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Rooted in Christ

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Take a moment to clasp your hands together, ensuring to keep your fingers intertwined so your hands are locked together.

For those who have professed faith in Christ, this is what our relationship with God was intended to look like. God is deeply connected with your heart and soul. But because of the brokenness of our world, we sometimes pull away from that. We dig our roots down into something else we believe will bring us joy. We dig our roots down into something else we believe will bring us peace. We did our roots down into something else we believe will bring us love. 

Two things occur when we attempt to do this. First, at some point in time we discover that our roots are not pulling in nutrients that are helping us to survive and thrive. Instead, our roots are pulling in poison and causing us to whither. 

And second, we also discover that through it all, God didn’t let go of His hold on us. We may have attempted to side-step His love and grace, but He continued to hold on. He continued to say, “You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.” 

READING & PRAYERS:

     JOHN 15:1-17

QUESTION: Which verses in this passage stick out to you the most? In what ways may God be inviting you to rest in Him today? Be specific. 

QUESTION: Be honest: Do you believe God is saying to you, “You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased?” If not, take some time to explore why.

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3 or 5 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Christ is the vine, and I am one of the branches. This truth reminds me that very little is in my control outside of being rooted in Christ. It also reminds me that I will only produce good, healthy fruit as a result of where my roots are. May I be rooted in You not just in this moment, but all throughout the day. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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What Do You Value?

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If you were to write down the 3-5 things you most value in life, what would you write down? Family? Relationships? Honesty? Integrity? Something else? 

On the surface, the majority of us could say what we value to others without too much difficulty. But if you were to explore what’s deep beneath the surface, you may discover you have been putting a higher value on some things that didn’t make your list of what you say you value. 

Here’s a simple exercise: Look over all of your purchases and credit card receipts over the previous 3 months. If somebody else were to look at these same receipts, what would they conclude about what you value? 

Similarly, take the opportunity to write down exactly how you have spent your time over the past 2-3 weeks. How much time did you spend sleeping and resting? How much time did you spend at work? How much time did you spend with family and friends? How much time did you spend in prayer, or more deeply rooting yourself in Christ? 

Questions such as these reveal what we truly value.

READING & PRAYERS:

     COLOSSIANS 3:5-11

QUESTION: What are you willing to give up in order to be more deeply rooted in Christ? 

QUESTION: What are you unwilling to give up in order to be more deeply rooted in Christ? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3 or 5 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today I recognize that I may say I value certain things, but the questions in today’s reading show that what I actually value may differ. As I continue to dig my roots deeply into Christ, help me to recognize what matters most and invest my time, energy, and resources into those things. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Beneath the Surface

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You’ve probably heard this illustration before, but your life is a lot like an iceberg. Only 10% of who you really are is visible to the rest of the world. There are other parts of you that go really, really deep beneath the surface. 

On an average day, you may be willing to share some of your thoughts, beliefs, convictions, hurts, habits, or other hangups with a trusted family member, colleague, or friend. But the things that are really, really deep beneath the surface may remain hidden. Either you’re afraid of what may be lurking there, or you’re so ashamed of what may be lurking there you’re unwilling to share those things with others. 

But the things that are deep beneath the surface are worthy of your time and exploration. This is where your roots are. And because this is where your roots are, what’s there won’t always remain hidden. In time, even your deepest secrets will be revealed.

As you read today, take the opportunity to prayerfully reflect on what may be deep beneath the surface in your own life.

READING & PRAYERS:

     LUKE 18:9-14, 1 CORINTHIANS 4:5, GALATIANS 5:19-23

QUESTION: In the Luke 18:9-14 passage, what sticks out to you the most? Which of the characters in this story does your life most represent? 

QUESTION: In the Galatians 5:19-23 passage, which of the fruit listed here is most evident in your life? If you’re up for it, ask your spouse or another close friend to affirm your answer.

