Don’t Just Exist — Expand

Ever have those weeks where you feel like you’re just going through the motions?

Alarm clock, work, dinner, sleep, repeat? We’ve all been there. But I believe God’s called us to more than survival—He’s called us to growth. And Ephesians 3:17 reminds us that when we trust Him, Christ settles into our hearts, and our roots grow deeper in His love. So today we’re getting out of maintenance mode and stepping into momentum—let’s stretch, grow, and live with purpose!

Ephesians 3:17 (NLT) — “Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

Let’s kick off with this idea: we can’t expand outward if we’re not rooted inward. Just like a tree needs deep roots to grow tall, we need to plant ourselves firmly in God’s love.

To form a bond with God we have to learn about Him through reading the Bible, and we need to pray and be still to spend time with Him. He wants a bond. He wants our roots to grow deep. He wants a relationship with us.

So, let’s expand our growth in the Lord by making an effort to be intentional in our time with Him.

God’s love isn’t surface-level; it’s soil-deep. When we’re rooted in Him, we grow stronger, steadier, and ready for more.

Ephesians 3:17 says He makes His home in our hearts. That’s not a visit, that’s a move-in. What areas of your heart need some spiritual furniture rearranged?

If Jesus walked through your heart like a house, would He say, “This is comfy,” or “We’ve got some remodeling to do”?

Where have you felt stuck before – what helped you expand out of that and into new growth?

We often prioritize things and people who are important to us. God wants to be on that list. He wants to help you expand and live full, rooted, and free. He wants to develop new growth in you.

God should be our main priority – His relationship above all. Make, form, and construct time with God. Then you will see, feel, and know how important it is to expand yourself to have a complete and free relationship with Him.

Once we’re rooted, we can start growing—and that means making space for new things: new habits, new opportunities, new trust.

Sometimes the reason we’re not expanding is because we’re too full—of stress, busyness, distractions.

God wants to grow something new—but we might have to declutter.

Ephesians 3:17 (NLT) — “Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

Growth isn’t always comfy. Sometimes God invites us to stretch—try new things, step into new roles, forgive someone.

I was watching a show, and the guy on the show said, “We aren’t just to exist but to expand.” This, of course, caught my ear because that’s not something you usually hear. That phrase made me think of my walk with God. I questioned, Am I just existing or am I expanding?

We need to continually grow in our walk with the Lord. If we just exist, then we’ve probably become stagnant, but if we ask Him to help us expand, He will bring refinement and growth like we have never experienced before. That’s what happened to me.

Think about your relationship with God—are you existing or are you expanding?

You don’t have to move mountains to grow—start small, by moving pebbles and rocks. A new prayer habit, encouraging a friend, saying “yes” to joy.

What’s one thing you feel God nudging you to do that’s just outside your comfort zone?

Little steps in obedience lead to big shifts in your soul.

We’ve talked about being rooted and making space—now let’s talk about what it looks like to actually live bigger in Christ. Not bigger as in busier—but fuller, freer, more alive.

Fear, doubt, comparison—these are the weeds that stunt growth. But God's perfect love casts out fear.

These things can keep us from expanding and stepping out to what God has for us.

What would your life look like if you weren’t afraid to expand?

Sometimes expanding means loving people better. Taking time. Showing up. Listening.

These are all great places to start because when we are able to change how we do these things, the fruit of the Spirit that is given to us starts to actually produce.

We want our capacity for all of these things to grow so that we can better demonstrate the love of God as He intends us to.

God often grows us by growing our capacity to love.

Galatians talks about the fruit of the Spirit. When you expand spiritually, that fruit shows up—peace, patience, kindness—it’s not just for us, but for others too.

You don’t have to force the fruit. Stay rooted, and it comes naturally.

Ephesians 3:17 (NLT) — “Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

Roots in God’s love = strength for anything. God wants your life to be filled with purpose and impact, not just routine.

Don’t settle for existing. God made you to expand—in faith, in love, and in Him.

I want to leave you with this: You weren’t created just to go through the motions. You were created to grow, to stretch, and to experience the depth of God’s love in a way that changes everything. So don’t just exist—expand. Let your roots go deep.

Let your faith reach wide. And let God fill every corner of your heart with His fullness.