Rooted Fellowship Sermons

2 Thessalonians 1:1–12What does suffering say about where we stand with God?As persecution and affliction increased, the Thessalonian church began to wonder whether their circumstances meant they had somehow missed God. Paul writes to correct their thinking and remind them of what is true: their suffering does not define their identity. Jesus does.In 2 Thessalonians 1:1–12, Paul points a pressured church back to grace, celebrates a faith and love that are flourishing in hardship, and reminds them that the Day of the Lord will bring both perfect justice and glorious salvation. Their response is not to check out while waiting for Jesus, but to persevere, pursue holiness, share the gospel, and live lives worthy of the calling they have received.When life gets harder, the answer is not less faithfulness. Rooted in grace and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, we keep trusting, keep loving, and keep working for the glory of Jesus until He comes.

As Paul closes his first letter to the Thessalonians, he gives the church a picture of life together: honouring servant leaders, pursuing peace, patiently caring for one another, rejoicing, praying, giving thanks, and holding tightly to God’s Word. Yet the hope of this calling does not rest on our ability to get it all right. The God who calls His people is faithful and He will sanctify and sustain us to the end.

We may not know when Jesus will return, but Scripture is clear about how we are called to live while we wait.In 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11, Paul reminds the church that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly. Yet for those who are in Christ, that day is not one to fear. We are children of the light, saved by grace, filled with the Holy Spirit, and called to live awake, self-controlled lives marked by faith, hope and love.Rather than becoming consumed with timelines, predictions or trying to control what comes next, we are called to stay faithful to the mission God has given us: pursue holiness, love one another, share the gospel and keep encouraging one another as we wait for Jesus to return.

In Ephesians, Paul reminds a discouraged church of the extraordinary riches of God’s grace in Christ: we are chosen, adopted, forgiven, redeemed, sealed by the Spirit, and united as one body in Jesus. These aren’t distant truths or temporary blessings; they are the secure foundation of who we are.Because of what God has already done, we are called to remember our identity and hope in Christ, walk in a manner worthy of our calling in love, holiness, unity, wisdom, and the fullness of the Spirit and stand firm in God’s strength against the spiritual forces of evil.The Christian life is not a fight to earn victory, but a life lived from the victory Christ has already won. So when discouragement comes, when sin entangles, or when the mission feels overwhelming: remember the riches of His grace, walk in what He has called you to, and stand firm in Christ.

Death is painful, but for those who are in Christ, it is not the end. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Paul reminds a grieving church that because Jesus died and rose again, those who belong to Him will also rise. When Christ returns, the dead in Christ will be raised, those who are alive will join them, and together we will welcome our King and be with Him forever.Christian hope does not mean that we do not grieve; it means that we grieve differently. The grave does not have the final word. Jesus does. So as we wait for His return, we are called to comfort the grieving, share this hope with those who do not yet know Him, and encourage one another with these words.

God’s will for His people is clear. That we would become more and more like Jesus through the sanctification of the Spirit.As Paul turns to 1 Thessalonians 4, he shows us what that looks like in the everyday realities of life: fleeing sexual immorality, growing in brotherly and sisterly love, and faithfully getting on with the life God has called us to. Holiness isn’t something we manufacture through willpower, nor is it a journey we walk alone. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, lived out alongside the family of God.As we double down on becoming more like Christ, our transformed lives become part of our witness to the world around us.

Faith in Jesus is never passive. While we are saved by grace through faith alone, that same grace transforms the way we live.In this message from 1 Thessalonians 2:17–3:13, we see the Apostle Paul model what a gospel-shaped life looks like. His love for the church, his longing to gather, his willingness to suffer, his encouragement of believers, his gratitude, and his constant prayer all reveal that authentic faith produces visible fruit.Pastor Jonah reminds us that Christians are not saved by good works, but they are most certainly saved unto them. As followers of Jesus, we are called to gather faithfully, stand firm in spiritual battle, rejoice in Christ’s work, encourage one another sacrificially, endure suffering with hope, give thanks in every circumstance, and pray without ceasing.The Christian life isn’t about earning God’s acceptance. The Christian life flows from already having it. Because Christ has made us righteous, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as His people until He returns.Saved by grace. Empowered for action. Living for His glory.

What happens when we receive God’s Word not merely as a human message, but as the very voice of God?In 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Paul gives thanks for a church that welcomed the gospel, allowed it to work powerfully within them, and remained faithful despite opposition. Their lives reveal that genuine belief is never passive: the Word energises, transforms and moves God’s people to proclaim Christ wherever He has placed them.This message calls us to identify the “synagogues” in our own lives, to share the gospel together, and to examine whether we have truly bought into the life of following Jesus. Is Christianity simply one more subscription competing for our attention, or is God’s Word effectively working in us?

What if one act of encouragement could change the course of someone’s life?In this special message, guest preacher Paul shares the remarkable story of Barnabas. A man remembered not for his platform or position, but for his encouragement. Through Barnabas’ example, we discover that encouragement is far more than kind words; it’s generosity, belief, presence, second chances, and faithfully investing in others.As Barnabas stood beside a rejected Saul (later Paul), he helped shape a story that would impact generations. The same invitation is extended to us today: to become people who build others up, speak life, and create ripple effects that outlast us.Whether at home, at work, or in the church, God can use ordinary acts of encouragement to accomplish extraordinary things. The question is: what kind of legacy will your encouragement leave? 

In a world that often celebrates charisma over character, how do we recognise faithful spiritual leadership?Continuing our journey through 1 Thessalonians, Jono unpacks Paul’s passionate defence of his ministry. Not to protect his own reputation, but to protect the integrity of the gospel. As critics questioned Paul’s motives, he pointed the church back to what they had witnessed firsthand: a ministry marked by suffering rather than comfort, service rather than status, gentleness rather than domination, and God’s approval rather than human applause.This message is about far more than church leaders. Jesus calls every believer to make disciples, which means every Christian is called to lead someone toward Him. Through Paul’s example, we’re challenged to examine our own hearts: Are we seeking recognition or faithfulness? Comfort or obedience? People’s approval or God’s?As Rooted Fellowship continues its “Double Down to Double Up” discipleship journey, this sermon reminds us that lasting gospel impact is never built on charisma, manipulation, or platform, it is built on Christlike character, Spirit-empowered service, and lives fully surrendered to Jesus.“Work as unto the Lord. Serve like Jesus. Seek God’s approval above all else.”

What does a truly healthy church look like?Is it cutting-edge production, great coffee, powerful worship, or rich tradition? As Paul opens his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, he points to something far deeper. A healthy church is not defined by its style or preferences, but by a people transformed by the gospel.In this message, we begin our journey through 1 Thessalonians by discovering the marks that made this young church an example to believers across the region. Though only weeks old and facing intense persecution, they were known for their faith that worked, love that served, hope that endured, and joy that overflowed. Their witness wasn’t built on comfort or recognition, it was the work of the Holy Spirit producing Christlike lives.As Rooted Fellowship continues its Double Down to Double Up journey, this sermon calls us to pursue what truly matters: gathering in the name of Jesus, depending on the Holy Spirit, labouring in love, enduring with hope, and living as a joyful witness to the gospel. May we become the kind of church that points people not to ourselves, but to Christ alone.

Despite facing some serious adversity in Thessalonica, Paul is not deterred from preaching the gospel. In fact, he goes on to Berea and does the exact same thing he did in Thessalonica - visit the Jewish Synagogue and engage with the locals around the Word of God. And many come to faith!But persecution follows Paul to Berea, so he is sent away with an escort - not alone. Pastor Jono takes us through Acts 17 and shows us that doubling down for Jesus leads to adversity and persecution, and that we should not attempt to face it on our own. 

This week marks the start of Rooted Fellowship’s new two-year discipleship journey. As we look at Luke 9:57–10:2, we are reminded that following Jesus is not comfortable, casual, or something we do alone. Jesus calls His people to count the cost, fix their eyes ahead, and step faithfully into His mission.The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. As a church, we are being called to double down so that we can double up. To deepening discipleship, strengthening community, raising leaders, and preparing for the work God has placed before us.No turning back.

Pastor Jono show us how those who are favoured are blessed with more. But it is not always blessed with more relaxation, more money, or more stuff. Caleb was blessed with more battles to be fought as a reward for his faithfulness. Paul was blessed with more persecution because he was faithful, which in the end led to his death in Rome. Jesus was blessed with death on a cross for His faithfulness. Be strong and courageous in the face of persecution and adversity!

This sermon centered on a simple but urgent question: How did a generation that witnessed God’s faithfulness forget Him so quickly? Looking at Judges 2, we see that Israel didn’t merely forget what God had done, they stopped truly knowing Him. As followers of Jesus, we’re called to take courage by holding two truths together: remembering God’s faithfulness revealed in His Word and recognizing His active presence in our lives today. When either is neglected, we drift. The church is called to be a people who encourage one another, tell the stories of God’s faithfulness, share testimonies of His ongoing work, and live with a joy that points others to Christ. As we fix our eyes on Jesus, the One who says, “Take heart, I have overcome the world”, we become a community that remembers, rejoices, and passes the faith on to the next generation.

What does it really mean to be strong and courageous?This week, Jono helped us look again at Joshua’s call to courage as a Spirit-empowered way of life. True courage is not found in self-confidence, grit, or pretending we are not afraid. It is found in Jesus: the One who conquered death, poured out His Spirit, and now strengthens His people from the inside out.Because the tomb is empty and the Spirit is with us, we can take courage from Christ and give courage to one another.

As we begin our new Take Courage series, we pause after Joshua to reflect on the One Joshua ultimately points us to: Jesus. From entering the land, conquering enemies, possessing the inheritance, and remaining in the promise, we see Jesus as the greater Joshua who brings us into His kingdom, wins the victory over sin, Satan and death, sends us on mission, and keeps us secure forever.This sermon calls us not merely to learn about Jesus, but to encounter Him personally, respond in faith, rest in His victory, take courage in His mission, and remain in His love.

As we conclude our Joshua: Almost Home series, we arrive at Joshua’s final words to God’s people. This is a powerful call to remember, respond, and choose.After years of witnessing God’s faithfulness, provision, protection, and victory, Joshua gathers Israel and asks the defining question: “Whom will you serve?” It’s not merely a question for ancient Israel. It’s the same question every believer must answer today.Joshua reminds the people that everything they have is because of God’s grace. He fought their battles. He kept His promises. He brought them home. But the gospel always demands a response.This closing message challenges us to examine our own hearts. What competes for our worship? Comfort? Success? Security? Control? Like Israel, we cannot remain neutral. We were made to worship.The good news is that while faithfulness is too heavy a burden to carry in our own strength, God has given us His Spirit to empower us to follow Him.“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The question is: What will your response be?

In Joshua 22, God’s people have finally entered the land and experienced rest but a new danger begins to emerge, not from outside enemies, but from within the community itself. This sermon explores how Israel responds to a perceived act of rebellion, showing us the importance of unity, humility, direct conversation, and compassionate listening. As God’s people today, we are reminded that we are called to honour one another, confront sin lovingly, and pursue unity for the glory of God and the good of His church.

Joshua 13–21 may read like a land survey, but beneath the boundary lines and tribal allotments is a powerful picture of God’s faithfulness. In this sermon, Mongani helps us see that the land allocations are not boring details; they are the fulfilment of promises God made centuries earlier to Abraham.As Israel receives its inheritance, we are reminded that God keeps every word He speaks. Yet the passage also challenges us: will we boldly take hold of what God has promised, like Caleb and the daughters of Zelophehad, or will we delay, complain, and settle for less?This message points us beyond Canaan to our greater inheritance in Christ. Jesus, the greater Joshua, has secured for us an eternal rest and a permanent home with God. Not one of God’s good promises will fail.

What does it look like to trust God when the promise feels delayed?This Sunday, we step into Joshua 11–12 and see a powerful turning point: after years of battles, God’s people finally enter a place of rest. But the journey there wasn’t quick or easy. This message unpacks a deeper reality we all live in: the tension of “now but not yet.” The victory has been won, but we’re still waiting for its full expression. Sound familiar?Through the story of Israel, we’re reminded that God is completely faithful over every detail, faithful even when it takes time, and faithful even through opposition. And just like they looked back and counted every victory, we’re invited to do the same in our own lives.Because if God was faithful then… He’s faithful now. And He will bring you all the way home.

Why do we actually gather on Easter?Not because of tradition. Not because the calendar says so. But because something happened that changed everything. This Sunday, we unpack the “scandal of all scandals”. The resurrection of Jesus. From confusion at the empty tomb, to Thomas’ doubt, to Peter’s restoration, we see real people encountering a risen Saviour in the middle of their questions, failures, and fears.This isn’t just a story about what happened then. It’s about what’s possible now.If the tomb is empty… then hope isn’t dead. Your past doesn’t define you. And Jesus still meets people right where they are.The real question is: do you believe it?

As Israel moves closer to the Promised Land, victory after victory begins to unfold but not because of their strength. In Joshua 10–11, we see a powerful truth: God is both forming a family from all people and decisively conquering sin. Through miraculous intervention, unlikely alliances, and overwhelming odds, God makes it clear that this battle is His. From hail falling from heaven to the sun standing still, the message echoes: we are not called to self-reliance, but to trust in the God who saves.This sermon challenges us to examine where we’ve placed our trust. Are we relying on our own strength, or are we resting in the finished work of Jesus, the greater Joshua, who has already won the ultimate victory over sin and death?Because of Him, we can face whatever lies ahead with confidence: not afraid, not discouraged but strong and courageous.

In Joshua 9, Israel faces an unexpected threat. This threat was not from armies, but from deception. The Gibeonites trick Joshua and the leaders into making a covenant because they rely on their own judgment instead of seeking the Lord. What begins as a leadership failure becomes a powerful reminder that human wisdom is never enough without God’s guidance. Yet even in Israel’s mistake, we see God’s sovereign grace at work, turning failure into redemption and drawing unlikely people into His story. This passage challenges us to ask: Are we walking by our own understanding, or are we seeking the Lord in every decision? 

After the victory of Jericho, Israel seems unstoppable. Joshua 7 and 8 show how quickly triumph can turn to defeat when God’s people drift into self-reliance and hidden sin. This sermon explores the sobering consequences of disobedience, the corporate weight of sin, and the mercy of God who restores His people when they return to Him. Above all, it points us to Jesus, the greater Joshua, who deals with our sin fully and leads us in true victory. This is a call to reject self-sufficiency, cling to God’s Word, and remember that God is not serving our mission. We are invited into His.

Jericho wasn’t conquered by strategy, strength, or bravado. It fell through worshipful obedience to the God who saves. As Israel marches in silence and then shouts in faith, we’re reminded that silence isn’t absence. It’s preparation, and praise is not the warm-up. It’s the weapon. This message calls us to stop recruiting God for our battles, and instead surrender to the Commander of the Lord’s army who “doesn’t come to take sides, He comes to take over.” Like Rahab, we’re invited into a personal, decisive trust in God’s rescue. Staying under the scarlet cord of mercy, and praising Him for victory even while the walls still stand.

After Israel crosses the Jordan, the kings of Canaan lose heart. Not because Israel is strong, but because God is. With Jericho in sight, you’d expect the next step to be war… but God pauses the momentum to deal with the heart.In Joshua 5, God restores Israel’s covenant identity through circumcision and renews covenant fellowship through Passover. Then the manna stops as they eat the produce of Canaan showing a shift from wilderness provision to inheritance provision. The lesson is clear: God cares more about who His people are than how quickly they seize the opportunity.All of this points to Jesus. The better covenant and the true Passover Lamb who has gone before us. Our part is not to strive, but to step forward in faith, trusting God in both the miraculous and the ordinary

As Rooted Fellowship steps into a new season of leadership, we turn to Joshua 3–4 and the powerful moment when Israel stood before a raging Jordan River. With Moses gone and a new generation watching, the question hung in the air: Will God still be with us?The answer was unmistakable.Before the waters parted, the priests had to step in. Before the people crossed, the Ark, the presence of God, went first. This wasn’t just a story about geography; it was theology. It was about reverence, risk, remembrance, and trust. It was about a God who finishes what He starts.In this message, we are reminded:God’s presence goes before us.Faith requires stepping into the water.Leaders are raised up but God remains the constant.We must remember and tell the stories of His faithfulness.The dates matter because God’s promises unfold with precision.Most of all, this passage points beyond Joshua to a greater Joshua. Jesus. Who stepped into the waters of sin and death and made a way for us to cross from death to life.As we install new leadership and look toward the future, we do so with trembling joy. The same God who planted this church will carry it forward. The same God who was faithful then is faithful now.The question is not whether God will show up.The question is: Will we step in?

As Israel stands on the edge of the Promised Land, God interrupts the conquest story with an unexpected act of grace. In Joshua 2, we meet Rahab, an outsider whose faith, not her past, defines her future. This week we’ll see that God’s saving grace always demands a response, that His faithfulness stretches across generations, and that no failure is too great for the God who saves. Moses may be gone, but God is not finished.

Joshua 1God speaks to His faithful servant: "Be strong and courageous." Why can he do this? God's promises still stand. God will be with His faithful servant.How can he do this? Meditate on God's word so that you will obey God's word so that you may be prosperous and successful (in carrying out God's plan).God's faithful servant speaks to God's people: "Go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own."How can they do this? Keep trusting God's promises and make every effort to enter the land. (God's sovereign plan to give the land to his people invites human action - it does not mean they/we should be passive).Remember God's commands and carry them out faithfully. Help the rest of God's people.God's people reply to His faithful servant: "Whatever you have commanded us we will do."How do they do this? By trusting in the Lord's servant, because God's promises to His servant are true and still stand.Joshua is a foreshadowing of Jesus, God's servant. How will we respond to Jesus? Will we respond to Jesus like the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh?

This Sunday we look at what “More of You, Less of Me” means for our generosity. Jesus and Paul both show us that giving isn’t a guilt-payment or a performance for applause. It’s worship. We don’t give to get; we give because God has already given His first and best in Christ. Come be challenged and encouraged toward a “hilariously cheerful” life of giving with your time, talents, and treasures.

Matthew 6:1-18As we journey through our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, Jesus meets us in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount with a confronting but freeing question: Why do we do what we do?In Matthew 6, Jesus addresses giving, prayer, and fasting not as public performances, but as acts of devotion shaped in the secret place. He warns against spiritual performance and invites us into a deeper, quieter righteousness where God sees the heart, not the mask.This week, we’re reminded that the reward of prayer and fasting is not recognition, breakthrough, or applause but more of God Himself. As we continue this fast, may we learn again what it means to decrease, so that Christ may increase.

We’re kicking off 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting as a church and we’re starting where everything begins: the Word. With 21 chapters in John, we’re reading one chapter a day, trusting God for a year marked by one clear theme:“More of God, less of me.”In John 3:22–30, John the Baptist shows us what real humility looks like when the spotlight shifts: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This isn’t self-hate. It’s joy-filled surrender. When Jesus increases, the church becomes what the world desperately needs: a house of prayer, a people of the Word, and a community shaped by the kingdom of God.As we fast, we’re not just “giving things up.” We’re making space. We’re saying no to the flesh so we can say yes to the Spirit. Together.

Isaiah 9:6 Luke 2:8-18

Luke 1 & 2.

As we close our 11-week journey through Philippians, Paul ends his letter like an encore: repeating, underlining, and elevating the major themes we’ve walked through all series long. From prison, he urges the church to pursue unity, to rejoice in the Lord, to cast their anxieties onto God, and to dwell on what is true, pure, and lovely. He reminds them that Christ is near. Nearer than any circumstance pressing in on them. And he celebrates their partnership in the gospel with deep affection.This final chapter calls us to the same: to stand firm, to refuse the pull of anxiety, to fix our minds on Christ, and to walk in a peace that “surpasses all understanding.” In every season, in plenty or in need, we can say with Paul, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

As we near the end of our This Is Living series, Paul invites us into a deeper, grown-up faith. A faith that doesn’t drift, coast, or cling to old patterns, but presses forward with purpose. In Philippians 3:12–4:1, he admits he’s not yet perfect, yet he makes every effort to take hold of the Christ who already holds him.We’re called to do the same:Forget what’s behind, Reach for what’s ahead,And press on toward the prize of knowing Jesus.This is the life of a mature believer. Not sinless, but surrendered. Not perfect, but pressing on. Paul reminds us that we are citizens of heaven, running a race together, shaping one another, guarding one another, and refusing the slow fade of spiritual isolation.So stand firm. Cling to Christ. Lean on the Spirit. Walk with your community.This is living.

In chapter 3 Paul begins to call out the “Jesus and…” believers in Philippi and he cautions us against self-sufficiency as he calls us to lay down the things of this world.

As the gospel transforms our lives, we need to foster joy and commit to building unity in the church (local and global). In this sermon, we take a deep dive into Philippians 2:12-30. 

In Philippians 2:1–11, Paul paints a breathtaking picture of the mind of Christ; a mind marked by humility, unity, and obedience. Writing from prison, Paul calls the church to mirror Christ’s self-emptying love, the kind that counts others as more significant than oneself. Through the mystery of the incarnation, Jesus, fully God and fully man, lowered Himself to the point of death, and in doing so, revealed that true greatness is found in humility. This passage reminds us that the path of humility is the path to glory, and that our unity as God’s people is both our greatest witness and our deepest joy.

This Sunday in our series This Is Living, we’re in Philippians 1:27–30 (through the lens of 2:5–11). Paul calls us to live as citizens of heaven; lives whose conduct matches our calling. We’ll see how unity isn’t optional; it’s our strength and our witness. And we’ll discover a surprising grace: suffering for Christ is not a detour, but a gift that deepens our fellowship with Him and each other. Come ready to be encouraged, challenged, and to respond, to stand firm, strive together, and suffer well for the sake of the gospel.

Paul’s chains didn’t stall the mission. They amplified it. Because Christ is his life, even death is gain. Today we see how God turns adversity into a platform for witness, how courage spreads through a church, and why motives can’t mute the message when Christ is truly proclaimed. Our response: adopt Christ’s mindset, speak His Word fearlessly, and take one step this week to make Jesus known (Phil 1:12–26; 2:5–11)

We launched This Is Living in Philippians with the big claim: to live is Christ. Paul frames a Christ-shaped life: downward in humble service like Jesus, upward in God’s exaltation. He invites us into a gospel partnership God himself began and will finish. Our prayer this season: that our love would abound “more and more” in knowledge and discernment, bearing real fruit as we press toward the prize together.

This Sunday Elder Kenny closed out our Awaken series by pointing us to bold witness through the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. He reminded us that God often calls us into uncomfortable and unfamiliar spaces but no place is beyond His mercy and grace. Like Philip, we are called to move with bold faith, even when the details are sketchy, trusting that God makes His purposes clear in time.The encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian official shows the power of the gospel to cross cultural, social, and even personal barriers. No achievement, influence, or past brokenness can satisfy or disqualify us. Only Jesus makes us worthy. Through His death and resurrection, He has given us a new identity, like adoption into a new family with a new name.The call for us today is clear: to anchor ourselves in this good news and boldly proclaim it in our homes, workplaces, and communities. To witness that Jesus Christ has come, has died, has risen, and will come again.

This past week at Rooted Fellowship we were reminded that our God is not only able to deliver us from the fire, He is present with us in it. From Daniel 3, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shows us that bold faith is not about avoiding trials, but trusting God even when the outcome is uncertain.Their words echo through the ages: “Even if He does not rescue us, we will not bow down.” And when they were thrown into the flames, God Himself stepped into the fire, set them free, and walked with them. That same presence is with us today.Whatever fire we face, emotional, financial, physical, or spiritual, we can stand firm. God is sovereign, He is good, and He is with us. As we wait on Him, He shows us how to move, how to walk, even how to worship in the fire.May we be a people awakened to bold faith, refusing to bow to the idols of our age, testifying to a watching world that our God alone saves.

This past Sunday at Rooted Fellowship we were reminded that in Christ, we are a people of hope. From Romans 5:1–5, we saw that hope is not naïve optimism, but a deep confidence rooted in Jesus’ finished work. Through His death and resurrection, we have peace with God, endurance in suffering, proven character, and a hope that will not disappoint because God has poured His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.As we step into a new season, we’re called to be a people marked by hope—in our homes, workplaces, and city. Even in affliction, God is forming endurance and character that leads us to lift our eyes to Him. Because the tomb is empty, anything is possible.May we be known as a church awakened to bold hope, living as a new family in Christ, and proclaiming His goodness to a world in desperate need of it.

As Rooted turns 10, we’re praying for Bold Awakening and this week, Bold Truth. In Acts 7 Stephen embodies truth and love: he tells hard truth to hardened hearts, sees Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand, and forgives his enemies as he’s stoned. God then uses Stephen’s faithful witness to propel the gospel beyond Jerusalem eventually reaching even Saul. Bold revival grows where God’s people speak truth without compromise and love without condition. Let’s be a church that keeps the main thing the main thing: Jesus crucified, risen, reigning, and returning and let’s speak that truth in love wherever He sends us.

This Sunday we kick off Awaken—Rooted’s annual birthday season—celebrating 10 years of God’s faithfulness and asking Him for Bold Revival. From Mark 2:1–12 and Mark 10:32–45, Pastor Jono called us to a faith that tears through roofs to bring people to Jesus and a greatness that picks up the towel to serve. As we pray for seven awakenings—Bold Love, Service, Truth, Faith, Prayer, Hope, and Witness—today’s focus is clear: love that perseveres through obstacles and service that dies to self because the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.Bring your Bible, bring your “one more,” and bring a willing heart. Let’s ask God to awaken bold love and bold service—in our church, our city, and our nation.