"Rooted: God's Design Revealed Through the Tree of Life"

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Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)
"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

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1. ROOTS – The Foundation of Life in Christ

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Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV)
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream..."

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John 15:5 NLT - ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

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Ephesians 3:17 NLT - ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

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Psalm 1:1–3 NLT - Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. ² But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. ³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

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2. TRUNK – The Strength and Structure

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Isaiah 61:3 (MEV) -  to preserve those who mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.

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Philippians 1:6 NLT - And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

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Romans 5:3-4 NLT - We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

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3. BRANCHES – Our Connection and Outreach

John 15:5 (NLT) - “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

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Romans 11:17-18 NIV – ¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

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Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV – ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

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4. FRUIT – The Evidence of Life in Christ

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Galatians 5:22-23 NLT - ²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Matthew 7:17-20 NLT – ¹⁷ A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹ So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

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John 15:8 ESV – By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

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Colossians 1:10 NIV – so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

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MY LIFE WHEN ROOTED IN CHRIST, EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT, AND CONNECTED TO OTHERS IS FRUITFUL!

Full Circle:

• Rooted in Christ (foundation)
• Built up through trials (trunk)
• Connected to Christ and others (branches)
• Bearing fruit that glorifies the Father (fruit)

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