Raising Kids Rooted in Christ - Colossians 2

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction: Why Rooting Children in Christ Matters Now

Today we continue our message series entitled “Stronger Families Through Christ.” The future of our families lies in our children and grandchildren. They will carry on the building of God’s kingdom until Jesus returns. But we as parents, whether physical or spiritual parents, have a responsibility for our children.

Parenting in today’s world is hard. Many feel like they’re just trying to survive the week. School, drop-offs, sports, homework, endless screens. And in the middle of it all, we wonder.

Are our kids really growing roots in Christ, or are they being pulled up by the culture around them? Are they growing to be leaders for Christ of just followers of the latest fads? Today our message is entitled “Raising Kids Rooted in Christ.” Picture with me two trees standing side by side.

On stretches roots deep into the ground. The other barely touches the soil. On sunny days, both look fine. But when the storm comes, only the deeply rooted tree stands.

Jeremiah 17:7–8 (ESV) Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

What are the keys to blessing in these verses? We are to put our trust in the Lord alone, not giving in to fear or anxiety, but bearing fruit for Him, no matter the weather.

We all want our kids to be that tree, solid, fruitful, unshaken. But life often feels more like storms than sunshine. Jesus warned us about this.

Matthew 7:24–25 (ESV) Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Storms are coming for your children and they may not tell you about them all. Culture will test them. Temptation will challenge them. The only foundation strong enough to weather the storm is Jesus Christ.

And here’s the good news, God gives us the strength we need.

Ephesians 3:16–17 (ESV) that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith— that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

God doesn’t ask us to root our kids in Christ for the rest of their lives. God supplies the power through the Holy Spirit to grow our children’s roots. These verses are a prayer that Paul prayed for his spiritual children. We must pray the same for our children and grandchildren.

That Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith, so that they may be rooted and grounded in His love for the rest of their lives. To raise kids rooted in Christ, we as families must stay rooted in Him ourselves. Because only Jesus gives the strength, depth and stability our children need. This applies whether our children are still at home or out on their own.

This morning, we going to learn from Colossians 2, about three essentials for families to raise children deeply rooted in Christ

Root Your Kids in the Knowledge of Christ

Colossians 2:1–3 (ESV) For I want you to know how great a struggle I have … that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Paul is showing how he as a spiritual parent is to root his spiritual children in Christ. In this passage I want us to focus on the importance of the knowledge of Christ.

In the Greek language, there are two words for knowledge, gnosis and epignosis. The first word for knowledge, gnosis, means to know facts about someone. The second word for knowledge, which is epignosis, means to personally know someone, to have a relationship with Christ.

Yes, it’s important to for our children to know about Christ. But that’s not enough to root them in the knowledge of Christ. They must have a personal relationship with Jesus where they talk to Him and hear Him talk to them. For families, the greatest treasure we can give our children is not more activities, toys or accomplishments. But pointing them to the One in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:4–5 (ESV) I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Paul warns that persuasive lies will try to pull people away from Christ. Families today know this well, Cultural messages about identity, success and happiness constantly try to uproot our kids. We must help them grow conviction, not just information, rooted in Christ.

When you only know about Christ, it is easy for alternative arguments to cause you to doubt and draw you away from your beliefs. But when you have a personal relationship with Jesus, no argument can ever pull you away from your love for Him.

Colossians 2:6–7 (ESV) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Receiving Christ begins a lifetime of walking in Him. Learning to hear His voice and to follow Him. Roots deepen through daily dependence and gratitude. Parents, your children are watching your walk with Christ.

If you’re rooted and continue to grow in Him, they’ll learn to be rooted as well. The point of this verse is just because your child has made a decision for Christ, your work is not done. They must be encouraged to continue to walk in Him, to become rooted and built up in Him. Root your kids in the knowledge of Christ.

Application: Build Daily Rhythms for Knowing Christ

So how can we as parents be rooted in the knowledge of Christ and teach our children to do the same? The basics are God’s Word, prayer and the church family. Each of these is essential for your growth in your relationship with Jesus and for your children’s growth. How you help your children varies with their age.

Find ways to incorporate God’s Word and prayer in your daily rhythms. Wake up times, meal times, bed times, family devotion times are all important. As the children get older and eventually leave home, one-on-one times are increasingly vital. Keep the connections open, listen to what they have to say and follow the Lord’s guidance in how to respond.

Sharing examples of how God has answered prayers in your life are a great way to encourage children at any age. With the children at home, post or have them post bible verses around the house. As the children get older, talk to them about what God is doing in your life. Pray with and for them in the challenges they face as they walk with God.

Root your kids in the knowledge of God.

Protect Kids from Empty Substitutes

Colossians 2:8 (ESV) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Paul warns us of spiritual kidnapping in this verse. Parents, there are voices constantly trying to capture your child’s heart. These voices come from media, peer pressure, teachers and social trends. They promise fulfillment and the approval of others but lead away from Christ.

The underlying philosophy today is that of secular humanism. This philosophy tries to explain everything without reference to God, the Bible or the supernatural. This is the philosophy that many children will encounter in public schools, colleges and in social media. This type of ungodly knowledge or lies comes from elemental spirits, that is demons under Satan’s control.

Colossians 2:9–10 (ESV) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

The last verse ended by saying these empty substitutes were nor according to Christ. The reason substitutes can’t satisfy is because Christ already fills us as believers. And there is nothing satisfying beyond Him. Our children don’t need to chase empty promises or follow the crowd when they are already filled in Him.

Colossians 2:13–15 (ESV) And you, who were dead … God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt … This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Paul reminds us of the Gospel in these verses, which applies to us and our children. We were dead in our sins, but when we believed in Jesus, we were forgiven and made alive in Christ. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He disarmed and triumphed over all the evil demonic powers that seek to mislead us and our families with lies. These verses give us hope that through God’s power, our children can refuse the temptations of empty substitutes.

When we root our kids in the gospel, they won’t need the world’ substitutes. They can walk in the victory of Christ.

Application: Teach Discernment and Share the Gospel Story

As a parent tell you children about how you believed in Jesus. Encourage your children to make a public commitment to Jesus and to be water baptized. Teach your children how to share their story of being saved with others.

When the children are younger, focus on getting God’s Word into their hearts. Use books, songs, videos, whatever you can find to teach them the truth. As the children get older, you must teach your children how to discern the difference between truth and falsehood. Oftentimes, children may have some doubts about something in God’s Word.

That usually happens because they’ve heard a lie from somewhere. Use that as a teaching moment to help them see how to compare what they heard with the truth of God’s Word. Teach your children to be witnesses for Jesus in all their activities.

Train Your Kids to Live Free in Christ

Colossians 2:16–17 (ESV) Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Paul is referring to Old Testament ceremonial laws that are no longer binding on believers. Things like clean and unclean foods, various festivals and so on. False teachers were saying that people needed to keep this laws in order to be saved. Today we call that legalism, which means you have to do certain things besides believe in Jesus to be saved.

Now, this doesn’t mean that we throw the Old Testament out. Even these ceremonial practices are symbolic of what Christ has done for us. You don’t need to follow ceremoial Old Testament laws in order to become a Chrisitan. Yet, as a Christian, there are many things that we should do and many we should not do, as shown us in God’s Word.

The important issue for families is that our relationship with Jesus is not about rules first, it’s about a relationship with Jesus. Our lives as Christians is more about the things Christ tells us to do as we walk with Him. But, yes, the Bible does teach throughout that there are things we are not to do as Christians.

Colossians 2:18–19 (ESV) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

False teachers were telling people what to do and getting supposed revelations from God that were not according to Scripture. We must hold fast to Christ the Head of His body the church in order to grow. This is the other side of false teaching that we must be aware of as parents. This type of false teaching seems to be spiritual and has various revelations that seem appealing but contradict God’s Word.

One example would be the Mormon cult, that has various supposed revelation of angels that contradicts God’s Word. And there are many churches today of all sorts that claim to be Christian but teach and practice things contrary to God’s Word and Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:20–22 (ESV) If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’ (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?

When parents make Christianity feel like a list of restrictions, kids eventually walk away. But when they see Christ as life and freedom, their faith flourishes. All these types of restrictions that are not in the Bible come from demonic spirits. They love to fool us into thinking being a Christian is just about keeping certain rules, rather than being a relationship with Jesus.

Colossians 2:23 (ESV) These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

All these rules of things to do don’t keep us from sin. What keeps us and our children from sin is a relationship with Jesus and being filled with His Spirit.

Application: Model Freedom in Christ, Not Mere Rule-Keeping

This last point needs God’s wisdom to live out for us and our children. Yes, God’s Word does give us rules to live by. But we learn to live out God’s instructions through our relationship with Jesus.

Children need godly rules and instruction, but they also need to grow in their relationship with Jesus. Eventually, they need to learn to live life based on their relationships with Jesus, which is the most important thing we can teach our children. As children get older teach them the difference between religion and relationship. Religion is about what we have to do and relationship is about what Jesus has already done.

Conclusion: Trust Christ to Deeply Root the Next Generation

Let’s think back to our illustration about the trees. Storms are coming for us and our children: Doubt, temptations, cultural pressures. Shallow roots won’t hold, but when families are rooted in Christ, He strengthens us, protects us and fills us with life. Think back to Paul’s words for us: rooted, built up, established, abounding.

These aren’t weak words, they’re strong and lasting. God doesn’t intend for our kids to just survive the pressure ef this world. He intends for them to thrive with roots that go down deep into Christ. Parents, this means your daily rhythms matter.

Every small prayer, every Scripture at the table, every moment you talk about Jesus, those are roots going down into the soil of Christ. Over time, those roots watered with prayer will grow stronger roots that will hold when the winds blow. Maybe some feel like you’ve already failed, that you’ve missed out with your children. Hear this. God’s grace is greater, He can restore, He can re-root, He can bring the prodigal home again to the Father.

Parents, the greatest legacy you can give your kids is not possessions or success, but deep roots in Jesus Christ. Let your family tree stand as a testimony, not to what you built, but to what Christ has done in you.

📘 Continue the Journey

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