Ice Breaker: If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be? And why?
This study is going to teach us how to become that strong healthy
tree you want to be.
There are four key parts of a tree that we are going to look at.
Each part has its own function, needs and uses. We will discuss one part of the tree each day. The four parts are: roots, trunk, branches/leaves, and fruit.
Today we will look at ROOTS:
Let’s make a list of what we know about roots of a tree:
(write down ideas given)
Now let’s look at how our being well rooted aligns with these
points:
1) Show three drawings you have drawn previously—half of a set of roots ie:
- left side only
- shallow roots
- full roots with long center (tap) root
Ask : can roots look like each of these? Why or why not?
Which root system is strongest?
What is wrong with 1 and 2? (easy to tip if wind comes)
Application: if we focus on only one truth about God we
become unbalanced and unable to stand against the world. We cannot just focus on His love, for example, we must also know God is just. Without seeking to know all of God’s character we will become imbalanced.
If we are content to remain shallow in our Bible knowledge, prayer life or seeking application, we will be easily tipped over. A shallow understanding is no safe guard against the winds this world billows against us every day.
A key part of being well rooted is to be still, spend time in God’s Word listening—soaking in and then applying His Truth through
journaling and prayer. This is how we send nutrients on to be used throughout our day.
2) Roots have to be big; larger roots are needed for larger tops (we talk about this more on day three)
3) Roots are hidden, The ones seen are not the strongest. The roots buried deep are the most effective. Look up: Mark 1:35, Ps. 119:11 It is our life hidden in Christ that keeps us strongest.
4) Roots stretch out for water. Water is essential for a tree to live, so the roots go get what they need. Look up: Jer. 17: 8 We must be desperate for life giving water. Like roots we need to
stretch out each day to get what we need from God’s Word.
5) Roots absorb nutrients from the ground and send it throughout the tree. Where do we get out nutrients? --from God’s Word and through prayer. We cannot stop with absorbing God’s Truth, we
must send it to the rest of the body. Journaling can help bridge the gap between knowledge and application. As we write we can see how God is speaking to us personally.
6) The strongest trees have a deep tap root. This root runs down the center of the root system and goes as deep as it needs to find water. This root has water even when the others are dry. It is this root that makes a tree nearly impossible to uproot. Look up: Eph
3: 17, Col 2: 7 Our tap root is praying without ceasing and having God's Word hidden in our hearts through memorization. When we go through life in constant fellowship with our Savior, then there is nothing that can trip us up or make us fall.
As we learn the functions of a tree, we are also going to practice each function by studying Romans 12. (I love how this chapter reads in the Message, so I handed out copies of the verses in that version each day for the teens to look at along with their Bible)
Today we are looking at Romans 12: 1+2
As you read, journal and pray think about how these verse speak
to you and how they relate to roots.
Give 10-15 mins to write something down.
When all are finished, come back together to discuss what each
teen learned.
End with prayer request and each person praying for the person on their left.