Rooted and Grounded/Weekly Reset/COD LIVE/Pastor Jeremy Beverly

Paul stops with the information and turns to prayer because information alone does not transform people. Sermons, church attendance, and Bible verses can pass through the ears, but God must do a work in the inner being or nothing truly changes. Paul prays in Ephesians 3:16 that God would grant strength “according to the riches of his glory,” because the real battlefield is not first around the believer, but within the believer.

God does not start by changing circumstances every time. God often strengthens the spirit before changing the situation, because a strong inner man can survive difficult things in this world. The tree image makes it plain. A tree does not stand in the storm because of what is seen above ground, but because of what is established beneath the ground. When the roots are deep, the tree stays in the wind.

Paul asks for strength in “the inner man,” not the inner child. Paul expects the Ephesians to mature and grow up in Jesus Christ. Spiritual weakness is not about age, gray hair, or church experience. Spiritual weakness comes when believers remain malnourished and undeveloped, living beneath the privilege of children of God. The Holy Spirit is the MVP, the one pumping the Father’s love, strength, and truth into the part that counts the most.

God’s riches are not handed out like loose change from a millionaire. God gives according to his riches, and that means the gift reflects the vastness of who God is. Heaven has no shortage, no lack of grace, power, mercy, peace, hope, or strength. The more God gives, the more God still possesses. God gives things to enjoy, not things to be enslaved by.

Paul’s prayer is not rooted in outward strength, titles, possessions, or prestige. Hebrews 11 shows that mighty men and women of faith lost things, wandered, suffered, were afflicted, and still stood by faith. Real strength is not in what can rust, rot, burn, or be washed away. Only the eternal Holy Spirit can give lasting strength.

Christ desires to dwell in the heart through faith, not as a rental, not as a temporary lease, but as a permanent home. The Holy Spirit does not drop by for a visit. The Spirit settles the believer down so Jesus can feel at home in the heart. Then the believer becomes rooted and grounded in love.

The love of God passes knowledge. It cannot be worked up by the mind or earned by performance. The wounded, broken, tattered, and torn need more than doctrine first. The love of God must be received by faith, the same way salvation is received. The cross is the full expression of that love, and the believer must walk in it even when feelings lag behind faith.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Inner strength comes before changed circumstances Paul’s prayer does not begin with money, ease, or fewer problems. God often strengthens the inner man before removing the outward pressure, because a weak inside cannot carry a heavy outside. The Spirit builds endurance where nobody else can see it, and that hidden work keeps the soul from crumbling when life gets crazy. [08:27]
• 2. God gives according to riches God does not bless from a limited account that runs low. The word “according” means the gift matches the abundance of who God is, not the smallness of the need. Fear loosens its grip when the believer sees that heaven has no shortage and God’s supply is always greater than lack. [17:49]
• 3. Maturity receives the inheritance Galatians shows that an heir can own everything and still live like a servant until maturity comes. Spiritual childhood keeps believers dependent on other voices to tell them what to do, where to go, and how to live. The Holy Spirit grows the inner man so the inheritance of Christ is not merely named, but actually received and walked in. [35:04]
• 4. Christ seeks a permanent home Paul’s word “dwell” means Jesus is not looking for a weekend visit or a Sunday rental. Christ desires a settled place where the Holy Spirit can make the heart a real home. When the Spirit is welcomed instead of grieved, Jesus does not just enter the heart, he becomes at home there. [43:42]
• 5. Love must be received by faith The love of God is too high, too low, too wide, and too deep for the natural mind to measure. Wounded people may hear “God loves,” while pain still argues back from the inside. Faith receives what feelings cannot yet prove, and the cross stands as God’s final answer to every doubt about his love.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [06:14] - Prayer and Rooted and Grounded
• [06:55] - Information Alone Does Not Transform
• [08:27] - Paul Prays for Inner Strength
• [10:54] - God Strengthens Before Circumstances Change
• [13:54] - The Spirit Strengthens the Inner Man
• [15:05] - Inner Man Means Maturity
• [17:49] - According to the Riches of Glory
• [22:31] - God’s Riches Are Unlimited
• [25:14] - Riches Meet Spiritual Needs
• [31:45] - Strengthened With Might
• [35:04] - Heirs Must Grow Up
• [43:42] - Christ Dwells Permanently
• [49:23] - Rooted and Grounded in Love
• [54:13] - Receiving God’s Love by Faith

1. In Ephesians 3:16, what does Paul pray believers would be given, and where does that strengthening take place?
2. What are some of the outward things Paul does not pray for first in this passage, and what does he pray for instead? [08:27]
3. In Ephesians 3:17, what two pictures are used to describe a stable Christian life once Christ dwells in the heart through faith?
4. In Galatians 4:1-2, what is true about the heir, and what still limits him while he remains a child? [35:17]

1. Why does Paul move from teaching into prayer in Ephesians 3? What does that show about the difference between hearing truth and actually being changed by God? [06:55]
2. Paul asks for strength in the “inner man.” What does that suggest about spiritual maturity, and why is that different from simply getting older or spending more years in church? [15:05]
3. What is the difference between God giving “out of” his riches and giving “according to” his riches, and why does that matter when a believer feels lack or fear? [17:49]
4. If Christ dwells in the heart as a permanent home and not a temporary visit, what might that reveal about the kind of relationship Jesus desires with his people? [43:42]

1. Where is there pressure in life right now that may not change quickly? What would it look like to ask God first for inner strength instead of only asking for the situation to disappear? [10:54]
2. A tree stands in the storm because of what is rooted beneath the surface. What has been strengthening the hidden part of life lately, and what has been weakening it? [10:09]
3. An heir can own everything and still live like a servant while remaining immature. In what area has spiritual immaturity kept someone from walking in what Christ has already provided? [36:33]
4. Christ does not want to be treated like a weekend guest. What habits, attitudes, or areas of life make the heart feel closed off, and what would it look like to make room for Jesus to be fully at home there? [45:36]
5. Real strength is not measured by possessions, titles, or outward success. What is one way someone may have been leaning on outward strength, and how can that be surrendered to the Holy Spirit? [38:27]
6. The love of God must be received by faith, not merely agreed with in the mind. Is it easier right now to say “God loves people” than to say “God loves me”? Why might that be? [54:13]
7. The cross is God’s full expression of love, even when feelings lag behind. When feelings and faith are pulling in different directions, what helps someone keep walking in the truth of Christ’s love? [01:01:45]