“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” Psalm 125:1 (NIV) Can God use a shepherd boy to slay a giant? We all face giants in this life. Sometimes the giants are related to health, sometimes related to family or friends, and sometimes related to finances. The giants before us are not obstacles to overcome but rather opportunities for our trust in the Lord to be developed and displayed. God gets the glory when the victory is won. When David faced his giant, Goliath, God received the glory. “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.’” 1 Sam 17:45-47 (NIV) Repeat this phrase aloud, “The battle is the Lord’s.” Just speaking forth that phrase reminds us that the battle is not about us, but about God and what He wants to accomplish in us and through us. The opposition you face in this life provides you with multiple opportunities to trust in God and demonstrate His ability to enable you to endure difficult circumstances. As long as you anchor your trust in God, you will not be shaken. The evidence of stability will be realized as you place your trust in God. Now consider your giants. Is there anything you are facing that God cannot handle? Remember, the battle is the Lord’s. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Category: Trials
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Real Trials (7)
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!’” Luke 15:17 (NIV) Do you have someone in your life who is currently suffering the consequences of their poor choices? Everything within you wants to shift into rescue mode. You want to pull them out of reaping what they have sown. Their trial has become your trial because of the love you have for them. The prodigal son traveled down the road filled with the potholes of selfish choices. The consequences of his sinful lifestyle were in full bloom. The fast lane had not delivered what it promised. What I admire most about his father, is that he allowed the natural consequences to flow. Instead of rescuing his son, the father gave God room to work and to produce deep conviction in his straying son’s life. Yes! It took a pigpen experience for the son to come to his senses. What if the father would have interrupted the process? What if the father would have chased the son down and prevented him from reaching the pigpen? Sometimes we just need to give God room to work to bring those He has created back to Himself. There are times when God wants to use us in the process of bringing a rebelling son or daughter back into alignment. Don’t bypass God’s disciplinary process. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Heb 12:11 (NIV) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.” Matt 8:24 (NIV) Trials have a tendency to sneak up on us like weeds in a flowerbed. We can be living in the land of the familiar and enjoying our daily routine when all of the sudden, we get surprised by an unexpected interruption. Maybe we get an unwanted notice in the mail, or the check engine light in our car comes on, or the doctor walks in the room with a concerned look in his eyes. Life is filled with seasons of uncertainty. Who do you turn to when trials come into your life? The disciples went to Jesus and woke Him and said, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” We must give them credit at this point. They knew to turn to Jesus. But, Jesus questioned them about their lack of faith and their pressing fear. Why would they be afraid of anything, knowing that Jesus was with them? Jesus seized the opportunity to demonstrate His power over nature. Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves and it was completely calm. The disciples experienced the demonstration of Jesus’ power. Whatever trials come our way, remember that Jesus is our sufficiency. The storms of this life can never catch Jesus by surprise. Jesus is in the boat! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Real Trials (5)
“As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, ‘How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.’” 1 Sam 1:12-14 (NIV) Have you ever been misunderstood? When you are hurting, your emotions will be expressed through anger, suppression, depression, or grief. At some point, your hurt will manifest. For Hannah, her pain was being expressed through heartfelt prayer. She was unveiling her broken heart before the Lord. Hannah was barren. Eli misinterpreted her pain as that of being drunk. That was far from the truth of Hannah’s condition. She wasn’t drunk. She was devastated with the reality of her circumstances. Can you relate? “‘Not so, my lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.’” 1 Sam 1:15-16 (NIV) “Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the LORD for him.’” 1 Sam 1:19-20 (NIV) God knows what you are feeling right now. God knows where you are and where you are headed. Nothing catches God by surprise. Maybe you are experiencing a delay that just doesn’t make sense to you. Know that God has a purpose for every delay we endure. God understands our feelings and our frustrations even when others may not understand. God is all-knowing. God has the final say! For those who have misunderstood you, will you entrust them to God? For the delays you are experiencing, will you entrust them to God as well? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Real Trials (4)
