Good morning to you! I hope you all are FANTASTIC, as Bro. Clarence would say! We love you Clarence and we love you church.
Today is The Lord's Day! Amen little sister Avery. Today is the first day of the week, Resurrection Day every week... I pray you and yours will have a great day today!
Lord, I pray you speak to your people today, help us to draw nearer in faith and help us Lord to see you today. As the bible says in 1 Chronicles 16:36 "And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord."
We've been through lots of storms lately, not just the torrential rains, flooding, erosion and tornados in our area, but also the virus that so many in the bigger cities are still fighting to stay healthy and survive. I don't know of any with the virus but the storms and the tornados in Chattanooga and Murray County hit to close to home didn't they... Dawson and I have been through the areas where the tornados came through. The amount of destruction displays the power of the elements. Roofs vacuumed off from the tops of homes and buildings, many structures completely leveled and debris scattered everywhere. Something else I noticed was the landscape. Trees just broke off only feet in the air with just a stump left and the roots holding it securely. It made me think about the tree roots purpose and their strength to hold on... till the storm passes by.
We are all going to endure storms in our lives. Trials and manifold temptations will come... notice what the Apostle Peter said,
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
When the storms come, how will you weather them?
When the storms pass by, will you still be rooted in the soil God sown you in?
Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus,
Ephesians 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [15] Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,[16] That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; [17] That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; [19] And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
What if a tree had no soil? What if there were no carbon in the air for the tree to absorb through the leaf guard cells? What if a tree had no water or nutrients? What if a tree had no sunlight to convert energy into photosynthates? What if a tree could not respirate or breath due to flooding or extremely compacted soil conditions?
That tree would die.
When all these necessary "ingredients" are present, the tree will thrive.
The tree will live and thrive and the root system will ensure it's success.
But not all of these "ingredients" are present all the time. Sometimes we have drought conditions, sometimes the sun doesn't shine for many days slowing the process of photosynthesis down and no food is produced. When this happens, the roots of the tree continue to feed the tree with its storage of water and carbohydrate reserves.
When we are rooted in Christ, first of all... He is ALL I NEED! Amen! He will provide joy and happiness and will ensure our service for Him will come to fruit. We will be successful in our witness for Jesus name sake even when the world around doesn't show favorable conditions!
Sometimes all the "ingredients" that make life happy and joyful are not present. It's during those times when Christ sends us supporting water, the nourishing Holy Spirit, and necessary nutrients, the encouraging prayers and words of love from our church family!
Jesus told us plainly in Matthew chapter 13, "The field is the world"...
Sometimes we don't like where we're planted but Christ installed us there and we will thrive in that soil if we will trust and pray and reach for him like the trees that grow and reach for the sunlight in the process that is called phototropism.
Are you grounded and anchored in Christ this morning?
The roots of a tree are its support system. The larger roots are for strength to anchor the tree and stand the tree erect and the smaller fibrous hair like roots are for absorbing and drawing in water and nutrients.
The roots of a tree are so strong they can grow through the hardest ground to find water. The more compacted the soil, the more the tree can release stored moisture out of the root tips to soften the ground so the roots can grow deeper. As the root cells elongate and grow, the tree is getting stronger.
So the roots of a tree not only take in water, air and needed nutrients, but when they need to, they can give back to continue to grow.
When we are grounded in Christ, we can give back to those around us for their encouragement and we get stronger in the love of God! We see how great God is and his purpose in our lives for others becomes clear. We release God's love and His promises in the hardest areas of our life and God causes us to grow in faith.
The Apostle Paul admonished us to be...
Colossians 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: [7]Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Lord Jesus, I pray my faith will grow deeper in this time of separation from the world. I pray our love for each other would grow deeper just like the sinker roots of a tree and our individual tap root would disappear into the root crown and we will become one with you. I pray for each family at church that you would grow in them a deeper love for one another. In Jesus name, Amen.
Please remember the phone tree prayer requests. Please remember our church prayer requests and all those listed in our church bulletin. Pray for one another. Pray for our Nation and ALL people. Pray for our military, their families and the churches missionaries all around the world. Pray for our Police Officers, Fire Fighters, and First Responders. Pray for all those in the medical field, hospitals and doctors offices as they provide patient well care and also to protect themselves. Finally Pray for the lost, those seeking after The Lord today. Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen "Wherefore edify(encourage) one another..." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Rooted and grounded... in Christ, Pastor Brian Have a great day!