Homework - Each week, chose at least two questions to answer thoroughly.

If interested
and you want to answer more, please feel free! But at least two questions, take time to
think and write out in detail. Colossians 3:23

Week 1

Chapter 1: Why Rooted Last + Chapter 2: Thriving In Process

1. Has God planted a desire within you or called you that He is now preparing, training,
building, and growing you for/towards?
2. Was it surprising to read/realize that God wants to establish a root system in Him before
seeing the fruit that you want to see?
3. Are you more of a starter or a finisher? After reading these chapters, are you inspired to
become a finisher as well as a starter?
4. The first soil is the soil of intimacy. As a shepherd in the field, David built a relationship
with God in prayer and worship, and dependence on God as he fought private battles
with lions and bears. In the field, David developed a secret-place lifestyle.
a. Do you have a secret place lifestyle where you are growing deeper in your
relationship with God?
b. What battles are you fighting privately that may be building you stronger in faith
now?
c. David built a relationship with God in prayer, worship and dependence on God.
We too build our relationship through these things. When do you pray? Whom do
you pray with, if ever not alone? How do you worship? What things do you do
that are forms of worship maybe even more than Sunday worship at church? Are
you fully dependent on God? What areas of your life do you need to surrender
and depend on God more with?
5. What wall has God placed in front of you that He is calling you to be present and build?
6. - In the cave, you become rooted in faithfulness and obedience to God above all else,
and uproot the weeds of man pleasing and the fear of man. Do you struggle with the
desire to please man or do you fear man? What are some Scripture to fight these
things?
7. - In the sections: Dont Rush through Learn to Love the Cave what stood out and
what can you can take from it?
Week 2

Chapter 3: The Trust Factor + Chapter 4: Nothing to Prove

(Chapter 3)
1. If the main root in our system is trust in God, are you willing to learn to trust Him?
2. What areas in your life is it easy to doubt, to be distracted, and to think you can
accomplish on your own?
3. In the short list that Banning lists on the first page on chapter 3: coveting someone
elses assignment, resisting Gods lessons, skipping steps, or trying to promote
ourselves which of these have you struggled with? Have you caught yourself being
jealous of someone else, wanting another way, or craved human praise, recently? When
realization whether then in that moment, or now through reflection, can you see that it is
rooted in trust or lack of trust in God? (It is written that God withholds no good thing from
His children. Remembering this may help in these times).
4. Since spiritual warfare centers around trust in God and Satans aim to lead us to mistrust
God, what are ways to equip yourself to stand firm in that trust? How did Jesus stand
firm in the wilderness when tempted to distrust and disobey God?
5. What are is one characteristics of Gods nature that He is revealing to you this week?
6. As Banning told his son, he will make it through the surgery and that everything was
going to be okay, what was it that made his son believe him again? How are we to see
and hear these things from our Heavenly Father? When is the last time you drew close
quietly before God and waited and listened? Maybe, as a team, we each individually can
chose to do that tonight again before we fall asleep.

(Chapter 4)

1. Faith is found in rest. Do you rest? How do you rest in daily life, moment by moment,
and how do you rest and Sabbath?
2. Like Banning said, that if God opens the door the door will stay open. Is there an area in
your life that you are not sure if you are opening the door or if God is?
3. What one thing stood out to you in We didnt get us here section?
4. Do you feel inadequate, insecure, or weak for what God has you to do and what is
coming in the future that you are aware of? What roles are you pressured to be by the
world? Being reminded that you are reassured that you are chosen to be Gods child,
and that you have nothing to prove, can you rest in that? Can you let Him build the
house and let go?

Week 3
Chapter 5: In Over Your Head.. and Loving It
1. What are some of your weaknesses? Do these show that your faith is genuine (real;
authentic) and chose to rejoice that this weakness is a door to His strength which is far
far greater than our own?
2. Jesus teaches us to pray for enough to sustain us for this day, and not for tomorrow or
the following month. How can we learn to abide moment by moment in His love, drinking
deeply His words, embracing and rejoicing in our weaknesses, and allowing Him to
shine through us in our broken and weak places?

Week 4
Chapter 6: Beyond the Feelings

1. Have you ever had to make a decision that was hard due to division between what you
were feeling and what is written in Scripture?
2. Tell me, what does Scripture say about who you are?
3. Being a follower of Jesus, we are called to disciple the nations. Is there a people group
or a place you are called to serve, where you are now or where He may lead you in the
future?

Week 5

(Soil 1: Intimacy) Chapter 7: Finding God + Chapter 8: What to do When Youre Expecting
(Chapter 7)
1. Do you consistently meet alone with the Lord and pray and seek Him? When you
separate from others and the world and rest in His presence? And like Banning asked,
Is your heart alive with love for Him when you are all by yourself?
2. Write a whatever you want about any or all of the sections The Story of God, Clarity,
and Hope.
(Chapter 8)
1. What has God spoken to you that you are abiding in today? ( abide ~ meno ~ to be
held, kept, continually.) Have you prayed through this truth and is it changing your
perspective and tone of voice and heart posture?
2. In your life has there been a time when God shut something down so you would be able
to see what He is doing, if so, how does this affect how you face new seasons of loss?
3. If you have an idea for what God may have you do in the near future, what steps are you
taking to prepare for it now? Or what would you like to start to do as you move forward to
it? What are your fears or reasons of not pursuing yet? Does Matthew 25: 14-30
motivate you to take the risk and follow the Lord where He is calling you?

Week 6

(Soil 2: Serving) Chapter 9: An Unlikely Marriage + Chapter 10: The Divine Exchange
(Chapter 9)
 1. Have you ever caught yourself serving or helping someone for purely what you would
get out of it? Have you finished a task and caught yourself being upset because no one
acknowledged your work?
2. Describe a time when you became the least and served; brought yourself low, and the
Lord exalted you and filled you with joy. Have you not yet had an experience like that?
3. Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Who is
your enemy and who are those who are persecuting you and how can you/what can you
pray for them, today?
4. As Jesus washed his disciples feet and called us to do the same, who are some people
you can focus on serving and praying for? Where has God placed you that you are able
to reach and love others?

(Chapter 10)

1. What are some ways a believer has exemplified their belief that their life is not about
them and served you before himself or herself?
2. Has God entrusted anything to you now or in the past, that was someone elses to see
or test your faithfulness to it before having it yourself?

Week 7
(Soil 3: Community) Chapter 11: When Fish Swim Alone + Chapter 12: Its Messy, but It Works
(Chapter 11)
1. Did you grow up in a cold or hot culture relating to what Banning explains in this
chapter? How has it affected you? What do you appreciate from it and what do you
desire to change?
2. We can get hurt in community. But we also get healed in community. .. You must make
a deliberate choice to stay in it; for isolation is a killer. If you have been hurt by church
family, have you forgiven them and reconciled yet? If you have been one to hurt people
in your community that you are aware of, have you been able to ask for forgiveness and
talk it through with them? We must pay attention to ourselves and our actions for we are
family and family can have arguments at times but also always should end in
forgiveness and reconciliation.
3. Have you recently found yourself hiding or in isolation from people? When you
surrounded yourself with community, how did this change the way you were feeling
when you were alone?

(Chapter 12)
1. Like in Acts 13:1-4, we see that the Holy Spirit sent Paul and Barnabas through the
people in their community. Reflect on your present position.. Were you sent by
community? How about in your past, have you had any times where God used people to
send you to be where He has called you?
2. Listening and receiving feedback is essential for growth and being teachable. Are you
teachable? Do you take criticism in a way of constructive criticism to further your
growth? Explain a time when someone pointed out one of your blind spots, which may
have been difficult to take, but you ended up listening and growing from it. And if not,
describe what happened when you did not listen or take responsibility to the instruction
given to you and what the effect was due to that.
3. Courage is something to go after and community is where we find courage. Do you
want to be a courageous person? Are you pursuing courage?

Conclusion: Rooted in the Source + Acknowledgments

1. What kind of legacy would you want to leave behind?
2. Reflect on the last three questions on page 209 and write your answers here.