Scripture: Jeremiah 17:7, 8.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (NIV).

According to this scripture, there is a direct relationship between being deeply rooted and bearing fruit. We will explore the idea of being “deeply rooted in … mission.” A mission is a “strongly felt aim, ambition, or calling.” As Christians deeply rooted in Christ, our calling and mission is to know Him and make Him known. Our roots come from knowing Christ. Our fruit comes from making Him known to others.

Personal Life

Since we cannot bear fruit without being deeply rooted, we must embrace our personal mission first—to know Christ fully. We will find ourselves in a different place on our journey to know Christ. Regardless of where we are, we all have areas we need to grow. As flawed human beings, none of us have it all figured out. There will always be new things to learn about God and new areas of our lives to surrender.

Our mission, our calling to know Him, means we must be committed to growing in our understanding and love of Jesus. Let’s consider how we can individually commit to knowing God more.

Apply: Take 5-10 minutes to allow the women to reflect on how they can go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. Provide them with suggestions and supplies such as paper, journals, and devotionals that they can use. Suggestions could include: meeting with a spiritual mentor, using a new devotional book, joining a small group Bible Study, or attending a Sunday School class.

Community

From the beginning, our mission as God’s people was to make Him known to others. Have different women in the group prepared to read the following Scripture passages:

• Genesis 18:17, 18
• I Chronicles 16:24
• Psalm 67
• Isaiah 6:8
• Isaiah 42:5–8
• Matthew 28:16–20
• Acts 1:8
• Revelation 5:9–10

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God always gave His people the mission of making Him known to others—their neighbors, allies, and enemies. The same is true for us. When deeply rooted in Christ, we cannot help but share Him with others around us and the world.

Apply: How can we make Him known in the groups and communities we are a part of? In groups of 3–4 people, take time to brainstorm ways you can share Christ with others. As a leader, take a few moments with each group and help them think through both big and small ways they can make God known to others. Planning evangelistic events is part of this list, but so is acknowledging God as the creator when you see a beautiful sunset or an intricate flower. There are so many ways to share our faith with others personally.

World

God invites us to know Him, to make Him known to the people we interact with regularly, but it doesn’t end there. He also allows us to be a part of making Him known across the globe. We can be a part of making Him known worldwide without leaving home.

As a part of The Salvation Army, we have an opportunity to give to World Services Self–Denial, which helps fund The Salvation Army’s international work. Participating in offerings and fundraisers for World Services allows us to actively be a part of sharing Christ with others. As The Salvation Army continues to share God’s love with people in over 130 countries, we walk alongside them not only with our financial support but with our prayers.

Apply: Take time to guide the women in planning a World Services fundraiser. Provide coin banks, allowing them to share financially. Then facilitate a time of prayer for your Partner in Mission locations, your territory’s overseas personnel, and persecuted Christians worldwide.

We have considered what it means to be deeply rooted in a mission. Before we close today, I want you to take the next few minutes to think about how you will fulfill your mission “to know Him and make Him known.” Commit to knowing Jesus more deeply. Commit to a new way of making Him known in your community. And commit to being a part of making Him known around the world. How will you strengthen your roots and bear fruit?

To close your time of worship – (choose a worship song video and allow them time to reflect and commit to being deeply rooted in the mission.)

Additional Program Ideas

To awaken your senses: (Use as either an introduction or an ending to the night’s worship time)

• Taste and Smell – Provide a snack that is either fruit-related or celebrates another culture’s culinary roots. Invite the women to bring a snack from their family’s cultural heritage to share with the group.
• Sight and Sound – Prepare a slideshow of pictures from around the world. Include many different countries and cultures, including our own. Or look up and show videos from Salvation Army events around the world. Most territories have Facebook pages that post pictures and videos of their special events. Show how God is worshiped around the world.
• Touch – Bring a globe to the gathering. Allow the women to explore the planet, seeing where different countries are found. Print a few world maps with countries marked. Have them play a game (in teams) to see who can find countries on the map.