Get to the Root: Deepening Roots for Fruitfulness

``but the story tells us that there is a fig tree that the owner was expecting to be fruitful, but for three years, it has produced absolutely no fruit for the owner. And to address the issue, the owner goes to the gardener and tells the gardener to discard the tree. Dig it up, get rid of it. But the gardener says, leave it alone one more year and give me an opportunity to dig around it so that I can get straight to the root of the problem. The problem was fruit, but the gardener's solution was root. [00:24:02] (57 seconds)  #DigForRoots

Your roots your roots that which is hidden and slow growing must be attached to the source known as Jesus Christ and the manure that he applies. The gardener needs access to your roots Amen. Alright. To get to the root of the problem. And please understand it's a slow process. It might be years between the gardener applying this attention and the process translating to good fruit. But understand, you cannot build high if you are not rooted deep. [00:44:56] (43 seconds)  #RootedInChrist

here it is. The vines and now this fig tree's survival was dependent on depth and God's provision. There was no such thing as abundance for the fig tree had to go deep. Scarcity and struggle is strengthening your roots and teaching you how to trust and depend on God. Trust where God planted you. There is something there that your roots need to tap into that is vital for your growth. [00:40:21] (47 seconds)  #RootsOverAbundance

They planted vineyards on the hillside because the plants would naturally develop deeper roots because they would need to in order to access the water, which means the plants needed more time for their roots to grow based on the location they were in. So it is unreasonable to expect yourself to be fruitful when God has positioned you in a place where your roots need some more time to grow. [00:37:30] (34 seconds)  #GiveRootsTime

And maybe the reason why you're there is to force your growth process. Because if you weren't forced to grow, you would not grow. You would take the easy way out because we don't like discomfort, but the lord places some of his strongest soldiers on the hillside vineyards where people don't look like them and where seasons come and seasons go. But baby, keep growing your roots deeper, deeper. [00:38:04] (32 seconds)  #GrowThroughDiscomfort

So here it is. I've got to move the clothes. Reset begins with what is beneath the surface. And that's why God focuses on the root. He goes to the root because our root is tied to our identity, not image, but who we are. [00:46:57] (27 seconds)  #RootedIdentity

The vondresser says, I will dig around it. In other words, I've got to break up the hard ground and expose what is covering up, the roots. Digging breaks up old soil, the old patterns. Digging, the way you've been doing stuff. Digging breaks up what's familiar, traditional, and would prevent the manure from getting to the roots. [00:48:43] (41 seconds)  #BreakTheHardGround

You see, the root is the principal organ for absorption in water and dissolved nutrients in nearly all seed plants. The root anchors the plant body into the soil so that when the seasons get stormy and the winds blow, the tree can stand firm. The roots can store reserve foods for a plant that allows it to survive when there is severe seasons of dry weather. And most often, roots grow beneath the surface of the soil and extend from the base of the stem, which means a seizing of sowing must take place at the root level if there's going to be life on the limbs. In other words, you have to have a lot of underground work if you want above ground fruit. [00:26:28] (51 seconds)  #UndergroundWork