Growing Strong in Christ: Five Essentials of Spiritual Growth (Bob Coughlin, Colossians 2:6-7)

 I'm super encouraged by the https://grace.church/rooted/ this week. A theme in life for me right now is Don't wait

Lesson 6 of Rooted, “Growing Strong in Christ: Five Essentials of Spiritual Growth” (Bob Coughlin, Colossians 2:6-7)

Theme: Developing consistent spiritual habits that strengthen your walk with Christ, and ground you in grace-filled growth

Objective: To build habits that anchor you in steady spiritual growth through the Word, prayer, fellowship, witness, and obedience

Memory Verse: COLOSSIANS 2:6–7

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.

The big idea: A man can be settled in who he is and still be weak, running on empty. A gym membership doesn’t make you strong. Going to the gym does. Growth comes from showing up, not from trying harder. And none of this earns God’s love. We already have it.

The memory verse holds the whole lesson. Colossians 2:6-7 has five words: walk, rooted, built up, established, abounding.

1. Walk in Him. Follow Jesus daily. It’s a walk, not a sprint. We grow by abiding deeper, not grinding harder (Gal. 3:3). “Fans cheer Jesus on Sunday. Followers carry the cross Monday through Saturday.”
   • Try it: Each morning, ask, “Jesus, I’m following You today. What do You want me to know and do?”
2. Rooted in Him. God’s Word and prayer are the hidden half of the tree (Psalm 1).
   • Word: “Boring builds roots.” Consistency matters most.
   • Prayer: Don’t pray like you’re at a drive-through. Sit at the table with God. Start with worship, then confession, then requests (Matt. 6, Phil. 4). God wants a real heart, not perfect words.
3. Built up. Nobody gets built up alone. We are “living stones” (1 Pet. 2:5, Heb. 10, Prov. 27:17). The lion goes after the gazelle that wanders off. Someone in your group needs you to be that man, so show up even when your lesson isn’t done.
4. Established. Be a doer, not just a hearer. In the story of the two builders (Luke 6), both men heard Jesus, but only one obeyed. “Knowing truth doesn’t make you stronger. Doing it does.” (John 14:15)
   • Ask yourself: What’s one thing God already told you to do that you’re still putting off?
5. Abounding in thanksgiving. Gratitude overflows like a full cup. Real gratitude talks, and that’s being a witness (Psalm 107, Acts 1:8). It’s not a sales pitch.

Bob’s confession: When life is hard, he prays hard. When life is good, prayer is the first thing he skips. What we skip shows what we really believe.

This week’s challenges:

• Keep score. Which of the five is strongest in your life right now? Which is weakest?
• Do one specific thing this week for your weakest area. Examples:
  • On Wednesday, call (don’t text) your battle buddy. Ask how his time with God is going and how you can pray for him.
  • Finish your Rooted lesson before you open email, the news, or your phone.
• Start a list of people to pray for, care for, and share with. Who’s your first one?
• Memorize Colossians 2:6-7, and get a head start on next week’s verse, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Coming next week: God’s Word as your GPS, and who gets the final word in your life.