Where are Your Roots?

Root Time Lapse Bumper (1:00)

Introduction

Update on Brooks & Merinda: Pictures, Weight, Length

Thank Guest Speakers: Kailey Walker, Breanna Watkins, The Merkels

Move of God Last Week: many of you were pressing in, God was speaking, tears were flowing, worship was continuing - you guys had an encounter with God

Some of you may not have experienced what others were feeling, or maybe you’ve never experienced the presence of God in that way.

I want to spend the next couple weeks, in a series called, ROOTED, talking about how we can grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus.

I believe that we all have an opportunity to have a deep relationship with Jesus. The issue is that some of us don’t care for the relationship how we should.

Tonight we are going to talk about roots.

Turn to your friends and ask them the sermon title, “Where are your roots?”

Lessons from the Garden

Currently Growing: Lemongrass, Mint, Sweet Peppers, Cucumber, Avocado

Failed Growth: zucchini, mango tree

How to Grow:

Need a Seed

Need Sun

Need Water

Need Soil

Fertilizer (Optional)

Pesticide (Optional)

Parable of the Sower //

This parable is found in 2 of the 4 gospels; Matthew and Mark

Set the scene: Jesus and his disciples are sitting by the sea...

Mark 4:1–9 ESV

1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Soil Situations:

Path: this is a hard surface with no chance of growth for the seed

Rocky & Thorny Ground: this is ground that wasn’t prepared or plowed

Good Ground: this ground was prepared and cared for, and all the seeds produced a crop, all at different levels

It’s not about how much you are producing for God, but rather that you are producing. God is not going to love you more or less on how much you produce. What He wants is your heart.

I have many different plants in my backyard right now. They all are serving different purposes. Some are for consumption, some are for decoration, some are for mosquito control.

Just because all my plants aren't producing the same amount, or same product doesn't mean I give any less attention to them.

I have many different plants in my backyard right now. They all are serving different purposes. Some are for consumption, some are for decoration, some are for mosquito control. Just because all my plants aren't producing the same amount, or same product doesn't mean I give any less attention to them.

Of these four types of soil, everyone in this room will fall into one of them tonight:

Where are your roots?

This particular parable, Jesus revisits it and explains what he means...

The Seed

Mark 4:

Mark 4:13–14 ESV

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word.

The Seed = the Word of God

It’s interesting that the seed is being thrown and scattered in this parable.

The seed (the Word of God), must be spread in order to be effective.

You can study the seed, categorize the seed, analyze the seed, know the seed, or even love the seed. But if you don’t sow it, nothing will grow.

When you think about it this way, we are the Sower and also the Soil.

The Path

Mark 4:15 ESV

15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

The Path = these people hear the word, but do nothing with it

The path has been made hard because people have walked on it continuously, beat it down, used it - it has been pressed so hard that it no longer allows anything to grow

Rocky Ground

Mark 4:16

Mark 4:16–17 ESV

16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

Rocky Ground = they hear, they are excited, but have no personal relationship with Jesus

“no root in themselves” - perhaps their root is in their parents, or youth leader, or youth pastor, pastor, friends.

“Then there are many more, whose religion must be sustained by enthusiastic surroundings. They seem to have been baptized in boiling water; and unless the temperature around them is kept up to that point, they wither away … the religion that is born of mere excitement will die when the excitement is over.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Thorns

Mark 4:18–19 ESV

18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Mark 4:

Thorns = they hear the Word of God, but also hear the words of the world

This ground is too fertile; it allows the Word of God to grow, but also allows everything else to grow.

After a while, everything can’t continue to grow and things begin to get choked out, many times is the Word of God that goes.

Good Ground

Mark 4:20 ESV

20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Mark 4:

Good Ground = they hear the Word, allow it grow, produce 30, 60, 100 times what was planted

When the Word is received and cared for as it should be, something happens!

Fruit is Produced

You hear from God

He reveals things to you in the Bible

Your faith is built - you begin to believe for things you didn’t before

Relationships become more loving

Needs are met

The chaos in your life doesn’t seem as bad as it once was - it’s still there, but you are giving attention to it like you were before

Miracles start to take place - your parents begin to come to church, your siblings start to be interested in God, healings start to happen in your mind and body

The Starting Root

When a seed is planted, the first root to emerge is called the Radicle.

Slide

DEFINE: Radical — adj. — (especially of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.

If you want to experience the presence of God on a greater and deeper level, it’s time to get radical, it’s time to get rooted.

Cue Worship Team

I’ve found myself in many of these types of soil throughout my life.

Theres been times when I didn’t want to hear the word of God, or I heard it and did nothing with it — I would do anything to have those moments back in my life. I wasted them.

This is why we should take notes and bring our Bibles - to collect as much seed as we can!!

In addition to teaching every week, and hearing Pastor Tom, I listen to 3-5 other sermons a week. Not everything that I hear applies to my life in that moment, but I know there will be a time that I need it or someone I know will need it.

Call for Salvation

Next Steps

Read God's word for at least 5 minutes a day for the next week. Bible group reading plan is "Rooted" in the YouVersion Bible App. Check it out on the Fortress Hub

Slide

read God's word for at least 5 minutes a day for the next week. Bible group reading plan is "Rooted" in the Youversion Bible App. Check it out on the Fortress Hub.

If you're not able to join the group in the app, grab a life book at the red table OR read in the book of Mark.