Read Colossians 2:6-7 and reflect on the following questions:
What does it mean to walk, be rooted, and built up in Jesus?
How do you know that you are walking, rooted, and built up in Him?
Please write down your responses and be prepared to share them during our next meeting or post in our group text.
In the Bible, we find scriptures that confirm how different fruit shows we are rooted and built up in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:2 and Ephesians 3:15-19 explain that one of the main characteristics of Jesus is love. His love was so great that He gave His life for us, and He entrusts us to love others, even our enemies. Love is one fruit that shows we are rooted in Christ.
Reflect on these questions:
How do you show your love for Jesus?
How do you accept the love that Jesus has given you, and share His love with others?
The apostle Paul urges us to be rooted in Jesus. The same way in which a tree spreads its roots deep into the ground, so as not to be moved or fall in times of storms, is how we must be rooted in Christ. If we are walking and being rooted in Christ, we will bear fruit that will be demonstrated in our actions, words, and testimonies. John 15:1-2 tells us that if we bear fruit we'll be pruned so we can bear even more fruit, or if we don't bear fruit, we'll be cut off.
What does it mean to you to be rooted in Jesus?
How can you prove or be sure that you are rooted in Jesus?
How can you be sure that Jesus is involved in whatever you are doing?
To be rooted in Jesus is to be connected to an inexhaustible source of living water, water that we can be confident will never run out and water that will always keep us firm.
Another evidence of fruit is trusting in the Lord in the midst of adversity (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Trusting in Him will allow us to overcome any storm and bear fruit in the midst of it.
How do you react to adversity?
Do you feel that problems and moments of difficulty distance you from God?
The apostle Paul also points out that we must build ourselves up in Jesus and be confirmed in the faith. That means studying the Word and basing our principles and values on what we read and study. In Luke 6:46-48, we see how obedience is a part of that building process, and is another sign of fruit. Studying and obeying the word of God bears fruit.
How much time do you dedicate to studying the Word?
Do your behaviors reflect obedience to the Word?
To walk with Jesus is to live and share His love. To be rooted in Jesus is to maintain an intimate relationship with Him that allows us to bear fruit, fully trust in Him, and be built up in Him as we study and obey his Word.
How do you apply this in your daily life?
Read Colossians 2:8-10 and reflect on the following:
A quick Google search reveals that there are approximately 4,200 religions and an infinite number of extinct religions. With so many philosophies and countless beliefs out there, reflect on these questions:
How can you trust Jesus and not be deceived by so much religious and philosophical noise?
What beliefs do you have, or have you had, that the Holy Spirit may have had you question if they were deceptive?
What things have you learned (through family, school, friends, society, internet, etc.) that do not relate to life in Jesus and can confuse you and lead you away from Him?
In what ways do you feel complete in Jesus, and how does that help you not be deceived by the world?
Read Colossians 2:11-15 and reflect on the following:
There are many traditions that affirm or teach that we should participate in rituals or use idols and objects to please the Lord in addition to us accepting Jesus as our Savior, and obeying His word. However, the apostle Paul emphasizes that our circumcision by Christ, burial with Him in baptism, and resurrection with Him in faith, is how God made us alive in Christ, and in Him, we've been given a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Do you feel like you have a new life in Jesus?
How different is your new life from your old one?
Have you ever felt, or been made to feel, like Jesus is not enough and that you need to do something more?
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