Intertwined Redwoods

IllustrationAnalogy★★★★

ALONG the California coastline, there are some of the largest
living organisms in the world—redwood trees. The redwoods
are three hundred feet high. Some of them are forty feet around.
Some of them have been there for 250 years. They are a
magnificent sight. The trees are so massive because they only
grow in groves and their roots intertwine underneath the
ground. No intertwining, no growth. No connectedness, no
growth.

— Tony Evans

The point

California redwoods grow to massive height only through interconnected root systems; intertwining is essential for their growth. Metaphor: no connectedness in community means no spiritual growth.

Scripture

1 Corinthians 12:12-27John 15:4-5

Audience

Adults

Tone

Instructive · Affirming

To tell aloud

under a minute · 70 words

Subjects

Fellowship Interdependence Growth Church Community

Community

Loading discussion...

AI tools

More like this

Rooted Together★★★★

The huge redwood trees in California are considered the largest things on earth and the tallest trees in the world. Some…

What About Church?★★★★

Dwight L. Moody, the great American evangelist, was visiting one evening in the home of a businessman, who asked: "Isn't…

The Noblest Tree in America★★★★

The noblest tree in America may be the redwood named “General Sherman,” which stands 285 feet high, 62 feet in diameter,…

— It is still growing. When

A Cold Ember and a Cold Member★★★★

The story is told of an old man who left the church for various reasons. He said there were too many hypocrites in the c…

— Source Unknown, in some the pastor is D. L. Moody

The Antelope and the Spider★★★★

BisHop NEWELL S. Bootu, the Methodist executive in Africa, told me a striking story which fits into the psychology of th…

A Girl's Conscience and Livelihood★★★★

I have often told the story of a girl who met a perplexing problem in life. She was a packer in a warehouse and was aske…

— S. Maurice Watts

Find more illustrations →