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4 (NIV) Spiritual maturity may involve adversity. The child of God is not exempt from adversity. Often, God will allow adversity to enter our journey in order to move us toward spiritual maturity. God expects us to grow spiritually. Mediocrity, lethargy, and apathy are foreign to the maturation process. God enables us to grow through seasons of uncertainty and through seasons of drought. We are reminded of our inadequacy and our total dependency upon God. God’s desire is for us to not lack anything. Trials produce the canvas upon which the providence of God is painted for our personal engagement. “…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Eph 4:13 (NIV) “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Col 4:12 (NIV) Our response to adversity demonstrates our level of spiritual maturity. Our response to difficult circumstances can also propel our spiritual maturity to the next level. Here’s the bottom line: Are you becoming more Christlike in the midst of the trials you face? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3 (NIV) Without a test, there is no testimony. God allows trials to come into our lives in order to prove the authenticity of our faith. We are like a tube of toothpaste, when squeezed whatever is on the inside comes out. Trials have a way of revealing character. When our faith is tested, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the character of Christ being developed in us. Our testimony is enriched as our faith increases. Learning how to trust God when trials ensue is part of our spiritual formation. God does not waste the trauma that comes into our lives. When difficult circumstances are in view, our faith is fortified. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Heb 12:1 (NIV) “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” 2 Thess 1:4 (NIV) Review your spiritual journey and identify those hard places in your life that proved your faith. You will find that some of your most meaningful moments with God were during those seasons of intensity and adversity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Real Trials (2)
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NIV) View your trials from God’s perspective. Knowledge is needed to take things apart. Wisdom is needed to put things back together. When your life is coming apart, you need God’s wisdom to put your life in order. Trials tend to skew our vision and stifle our passion. It is so easy to lose perspective when facing trials. Our tendency is to be captured by the immediate and bypass the future that God has in store for us. Why do we wait so long in the process to turn to God in prayer? We try to figure out circumstances on our own and frantically search for answers apart from God. Nothing comes into our lives without God’s permission. If God permits trials, then God will use those trials for our good and for His glory. If only we can embrace that reality earlier in the process of our trials. God is both the Creator and Sustainer of our lives. He knows where we are and what we are facing and where we are heading. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalms 46:10 (NIV) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Prov 3:5-6 (NIV) In faith, turn to God and ask for His wisdom. Seek to gain God’s perspective on the trials you face. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3 (NIV) Rejoice is a choice. Living in a fallen world comes at a price. The consequences of sin have rippled throughout our family tree all the way back to Adam and Eve. When sin entered the human race, trials became the shadow. Trials are as much a part of life as the air we breathe. The question is not a matter of whether we will face trials or not in this life. The issue is how we choose to respond to the trials we face. Trials are inevitable in a fallen world. However, we can choose to rejoice in the midst of the trials we navigate. We need not be surprised by the multifaceted trials that come our way. Instead, we need to live in the ready mode in order to anticipate trials and more specifically, plan our response to trials. Will you choose to rejoice? You cannot choose your trials, but you can choose your response to the trials. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” Phil 1:29 (NIV) “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV) Consider the trials that you are currently experiencing. How will you respond today? Will your choice be to rejoice? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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Doing Life (1)
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 (NIV) My dad has had a life of trials. His parents were alcoholics and a few years into his marriage to my mom, he became an alcoholic. My mom and dad divorced when I was about seven. My dad spent most of his adult life in and out of prison and combating the ferocious enemy, alcohol. The last few years have been tranquil as he has aged. Today, I took him to visit the nursing home he has picked out for his next place of residence in less than seven days. I met with the administrator and signed the paperwork. It’s hard to believe that at age thirty-eight, I would be helping my dad prepare for this type of transition. I think it has been a day of facing this trial and allowing God to test our faith and develop perseverance. Walking with God for the past twenty-eight years, I have learned that God is serious about spiritual maturity. God uses all kinds of situations and circumstances in our lives to bring us into maturity. He does not want us to lack anything. God also allows us to experience trials in order to reveal His heart of compassion. God cares about you and everything you go through. Doing life requires trusting in God’s provision. Doing life in a fallen world creates opportunities for us to experience joy in the midst of adversity. God’s character does not shift. He is the Rock. Consider your circumstances and then consider it pure joy. God is up to something special in your life. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care