“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:2-3 (ESV) The Shepherd will restore your soul. Living in a fallen world can erode your enthusiasm and erase your energy. The constant friction of the world, the flesh, and the devil can drain your reserves. There are times in your weekly schedule when your greatest need becomes a pit stop whereby God renews your mind and recharges your strength. God will provide you with opportunities to disconnect from the demands of life in order to replenish your soul in the green pastures of His abiding presence. He will lead you beside quiet waters to allow you to catch your breath and to enable your soul to catch up to your body. Slow down and allow God to put you back together. Your loving Shepherd will guide you in paths of righteousness to bring glory to His name. God’s path is always the best option. You must choose to walk in unbroken fellowship with the Lord and to be sensitive to His prompting. Give the Lord your undivided attention. Seek Him first each morning and align your life with His agenda. God’s restoration may come at the expense of your unrealistic pace. Allow God to interrupt the flow of your routine and to help you make necessary adjustments to give Him room to work. Busyness is one of Satan’s most effective tools to keep you from focusing your energy on that which brings God the most glory. Weariness is a symptom of a life that is out of order. Learn to say “no” to good things so that you can say, “yes” to the best that God has for you. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Soul Nourishment
Categories
Nurture a Creative Soul
“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2 (ESV) How’s the condition of your soul? Are you at peace? Are you living a life of balance? In order to nurture a creative soul, you have to provide space in your schedule and you have to provide pause in your pace. The Christian life is not a sprint; it is a marathon. To finish strong you must consistently nurture a creative soul. Create margin in your life. You need space to allow God to put you back together. Margin is the space between your load and your limit. Designate time in your schedule to participate in life-giving activities that replenish your soul. If you like reading, then allocate time for reading. If you enjoy walking outdoors, then carve out time for that life-giving experience. You must find what makes you come alive. You must insert those activities into your schedule that enable you to get your fire back and your passion rekindled. “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” Psalm 62:5 (ESV) “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:19 (ESV) Sometimes the most spiritual activity you can employ is rest. When you rest, you allow your soul to catch up with your body. Strategically insert a pause in your pace. Stop periodically to be still before the Lord and allow Him to restore your soul and to restore the joy of His salvation. Assess your current reality to identify where you are overextended and overcommitted. If you are feeling overwhelmed and burnout in life, then something is out of order. Take the initiative to nurture a creative soul. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Time for a Pit Stop
“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:11 (NIV) Do you have room in your life for rest? Of course not! You have too much to do and work is calling your name. “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!” Work is demanding your time, energy, and attention. Work is biblical isn’t it? Doesn’t God expect you to work? Isn’t work God’s idea? Consider the reality that the Creator of the universe established a divine guideline for both work and rest. God was not tired after the six days of creation activity. God chose to model the value of working and resting. God established a pattern for us in order to keep life in balance and to do life God’s way. When your work becomes a space invader, your life is out of balance. God does not want your work to rule your life and to dominate your energy allocation. God wants you to set aside a day each week to cease creating, forming, fashioning, meeting deadlines, and pushing yourself through the performance trap. You need a day to allow God to put you back together. That’s why God created the Sabbath day. You need a day to allow God to re-create you. Transition off of the race track down pit road and allow God to change your spiritual tires, remove the debris from your spiritual windshield, and to refuel your spiritual tank. You need a weekly pit stop! Assess your energy allocation. Evaluate your schedule and your pace. Is your current pace sustainable? Are you positioned to finish strong? Ask God to show you the adjustments you need to make. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Time for a Pit Stop
“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Ex 20:11 (NIV) Do you have room in your life for rest? Of course not! You have too much to do and work is calling your name. “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!” Work is demanding your time, energy, and attention. Work is biblical isn’t it? Doesn’t God expect you to work? Isn’t work God’s idea? Consider the reality that the Creator of the universe established a divine guideline for both work and rest. God was not tired after the six days of creation activity. God chose to model the value of working and resting. God established a pattern for us in order to keep life in balance and to do life God’s way. When your work becomes a space invader, your life is out of balance. God does not want your work to rule your life and to dominate your energy allocation. God wants you to set aside a day each week to cease creating, forming, fashioning, meeting deadlines, and pushing yourself through the performance trap. You need a day to allow God to put you back together. That’s why God created the Sabbath day. You need a day to allow God to re-create you. Transition off of the race track down pit road and allow God to change your spiritual tires, remove the debris from your spiritual windshield, and to refuel your spiritual tank. You need a weekly pit stop! Assess your energy allocation. Evaluate your schedule and your pace. Is your current pace sustainable? Are you positioned to finish strong? Ask God to show you the adjustments you need to make. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:2-3 (NIV) The Shepherd will restore your soul. Living in a fallen world can erode your enthusiasm and erase your energy. The constant friction of the world, the flesh, and the devil can drain your reserves. There are times in your weekly schedule when your greatest need becomes a pit stop whereby God renews your mind and recharges your strength. God will provide you with opportunities to disconnect from the demands of life in order to replenish your soul in the green pastures of His abiding presence. He will lead you beside quiet waters to allow you to catch your breath and to enable your soul to catch up to your body. Slow down and allow God to put you back together. Your loving Shepherd will guide you in paths of righteousness to bring glory to His name. God’s path is always the best option. You must choose to walk in unbroken fellowship with the Lord and to be sensitive to His prompting. Give the Lord your undivided attention. Seek Him first each morning and align your life with His agenda. God’s restoration may come at the expense of your unrealistic pace. Allow God to interrupt the flow of your routine and to help you make necessary adjustments to give Him room to work. Busyness is one of Satan’s most effective tools to keep you from focusing your energy on that which brings God the most glory. Weariness is a symptom of a life that is out of order. Learn to say “no” to good things so that you can say, “yes” to the best that God has for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Nurture a Creative Soul
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2 (NIV) How’s the condition of your soul? Are you at peace? Are you living a life of balance? In order to nurture a creative soul, you have to provide space in your schedule and you have to provide pause in your pace. The Christian life is not a sprint; it is a marathon. To finish strong you must consistently nurture a creative soul. Create margin in your life. You need space to allow God to put you back together. Margin is the space between your load and your limit. Designate time in your schedule to participate in life-giving activities that replenish your soul. If you like reading, then allocate time for reading. If you enjoy walking outdoors, then carve out time for that life-giving experience. You must find what makes you come alive. You must insert those activities into your schedule that enable you to get your fire back and your passion rekindled. “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.” Psalms 62:5 (NIV) “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalms 94:19 (NIV) Sometimes the most spiritual activity you can employ is rest. When you rest, you allow your soul to catch up with your body. Strategically insert a pause in your pace. Stop periodically to be still before the Lord and allow Him to restore your soul and to restore the joy of His salvation. Assess your current reality to identify where you are overextended and overcommitted. If you are feeling overwhelmed and burnout in life, then something is out of order. Take the initiative to nurture a creative soul. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Finding Rest for Your Soul
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalms 62:1-2 (NIV) Soul rest has come to mean more to me since turning forty. For so long, I focused on physical rest and making sure I got ample rest each night. But soul rest is different. Soul rest has to do with how you are doing on the inside. Soul rest has to do with your relationship with the Lord and with others. Soul rest has to do with your level of morality, godliness, and purity. When your load exceeds your limit, you get tired physically and experience soul exhaustion. During these seasons, you will have nothing to give because your soul is empty. Spending time with people who replenish you and spending time doing activities that refresh you will promote soul renewal. Guard your daily intimacy with God. Practice His Presence throughout the day. Soul rest comes as you feed on God’s Word and as you enjoy unhurried time alone with God in prayer. Your soul will find rest in God. He is your salvation. He is your rock. Come to the Lord and experience a perpetual refreshing. Anchor your life to Rock of your salvation. You will never be shaken because God is your fortress. You can take refuge in Him. Are you caring for your soul? Do you seek to employ a weekly Sabbath? Are you creating margin in your life to be still and know that He is God? Incorporate a weekly pit stop into your week to allow the Lord to refuel your soul and to renew your vision for life and ministry. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Refuge for Your Soul
“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” Psalms 57:1 (NIV) Where do you turn when you need refuge? The world offers many choices. You can lose yourself in the stream of entertainment. You can anesthetize your pain with busyness. You can dive into your work and allow your energy to be consumed by that pursuit. Another option is to embrace worldliness and allow the current of the culture to take you places you haven’t been. The only choice that delivers on the promise is the choice to turn to God. When you call out to God, the response is that of mercy. God does not give us what we, in our sin, truly deserve. God lavishes us with His love and provides us with His peace. His mercy is evidenced as your soul takes refuge in Him. What disaster has come your way? Take refuge in the shadow of His wings. Whenever you go through a season of uncertainty, take refuge in God. When the path is unclear, take refuge in your merciful God. As you wait for the answer to your prayers, take refuge in the God who hears and responds. The enemy will not thwart God’s will. Nothing will separate you from the love of God. As you take refuge in the Lord, thank Him for being merciful in your past, your present, and your future. Give God glory for His consistent measure of comfort during your seasons of desperation. Rely upon God’s provision to see you through. God will make a way when there seems to be no way. He is the waymaker! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell