Spiritual Formation

“The Rooted structure was great to help me get back into daily Bible study and prayer and to remind me of my passion and faith. I also met great friends and felt more connected to the church.”

“When I came to South, I was starting to flounder spiritually. My wife and I got involved with the Food Bank, but, still had a hole. I knew that I needed a small group again; but nothing offered fit my schedule. On a whim, I signed up for more [Rooted] info (I did not expect to actually attend). As I went through the journey, I sensed God moving me to open myself in ways that I had never opened myself before. I saw that God works best with imperfect people.”

“I enjoyed getting to know people and feel more connected to the church. God brought Matthew 6 to my attention and I have enjoyed reading it especially since we are studying it in church.”

“Serving together was a wonderful way to connect with some of our group. My favorite part of Rooted was the last week where we affirmed one another. I enjoyed being able to encourage others and hear what God did during our time.”

“God showed up in the vulnerability and willingness of our group to honestly share and bring concerns to Him. God used discussion to bring me peace at times, grace gratefulness, and joy. The ‘pray’ lesson was a great reminder of how to come to God and the lesson on spiritual gifts was awesome.”

“Going through this program helped me meet others and re-invigorated my prayer life.”

“Highlight – Discipline in reading God’s Word and the Rooted book each week. Felt like family and was easy to share concerns, joys with group. Book prepared me to share my story with confidence even though I don’t have a dramatic story.”

“Before Rooted, [my] faith was ‘action-based’ – Pray. Listen. Move forward in accordance with God’s will. Act. Faith through service. Always with a purpose. Rooted and the men in our group showed me the relational side of faith. Come into [the] presence of God simply to be with Him.”

“I was in a better discipline of spending more time with God which led to comfort and peace along with confirmation of my purpose.”

“I enjoyed meeting everyone in our group and learning their perspectives on different topics.”

“My biggest takeaway from this class is my need to lay aside preconceived thoughts about what I can expect in where the Lord lead, but to be open to whatever and all He has for me. I enjoy the relational and interrelational dynamic in focus during the study.”

“It was so helpful to have people make this journey together. Talking through our experiences in addition to the material was really uplifting.”

“I think the biggest impact of this class (so far) has been the realization that there are so many pathways to connect with God, and that if my usual pathway (intellectual) is getting stale, there are other pathways that might work better. So often I’ve felt stuck in a rut, searching around for the next commentary to read during my quiet time, but now I can mix things up by trying a different pathway. I’ve been doing that during this class and my quiet times are so much more energized and fulfilling.”

“Absolutely loved this class – the material is excellent. I realized how often I read other people’s minds (badly). I also realized how often I was afraid to be honest about how I felt or what I need. This has helped me be more assertive in a kind way.”

“I love this material. I love the vulnerability of the speaker and the way he points us to God’s love.”

“We have attended the Hebrews Class for several weeks. John Samuelson’s teaching is head and shoulders above anything we have heard, yet he brings it all down to our level. We are so pleased with teaching that the Bible is true and accurate.”

“I began this group as a co-leader and soon realized that the material presented is so necessary for my own journey…both spiritually and relationally. I’m so thankful for the invitation to co-lead and the way God has grown me through this curriculum.”

“This course brings clarity on what it looks like to be emotionally healthy in relating to God, yourself and others. Very practical and perhaps the best group study I have ever attended. Totally worth it, helping move the needle towards loving well.”

“Really appreciated the clearly laid out principles and tools that can be referred to easily as I learn to apply them in relationships. Also really liked how they combined scripture, devotional writings and historical Christian sources.”

“Helped me become a better listener, less judgemental, understanding and accepting of others.”

“This has given me clarity in so many ways; although I had a vague understanding this has really opened up my eyes and given me a deeper understanding of how to have healthier relationships.”

“The class gave me some tools to improve relationships and conversations, specifically: starting conversations with ‘I have noticed’ and asking ‘what is impacting you the most this week?'”

“This is such a powerful class. I know I continue to grow in using the materials and continue to use the daily devotionals in my quiet time. Love that South is doing this.”

“I had to soften my heart to a woman in order to live within the love of God. I was almost hardening my heart to God because I almost hardened my heart about her. Through this class, it saved my life. Thank you.”