Fruit Comes from Deep Roots




“The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.” (Luke 8:13 CEV)

During the springtime, all the grass in Southern California turns green, the wildflowers and poppies bloom, and it’s really pretty. But the moment the rains stop, the hills turn brown again. Why? Because the grass has no roots. It can’t go down deep enough to get water from the springs that are deep beneath the ground.

When there are no roots, when a plant is in shallow soil, it may initially sprout and look good, but it doesn’t last. The plants wither quickly because they don’t have roots.

Luke 8:13 says, “The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up” (CEV).

A lot of times we hear God’s Word and get excited about it, but we don’t allow it to change us. We act superficially. We react emotionally. We’re moved impulsively. But we don’t take the time to let it sink in.

Do you really want to be that way? No! You want to be a deep person, not a shallow person. You want to be a person with deep spiritual roots so that when recession comes and lasts several years, you’re able to keep bearing fruit. When the rough winds come and somebody in your family gets sick or somebody dies, the trial doesn’t blow you away, because you’ve got roots. 

How do you develop spiritual roots? There are two ways: a daily time with God and a weekly small group time with other believers. You’ve got to spend time alone with God, and you’ve got to spend time with other believers.

If you’re not spending time with God on a daily basis, you’re going to dry up and blow away when the pressure is on. You won’t be able to handle it. You’ve got to make time to listen during a daily time with God. You have to sit and be quiet. You have to read the Bible and talk to God. Play some music. If you like to journal, do that. Whatever it takes to keep the focus on God, do it!

You’ve also got to have a weekly small group. Nobody has a complete perspective on life. Every one of us has blinders on. The people in your small group can see things in your life you can’t see. That’s why we need each other! You learn from the people in your small group as you encourage each other and your roots go deeper. 

Talk It Over
  • How does your schedule need to change so that you can spend more time with God?
  • On what impulses from spiritually high moments do you need to follow through?
  • Why do you think God designed us to do life together?
~ Written by: Rick Warren ~
~ Modified by: Oleg Fab ~

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Obedience Without Anxiety

Image
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT) If you feel overwhelmed or confused about a decision that you’re trying to make, you’re probably caught up in yourself and not God’s voice. The Bible says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33a NIV). He is not the author of confusion. So if you’re feeling confused, guess what? It’s not God’s voice speaking in your life. If you’re a parent, do you want your kids to feel pressure or confused when you ask them to do something? No. You want them to understand what to do and then respond in obedience. God the Father wants the same thing for and from us. The only time pressure could be legitimate is if God’s told you to do something, and you keep saying “n
Read more

Why Nagging Never Works

Image
Have you noticed how many difficult people there are in the world? Do you feel like you have to deal with most of them some days? You know what rude acts bug me the most? People who call me and then say, “Who is this?” People who honk their horns in traffic jams. People who cheat in the 10-items-or-less grocery line. People who steal your parking spot. The list goes on, and I’m sure you can relate. So, how should we respond in love to difficult people? Proverbs 16:21 says, “A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is” (TEV). The more pleasant you are, the more persuasive you are. And, you’re never persuasive when you’re abrasive. Nagging doesn’t work. The way you say something determines the way it’s received. If you say something offensively, it’s going to be received defensively. That’s why love is all about your words. Love is truthful, but it is also tactful. Tact and tone always go together. It matters
Read more

Go on Mission Together

Image
“Pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people His message.”   (Colossians 4:3 NCV) You were made for a mission. God wants you to share His love with other people — your friends, family, and the people you work with — who are not in His family. Why does He want you to do that? Because God wants everybody in His family. God has never made a person He didn’t love and have a purpose for. God has never made a person that Jesus Christ didn’t die for. So God wants us to share that Good News. But you’re not alone! God wants you to go on mission with other people. Philippians 1:27 says,  “You are standing side by side with one strong purpose — to tell the Good News”   (TLB). How do you share with your friends that God loves them? And how do you do it in partnership with other people? You do it through your small group. First, you pray together. You ask your small group to pray for your friends who don’t have a relationship with God. You can’t for
Read more