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3 or 5 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I would like to think that my actions and decisions reveal more of the Fruit of the Spirit than the Fruit of the Flesh, but I recognize this isn’t always the case. Help me continue to dig my roots deeply into You so that the world may better see and experience Your love, grace, and goodness through me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Pressing Pause

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Did you take the opportunity to read the bold text right above this sentence? The text that says, “Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence?” If you did read it, did you take the opportunity to silence your heart and soul before reading this? 

We live busy lives, regularly going from one activity to the next. For the majority of us, this pace is unsustainable. As Peter Scazzero writes, “When we are busier than God requires us to be, we do violence to ourselves.”

Right now, in this very moment, you may have a lot of topics on your heart, mind, and/or soul that are weighing on you. For those of you who may not be experiencing a heavy burden this moment, taking regular opportunities to Pause so you can be with Jesus is essential. The more deeply your roots grow into the love of Christ, the more prepared your heart and soul will be when challenging circumstances do come your way.  

One resource you may find helpful is the One Minute Pause app created by John Eldredge. But don’t let the name fool you. The longer Pauses, and the 30 Days to Resilience program are an excellent resource to help you remain rooted in Christ.

READING & PRAYERS:

     1 KINGS 19:11-12

The voice of God isn’t always big and loud, but it is always powerful. In this passage, Elijah heard God through “a gentle whisper.” The Hebrew language could also be translated by saying that Elijah heard God through “silence.” 

QUESTION: Are you taking regular opportunities to push Pause and listen for the voice of God in silence? How may your life be different if you did? 

Take a Step: This week, utilize the One Minute Pause app at least twice daily to begin practicing being with God and resting in His presence. The app is free, and is available on iPhone and Android devices. See pauseapp.com for details.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess it is rare that I take intentional time to push Pause in order to give anything and everything over to You. As I enter this new week, I simply pray that You will help me to not only remember, but to experience the benefits of Pausing to rest in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Summer in the Psalms: Daily Devotionals to Help You Slow Down

Our world moves fast. Often, it’s way too fast. If you were to take the opportunity to intentionally slow down, and then slow down some more, and then slow down some more, you would probably still be doing a bit too much.

As John Eldredge writes in Get Your Life Back, “My soul just can’t move at the speed of smartphones.” He makes an excellent point. Is the world moving faster than your soul is able to keep up? Is your soul safe and secure at the pace you’re currently living?

If you read those questions and have no idea how to answer them, you’re moving too fast. It isn’t just important to take intentional opportunities to quiet your mind, heart, and soul, it’s an essential priority. This time of intentionally slowing down isn’t something to be done every day for a week, or even a month. It’s a lifelong practice. Setting aside time to allow your soul to receive the rest God intended is essential.

Recently, I wrote about the Pause App, and how I’m finding it to be an extremely useful tool to help me slow down twice a day. I’ve continued to walk through a 5 minute or 10 minute Pause twice daily, and the benefits are tremendous.

There are other resources which help me slow down as well. And many of these tie in well with our Summer in the Psalms message series.

One Daily Devotional for the Psalms which I regularly read is The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller. Prior to writing this daily devotional, Keller and his wife Kathy read through the Psalms every month for over 20 years. Think about that. All 150 Psalms. Every month. For 20 years. That’s a lot of time in the Psalms.

Each daily reading consist of a brief reading of a Psalm, a short devotional, a question to ponder, and a prayer.

Fortunately, Keller has a devotional with a similar format for Proverbs as well. If you’re looking for a morning reading and an evening one, each of these devotionals are excellent. Just be sure to keep a journal nearby so you can write out an answer to each question for reflection. You’ll get even more out of each reading by taking this essential step.

Another Daily Devotional for the Psalms is In the Lord I Take Refuge by Dane Ortlund. Here, Ortlund provides a devotional reading for each Psalm. As such, there are 150 devotionals, as opposed to the 365 in Keller’s book. Despite the number of readings, there are tremendous treasures to be mined within these pages. It’s an excellent resource and one I’m glad to carry with me.

Finally, beloved Pastor and author Eugene Peterson has a 365 day devotional for the Psalms. Simply titled, Praying with the Psalms, the author of the Message breaks down the Psalms with the goal of aiding the reader to encompass a more disciplined prayer life. If you’d like to dig deeper into the Psalms and grow in your prayer life, Peterson’s devotional is an excellent resource.

However you may choose to more fully engage with the Psalms, may God’s Word continue to provide your mind, heart, and soul with rest.

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Digging Deeper: Summer Reading and other Resources

Woosh. I won’t lie. The Tension Points series we just wrapped up at South Ridge Church was tough. The two messages I (Pastor Justin) personally focused on — Grief & Loss, and Race & Racial Reconciliation — were tough topics. I think I put more thought, prayer, and time into crafting these two messages than I’ve put into any other messages throughout my time in ministry. But I’m not alone. I believe that the topics of the Economy, the Pandemic, and American Politics & Geopolitical Unrest were challenging for Pastor Daniel and Looch to teach as well. (If you’d like to revisit any of these messages, you can do so by clicking here.)

You may be thinking, Yes, the messages were tough, but good. And I’d like to really spend some time thinking about how I can respond to these and other “Tension Points” in a godly manner.”

If this is you, allow me to provide some resources you may find helpful. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend purchasing or reading all of them, but take some time to think about which one(s) may be most helpful for you. (And, of course, if you’re ever looking for another resource…a good Study Bible is always a good option.)

One book you may find interesting is Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference, Edited by Timothy Keller and John Inazu. What I love about this book is that it wasn’t written by one person, but a treasure trove of authors and artists who have a lot of experience in navigating difficult conversations on tough topics. It’s an eye opening read, and each chapter will surely provide you a lot to consider.

Of all of the resources mentioned in this post, this would be my top recommendation. We all occasionally find ourselves on uncommon ground with others. We all want to grow in responding in love. This resource provides a lot of insight, and goes to show that there can still be unity even when there is a diverse range of perspectives on tough topics.

Another book – which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this year is The Deeply Formed Life, by Rich Villodas. Here, Rich Villodas navigates through Five Transformational Values to Root us in the Way of Jesus. These values include:

Contemplative Rhythms for an Exhausted Life

Racial Reconciliation for a Divided World

Interior Examination for a World Living on the Surface

Sexual Wholeness for a Culture that Splits Bodies from Souls

Missional Presence in a Distracted and Disengaged World

Reading through The Deeply Formed Life is easy to do. Reading through it slowly, very slowly, and practicing putting these rhythms into your daily life is the greater challenge. However, those who do will find that practicing these values well really does offer life transformation.

Another worth mentioning is A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. Some books are good for a short season, and others have lasting strength. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction was first published in 1980 and continues to be one of the greatest books on Spiritual Formation. Why is it included here as a resource for the Tension Points message series? Well, like The Deeply Formed Life, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction focuses on key values that need to be regularly lived out in our lives. And as the title says, growing in Christ isn’t a quick fix. It takes…a long obedience in the same direction. It takes time.

When we are deeply rooted in Christ, we will be able to respond to difficult topics such as the Economy, Grief & Loss, and Racial Reconciliation well. And this book is one that can be read again and again and again. The truths provided here are excellent, and we need to be reminded them regularly.

One final resource to mention is The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby. Here, Tisby navigates through the history of the Christian Church being complicit in racial segregation. It’s a tough read, because the history provided here is irrefutable. While not everybody may agree with some of the proposed solutions Tisby provides, The Color of Compromise is eye-opening and will help the reader see a challenging topic through the lens of history.

I’ll be sure to throw out a couple of recommendations for the current Summer in the Psalms series soon as well. But if you’re ever looking for a resource on a specific topic, feel free to let me know.

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It’s Time to Pause

Are you feeling tired? Stretched? Overworked? Anxious? All of the above?

In a culture that thrives on success and accomplishments it’s no wonder we occasionally find ourselves living at an unsustainable pace.

