“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.“ James 4:7 (ESV) Rebellion against God is rooted in pride. Submission to God is rooted in humility. Rebellion brings harm and punishment. Submission brings relief and reward. Knowing that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, the child of God benefits from submission. To submit to God is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of wisdom. The wisest choice to make is to live your life in full surrender to the Lordship of Christ. When you recognize that God is the Creator and that you are the created, you relinquish the pursuit of control. Submitting to God is allowing Him to have complete control of your life. When you submit to God, you are acknowledging His supremacy and your dependency. The posture of submission resonates with the life of Christ. Jesus willing submitted to the Father’s will. “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.‘” John 4:34 (ESV) “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’“ Matt. 26:39 (ESV) God blesses obedience. Choose to obey every step of the way. Respond to God’s voice by demonstrating practical obedience. Submit to His authority in your life. Stay in tune with God’s purpose and plan for your life. Order your priorities based on God’s agenda. Allocate your energy to fulfill God’s distinct plan. Place your “yes” on the altar! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Submission
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (NIV) Rebellion against God is rooted in pride. Submission to God is rooted in humility. Rebellion brings harm and punishment. Submission brings relief and reward. Knowing that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, the child of God benefits from submission. To submit to God is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of wisdom. The wisest choice to make is to live your life in full surrender to the Lordship of Christ. When you recognize that God is the Creator and that you are the created, you relinquish the pursuit of control. Submitting to God is allowing Him to have complete control of your life. When you submit to God, you are acknowledging His supremacy and your dependency. The posture of submission resonates with the life of Christ. Jesus willing submitted to the Father’s will. “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” John 4:34 (NIV) “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Matt 26:39 (NIV) God blesses obedience. Choose to obey every step of the way. Respond to God’s voice by demonstrating practical obedience. Submit to His authority in your life. Stay in tune with God’s purpose and plan for your life. Order your priorities based on God’s agenda. Allocate your energy to fulfill God’s distinct plan. Place your “yes” on the altar! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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My Father’s Business
“’Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’” Luke 2:49 (NIV) Diffused light does not have much power to impact the environment it is placed in, but focused light can cut steel. Your life is most powerful when it is most focused. Our proclivity is to drift into a fragmented lifestyle where we are trying to divert our energy into too many tasks. It is so easy to dilute our impact by seeking to keep too many plates spinning at a given time. We become generalist instead of specialists. Jesus lived a focused life. He was laser focused on being about His Father’s business. God’s agenda was Jesus’ top priority. Even at age twelve Jesus affirmed His devotion to God’s will. Nothing was more important to Jesus than operating every moment in the center of God’s will. Jesus was committed to fulfilling God’s plan. Shortly after His baptism at age thirty, Jesus declared that He had come down from heaven not to do His will but to do the will of His Father (John 6:38). Have you oriented your life to the Father’s will? Have you made necessary adjustments in your life to focus on living in the center of God’s will? You will have competing agendas, countless opportunities to drift, and a persistent gravitational pull from the enemy to downplay the urgency of God’s agenda. The world, the flesh, and the Devil will seek to capture your devotion. Your life will be tugged from various directions in order to get you off mission. Don’t give in to the temptation to become fragmented. Don’t dilute your devotion. Renew your commitment to serve God and to obey His Word. God’s will is for you to be fully yielded and fully surrendered to His prompting. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Pride and Humility (3)
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (NIV) Rebellion against God is rooted in pride. Submission to God is rooted in humility. Rebellion brings harm and punishment. Submission brings relief and reward. Knowing that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, the child of God benefits from submission. To submit to God is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of wisdom. When you recognize that God is the Creator and that you are the created, you relinquish the pursuit of control. Submitting to God is allowing God to have complete control of your life. When you submit to God, you are acknowledging His supremacy and your dependency. The posture of submission resonates with the life of Christ. “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” John 4:34 (NIV) “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Matt 26:39 (NIV) How will you respond to life today? Will you submit to God? Are you in tune with God’s purpose and plan for your life? Has God’s agenda become your passion? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Surrendered Life (1)
“Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.’” John 12:23 (NIV) Victory comes through surrender. Our culture teaches you to take control of your life. Be the best! Give it your all! Get all you can! Be happy! Win at all costs! Reality shows have glamorized the self-centered life. The persistent themes suggest that your best life is all about you and what you can acquire during your short stay on this planet. Jesus demonstrated the opposite pursuit. Jesus left it all in Heaven so that He could come to earth, live and die a sinless death, be resurrected on the third day, and ascend back to His Father in Heaven. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. Jesus oriented His life around the centrality of bringing glory to God. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb 12:2 (NIV) “‘Father, glorify your name!’” John 12:28 (NIV) Jesus willingly put others first. He willingly endured the agony of crucifixion and looked to the resulting outcome of saving mankind and bringing glory to God. Your best life is not your life! Victory comes through surrender. Are you willing to follow the example of Christ and place God’s agenda first in your life? Are you willing to reflect honor to God? Live in such a way that those who know you, but don’t know God, will come to know God because they know you! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor