Category: Seeking God

Earnestly Seeking God

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (ESV) How passionate is your pursuit of God? Is He your preoccupation? Our passion can easily divert to other things or other people. We can slip into being passionate about activities that have no eternal value. We can channel our passion in areas that diffuse our focus and keep us from keeping the main thing the main thing. David demonstrated a vibrant walk with God. He would earnestly seek God and thirst for Him as in a dry and weary land. In his love relationship with God, David embodied a hunger and thirst for God that compelled him to pursue God daily and passionately. “I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.” Psalm 17:6 (ESV) “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!’ Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.” Psalm 35:27-38 (ESV) If someone were to shadow you for seven days, what would they say about your passion? Would that person be able to detect your passion for the things of God? Would that person detect your devotion to the Lord and be inspired by your daily walk with the Lord? Take some time to conduct a spiritual inventory of your life. Trace your walk with God and determine your level of intensity and try to measure your passion. Earnestly seek God. Thirst for Him. He is your God! Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Faith Salvation Seeking God

Make the Call

“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, ‘God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.’ To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.” Genesis 4:25-26 (ESV) God pursued Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and demonstrated His love for them by providing a sacrifice for their sin. God killed an animal in order to provide garments of skins to cloth them. His redeeming love flowed in the garden to rescue Adam and Eve from their sin. A pivotal moment takes place in Scripture during the time of Adam and Eve’s son, Seth, and grandson, Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. God’s pursuit is reciprocated. People began to call on His Name. The thread of God’s redemptive activity can be traced throughout the Bible. When we move into the New Testament and walk through the Gospels to embrace the obedience of Christ on the cross, we can then rejoice in His bodily resurrection and ascension. God came to our rescue! He has made it possible for us to call on His Name! “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:12-13 (ESV) What are you doing with the precious gift God has given you to call upon His Name? Are you maximizing the gift by pursuing Him daily and by practicing His Presence moment-by-moment? Call upon the Lord. Seek Him diligently and focus your life on His agenda. Remove distractions. Eliminate idols. Run to Jesus. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Delight Satisfaction Seeking God

A True Delight

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (ESV) A true delight is knowing God’s will and doing God’s will. A true delight is having the peace of God in the midst of life’s storms. A true delight is having the assurance of heaven and eternal life. John Piper has affirmed, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.” What is your primary source of satisfaction? Where do you turn to experience joy and fulfillment? Your love relationship with the Lord is the conduit through which the blessings of God flow. He is the source of life that is truly life. He fills you with an inexpressible and glorious joy (1 Pet. 1:8). As you commune with the Lord and take delight in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart. When you are rightly related to God in Christ and you choose to seek Him with all of your heart, you will find that your desires are in line. As you delight in the Lord, you will not desire anything that is contrary to His will. Intimacy with the Lord heightens your sensitivity to God’s activity. Your delight becomes God’s agenda. “For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.” Job 22:26 (ESV) “He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:19 (ESV) Life in a fallen world has many competing forces. There are countless distractions that seek to minimize your friendship with God and trivialize your daily pursuit of His Presence. Recognize that nothing will ever satisfy your soul like living in unbroken fellowship with the Lord. Take delight in Him. Feast on His Word. Solidify your pursuit by establishing a standing appointment with God. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Family Tree Seeking God Thirst

Be Thirsty

“For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images.” 2 Chronicles 34:3 (ESV) Be thirsty. What caused Josiah, at the age of sixteen, to begin to seek God? When you look at his family tree, you find that both his father, Amon, and his grandfather, Manasseh, did evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is obvious that Josiah did not receive his spiritual heritage from them. When you look into the life of his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, you find a much different portrait. “Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.” 2 Chron. 29:1-2 (ESV) I wonder if Josiah was influenced by the godly life that his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, lived. Another possibility is that Josiah began to seek God when he became a dad, at the age of sixteen, to Jehoahaz. For me personally, when I became a dad my understanding of God’s love and my pursuit of God intensified. There’s something about seeing your own flesh and blood and embracing the awesome responsibility of parenthood that draws you to God. You recognize your dependency upon God. Regardless of your age or life stage, assess your level of thirst for God? Are you passionately seeking God daily and allowing Him to have full access to your mind, emotions, and will? Is there anything or anyone you desire more than you desire God? I have discovered in my walk with God, whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Make Jesus your top priority. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Let Jesus quench your thirst! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Psalms Seeking God Thirst

Earnestly Seeking God

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (ESV) How passionate is your pursuit of God? Is He your preoccupation? Our passion can easily divert to other things or other people. We can slip into being passionate about activities that have no eternal value. We can channel our passion in areas that diffuse our focus and keep us from keeping the main thing the main thing. David demonstrated a vibrant walk with God. He would earnestly seek God and thirst for Him as in a dry and weary land. In his love relationship with God, David embodied a hunger and thirst for God that compelled him to pursue God daily and passionately. “I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.” Psalm 17:6 (ESV) “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!’ 28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.” Psalm 35:27-38 (ESV) If someone were to shadow you for seven days, what would they say about your passion? Would that person be able to detect your passion for the things of God? Would that person detect your devotion to the Lord and be inspired by your daily walk with the Lord? Take some time to conduct a spiritual inventory of your life. Trace your walk with God and determine your level of intensity and try to measure your passion. Earnestly seek God. Thirst for Him. He is your God! Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 108: Psalms 17,35,54,63) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Faith Salvation Seeking God

Make the Call

“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, ‘God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.’ 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.” Genesis 4:25-26 (ESV) God pursued Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and demonstrated His love for them by providing a sacrifice for their sin. God killed an animal in order to provide garments of skins to cloth them. His redeeming love flowed in the garden to rescue Adam and Eve from their sin. A pivotal moment takes place in Scripture during the time of Adam and Eve’s son, Seth, and grandson, Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. God’s pursuit is reciprocated. People began to call on His Name. The thread of God’s redemptive activity can be traced throughout the Bible. When we move into the New Testament and walk through the Gospels to embrace the obedience of Christ on the cross, we can then rejoice in His bodily resurrection and ascension. God came to our rescue! He has made it possible for us to call on His Name! “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:12-13 (ESV) What are you doing with the precious gift God has given you to call upon His Name? Are you maximizing the gift by pursuing Him daily and by practicing His Presence moment-by-moment? Call upon the Lord. Seek Him diligently and focus your life on His agenda. Remove distractions. Eliminate idols. Run to Jesus. Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 2: Genesis 4-7) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Delight Satisfaction Seeking God

A True Delight

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (NIV) A true delight is knowing God’s will and doing God’s will. A true delight is having the peace of God in the midst of life’s storms. A true delight is having the assurance of heaven and eternal life. John Piper has affirmed, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.” What is your primary source of satisfaction? Where do you turn to experience joy and fulfillment? Your love relationship with the Lord is the conduit through which the blessings of God flow. He is the source of life that is truly life. He fills you with an inexpressible and glorious joy (1 Pet 1:8). As you commune with the Lord and take delight in Him, He will give you the desires of your heart. When you are rightly related to God in Christ and you choose to seek Him with all of your heart, you will find that your desires are in line. As you delight in the Lord, you will not desire anything that is contrary to His will. Intimacy with the Lord heightens your sensitivity to God’s activity. Your delight becomes God’s agenda. “Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God.” Job 22:26 (NIV) “He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:19 (NIV) Life in a fallen world has many competing forces. There are countless distractions that seek to minimize your friendship with God and trivialize your daily pursuit of His Presence. Recognize that nothing will ever satisfy your soul like living in unbroken fellowship with the Lord. Take delight in Him. Feast on His Word. Solidify your pursuit by establishing a standing appointment with God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Family Tree Seeking God Thirst

Be Thirsty

“In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.” 2 Chron 34:3 (NIV) Be thirsty. What caused Josiah, at the age of sixteen, to begin to seek God? When you look at his family tree, you find that both his father, Amon, and his grandfather, Manasseh, did evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is obvious that Josiah did not receive his spiritual heritage from them. When you look into the life of his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, you find a much different portrait. “Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.” 2 Chron 29:1-2 (NIV) I wonder if Josiah was influenced by the godly life that his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, lived. Another possibility is that Josiah began to seek God when he became a daddy, at the age of sixteen, to Jehoahaz. For me personally, when I became a daddy my understanding of God’s love and my pursuit of God intensified. There’s something about seeing your own flesh and blood and embracing the awesome responsibility of parenthood that draws you to God. You recognize your dependency upon God. Regardless of your age or life stage, assess your level of thirst for God? Are you passionately seeking God daily and allowing Him to have full access to your mind, emotions, and will? Is there anything or anyone you desire more than you desire God? I have discovered in my walk with God, whatever you feed grows and whatever you starve dies. Make Jesus your top priority. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Let Jesus quench your thirst! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Desperation Jesus Outsiders Seeking God

Focused Determination

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” Luke 19:1-4 (NIV) On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Jericho. This city was one of the greatest taxation centers in Palestine and featured world-famous balsam groves, which perfumed the air for miles. On this particular day, something else was in the air. We meet a chief tax collector named, Zacchaeus. He was at the top of the financial pyramid and had many tax collectors under him. Though Zacchaeus was big in wealth, he was little in stature. Jesus was coming through town and Zacchaeus wanted to see Him. Unable to see over the crowd, Zacchaeus decided to climb a “seek-Him-more” tree, that is, a sycamore tree. Now he was up in the air at a level where he could see Jesus clearly. Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus, even if it meant climbing a tree. What motivated Zacchaeus to go to such an extreme to see Jesus? Had he already heard about Jesus healing the blind beggar on the edge of town (Luke 18:35-43)? Maybe Zacchaeus was searching for the true meaning of life and had not found it. Perhaps his income was not sufficient to meet the deepest need of his heart. It is possible to lose your focus in this world filled with so many voices and allurements. There are countless distractions that dilute our devotion to the One who has given us life. Would you be willing to climb a tree if that is what it took to encounter the Lord? Are you making room for a daily, unhurried connect time with Jesus? Do you truly seek Him daily? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

Prayer Seeking God

Your Privilege

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer 29:13 (NIV) God is worth the pursuit. One of the highest privileges of life is that of seeking God. When you contemplate the vast canyon between God’s bigness and our smallness, God’s holiness and our sinfulness, humility becomes our reality. The fact that God, the Creator of the entire universe, would even desire that we seek Him is beyond comprehension. Yet, God chose to create us so that we may know Him personally and intimately. When you read the Bible from cover to cover, you will discover the story of God reconciling us to Himself so that we could have the capacity to seek Him and find Him. God does not force us to seek Him. God enables us to respond to His love. God gives us the freedom to choose Him or to reject Him. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalms 63:1 (NIV) “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6 (NIV) What are you doing with the highest privilege you have been given? Are you neglecting your love relationship with God? Have you drifted from your first love? Renew your commitment to seek the Lord. Renew your passion to seek the Lord with all your heart. Earnestly seek the Lord while He may be found. He is worth the pursuit! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor