Skip to content Rooted: Rooted in Christ - Your Firm Foundation Sep 12 · 38 min ...more
Rooted: Rooted in Christ - Your Firm Foundation
September 12, 2025 · 38 min
Pastor John Mark launches an eight-week journey exploring how to build an unshakeable spiritual foundation in turbulent times.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton September 12, 2025 · 38 min · "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton
Pastor John Mark launches an eight-week journey exploring how to build an unshakeable spiritual foundation in turbulent times. ...more Show the full description Show less Pastor John Mark launches an eight-week journey exploring how to build an unshakeable spiritual foundation in turbulent times.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
101K followers
John Mark is the Senior Pastor of the thriving Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas, where he has served since 1995.
101K followers
Rooted in Christ: A Spiritual Boot Camp 0:00 We start a brand new campaign every year, September to October. We put ourselves in what we refer we refer to here at Cottonwood Creek, kind of a spiritual, boot camp. Kind of a a spiritual growth campaign. We0:12 ask for an 8 week commitment from everybody. Here's the commitment we ask you to make is because we understand this, when we make commitments, we grow. When we make commitments and keep commitments, we0:23 grow. So commitment number 1, we're inviting you, we want you to make commitment for the spiritual boot camp, the spiritual growth campaign. Be at every service for the next 8 weeks,0:35 alright? We're gonna hit a bunch of topics. I'm gonna tell you about them here in a second. Because when we worship together, we grow together. If you can't make it in person, make it online. If you can't be here on0:45 Sunday, be here on Saturday because it's the same thing. Now, get involved in a group. We encourage you to get involved in a group because part of what we do, every time we do a spiritual growth campaign, we completely0:57 align everything. The topic that I will preach about on stage, and you're gonna hear it today, will be the same thing our student ministry is talking about, the same thing our children's1:09 ministry is teaching about, and the same thing our adult life groups are teaching about. Just different verses, okay? So it's the same topic, but we're totally aligned, alright? So get in a group and then number 3, the1:21 third commitment, worship. Get in a group, you don't have to stay in a group, just 8 week commitment so you can grow and get to know people and grow in your faith. And then also sign up for our daily devotion that we've1:33 written just for this rooted series. You say how do I get the devotion? Text the word plan to 77978. If you need a group, text the word group to 77978 and get plugged into a1:44 group for the next 8 weeks and let's see what God can do, God is gonna do. You say pastor, what are the topics we're gonna touch on? You're able to go to these search engines like Google and AI right now and you can1:56 actually draw a circle around north Texas. The the reach of our community, where this church is and you can actually go and figure out the top 10 or 11 searches from2:08 people in our area. Does that make sense? And so we've taken the top 8 things that people are asking questions about. And those are the topics that we're gonna deal with each and every week. Starts2:20 with, people asking questions, how can I know if I'm saved? That's what I'm gonna talk about today. Alright. How can I can I lose my salvation? That's what we're gonna talk about today. What is my spiritual foundation?2:32 So that's an idea. People are asking about it in our local area. Christians are asking. Non Christians are asking. People in church are asking. People outside of church, they're asking the same2:43 question. Second thing they're asking about is their health. They're saying, hey, you know, what can I do to get healthier? What can I do to improve my health? Or maybe they have a disease or a sickness. What does God2:53 say? In every 1 of these things, we're gonna say, what does God's word have to say about that? What does God's word have to say about that, emotions? People are constantly asking, I'm depressed, what can3:05 I do? Where can I reach out for help? How can I win the battle of the mind? We're gonna talk about that 1 week, alright? Finances, people are saying man, how do I get myself out of debt? How do how do I pay off my3:17 credit cards? We're gonna say what does God's word say about that? Another 1 searched a lot right around us. How can I make my marriage better?3:30 How can I make my mate fall back in love with me? That's why we're having a marriage conference, is because we want people to understand here's what God's word has to say. Just in3:42 our area, it's shocking. 1 of the top searches has to do with people being lonely. Ain't it crazy? That, you ever get on the road on Monday morning and you3:54 wonder and you look around and say, I wish I was lonely? All these billions of cars on, but you know what? People can be in a crowd and be lonely, right? And they're worried about that and we're gonna tell you what4:06 God's word. People ask the question, what is my purpose in life? Is there a purpose in life? We're gonna say, here's what God's word has to say about that. So it starts today with4:17 Colossians chapter 2 verse 6 to 7. This whole series is gonna flow out of Colossians chapter 2 verse 6 and 7. So let's read it together. Let me just show it to you and we'll talk about it here in a sec. Here's what it4:28 says, Colossians chapter 2 verse 6 to 7. Paul's talking to the church in Colossi, he says so then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as lord, continue to live your lives in4:40 him. Your translation might say, continue to walk with him or walk in him. Look Look at verse 7, by being rooted and built up in him, strengthened in your faith as you were taught, as you4:52 heard the word taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. So this is what we're gonna do as we journey over the next 8 weeks, starting today. We're gonna launch out of these 2 verses. Colossians chapter 2 verse 65:04 and 7. Notice he kinda gives them 5 ideas of what they need to do. 4 of them are things they need to continue to do. 1 of them should be settled, okay? He he says5:16 listen, keep walking with Jesus. We're gonna see here in a second, Jesus says remain in me or abide in me. Though you and I need to on a daily basis, keep walking with Jesus. He says listen, keep growing5:28 deeper. He says, being rooted, grow deep. The the the tree doesn't survive the storm because it has a roof over its head. The tree survives the storm because5:40 because it's got roots in the ground. And let me tell you, storms are coming your way. How many of you know that? You go look at the end of end of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus had taught some amazing things, but at the5:51 end of the Sermon on the Mount, he says this. He says the wise man is the 1 who hears these words of mine and notice these words, puts them into practice. He is6:03 like the man who built his house upon a rock, a firm foundation. Now notice what it says, the rains came, the winds blew, the flood waters rose, but6:15 his house stood. Why? Because he put the words of Jesus into practice. Our challenge the next 8 weeks, I'm gonna be challenged, let's put it into practice.6:27 That's how we know. Now notice, it didn't say if you put Jesus' words in practice, the wind's not gonna blow. Tell to God, the wind's gonna blow. Didn't say the floods not gonna come, the floods6:38 gonna come. Didn't say the storms not gonna show up at your house because you're wise. No, it's going to show up. What it says is you will be able to withstand the storm. Then he follows it up and says, the fool is the 16:51 who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice. He's like the 1 who built his house upon the sand. The same storms come, the same wind7:03 blows, the same floods happened. He says his house collapsed. So child of God, he says what? We wanna be people that are walking with Jesus, we're gonna develop that and discipline this7:15 spiritual boot camp for 2 months. We wanna be ones that keep growing our roots deeper. Then he says, in being strengthened. So as I grow stronger, I get stronger. As I grow stronger, deeper roots, I7:27 get stronger. Then he says this, he says, keep being thankful. Kinda interesting, right in there he says, show some gratitude. You say, why is that so7:39 important? I would say that gratitude is something that reorients our mind away from what we lack and towards what we have. Does that make sense? See when7:51 I learn to be truly biblically grateful and thankful, it reorients my mind towards what I do have and away from what I don't8:03 have, which allows us to be more joyful and be more grateful and be more thankful. And he tells us in the midst of the trials and the hardships and the difficulties, but notice, he says those are 48:15 things you do on an ongoing basis. But there's 1 thing that needs you to be settled, it was right at the beginning. He said, so then, just as you have8:26 received Jesus Christ. So you can do those other 4 things, but only after salvation comes. So the question for you is, have you ever trusted Jesus8:38 Christ as savior and lord? Maybe a greater question for some of you is, pastor I want to be saved, how can I be saved? Let's look at Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9. Verses I read pretty commonly8:50 but I just wanna walk you through them for a second. Here's what he says. Paul's talking to the Ephesian church, he says for it is by grace, everybody say grace. Grace you have been, remember some are settled.Building a Firm Foundation in Christ 9:02 Salvation's settled, it's not something I'm working towards, we're gonna talk about that here in a second. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves, alright it's not something9:13 you can do. A lot of people think, you know, maybe if I just do a little more, maybe maybe someday John Mark, I'll I'll do a little more for God and and I'll show up at the pearly gates and he'll go, man you gave it a9:24 good try, come on in. Or no you haven't done enough. He says, listen, this is not as result of works, lest no 1 should boast. Did you get9:35 that? Salvation is by the grace of God. When I have faith in Jesus Christ, not because of works, because salvation is a9:47 gift to anyone who believes and anyone who receives Jesus Christ. And it doesn't happen by works. I I don't know if you happen to run across this interview, it kinda made9:59 national news a while back. President Trump was on Fox and Friends. I don't know if you read this, saw this, a lot of spiritual implications. And they were really kinda drilling him about why are you so focused10:11 on stopping this Russian Ukrainian war? Not our war. And and Trump goes on, you can go look it up, and he says you know what, how can I not care about the fact that every day thousands of10:22 Russian young men and thousands of Ukrainian young men are dying every day, how can I not care? And he says, yeah I'm sticking my neck out because I want it to end, I want the slaughter to end. But in10:34 that process, they said, you really want this war to end? He goes, I do. And so here is exact words, he says, I do want it to end. Talking about the Russian war, this is August10:46 nineteenth. He says, I also wanna try and get to heaven if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. Now a lot of you go back and look at the interview, it was a lot of tongue tongue10:58 in cheek. He says, I hear I'm not doing well. He says, actually I'm really kinda at the bottom of the totem pole. Anybody in here feel like if you're getting to heaven on works, you're at the bottom of the totem pole? He11:07 says, but if I can get to heaven, this will be 1 of the reasons. Did you get it? He he's a lot of tongue in cheek, but theologically11:20 even if he stops this war this war, he's not getting to Heaven because of this. Does that make sense? See, I think a lot of times you say, well, that was tongue in cheek. That was the president. He's always doing stuff11:30 like that. But I think there are a lot of people who think the same thing. I think there are a lot of people who go to church. A lot of people aren't in church. If somehow, someway I'm just good11:42 enough, I can get to heaven. God will finally say, oh, you gave it a good try. You know, there there might be some other people that you think you're at the top of the totem pole and if you just do 1 or 2 more things,11:53 maybe they'll say, okay, can I tell you what? Paul was very clear. Jesus was very clear. Peter was very clear. Matthew, Mark, Luke, James is very clear. You are not12:06 saved by works, you're saved by grace when you have faith in Jesus Christ. So, this is typically not the time in the service when we pause for a prayer.12:18 But I will tell you, you will never be able to be all that God wants you to be, even if we journey through the rest of this rooted series, if you haven't settled your salvation. So I invite you, everybody in the room and12:29 everybody online, let's just bow our heads. Let's settle this once and for all. What did Paul say? So as you have received Jesus Christ as savior and lord. He12:41 goes, then you can be rooted, then you can be strengthened, then you can have gratitude, then you can praise. So let's stop right here and let's make sure if you're not certain of your salvation, it's not by how good you12:52 are. It's simply by having faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to be saved right now and personal, just say something simple like this. Say, God I know I'm a sinner. I'm way down the totem13:04 pole. I'm not even on the totem pole of heaven. But God, you love me so much that in spite of my sin, you sent your 1 and only son, Jesus Christ13:16 to die on the cross for my sins. And I have faith and I believe that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day.13:28 And I receive him as my savior, and I make him the lord of my life. Amen.13:41 You know if you just prayed that prayer, here's what Jesus said, whosoever believes in me has eternal life.13:52 If you have faith in him, you have eternal life. It's not after your next work, it's not after your next good deed, you don't lose it if you fail and fall. He says, man,14:04 you have eternal life. So what does that do for us? Look at this, here it is. Look at second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17. He says, therefore if anyone is in Christ,14:16 the new creation has come. Alright, the new has showed up. Now the old is gone, well it it it's still there. We talked about that a couple of weeks ago in our series in Romans chapter 8. The old is gone, but it keeps14:28 waking up and the new is here. So what do we want to do? You've got this old man and this new man. This old John Mark and this new John Mark. This unspiritual John Mark and this spiritual John Mark. What I want to do14:40 over the next 8 weeks is I want to grow the new. I want to make sure the new me is rooted, is strengthened, and is grateful. And that's what I desire more than anything. How many of you remember, in14:52 physics there was a first 1 Newton's first law of physics or or motion? Remember a word called inertia? How many of you remember that word inertia? How many of you are really good in physics? At Baylor, when I went to15:02 Baylor as a freshman, they had a class called football physics. That's exactly what it was called. And that's the 1 I signed up for, okay? But I remember this, inertia just simply15:14 says this, things in motion have a tendency to stay in motion, things at rest have a tendency to stay at rest. Things that are heading a certain direction have a tendency to go that direction unless a stronger and15:26 opposite force will push on it, push away on it. So, there's 3 different states of inertia. 1 is a resting state, 1 is a moving state, and 1 is15:38 the inertia of direction. So let me ask you a question. If you look back over your spiritual journey, your spiritual life, what kind of spiritual inertia have you had15:50 in the last 3 months or 6 months or 9 months or 12 months? Would you be honest enough to say, you know pastor, my spiritual growth kinda been in16:02 neutral. Kind of stopped. Can I tell you that's what rooted is about? That God's word and God's will and God's spirit16:14 and God's people would come around you and we begin to get that spiritual ball moving again. Maybe there's some of you that say, you know I'm moving pastor, but but I'm moving real slow.16:26 I'm not putting a lot of energy and effort in it. That's part of the, inertia of motion. It says, you're gonna have a tendency to keep moving at the speed you're moving unless you exert greater16:38 control, greater force. And so let rooted come alongside you and as you're just slowly growing, let it fast forward and fast track your spiritual growth. There might be some16:50 here that you're saying, yo pastor, I gotta be honest with you. In a lot of ways in my life, I've been heading in the wrong direction.17:02 Sadly, you're picking up steam heading in the wrong direction. Here's what I want us to do through Rooted. Let's come around. Let's gather together with God's people and God's work, exert some17:13 force to stop you from headed the wrong way and start moving you the right way. That's why we put together these spiritual boot camps, because in 8 weeks God can do something powerful and special in your17:25 life. Alright, so today is this, if we're gonna be rooted how to stand strong or stand firm in an unstable world, we have to understand Jesus is our firm foundation.Identity, Connection, and Gratitude in Christ 17:38 So what is my firm foundation? We're gonna just walk through Colossians chapter 2 verse 6 and 7 today. Here it is, alright. My firm foundation starts with this, I need to remember who I am. So17:50 child of God, remember who you are. That is called identity. What is your identity? Let's look at it, Colossians chapter 2 verse 6, here it is. So then, just as you have received Christ18:02 Jesus as Lord, he's saying if you are a Christian, your identity is as a Christ follower. Your identity isn't in a job title, it's not in a past sin, it's not in the current addiction, it's not18:13 in some struggle, it's not in your likes, it's not in your follows, it's not anything. If you are a believer, your identity is I am a Christ follower. I am someone who follows Christ.18:25 I walk with Christ. I live with Christ. I journey with Christ. I love what Peter put it this way. You remember Peter? When you think about what does it mean my identity in Christ? I'm18:37 gonna define it for you in a second, but but I wanna remind you that the person who is talking here, Peter, here's what we know about Peter. He didn't float, how many remember that? Took about 3 steps18:49 in the water, down he went. Got his eyes off Jesus. Remember when Jesus was about to be delivered in the hands of sinful men? Peter said, listen, even if all these guys, these other disciples, even if19:01 they walk away, I'm right here with you cock a doodle loo. He's gone, says he cried and wept. There was a time, listen to this, you could go look this up. There was a time when Peter19:13 is in Jesus's face and Jesus looks at him and says, get behind me, not Peter, he says, Satan. I mean, I don't know about you but I'm19:25 like, I feel pretty good. I don't think Jesus ever referred to me as Satan, right? I know probably, some of my members have or the deacons have from time to time. But I mean, this is the dude, right? That19:37 that he went back after Jesus died. He just went back to fishing, Jesus actually showed up pursuing Peter when Peter didn't think he was much. And he says, Peter, do you love me? Peter, do you love19:49 me? Peter, do you love me? And he says, now Peter, go feed my sheep. So this is the Peter we're talking about. You think Peter had an identity problem when he went back to fishing after betraying Jesus? What was going20:01 through his mind? His mind had to be so messed up, he called me Satan. I denied him. He told me to get behind him, get out of his face. All the disciples saw20:13 me sink right there. They laughed at me, they mocked me. And over and over, how many times man, we all have minds that do that. Does your mind do that to you? Reminds you of all the bad things you've ever20:24 done, all the failures you've ever had. That was that Peter until Jesus said, Peter, take care of my sheep. And then all of a sudden Peter got a new mindset, a new20:36 heart and now listen to what he says, about us, our identity. Here is your identity as a Christian. First Peter chapter 2 verse 9, listen to every bit of this child of God. He20:48 says, but you Everybody say, that's us. Say that's us. Say it louder, that's us. He says, but you Cottonwood Creek, you Christian, you man, you woman, you single, you21:00 married, whoever. He says, but you are a chosen people. That means handpicked by God. That God picked you out of the litter. You think I'm the runner of the litter, he still picked you,21:12 alright? That you are chosen, a chosen people, that's us. A royal priesthood. What does it mean that we are a royal priesthood? That means that we have the authority of21:24 God and we have access to God. As a royal priesthood, we have the authority of God and his spirit in us to worship and to serve and to lead others and encourage others. That's authority,21:36 but we also have access to God. Why do we have access to God? Because we're told that when Jesus went back to heaven in Acts chapter Acts chapter 1, that he was21:47 seated at the right hand of the throne of father. So when John Mark drops the ball again, when John Mark blows up again, when John Mark implodes again, when my mind begins to to to take charge, I21:59 start praying to God and Jesus leans over and says, that's 1 of ours. He's 1 we chose. He's part of the royal priesthood. He's got22:11 direct access to us, not because of me, but because of him. So he doesn't stop there. He says what? You're a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.22:23 I don't know about you, I hear that, but that's 1 I need to work on. How many of you need to work on your It wouldn't hurt you to work on your holiness just a little bit, right? I see a couple of hands doing this. Look,22:34 God knows you can raise your hand on that. But part of what I wanna do is I journey with Christ. Now listen, judicially, God has declared us forgiven and22:45 holy. Practically, if you followed me around 24 7, you could see a little things that are off the mark. How many of you know what I'm talking about? If I followed you around 24 7,22:58 I believe that I'd probably find you missing the mark from time to time. But part of what we wanna do as root is I wanna more and more honor God with my thoughts and my words and my actions and my life. So he goes on, he23:09 says you're a holy nation, he says you are God's special possession. That means you are priceless in God's eyes. He says, so that once I understand that I'm23:21 chosen royal, holy and special, he goes, then I can declare the praises of him who have called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light. In other words, when we praise and when we worship together, we23:33 should be crazy loud worshipers. Why? Because we're chosen by God, we're a royal priesthood, we're God's special possession, we're precious in his eye. How can we not praise? Now he doesn't stop23:45 there. He goes, once you were not a people. He says, there was a time in your past when you were nothing and you were numb. You were nameless. But he says, not23:56 anymore. You once were not a people, but now you are the people of God. He's talking about us, church. Then he goes on and he says, once you had not received mercy, but now24:08 you have received mercy. What an incredible thought. That that's who God says we are. And so how can I not have a spiritual inertia because of that? We are chosen people,24:20 we're royal priesthood, we are all of that stuff. So thought number 1, you have to settle, if you're gonna be rooted, your salvation. Thought number 2, Paul carries24:32 on. He goes, now that you've received Christ, here's the second thing he says, remain in Christ. We have to stay close to the source. If we're gonna have spiritual24:44 sustenance in our life, we have to stay close to the source. Our source is Jesus, you say where do you see this? Colossians chapter 2 verse 6, so then just as you have received Jesus as lord, that is what? That's24:55 your salvation. He says continue to live your lives in him or continue to walk in him. Jesus uses the word remain. If you go over to John chapter 15, Jesus has just25:07 told his disciples that I'm about to be betrayed in the hands of sinful men, gonna be delivered over to be crucified then I'm gonna go back to heaven. So here's what he says,25:19 he says remain in me as I remain in you. That's the word abide, to remain. He says no branch can bear fruit by itself. In other words, branches, we're talking about this idea of rooted, branches25:31 can't bear fruit if they're disconnected. So what do we see all the way through scripture? We're gonna see it over and over again, that God's people ought to be connected with God through Jesus Christ, faith that brings25:42 salvation. We ought to be connected to God's word, we ought to be connected to God's people, we need to be a part of worship, we need to be faithful in serving. That's what we're told to do. So he says, listen remain in25:51 me as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself if it's disconnected. It must remain in the vine, that means connected. He says, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in26:03 me. He says, I am the true vine, I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. That's a26:15 promise. If we remain in Jesus and walk with Jesus and live with Jesus and worship, we will bear fruit. Now, jump down to verse 7. He says, and here's the26:26 better thing. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. Now let me just pause26:38 right there for a second and just encourage you. He says ask whatever you wish. See a lot of times people wanna walk around and say, you know what? Bible says I can ask whatever I wish and it'll be done for26:50 me. No, no, no. You can't disconnect it from the context. The context of being able to even ask is that you have remained in him, his word has remained in you.27:03 Why is that so important? Because if you remain in him, his word remains in you, I think it'll change what you ask for. Did you get it? I think we'll start asking for things that God27:15 wants us to have, not things that I want to have. So child of God, don't just pull that 1 phrase of ask anything and it will be done for you. You can't disconnect it from the27:27 whole context is, listen, if you're a disconnected branch, that doesn't apply to you. But if you remain in Him and abide in Him, you're connected and you're bearing27:39 fruit and His word dwells in you, then you can ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you, but it also will will be certainly this way, it'll change what you ask for.27:51 You say, alright. How can I practically speaking abide in Christ? Let me just give you a couple of thoughts, maybe maybe through the next 8 weeks. You say when I wake up in the morning,28:03 it's scripture before the screen. Scripture before the screen, that I'm a do the daily devotion. Now if you're like me, as my eyes have aged a little bit, I actually read scripture off my phone or off off the28:15 iPad. So then maybe it's scripture on the screen before I go to the other screens, right? Maybe that's something you could do to abide in him. Check-in with daily check-in with prayers. Just28:26 just roll through life and just say, you know what, I'm just gonna consistently and constantly begin to check-in with God. I'm about to go into a meeting Monday morning, the guy that leads the meeting drives me nuts. So28:36 So you just have a little quick check-in with God, hey God, you know he and I don't like each other, we're not doing good. But God, I want to encourage you. Give me something to say today that will encourage you and will28:46 honor you. Well check-in in prayer, alright. Daily worship songs. Make a commitment, go choose, go download your favorite, Creek worship song or Avalon worship song or Spencer worship28:57 song and just say, you know what, a couple of times a day, I'm just gonna reset, I'm gonna listen to this, this this song and let God move in my heart and empower me again. I will promise you that's abiding in me.29:11 I get in a group, fast from distraction. What is it that keeps you from being the person God wants you to be? Just say, you know what, for 8 weeks, I'm gonna say no to this.29:23 So thought number 1 is what? Man, we have to know our identity. I'm a Christ follower. Number 2, I have to stay connected to the source. That's Jesus. Here's number 3, just continue to29:35 read Colossians chapter 2 verse 7. We have to keep growing stronger in our faith. It's the word rooted. So where do you see this? Being rooted and built up in him. He says don't29:46 be a spiritual tumbleweed. Child of God, we've got to study his words. Man, it's amazing to me people believe this and then all of a sudden they'll believe this and then all of a sudden they'll believe this, then all of29:58 a sudden they'll embrace. That means they never had their roots planted. He says rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught. And we30:10 have to be rooted. We have to be in God's word. We have to grow in our faith because again, the the the tree doesn't withstand the storm30:22 because it's got a roof over its head, It's because it's got deep roots in the ground. Here's the fourth thing it says, if you and I are gonna have a firm foundation, we're just reading this verse.30:34 He says, and you are overflowing. That Greek word means cup that is overflowing. That you are overflowing with thankfulness. Remember what thankfulness and30:46 gratitude does? It reorients our minds to focus on what we have and not just on what we lack. So what an incredible thought that that all we have to do is remember who we are, that's our identity.30:58 Stay close to the source, that's Jesus. Keep growing strong in our faith, that's being rooted. And then finally when we do all those, then we can overflow with thankfulness. We're gonna close with this passage, just 1Living Out Gratitude and Spiritual Growth 31:09 chapter over. Paul is continuing this theme of your identity and your source and being rooted and being grateful. So he31:21 circles back to this and as as I look at Colossians chapter 3, that's where we're gonna go verse 15 to 17. Just when I read this this week over and over as I was just reading all the book of Colossians all over and over31:33 again. Just these 3 verses jumped out to me, said this goes to church. Listen, it goes to church. Colossians chapter31:45 3 verse 15, here's what he says. He says, let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. Child of God, if God's peace,31:57 the peace of Christ rules in your heart, anxiety can't even run for office. Worry won't even bother showing up, because you'll be able to say32:09 I know who I am, I know who my identity is, it has nothing to do with likes or dislikes or followers or job titles or salaries or anything like that. I know who I am, I'm a Christ follower. And that means32:21 action, I'm following Christ and his peace gonna It means that I'm gonna stay connected to the source. Man, when the words world's kinda constantly feeding something into my mind, that I'm gonna turn around and look to32:32 his word in a daily devotion through a scripture. I'm gonna have people around me that'll reorientate me to the right things. Then notice what he says, let the peace of Christ32:44 rule in your heart. Since as members of 1 body, that's the church is what he's talking about. Go read it all through the book of Colossians and Philippians. He's always talking about we are the body of Christ.32:56 You are called to peace. Now notice these words, and be thankful. Now listen to this, this sounds a whole lot like a church service.33:09 Listen to verse 16, let the message of Christ, the preaching of the gospel. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and as you admonish, as you preach, as33:21 you lead 1 another with all wisdom and Psalms and hymns and songs from the spirit. Man, he's saying man we need to worship. Don't you love worship at Cottonwood33:33 Creek? Man, I get fired up when I hear it. But he's saying man, that's the way we should be. Then he says singing to God with gratitude in your heart. Notice, thankfulness gratitude, thankfulness33:45 gratitude, thankfulness gratitude. Look at verse 17, and whatever you do, everybody say whatever. Whatever you do, whether it's in service or work or at church or whatever it is, volunteer. Whether in word33:56 or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh and by the way, if you don't remember this, giving thanks. Have you noticed how often he says give thanks give thanks give thanks give34:08 thanks. If you truly want to understand what God wants, he wants a grateful people. He chose you. He picked you out of the34:20 crowd. He sent his son to die for you. He made you part of the royal priesthood, you have his authority and access to him. You weren't a people at 1 point but34:32 now you are a people. 1 point you didn't have mercy, now you have mercy. How can we not be thankful? Give great, have gratitude in our hearts. And he goes, and whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of34:44 the Lord Jesus Christ. Giving thanks to God the father through him. Say alright pastor, as we close, week 1.34:57 I'm saved if you say that. Jesus is my firm foundation. I'm gonna do the daily devotion, text plan 7 7 9 7 8. For 8 weeks, I'm gonna get in a group. We have home groups and ones on35:09 campus. We have some Wednesday nights. I'll hear every message, gonna sing every worship song and I'm gonna believe I'm gonna grow. But you say, alright pastor, I'm35:20 fixing to go out of here, and can you give me some ideas as I leave? If I'm told over and over again to be thankful and have gratitude, be thankful and have gratitude, be thankful and have gratitude.35:34 Here's some practical ideas. When's the last time you stopped and paused and made a list of good things in your life, and you said God thank you for35:46 that. Thank you for that. Thank you for that. Then as you journey through life tomorrow, you go to Starbucks wherever you go to35:58 get breakfast or whatever, go out of your way to look that person in the eye. Even the smallest thing they did said thank you. I pray that you have a36:09 fantastic day. Maybe there's some men in this room that you need to go home, you need to look at your wife or some ladies who need to go on and look at your husband and just say thank you. Ladies, he's36:21 still a knucklehead, but he'll be encouraged. He'll be an encouraged knucklehead. Right? How about this, you're gonna be grateful. Sing a little36:33 louder. Next time a song comes on that you want to let it rip, let it rip. And I'll guarantee you the worries of the world and anxiety in your heart and in your mind will begin to36:45 go away. Here's your fourth idea. Just determine today, determine right now, I'm gonna complain a whole lot less this week.36:57 Maybe not at all. Just gonna take what comes. I'm just gonna ball up the words and say you know what I'm not gonna sit around in a plane. Here's number37:09 5. Serve someone else this week. Go out of your way in your house or in your church or in your community37:22 to do something for somebody else because let me tell you what, a smile is contagious, but you can't see it in your own face. But if you put 137:34 on somebody else's face, it's gonna feel real good. Let's pray. God, thank you so much. Thank you so much for your goodness and your grace. God as37:46 we launch into Rooted my prayer, is that every person in this room and online has trusted you as savior. They know you're the37:57 identity, that we'll make a commitment these next 7 8 weeks to to stay close to the source. They will be strengthened in our faith and have38:09 gratitude in our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray, amen and amen.In this video 0:00 Rooted in Christ: A Spiritual Boot Camp8:59 Building a Firm Foundation in Christ17:32 Identity, Connection, and Gratitude in Christ31:06 Living Out Gratitude and Spiritual GrowthComments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.