Deep Roots
Background Story: Paul wrote the book of Ephesians as a letter to the church of Ephesus.
Read Ephesians 3:16-19
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Big Idea: The Christian walk is rooted in Christ’s love and grace.
Plant roots have a few functions. They absorb all of the water and food to keep the plant growing and alive. They also provide an anchor to support the plant so it continues to stand and doesn’t wash away when the storms come.
Like a plant, our faith in Christ is rooted in Christ’s love and grace. Our Christian walk is anchored on the truth that Jesus died for us and His grace provides forgiveness of sin. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
But His grace does not stop at the time of salvation. We can’t live a Christian life through our own power and strength. We can pretend, but eventually we will die off from exhaustion when the storms of life come. We need the power of the Holy Spirit and the love and grace of God to walk out our faith. When we feel tempted…we ask for the strength at that moment to overcome (1 Cor 10:13). When we feel overwhelmed and worried… we reach out for peace (Romans 15:13). When we don’t know what to do… we reach out for wisdom (Ephesians 1:17). Moment by moment…day by day… decision by decision… we remain tapped in, rooted, and connected to God.
Jesus said in John 15:4, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” That’s how we walk… not through becoming some superhero perfect Christian but through daily utter dependency and honesty with God.
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