“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’” Gen 12:1-3 (NIV) Has God ever asked you to do something that was uncomfortable? Have you ever sensed that God wanted you to make a decision that would alter your current reality? Abram was confronted with a word from God that would drastically change his path. God’s instructions were not specific. In fact, God just told Abram to leave and go to a land He would show him. Abram was not on a mission, but on mission with God. Being on mission with God is relational. If you want to obey God and trust Him to reveal His plan for your life, then you must be willing to walk with Him and get to know His voice. God does not need you to be on a mission. God wants you to make a choice to be on mission with Him. He is in charge. He has an agenda for you to fulfill. Abram had to trust God to show Him the way. As Abram obeyed, God would reveal his next step. Does that connect with you? Are you coming to the place where you realize that God wants you to simply choose to be on mission with Him and trust Him with the details? As you obey, God will reveal the way. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Category: Trust
“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) Trust God with the remainder of your days. Your departure from planet earth has already been scheduled by God. He knows when you will take your final breath of earthly air. God is all-knowing and God is eternal. He sees the entirety of your life. He already knows every decision you will make and every path that you will take. In His foreknowledge, God already knows what the final chapter of your earthly existence looks like. Are you willing to trust God with your life? Are you willing to place your life completely in His hands? Live your remaining days with the focus and tenacity of a passionate follower of Christ. Don’t rely on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Live with the awareness of God’s purity, power, and perspective. God is for you. He demonstrated His love for you before you had a chance to weigh in on the transaction (Romans 5:8). God took the initiative to bring you into a love relationship with Himself. Place God first in your life (Matt. 6:33) and He will make your paths straight. Give Him the proper place of allegiance and loyalty. God deserves your devotion and your worship. Make no room for apathy or lethargy. With the time you have left on this earth, trust God with all of your heart. Allow your love relationship with Him to demonstrate who you are and whose you are! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“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) Work can become a space invader. 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. God knows what we need better than we know ourselves. He is the Creator and we are His creation. God is infinite and we are finite. God is all-knowing and we are limited in our understanding. God sees the whole picture while we see only a peep as through a key hole. 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 Sabbath. You need a day to allow God to re-create you. You need to 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! Don’t allow work to invade your Sabbath. Don’t allow work to invade your family time. Ouch! That can be a challenge. God wants you to work when you are at work and be fully present when you are at home. God wants you to guard a day each week for His restorative work in you. Create space for God to put you back together! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Categories
When Storms Come
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” Psalms 18:2 (NIV) Who are you relying upon? What is your faith anchored to? Where do you run when the storm comes? Where do you go when life doesn’t make sense? Can you affirm these words? The LORD is my rock. He provides my stability! The LORD is my fortress. He provides my serenity! The LORD is my deliverer. He provides my solidarity! The LORD God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He provides my safety! We are in desperate need of God’s moment by moment provision. He is still on His throne and has given us everything we need to live out His plan and fulfill His purpose. God is not limited by our limitations. God is eternal, holy, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is sovereign. His love endures forever and His mercies are new every morning. You can take refuge in Him. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Categories
When Storms Come
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” Psalms 18:2 (NIV) Who are you relying upon? What is your faith anchored to? Where do you run when the storm comes? Where do you go when life doesn’t make sense? Can you affirm these words? The LORD is my rock. He provides my stability! The LORD is my fortress. He provides my serenity! The LORD is my deliverer. He provides my solidarity! The LORD God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He provides my safety! We are in desperate need of God’s moment by moment provision. He is still on His throne and has given us everything we need to live out His plan and fulfill His purpose. God is not limited by our limitations. God is eternal, holy, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is sovereign. His love endures forever and His mercies are new every morning. You can take refuge in Him. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.” Gen 12:4 (NIV) What is keeping you from obeying God? Do you fear the unknown? Are you uncomfortable making a move without having more information? Maybe God has chosen to limit His revelation to match your obedience. Once you obey what He has already said, then He will show you the next step. Abram took God at His word! He simply obeyed God. God told Abram to leave and go to a land that He would show him. Guess what? Abram left, as the Lord told him. He obeyed. You can never go wrong obeying God. His way is always the best way. Even when it doesn’t make sense or seem remotely logical, God’s way is the right way. If you are confused about your next step, just obey what He has already said. Start there! Identify what you are wrestling with right now? What is keeping you from taking the next step? Place that fear or frustration before the Lord in prayer and see how He helps you take the next step. You can trust God with your present circumstances and your future hopes and dreams. 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
“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me.’” John 14:1 (NIV) God designed you for eternity. Everybody will live somewhere forever. As Bruce Wilkinson says, “Your beliefs determine where you will spend eternity; your behavior determines how you will spend eternity.” When you choose to live the life God has given, you experience abundant life on earth and you enjoy the reality of eternal life in heaven. In this earthly existence, you live on a broken planet with the presence of sin. As a result, problems become part of the landscape of life. The disciples were troubled as Jesus revealed the reality of His imminent death. “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” John 13:1 (NIV) As you can imagine, the disciples were grieving. Jesus offered them words of comfort by exhorting them to trust in God. They could trust God’s timing and they could trust God’s plan. Jesus included the appeal for the disciples to trust in Himself. Jesus had faithfully walked with them and taught them. The disciples had come to know Jesus in close proximity. Now they would have to trust in Jesus as He submitted to death on the cross. Trust in God to do what He has promised. God keeps His word. God has provided the resolution for the problem of sin. Trust God to carry you through this life into the life to come. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matt 6:14-15 (NIV) Forgiveness is immediate; trust takes time. Would it not be hypocritical to receive God’s forgiveness personally and then refuse to extend God’s forgiveness to others? We do not earn God’s forgiveness by forgiving others, but we demonstrate God’s forgiveness as we forgive others. Jesus expounded on this concept of receiving and extending forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35. We are to forgive others instantly as a result of our being recipients of God’s instant forgiveness. You don’t have to ponder the decision to forgive those who have wounded you. Forgiving those who have hurt you does not validate their behavior or condone their actions, but rather honors God by mirroring His forgiveness towards you. The grace and mercy that God lavishes on you becomes a blessing that flows through you to those who have wounded you. By extending forgiveness, you are allowing the life of Christ to be evident in you and through you. Forgiveness is immediate; trust takes time. Just because you forgive someone does not mean that it is safe to trust that person. God is not asking you to extend forgiveness and then embrace a posture of vulnerability and susceptibility. You are to walk wisely. It takes time and multiple opportunities for a person to demonstrate trustworthiness. Just as you would not dare cross a bridge that is not deemed trustworthy, you would not trust an individual who has failed to be trustworthy. Extend forgiveness immediately and then pray for the person you have forgiven. Ask God to transform the one you have forgiven and to help that person become worthy of your trust. It is possible that you may never trust that person again. However, extending forgiveness is not optional in God’s economy. In my daily quiet time, I came across this question by Henry Blackaby that God is using in my life, “Would you want God to forgive you in the same way you are presently forgiving others?” Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Categories
Forgiveness (2)
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Col 3:13 (NIV) Forgiveness is an event, followed by a process. Perhaps you have found yourself in situations where you have had a hard time forgiving those who have wounded you. Maybe you have been wounded by hurtful words directed to you. Maybe you have been wounded by someone who withheld affection or affirmation from you. Doing life with others involves risks. Relationships can be risky. In his letter to the church at Colosse, Paul identified the prominent role of forgiveness in the realm of relationships. We are commanded to patiently endure each other and to graciously forgive whatever grievances we may have against one another. In order to have a right relationship with God, we must have a right relationship with others. Conversely, in order to have a right relationship with others, we must have a right relationship with God. The next time you begin thinking that someone doesn’t deserve your forgiveness; ask this question, “How much has the Lord forgiven me?” That question places a unique perspective on the concept of forgiveness. In the midst of our hurt, extending forgiveness may not be in line with our true feelings. We may be convinced that the one who wounded us does not deserve our forgiveness. That’s why Paul reminds us to graciously forgive as the Lord has graciously forgiven us. Jesus is not asking you to do anything He has not already done for you. Jesus is not asking you to do anything that He has not already empowered you to do. Follow His example and trust in His provision to enable you to extend forgiveness. Forgiveness is an event, followed by a process. Ask Jesus to give you the compassion and courage to extend forgiveness. Trust Jesus with the event and the process. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“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
“I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:2 (NIV) When answers are beyond your reach, trust in God. When your circumstances produce an element of fear, trust in God. When you feel as though the road of life has become filled with pot holes, trust in God. God is your refuge. He is your covering and your protection. Your fortification is found in God. Jesus endured the agony of being falsely accused and ultimately crucified. The people went from the waving palm braches shouting “Hosanna” to waving their fists in the air shouting “crucify!” Jesus endured such opposition so that we could learn from Him the importance and value of taking refuge in God. Jesus entrusted Himself to the protective hand of God. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Heb 4:15-16 (NIV) “And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” 2 Tim 1:11-12 (NIV) What kind of obstacles are you currently facing? Is there anything that is bothering you or causing you to lose sleep at night? Close your eyes and simply articulate your fears and frustrations before the Lord. Release your anxiety to God and allow Him to fill your questions with His abiding Presence. Trust in God’s timing. Trust in God’s unlimited supply. God knew that you needed Jesus to become your personal Savior. You may not know what tomorrow holds; but you know who holds tomorrow. God has the whole world in His hands; that includes you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” Psalm 52:8 (NIV) The supply of God’s love never diminishes. God’s love is unlimited and unwavering. You can trust in God’s unfailing love. When you place your trust in the immutable character of God, you will be anchored to the Rock. The uncertainties of life in a fallen world cannot alter the unfailing love of God. You are never more secure than living under the canopy of God’s love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NIV) “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV) “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV) You can flourish in this life regardless of your circumstances by trusting in God’s unfailing love. You can move beyond relying on feelings that come and go by trusting in the consistent flow of God’s love. Before you were born, God established you in His love. Before you took your first breath, God demonstrated His love for you by giving you His only Son to die so that you could live forever. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.” Psalms 44:6-7 (NIV) When you identify an area that you are gifted in or an activity that comes naturally to you, it is easy to place your confidence in that area or activity. Sometimes our competence becomes our confidence. We begin to trust the gifts and abilities that God has given us to the neglect of relying upon His strength. Sometimes we may even forget how we have become victorious. What do you trust in? Who are you relying upon to live the victorious Christian life? “‘But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’” Jer 17:7-8 (NIV) “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25 (NIV) “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NIV) God gives us the victory. The credit does not belong to us for weathering the storms of life. God gives us the grace we need to both live and die. God provides us with His ample supply of Manna and quail. God multiplies the loaves and fish to nourish us. Spend a few moments thanking God for coming to your rescue. Be mindful of how needy you are and how generous God is. Weigh the privilege of trusting God and using the gifts and abilities He has given in order to live for His glory. Don’t miscalculate the value God places on your life and on your obedience. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3 (NIV) What is your life song? Has God put a new song in your mouth? As children of God, we have the life transforming message of Jesus. If you have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, then you have a song to sing. It does not matter how musically inclined you are. What matters is that you have a song to sing! Your life in Christ is a song that others will observe. Will others see Christ in your life song? Will they see and revere Jesus because of your life song? Will others place their trust in Jesus as a result of the song that your life sings? God has given us the wonderful and awesome privilege to be the tangible portrait of His grace on this planet. The conversations and interactions that you engage in on a daily basis are chords that vibrate the rhythm of God’s love. When you study the life of Jesus you will notice that Jesus maximized the opportunities presented to Him each day. Jesus lived a life that radiated the love of God. People were drawn to Jesus because His life song declared the magnitude of God’s abundant grace and mercy. Maybe you are in a season currently that has inhibited the song in your mouth. Maybe you have not had a song to sing due to hurt, anger, or disappointment. Ask God to renew your mind and to renew your strength. Ask God to put a new song in your mouth to help you persevere and experience a breakthrough. God knows right where you are and exactly what you need. Trust God! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalms 37:5-6 (NIV) A few months after I surrendered to preach at age sixteen, God placed a true man of God in my life. His name was J.D. Scott. He had been preaching for over 55 years and was serving as an interim pastor. Pastor J.D. invited me to ride with him to his church and allowed me to preach in his pulpit. It was only my third time to ever preach. A few days later, I received a personal thank you letter in the mail from Pastor J.D. and next to his signature he wrote, “Psalms 37:5-6.” As you can imagine, I immediately opened my bible to read those verses to see what God wanted to say to me. Your responsibility is to commit your way to the Lord and trust Him to do what He said He will do. God will take the imputed righteousness of Christ within your life and make it shine so that others may be drawn to Christ in you. Surrender your ambition, your desires, and your dreams to God and trust Him to shine His penetrating light through you to touch the nations. God will make the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. As you put feet to the purposes of God in your life, God will produce the momentum and establish the magnitude of your impact for His glory. Trust in God. Remember that God can do more through your life fully surrendered to His Lordship in a matter of minutes than you can do on your own. Let God have full reign in your life. Will others see Jesus in you today? Will others be drawn to the Savior of the world because of your perpetual obedience and surrender to Him? You can trust Jesus with your life! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” Psalm 20:7 (NIV) This verse became dear to my heart when I was pastoring my seminary church in 1992. My wife, Tonya, and I went through the Experiencing God study along with our deacons and their wives. My journey of faith has been enhanced by the concept of trusting in the name of the Lord our God. Trust is a fragile item in the life of a believer. Trust is like the petal of a rose. Trust can beautify a difficult path and create an aroma pleasing to Christ. Trust can also wilt when betrayed. Like a gem in the hand of a jeweler, trust in God can lead to an irresistible life in which God’s glory radiates. What do you trust in? In our society draped with affluence, it is so easy to trust in materialism. If we can only acquire one more object of our affection or jump into one more activity that produces an adrenaline rush, then we will be fulfilled…so we think. The things of this world just don’t deliver what they promise. The chariots of our culture and the horses of our entertainment are not trustworthy. Only God can deliver on the magnitude of His promises. God always lives up to the level of His nature and character of perfection. There is no lack! There is no discrepancy! God is all sufficient and more than enough! Fully rely upon God. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
Categories
Doing Life (2)
“Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” James 2:21-22 (NIV) Doing life requires faith. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are in the minority on this planet. You are doing life on the narrow path in the midst of a fallen world. Your beliefs will be challenged. Living the Christian life will be marked by opposition and resistance. However, your faith in Christ and His provision will be authenticated by your actions. Are you putting feet to your faith? Are you allowing your faith to hit the pavement of real life in the real world? Abraham serves as a wonderful example of trusting in God’s provision no matter the cost. He was willing to sacrifice his only son in order to be obedient to God. As you know, God came to the rescue in the fourth quarter with a few seconds left on the clock. God provided the substitute. Why did God allow Abraham to go through such a trying experience? God was testing Abraham’s faith. Do you fully trust God to do what He says He will do? Do you fully trust God to empower you to do life His way during your short stay upon the earth? God wants to reveal His glory in you and through you as you live out your faith. Allow your faith to be expressed to a watching world by your actions. As you are doing life, your faith will either attract others to Christ or distract them from Christ. Will your actions give evidence to your vibrant faith in God? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care