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CONNECT WITH
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THE CHURCH
YOUR PURPOSE
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, edited, used for re-sell, or in any other manner, without written permission fr

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© 2020 Rooted Network

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, edited, used for re-sell,
or in any other manner, without written permission from Mariners Church.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011
(Zondervan)

Made in China
ion from Mariners Church.

CONTENTS

WEEK TITLE PAGE

1 WHAT IS ROOTED? 5
The 7 Rhythms of Rooted 6
Introduction 11

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The Story of Rooted 12
Kenya: Change a City. Take a Continent. Win the World. 16

2 WHO IS GOD? 19
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Uganda: The Church in the Reign of Idi Amin
3 HOW DOES GOD SPEAK TO US?
Prayer Experience
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63

4 WHERE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING? 67

Haiti: Finding Hope in the Midst of Tragedy 85
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5 THERE IS AN ENEMY 87
6 HOW CAN I MAKE THE MOST OF MY LIFE? PART 1 111
Democratic Republic of Congo: Ministering in Chaos 131
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Serve Experience 134

7 HOW CAN I MAKE THE MOST OF MY LIFE? PART 2 137

Mexico: What is Poverty? 156

8 HOW DOES GOD VIEW MONEY? 157

9 WHY AND HOW SHOULD I TELL OTHERS? 179
Sri Lanka: Cultural Theology 205

10 WHY IS THE CHURCH IMPORTANT? 207

About the Authors 226

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W E E K

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WHAT IS
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ROOTED?
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THE 7 RHYTHMS OF ROOTED

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Daily Prayer
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Devotion
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Repentance Sacrificial Serve the
Generosity Community
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Share Your Worship

Story

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The 7 Rhythms you’ll experience throughout Rooted were first modeled by the early
church in Acts 2. By committing to practicing these rhythms in community, you will
begin to see the type of growth and life change that goes beyond the individual to
impact the whole church.

In a world marked by constant change where we are surrounded by chaos and

confusion, our attention pulled in every which way, God’s Word clearly lays the
foundation for transformational Christian living. With our eyes set on Him (Hebrews
12:2) and our roots in the Truth of God’s Word (Colossians 3:16), we can be sure
God will produce the kind of life-change that will echo through His Kingdom for

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generations to come.

Likely you’re here, reading these pages and joining in the Rooted experience because
you are looking for something. Whether you’re looking for connection, community,
to deepen your relationship with Jesus or have some serious questions you want to
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explore, beginning a practice of the 7 Rhythms is where you will do all of that. Maybe
you’ve lost sight of who God is and what He’s done for you and feel like everything is
out of control. Or maybe you’ve experienced a significant life change recently where
the rug was pulled out from beneath you and you need some sort of foundation to
put your hope in.

Well, this is it. This is where you step into community and commit to rhythms God
established for us in His Word so that we would know Him more intimately, and
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through that journey, invite others to hear His story and experience the true freedom
Jesus offers by knowing Him.

Throughout the next 10 weeks you are invited to practice the 7 Rhythms of Rooted
grounded in Acts 2 which include: Daily Devotion, Prayer, Repentance, Serve the
Community, Sacrificial Generosity, Share Your Story, and Worship. When you build
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the foundation of your life on solid rock (Matthew 7:24-27), that is, God’s Word and
His instruction for how to live it out, you will not be disappointed by the love you
experience nor the ways He begins to use you.

These rhythms are not intended just for Rooted, and surely not supposed to last only
the duration of the next 10 weeks. The more dedicated you are to spending time in
and reflecting on God’s Word, the more you actively engage in group discussions
and the experiences throughout Rooted, the more likely you are to not only walk
away from Rooted having learned something, but the more likely you are to take the
7 Rhythms of Rooted with you into your next chapter of life and beyond. The journey
won’t be perfect—no journey ever is. But the more you seek God, the more you will
find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). Let this step in faith become the foundation of your
walk with Jesus.

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Grounded in God’s Word, the 7 Rhythms are the foundation of the Rooted
experience. Each of these Rhythms was practiced by the early church in
Acts 2. When we commit to practicing the 7 Rhythms in community like the
early church, we see growth and transformation in both our personal lives
and in our communities.

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DAILY DEVOTION (Acts 2:42, 46)

Scripture is the very Word of God. Through it, He equips us with

all we need to learn about Him and live a life pleasing to Him. A
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daily rhythm of reading, meditating on and applying God’s Word
to our lives is key.

PRAYER (Acts 2:42)

One of the most important elements in any relationship

is communication. Prayer is just that: engaging God in a
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conversation, sharing our hearts with Him, and spending time
listening to His voice, both individually and in community.

REPENTANCE (Acts 2:37-39)

Jesus saves those who believe and call upon His name. Saving grace
is once and for all (justification) and also a continual invitation to
repent for our wrongdoings. With the help of the Spirit we take
inventory of our lives, humbly and honestly confess our sin, and
turn away from our sin toward God in surrender. Through Jesus’
offer of forgiveness, we receive true freedom.

SACRIFICIAL GENEROSITY (Acts 2:44-45)

Giving demonstrates our dependence on God. We acknowledge
that all we own has been given to us by Him. In His generosity
toward us, God desires that we, too, are generous and will use our
resources as a tangible way to partner with Him in His work in the
world and in the lives of those around us. We are blessed to be a
blessing (Genesis 12:2).

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SERVE THE COMMUNITY (Acts 2:44-45)

We are called and equipped by the Holy Spirit to share God’s love
by participating in the ministry of Jesus. He has given us agency
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with Him to fearlessly influence our society and the world. When
we serve in the world and in His Church, we impact those around
us and reveal God’s glory.

SHARE YOUR STORY (Acts 2:14-36)

The greatest gift we can ever give someone who doesn’t yet
know Jesus is an introduction to Him. Sharing our life stories
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is the most powerful way to show the transforming power and
salvation offered through Jesus Christ. When we tell our stories of
transformation, we tell the story of God.
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WORSHIP (Acts 2:26-28, 46-47)

As children of God, it is important to consistently set aside time to

remember what God has done, to thank Him for it, and to put Him
on display as we give Him the glory. In all circumstances, we are
called to practice God-centered worship.

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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Rooted and the next chapter of your story. Our goal for this experience
is for you to deepen your connection with God, His Church, and your purpose in the
epic story He is writing through human history.

Beyond a program, seminar, or life group, Rooted is a catalyst for life-change.

Rooted inspires questions, conversations, and beyond-what-is-comfortable group
experiences that are designed to help you find yourself in God’s story. You will begin
to see God in new ways—and hear His voice in surprising places. In a world that can
be fragmented, isolated, and empty, Rooted allows you to experience a different

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way of life as you connect with God, the Church, and your purpose. Through this
experience we hope you will be emboldened to live out your calling as a radical
follower of Jesus. The word “radical” comes from the Latin root “radix,” meaning “a
root.” By rooting ourselves in God’s Word and His truths, we have a firm foundation

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on which we love the world.

Throughout this workbook, we have included stories from great leaders and
pastors from all over the world to broaden your perspective—and challenge your
understanding of the global Church. When we listen and learn from believers
around the world, we gain a deeper understanding of the whole Gospel.

Rooted is a significant commitment. We want to be up-front about that, but anything

worth doing involves a certain amount of sacrifice. During this 10-week experience,
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you will engage in 7 Rhythms, one of which is daily devotion which will help you build
the habit of being in God’s Word and connecting with Him daily. This will be key as
you grow in your relationship with Him and connect more deeply in community when
you meet with your group to talk about what you’ve learned each week. You will be
surprised what happens when your group gathers and begins to share honestly. As
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people open up and share personal stories, feelings, and questions, the Holy Spirit
moves, and God reveals new truths. This is where transformation happens.

There are three additional experiences designed to deepen some of the areas we
will explore. We’ll pray and fast together, share our faith stories, and serve together.
On top of these experiences, we’ll also discuss where we are in our journey with
Jesus. No matter where you stand in your relationship with Jesus at the beginning
of Rooted, there is always room to move forward. For some of us that may mean
deciding for the first time to follow Jesus and/or get baptized. For others it will
mean letting go of the things of this world to follow His call more courageously. You
will be marked by defining moments like these. After our 10 weeks together, you will
join with all the other Rooted groups to celebrate the journey. Our hope is that you
will continue these rhythms as your spiritual journey continues beyond Rooted.

Come with an open heart and mind, and see how God will surprise you!

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WEEK 1

The Story of Rooted

Too many of us are held captive by the “normal” and “ordinary” dreams and
desires common to modern culture. Yet as followers of Jesus we are called to
live a radically counter-cultural life. Radical, from the Latin root “radix” means
“a root.” To live as a radical follower of Jesus is to be rooted in God’s Word and
truth and live a life that reflects His. However, this is not what we always see in
our daily lives. In fact, many surveys show that Christians are just as likely to

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embrace lifestyles as consumer-driven, self-centered, and immoral as those not
professing to be Christ-followers.

American churches have traditionally relied on theological information as the

primary activator for life-change. While information certainly has a place, it
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should not be the only way the Church invites people to participate in God’s
story. Christians in the Western world know a lot of information, but don’t
often experience the life transformation promised in Scripture. We know that
salvation is a free gift from God—there is nothing we can do to earn it. But,
being a follower of Jesus comes with a cost. As we learn what it means to be
a disciple of Jesus, we learn we must offer Him our time, our hearts, and our
very lives in order to fully embrace the extraordinary life He has for each of us.
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We at Mariners wanted to create an experience that bridged the disparity
between what we say we believe and how we live. We wanted something that
would be experiential and transferable across all ages, stages, and even cultures.

In 2008, Mariners began a partnership with Pastor Muriithi Wanjau and Mavuno
Church in Nairobi, Kenya, and we quickly learned they had a similar passion to
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see people encounter God and grow deeper in their relationship with Him and
His Church.

During one of our visits to Mavuno, they told us about an experience their church
family was going through that had been developed by Pastor Muriithi. They
called it Mizizi, Swahili for “roots.” It wasn’t a Bible study, class, or program, and
it wasn’t “taught” in the traditional sense. It was a 10-week journey with daily
homework that each member of their church went on in community with each
other. Groups of men and women would gather each week, and through a study
guide and a facilitator, walk through Scripture and discover God’s purpose for
them in their church family and the world. The impact of Mizizi on their church
was staggering. Thousands of people were discovering for the first time that
God loved them specifically and had a beautiful plan for their lives. They learned
God has gifted each of them perfectly for His purposes. They learned how to
pray and how to unleash the power of His Spirit. They learned about Jesus’ heart

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for serving the poor, His ability to destroy Satan’s strongholds in their lives, and
how He wants them to steward the material resources He’s given them.

