About This Episode What's happening below the surface of your life? Most of us spend our energy on what everyone can see — the results, the progress, the fruit. But what about what no one sees? In this solo episode, I'm teaching on the process of becoming — walking through the soil, the roots, the trunk, the branches, and the fruit as a metaphor for spiritual and personal growth. Your roots represent your covenant relationship with God, and when they're strong, everything else — your goals, your growth, your fruit — reflects that. We'll talk about why our covenant relationship with God is the foundation for everything, what happens when we neglect our roots, and how to start strengthening them through faith and gratitude — even if all you have is a particle of faith to begin with. If you've ever felt like you're producing without a foundation, or you're not sure where to start in your relationship with God, this episode is for you. ✦✦✦ In This Episode You'll Learn ●Why your roots — your covenant relationship with God — are the most neglected and most critical part of your growth ●What it means to become top-heavy and root-poor — and how to recognize it in your own life ●How your goals are only as strong as the roots they grow from ●Why gratitude is one of the most powerful root-strengthening tools we have ●Two simple places to start right now: a particle of faith and abounding in thanksgiving ✦✦✦ Episode Highlights Welcome & recap of Episode 13 — the soil as the heart The full oak tree metaphor — soil, seed, roots, trunk, branches, fruit The roots as our covenant relationship with God — Elder Shumway on what the world undervalues The vole story — when the visible doesn't reveal what's happening below The trunk as goals — Preach My Gospel and covenant-grounded direction The branches — intellectual, social, physical, spiritual growth (Luke 2:52) How to strengthen your roots — faith, prayer, and a particle of belief Abounding in thanksgiving — Corrie ten Boom and the power of gratitude in darkness Elder Holland — the strength beyond our own found in Christ Closing reflection — how does your fruit reflect your roots? ✦✦✦ Quotes From This Episode "The prevailing challenge in choosing a covenant relationship with God is that the world overvalues what it can see and undervalues what is not seen." — Elder Shumway, Simplicity That Is in Christ, BYU Devotional "Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish." — Preach My Gospel "If ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you and give place for a portion of my words." — Alma 32:27 "It is simple. You focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will know how to resolve every challenge you have." — President Russell M. Nelson "There can and will be plenty of difficulties in life. Nevertheless, the soul that comes unto Christ, who knows His voice and strives to do as He did, finds a strength beyond his own." — Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Broken Things to Mend, April 2006 General Conference ✦✦✦ References & Resources Scriptures ●Colossians 2:7 — Rooted and built up in Christ, established in faith, abounding in thanksgiving ●Ephesians 3:17 — Rooted and grounded in love ●Alma 32:27 — Desire to believe; giving a particle of faith space to grow ●Luke 2:52 — Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man ●Doctrine & Covenants 59:21 — Confessing God's hand in all things Talks & Teachings ●Simplicity That Is in Christ, BYU Devotional Elder Shumway — ●Broken Things to Mend, April 2006 General Conference Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — ✦✦✦ Connect With Kendra ●becomingtheoak.com & free 3-step guide: ●@becomingtheoak If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who needs it. And if you haven't already, subscribe so you never miss an episode.
