What defines you as a person? Some people identify themselves by their natural ancestry. They are often proud (or ashamed) of their family tree. If you visit any of our major cities in the U.S., you will find communities rich in the, heritage of their ancestors. Their roots run deep.
Roots are important. In plant life, the root is that part that is below the ground holding the plant in position, and drawing water and nourishment from the soil. We use the term, rooted, to mean fixed, or established, immovable, or not easily moved. Jesus said, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is like a branch that is tossed out and shrivels up and is later gathered to be tossed into the fire to burn.” (John 15:5-6, VOICE)
Life flows from the root. If we’re rooted in the love of God, then that love will nourish and strengthen us with the nature of God Himself. But traditions have roots. And roots, if not dealt with, continue to grow underneath the surface causing potential problems down the road. You just can’t leave roots where you don’t want something growing. Remember Colossians 2:7(VOICE) “Let your roots grow down deeply in Him, and let Him build you up on a firm foundation. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always spill over with thankfulness. “The only way to get rid of those roots is to connect to power of God inside of you.
Naturally speaking, there are roots that become so troublesome, they can even ruin underground plumbing. We fixed that problem, but recently, ten years later, we discovered another root system had gotten into the pipe itself nearly stopping its operation altogether. How can you tell if there are old roots in your life? Take this test. If just thinking about a bad situation that has passed still brings up some pretty heated emotions, there might be a root.
Plant that mustard seed and let its roots grow deep in the
soil of God’s love. Let it draw from the
faith nature of God. I’ve read that
mustard can grow in just about any kind of soil. It even thrives in the desert. Prayer is the root determines your spiritual fruit.
1. It’s important that we continually
pray for each other, and in union with each other.
“Pray without ceasing because Satan is preying
without ceasing.” (Textgram)
2. We should pray for the church we
attend the awareness of God, in God’s glorious power, and in thankful joy to
God.
“Be
grateful for the things and people you have in your life. Things you take for
granted someone else is praying for.” (Marlan Rico Lee)
[i] Inspired by the sermon “Rooted
and Built Up: The Root of Fruit” (installment one) Sunday June 3, 2018 Pastor
Dave Jansen CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH. Additional
source used: “What
Defines You?” by Durant Ministries
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