When one fully grasps the fullness of God’s plan for his or her life, one can’t
help but go out and do it. And that is exactly what was happening at Mavuno
Church. People were reaching their community with the love of Jesus, people
were discovering they are called to be fearless influencers of society, and their
community was changing. Mavuno could hardly keep up with the growth of
Mizizi because family members and co-workers who didn’t go to church or have
a relationship with Jesus were signing up in droves. They saw their friends and
family members’ lives change before their eyes, and they wanted to know why
and how it was happening. The Good News was proving to be really good news
when tested. It was astounding to witness.

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We wondered what God might do if we brought Mizizi to Orange County.

We began to work with Pastor Muriithi to adapt the Mizizi experience to our
culture while keeping the spirit of the original work. We prayed God would use
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it in the lives of our staff and church family, and He honored our prayers. As
people moved through this experience, it became clear it wasn’t the curriculum
that was changing lives—it was God. People came with open hearts, expectant
of what God would show them. And He did not disappoint. Relationships were
mended, strongholds were broken, and people sensed God’s call to go out and
change their communities in ways they never thought they could.

We believe God has brought us to a place of honesty and vulnerability like we’ve
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never experienced before. We have come to a place of desperation—individually
and as a church—where we say, “God, we don’t know how to do this. Please do
this for us and through us.” In that humility, God comes near and slices through
the many facades we have constructed over the years. This has renewed our
commitment to becoming authentic, transparent, wholehearted people. It was,
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and is, astounding to watch this remarkable shift in the culture of our church.

Since we began this journey, Rooted has been adopted into churches across the
nation and translated into many different languages. As Rooted & Mizizi’s impact
continues to grow, we want to expand your understanding of God beyond our
Western context.

Our hope and prayer is that by the end of Rooted you’ll have heard God’s voice
and live more passionately and purposefully for Christ.

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SPEAKER NOTES
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe
at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the
believers were together and had everything in common. They sold
property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day
they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke
bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord
added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47

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ROOTED COVENANT

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It is our desire to promote a safe environment for sharing the most important
things in life. We want to provide a place where people can reveal openly and
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confidently the broken areas of their lives without judgment or condemnation.
We are not here to “fix” one another. We encourage openness, vulnerability, and
intimacy during discussion and prayer times. In order to ensure a safe haven for
personal sharing, we ask that each Rooted participant enter into an agreement
of confidentiality.

Additionally, to get the most out of this experience, our hope is that you make
a commitment to attend all sessions and participate in the group discussions.
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If you cannot be there, group dynamics will be impacted. If you know you will
miss more than two group meetings, we ask that you attend a different session
of Rooted.
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I agree to attend all group meetings and keep all things shared by my group
members confidential at all times.

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SIGNED

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DATE
WEEK 1

Change a City. Take a

Continent. Win the World.
Pastor Muriithi Wanjau

Mavuno Church, Nairobi, Kenya

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There is a popular side-dish known as ugali in Kenya and Tanzania. This starchy,
polenta-like food goes by different names in sub‑Saharan Africa. In Malawi and
Zambia, it is called nsima or nshima. The South African name for it is pap or
mealie pap. Zimbabweans call it sadza. The funny thing is, there is no one recipe
for it. If you search the Internet, you will find many entries on how to make it, and
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I believe the Church thinks the same way about making disciples. Every place of
worship has a different recipe.

Some think the world is ignorant, so we must focus on teaching and education.
Some churches believe the world is sick and in need of deliverance, so they focus
on counseling and healing. There are churches who believe that the world is evil,
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and Christians must separate themselves from the rest. Some churches believe
the world is lost, and people need salvation and rescue from Hell. There are
churches that focus on compassion, believing the world is needy and hurting.

All of the above statements are true of our world. All of these churches are
focusing on good things. But, can good sometimes become the enemy of
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best? Can focus on these things divert us from what is truly essential, the all-
encompassing core-calling that Jesus left for His followers to turn ordinary
disciples into fearless world-changers?

At Mavuno Church, we developed Mizizi as a first step into the spiritual journey
of becoming fearless world-changers. Being a disciple of Christ is more than a
10 week journey, however. It’s our life’s work.

Mark 3:13 says, “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he
wanted, and they came to him.” Here, Jesus chose His disciples, engaged them in
a life-transforming process, and eventually released them to change the world.
He does the same thing today.

When we choose to follow Jesus, He brings us from complacent to consumer.

In the verse above, He called out to people. In other passages in the Bible, Jesus
tells parables about searching for the one lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son.

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He speaks the language of our culture and calls us from our lives of complacency
to a life of fullness and riches in His Kingdom. Salvation is a free gift, but it’s not
enough for us to simply consume the gospel. A church of consumer Christians
can become a very selfish church. We can become focused on meeting our own
desires. From Jesus, we learn that the next step is…

From consumer to connected. Relationships in community are key to maturing

in Christ. Jesus knew this when He gathered the disciples together. They worked
together, ate together, asked questions, and learned from Jesus together. It
is very difficult to grow in our relationship with Christ without people walking
through life with you, celebrating wonderful moments, and grieving tragic
losses. We love and serve each other and our communities like the disciples did.
But being connected with others in a life group will only take us so far in our

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faith. There must be another step.

