Fearlessly Courageous

Fearlessly Courageous

Desk of Dennis Piller

2/3/2021

Roots of our Faith

The lights, the ornaments, the glitter are all coming down this weekend from our Christmas. Our son whose birthday was last week asked us to keep them up this year. (So we’re not nuts). But it got me thinking about the root and branches of the trees that we planted in our lives this last year. What happened beneath the surface that created the truth of your year. The reality of who I was in all of the craziness of a global crisis. Is anyone really assessing… THEIR LIFE? I am not talking about a 3-minute journal thought but a real in-depth conversation with your spouse, family, and some detached accountability people you can pull in for their perspectives, who know you. I think so many people are just wanting to run away from last year or just forget about it, or are overlooking or ignoring how we grew this year. Or how we didn’t. How did God show up for us or did we allow God to take the lead really? Did we pivot and created a new today and tomorrow out of the crumbs or the chaos of our year? (Beyond just adjusting our budgets). Or did we just try to make last year’s model fit into a new world? Did we adapt? Did we rethink our formula or autopilot? Or did we mostly Ilve in the frustration and the anger of the year complaining and grumbling? (That isn’t to say there wasn’t much to grumble about. But the fact is… It isn’t over yet. We are still in it. It’s time to do some retooling, rethinking, and maybe some repenting too. What are the roots we are growing on? What do the branches and fruit look like? Exactly what seeds have we planted for tomorrow? So let’s, dig a little. Where was God in your year?. Did you fall to your knees or just fall? Was Christ the pillar of strength holding you and your family up? What did your leadership look like? We know for certain God didn’t fail us. Google said, “Spirituality” as applied to biblical faith is understood to refer to that relationship between God and man that can be summed up under four headings: holiness, the gift of the Spirit, life in the Spirit, and the discipline of the Spirit”. It is our relationship to God, sealed by the gift of the spirit, maintained by the presence of the holy spirit and calling forth obedience to the spirit, who is God himself. The bible portrayed Israel and the church as a people set apart, a community, a church set apart for holiness. I believe our community Is a very key part of the strength of our root system. I believe it speaks of a community and a people and not just we as individuals. He brought Eve to Adam for one reason only… to not be alone. Community…Family. Israel suffered and thrived as a nation. When the people strayed from God the nation suffered. We see that today everywhere you look. Holiness is not an issue of color unless you count the white vs black in our hearts. The darkness of rebellion, apathy, and idolatry. “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Col 2: 6-7

Growth: The deeper the roots, the greater the fruits.

A Meaning Life Center writer said: “When we have healthy roots and solid values, we grow. Growth is the ultimate expression of a successful life, one that does not remain standing still but is always growing and spreading out. Growth also includes bearing fruit. What is the beauty and power of a fruit? Perpetuity. The fruit, via its seeds’ – germination and growth, becomes forever. Fruits have a perennial impact. The seed bears fruit, and the fruit, in turn, bears seeds, which then bears more fruit, ad infinitum. Fruits give you a taste of eternity.