My Best Church Life Week 4: Grow Message Summary: Our best church life includes a daily connection to God’s lifegiving Word. But when our church’s leaders have more souls to serve, our personal responsibility to own our devotional lives increases. This message urges Christians to own their “Grow Root” as people/couples/parents so that they can be blessed by daily meditating on God’s Word. Don’t just own a Bible. Own your connection to the Bible! ✦ Would you survive, if it just depended on you? ✦ Faith is homegrown and its survival depends on you. ✦ Deuteronomy 6:5-9 — “Talk about these things when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them to your foreheads. Write them on your doorframes and on your gates”. ✦ Psalm 1:1-5a — “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers. But HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE TEACHING OF THE LORD, AND ON HIS TEACHING HE MEDITATES DAY AND NIGHT. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaves do not wither. Everything he does prospers. Not so the wicked! No, they are like the chaff which the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment…” ✦ This is what we mean when we talk about the Grow Root. ✦ Question: Does Scripture fill every aspect of your life? ❖ Is “Because Jesus” your sole motivation? ❖ For the love of Christ compels us… ❖ 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 — “For the love of Christ compels us, because we came to this conclusion: One died for all; therefore, all died. And he died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for him, who died in their place and was raised again.” ✦ Question: Do you interact with others like God does with you? ❖ Blesses both righteous and wicked ❖ Matthew 5:44-45 — “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”. ❖ Views others not according to flesh. ❖ 2 Corinthians 5:14, 16 — “For the love of Christ compels us… As a result, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh”. ✦ Only with a strong Grow Root are the answers yes! ❖ Colossians 3:16 —“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” ❖ Luke 10:42 — “Few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” ✦ For your best church life, own your Bible.Planting Jesus Roots GATHER — What would it look like for every home to have an altar (not literally, but figuratively), just like churches have in worship? What do you think that means? How would that help? GROUP — Owning your Bible means planning out your devotion time, meditationoutline, prayer thoughts, and Bible resource! For help, check out: stpeter922.com/ roots#GROW and 922ministries.com/familyresources GROW — Meditate on Acts 6:1-7 one more time. What other details jump out at you that weren’t mentioned in today’s message? GIVE & GO — How does a strong Grow Root strengthen your Give and Go Roots? Homework: Acts 6:1-7 (Hashtags: grow)