Category: Partnership

Categories
Growth Harvest Partnership

Partnership in Planting

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (NIV) Who was more important in the kingdom of God: Paul or Apollos? Both were devoted to God’s mission of reaching others with the saving news of Jesus. Both men were fully devoted followers of Christ and selflessly served to advance the kingdom of God. Both men were devoted to honoring God and benefiting others. God makes it clear in His Word that neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything. Our value in the kingdom of God is not based on our productivity. I remember early on in my ministry, I would be asked by fellow pastors, “How many are you running at your church?” I wasn’t sure if they wanted to know how many we were running on Sunday in a worship service or how many we were running off by preaching the truth. Through a season of searching for God’s answer to my dilemma, God affirmed that my value in His kingdom is not based on the size church I pastor. My value in the kingdom of God is based on my faithfulness to God. Success is defined by God as obedience! Are we obedient in partnering with God’s people to accomplish God’s mission on the earth with what God has entrusted to us? Are we faithful with what we have been given to accomplish God’s will? We are to be faithful in planting the seed of the Gospel and we are to be faithful to water the seed and to remember that God makes things grow. Let’s do our part to plant and water and leave the results up to God? God will make the seed grow! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Growth Harvest Partnership

Partnership in Planting

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Cor 3:6-7 (NIV) Who was more important in the kingdom of God: Paul or Apollos? Both were devoted to God’s mission of reaching others with the saving news of Jesus. Both men were fully devoted followers of Christ and selflessly served to advance the kingdom of God. Both men were devoted to honoring God and benefiting others. God makes it clear in His Word that neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything. Our value in the kingdom of God is not based on our productivity. I remember early on in my ministry, I would be asked by fellow pastors, “How many are you running at your church?” I wasn’t sure if they wanted to know how many we were running on Sunday in a worship service or how many we were running off by preaching the truth. Through a season of searching for God’s answer to my dilemma, God affirmed that my value in His kingdom is not based on the size church I pastor. My value in the kingdom of God is based on my faithfulness to God. Success is defined by God as obedience! Are we obedient in partnering with God’s people to accomplish God’s mission on the earth with what God has entrusted to us? Are we faithful with what we have been given to accomplish God’s will? We are to be faithful in planting the seed of the Gospel and we are to be faithful to water the seed and to remember that God makes things grow. Let’s do our part to plant and water and leave the results up to God? God will make the seed grow! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Christian Conduct Partnership

Participating in the Divine Nature

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:4 (NIV) We are blessed to have the promises of God at our fingertips. The Bible we treasure is the instrument through which God communicates His Word to us. We are so blessed to have access to the very Word of God. Each promise in God’s Word gives us traction for participation in His divine nature. As we read, study, meditate on, memorize, and apply God’s Word, we unleash His power and realize His nature. God is holy. God is immutable. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. God is eternal. He was never born and He will never die. God is love. God is mercy, grace, and peace. God is infinite; we are finite. God is flawless; we are flawed. How do you escape the corruption in the world? Escaping corruption is made possible as you claim God’s promises and participate in God’s divine nature. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit make up the Trinity. You declare the fullness of God as you apply God’s Word. You participate in the divine nature as you seek to fulfill the Great Commission and live out the Great Commandment. Loving God and loving others requires employing the promises of God. Participating in God’s divine nature takes place when you walk in the Spirit and choose to deny the cravings of the sinful nature. Proximity to God’s promises matters. Begin to recite the promises of God that you have memorized over the years. Open your Bible and search for specific promises related to your current situation. Let God speak and choose to participate with God in His divine nature. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Categories
Dream Life Partnership Something Great

Something Great (2)

Do something great by partnering with others. “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 1:4-6 (NIV) Has God given you a dream that cannot be accomplished without others? As you study the Old Testament and the New Testament, seek to identify the partnerships that God blessed. From the Old Testament, I immediately think of Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, David and Jonathan, Naomi and Ruth, Elijah and Elisha. From the New Testament, I immediately think of Peter, James, and John, Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Silas, Paul and Titus, and of course, Paul and Timothy. As John Maxwell says, “Teamwork makes the dream work!” Paul understood the power of partnership. Writing from his imprisonment in Rome, Paul affirms his partnership with the church at Philippi. His relationship with the church family brought him great joy. Paul needed them and they needed him.   Do you sense the value of being connected to a small group of Christ followers? Consider taking your partnerships to a new level this year by participating in a short term mission trip somewhere to spread the fragrance of Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care