From connected to committed. The apostles used their gifts with authority.
God has gifted us uniquely as well and, as His followers, we can use them to

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serve our communities. In humility, we understand that we really can make an
impact for God’s Kingdom, that He has set a purpose for us, and that it’s our
charge to fulfill that purpose. But, serving is just a step towards something even
bigger. The last step we learn from Jesus’ example is…

From committed to compelled. In Acts 2, we read that the early Church went
out, preaching, teaching, and baptizing believers and the Church grew. They
were compelled by the vision given to them and by their own experiences to
tell others about the Messiah. So too, we are compelled to tell our friends and
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neighbors that Jesus has made a difference in our lives. Matthew 28:18-19 says,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on Earth has
been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’”
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It is our responsibility to be ambassadors of Jesus in every sphere of our

influence. Our identities are as believers in Him, who happen to have jobs as a
doctor, or plumber, or teacher. He has placed us in those situations for a specific
purpose: to reach those around us with the love and healing power of Jesus
Christ, and to change that industry or vocation so it becomes an outpost of
God’s Kingdom influence!

When we begin to recognize that God has placed us as His agents to bring
His influence into our communities and vocations, we see change. As people
are attracted to a relationship with Jesus because of the way we live, families
change. Neighborhoods change. Cities change. When a city has changed, it
garners the attention of its country, then its continent. And, when a continent
has changed, the world will notice. The world will be won for Jesus Christ.

It’s a breathtaking thought to realize that God did not just create us to be born,
grow up, make money, and then die. His power of transformation is available

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for each of His followers who dare to live a life of fearless influence. I have seen
many people embrace this truth, experience dramatic transformation in their
own lives, and then take that transformation to their families, workplaces, and
communities. This is the recipe for change. God created us to be world-changers!

You were born to be fearless. You were born to change the world.

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W E E K

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WHO IS
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GOD?
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WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

Therefore, there is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus, because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who
gives life has set you free from the law of sin
and death.

Romans 8:1-2

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DAY 1
THE MYSTERIOUS GOD
God does not come to us in nicely defined, rationally explained,
thought categories. God does not fit Himself into our theological
textbooks. God breaks all the rules. He is near, yet transcendent;
clothed in human form, yet holy; more terrifying than can be
imagined, yet compassionate; invisible, yet revealed; judging, yet
merciful; sovereign, yet humble. No matter where you look, God

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breaks the molds. Skip Moen, Today’s Word

No matter who we are, or where we come from, we each have an idea about
God. It could be that you think He doesn’t exist, or that He just created the world
and now sits back and watches it, disinterested. Perhaps you think He is a She,
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or an It. Maybe for you God is the ultimate 911 service, only to be called upon in
an emergency; or God is a cosmic police officer, waiting and watching to catch
you break His laws. We are often inoculated with these images of God early in
our lives—from our parents, our culture, or the church.

The problem is none of our images or words can adequately capture Him. The
quote above makes a point the Bible reinforces again and again—our descriptions
of God cannot begin to capture His majesty, glory, and infiniteness. He is holy,
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awesome, vast, and eternal. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His
ways are higher than our ways. Our limited minds and finite lives simply cannot
fathom the depth and breadth of God.

It is only as God reveals Himself to us that we begin to get an accurate picture of

who He really is. And that revelation comes to us in three primary ways: through
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creation, through Jesus Christ, and through the Scriptures.

This means all we know about God comes from His revelation about Himself.
We only know Him as He discloses Himself to us. Because of this, we must keep
two things constantly in view. We can know God and have confidence about
what He is like, and at the same time, we will never be able to understand Him
completely. We know enough about God to love, revere, and worship Him, but
most of God will remain mysterious and beyond our comprehension.

C.H. Spurgeon, the great nineteenth century theologian and preacher, put it this
way:

There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a

contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our
thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned
in its infinity. Other subjects we can compass and grapple with; in

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them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought,
“Behold I am wise.” But when we come to this master-science, finding
that our plumb-line cannot sound its depth, and our eagle eye cannot
see its height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be
wise, but he is like a wild ass’s colt; and with solemn exclamation, “I
am but of yesterday, and know nothing.” No subject of contemplation
will tend more to humble the mind, than the thoughts of God…

But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it. He who
often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply
plods around this narrow globe… The most excellent study for
expanding the soul is the science of Christ, and him crucified, and

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the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so
enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a
devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the
Deity. C. H. Spurgeon, The Immutability of God

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An example of this tension (knowing God yet never being able to fully grasp
all of who He is) exemplifies the Christian idea of the Trinity. Central and
unique to the Christian faith, is the belief that the one God has disclosed
Himself eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is plurality within the
identity of the one God.

The doctrine of the Trinity is not a belief in three gods, or of one God in three
different modes or functions. It holds that within the one God there are three
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eternal and distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who live eternally in
loving community.

We see this idea from the very first words of the Bible, where we see differentiation
between God, the Spirit of God, and God’s Word (spoken).
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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the
earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the
deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God
said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3

The beginning of John’s account of the life of Jesus echoes back to the opening
words of Genesis but now adds another layer to our understanding.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him
all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been
made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have
seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-5, 14

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WEEK 2

John opens his gospel with the astounding claim: “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Notice,
the Word is eternal. Before the beginning began, He already was. The Word
is personal and divine, it is with God and is God. This Word—the eternal self-
communication of God—became flesh, wed His deity to our humanity and dwelt
(“tabernacled”) among us. “The Word” of Genesis 1 and John 1 is none other
than the One we know as Jesus Christ.

Is that a little confusing to you? That’s to be expected. Scholars and theologians

have been wrestling with the nature of the Trinity for centuries. However, as
Spurgeon tells us above, though we may not fully be able to comprehend many
aspects of God, as we search for greater knowledge and understanding of Him,
our minds will be expanded, and we will come to know Him more deeply. We

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should always be reminded that we come to receive God on His terms, not ours.
God is much bigger than any image we have of Him.

DAILY RESPONSE

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l What false or incomplete images of God do you have?
l What new thoughts do you have about God?
l Write a prayer to God asking Him to reveal Himself to you.
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DAY 2
THE WORLD GOD MADE
“In the beginning, God…”

The Bible opens up with the four most powerful words ever written: “In the
beginning, God…” The Bible doesn’t argue for God’s existence, it simply assumes
it. Far more than a purely abstract theological textbook, the Bible tells us the
story of God and His work in and beyond the world. The first two chapters of the
Bible relay the story of God’s creation.

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John Stott supplies another insight about this four-word opening of Genesis:

The first four words of the Bible are more than an introduction to the
creation story or to the book of Genesis. They supply the key which
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opens our understanding to the Bible as a whole. They tell us that the
religion of the Bible is a religion of the initiative of God. You can never
take God by surprise. You can never anticipate Him. He always makes
the first move. He is always there “in the beginning.” Before man
existed, God acted. Before man stirs himself to seek God, God sought
man, in the Bible, we do not see man groping after God; we see God
reaching after man. John Stott, Basic Christianity
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Thus, we learn in the introductory words to the Bible that God is eternal and
existed before His creation, and that He is the initiator of all that happens. As
we continue in Genesis 1, we see how the Creator God of the universe brings
everything into being, and how He values His work.

We learned yesterday that God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, through
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Jesus Christ, and through the created order. Over the next couple of weeks, we
will look at different facets of God’s revelation to us. Today, we want to look
more in depth at Genesis 1 (Mark up the passage as you read it. What do you
learn about God?):

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God
saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the
darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called
“night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate
water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water
under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called
the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the

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second day. And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered
to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called
the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And
God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land produce
vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit
with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The
land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their
kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.
And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was
morning—the third day. And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault
of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve
as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be

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lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.
God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and
the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set
them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the
day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw
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that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the
fourth day. And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures,
and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God
created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with
which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their
kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that
it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in
number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the
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earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to
their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground,
and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.
God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock
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according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the
ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:2-25

In the story of creation, we see the power of God in action. For instance, He
simply speaks the universe into existence. We see His intelligence, beauty, and
order as He creates and fills each day of creation. We not only marvel at the
creation, we marvel at the God who created it. Psalm 19:1 says: “The heavens
declare the glory of God!” Then finally we get to see God’s evaluation of all He
has made: “It is very good.” God delights in what He has made.

Everything about God’s creation was “good.” There was no conflict, no

destruction, no disease or pollution. The Hebrew word shalom (usually translated
as “peace”) captures God’s intent for creation. Shalom means wholeness, unity,
integration, and harmony. Everything was the way God intended it to be. It is
very important we begin the story here. We have often heard the bad news

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about us and the world: we are fallen, sinful, and in need of rescue. While true,
the Bible doesn’t start there. It starts instead with a loving, incredibly powerful
and majestic Creator who personally designs a universe to reflect His glory.

It was into this world that humanity was born. This was the world God made
for us.

DAILY RESPONSE
l What do you learn about God from the creation story?
l What questions does this account raise for you?

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l How does creation declare the glory of God to you?
l Write a prayer expressing your thoughts on creation to God.

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DAY 3
THE CROWN OF GOD’S WORK
The creation of human beings gets an extended focus in the Genesis account.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,
so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,
over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures
that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own
image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he

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created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and
increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in
the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing
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plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit
with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of
the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move
along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give
every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had
made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was
morning—the sixth day. Genesis 1:26-31
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Man and woman were part of God’s good creation. They were made by Him for
unique relationship and interaction with Him. The phrase “image of God” means
that there are things true of God that are also true of us. While obviously not
gods ourselves, we reflect certain characteristics of God’s nature.

From this passage, we learn one characteristic we share with God is that we are
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made for cooperative participation with God in His work. God blesses people
and tells them to have children and to fill the earth. He also tells them to subdue
the Earth which means ruling over and taking care of it. We see an example of
this in Genesis 2, when Adam (who was created before Eve) is commanded to
care for creation and to name the animals God had made. Could God have done
all of this better Himself? Of course. But God invited the man to bring forth all
the latent possibilities in creation, and to direct them in God-honoring ways, as
an extension of His authority on Earth. Our work was to reflect His—six days He
worked, so six days we work; He rested on the seventh day, so we are to rest
on the seventh day. He is the Creator, and He creates us to be creators. Our
stewardship of creation was to mirror His care in creating it.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon
and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you
are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have

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made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with
glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet… Psalm 8:3-6

Another major attribute we share with God is personhood. God has will,
intelligence, and emotion—and so do we. The most central facet of personhood
is the capacity and desire for relationship. God’s personhood (the Trinity, which
we talked about on Day 1 this week and we’ll cover in more detail later) is made
up of three co-equal, co-eternal, co-existing persons whom the Bible refers to
as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, God has always existed as a
community within Himself. And, out of the overflow of that loving and joyous
community, God creates human beings in His image—made for relationship with
Himself and with others.

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God didn’t create us because He was lonely or bored. He didn’t create us because
He needed our help. He is fully complete without us, yet desires relationship with us.

It is striking that there is only one thing in the whole creation account that is
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considered “not good.” The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be
alone. I will make a helper suitable for him,” (Genesis 2:18). This quote refers
to the fact that Adam was created before Eve, and, for a period, had no other
person to relate to. God judged that the alone-ness of man was not good.
Though surrounded by the animal kingdom and having direct access to God,
the man needed another human being to be his companion. So God created a
woman, and the pair were given charge over the rest of the created world to
care for it and stand as His representatives over it.
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Think about this. The same God who created the universe knows each of us
intimately and completely. He cares for us and loves us. He delights over us
(Psalm 139:13-19), and desires a relationship with us. He creates an incredible
world to live in, and then gives us the job to care for it. He takes the initiative to
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reveal Himself, and then leaves it to us to respond to His loving care. When we
stop to really consider that, our lives can’t ever be the same.

DAILY RESPONSE
l How do you see God’s love and care for you?
l How does it make you feel to know God has given us the job of caring
for the earth?
l How do you respond to the idea that God wants a relationship with
you?
l How have you seen this played out?
l Write a prayer expressing your thoughts about God’s complete
creation and your role in it. What are you grateful for? What are you
sorry for? What are you in awe of when you look at His works?

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DAY 4
WHAT WENT WRONG
Many people can agree that something is deeply wrong with our world. We
only have to read a newspaper, turn on the TV, or connect to the Internet to see
this play out. We not only hurt each other, but we harm ourselves in endlessly
destructive ways.

Sin is a powerfully destructive force in the world. However, it’s important to

remember the impact is felt not only by those around us, but it deeply affects

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the heart of God. Sin’s greatest impact is in our relationship with God. Not only
do we fail to cherish and enjoy Him, but our rebellion against Him earns us
the wages of sin: death and eternal separation from Him (Romans 6:23). The
fact that God is holy means that He is perfectly just and cannot tolerate the
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destruction of His creation. God hates the sin that damages us, our lives, and our
relationship with Him.

Genesis 2 ends with the man and woman in a garden, free to enjoy all of its
delights, with only the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” off limits. We
don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in this paradise, but the Bible records
the rebellion that began to ripple outward throughout all creation.
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Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the
LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say,
‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to
the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God
did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle
of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will
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not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows
that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be
like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the
fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also
desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave
some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes
of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so
they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he
was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from
the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God
called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the
garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said,
“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree
that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman

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you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and
I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you
have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl
on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring
and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” To the
woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for
your husband, and he will rule over you.” To Adam he said, “Because
you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I

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commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ Cursed is the ground
because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the
days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you
will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will
eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were
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taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:1-19

The gift of freedom was given by God to both angels and human beings. For
Adam and Eve, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represented a choice—
whether to humbly trust God and submit themselves to His gracious rule, or to
turn from Him and go their own way. We know which choice they made, and the
consequences have been passed down to us.
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After their disobedience, the harmony and intimacy that existed between the
man and woman quickly turns to blame and shame—the man blames the woman,
the woman blames the serpent, and the serpent slithers away. They hide from
God in fear, as they begin to experience the consequences of their rebellion.
Their intimacy with God is ruptured, and as death, sin, and rebellion spread out
to infect every aspect of creation, the shalom that characterized God’s good
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world evaporates. After Genesis 3, the next several chapters record the ways
in which the world becomes increasingly tainted. God’s good world (including
the humans made in His image) remains, but it has been fundamentally altered.

There is not one aspect of human life that has not been affected by the entrance
of sin and death into the world. Humanity had to find more and more words to
describe the evils that beset them. Corruption. War. Hate. Disease. Selfishness.
Greed. Deceit. Rape. Murder. Theft. Fear. Guilt.

Every relationship we were made for was fractured. Instead of intimacy with
God, there is fear and hiding. Instead of intimacy between man and woman,
there is shame, hurt, and a struggle for power. Even creation itself groans under
the weight of human disobedience.

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice,
but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation

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itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the
freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole
creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to
the present time. Romans 8:20-22

Instead of humble obedience to God and joyful delight in His creation, humanity
became enslaved to the power of sin. Our inner natures have become bent
towards evil. And the Scriptures teach that the end result of our sin is death.

Sometimes this death is the by-product of our own sinful choices. Sometimes it
is the result of someone else’s choice, or just living in a marred world. Often it is
a combination of all three. What is certain, is that we all experience the deadly
consequences of sin. And, if that’s not bad enough, the Bible says that unless

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our sin problem is addressed, we will experience spiritual death, which means
being separated from God both now and into eternity.

The good news is, that isn’t the end of the story. Tomorrow, we’ll see how God
provides the rescue we so desperately need.

DAILY RESPONSE
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l Where do you see the consequences of human rebellion in our world?
In your own life?
l What kind of death have you experienced because of your sin?
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l Talk to God about the pain you’ve encountered, or the pain you
have caused due to your sin. Thank Him for allowing you to come
to Him in complete transparency, knowing He loves you and wants
to restore you.
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DAY 5
THE BEST NEWS EVER
As we learned yesterday, none of us are able, on our own, to avoid sin and be
reunited with God. The good news is our Creator quickly moves to become our
Redeemer and implements a plan to deal with our sin, bringing us back into
relationship with Himself. In spite of our sin and rebellion, God does not remain
distant from our world, but enters this world to restore us to Himself, and set the
world back to the way He designed it to be.

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God begins in Genesis 12 by calling one man, Abraham, into a special relationship
with Him. From Abraham comes a great nation (God’s people, the Jews, Israel).
Eventually from that nation comes a Savior (also called the Messiah), who is
God’s instrument to bring salvation to the world.
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What is so amazing about the Savior is He is much more than a messenger,
teacher, or spiritual leader. He is God in human form. God, Himself comes to
the world as Jesus Christ and begins to reverse the curses of sin and death that
have ravaged humanity since the time of Adam and Eve. He comes to the center
of our damaged souls and deals directly with the disease the Bible calls sin. W
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are redeemed and restored by Jesus, who took sin and its consequences upon
Himself.
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The Bible tells us the “wages of sin is death”—we have earned it—so Jesus died
to take the “wages” of sin upon Himself. He dies the death we were already
dying because of sin, to give us the life we could never attain on our own. When
He died on the cross, our old selves died with Him; and when Jesus rose from
the dead, our new selves rose with Him. He restored our relationship with God
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by providing a means of forgiveness of the debt we owed. He broke the power

of sin over us, so that we may overcome the evil in ourselves and in our world.

Jesus’ death on the cross was the necessary means by which the root of sin and
death could be overcome. Our sin and rebellion from God actually made us His
enemy. This makes Jesus’ sacrifice for us even more incredible.

At just the right time, when we were powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more
shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we
were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death
of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be
saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received
reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11

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Jesus made it clear that this path back to God was open to everyone regardless
of their gender, heritage, religious dedication, guilt, accomplishments, or any
other human measurement. Salvation through Jesus is a gift of grace offered
to you by God. But, it is a gift you must individually receive. Being raised by
Christian parents, going to church, living in America, or being a good person is
no substitute for the faith we must live out each day. Now the great and epic
story of God’s salvation of the world can be your story too.

How do you accept Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf? Just think of your ABC’s.

A. Admit you’re a sinner. Through thought and action, you are separated
from God. You are not able to bridge the gap between you and God
through your own effort. “Trying harder” is not the answer, but rather

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acknowledging that you can’t save yourself. Authentically admit this to
God and allow Him to build the bridge to a relationship with you.
B. Believe in Jesus and what He has done. To believe in Jesus is to agree
with what the Bible says about Him, and what He says about Himself.
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Jesus was 100% human and 100% God. He died on the cross as a sacrifice
to make payment for your sins, and then rose from the dead conquering
death for all who believe in Him. Baptism is our outward response and
declaration of the inward decision to believe and follow Jesus.
C. Commit to follow Jesus. Commitment is more than a sentimental prayer
or intellectual assent. Commitment is being certain that belief in Jesus
alone saves you, and then living that truth. It means making Jesus your
personal friend, leader, confidant, and object of worship.
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It is not enough for Jesus to offer you salvation. It is not enough for you to
just understand it. You must decide to take Jesus up on His offer. The ball is
in your court.
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DAILY RESPONSE
l Is the way of salvation, as it is explained in this chapter, what you had
previously thought? If not, how is it different?
l Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord? If yes, how has
that changed you? If you haven’t, what is keeping you from doing
it now?
l If you are ready to accept Jesus as your Savior, write a prayer
accepting His gift of forgiveness and asking Him to be the Lord of
your life. If you have already asked Jesus into your life, write a prayer
of thanksgiving for the gift of grace and forgiveness in your life and
what it has meant to you.

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The Church in the Reign

of Idi Amin
Pastor Peter Kasirivu

Gaba Community Church, Kampala, Uganda

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Many people know of Uganda because of Idi Amin, a dictator who ruled our tiny
country from 1971 to 1979. Idi Amin began his rule when I was only 10 and was
not a Christian yet.

When he took over power, every one rejoiced because he had toppled a dictator.
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Little did we know that we had just received a leader who would ultimately kill
more than 500,000 people.

Idi Amin began by ousting all people of Asian descent from Uganda, taking
over their businesses and killing many of them. He then turned on people from
the West and began attacking and confiscating their properties. He focused
on Israelis especially, because he felt they had stolen the land of Israel from
the Palestinians.
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Amin moved from oppressing just the westerners and began a war against the
Church. He decided to make Uganda a Muslim nation and began ousting all foreign
missionaries. The church I was later to join had several visiting missionaries,
mostly from Canada. Amin gave them 48 hours to leave the country. Not long
after that time, Amin decided to close all evangelical churches, allowing only the
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Anglican and Catholic churches to stay in operation.

The worst times for the Church came when Amin decided to imprison all
believers. One of our church members tells of the day they were in the church
in the middle of a worship service and truckloads of soldiers were off-loaded
at their church compound. They surrounded the church and demanded that
everyone in church board the trucks. Many of them boarded after being beaten,
but a few of them were able to escape. Those believers on the trucks were
imprisoned for their faith. Members of our church tell stories of daily threats,
starvation, and the many people who died at the hand of Amin’s soldiers. The
brethren survived on mutual encouragement, prayer, praise, and knowing that
suffering for Christ is not a loss, but an opportunity to show their captors that
God still cares, even in the midst of unbelievable pain and suffering.

Amin assigned his vice-president to see to it that these Christians were

executed. No one doubted that would happen, since he had just executed the

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Anglican archbishop. The day the vice-president was to sign the order for the
execution of believers, he was traveling from Jinja to Kampala. He got into a
terrible car accident, breaking both his legs. He narrowly survived. The focus
was immediately taken away from executing the Christians and diverted to the
plight of the vice-president. This was a real Book of Acts experience where Paul
and Silas were saved from jail:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to
God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there
was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were
shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s
bonds were unfastened. Acts 16:25

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After several days of no instruction from the central government, the director of
the prison decided to release the Christians. The evangelical church in Uganda
remained underground for the remainder of Amin’s rule. In April 1979, Idi Amin
was finally ousted, and for the first time in many years, the Church was free.

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I have talked with many believers who lived through that time, and it has been
very interesting to hear their thoughts:

They were always very alert, and their relationship to God was so deep because
they had to totally depend on God for protection and provision.

The people who gave their lives to Christ were very genuine. They knew that it
was not just a change of religion, but also a matter of life and death.
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The church I later joined, Makerere Gospel Church, had 50 congregations around
the country at the time when churches went underground, but by the time Amin
left and freedom was restored, they had 400 congregations. The Church grew
even under extreme oppression!
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Two lessons I’ve learned from this season are:

1. Hard times grow us, even life-threatening ones, and will transform us into
the people God created us to be.
2. God sits on the throne and is sovereign. He reigns above all rulers of
this earth. He is good, but He has not promised us only peace. He has
promised to be with us, even in the times when our lives are threatened.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort
me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the
house of the LORD. Psalm 23:4-6

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ABOUT
THE

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AUTHORS
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Kenton Beshore is Pastor Emeritus of Mariners Church, a non-
denominational church in Irvine, California.

Muriithi Wanjau is the senior pastor of Mavuno Church, a movement of

churches based in Nairobi, Kenya with a presence of 10 different nations.

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Peter Kasirivu is the founding pastor of Gaba Community Church,
and the founder and president of Africa Renewal Ministries.
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Samuel Metelus is the Senior Pastor of Communaute de Gloire in
southern Haiti. He runs the Glory Glory Center, a home for children
orphaned by the 2010 earthquake, as well as a Bible Training School,
and a microfinance program for the community.
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Camille and Esther Ntoto are the founders of Africa New Day (Un
Jour Nouveau) in Eastern Congo. They’re on a mission to bring hope and
restoration by ministering to the men, women, and children in one of the
most unstable regions in the world.
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Daniel Núñez is the Senior Pastor of Ministerios Transformacion, a

church planting movement in Tijuana, Mexico. He also serves as the
TUMI Bible School Satellite Director in Tijuana.

Adrian De Visser is the founder and senior pastor of Kithu Sevana

Ministries in Sri Lanka, a mission-oriented church-planting organization
with a burden for reaching people in areas where the Gospel has not yet
been preached.

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© 2020 Rooted Network

WEEK TITLE PAGE

4 WHERE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING? 67

Serve Experience 134

7 HOW CAN I MAKE THE MOST OF MY LIFE? PART 2 137

8 HOW DOES GOD VIEW MONEY? 157

10 WHY IS THE CHURCH IMPORTANT? 207

Share Your Worship

In a world marked by constant change where we are surrounded by chaos and

Scripture is the very Word of God. Through it, He equips us with

PRAYER (Acts 2:42)

One of the most important elements in any relationship

REPENTANCE (Acts 2:37-39)

SACRIFICIAL GENEROSITY (Acts 2:44-45)

SHARE YOUR STORY (Acts 2:14-36)

WORSHIP (Acts 2:26-28, 46-47)

As children of God, it is important to consistently set aside time to

Beyond a program, seminar, or life group, Rooted is a catalyst for life-change.

Rooted is a significant commitment. We want to be up-front about that, but anything

The Story of Rooted

American churches have traditionally relied on theological information as the

Change a City. Take a

Mavuno Church, Nairobi, Kenya

When we choose to follow Jesus, He brings us from complacent to consumer.

From consumer to connected. Relationships in community are key to maturing

It is our responsibility to be ambassadors of Jesus in every sphere of our

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

It is only as God reveals Himself to us that we begin to get an accurate picture of

creation, through Jesus Christ, and through the Scriptures.

There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a

Is that a little confusing to you? That’s to be expected. Scholars and theologians

Everything about God’s creation was “good.” There was no conflict, no

Sin is a powerfully destructive force in the world. However, it’s important to

by providing a means of forgiveness of the debt we owed. He broke the power

The Church in the Reign

Gaba Community Church, Kampala, Uganda

Anglican and Catholic churches to stay in operation.

Amin assigned his vice-president to see to it that these Christians were

Two lessons I’ve learned from this season are:

Muriithi Wanjau is the senior pastor of Mavuno Church, a movement of

Daniel Núñez is the Senior Pastor of Ministerios Transformacion, a

Adrian De Visser is the founder and senior pastor of Kithu Sevana

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