Roots and Shoots: Thriving in the heat

Dedicated Women in Christ Elder Verla Davis Saturday, July 25, 2026 Session

"Blessings everyone! It is so good to be with you all.

Roots and Shoots: Thriving in the Heat

Read Jeremiah 17:7-8; Psalm 1:1-3

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New Living Translation Chapter 17

7 But blessed are those who trust in the LORD

and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.

8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat

or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green,

and they never stop producing fruit.

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New Living Translation Psalm 1

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not

follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners,

or join in with mockers.

2 But they delight in the law of the LORD,

meditating on it day and night.

3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

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Introduction: Root Work the Foundation: The Hidden Foundation

We are at the final stretch of July and the heat has been intense, the ground is dry, and if we aren't careful, our yards will start to show the strain. But today, we aren't just talking about our yards; we’re talking about our souls. How do we stay green and fruitful when life feels like a 100-degree afternoon?

Everyone admires the shoots, but nobody celebrates the dirt. We often pray for the harvest without realizing that God is doing His best work in the dark, where our roots are taking hold.

But note: the height of our tree won't save us when the storm hits—only the depth of our roots will. If we want to be unshakable when we bloom, we have to be willing to go deep.

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The Roots (The Foundation - the Source)

Roots or those squiggly appendages below the surface plant. They can grow anywhere from 1 to 4 inches, depending on the type of plant it is. Some have slow growing roots and some are fast

Roots provide 3 things for a plant

Anchor: Roots are the anchorage of the plant, the support, keeps in stable Absorbs: Roots absorb and dissolve the nutrients and water to ensure the plant grows

Stores: Roots can store carbohydrates and other nutrients that plants can use during stressful seasons of growth

The Source

Where are we planted? I pray along the riverbank

Scripture: " They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do

Psalm 1:3

A tree doesn't struggle to grow if its roots have found the good source of water.

When our Source is Jesus, our "leaves" don't wither when life gets hot or dry or the heat turns up.

In our spiritual lives, 'heat' comes in many forms—maybe it's a busy season with the grandkids, a health challenge, other peoples concerns or just the weight of the world's...what's going on.

Sometimes we take on things that are really not our responsibility

You see, When we have 'shallow roots,' we react to that heat by wilting. We lose our peace, our patience, and our joy.

The heat doesn't change, but the root system does.

A plant with deep roots don’t panic when the rain stops because it has a hidden source of water.

If we feel withered today, we must check our connection to the Source. Our prosperity is a result of our connection, not just our own efforts.

Amen

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Root Work: The Foundation

Prayer is very important. We must have a prayer life and be consistent. This not only gives us a direct connection to the vine, the water, the source but it builds our character, our faith and strengthens our relationship with God.

I don’t know about you but If one ever come up against a situation like the seven sons of Sceva

We want to make sure that all of heaven is backing us....because God knows us and we know our Him

Scripture: " 3 This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” Hab 2:3 NLT

Some times the growing season seems slow and last long but we must be patient

God has an appointed time for us to sit and soak before we bloom We can’t move too fast or too slow because His timing is perfect

Amen

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Root Work" (The Inductive Method)

Script: "So, how do we grow deep roots? We call it 'Root Work.' For me, that means getting into the Word using the Inductive Method.

- ​Observation: What is God actually saying? (Not just what I think He’s saying). Pull the scripture a part, take every word and define it if you have too. Read commentaries, dictionaries and so forth

- ​Interpretation: Who was He talking to, what did this mean to the people it was written for, What was going on during this time? why did He say it? Write questions down for you go and research the answer.

Phil 4:13 is one of the most quoted

- ​Application: How does this change my day? This kind of study is like deep-soaking in your garden. It’s the quiet work (periods of silence) that happens when the Zoom camera is off and it's just you and the Lord."

We live in an "instant" world, but God is a Gardener who values the process. We cannot mistake the silence of the soil for the absence of God. Some of our greatest breakthroughs are currently being "knitted together" in the secret place where only He can see.

The larger the "shoot" is meant to be, the longer the "root" needs to develop in private.

We can do that through studying His word, getting it engrafted in our hearts that we will not sin against thee.

The root is basically our prayer life, our character, and our foundation, our study time with God that strengthens us mentally and often physically

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What are Shoots?

Shoots(Visible Evidence)

Defining the "Shoots"

Shoots are all parts of the plant that is above the soil

"Rising above the soil, the shoot system—comprising the stems, leaves, blossoms, and fruit—is the plant’s lifeline to the light. Together, these parts keep it standing tall, transform light into vital nourishment, and bring forth new life."

