Category: Sensitivity

Categories
Experiencing God Jesus Sensitivity

Heighten Your Sensitivity

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.’” John 5:19-20 (ESV) Are you experiencing God? I remember the major shift that took place in my Christian journey after my wife and I went through Henry Blackaby’s workbook, Experiencing God. Instead of seeking to do something for God, we began embracing the discipline of allowing God to do His work in us and through us. The first of seven realities of Experiencing God is recognizing that God is always at work around you. If you want to see God at work, then ask God to heighten your sensitivity to His activity. Jesus was sensitive to God’s activity. Even at age twelve, Jesus announced to His earthly mom and dad, “I must be about my Father’s business.” Orient your life around God’s activity. Remember, the Christian life is not about your story that you invite God into. The Christian life is about God’s story that He invites you into. Jesus oriented His life around God’s activity so that He could join God in His activity. Place your “yes” on the altar and make yourself completely available for the Lord’s use. Ride the wave God creates. Look to see where He is at work so that you can join Him in His activity. Seek to turn interruptions into opportunities to join God in what He is doing. Pray this prayer with me: “Lord, I’m Yours! Help me to see where You are at work today so that I can join You!” Following Jesus Every Day, Stephen Trammell

Categories
Experiencing God Knowing God Sensitivity

Knowing God by Experience

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” 1 John 2:3 (ESV) Is it possible to know God by experience? As Henry Blackaby says, “You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.” God reveals Himself to you so that you can know Him personally and experience Him continually. God blesses obedience. Obedience is the outward expression of your love of God. The reward of obedience and love is that He will reveal Himself to you. Henry Blackaby affirms, “If you have an obedience problem, you have a love problem.” Your love for the Lord will be demonstrated by your obedience to the Lord. “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21 (ESV) Obedience requires total dependence on God to work through you. Knowing God and doing His will requires His power. To complete a God-sized assignment requires God’s supernatural enabling. Will you fully rely on God to empower you to fulfill His mission? God has uniquely designed you and equipped you to fulfill His purposes upon the earth. Practice instant obedience and come to know God by experience. You will be able to testify of His faithfulness as you join God in His activity. Take a moment to assess your level of obedience? Have you obeyed what you already know to be God’s will? Walk in the light God gives you and wait for His timing before you take the next step.  Affirmation comes after obedience. Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

Categories
Humility Selflessness Sensitivity

Sensitivity

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” 1 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV) Have you ever been offended by someone who was acting selfishly? A self-centered person can quickly become toxic and infect those in their sphere of influence. It is possible to call yourself a Christian and slip into selfish ways that erode relationships and diminish your testimony. I remember the story one of my professors shared during my seminary days about his weekly routine of washing his car in the driveway of his seminary home every Sunday. He told about the tension his weekly ritual created with a fellow professor who also lived on the campus. The other professor was deeply offended by my professors insistence on washing his own car on a Sunday. Obviously he held a deep conviction related to a believer not washing his car on a Sunday. My professor took the high road and graciously apologized for the offense and committed to stop washing his vehicle on Sundays. Even though my professor personally felt that there was absolutely nothing ungodly about washing his car on a Sunday, since it offended his brother in Christ, he chose not to do it again. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” Rom. 14:13 (NIV) Is there any activity you engage in that has become a stumbling block to a fellow believer? Perhaps the activity does not violate your personal convictions based on God’s Word, but you have come to realize that your activity has become a stumbling block to someone else. What is the godly response? What would benefit the other person? This may be one of the most powerful opportunities for you to display the love of Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Holy Spirit Sensitivity

