February 8th, 2010
“So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.” Josh 3:14 (NIV)
Joshua came face to face with an obstacle that prevented entry into the Promised Land. He was in charge of mobilizing the children of Israel to inherit the land flowing with milk and honey. The Jordan River was the obstacle, which became an opportunity for God to do something great to reveal His glory.
We serve a great God who can take any obstacle and turn it into an opportunity for us to experience His power and for us to know His provision. Everyone has a Jordan. We all encounter obstacles along the path of life on this broken planet. Living in a fallen world ensures our confrontation with obstacles.
The challenge is not facing obstacles, but responding to the obstacles we face. Is it possible to turn an obstacle into an opportunity? Is it possible to navigate obstacles and be in the center of God’s will? Some of the most meaningful experiences with God are those in which you feel like you are in the fourth quarter with only a few seconds left and God comes through for you.
The priest carrying the ark went ahead of the people in order to confront the obstacle. The Jordan River did not stand a chance on sabotaging God’s agenda. God will make a way when there seems to be no way. God will give you just what you need in the moment of your need. God will not leave you hanging. God will not abandon you.
Identify your Jordan. What is keeping you from entering the land flowing with milk and honey? What is keeping you from operating in the center of God’s will?
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 7th, 2010
“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’”
“And God said, ‘I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’” Ex 3:11-12 (NIV)
What benefits were available to Moses in the desert that were unavailable to him in the palace? What could God teach Moses in the dusty desert that he could not learn in the palatial palace?
I remember going through a difficult season in ministry and felt led to call one of my mentors. I shared with him that perhaps God was preparing me for my next assignment. I’ll never forget his response. He said, “Stephen, God is always preparing you for your next assignment. However, your next assignment may be right where you are.”
Moses probably felt that way. He likely wondered what God could possibly be up to by allowing him to remain in the desert for forty years. God allowed Moses to experience forty years in the palace to prepare him for the forty years in the desert to prepare him for the forty years of leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land.
God does not waste our desert experiences. God uses those dry times in our lives to reveal Himself in a way that we would not comprehend otherwise. He is always preparing us for our next interaction, our next appointment, our next interruption, and our next assignment.
God will redeem the season you are in. Are you willing to trust God with your life? Are you willing to submit to His prompting?
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 6th, 2010
“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” Deut 10:12-13 (NIV)
What does the redeemed life look like in practical day-by-day living? Once a person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, how does that new identity translate into daily living? God reveals His expectations for the redeemed life.
Revere supremely. When you experience God’s redemption, your response to that redemption is a life of reverencing God. To revere God is to esteem Him and to give Him the rightful place He deserves in your life.
Live righteously. The redeemed life results in a righteous lifestyle. Godliness replaces worldliness. Selflessness replaces selfishness. Instead of allowing the world to influence your behavior, you influence the culture with the character of Christ in you.
Love completely. God loves you and demonstrated His love for you by allowing Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty of your sin. Love God completely by giving your heart to Him in full surrender. Express your love to Him in private and corporate worship.
Serve passionately. Now that you have been redeemed, serve God by continuing the ministry of Jesus. Serve God by spreading the fragrance of Christ through random acts of kindness. Find a need and meet it.
Obey instantly. Love what God loves and hate what God hates. “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17 NIV). Choose to obey God.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 5th, 2010
“They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thess 1:9-10 (NIV)
Before you were saved, you were running to sin and running from God. Now that you are saved, you run to God and run from sin. In Christ, you experience an authentic transformation whereby your sins are removed, you are reconciled to God, and you receive the imputed righteousness of Christ. Your appetite for sin is replaced with an appetite for righteousness. You hunger and thirst for God. There are no substitutes for a vibrant love relationship with the Lord. Nothing else will ever satisfy. The orientation of your life is centered on serving the living and true God.
The witness of the Thessalonian believers was widespread. Their authentic transformation reverberated throughout Macedonia and Achaia. Their contagious faith had become known everywhere. Turning to God from idols, they embodied the servitude of Christ and served the living and true God. They became an irresistible influence for the Lord.
When you experience the transformation Christ provides, you embrace a life of anticipation. You wait expectantly for the return of Christ from heaven. You live in light of His resurrection and His rescue. There is no one else who can rescue you from the coming wrath. God will judge sin. Those who have rejected God’s plan of salvation will spend eternity separated from God. Rejoice! Your transformation in Christ changes your eternal destiny. Hell is not your destination. The transformation you experienced in Christ assures your ultimate destination in heaven.
Jesus will come for His church prior to the Tribulation. Jesus will come with His church after the Tribulation to establish His millennial reign upon the earth. Live in light of His return!
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 4th, 2010
“The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia–your faith in God has become known everywhere.” 1 Thess 1:8 (NIV)
One of the features of a High School football game is the cheer squad. The cheerleaders seek to engage the fans in the stands in order to motivate them to cheer on the team. Regardless of the score, the cheerleaders seek to get the fans involved in the game in a positive manner. Often the cheerleaders utilize a megaphone to project their cheers and to amplify their message.
God has transformed your life by His grace so that you can become a megaphone to amplify the Good News of Jesus Christ. That’s right! You are a megaphone for the Master! The message of Christ is to project from your life and from your lips. Are you encouraging people to get into the game? Are you sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with those in your sphere of influence?
