Episode #217
Sunday Sermon: 16 August 2026
In this opening message from the ROOTED series, we begin with a simple but searching question: What are we rooted in? All of us are rooted in something. Our identity, security and sense of hope can easily become tied to family, work, success, circumstances, other people, or even our own ability to keep everything together. But none of these things were ever designed to carry the full weight of our lives. In Colossians 2:1–7, Paul points us to something — or rather, Someone — who can. He reminds us that the Christian life begins with receiving Christ, but it doesn’t stop there. We are called to continue to live our lives in Him, becoming “rooted and built up” in Christ. This message explores what it means to put down deep roots in Jesus. Before we think about what we do for God, we need to consider how deeply we are connected to Him. Before activity comes relationship. Before fruit comes roots. And before we try to build ourselves up, we need to be rooted in Christ. Because storms will come. Circumstances will change. Feelings will shift. People may disappoint us. But when our roots are in Jesus, we have somewhere secure to stand. And as our roots grow deeper, so does our faith, our strength, our hope — and our capacity to live with thankfulness. As we begin this new series, the invitation is simple: not “try harder,” but “go deeper.” Not “do more,” but “know Christ more deeply.” Key Texts: Colossians 2:1–7, John 15:1–8 Theme: Being rooted in Christ so that our faith can grow, endure and bear fruit Takeaway: The Christian life isn’t about simply starting with Jesus — it’s about continuing with Him. When our roots are deep in Christ, we have somewhere secure to stand when life gets difficult.