Fortunately, John Eldredge (author of Wild at Heart, Get Your Life Back, Resilient, and more) has created an app with the sole purpose to help you Pause once or twice a day.

As you may know, I (Pastor Justin) have regularly been an advocate for the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship material. And one of the key principles of Peter Scazzero’s work is that what we DO for God must come from our BEING with God. We are not able to give to others what we don’t have ourselves. As such, we must take in silence, be still in the presence of God, remember that He and He alone ultimately has control of the universe, and then we can live the life He has invited us to live.

Until now, I’ve simply used a timer on my phone to take opportunities to experience silence. But a few months ago I discovered the One Minute Pause app and have found it extremely helpful.

In this app, you will have the opportunity to build from a One Minute Pause, to Three Minutes, then Five Minutes, and then Ten Minutes. You may be thinking, There’s no way I can just sit in silence for ten minutes! but you may be surprised. Eldredge’s team has created a remarkable app that really does help.

If you’re interested, you can check out it here:

One Minute Pause on iOS

One Minute pause on Android

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Talk About It

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What truths from this week’s message and the Scripture readings impacted you most this week? 

Consider talking or meeting with somebody you trust to discuss what you’ve learned this week and how it’s helping you to grow emotionally and spiritually. 

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A New You

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Romans 6:23b reads, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our culture thrives on consumerism. For example, Amazon reported a 4th quarter revenue of 87.4 Billion dollars in 2019. 87.4 Billion with a B. That’s a lot of sales and consumerism!

It shows that, at least in our culture, we’re always looking for something new. So when we think about having a New Life, or a New Nature, or New Freedom, we may immediately think to ourselves, Sign me up! But…what’s it going to cost me? 

Romans 6 answers with the most surprising answer — it’s not going to cost you a thing.  

The very idea causes some to balk and walk away. Others may want more information, but in the back of their minds they’re still thinking like a consumer: Surely it’s going to cost me something. 

In reality, there is no cost. Jesus paid it all. But if you accept it, there will be a New You. And while the New You may not be everything you expected, it’ll be far greater than you could ever hope for.

READING & JOURNALING:

     ROMANS 6:12-23

In your Study Bible of choice, read through the commentary notes for Romans 6. What if anything did you learn about God providing you a new life, a new nature, and new freedom? 

Read Matthew 13:44. What do you think about the grace of God being a “free gift” (Romans 6:23) yet also paying everything you own (Matthew 13:44) to receive it? 

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, Your Word is clear in saying that the Gospel message is a free gift. It’s also clear in saying that I must give up what I think I know about You and about myself in order to fully receive it. Today, I simply acknowledge that I want to know You in your fullness, and I want to see myself as You see me. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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New Nature

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Romans 6:7, 19 reads, For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin…Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible7 notes that when Romans was written, many intellectuals would use the illustration of slavery to speak against wrong ideas. As such, the Apostle Paul uses a similar argument by saying, “You are no longer slaves to sin!” Those who first read his letter would have known the illustration and would have rejoiced at the thought that they need no longer be burdened by sin. That they indeed had been given New Life, and a New Nature. 

But Paul then flips the argument around and encouraged the Christians in Rome to be slaves of righteous living. You can just imagine them reading his letter and thinking, What?! You just told us that we had a new life. Now you’re telling us to be slaves again?”

But Paul wasn’t encouraging the people to be slaves of sin. Instead, he was saying to be slaves to righteous living. His argument was simple: Righteous living leads to New Freedom.

READING & JOURNALING:

     ROMANS 6:12-23

How does being a slave to righteous living actually lead to experiencing freedom and fruitfulness in life? 

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, I confess that when I think about being a slave to righteousness, it’s easy for me to think about a checklist of what’s right and what’s wrong. But I’m continually learning that being a slave to righteousness isn’t about a checklist but is simply about me growing in my knowledge and understanding of who You are, as well as growing in my knowledge of understanding of who You have made me to be. I pray that the truths of who You are and who I am will open my eyes to the freedom only You can provide. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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