The church at Thessalonica became a megaphone for the Master. The Lord’s message sounded forth like a blaring trumpet and like rolling thunder. The church boldly and continually trumpeted the gospel message. Their faith in God was not a secret to be concealed, but a glorious reality to be revealed.
God did not transform your life so that you could become a closet Christian. God did not deliver you from the kingdom of darkness and place you in the kingdom of light so that you could become a silent saint. You have been saved by the grace of God to become a megaphone for the Maker of heaven and earth. Your faith in God is to be projected for others to encounter the redeeming love of Christ.
Go public with your faith. Let others hear your personal testimony. Share your spiritual story and live out the gospel.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 3rd, 2010
“And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” 1 Thess 1:7 (NIV)
Are you a model to follow? Are you reproducing the life of Christ before a watching world? God has created you, redeemed you, and empowered you to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth.
After Jesus took the towel and basin of water, He washed the disciples’ feet. Then Jesus said to them, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15 NIV). Jesus is our model to follow. Do what Jesus did. Put the needs of others before your own. Focus your life on fulfilling God’s agenda. Live to benefit others. Radiate Jesus’ love and extend the compassion of Christ. Guard your daily intimacy with God. Extend personal touch ministry to those in need.
In his letter to his protégé, Paul reminded Timothy to “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Tim 4:12 NIV). God wants you to set the pace for the gospel race. Model Christ in your home. Model Christ on your campus. Model Christ in your work environment and in your church. Be a godly example for others to see Christ in you.
The church at Thessalonica became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. They consistently lived out the gospel before a watching world. They influenced their culture by continuing the ministry of Jesus. Instead of allowing the culture to determine their lifestyle, they allowed the life of Jesus to be unleashed through their lives.
Examine your life closely. What needs to change in your conversation and in your conduct in order to be a model to follow? How’s your thought-life? What needs to change in your private world in order to model Christ personally? Exhibit the life of character and integrity that Jesus modeled for you to follow.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 2nd, 2010
“You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thess 1:6 (NIV)
Paul, Silas, and Timothy modeled Christ before the new believers in Thessalonica to the extent that they were motivated to imitate them. The new believers imitated Paul, Silas, Timothy, and the Lord.
If people imitated you, would they be imitating the Lord? Are you living in such close communion with Jesus and doing what He did, that others would notice that you are imitating Christ? As you bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, you become their spiritual parent. They look to you to see what the Christian life is supposed to look like. They imitate you as you imitate Christ. What kind of example are you portraying for others to follow?
As followers of Christ, we are to live the Gospel missionally by presenting living proof of a loving God to a watching world. God wants us to be an irresistible influence for His glory. Will others come to know Christ as a result of our love relationship with Him? Does our conversation and conduct demonstrate a consistent loyalty and devotion to Christ?
Be fully yielded and fully surrendered to the Lordship of Christ and allow Him to live His life through you to touch lost souls. May others welcome the message of Christ into their lives as you faithfully sow the seed of the Gospel. Imitate Christ by loving people and showing them how they can have heaven and eternal life.
If others are imitating you, will they become fully devoted followers of Christ? Will their daily walk with God be infused with passion and enthusiasm?
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
February 1st, 2010
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.” 1 Thess 1:4-5 (NIV)
Be intentional in sharing the gospel. Paul, Silas, and Timothy brought the gospel to the Thessalonians (Acts 17:1-4). The gospel came with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power (I Cor 2:4-5). Many of the Thessalonians responded by turning to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thess 1:9). The gospel transformed their lives and influenced their culture.
In Christ, we have the cure to the cancer of sin. We have been entrusted with the gospel of light that delivers people from the kingdom of darkness. God has armed us with the Good News of Jesus Christ and empowered us with the Holy Spirit to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. God still uses human instrumentality in the redemptive process.
Will you be faithful to share the gospel intentionally? Paul, Silas, and Timothy lived among the Thessalonians to benefit them, to bless them, and to bring Christ to them. Instead of allowing the pagan culture to influence them, Paul, Silas, and Timothy intentionally influenced the culture by continuing the ministry of Jesus.
Be a thermostat, not a thermometer. A thermostat sets the environment while a thermometer reflects the environment. God has not called us to be absorbed by the culture, but to influence the culture with the gospel. Be a spiritual thermostat for the Lord by sharing the gospel intentionally.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
January 31st, 2010
“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
January 30th, 2010
“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.” Ex 2:23-25 (NIV)
God is passionate about His creation. His passion is consistently evidenced by His compassion in action. God saw the Israelites in their desperation and seized the opportunity to reveal Himself to them and to respond to their need.
People matter to God. You can trace God’s redemptive activity throughout the entire Bible from cover to cover. He passionately pursues fallen humanity in order to bring reconciliation and restoration. God’s endless love is portrayed intimately in His patience with us and in His passion for us. We matter to Him!
We experience God’s compassion in action through the salvation of our souls. The redemptive act of God in Christ on the cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s compassion. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV). We are the recipients of the bountiful compassion of God.
How will we relay God’s compassion on earth? Now that we have been perpetually and eternally blessed by God’s compassion, what should our response entail? We have received God’s compassion so that we can extend God’s compassion to others. God invites us to participate with Him in His redemptive activity.
Whenever you have difficulty putting compassion into action, consider the depth of compassion God has extended to you. God is not asking you to do anything He has not already done for you.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell