Jesus at the Center

The Centrality of Christ

Jesus is at the center of every part of our lives

Jesus is the Core

Focus on Jesus

Remember what you have recieved

We have received the fullness of Christ

Society wants to take the focus off Jesus

Walk in Jesus

Dependence (Rooted)

To be rooted in Christ means that our spiritual life is directly connected to him – positionally and practically.  It is living out the reality of your position in Christ.

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20)

Spiritual maturity is not become more independent; it is becoming more dependent!

Growth (Built-Up)

There is a solid foundation upon which construction is happening.  There is growth and progress, but it is only as good as the foundation upon which it is built.

Jesus is our foundation There seems to be some connection between these two words – rooted and built up.  Both imply progress. Paul calls believers to grow in such a way that visible progress is evident.  He calls us not be content with a partially constructed spiritual life.  People who know who Jesus is keep building their spiritual lives.

Increasing Strength (Established)

The idea here is that our walk results in incremental increases in spiritual strength.  Since it is directly connected to “in the faith”, the phrase means that there is an ever-growing confidence in the content of what we believe.  In other words, the more you experience the power of the Word, the more you come to trust it. Walking in Christ and being established in the faith means that you have a greater trust in the promises of God.  Maturity is marked by having less confidence in yourself and a greater confidence in the Word. 

Have confidence in Jesus

Abundant Gratitude (Abounding in Thanksgiving)

The final characteristic of walking in Christ is an abundance of gratitude.  The word for abounding means to be in excess, to excel, or to cause to super-abound.  Now it is important to remember that the former three descriptions (rooted, built-up, and established) were all in the passive voice.  However this one is not; it is active.  Therefore, all of the other characteristics are done to you, but this is the one in which we are too aggressively, actively, and excessively participate. Walking in Christ must be characterized by abundant gratitude or you really do not understand what kind of walk you are walking.  To be rooted in Christ means that we continually make connections of gratitude to more and more things in our lives.  Helping people connect Christ to life for life means helping them see that everything we have is a gift from Christ.

Jesus Transforms Everything

When we recognize Jesus as the core, he transforms everything.  He comes and takes over.  And Jesus-centered ministry is helping people make connections between who Jesus is and where they live.