WEBVTT 00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:03.839 We're going to jump in. Are you ready? No, are 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:07.160 you ready? Sometimes I say, man, we may be going 00:00:07.160 --> 00:00:09.259 a little long today, but we'll order some food 00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:11.839 in. Today, we may be going a little long, and 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.859 we're going to feed you right afterward, so no 00:00:13.859 --> 00:00:16.699 complaining, all right? But get ready. There's 00:00:16.699 --> 00:00:20.019 some tacos out there, along with some great fellowship 00:00:20.019 --> 00:00:22.940 and opportunity for the kids to play. But we're 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:24.399 going to get into the Word. If you've got your 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:27.199 Bibles, turn on over to Colossians chapter 2. 00:00:28.260 --> 00:00:31.920 Colossians chapter two, verse six and seven is 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:36.100 where we'll be today. Colossians two, verse six 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:38.200 and seven. You can turn in your Bibles. It'll 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:41.100 also be up here on the screen. If you're looking 00:00:41.100 --> 00:00:42.939 for Colossians, it's gonna be in the back part 00:00:42.939 --> 00:00:46.659 of your Bible, well past the middle part and 00:00:46.659 --> 00:00:50.560 in the New Testament, surrounded by a few other 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.320 books, Ephesians, Galatians, right there. Colossians 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:58.850 chapter two. Verse six and seven reads, so then, 00:00:58.950 --> 00:01:03.130 just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, 00:01:03.369 --> 00:01:07.310 continue to walk in him, being rooted and built 00:01:07.310 --> 00:01:10.150 up in him and established in the faith, just 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.870 as you were taught and overflowing with gratitude. 00:01:13.950 --> 00:01:16.310 I'm going to read that one more time. So then, 00:01:16.349 --> 00:01:19.250 just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, 00:01:19.430 --> 00:01:23.060 continue to walk in him. Being rooted and built 00:01:23.060 --> 00:01:27.000 up in him and established in faith just as you 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:31.299 were taught and overflowing with gratitude. This 00:01:31.299 --> 00:01:34.560 is God's word, amen? One of the things over in 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:37.700 Uganda I found out is they like to say amen a 00:01:37.700 --> 00:01:41.659 lot. After like everything. And so if I start 00:01:41.659 --> 00:01:44.819 to say amen a lot today, just go with it, right? 00:01:44.900 --> 00:01:47.959 They say amina. Amina I think is how they say 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:53.180 amen. But I'll probably just say amen. We live 00:01:53.180 --> 00:01:56.980 in a world where people constantly feel like 00:01:56.980 --> 00:02:00.359 there should be something more. More success, 00:02:00.540 --> 00:02:04.239 more experiences, more relationships, more money, 00:02:04.299 --> 00:02:09.139 amen? And we scroll through our feeds on social 00:02:09.139 --> 00:02:12.120 media and we look at other people's lives. And 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:15.039 deep down, you may have wondered, is this it? 00:02:15.699 --> 00:02:21.349 Was I made for more? And I believe that the Bible 00:02:21.349 --> 00:02:23.789 answers that question with a resounding what? 00:02:24.270 --> 00:02:30.629 Yes, you were made for more. But not the kind 00:02:30.629 --> 00:02:35.349 of more that the world is chasing. You were made 00:02:35.349 --> 00:02:41.689 for more in Christ Jesus. More life, more freedom, 00:02:41.750 --> 00:02:46.069 more joy, and more purpose. And that's what this 00:02:46.069 --> 00:02:48.750 new series we're launching into, Made for More, 00:02:48.870 --> 00:02:51.610 is all about. Over the next few weeks, we're 00:02:51.610 --> 00:02:53.870 going to walk through our discipleship framework 00:02:53.870 --> 00:02:56.870 here at Village. This is what it means to grow 00:02:56.870 --> 00:02:59.729 as a follower of Christ. And we're going to look 00:02:59.729 --> 00:03:01.409 at four things. We're going to look at being 00:03:01.409 --> 00:03:06.129 rooted in Christ, renewed in grace, shaped for 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:10.680 purpose, and sent to serve. This is what it means 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:13.500 to grow as a follower of Christ. And because 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:16.060 discipleship isn't about settling for a shallow 00:03:16.060 --> 00:03:18.979 faith or just going through the motions, it's 00:03:18.979 --> 00:03:21.840 about stepping into the abundant life that Jesus 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:25.099 promised when he said, I have come that you may 00:03:25.099 --> 00:03:28.919 have life and have it to the full. Amen? Because 00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:31.919 Jesus didn't just die and rise from the grave 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:35.599 so that you could limp through life, bored and 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:40.360 bitter and barely surviving. And so we have to 00:03:40.360 --> 00:03:43.479 stop living the half dead when he is offering 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:48.680 us a full life. Because let me tell you, Satan 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:53.759 wants you to waste your life scrolling, sinning, 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:58.539 and just surviving. But Jesus wants you to actually 00:03:58.539 --> 00:04:02.159 live. And too many Christians, they're living 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:05.379 on spiritual life support. They're hooked up 00:04:05.379 --> 00:04:07.939 to Sunday morning, but they're flatlining the 00:04:07.939 --> 00:04:13.699 rest of the week. Jesus came to give you an abundant 00:04:13.699 --> 00:04:18.139 life. And what is the key? That kind of life 00:04:18.139 --> 00:04:21.579 doesn't come from chasing Christ plus anything 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:24.939 else. It comes from going deeper into Christ 00:04:24.939 --> 00:04:28.750 himself. And that's why our first message in 00:04:28.750 --> 00:04:31.589 this series is called Rooted in Christ. Because 00:04:31.589 --> 00:04:34.790 before you can do anything for Jesus, before 00:04:34.790 --> 00:04:37.550 you can go and conquer the world for Jesus, you 00:04:37.550 --> 00:04:40.529 must be first rooted and established in Christ. 