Spiritual Discernment

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) Watching a 3-D movie without 3-D glasses can be very frustrating. The images on the screen appear blurry and create discomfort as you try to fixate on the images that just don’t seem to come into focus. Once you place the 3-D glasses in place, everything becomes clear and you begin to enjoy the full effects of the three dimensional experience. It’s rather entertaining to join others in trying to reach out to touch the objects that seem to come off of the screen into the air just before your face. Without the Spirit, trying to discern the activity of God is impossible. Life will appear blurry and the movement of God’s Spirit will be difficult to detect. Living the abundant Christian life mandates viewing life through the lens of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual perception comes through appropriating the spiritual lens provided to us by God through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. When you became a child of God, you instantaneously became the temple of the Holy Spirit. He moved in to take up permanent residence in your life. Your body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to illuminate God’s Word and to validate God’s will. As you come to know God better, you will learn how to detect and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. You will begin to see what others miss because you will be viewing life through the lens of the Holy Spirit. What others deem as foolish, you will deem as the clear activity of God in 3-D, namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
God's Faithfulness Sensitivity Spiritual Markers

God’s Faithfulness

“’So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’” Joshua 24:13 (NIV) The children of Israel drifted from God’s best and slipped into immorality. Joshua called them back into alignment with God’s will and God’s way. Joshua reviewed the spiritual markers that God had established for them. God gave Abraham many descendants and later raised up Moses and Aaron to deliver them from Egyptian bondage. God enabled them to cross the Red Sea on dry ground and to defeat the Amorites. God turned Balaam’s curse into a blessing and delivered them out of his hand. God enabled them to miraculously cross the Jordan. Joshua reminded the children of Israel of the faithfulness of God. The spiritual markers served as reminders of God’s provision. The blessings of God were clearly evident in each of the spiritual markers. Review your spiritual markers. Identify the times in your life when God made Himself known to you in a special way. You may have a spiritual marker that was formed in the midst of adversity where God reminded you of His protection over you. You may have a spiritual marker that was established as a result of God revealing His unconditional love to you through your saving relationship with Jesus. Spiritual markers are vital for the Christian life. As you review your spiritual markers, you will gain a sense of stability. Your faith is strengthened as you review the activity of God in your life. Take a moment to look back and then take a moment to look ahead. What is God asking you to give your life to? God’s faithfulness will see you through! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
God's Activity Moses Sensitivity

Responding to God’s Activity

“In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out–until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.” Exodus 40:36-38 (NIV) God makes His Presence known. For the children of Israel, God revealed His Presence through the glory cloud. God would guide the Israelites by the visible manifestation of the cloud during the day and fire by night. When the cloud lifted and shifted, the Israelites moved. The Tabernacle was constructed in a way that emphasized ease of mobility. This enabled the Israelites to move when God moved. As God’s workmanship, where did Moses learn that kind of sensitivity to God’s movement? Did he learn it in the palace during his first forty years on the earth or perhaps during the second forty years of his life as a shepherd in the desert? The burning bush experience obviously made an abiding difference in his sensitivity to God’s Presence. God is always at work. Are you sensitive to His activity? You can experience God’s Presence moment by moment as you commune with Him through prayer and feed on His Word. You can experience God’s Presence as you maintain a posture of expectation and anticipation. You always find what you are looking for. If you are looking for the activity of God, you will find it. Recognition of God’s activity is proportionate to your sensitivity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Experiencing God Jesus Sensitivity

Heighten Your Sensitivity

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.’” John 5:19-20 (ESV) Are you experiencing God? I remember the major shift that took place in my Christian journey after my wife and I went through Henry Blackaby’s workbook, Experiencing God. Instead of seeking to do something for God, we began embracing the discipline of allowing God to do His work in us and through us. The first of seven realities of Experiencing God is recognizing that God is always at work around you. If you want to see God at work, then ask God to heighten your sensitivity to His activity. Jesus was sensitive to God’s activity. Even at age twelve, Jesus announced to His earthly mom and dad, “I must be about my Father’s business.” Orient your life around God’s activity. Remember, the Christian life is not about your story that you invite God into. The Christian life is about God’s story that He invites you into. Jesus oriented His life around God’s activity so that He could join God in His activity. Place your “yes” on the altar and make yourself completely available for the Lord’s use. Ride the wave God creates. Look to see where He is at work so that you can join Him in His activity. Seek to turn interruptions into opportunities to join God in what He is doing. Pray this prayer with me: “Lord, I’m Yours! Help me to see where You are at work today so that I can join You!” Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 281: John 5) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell  

Categories
Experiencing God Knowing God Sensitivity

Knowing God by Experience

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” 1 John 2:3 (ESV) Is it possible to know God by experience? Let’s examine the final Experiencing God reality: You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you. God reveals Himself to you so that you can know Him personally and experience Him continually. God blesses obedience. Obedience is the outward expression of your love of God. The reward of obedience and love is that He will reveal Himself to you. As Henry Blackaby says, “If you have an obedience problem, you have a love problem.” Your love for the Lord will be demonstrated by your obedience to the Lord. “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21 (ESV) Obedience requires total dependence on God to work through you. Knowing God and doing His will requires His power. To complete a God-sized assignment requires God’s supernatural enabling. Will you fully rely on God to empower you to fulfill His mission? God has uniquely designed you and equipped you to fulfill His purposes upon the earth. Practice instant obedience and come to know God by experience. You will be able to testify of His faithfulness as you join God in His activity. Take a moment to assess your level of obedience? Have you obeyed what you already know to be God’s will? Walk in the light God gives you and wait for His timing before you take the next step.  Affirmation comes after obedience. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Adjustments Experiencing God Sensitivity

Making Adjustments to Join God

“Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.” Ex 40:36-38 (ESV) God makes His Presence known. For the children of Israel, God revealed His Presence through the glory cloud. God would guide the Israelites by the visible manifestation of the cloud during the day and fire by night. When the cloud lifted and shifted, the Israelites moved. The Tabernacle was constructed in a way that emphasized ease of mobility. This enabled the Israelites to move when God moved. As God’s workmanship, where did Moses learn that kind of sensitivity to God’s movement? Did he learn it in the palace during his first forty years on the earth or perhaps during the second forty years of his life as a shepherd in the desert? The burning bush experience obviously made an abiding difference in his sensitivity to God’s Presence. Now let’s take a look at the sixth reality of Experiencing God: You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing. Are you sensitive to His activity? You can experience God’s Presence moment by moment as you commune with Him through prayer and feed on His Word. You can experience God’s Presence as you maintain a posture of expectation and anticipation. What adjustments do you need to make in order to join God in His activity? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Experiencing God Faith Sensitivity

Navigating a Crisis of Belief

“And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’” Luke 5:4 (ESV) Let’s examine the fifth Experiencing God reality: God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. Jesus had been teaching the crowd from Simon’s boat. The water’s surface propelled the teachings of Jesus with clarity to the hearers. Simon was in the boat with Jesus and overheard His teachings. The lesson was going to be directed Simon’s way. Jesus challenged Simon’s faith by asking him to transition the boat to deeper waters. The request escalated as Jesus exhorted Simon to let down the nets for a catch. What is a carpenter doing telling a fisherman how to fish? Fishermen in that region knew that fishing the shallow waters at night was the protocol for success. Yet, Jesus issues a seemingly impractical call to fish the deeper waters during the daylight. Simon experienced a crisis of belief. He had to wrestle the words of this carpenter up against his own personal experience as a commercial fisherman. Simon knew the waters and the industry. Would he consider obeying the words of Jesus? Sometimes life doesn’t make sense. Sometimes the way of Jesus is counter to the way of logic. Jesus invites us to join Him in the journey of faith. Faith is not a blind leap in the dark. Faith is trusting that Jesus knows what is best for us. Navigating the crisis of belief requires faith and action. Simon was willing to take Jesus at His Word and to trust Him with the results. What are you currently wrestling with? Is there anything agonizing your inner being and causing you to question the best next step? Take God at His Word and trust His prompting. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Experiencing God Listening Sensitivity

Learning to Hear God’s Voice

“And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.’” Mark 9:7 (ESV) Peter, James, and John had a mountaintop experience with Jesus on Mt. Transfiguration. They were privileged to hear the voice of God affirming His Son and our Savior, Jesus. God’s direct word to them was an imperative for them to listen to Jesus. Listening is equivalent to obeying. Thus, to listen to Jesus is to obey Him. Now it is time to share the fourth reality of Experiencing God: God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. God is a God of revelation. God speaks. Are you listening? We have the ability to engage in selective listening. We hear what we want to hear. We choose to tune in or to tune out. God is a God who speaks. He has revealed Himself to us. To know Jesus is to know God. To grow in your knowledge of Jesus is to grow in your understanding of His Word. Revelation demands a response. God expects instant obedience. How do you know if you are really listening to God? Is your life marked by obedience to God’s Word? Obedience to God’s Word is a clear indicator of your level of listening to God. Is your life too noisy to hear from God? Is your schedule too busy to hear from God? The men and women who have been greatly used of God have ensured unhurried time alone with God each day. They intentionally carved out time to be still and simply listen for God’s voice. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Experiencing God Invitation Sensitivity

Responding to God’s Invitation

“Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.’” Jonah 3:1-2 (ESV) Jonah received an invitation from God to go preach against the city of Nineveh. Jonah chose to run in the opposite direction. As you know, God pursued Jonah through a storm and rescued Jonah by way of a large fish. After Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of that large fish, God caused the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry ground. God came to Jonah a second time to invite Jonah to become involved with Him in His work. This time Jonah obeyed God and joined God in His activity. Let me share the third Experiencing God reality with you: God invites you to become involved with Him in His work. God takes the initiative to bring you into a right relationship with Himself and then invites you to join Him in His activity. God saves you so that you can serve Him and continue the ministry of Jesus upon the earth. You cannot detect the activity of God unless God chooses to reveal it to you. It is imperative that you live in an ongoing intimate love relationship with God so that you can recognize His voice and respond to His invitation. God allows you to know Him so you can join Him. Pursue God daily and join Him wholeheartedly! Obey what God says to you and watch how God uses you for His global glory. You are so special to God and He has done so much to prepare you for the assignment He has for you. Don’t bypass your love relationship with God. Respond to His invitation by practicing instant obedience. Declare with passion, “Lord, I’m Yours! Use me for Your glory!” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Experiencing God Response Sensitivity

Responding to God’s Pursuit

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 (ESV) Have you discovered God’s purpose for your life? Do you know why you exist? God created you so that you could know Him personally and make Him known intentionally. The second Experiencing God reality by Henry Blackaby is this: God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. God took the initiative to bring you into a right relationship with Himself through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. God created you for a love relationship that you could never earn nor deserve. God demonstrated His love for you by sacrificing His only Son and the only acceptable sacrifice for your sin. Being rightly related to God in Christ is the most important relationship factor. Your value is based on God’s pursuit. God pursues you with His redeeming love and your response is vital. How will you respond to God’s pursuit? Will you turn from sin and turn to Jesus alone for salvation? If you have already made that life-changing decision, then continue responding to His pursuit by enjoying unbroken fellowship with God. Nurture your love relationship with God by establishing a daily appointment with God. Select a time, a place, and a plan. Find a place of solitude to spend time praying and reading God’s Word. Prepare for your daily appointment with God. Choose to read through the Bible in one year by reading four chapters each day. Write down or type insights God gives you as you read His Word. Seek to make a connection between what God says to you and His activity during the day. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Experiencing God God's Activity Sensitivity

Seeing God at Work

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.’” John 5:19-20 (ESV) Are you experiencing God? I remember the major shift that took place in my Christian journey after my wife and I went through Henry Blackaby’s workbook, Experiencing God. Instead of seeking to do something for God, we began embracing the discipline of allowing God to do His work in us and through us. The first of seven realities of Experiencing God is recognizing that God is always at work around you. If you want to see God at work, then ask God to heighten your sensitivity to His activity. Jesus was sensitive to God’s activity. Even at age twelve, Jesus announced to His earthly mom and dad, “I must be about my Father’s business.” Orient your life around God’s activity. Remember, the Christian life is not about your story that you invite God into. The Christian life is about God’s story that He invites you into. Jesus oriented His life around God’s activity so that He could join God in His activity. Place your “yes” on the altar and make yourself completely available for the Lord’s use. Ride the wave God creates. Look to see where He is at work so that you can join Him in His activity. Seek to turn interruptions into opportunities to join God in what He is doing. Pray this prayer with me: “Lord, I’m Yours! Help me to see where You are at work today so that I can join You!” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Humility Selflessness Sensitivity

Sensitivity

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” 1 Cor 8:9 (NIV) Have you ever been offended by someone who was acting selfishly? A self-centered person can quickly become toxic and infect those in their sphere of influence. It is possible to call yourself a Christian and slip into selfish ways that erode relationships and diminish your testimony. I remember the story one of my professors shared during my seminary days about his weekly routine of washing his car in the driveway of his seminary home every Sunday. He told about the tension his weekly ritual created with a fellow professor who also lived on the campus. The other professor was deeply offended by my professors insistence on washing his own car on a Sunday. Obviously he held a deep conviction related to a believer not washing his car on a Sunday. My professor took the high road and graciously apologized for the offense and committed to stop washing his vehicle on Sundays. Even though my professor personally felt that there was absolutely nothing ungodly about washing his car on a Sunday, since it offended his brother in Christ, he chose not to do it again. “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” Romans 14:13 (NIV) Is there any activity you engage in that has become a stumbling block to a fellow believer? Perhaps the activity does not violate your personal convictions based on God’s Word, but you have come to realize that your activity has become a stumbling block to someone else. What is the godly response? What would benefit the other person? This may be one of the most powerful opportunities for you to display the love of Christ. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Discernment Holy Spirit Sensitivity

Spiritual Discernment

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor 2:14 (NIV) Watching a 3-D movie without 3-D glasses can be very frustrating. The images on the screen appear blurry and create discomfort as you try to fixate on the images that just don’t seem to come into focus. Once you place the 3-D glasses in place, everything becomes clear and you begin to enjoy the full effects of the three dimensional experience. It’s rather entertaining to join others in trying to reach out to touch the objects that seem to come off of the screen into the air just before your face. Without the Spirit, trying to discern the activity of God is impossible. Life will appear blurry and the movement of God’s Spirit will be difficult to detect. Living the abundant Christian life mandates viewing life through the lens of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual perception comes through appropriating the spiritual lens provided to us by God through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. When you became a child of God, you instantaneously became the temple of the Holy Spirit. He moved in to take up permanent residence in your life. Your body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. He lives in you to illuminate God’s Word and to validate God’s will. As you come to know God better, you will learn how to detect and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. You will begin to see what others miss because you will be viewing life through the lens of the Holy Spirit. What others deem as foolish, you will deem as the clear activity of God in 3-D, namely, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
God's Faithfulness Sensitivity Spiritual Markers

God’s Faithfulness

“’So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’” Josh 24:13 (NIV) The children of Israel drifted from God’s best and slipped into immorality. Joshua called them back into alignment with God’s will and God’s way. Joshua reviewed the spiritual markers that God had established for them. God gave Abraham many descendants and later raised up Moses and Aaron to deliver them from Egyptian bondage. God enabled them to cross the Red Sea on dry ground and to defeat the Amorites. God turned Balaam’s curse into a blessing and delivered them out of his hand. God enabled them to miraculously cross the Jordan. Joshua reminded the children of Israel of the faithfulness of God. The spiritual markers served as reminders of God’s provision. The blessings of God were clearly evident in each of the spiritual markers. Review your spiritual markers. Identify the times in your life when God made Himself known to you in a special way. You may have a spiritual marker that was formed in the midst of adversity where God reminded you of His protection over you. You may have a spiritual marker that was established as a result of God revealing His unconditional love to you through your saving relationship with Jesus. Spiritual markers are vital for the Christian life. As you review your spiritual markers, you will gain a sense of stability. Your faith is strengthened as you review the activity of God in your life. Take a moment to look back and then take a moment to look ahead. What is God asking you to give your life to? God’s faithfulness will see you through! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
God's Activity Moses Sensitivity

Responding to God’s Activity

“In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out–until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.” Ex 40:36-38 (NIV) God makes His Presence known. For the children of Israel, God revealed His Presence through the glory cloud. God would guide the Israelites by the visible manifestation of the cloud during the day and fire by night. When the cloud lifted and shifted, the Israelites moved. The Tabernacle was constructed in a way that emphasized ease of mobility. This enabled the Israelites to move when God moved. As God’s workmanship, where did Moses learn that kind of sensitivity to God’s movement? Did he learn it in the palace during his first forty years on the earth or perhaps during the second forty years of his life as a shepherd in the desert? The burning bush experience obviously made an abiding difference in his sensitivity to God’s Presence. God is always at work. Are you sensitive to His activity? You can experience God’s Presence moment by moment as you commune with Him through prayer and feed on His Word. You can experience God’s Presence as you maintain a posture of expectation and anticipation. You always find what you are looking for. If you are looking for the activity of God, you will find it. Recognition of God’s activity is proportionate to your sensitivity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Compassion Ministry Sensitivity

Taking Care of Others

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.” Luke 10:33-34 (NIV) Hurting people saturate the landscape of life. Living in a fallen world generates pain, suffering, and sorrow. People are shouldering harmful habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Detours and disappointments frequent our daily existence. The reality of living on a broken planet necessitates a deep abiding compassion for others. The Good Samaritan was willing to see the needs of an unnamed individual and to seize the opportunity to meet his needs. The Good Samaritan was willing to put his compassion in action by getting personally involved in the solution to this wounded man’s unfortunate situation. He had been left for dead. The Priest and the Levite were too preoccupied with themselves to care about someone else in need. If we are not careful, that can be our tendency. We get so caught up in our own lives and consumed with what we want to accomplish in a given day, that we can neglect those God brings into our path. Busyness and selfishness blur our vision to the reality of pressing needs around us. We might even begin seeing people in need as an interruption rather than an opportunity to display the compassion of Christ. What is keeping you from putting your compassion in action? Have you lost your love for people? Has your heart become numb toward the individuals in need who come across your path? Slow down and allow the compassion of Christ to flow through you to a world in need. Continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth. View others as sheep without a shepherd. You are the shepherd! Go help some sheep! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell

Categories
Love On Mission Sensitivity

Expressing God’s Love (2)

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Heb 13:3 (NIV) Be sensitive to God’s activity. God wants us to express His love to His creation. People matter to God. Our value was clearly demonstrated by the ultimate love bridge ever built. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”(Romans 5:8 NIV). The Bible is God’s love letter to us portraying His constant pursuit to restore fallen mankind. Being on mission with God requires sensitivity to God’s activity. We will never live for the global glory of God if we are insensitive to what He values. God wants to use us in His redemptive activity. What does this kind of sensitivity look like? It looks like remembering those who are mistreated as if you were suffering. It looks like remembering those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner. It looks like remembering the poor as if you were living in poverty. It looks like remembering those who are lonely as if you were lonely. Are you willing to ask God to sensitize you to His activity? God is not through with you. Your light can still shine for His glory. His love can still be expressed through you to bring others into a saving relationship with Jesus. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor

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Sensitivity

Sensitivity

“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” Acts 8:30-31 (NIV) Is availability enough? If you make yourself available for God’s use will that be enough? No! Your availability must be accompanied by your sensitivity to God’s activity. Philip would have missed the divine connection with the Ethiopian eunuch had he not both made himself available to God and been sensitive to God’s activity. In obedience to God, Philip ran to the chariot. Then, he was sensitive enough to hear the man reading Isaiah the prophet and to ask a probing question. In others words, Philip was sensitive to the opportunity that God had orchestrated. God is always at work. Make yourself available and be sensitive to God’s activity. Your sensitivity to God’s activity will determine the level of connectivity with people God brings into your path. Are you available? Are you sensitive to God’s activity? Let’s see what happens in your life today! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care