The shoot is the breakthrough. It’s that moment when the life that was hidden in the dark finally pushes through the dirt and meets the light. If the root is our prayer life, our character, and our foundation, our study time, then the shoot is our witness. It’s the first visible evidence of what God was doing in secret place is finally coming to pass in the natural.

Scripture: "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." — Isaiah 40:31

Pushing through the soil is often the hardest part of our journey. We’ve all felt that darkness and the heavy pressure of the world sitting on top of us. But God didn’t just put a seed in us; He put His power in us. Our struggle isn’t there to stop us; it’s there to prove that the life He placed inside of us is stronger than any ground we find ourselves buried under.

You see you cannot bury a seed it can only be planted

Unfortunately for us, some of a seeds were planted in the silence of our pain

But glory be to God, He watered that seed in secret

He nourished with His abounding Grace

He pruned it in obscurity, times when we were unsure of everything

Now that seed is blooming, not for folks to give her a pat on the back but for an assignment...anointed and pointed for this season

For what the enemy meant for evil, God will turn it around for our good

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Shoots(The Evidence of Growth )

Shoots: The Strength to Breakthrough

Shoots: The Evidence of Growth (The Testimony)

Scripture: "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." — Matthew 5:16

Once we break through that soil, we have a responsibility to stand tall. We aren't just growing for ourselves anymore. Our lives become a "letter" that our neighbors, our families, and our co-workers are reading every day. When they see us thrive—especially after they saw us go through a hard season—they are seeing the evidence of God’s faithfulness.

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Shoots: Weathering the Elements (Resilience)

Scripture: "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." — John 15:5

Breaking through the soil doesn't mean our troubles are over; it just means our challenges have changed. Above ground, we face the "winds" of public opinion and the "heat" of life's pressures. We don't survive these because our stems are perfect; we survive because our roots are grafted into the True Vine.

HURRICANE VERLA

Point A

The Joke: "Family, I titled this 'Roots and Shoots,' but full disclosure: in my house, it’s mostly just 'Roots and... Memorial Services.' I have a brown thumb so strong it’s practically a weapon."

Maybe I am trying so hard that nothing is working

- The Point: Sometimes we try so hard to force ourselves to be "fruitful" and spiritual in our own strength that we just end up exhausted and sometimes spiritually "dead." No strength, no power, no connection busy for no reason.

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Point B

Here comes hurricane Verla - My husband calls me that when it comes to plants

On the left we have my Purple Heart Tradescantia (tra skidia) and my Golden Pothos (paw thus).

and on the right you can see where the hurricane hit. I even bought pots that is supposed to keep you from over watering...as you can see that didn’t work for me.

The Point: Why is the Pothos still alive? Because it is incredibly resilient, low maintenance and doesn't require a master degree in botany to keep it alive.

​The Spiritual Tie-in: God’s grace is like a Pothos. It’s meant to be "low maintenance" in the sense that He provides the life; we just have to stay in the pot! We don't have to be exotic, high-maintenance Christians to be beautiful in His sight.

Point C

The Point: We all have "dead plants" in our past—failed goals, messy seasons, or times we drifted.

​The Encouragement: Even if you feel like a "casualty" of your own life right now, you are still "The Vine’s" favorite. If a Pothos can thrive in "Hurricane Verla," then there is hope for all of us!

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Conclusion: The Purpose of the Fruit

The purpose for having proper roots, to ensure good shoots is so we can produce good fruit.

Scripture: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." — Galatians 5:22-23

Some plants flourish with little work, others struggle despite our best efforts. Growth isn't just about our "green thumb"—it's about the laws of nature and the hand of the Gardener...well my hands and fingers are brown.

Our growth isn't just about us being tall; it’s about providing shade and fruit for someone else. We want our lives to be so healthy that when people "taste" our words and actions, they taste the goodness of God.

Paraphrasing Psalm 1 It says that the one who delights in the Law of the Lord is like a tree planted by streams of water. Notice it says they yields fruit in season. Sometimes we're in a growing season, and sometimes we're in a 'holding' season, but because our roots are by the stream, our leaves never withers. When we stay connected to Christ, our 'shoots'—our outward lives—stay vibrant even in a drought."

In John 15, Jesus says, 'I am the vine.' He didn't say, 'I am the high-maintenance, drama-queen orchid that will die if the humidity drops 2 percent.' He is the Vine. He is hardy. He is resilient. Our job isn't to be the 'Gardener'—that’s God’s job. Our job is just to stay attached to the Vine.

If my Pothos can survive me, imagine how much we can thrive when we’re attached to a Savior who actually knows what He’s doing!"

May we remain anchored to God, patient, steadfast, unmovable and strong as we grow into the beauty He has planned for to be.

AMEN