Community Group Guide: “Superficial or Rooted? The Choice That Shapes Your Life”

Series: Live the Story, Tell the Story Message: Where the Story Begins and Ends (Psalm 1 & 150)

Big Idea: Superficial Christianity pastes on a smile. Rooted Christianity digs deeper in the drought. Roots before fruit. Presence before pressure.

Opening Question (5 min)

When have you thought, “If I just had ___, I’d finally be satisfied”? How long did that satisfaction last?

Scripture Snapshot (5 min)

  • Psalm 1:3 – “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

  • Psalm 150:6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Superficial vs. Rooted Christianity (30 min)

1. Grief and Worship

  • Superficial: “Don’t cry, they’re in a better place. Just smile, be strong.”

  • Rooted: “Blessed are those who mourn.” Rooted faith gives permission to lament, to bring your ache honestly to God. Over time, those prayers deepen intimacy with Him.

  • Application: If you’ve ever cried in worship, not because life was easy but because it was hard, that’s not weakness—that’s roots going deeper.

2. Depression or Anxiety

  • Superficial: “If you just had more faith, you wouldn’t feel this way. Pray harder and you’ll snap out of it.”

  • Rooted: Even David cried, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” Jeremiah was the weeping prophet. Jesus Himself sweated blood in Gethsemane. Being rooted doesn’t mean you don’t feel it—it means you keep opening your Bible, keep showing up, keep crying out until your roots tap into His living water.

3. Financial or Career Setbacks

  • Superficial: “Just declare prosperity and claim God’s promises. You shouldn’t be anxious.”

  • Rooted: It’s okay to admit you’re scared. But instead of collapsing, you keep trusting: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Over time, that rhythm anchors you even when your circumstances shake.

4. Parenting Struggles

  • Superficial: “Just pray harder and believe—they’ll come back tomorrow.”

  • Rooted: God knows what it’s like to have prodigal children. Rooted faith means we keep weeping, interceding, and waiting. The waiting itself can drive us deeper into dependence.

Discussion Questions:

  • Which of these do you wrestle with most?

  • Where do you sense God inviting you to move from superficial to rooted faith?

Missional Story (5–7 min)

On Sunday, Christian shared the story of Edward Kimball. He faithfully discipled one troubled boy, who became D. L. Moody. That faithfulness sparked a chain that reached Billy Graham, through whom over 3 million people came to Christ. Christian has personally been impacted by both Moody and Graham’s legacies.

Point: Edward Kimball had no idea. He just stayed rooted and faithful to disciple one boy. And generations later, millions came to Christ. That’s the power of roots leading to fruit. Your fruit is always bigger than you. You are part of a bigger story.

Questions:

  • Who has influenced your faith story? How did their simple obedience ripple into your life?

  • Who might God be asking you to invest in this week, even if they seem far from Him?

Practices for the Week (10 min)

  1. Daily Scripture Rhythm (Roots): Read Psalm 1 each day (SOAP, Lectio, or one Psalm).

  2. Share Life Intentionally (Fruit Beyond You): Encourage, mentor, or pray for one person this week. Don’t underestimate small faithfulness.

  3. Overflow in Praise (Fruit Now): Take one ordinary moment each day (commute, dishes, table) and consciously turn it into praise.

  4. Remember and Invest (Missional): Thank God for one person who shaped your faith. Then take one small step toward someone you can invest in this week.

Prayer (15 min)

Share: Where do you feel restless or superficial right now? Where do you need deeper roots? Pray: “Lord, plant us by streams of living water. Make us resilient in drought, fruitful in season, and overflowing in praise.”

Closing Invitation

Live the story. Be planted in God’s Word. Stay rooted in His presence. And watch how your life tells His story— fruit that outlives you, praise that overflows through you, until everything that has breath praises the Lord.