00:04:41.829 --> 00:04:43.889 Because it's hard out there. It's difficult. 00:04:45.290 --> 00:04:47.209 And the world's going to come against you and 00:04:47.209 --> 00:04:50.009 Satan's going to throw everything at you. You 00:04:50.009 --> 00:04:52.250 need to be rooted. And you think about roots. 00:04:52.410 --> 00:04:54.649 Roots, they're not flashy. You don't see them 00:04:54.649 --> 00:04:58.100 on the surface. But they're what make all the 00:04:58.100 --> 00:05:00.959 difference in the world. Because roots anchor 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:04.500 a tree in a storm and roots draw in nourishment. 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:08.680 And roots determine the fruit, the fruitfulness 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:12.019 of the tree. Have you ever tried to dig where 00:05:12.019 --> 00:05:14.439 there's roots underneath? Anyone ever tried to 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:18.389 dig through roots? Is it easy? No, no, it'll 00:05:18.389 --> 00:05:20.329 wear you out, right? You get that shovel and 00:05:20.329 --> 00:05:22.230 you stab down and pretty soon you hit something 00:05:22.230 --> 00:05:24.029 solid and you think, man, oh, this will take 00:05:24.029 --> 00:05:25.629 me just a couple minutes. I'll get this root 00:05:25.629 --> 00:05:28.250 out in no time, right? And you hit that root 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:29.949 and maybe you get that root out, but what comes 00:05:29.949 --> 00:05:33.250 next? Another root, right? And then another root 00:05:33.250 --> 00:05:35.930 and then another root and you're breaking a sweat 00:05:35.930 --> 00:05:38.110 and you bend your shovel and pretty soon you're 00:05:38.110 --> 00:05:39.829 saying three letter and four letter and five 00:05:39.829 --> 00:05:43.670 letter words, right? Well, not you, right? You're 00:05:43.670 --> 00:05:48.680 too holy for that. Why? Because roots are tough, 00:05:48.899 --> 00:05:53.000 man. And that's where your life, what your life 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:56.139 is supposed to look like in Christ. The enemy 00:05:56.139 --> 00:05:59.699 is going to try to push you over. The world is 00:05:59.699 --> 00:06:03.220 going to try to dig you up, transplant you somewhere 00:06:03.220 --> 00:06:06.480 else. Your own sin is going to try to trip you 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:10.160 up. But when your roots are sunk deep into Jesus, 00:06:10.420 --> 00:06:14.579 they can't get you out. They can throw shade 00:06:14.579 --> 00:06:17.259 on you. They can cut your branches off. They 00:06:17.259 --> 00:06:20.019 can try to knock you down. They can send a storm. 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:22.579 But if your roots are in him, you're not going 00:06:22.579 --> 00:06:27.139 anywhere. The thing is, with fruit, you can fake 00:06:27.139 --> 00:06:28.579 fruit for a little while. Did you know that? 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:31.420 You can do the whole Christmas tree thing, right? 00:06:31.560 --> 00:06:33.899 You can decorate the Christmas tree and make 00:06:33.899 --> 00:06:36.259 it look like some socks or some glitter streamer 00:06:36.259 --> 00:06:41.740 somehow popped out of your branches, right? My 00:06:41.740 --> 00:06:46.180 wife said that wasn't funny, but I... I always 00:06:46.180 --> 00:06:48.319 send my sermon through my wife and she strikes 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:51.060 things. And I was like, I'm adding that back 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:54.879 in. No one in first service thought it was funny, 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:58.240 by the way. But I knew my second service people, 00:06:58.420 --> 00:07:06.279 right? You can play the Christmas tree. You can 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:08.360 decorate it and make it look like it's got all 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:11.399 kinds of things popping out. But you can't fake 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:14.500 the roots. You can't fake the roots. Roots take 00:07:14.500 --> 00:07:17.939 time to develop. Roots take depth. And roots 00:07:17.939 --> 00:07:21.779 are proven when? When the storm comes. That's 00:07:21.779 --> 00:07:25.379 when you know. And that's why Paul says, be rooted 00:07:25.379 --> 00:07:28.819 and built up in him, in Jesus. In other words, 00:07:28.819 --> 00:07:31.180 the more deeply your life seeks its roots into 00:07:31.180 --> 00:07:33.839 Christ, the more stability and nourishment and 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:38.920 fruit you will see. Dallas Willard once said, 00:07:39.019 --> 00:07:42.180 the most important thing in your life is not 00:07:42.180 --> 00:07:48.560 what you do. It's who you become. That's what 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:51.899 you will take into eternity. The most important 00:07:51.899 --> 00:07:54.620 thing in your life is not what you do, but it's 00:07:54.620 --> 00:07:57.139 who you become. Because friends, you were made 00:07:57.139 --> 00:08:00.100 for more and it begins by being rooted in Christ. 00:08:01.779 --> 00:08:03.980 Today, we're going to look at what that means 00:08:03.980 --> 00:08:06.629 and what it doesn't mean. and how we can cultivate 00:08:06.629 --> 00:08:09.209 the kind of roots that bear fruit that lasts. 00:08:09.250 --> 00:08:14.810 Amen? Amen? Number one, if you're taking notes, 00:08:14.850 --> 00:08:17.029 because we are a Bible -believing, note -taking 00:08:17.029 --> 00:08:19.689 church, so if you're taking notes, wink, wink. 00:08:20.389 --> 00:08:24.790 The first point is the foundation. Number one, 00:08:24.810 --> 00:08:29.250 the foundation. Colossians 2 .6 says, So then, 00:08:29.329 --> 00:08:32.269 just as you have received Christ as Lord, continue 00:08:32.269 --> 00:08:37.149 to walk in him. You know this, but every tree 00:08:37.149 --> 00:08:39.929 has a starting point. Before there is roots, 00:08:39.990 --> 00:08:42.789 before it can grow, before there's fruit, a seed 00:08:42.789 --> 00:08:46.610 has to be planted in the soil. And Paul says 00:08:46.610 --> 00:08:48.330 that the starting point of the Christian life 00:08:48.330 --> 00:08:51.909 is this, just as you received Christ Jesus as 00:08:51.909 --> 00:08:56.450 Lord. That's the foundation. And notice what 00:08:56.450 --> 00:08:59.129 Paul doesn't say. He doesn't say just as you 00:08:59.129 --> 00:09:03.500 received good advice from Jesus. He doesn't say, 00:09:03.500 --> 00:09:06.299 just as you received a spiritual pick -me -up 00:09:06.299 --> 00:09:11.179 from Jesus. He says, you received Christ Jesus 00:09:11.179 --> 00:09:16.879 as Lord. And that word Lord, man, that's a word 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:20.659 we don't like too much. Us Westerners, we don't 00:09:20.659 --> 00:09:24.639 like Lord. Because Lord means master. Lord means 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:27.980 king. Lord means ruler. And to be rooted in Christ 00:09:27.980 --> 00:09:31.789 begins with surrendering your life to him. Not 00:09:31.789 --> 00:09:34.490 just in inviting him to be a part of your life, 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:37.789 but handing him the title deed to your life. 00:09:39.309 --> 00:09:43.190 Why does that matter? Well, like any building 00:09:43.190 --> 00:09:46.470 project or anything, if the starting point is 00:09:46.470 --> 00:09:49.570 off, everything else down the way is going to 00:09:49.570 --> 00:09:53.889 be off. Amen? If you think Christianity is about 00:09:53.889 --> 00:09:56.309 adding a little religion to your schedule or 00:09:56.309 --> 00:09:58.389 sprinkling a little Jesus on top of your already 00:09:58.389 --> 00:10:03.940 busy life, you'll never grow roots. You'll stay 00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:05.840 like a plant that's just sitting on the surface, 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:10.360 never planted deep. But when you truly receive 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:13.200 Christ as Lord, your life is planted in him. 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:15.700 He becomes your soil. He becomes your foundation. 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:20.360 He becomes your source. And it's from the foundation 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:26.080 up that a building is built right. The seed determines 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:28.399 the kind of plant. The kind of plant determines 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.860 the fruit. And that moment begins when you receive 00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:35.659 Christ. Who you are is no longer defined by your 00:10:35.659 --> 00:10:38.500 past, by your successes or your failures. The 00:10:38.500 --> 00:10:41.080 Apostle Paul, he got this straight. He had to 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:44.220 look at his past, not only his successes, but 00:10:44.220 --> 00:10:46.059 his failures. Not only his failures, but his 00:10:46.059 --> 00:10:48.820 successes, and say they count for nothing in 00:10:48.820 --> 00:10:55.639 Christ. Amen? They count for nothing. In Christ, 00:10:55.639 --> 00:10:58.559 who you are is now rooted in him and who you 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:03.860 are becoming is already determined. And so I'll 00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:06.480 ask, have you had that moment of being planted 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:11.179 in Christ? Have you received him as Lord, not 00:11:11.179 --> 00:11:14.539 just admired him as a teacher or respected him 00:11:14.539 --> 00:11:17.340 as a good example, but surrendered to him as 00:11:17.340 --> 00:11:21.440 your Lord? Because you can't be rooted in Christ 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:26.580 until you are in. Christ. And the good news is 00:11:26.580 --> 00:11:29.899 that when you receive him, he doesn't just forgive 00:11:29.899 --> 00:11:34.179 you, but he plants you in true soil of life. 00:11:34.679 --> 00:11:37.539 And you begin to receive the life abundant that 00:11:37.539 --> 00:11:40.580 he promises. And from that point forward, your 00:11:40.580 --> 00:11:44.679 roots have a place to grow. Have you received 00:11:44.679 --> 00:11:51.500 Christ as Lord, not just a good teacher? Number 00:11:51.500 --> 00:11:56.529 two, the picture. The picture. Colossians 2, 00:11:56.570 --> 00:12:00.149 7 says, being rooted and built up in him, in 00:12:00.149 --> 00:12:04.110 Christ, and established in the faith. Once the 00:12:04.110 --> 00:12:07.230 seed is planted, what happens next? Well, roots 00:12:07.230 --> 00:12:09.769 begin to form. And they start small, but they 00:12:09.769 --> 00:12:12.809 begin to dig deep. And those roots make all the 00:12:12.809 --> 00:12:17.710 difference. In verse 7, Paul said, being rooted 00:12:17.710 --> 00:12:22.090 and built up in him. You notice the picture, 00:12:22.190 --> 00:12:25.429 rooted and built up, rooted and built up. Roots 00:12:25.429 --> 00:12:28.570 give stability. Being built up is about growth. 00:12:30.450 --> 00:12:33.269 Both happen at the same time. As you sink your 00:12:33.269 --> 00:12:35.409 roots deeper into Christ, he builds your life 00:12:35.409 --> 00:12:40.830 up on him. And you know when roots matter the 00:12:40.830 --> 00:12:46.049 most? In the storm, right? Roots matter most. 00:12:46.809 --> 00:12:49.309 When the storm hits. Because it's easy to talk 00:12:49.309 --> 00:12:51.610 about faith when the sun is shining, isn't it? 00:12:53.190 --> 00:12:57.409 But what about when tragedy comes? What about 00:12:57.409 --> 00:13:03.490 when the storm rages? A couple of weeks ago, 00:13:03.590 --> 00:13:07.169 our nation was rocked by the assassination of 00:13:07.169 --> 00:13:11.730 Charlie Kirk. I will say that it was one of the 00:13:11.730 --> 00:13:14.820 most tragic moments of our generation. There 00:13:14.820 --> 00:13:17.039 have been many moments and many, many people 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:19.799 have died by various means, be it assassination 00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:24.320 or murder, because of sin and sinfulness of the 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:27.120 world that we live in. But this was an interesting 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:33.500 moment because it was a moment where, at the 00:13:33.500 --> 00:13:36.720 moment of his death, within a matter of seconds, 00:13:37.059 --> 00:13:41.279 the whole world witnessed it live, unedited. 00:13:43.529 --> 00:13:46.509 I didn't know about his death because someone 00:13:46.509 --> 00:13:48.590 told me. I knew about it because I opened up 00:13:48.590 --> 00:13:55.250 Twitter and I saw it happen. I witnessed as he 00:13:55.250 --> 00:14:00.509 was shot and fell over. And not only did I, but 00:14:00.509 --> 00:14:04.710 many of our young people, many of our older people 00:14:04.710 --> 00:14:09.230 saw it within minutes. The graphic, unedited 00:14:09.230 --> 00:14:14.019 video shared across social media. And then, Shortly 00:14:14.019 --> 00:14:17.000 after that, what always happens happened, and 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:20.600 the noise started to rise. The noise came, right? 00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:23.679 And there were both satanic celebrations mocking 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:28.240 his death. There were a whole lot of yeah, buts. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:32.059 You know those yeah, buts? Yeah, I know he was 00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:35.039 just killed or murdered, but do you know this 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:36.840 about him? Or do you know this about him? Or 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:38.720 do you know this about him? Or yeah, but, yeah, 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:43.600 but, yeah, buts. And then you even had Christian 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:47.240 leaders. This grieved my heart. I saw this in 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:50.820 Uganda as we were traveling to Uganda. And it 00:14:50.820 --> 00:14:52.899 grieved my heart because you had Christian leaders 00:14:52.899 --> 00:14:55.559 who were saying, if your pastor doesn't address 00:14:55.559 --> 00:14:57.740 this this Sunday, you should leave the church. 00:15:01.019 --> 00:15:03.940 And I'll just say, unequivocally, friends, that 00:15:03.940 --> 00:15:06.399 is a misuse of the platform that those pastors 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:10.279 have been given. And I fear that anyone who drove 00:15:10.279 --> 00:15:12.940 anyone away from their church fellowship will 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:18.360 one day have to stand before the judge, the one 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:21.600 true judge, and give an account for what they 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:27.659 said. And I'll tell you, at first, I didn't know 00:15:27.659 --> 00:15:31.820 how to respond. I didn't know Charlie Kirk. I 00:15:31.820 --> 00:15:37.139 didn't know anything about his faith. all I could 00:15:37.139 --> 00:15:40.360 respond was what I saw, and I said, that is an 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:44.700 act of evil. That is evil. Regardless of who 00:15:44.700 --> 00:15:47.759 he is. Regardless of what he believes or his 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:55.940 position, that is evil. But after listening to 00:15:55.940 --> 00:15:58.899 his own words, thank you, after listening to 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:03.220 his own words, hundreds of videos and hearing, 00:16:04.009 --> 00:16:06.429 from those who are closest to him, his pastor, 00:16:07.370 --> 00:16:12.789 a well -known apologist, Frank Turek, and others, 00:16:13.029 --> 00:16:16.909 I believe that it is right to say that Charlie 00:16:16.909 --> 00:16:22.149 Kirk was a martyr for his faith. He was a martyr 00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:29.090 for our faith. Because knowing the cost and enduring 00:16:29.090 --> 00:16:34.440 constant ridicule and threats, He regularly preached 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:37.379 the good news of Jesus Christ and called people 00:16:37.379 --> 00:16:43.519 to repentance. He pointed people to Christ as 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:45.960 what matters most in this world above anything 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:51.559 else. He also defended the sanctity of life even 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:54.399 in the womb. He upheld God's design for marriage 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:57.240 and sexuality. He stood against the idolatry 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:00.120 and demonic deception of the transgender ideology 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:05.269 that's being forced. fed to our children. And 00:17:05.269 --> 00:17:09.049 it was those convictions which are rooted in 00:17:09.049 --> 00:17:12.750 God's design and in God's words that motivated 00:17:12.750 --> 00:17:21.690 the murderer to kill him. And yet, what has struck 00:17:21.690 --> 00:17:26.609 so many more people was his wife Erica's response 00:17:26.609 --> 00:17:33.539 afterward. In the face of unthinkable loss, She 00:17:33.539 --> 00:17:36.539 publicly forgave the man who killed her husband. 00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:44.180 And I'll tell you, her forgiveness of the man 00:17:44.180 --> 00:17:50.519 publicly set off a chain reaction. More people 00:17:50.519 --> 00:17:56.200 than in any other Sunday in recent history flooded 00:17:56.200 --> 00:18:05.130 back to church seeking the Lord. Amen. Others 00:18:05.130 --> 00:18:08.769 were confronted with the reality of what kind 00:18:08.769 --> 00:18:11.349 of faith, what could cause someone to do this? 00:18:12.349 --> 00:18:16.490 What would allow a woman to stand only days, 00:18:16.670 --> 00:18:19.309 a week, two, week and a half removed and forgive 00:18:19.309 --> 00:18:23.329 the young man who murdered her husband? Even 00:18:23.329 --> 00:18:26.430 the comedian and actor Tim Allen took to Twitter 00:18:26.430 --> 00:18:29.859 and he said, That seeing all this play out and 00:18:29.859 --> 00:18:32.400 watching her forced him to confront the fact 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:35.200 that he had never forgiven the man who took his 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:37.700 father away at 11 years old through, I think, 00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:40.779 a drunk driving incident. And that he'd never 00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:43.259 been able to forgive. And seeing that she could 00:18:43.259 --> 00:18:44.960 do that and she could stand on that, he took 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:47.460 to Twitter and said, now I'm ready. I'm going 00:18:47.460 --> 00:18:50.420 to say it. And he typed it out. I forgive you 00:18:50.420 --> 00:18:57.240 for killing my father. That kind of forgiveness 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:02.440 doesn't come from shallow roots. That is the 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:05.259 fruit of a life that is deeply anchored in Christ. 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:09.779 That's the picture. When you're rooted in Christ, 00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:13.160 your life doesn't collapse under hatred or fear 00:19:13.160 --> 00:19:18.480 or bitterness. Instead, his strength flows into 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:21.440 you and you find the ability to do what is humanly 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:27.140 impossible to forgive, to trust. to endure, and 00:19:27.140 --> 00:19:32.559 to hope. I'm reminded this morning of our brothers 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:37.140 and sisters in Nigeria. Since 2009, over 100 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:39.339 ,000 brothers and sisters in Christ have been 00:19:39.339 --> 00:19:43.740 killed in Nigeria. 18 ,000 churches have been 00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:46.319 burnt down, sometimes with the believers in the 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:49.640 church. And do you know what our brothers and 00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:53.210 sisters did this morning in Nigeria? They got 00:19:53.210 --> 00:19:55.309 up, they put their clothes on, and they went 00:19:55.309 --> 00:19:58.630 to worship in the house of God. In the face of 00:19:58.630 --> 00:20:03.130 that fear, in the face of bitterness and hatred, 00:20:03.289 --> 00:20:06.609 they found forgiveness, trust, endurance, and 00:20:06.609 --> 00:20:12.190 hope. Dallas Willard also says that spiritual 00:20:12.190 --> 00:20:15.329 formation in Christ is not a matter of merely 00:20:15.329 --> 00:20:18.930 trying to do what he said, but of becoming the 00:20:18.930 --> 00:20:22.180 kind of person who naturally does. what he said. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:26.180 And that's what roots do. They change you at 00:20:26.180 --> 00:20:28.680 the level of who you are. You don't just try 00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:34.480 harder. You grow deeper in Christ. The Puritan 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.680 John Stott said, Christian maturity is likeness 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:41.279 to Christ. And that likeness is cultivated as 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:43.640 you put our roots deep down into him through 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:48.180 scripture, prayer, and obedience. Remember that 00:20:48.180 --> 00:20:50.579 roots don't grow in a day, but they grow every 00:20:50.579 --> 00:20:53.220 single day. And discipleship isn't microwave 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:58.279 meal, it's a crockpot meal. Every day, sinking 00:20:58.279 --> 00:21:00.619 deeper into Christ through his word, through 00:21:00.619 --> 00:21:03.160 prayer, through obedience, and through the community 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:07.339 of the faithful. And so I'll ask you, what are 00:21:07.339 --> 00:21:13.079 your roots sinking into? Because wherever you're 00:21:13.079 --> 00:21:15.079 rooted is what will determine the fruit of your 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:19.190 life. If your roots are in money or success or 00:21:19.190 --> 00:21:21.230 comfort or politics, that's the fruit you're 00:21:21.230 --> 00:21:24.529 going to get. But if your roots are in Christ, 00:21:24.549 --> 00:21:26.230 then you'll begin to see the fruit of the Spirit. 00:21:26.950 --> 00:21:30.230 Love and joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 00:21:30.450 --> 00:21:33.069 faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control. 00:21:33.369 --> 00:21:35.549 And the picture Paul gives us is clear. Don't 00:21:35.549 --> 00:21:39.029 chase Christ plus anything else. Go deeper into 00:21:39.029 --> 00:21:42.269 Christ himself. That's where the roots of discipleship 00:21:42.269 --> 00:21:47.880 are found. Amen? Number three, the treasure. 00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:53.480 All you type A's, three out of four. We're getting 00:21:53.480 --> 00:22:01.339 there. Three out of four. Earlier in Colossians, 00:22:01.339 --> 00:22:05.359 it says in verse three, in Christ are hidden 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:09.880 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All 00:22:09.880 --> 00:22:14.319 the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. What a 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:17.880 statement. In Christ, not outside of him, not 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:20.680 beyond him, but in him are all the treasures. 00:22:20.940 --> 00:22:23.980 Because the false teachers in Colossae, the city 00:22:23.980 --> 00:22:26.519 that Paul is writing to here, they were saying 00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:28.180 this to the people. They were saying, yeah, Christ 00:22:28.180 --> 00:22:31.039 is fine. Good job. You love Christ. That's awesome. 00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:34.259 But you also need something else to be full. 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:38.930 You need secret knowledge. You need secret knowledge 00:22:38.930 --> 00:22:41.190 or you need a special code. You need a vision 00:22:41.190 --> 00:22:43.809 from an angel. You need some ritual to perform. 00:22:44.029 --> 00:22:49.069 You need Christ plus something else. And Paul 00:22:49.069 --> 00:22:54.529 says, no. Stop searching outside of Christ. All 00:22:54.529 --> 00:22:57.609 the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in 00:22:57.609 --> 00:23:04.109 him. And when Paul says, man. when he says that 00:23:04.109 --> 00:23:06.029 they're hidden in Christ, Paul doesn't mean like 00:23:06.029 --> 00:23:09.029 hidden, like concealed so you can't find them. 00:23:10.250 --> 00:23:12.190 What Paul means is they're hidden like they're 00:23:12.190 --> 00:23:15.130 stored up. They're kept safe. They're secure 00:23:15.130 --> 00:23:17.849 in Christ. And if you are growing in Christ, 00:23:17.990 --> 00:23:20.470 if you are walking with him, you will be discovering 00:23:20.470 --> 00:23:24.539 them as you go. They're there for you. To discover. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:27.480 You don't need a guru. You don't need a self 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:29.500 -help book. You don't need to chase after angels. 00:23:29.539 --> 00:23:32.079 Or crack some spiritual code. You need to go 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:34.420 to Christ. Because in him nothing is missing. 00:23:34.440 --> 00:23:39.539 Amen. This is where you have to be careful today. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:44.140 Because we may not be tempted. To engage in angel 00:23:44.140 --> 00:23:49.839 worship. You might be. But maybe not. But the 00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:51.900 same lie shows up all the time. In different 00:23:51.900 --> 00:23:56.059 churches. It's got the same roots. And sometimes 00:23:56.059 --> 00:23:58.460 it looks like this. Some churches or some pastors 00:23:58.460 --> 00:24:03.920 will push Jesus plus special insight. Oh, yes, 00:24:04.039 --> 00:24:06.460 the Bible is good. His word is good. But you 00:24:06.460 --> 00:24:10.259 need my special revelation. You need my hidden 00:24:10.259 --> 00:24:16.359 code. You need my special key. The rapture is 00:24:16.359 --> 00:24:18.960 going to take place on September 23rd and 24th. 00:24:19.400 --> 00:24:23.920 God told me in 2018. Oh, the rapture didn't happen. 00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:25.940 Well, it actually did happen on the 23rd and 00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:28.299 24th, but we were using the Gregorian calendar 00:24:28.299 --> 00:24:33.460 and it's actually the Julian calendar. Wait, 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:35.559 there's a Jewish calendar too? Maybe it's the 00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:42.160 Jewish calendar. I don't know. Wasn't September 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:50.140 even named after a Roman god? Jesus plus special 00:24:50.140 --> 00:24:53.079 insight. Or some will push Jesus plus a religious 00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:55.180 ritual. Yeah, Jesus is good and he saves you, 00:24:55.240 --> 00:24:57.579 but unless you keep our tradition, our way of 00:24:57.579 --> 00:25:00.059 worshiping, or follow our rules, you're not really 00:25:00.059 --> 00:25:04.920 spiritual. Or some will push Jesus plus experiences. 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:07.680 Yes, Jesus is good, but unless you have this 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:11.380 particular spiritual high, or this dramatic miracle, 00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:14.480 or unless you speak in tongues, you're a second 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:16.539 -class Christian. Hope you get there someday. 00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:23.779 Some push Jesus plus self -help. Yeah, Jesus 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:26.079 matters. But you know what? You also need this 00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:29.900 new productivity system. This new way of arranging 00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:32.119 your life. This new political agenda or this 00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:36.420 financial strategy. Don't you see it? It's always 00:25:36.420 --> 00:25:40.619 Jesus plus. And Paul's answer to that is the 00:25:40.619 --> 00:25:46.799 same. Jesus is enough. He is supreme. He is sufficient. 00:25:47.099 --> 00:25:50.339 He is the treasure chest of all wisdom and knowledge 00:25:50.339 --> 00:25:54.380 you need to find is in him. Amen. And this is 00:25:54.380 --> 00:25:56.900 why Paul later says in verse 10, you have been 00:25:56.900 --> 00:26:00.700 filled by him who is the head over every ruler 00:26:00.700 --> 00:26:04.259 and authority. He didn't say you will be filled 00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:07.920 if you find the secret code or you decipher the 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:11.440 way to read just right. He said, you have been 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:14.589 filled. You've already been filled in him. And 00:26:14.589 --> 00:26:16.190 that's the treasure of being rooted in Christ. 00:26:16.309 --> 00:26:18.430 You don't need to keep searching outside of him. 00:26:18.490 --> 00:26:21.470 You don't need Christ plus. You already have 00:26:21.470 --> 00:26:26.730 everything you need in him. So number four, the 00:26:26.730 --> 00:26:32.490 practice. Being rooted and built up in him and 00:26:32.490 --> 00:26:35.670 established in the faith just as you were taught 00:26:35.670 --> 00:26:42.200 and overflowing with gratitude. So how do roots 00:26:42.200 --> 00:26:46.579 actually grow? Well, Paul says we are rooted 00:26:46.579 --> 00:26:48.660 and built up in him, established in the faith 00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:51.099 as we are taught and overflowing with gratitude. 00:26:51.180 --> 00:26:53.059 In other words, roots don't just automatically 00:26:53.059 --> 00:26:56.920 grow. They grow as we keep sinking deeper into 00:26:56.920 --> 00:26:59.680 Christ. And so let me give you four ways that 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:02.099 God grows our roots. The first one is through 00:27:02.099 --> 00:27:06.539 his word. Jesus said, if you remain in me and 00:27:06.539 --> 00:27:09.420 my words remain in you, Ask whatever you want 00:27:09.420 --> 00:27:13.680 and it will be done for you. The word feeds our 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:18.319 soul the way water feeds the soil. Paul says 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:20.680 in Colossians, just as you were taught, roots 00:27:20.680 --> 00:27:24.079 grow deep through sound teaching of Christ through 00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:27.980 the word. Some of you guys know it says Psalm 00:27:27.980 --> 00:27:31.859 1. Beginning of Psalm says, Blessed is the man 00:27:31.859 --> 00:27:34.240 who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:37.599 on his law day and night. He is like a tree planted 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:39.839 by streams of water which yields its fruit in 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:42.480 season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:49.339 he does prospers. The one who delights in the 00:27:49.339 --> 00:27:52.440 law of the Lord meditates on it day and night. 00:27:54.500 --> 00:27:57.240 If your roots are in the word, you won't dry 00:27:57.240 --> 00:28:00.829 up when the heat comes. You won't topple when 00:28:00.829 --> 00:28:03.309 the storm hits. You'll be steady and nourished 00:28:03.309 --> 00:28:07.450 and fruitful. But some of us, man, some of us 00:28:07.450 --> 00:28:12.230 wonder, man, why does my faith feel so weak? 00:28:13.650 --> 00:28:16.789 Why does my faith feel so weak? But you know 00:28:16.789 --> 00:28:23.990 what? You've got your roots in Instagram. You've 00:28:23.990 --> 00:28:29.279 got your roots in Netflix. You've dug your roots 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:36.180 into ESPN. Men, and ladies too, I'm sure. But 00:28:36.180 --> 00:28:40.900 men, your roots are firmly planted in fantasy 00:28:40.900 --> 00:28:46.339 football. And you can tell me every stat and 00:28:46.339 --> 00:28:49.859 every algorithm and who's winning and why. And 00:28:49.859 --> 00:28:52.880 I'm going, and you can't memorize scripture? 00:28:57.130 --> 00:29:00.009 You know, every player on a team, on your team, 00:29:00.109 --> 00:29:03.730 you went through the draft. You felt like a GM, 00:29:04.009 --> 00:29:14.269 right? Some of us take pride in the fact that 00:29:14.269 --> 00:29:18.269 the Chargers are on top of our division and beating 00:29:18.269 --> 00:29:27.000 the Raiders. I said this in first service, but 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:30.119 I will know that my gospel work is done on this 00:29:30.119 --> 00:29:33.779 earth when the final Raiders fan is converted. 00:29:35.019 --> 00:29:39.400 Until then, the rapture can't happen and Jesus 00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:41.519 won't come back because there's still Raider 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:51.579 fans out there. But don't get me started on 49er 00:29:51.579 --> 00:30:04.700 fans. There may be no hope. I'm just kidding. 00:30:07.420 --> 00:30:11.960 No, some of us have our roots in all other places, 00:30:12.099 --> 00:30:15.460 don't we? I'll tell you, some of you guys, you 00:30:15.460 --> 00:30:19.079 can't wake up without checking the news. Before 00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:22.460 you pray, before you read the word, you check 00:30:22.460 --> 00:30:25.240 the news. And you can feel the anxiety, you can 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:26.819 feel the anger, you can feel the bitterness, 00:30:27.099 --> 00:30:29.220 the hatred, whatever it is. Pick your emotion. 00:30:29.299 --> 00:30:31.180 You probably felt it all. It's the first thing 00:30:31.180 --> 00:30:34.319 you do. I've been there. I've been there. Sometimes 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:39.740 I want to throw the phone out the window. But 00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:42.119 we wonder, man, why does my faith feel so weak? 00:30:43.640 --> 00:30:45.279 And then you check the roots and you're like, 00:30:45.339 --> 00:30:53.140 oh, I'm drawing on TikTok to feed me. For two 00:30:53.140 --> 00:30:55.619 hours, the last two hours I've been asking TikTok 00:30:55.619 --> 00:31:03.140 to feed me. And I feel weak. I feel like I can't 00:31:03.140 --> 00:31:06.200 stand. I feel spiritually dehydrated. I've binged 00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:08.500 on junk food all week and I expect to look like 00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:14.279 an athlete at the end of the week. It's the same 00:31:14.279 --> 00:31:18.440 with your soul. Roots that are fed on the word. 00:31:20.269 --> 00:31:22.450 A pastor, Joby Martin, he's one of my favorites. 00:31:22.549 --> 00:31:24.470 He says this all the time. He says, the word 00:31:24.470 --> 00:31:27.549 of God does the work of God in the people of 00:31:27.549 --> 00:31:30.829 God. The word of God does the work of God in 00:31:30.829 --> 00:31:35.589 the people of God. And he's right. You don't 00:31:35.589 --> 00:31:38.049 need a special formula. You don't need Christ 00:31:38.049 --> 00:31:40.470 plus hidden knowledge. You need the word day 00:31:40.470 --> 00:31:45.750 after day going deep into your heart. Amen? Roots 00:31:45.750 --> 00:31:48.309 don't grow in a day, but they grow every day. 00:31:49.160 --> 00:31:51.400 And every time you open the Bible, every time 00:31:51.400 --> 00:31:53.660 you sit under sound teaching, every time you 00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:55.980 delight in the word of God, every time you meditate 00:31:55.980 --> 00:31:58.420 on a verse, those roots are growing and they're 00:31:58.420 --> 00:32:02.859 growing deeper. Amen. You may not see the growth 00:32:02.859 --> 00:32:06.440 right away, but one day when the storm comes 00:32:06.440 --> 00:32:11.140 or when the drought hits, you will wonder why 00:32:11.140 --> 00:32:15.680 it didn't topple you. And you'll remember that 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:20.339 you were fed by his word. Number two, ways that 00:32:20.339 --> 00:32:23.000 we grow those roots is through prayer. Prayer 00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:25.960 is how we draw life from God. When I was in Uganda 00:32:25.960 --> 00:32:28.279 and I was teaching the pastors, I told them that 00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:30.660 ministry breathes with two lungs, just like we, 00:32:30.740 --> 00:32:33.299 most of us have, hopefully. Two lungs, right? 00:32:34.180 --> 00:32:37.519 We breathe with the word and prayer, the word 00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:39.640 and prayer. These are the two lungs of ministry. 00:32:41.779 --> 00:32:44.180 If you only use one lung, you'll be gasping for 00:32:44.180 --> 00:32:47.029 air, and a healthy ministry requires both. And 00:32:47.029 --> 00:32:52.029 so does a healthy disciple. We need to pray. 00:32:52.109 --> 00:32:54.890 Jesus said, apart from me, you can do nothing. 00:32:56.529 --> 00:32:59.890 Nothing. Not some things, not a little thing, 00:32:59.950 --> 00:33:02.869 but nothing. And prayer is how you stop pretending 00:33:02.869 --> 00:33:05.369 that you're strong enough on your own and you 00:33:05.369 --> 00:33:10.670 start depending on the one who is. Some of us 00:33:10.670 --> 00:33:12.829 are spiritually suffocating because we're trying 00:33:12.829 --> 00:33:15.210 to do life without prayer. We're holding our 00:33:15.210 --> 00:33:16.869 breath all week and then we're wondering why 00:33:16.869 --> 00:33:20.009 we're lightheaded spiritually. That's like a 00:33:20.009 --> 00:33:22.829 tree trying to grow without water. It doesn't 00:33:22.829 --> 00:33:26.569 work. Roots don't just need the word, they need 00:33:26.569 --> 00:33:29.089 oxygen and prayer is what allows them to breathe. 00:33:30.329 --> 00:33:35.150 Every time you pray in your car, on your knees, 00:33:35.170 --> 00:33:37.130 in your small group, you're drawing nourishment 00:33:37.130 --> 00:33:41.859 from Christ. You're feeding oxygen to the roots 00:33:41.859 --> 00:33:44.099 and to the word you've planted deep in those 00:33:44.099 --> 00:33:47.400 roots. You may not feel it every time. You may 00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:48.980 not even see it right away, but your roots are 00:33:48.980 --> 00:33:52.000 breathing and your soul is staying alive in him. 00:33:53.339 --> 00:33:55.880 Quickly, number three is through community that 00:33:55.880 --> 00:33:57.859 we grow those roots. Because roots don't just 00:33:57.859 --> 00:34:00.279 grow down, they also grow out. Some of you know 00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:03.720 about redwood trees. Redwood trees are a part 00:34:03.720 --> 00:34:06.200 of a group of trees, a kind of tree, that spread 00:34:06.200 --> 00:34:10.079 their roots outward. And they grow in these groves, 00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:12.059 redwood groves, and they spread their roots outward 00:34:12.059 --> 00:34:15.079 and they intertangle with other trees' roots. 00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:18.780 And together, if you were to take all the dirt 00:34:18.780 --> 00:34:21.980 away, you would see this tangled mess of roots 00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:23.820 intertwined. You wouldn't be able to separate 00:34:23.820 --> 00:34:26.340 one tree's root from the other because they've 00:34:26.340 --> 00:34:28.199 gone out and they've grabbed a hold of each other. 00:34:28.260 --> 00:34:32.340 And you know what that does for redwoods? Those 00:34:32.340 --> 00:34:35.400 suckers are tall, aren't they? It allows them 00:34:35.400 --> 00:34:38.530 to grow tall and strong. and weather the storm. 00:34:39.050 --> 00:34:42.130 Well, the same is true. In Ephesians, Paul has 00:34:42.130 --> 00:34:43.969 said that we are to be rooted and established 00:34:43.969 --> 00:34:49.010 in love together with all the saints. You were 00:34:49.010 --> 00:34:51.809 never meant to grow alone. You grow best in the 00:34:51.809 --> 00:34:55.590 soil of Christian community. And we'll talk more 00:34:55.590 --> 00:34:59.230 about what community looks like and how it actually 00:34:59.230 --> 00:35:02.989 causes us to be renewed in grace in our second 00:35:02.989 --> 00:35:07.110 sermon on this series. But we'll leave it there 00:35:07.110 --> 00:35:10.429 for now. And fourth, you grow roots through obedience. 00:35:11.889 --> 00:35:14.349 James said, don't just be hearers of the word, 00:35:14.469 --> 00:35:19.250 be doers. Every step of obedience drives your 00:35:19.250 --> 00:35:22.050 root deeper. Every trial you endure with faith 00:35:22.050 --> 00:35:25.630 and patience pushes them further down into Christ. 00:35:25.789 --> 00:35:28.250 And sometimes the seasons of difficulty that 00:35:28.250 --> 00:35:30.250 you would have never chosen are the very seasons 00:35:30.250 --> 00:35:33.610 God is using to anchor you deeper in him. Amen, 00:35:33.690 --> 00:35:40.219 you guys experienced that? God grows roots in 00:35:40.219 --> 00:35:42.920 the dark before he shows fruit in the light. 00:35:46.079 --> 00:35:51.079 Have you ever heard or read the word of God and 00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:54.320 it challenged you? Have you ever read the word 00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:57.760 of God and it offended you? You didn't like what 00:35:57.760 --> 00:36:01.019 it said. Have you ever read the word of God and 00:36:01.019 --> 00:36:03.420 it challenged you and offended you and you decided 00:36:03.420 --> 00:36:05.940 right there, I think I'm good to just keep going 00:36:05.940 --> 00:36:11.489 the way I've been going. We've all done it. He 00:36:11.489 --> 00:36:16.110 decided to ignore it. I love this quote from 00:36:16.110 --> 00:36:18.690 Francis Chan. He says, whenever I read the Bible 00:36:18.690 --> 00:36:23.309 and I come across something I disagree with, 00:36:23.489 --> 00:36:31.269 I have to assume I'm wrong. Whenever I read the 00:36:31.269 --> 00:36:33.150 Bible and I come across something I disagree 00:36:33.150 --> 00:36:40.820 with, I have to assume I'm the one wrong. Let 00:36:40.820 --> 00:36:44.679 your roots grow as you walk in obedience to God's 00:36:44.679 --> 00:36:48.679 word. And how does Paul end verse seven? Well, 00:36:48.679 --> 00:36:50.980 he says, overflowing with gratitude. Why does 00:36:50.980 --> 00:36:55.579 he say that? Because being rooted in Christ always 00:36:55.579 --> 00:36:58.900 leads to fruit in your life. And you know what 00:36:58.900 --> 00:37:02.500 one of the first fruits you'll see? Gratitude. 00:37:03.880 --> 00:37:06.300 One of the first visible fruit you'll see in 00:37:06.300 --> 00:37:08.539 your life is your life will become a life of 00:37:08.539 --> 00:37:14.389 gratitude. you will find a thankful spirit alive 00:37:14.389 --> 00:37:17.030 within you that says, Lord, everything I have 00:37:17.030 --> 00:37:20.530 is from you and everything I need is found in 00:37:20.530 --> 00:37:25.210 you. And when you feel and you see that growing 00:37:25.210 --> 00:37:28.489 in your life, you'll know those roots are planted. 00:37:29.190 --> 00:37:31.570 You're receiving that nourishment from Christ. 00:37:32.329 --> 00:37:35.829 So how are your roots growing? Are you feeding 00:37:35.829 --> 00:37:38.469 them in the word? Are you drawing? on God in 00:37:38.469 --> 00:37:41.150 prayer? Are you connecting to the roots of others 00:37:41.150 --> 00:37:44.809 in community? Are you walking in obedience even 00:37:44.809 --> 00:37:49.570 when it's difficult? That's how God grows disciples. 00:37:51.050 --> 00:37:57.010 Slow, steady, unseen at times, but always producing 00:37:57.010 --> 00:38:01.710 fruit in season. And so in conclusion, I just 00:38:01.710 --> 00:38:05.409 want to say you were made for more. But not more 00:38:05.409 --> 00:38:07.610 money and not more experience and not more success. 00:38:07.710 --> 00:38:10.349 You were made for more in Christ. And to live 00:38:10.349 --> 00:38:13.929 the more, you've got to be rooted in Christ. 00:38:16.110 --> 00:38:18.329 Roots don't grow in a day, but they grow every 00:38:18.329 --> 00:38:20.670 day. And when your roots are in Christ, your 00:38:20.670 --> 00:38:26.510 fruit will show Christ. Because roots determine 00:38:26.510 --> 00:38:26.989 fruits.