthy, and growing? One of my pastor friends would often say, “Where there is order, there is fruitfulness.” God values order in the family. Is your home an oasis or a war zone? Make adjustments in your home to reflect the order God values. Seek to work together as a family to bring order to the home and to create an atmosphere that honors God and benefits your family. Assess your schedule and be wiling to adjust your time and energy allocation. God values order in the church. Is your church unified, focused, and organized to mobilize? Be a life-giving member of your local church and be faithful in participating in worship, connecting in small group Bible study, and exercising your spiritual gifts through serving others. Give sacrificially to the Lord’s work and join God in His activity. Is there anything out of order in your life? Bring everything in submission to the Lordship of Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house.” Numbers 2:35 (ESV) When Moses set out to deliver the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage, he discovered the challenge of moving a large mass of people through the wilderness. The assignment was overwhelming and the task was too large for him to pull off on his own. God commissioned Moses and God equipped Moses to fulfill the assignment. The people of Israel were in the second month in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt. God instructed Moses to take a census of the people and to arrange them by clans based on the twelve tribes of Israel. The process was thorough and meticulous. God gave detailed instructions to Moses for the task. We see demonstrated in the Old Testament and we learn in the New Testament, that God values order. “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33 ESV). God has infused His creation with order. The enemy attempts to bring disorder by inserting sin into the equation. Sin corrupts order in relationships, in families, in government, and in churches. Disorder brings confusion, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness. Disorder does not reflect the nature and character of God. Bring honor to God by ordering your life. Take time to assess the current condition of your life, your routine, and your priorities. Is your life out of order? Is your life out of balance? Make intentional adjustments in your life to come into alignment with God’s purposes and plan. What do you need to stop doing? What do you need to start doing? What do you need to continue doing? Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 54: Numbers 1-2) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.’” Exodus 18:17-18 (ESV) Do you have margin in your life? Margin is the space between your load and your limit. God has designed you to handle a certain amount of His work during your brief stay on this planet called earth. God has given you all the time you need to accomplish His plan. Moses reached a breaking point due to being overextended and overwhelmed. The masses of people each wanted a piece of him. They wanted his time, his attention, and his decision making prowess. Though serving as judge over Israel, Moses failed to exercise proper judgment over his own life. God came to the rescue by bringing Jethro into Moses’ life. Jethro lovingly spoke into Moses’ life to declare, “What you are doing is not good.” Moses couldn’t see the unhealthy path that he was on. Jethro saw it clearly and succinctly. Jethro was willing to help Moses’ restructure his life. What is overwhelming you right now? Has your load exceeded your limit? What are you giving your life to that is outside of God’s will? Step back and evaluate your current reality. You may want to ask someone you know and love and trust to help you examine your life. Allow that person to give you feedback on what they see going on in your world. Their perspective could help you see what you are not seeing. God uses other people to help us walk in obedience to His will. Pray and ask God to bring a Jethro into your life. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 35: Exodus 16-18) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Cor 14:33 (NIV) Take a walk outdoors and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. You will quickly notice that God values order and that everything is in its place. You will see that God values variety, harmony, and unity. The nature of God’s character is exhibited throughout His creation. When you examine the human body, you will notice that balance and symmetry are valued by God. God is not a God of disorder. Chaos is not consistent with God’s nature and character. God is a God of peace. Bring that concept into your personal relationship with Jesus and assess your daily walk with Him. How would you categorize your love relationship with the Lord? Is your relationship sporadic, chaotic, and inconsistent? Or would you say that your love relationship with Christ is vibrant, healthy, and growing? One of my pastor friends would often say, “Where there is order, there is fruitfulness.” God values order in the family. Is your home an oasis or a war zone? Make adjustments in your home to reflect the order God values. Seek to work together as a family to bring order to the home and to create an atmosphere that honors God and benefits your family. Assess your schedule and be wiling to adjust your time and energy allocation. God values order in the church. Is your church unified, focused, and organized to mobilize? Be a life-giving member of your local church and be faithful in participating in worship, connecting in small group Bible study, and exercising your spiritual gifts through serving others. Give sacrificially to the Lord’s work and join God in His activity. Is there anything out of order in your life? Bring everything in submission to the Lordship of Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.’” Ex 18:17-18 (NIV) Our lives are bombarded with information and endless opportunities to expend our energy. Do you have margin in your life? Margin is the space between your load and your limit. God has designed you to handle a certain amount of His work during your brief stay on this planet called earth. God has given you all the time you need to accomplish His plan. Moses reached a breaking point due to being overextended and overwhelmed. The masses of people each wanted his time, his attention, and his decision making prowess. Though serving as judge over Israel, Moses failed to exercise proper judgment over his own life. God came to the rescue by bringing Jethro into Moses’ life. Jethro lovingly spoke into Moses’ life to declare, “What you are doing is not good.” Moses couldn’t see the unhealthy path that he was on. Jethro saw it clearly and succinctly. Jethro was willing to help Moses’ de-clutter his life. Has your load exceeded your limit? What are you giving your life to that is outside of God’s will? Step back and evaluate your current reality. You may want to ask someone you know and love and trust to help you examine your life. Allow that person to give you feedback on what they see going on in your world. Their perspective could help you see what you are not seeing. God uses other people to help us walk in obedience to His will. Pray and ask God to bring a Jethro into your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“The LORD said to Moses: ‘Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.’” Num 11:16-17 (NIV) When you love and care for people, you will experience fatigue. Life has a way of draining your energy and depleting your emotional reserves. Relationships can be refreshing and wonderful, yet some can be taxing and demanding. You can become weary to the point of total exhaustion. Moses hit a low point after caring for nearly two million Israelites. The journey of wandering in the wilderness had taken its toll. The Israelites were irritable and ungrateful for all that God had done and wanted to go back to Egypt. Moses felt the weight of their complaints. His emotional reserves were empty. God responded to the desperation Moses was experiencing by providing some much needed help. Moses could not bear this burden alone. God instructed Moses to bring a select group of Israel’s elders to the Tent of Meeting. God put His Spirit on them and empowered them to help Moses carry the burden of the people. Are you overwhelmed by life? Have you experienced compassion fatigue? Perhaps your load has exceeded your limit and you have no margin in your life. Ask God to bring some godly people into your life to help you carry the load. Ask God to show you what you need to stop doing, what you need to continue doing, and what you need to start doing. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Prov 22:6 (NIV) God established the home for our benefit and for His glory. God’s blueprint for the home includes order. God expects the husband and father to be the spiritual leader of the home. During my upbringing, my parents divorced and as a result, my mother became the spiritual leader of our home. The spiritual leader of the home is responsible to set the spiritual temperature for the home. Thus, the spiritual leader of the home is to be the spiritual thermostat for the home. When our children are elevated to the place of setting the environment for the home, something is out of order. When parenting becomes child-centered, in that everything centers around the wants and wishes of the child, something is out of order. Excessive extra-curricular activities for our children can become space invaders. When our lives and our schedules resemble a perpetual rat race, then something is out of order. We can overload and overwhelm our home by being overextended and over-committed to too many activities. Instead of pushing your children to be involved in a myriad of activities, consider having them choose one or two. Would that simplify your family life? Would your schedule have more space or margin to do life? Who is making the tough choices in your home to keep your family in alignment with God’s economy? Who is guarding the priorities and the order ordained by God for your home? The decisions you make to create space for doing life together as a family will serve as a tangible model for your children to emulate when they become parents one day. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Ordering Your Life
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thess 4:11-12 (NIV) Strive earnestly to live a disciplined life. What does that look like? It looks like a life that is orderly and balanced. It is a life that is disciplined and focused. Allow these words to be absorbed in your spirit: order, balance, discipline, and focus. Lead a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands. Maximize your potential and do not be dependent on anybody. That is not to say that you don’t need others. You need others, but your dependency is not to be a result of laziness or passive neglect. What is the goal of a balanced life? Is it to produce personal happiness? Is it to minimize stress? Those are certainly by-products of a balanced life. However, the goal of a balanced life is to be an irresistible influence for Christ in our culture. Your life is to be lived in such a way as to win the respect of outsiders. Those who are outside of the family of God should be able to view your life and be drawn to Christ. Your life should be magnetic and convincing. Do you lack order, balance, discipline, and focus? Maybe you have too many plates spinning. Maybe it is time to simplify your life. Identify and remove the clutter from your life. Create some space. It may be the most spiritual thing you do this week. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Ambition
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thess 4:11-12 (NIV) Where there is order there is fruitfulness. Strive earnestly to live a disciplined life. What does that look like? It looks like a life that is orderly and balanced. It is a life that is disciplined and focused. Allow these words to be absorbed in your spirit: order, balance, discipline, and focus. Lead a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands. Maximize your potential and do not be dependent on anybody. That is not to say that you don’t need others. You need others, but your dependency is not to be a result of laziness or passive neglect. What is the goal of a balanced life? Is it to produce personal happiness? Is it to minimize stress? Those are certainly by-products of a balanced life. However, the goal of a balanced life is to be an irresistible influence for Christ in our culture. Your life is to be lived in such a way as to win the respect of outsiders. Those who are outside of the family of God should be able to view your life and be drawn to Christ. Your life should be magnetic and convincing. Do you lack order, balance, discipline, and focus? Maybe you have too many plates spinning. Maybe it is time to simplify your life. Identify and remove the clutter from your life. Create some space. It may be the most spiritual thing you do this week. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor