Stay Planted | Pastor Caleb Thomas

Welcome to Free Life Chapel, where we

help you discover and live the free life

in Christ. My name is Cotti, and I'm so

glad that you decided to tune in with us

today. If you ever find yourself in the

Central Florida area, come visit us. We

want to see you face to face. But until

then, feel free to visit our website,

freelifechapel.org, to find out more

about what's happening at your church.

There's an amazing message in store just

for you. I hope you're encouraged.

Anybody got any trees in your backyard,

>> front yard, sideyard? It's your

neighbor's trees, but it's growing in

your yard.

>> Couple years ago, couple years ago, Liz

and I, we were getting ready for for

hurricane season. You know, that that

thing that comes around. And while we

were getting ready, we we kind of were

looking in the backyard, okay, like how

much is this going to cost us this

season?

And I've learned I I've had a great

mentor who told me this. You're either

going to have to do prehab or you're

going to have to do rehab. You're going

to have to pay the price on the front

end or you pay the price on the back

end. You're going to have to choose

which one you pay. And so we were

looking around and kind of just seeing

like what do we need to take care of?

What do we need to maybe move? What do

we need to get situated? And we saw that

we had some trees that needed to come

down. And so I I hit up I hit up one of

the uh one of the guys here in the

church as a tree cutting company. Hit

him up, had him come out, and I was

like, I I think this tree needs to come

down. It's really tall. There's two of

them. They're really tall. So I they

might be good, but you don't know. And

it's on the opposite side. It's it's

right on the my fence line to where if

it falls, it won't hit my house. It'll

hit my neighbor's house. I didn't want

that smoke. So I I I called his cat up

and I'm like, "Hey, man. I need you to

come out here and just just give me just

give me an estimate. Let me know what

I'm dealing with. He comes out and he

says, "Yeah, you was right. It's the

first time I've heard that at my house.

My wife always tells me I'm wrong, but

he told me I'm right."

He said, "Caleb, you're right. The these

two trees, they need to come down and

they need to come down now." Why? Why

the urgency? I said, "THEY'RE STANDING

REALLY TALL. THEY'RE OVER 20 FEET TALL.

LIKE THEY'RE THESE ARE BIG TREE. THEY'RE

OAK TREES. They're there. Some big

trees. They're mature. He said, "Hey, I

know that they look tall, but the roots

are completely rotted underneath of

them." And I learned a lesson very quick

that day, or maybe I was reminded of a

lesson that all things that look strong

might not actually be strong.

>> I know what it is to have the appearance

of trying to put myself together, acting

like I have my life together.

Meanwhile, I'm faking it till I make it.

It out of an insecurity. Maybe sometimes

it produced confidence. Maybe maybe

there was this job opportunity that it

looked so strong, but once you got into

it, the waters were kind of really

really shadow. Maybe it was a

relationship that it looked like this

would be the thing that would give me

stability. Meanwhile, you took two steps

in it and that's all that there was. Not

all things that look strong are actually

strong. gentleman looking at my trees.

He said, "Man, one good storm, one good

hurricane, one good gush of wind could

have all of this toppling over and then

you're dealing with the damage that's to

come." The more I read the Bible, the

more I pray, the more I live, the more

I'm engaged in church, the more I con

converse with God, commune with God, the

more I'M REALIZING THAT GOD NEVER

CREATED YOU OR I to be fragile.

HE DIDN'T CREATE US TO BE FRAGILE IN

LIFE. HE CREATED US TO BE able to stay

planted, to be able to stand firm, to be

grounded, to be stable. You and I were

designed for stability. Not to just go

wherever the wind blows us, but to be

able to have some roots built to where

when the winds come, the pressures

comes, the storms come, I don't move.

This is what the prophet Jeremiah was

talking about in the Old Testament

trying to remind folk what is the

mindset that we should have whenever we

give our life to Christ and we are in

him. The Bible says this in Jeremiah

17 7-8. Read these highlighted parts

with me if you will. But blessed is the

man who trusts me God. The woman who

sticks with God. They're like trees

replanted in Eden. Putting down roots

near the rivers. Never a worry through

the hottest summers. Never dropping a

leaf. Serene and calm through the

droughts. Bearing fresh fruit in every

season. He said, "Blessed is the man and

the woman who trusts me and who sticks

by me." not who just says some nice

things, but who who trusts me, which

means you're doing something with what

you say you trust. And to the woman, to

the other person who sticks by me,

meaning no matter what happens, no

matter what pressures come, no matter

what scenarios arise, no matter what

questions are there, I'm sticking right

by God. Blessed is that man and that

woman, they will be like trees replanted

in Eden.

Eden. It's in reference to the Garden of

Eden back in Genesis. Well, what do you

mean replanting? What's the benefit

there? And it says that putting down

roots near the rivers. The Bible is very

specific that there were four major

rivers that would flow right into Eden,

helping to produce the vegetation that

there was there. The the Pichon River,

the Guehon River, the Tigress River, and

the Euphrates River. And these four

rivers would all come together in order

to create an atmosphere that would help

hydrate and nourish the trees by

touching the roots. So no matter what

the circumstances around were, they had

something deeper that was their source.

They had something deeper that was

continuing to nourish and feed them.

Here's what I'm learning. That the

people who trust God, they might go

through tough seasons. Anybody gone

through a tough season before? We just

got done singing it. Jesus, I There's

been times where I feel like I've been

tossed in the water. There's some tough

times that have come, some pressure that

has come. People who trust God might go

through some tough seasons, but

everybody say, "But."

>> But

>> they are strengthened to endure every

season.

>> I might go through something, but God

strengthens me to endure that very

thing. Everybody

goes through something.

Everybody.

I get the chance alongside of my wife or

the student ministry pastors here at

Free Life every Wednesday night 7:00.

The blend right in here. Shameless plug.

6th through 12th graders.

I'm talking with students. They come up.

Pastor Caleb, I didn't make the team.

That's the biggest that it's ever been

for them before. Pressure.

This relationship just ended. It's the

biggest that relationship has ever been.

Pressure.

Just lost my job.

Start started talking with some adults

having some family pressures. Anybody

ever gone through the heat of pressure?

Everybody's going to go through

something with that. The the pressure of

finances.

I am so sad that I drive a truck right

now. The pressure of finance them gas

prices be pressuring. Relationships

are a pressure. Kids are a pressure.

They're a blessing, but there it's an

added pressure. Continues to grow. The

pressure of opportunity.

The pressure of growth that when we

grow, when we reach, when we climb new

heights, it doesn't mean that things are

going to be easy. When we look for

opportunity, when we're looking for

growth, really what we're saying is, I

know that there's an increased amount of

pressure, an increased amount of

expectation that is going to bring about

a different outcome. We all go through

the heat of pressure. We all have gone

through or will go through the drought

of the dry seasons

when life just feels mundane.

when it feels monotonous.

When I'm going to church, I don't really

know if I'm feeling something. I'M I'M

READING MY BIBLE, but it doesn't spur me

up the way that it used to. I'm I'm

praying,

but man, I'm just I I have to question

myself sometimes,

are these just words? Is this doing

anything? Like, I I I can get in my own

mind where I get in these what I feel

like are dry seasons. Maybe maybe you've

gone through some yourself. The storms

of unexpected life events,

the storm of a loss that nobody was

planning on,

the the storm of a no. And you were

betting everything on there being a yes.

And now I have to just take and just

switch up life. I wasn't planning. I

wasn't prepared for this. This is a

storm that came out of nowhere. The

storm of the plot twist. You thought it

was going this way just for somebody to

hit an emergency break and completely

change the trajectory of where you

thought things were headed. We all go

through different things. But but the

difference is not what you face cuz

we're going to face something. The

difference is where are you planted

whenever you face those things. again

that Jesus makes it very very clear in

this world you will face some hard

times. Life won't be easy. There's going

to be some tough things that you're

going through. BUT TAKE HEART BECAUSE I

HAVE overcome the world. So my question

is where are you planted?

Where are you planted? Cuz where you're

planted dictates and determines how you

and I respond to the storms in life. God

doesn't want us to be unraveled with

everything that happens IN LIFE. GOD

WANTS he has a desire for you and I to

stand firm, to stay planted, to be

stable, not because of our strength, BUT

BECAUSE OF HIS STRENGTH. This is why in

Philippians 4, the Bible says that you

and I, we can have a peace that goes

beyond what your mind can explain. So

you, why is it that I just suffered this

loss? I had everything writing on this

one decision. Somebody told me no. They

took it away. Yet I have a peace. I

almost feel bad for having a piece about

what's going on. Baby, it ain't you. And

it ain't that you're that mentally

tough. It's not because of your

willpower. It's because of Jesus Christ

in you that he knows how TO BRING A

CALMNESS to the storms that happen

inside of our life. JAMES CHAPTER 1

James 1 · chapter mention

TALKS ABOUT, "COUNT IT PURE JOY, MY

brothers and sisters, whenever you face

trials of various kinds, because you

know that the testing of your faith

produces perseverance.

a grit, a tenacity, an endurance.

The reality is this Christian life isn't

a call to be passive in life.

>> It's a call to stand up, stand 10 toes

down, bow up your chest, and be ready to

fight against what happens.

Circumstances say this, but my God says

something different. The doctor's report

says this, but my God has said something

different. WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY FAMILY

looks like this, BUT MY GOD IS A

RESTORED. WE PUSH BACK not with our

strength

>> but with the word of God with what he

said with what his promises are inside

of my life. There's two outcomes

whenever you and I face a storm. And we

have to decide which one are we going to

choose.

Two outcomes are I'm firm and planted or

I'm falling down like a tree with rotted

roots. I got to stay firm and stay

planted when THE STORMS OF LIFE COME.

YEAH, I might bend and yeah, there might

be some some swaying that goes on and

I'm going to feel the effects of it,

but I'm still planted, immovable, or am

I going to be like a tree that's

continuously just falling over? The

difference is never the storm. It's

always what is underneath. This is what

Jesus taught in Matthew chapter 7

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

talking about the parable of uh a wise

man builds his house on a rock but a

fool builds his house on the sand and

then whenever the rains come and the

storms come the house that was built on

the sand gets completely washed away.

But he who built his house on the rock

will be able to stand firm. What are you

building your life on? What are you

building your business on? What are you

building your relationships on? What are

you building your education on? I'm

either going to be building on the rock

of Jesus Christ, which is a firm

foundation, or I'm going to build it of

the movable sand of my feelings, my

mind, or culture, which is constantly

shifting and moving, which means it is

no longer stable. What are we building

our life on?

And if I'm going to be honest, at 30

years old, I've experienced a lot of

life and I'm well aware that I have a

lot more to experience. I'm well aware

of that. I'm well aware of that. But I

do start asking myself questions cuz

again, I'm I'm a Christ follower just

like you. That yes, I'm I'm a pastor,

but I'm a believer just like you. And

that means that I wrestle with thoughts

like you wrestle with thoughts. And I

wrestle with life the same way that you

do. I start a I found myself asking

these questions. What is the difference

of people who go through some storms,

some tragedies, some life events and

they they stand strong? They stay

planted inside of those things versus

how I have sometimes been where I've

come completely unraveled whenever some

life storms have happened. What What is

the difference? Why do some people go

through the same pressures and come out

standing, but when I have gone through

those, I've come out falling apart? The

same heat and the same drought in the

same storm. What's the difference? I

think something that I've had to keep in

mind is this. Pressure reveals the

truth. The pressures of life reveal the

truth that is inside of us. This is why

Proverbs 17:3, it says this, "Fire, it

Proverbs 17:3

tests the purity of silver and of gold,

but the Lord tests the heart."

Metal workers learn this whenever I

propose to Liz. metal workers, jewelers,

when they're looking to see the purity

of silver, the purity of gold, they

can't tell the purity just by looking at

it. Cuz looks can be deceiving.

So there has to be another layer. There

has to be some other pressure that gets

added to it in order to see the purity

of it. And so what do metal workers and

jewelers do? They add that gold or that

silver to some fire. And what the fire,

the pressure of the fire helps to

separate that which is pure and it

separates the impurities of it. The

things that should not be added to it.

The metal worker and the fire don't

create the impurities, but the metal

worker and the fire or the fire and the

metal worker identify what does not

belong. The same exact thing happens in

your life and in my life when it comes

to pressure. Pressure doesn't create

what's on inside of us. Pressure reveals

what is inside of us. You ever man, I

used to say this all the time.

Ignorantly for all the students in the

room, I used to say this ignorantly.

Got a five-page paper due on Friday.

I started on Thursday.

cuz I do good under pressure.

>> I do good when the moment is home.

>> Yeah. Again, I used to say that

ignorantly. Like life has taught me that

I can't always plan for every pressure

that comes. Life has taught me that I

should not play roulette with my life

thinking that I can handle whatever life

pressures are to come because otherwise

I will fall down. These pressures, they

reveal what's on the inside of us. They

don't do it. They don't make us on the

inside. They reveal what's on the

inside. Now, I do want to be very

careful. I am not saying that God causes

everything hard inside of life. I'm I'm

I'm not saying that. We live in a broken

world. We are affected by people's

choices and I have to handle and deal

with my consequences of my decisions.

So, I'm not saying that God gives

everything that is hard. But what I am

saying is that God knows how to use all

the hard stuff that happens to us in

life. That's why the Bible says uh what

the enemy meant for evil, God knows how

to turn it for good. All things will

work together for the good of those who

love me and are called according to my

purpose. God knows how to take what life

has given you, take it, twist it, mix

it, smack it, flip it, rub it down, and

turn it into something that is

completely

better

than what you and I could do on our own.

God. He doesn't waste life experiences.

He is sovereign. He has power and he has

authority over the fires and the

pressures of life that you and I are

facing. He uses the fire and the

pressure to show us what's on the

inside. And can I tell you what's on the

inside?

Some gaps,

some voids,

>> some emptiness.

I wish you and I were strong enough to

have no gaps, but that'd be a lie.

Because there's a reason why you and I

reach for relationship. There's a reason

why you and I reach for stability.

There's a reason why you and I have a

desire to I can't just assume that I'm

just here. There has to be some reason.

There's a reason why you reach for

purpose. There's a reason why you reach

for impact. There's a reason why we

connect to each other. But there is a

void. Why? Because doing it, if we were

fully complete, then we would not need

God. But when WE WERE MADE, GOD MADE YOU

AND I PERFECT AND THEN pulled out a

piece that said only I can fit inside of

that piece. And I have tried to put

relationships. I have tried to put

things. I have tried to put influence.

I've tried to put leadership. I've tried

to put a title. I've tried to put my

last name inside of things. And it has

never fit that void.

So we have a void.

We see that the pressures of life show

us the weakness of our natural strength.

Why? Why do I say the weakness? Cuz if

you could handle the situation, then you

wouldn't need God. If you could handle

the situation, then God wouldn't call

himself Emanuel, which means God with

me. There's an emptiness that I cannot

fill on my own. But God does not leave

us there. Anybody grateful that God

leaves you better than he found you?

Anybody grateful that at the mention of

his name Jesus, it begins to change

everything that happens in life. He

doesn't leave us where he founds us. He

gives us an invitation to fill the void

with something stronger than what we

could produce on our own. So, how do I

get this something stronger built on the

inside of me? The reality is that the

strength that you and I want inside of

the storms of life, we have to prepare

for that before the storms of life. I've

never seen a gardener go out in the

middle of a hurricane

>> to plant a tree.

>> It's not the time. But what what happens

on the front end, I prepare and when you

plant, there becomes a harvest and that

harvest is able to stand these tests.

That's what we're talking about here.

Roots. Building a root system inside of

Christ. Building something that is below

ground but that is strong. Almost like

an iceberg. When you see an iceberg,

you're seeing what? 10, 15, 20% up top.

That's not the strength of it. It's

everything that's below the surface.

Greater is he that is in me than he

that's in this world. That it's not how

good I am. All I'm trying to do is being

a mirror image of the glory of God. But

if you were to ask me what is my

strength, it's Jesus Christ on the

inside of me that helps me be planted

and helps me be strong enough to endure

these pressures inside of life. It's why

Colossians chapter 2 verse 7, the Bible

Colossians 2:7

says this. Read this part with me. Let

your roots grow down into him and let

your lives be built on him. Then what

that word say? Then your faith will grow

strong. In the truth, you were taught

and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Let your roots grow down into him. In

the truth, Jesus said, "I am the way,

the truth, and the life." into Jesus is

the way that you and I build some roots

to be able to handle life's pressures. I

may bend. I may bow, but I'm not going

to fall. I'm not going to go down. I'm

going to be able to stand this test. But

these roots,

they're below surface.

They grow when nobody is watching.

THEY GROW WITHOUT THE SPOTLIGHT on them.

And the same thing inside of your faith

and our faith. I love Pastor Scott

preached last week, and if you missed

it, please go back and check it out. I

love the communal aspect of our

salvation. I love that we're involved in

the community and

you can't read my Bible for me. You

can't pray for me. You can't worship for

me. You can't surrender and ask for

forgiveness for me. There's some

decisions. There's some parts for me to

be able to play in this as well. Roots

grow in the private quiet times,

not in the isolated silent times. It

grows in the private quiet times.

Private private and isolated are not the

same thing. We need to make sure we get

this clear. See, in in isolation, you're

cut off. In isolation, you there's no

accountability. In isolation, there's no

support. In isolation, it is you by

yourself. I'm disconnected and I'm doing

life alone. But in private, it's

intentional. It's consistent. It's

vulnerable. And it's my focused time

with God. We don't grow in isolated

times with God. We grow in our private

times with God. Three roots for you and

I to be able to grow inside of our life

with Jesus.

Oh, Pastor Caleb, I done heard these

before. Yeah. And I find that the things

that I have the hardest time doing are

the things that I think I already know.

All right.

>> Three things for you and I to be able to

continue to grow. Our our Bible, the

root of our Bible, the root of prayer,

and the root of church. The root of our

Bible, the root of prayer, and the root

of church. See, our Bible, when we open

this thing up consistently, what I have

found, maybe you have as well, is I

start getting answers to questions that

I didn't even know I should be asking.

When I start opening up this thing, it

starts giving me some insights to

problems that I've been dealing with

that I didn't even know how to identify

or how to even verbalize. I didn't even

know how to put that prompt in chat GPT

for me to get the answer. But the Bible

is better than chat. Chat makes

mistakes. God don't. He says, "I need

you to use this thing to be the guiding

force of your life." Prayer. Prayer. It

is open vulnerability with our

conversation with God. When we're honest

in our private time, I found that we

become a lot more stable in our public

time.

>> But it takes this honesty with God. He

already knows what's going on, but he

says, "I want to hear it from your

mouth." Not just your thoughts, but from

your mouth. Speak these things to me.

And then the church, the church, YOU

NEED PEOPLE TO REMIND YOU OF WHAT'S true

when pressure makes you forget.

You need people. You need a community to

remind you of God's promises when all

you're looking at is life's

circumstances. You need people to REMIND

YOU THAT GOD is stronger than whatever

is in this world. Whenever you feel like

you're being overtaken by things inside

of this world, we need each other. Say

that with me. We need each other. The

root of the Bible, the root of prayer,

and the root of church. It's not that it

just happens in these big moments. Cuz

cuz honestly, deep roots aren't built in

big moments. Deep roots are built inside

of daily decisions.

What daily decisions? What daily habits?

What lifestyles can I start bringing up

in my life knowing that it's going to

grow? Well, when is that root going to

grow? I don't know. Have you ever tried

to watch a root grow?

No. Because it's slow, it's boring, and

it's dark.

But you can't tell me that it doesn't

grow

>> and you can't tell me that it's not

important.

>> And so, Caleb, what are you saying? I'm

saying please don't be like I have been

and be more focused on the spotlight

than you are your quiet time. I'm saying

please don't be more focused on what

gets posted on social media and what

gets posted on Tik Tok. Be more focused

on what's the posture of my heart. God,

am I doing this for people? Am I doing

this for you? God, am I doing this to

engage with folk or am I doing this out

of the I I understand the forgiveness

that I need. I understand the mercy that

I need. I understand that the pressure

showed me a gap, a void inside of my

life. I know that you designed me to be

stable, but I'm I'm aware now. I see the

reality of this gap, this void that I

have. I know that I need to be

intentional with you to build roots.

But can I tell you the good part about

when you spend that intentional time

with Jesus building these roots,

fruit comes up.

The roots produce a fruit. The roots

produce a fruit. Fruit doesn't grow

without the connection. Fruit grows

because of the connection. The fruit is

a byproduct

of having a healthy tree, a healthy root

system. John 15:5

John 15:5

Jesus says this. He says, "Yes, I am the

vine and 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." Caleb, without God, you

ain't worth nothing. Caleb, without God,

your marriage ain't worth nothing.

Caleb, without God, any leadership, it

ain't worth anything. Why? Cuz it's all

going to be self-gratifying. But Caleb,

when you do things with me, there's

going to be a fruit in every place that

you go. Why? Cuz Jesus doesn't just

impact your church time. He impacts all

of time. He knows how to be fruitful. He

knows how to nourish. He knows how to

produce to those who abide, who remain,

who stay planted, who stay connected to

him.

>> He's famous for doing it. He doesn't say

try harder. He doesn't say perform

better. He says remain in me. Stay

connected in me. The fruit is not

something that you and I could produce

on our own. Otherwise, all it is is fake

fruit and it does not digest well. It

doesn't taste good. It doesn't look good

and it won't feel good if we produce it.

Fruit is something that grows whenever

you stay attached to the right source.

This is why Galatians 5 talks about the

fruit of the spirit. Notice it doesn't

say the fruits plural.

It says the fruit. Love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

gentleness, self-control. The fruit of

the spirit. Well, that sounds like

several. You're right. But it is the

byproduct of one spirit. So when I stay

connected to him, whatever the fruit is

that I need at that time in that aspect

of my life is what Holy Spirit begins to

bring out. What are you trying to say?

You don't need more self-control, you

need more Jesus. You don't need more

joy, you just need more Jesus. You don't

need more gentleness, you just need more

Jesus. And when you get more Jesus, then

everything that you're asking for

continues to show up. But it starts, it

is through, and it ends with more Jesus

inside of our life. When we stay connect

stay connected, joy continues to show

up. When we stay connected, peace

becomes real. When we stay connected,

self-control continues to grow. We stay

connected, growth is inevitable. It's

why Paul in 1 Corinthians 3 and

reminding some folks on who is it that

produces growth, Paul says this. He

said, "I planted Apollos, who's another

prophet, he he watered, but make no

mistake, God is the one who gave the

increase. God is the one who's bringing

an increase into your life. It's not the

things that you're doing. It's not the

devotion that you have. It is God who's

doing it. But here's what he says. I see

the habits that you're building. I see

the intentionality that you're doing.

Reading my word, praying to me, being

connected to what I call my bride, the

local church. I see the intentionality

that you're doing there, which creates a

response in me to now be intentional

with you. And when as we see that we

continue to see the health of the tree

produce the fruit that comes as a

byproduct of first off the health.

Everybody say just stay connected.

>> Everybody stay to your feet.

You and I were not meant

to be a rootless

or a

root rotted tree. We weren't meant to be

that. We weren't meant to stand really,

really tall but have no substance

underneath to in order to keep us. The

Bible does say, "Yes, those who are in

Christ Jesus are like a city that is set

upon a hill, but you better believe that

that city that's set upon a hill has a

foundation that's strong enough to

handle the wind and the pressures that

come from those hilltops." So, we we

weren't meant we were meant to be

rootless.

We were meant to actually be rootful,

full of roots from us to Christ,

continuing to anchor us, continuing to

help us stay planted when the pressures

and the storms of life begin to come.

You and I were designed for stability,

but not on our own through Jesus. And

the pressure reveals the truth of the

gap of our natural strength and our

natural ability. But Jesus gives us an

answer. He gives us an invitation to

grow roots in him that give us the

strength that we desire. A strength for

stability, a strength, a a stability

that produces generational impact. A

stability that helps to grab all of

those that are around me, help them

stand firm and stay planted. And then

because of our roots, fruit begins to

come because we decided to stay planted

inside of Jesus.

Please know that God knows exactly how

to nourish and how to care for those who

are planted in him. So my question for

you today,

where are you at with staying planted?

Maybe you've maybe you felt overwhelmed

because of the pressures of life.

Jesus is reminding you that yes, you're

not strong enough to handle that, but he

is strong enough. And he wants to

reinforce you. He wants to support you.

He wants to be the rock that you build

your life on. Maybe you're in here today

and you say, "You know what? I was once

connected, but I haven't been as

connected." I'm grateful that Jesus

doesn't drop elbows. He gives us the

truth, but he says, "A righteous man

falls seven times, gets back up again."

Jesus called Peter to walk out on water.

Peter was good. Peter got disconnected.

He lost his focus. He lost his

connection to Jesus. What did Jesus do?

Just let him drown? No. Jesus reached

out his hand and picked him up. Maybe

you're saying today, I feel like I've

been disconnected. Jesus is saying,

"Man, I'm reaching out my hand to pick

you up. I just need you to reach back

towards me. Grab my hand and let me help

you be stable in this thing of life."

Maybe you're in here today and you say,

"You know what? I've been committed and

I've been doing this thing, but boy,

eyes tired,

grateful. The Bible says those who

refresh others will be refreshed. That

the Bible says that he will give us

wings and we could soar like eagles. We

could walk not we run and not grow

faint. That he gives us a level of grit,

endurance, uh uh perseverance, tenacity

inside of life to be able to handle the

pressures that I may bend, I may bow,

but I am staying planted. Why? because

my roots are inside of Christ. I don't

know where you're at today, but what I

do know for every one of us, myself

included, is that staying planted with

Jesus Christ is the best decision that

you and I could ever begin to make.

Let's pray. Father God, we love you so

much.

Over the top and abundantly grateful

that we get the honor to be inside of a

relationship with you, God. that you've

you've designed us to be stronger than

maybe how we're living on our own. But

but when we do things with you, then

man, life becomes so much better. It

doesn't mean that we're not going to go

through things. It doesn't mean that

pressure isn't going to hit. But it does

mean we're not going to go through it

alone. It does mean that we don't have

to do it based off of our strength. Not

by power, not by might, but God, only by

your spirit. And so God, I pray that you

help those who feel overwhelmed where

your word says, "Cast your cares, cast

your anxieties on me and see that I can

help you and I can uphold you with my

righteous right hand." God, I pray that

you continue to invite that we see the

invitation of those needing a

reconnection. that you're not mad

dropping elbows, but rather with with

with with full energy and full

excitement. You are encouraging,

welcoming us back in, leaning for us,

waiting for us to continue to grab into

you. And God, would you help to

encourage those of us who have been

committed that we're looking for that

day that we'll be able to hear, "Well

done, my good and faithful servant."

that God, you're not looking for

perfection, but you're looking for

people who will not quit. Who no matter

what the storms are, no matter what the

questions are, no matter the pressures

of life, they stay committed to building

roots inside of you. God, would you help

us all see, identify, and take our next

step of growth towards staying planted

in you? In Jesus name we pray. Amen. And

amen. Amen.

I told you the message would encourage

you. For more encouraging messages, feel

free to visit our website,

freelifechapel.org.

Until then, I hope you have an amazing

day.