This Series: Rooted
This month, I felt God nudging us to slow down and get rooted—first in Christ, and now, in community. Because life gets busy, and when it does, it’s easy to drift. So I want to ask you: What are you rooted in? Who are you rooted with?
Because here’s the truth—we were never meant to follow Jesus alone.
From the beginning, the church was built on shared life. In Acts 2, we see the early believers devoted—not casually involved, not occasionally present—but fully in. They leaned into four practices: Scripture, Fellowship, Worship, and Generosity.
Let me break that down.
1. Devoted to Scripture
They didn’t gather around opinions or political camps. They gathered around Jesus. His teachings became their foundation. And being rooted in Scripture today? It’s not about having the most verses memorized or sounding “spiritual.” It’s about asking: Does my life actually look like Jesus’ life?
That’ll challenge you. It challenges me.
2. Devoted to Fellowship
This wasn’t just Sunday chit-chat and coffee. The Greek word is koinonia—a sacrificial, heart-level commitment to each other. They ate together, prayed together, carried one another’s burdens.
Let me ask: Who in this church knows what you’re going through? Who do you let into your story?
Community doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by devotion.
That’s why we push small groups, connection nights, Wednesday prayer—not because we need your attendance, but because you need a place to not walk through life alone.
3. Devoted to Worship
Worship wasn’t a once-a-week thing. It spilled from temple to table, from Sunday service into daily life. You want to know how devoted someone is to worship? Look at how they pray at the dinner table. Look at how they show up with meals when someone’s hurting.
Worship isn’t just singing. It’s how we live.
4. Devoted to Generosity and Justice
This part always makes people squirm a bit. The early church shared what they had. They didn’t say, “mine.” They said, “ours.” They gave when someone was in need—not because of a program, but because of love.
That kind of radical generosity still changes lives today.
Let me be blunt: Modern life teaches us to be self-reliant, to hoard, to isolate. But the gospel calls us to something far more courageous—to give, to share, to open our homes and our lives.
The Real Question
So here’s my ask: Does your calendar reflect your commitment to community? We schedule practices, games, appointments—what if we also scheduled prayer, meals, connection, service?
Church isn’t just a Sunday event. It’s a way of life.
A Story of Radical Community
Let me leave you with a story. During World War II, a young German POW named Jürgen Moltmann was invited by an English pastor and his wife to attend church and share meals in their home. Week after week. Enemy soldiers… in their house. Fed. Loved.
That young soldier became one of the most important theologians of the 20th century. And when asked where his hope began, he said: At Frank and Nellie Baker’s dinner table.
You see, community is powerful. Not theoretical. Practical. Not optional. Essential.
So let’s be that kind of church.
Let’s be known for compassion, not performance. Let’s be rooted in each other—not just for our sake, but for the sake of our neighborhood, our city, and the world God has called us to serve.
Let’s live in such a way that people on the outside look in and say: I want in on that.