When the Lord spoke the word “Rooted” to me right after Christmas, I knew it had to be the next series in our PathFinders curriculum. Even after receiving the word and the verse in Colossians, I was perplexed as to how to proceed. What does it mean to be rooted? And…if I could figure that out, how was I to begin explaining it to children? Searching a concordance and the pages of Scripture did not yield much guidance since the word itself – “rooted” is used only twice in the entire Bible. Not sure I was correct in this assessment, I counseled with our in-house theologian (David) who confirmed my findings. Now what?
The Lord brought to mind a picture I’d taken in California this past fall. I took a lot of pictures on my trip but the one He reminded me about was one of a downed tree in the Redwood Forest. The picture which you can see below is of the root system of one of these massive trees. What was so fascinating to me about the roots of a Redwood was not just the size but how they grow. The roots of all Redwoods spread out wide and connect themselves (actually intertwining) with the roots of their neighboring trees. This connection makes each tree stronger than it could ever be alone.
Lightbulb moment! This was a picture (no pun intended) of where God wanted to take the kids next. Being rooted meant a couple of significant things. One, our faith is only strong when our lives are rooted or connected to Jesus. Two, just as roots of a tree “take in” what is needed for the tree to sustain life, we are to ‘take in’ the things of God to sustain ours. If we’re ROOTED in Him we have access to all that He is and all that He has to offer. Our ‘root system’ receives the living water and the fresh bread He offers us.
Being ROOTED is pretty important stuff for our kids…for all of us. I welcome your prayers as I continue to trust the Lord to give me discernment and wisdom in writing this curriculum. And…I MORE than encourage you to pray for the Lord to speak to your children! It’s exciting to know the Lord sees our kids as ready for such a big topic!
My prayer is that through these teachings our kids will be solidly connected to Jesus; that their lives will be ones defined as “rooted” in Him.
root·ed (adjective) having roots; well-established; arising from firmly held beliefs; on which well-established and strong roots have developed; unable to be moved because of shock or other outside sources
This Week’s Announcements:
Daddy/Daughter Dance: Attention Dads with Daughters…This is your chance to take your little princess on a special date! Come join us for this year’s Daddy-Daughter Dance. Dress in your best duds, and enjoy a magical night with your princess – complete with dinner, dancing, and other special surprises. This special event takes place on Friday, February 12th, 6:30-9pm. Registration is required for planning, and the cost is only $20 per family. Dads of all ages, and princesses aged 4years old-5th grade may attend. Click the link to register. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E45A8AE22A75-daddydaughter *Space is limited so sign up quickly. Registration is open until noon on Tuesday, February 9th- or until spaces are full*
What God is Teaching Us:
Click the link below to see ROOTED lessons:
This link is no longer available
We will continue to have a memory verse each week (just as we did through the fall). These verses will be about being ROOTED in TRUTH. This week’s verse: Psalm 121:2 – “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
