Setting Down Roots that Last

Setting Down Roots That Last

One of the quiet miracles of Mount Lebanon is something we don’t always pause long enough to notice.

There are men and women in our congregation who have remained in the Christian faith for ninety years or more. Their lives have not been sheltered or simple. They have lived through wars and cultural upheaval, seasons of joy and seasons of deep grief, personal failures and profound losses. They have asked hard questions. They have endured long stretches where faith felt costly.

And yet, they are still here.

Still trusting Christ. Still worshiping. Still rooted.

How Does a Faith Last That Long?

That reality raises an honest and important question: How does this happen?

Especially when so many fall away over time. When statistics suggest that perseverance is the exception rather than the rule. When faith is often treated as something temporary—useful for a season, but eventually outgrown, replaced, or abandoned.

The answer is not that these saints were stronger, more disciplined, or more spiritually impressive than others. Their lives tell a different story.

They endured because they stayed rooted in Christ.

Rooted, Not Rushed

In Colossians 2:6–15, the apostle Paul urges the church to continue in Christ just as they received Him—rooted, built up, and established in the faith. Paul does not call the church to invent something new, discover hidden wisdom, or strive for spiritual freedom through effort or performance.

Instead, he points them back to what they already have in Christ.

True resilience, Paul teaches, does not come from inner resolve or religious rule-keeping. True freedom is found by remaining grounded in Jesus—trusting what He has done and resting in who He is.

When faith is rooted, it grows slowly and steadily. It does not depend on emotional highs or personal strength. It endures because its source lies deeper than circumstances.

How God Keeps His People Rooted

God does not leave His people to figure out resilience on their own. He roots us in Christ through concrete, gracious means.

Through water, we are baptized into Christ—joined to His death and resurrection, named as God’s own, and given a new identity that does not fade.

Through the Word, forgiveness is spoken again and again—into our guilt, our doubt, our fear, and our failure. God does not grow tired of telling us what is true.

Through bread and wine, Christ gives Himself for the life of the world—and for His people. Here, again and again, we receive the fullness that cannot be found anywhere else.

These gifts do not depend on our consistency. They depend on Christ’s faithfulness.

Fullness Found in Him

Paul reminds the church that all fullness dwells in Christ—and that those who belong to Him share in that fullness. The saints among us who have remained in the faith for decades did not search for fullness elsewhere. They returned, again and again, to Christ Himself.

This is how faith endures.
This is how people remain.
This is how freedom takes root.

An Invitation

As we continue our Resilient series with the message Resilient Freedom, we invite you to worship with us and hear again where lasting faith is formed.

If you are weary, uncertain, or longing for something steady beneath your feet, you are not alone. Christ does not call you to try harder or become stronger. He invites you to remain rooted in Him.

And He promises that what is rooted in Him will endure.