Growing Faith Leadership Guide & Participant Handouts
Series: It’s Impossible (Faith That Grows) | March 1, 2026 | Primary Text: Colossians 2:6–7
| Session Goal Help dads understand that growing faith isn’t about trying harder or following the right religious steps — it’s about getting into the right spiritual environment every day so that their roots go deep, their foundation stays firm, and their faith can flourish in every season of fatherhood. |
| 🌱 Big Idea A growing faith is not about solving a spiritual equation. It is the natural byproduct of getting your life in the right environment — rooted in Christ, built on Christ, growing in truth, and overflowing with thankfulness. |
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” — Colossians 2:6–7 (NIV)
Session Outline (90 Minutes)
| 5 min | Welcome & Opening Prayer |
| 10 min | Ice Breaker & Check-In |
| 15 min | Teaching: The ‘Open the Blinds’ Principle |
| 35 min | Discussion: Three Elements of Growing Faith |
| 15 min | Personal Reflection & Application |
| 10 min | Dad Challenges, Commitment & Closing Prayer |
Materials Needed
- Printed participant handouts for each dad
- Bibles or Bible app devices
- Pens/pencils
Welcome & Opening Prayer (5 Minutes)
Set the tone before you pray:
- This is a safe space — what’s shared here stays here
- We’re all works in progress — no one has it all figured out
- Tonight we’re asking God to stretch our faith and open some blinds
| Opening Prayer Father, thank You for bringing us together tonight. Every single one of us walked in here with something on our minds — pressures at work, challenges at home, moments where we felt like we just weren’t enough. But Lord, we believe that You are the one who grows us, shapes us, and builds us. Tonight we want to get into the right environment — the kind of environment where Your light can shine on us and where our faith can grow. Open the blinds of our hearts tonight. Help us see where we’ve been blocking Your light and give us the courage to pull those blinds wide open. In Jesus’ name, Amen. |
Ice Breaker & Check-In (10 Minutes)
| 🧊 Icebreaker Question “Think of a plant or garden — anything that grows. What does it need to thrive? Now, on a scale of 1–10, how would you rate the growing environment of your faith life right now? Explain your number.” |
| 📋 Leader Note This primes the central metaphor — faith, like a plant, needs the right environment to grow. Listen for dads who rate themselves low; this creates natural entry points. Affirm that wherever they are, tonight is about taking the next step. |
Teaching: The ‘Open the Blinds’ Principle (15 Minutes)
Read Colossians 2:6–7 together. Then share the plant illustration:
| The Plant Story The preacher’s family got an ‘easy plant’ — one designed to be hard to kill. But it kept dying, not because it lacked water, but because the blinds were always closed. The moment the blinds stayed open to let in the sunlight, the plant started to thrive. Faith works exactly the same way. It’s not about following the right religious steps or working harder — it’s about getting your life into the right environment where the light of Christ can do its work in you. |
Key Teaching Point:
A growing faith is the byproduct of a growing environment — not the result of trying harder. Paul gives us four progressive elements in Colossians 2:6–7:
- 1. Roots down into Him — identity, nourishment, fruitfulness from Christ
- 2. Life built on Him — stability and structure from Christ as foundation
- 3. Faith that grows strong in truth — truth as a healthy constraint
- 4. Life that overflows with thankfulness — gratitude as the natural result
| Ask the Group “How many of you feel like you’ve been trying to force your faith to grow instead of getting into the right environment for it to grow naturally? Show of hands.” (Let it sit — then say: “Tonight we’re going to dig into what that environment actually looks like.”) |
Discussion Part 1: Roots Down in Him (12 Minutes)
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5 (NIV)
Context: Paul uses the Greek word for ‘rooted’ to mean ‘to become firmly established or to draw nourishment from a source.’ Every one of our lives is rooted in something — what gives us identity, nourishment, and determines the fruit our lives produce. The question is: are you rooted in the right thing?
Discussion Questions
Q1: The sermon talked about how what you’re rooted in determines your identity, nourishment, and the fruit coming from your life. Where are you currently drawing your identity from — your job title, your kids’ performance, your marriage, your past failures, or from what Jesus says about you?
| 📋 Leader Note Many dads find their identity in performance. Gently challenge them: what happens to your sense of self when those things go wrong? Help them land on this: You are loved before you performAccepted before you succeedSecure even when you fail A rooted identity in Christ doesn’t rise and fall with circumstances. |
Q2: The sermon said you can’t force fruit — you can only address the root. Where in your life as a dad are you seeing fruit you don’t like — maybe anger, anxiety, impatience, disconnection — and what does that tell you about where your roots might be going?
| 📋 Leader Note Model vulnerability first. The key insight: if the fruit is wrong, go fix the root. Help them identify one specific thing they can do this week to draw nourishment from Christ instead of from the world — time in the Word, prayer, community. |
Real Dad Application:
Your kids don’t just see your behavior — they see what you’re rooted in. A dad rooted in Christ produces patience, peace, and purpose even in the hard moments. You can’t fake roots — they show up in the fruit.
| 🎯 Dad Challenge #1 — The Root Check Choose one morning this week to sit with your Bible and a journal before the house wakes up. Ask God one question: ‘Lord, what am I currently rooted in that isn’t You?’ Write down what He shows you. Then ask: ‘What would it look like to draw nourishment from You in this area instead?’ My commitment: _____________________________________________ |
For Deeper Study: https://bethedads.com/2025/02/take-time-to-grab-a-hold-of-who-god-created-you-to-be/
Discussion Part 2: Built on Him (12 Minutes)
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” — Matthew 7:24–25 (NIV)
Context: Paul shifts from agricultural language (roots) to architectural language (building). Jesus is both our source AND our foundation. Being built on Christ means your life is in continuous construction — God never intends for us to become a ‘finished product.’ He provides stability (proper alignment) and structure (values, desires, and priorities built around Jesus).
Discussion Questions
Q3: The sermon said that the foundation determines how high you can build. Where in your life as a dad do you feel like you’re building on shaky ground — values, priorities, or daily structure not fully aligned with Jesus?
| 📋 Leader Note Help them identify one specific area: maybe it’s the priority of screens over presence, money over margin, or hustle over prayer. The goal isn’t shame — it’s alignment. Ask: ‘What would it look like to restructure that area around Jesus instead?’ |
Q4: The sermon talked about how life brings enormous pressure — work, finances, relationships, parenting — and that if you’re built on anything other than Jesus, you will eventually crumble. Where are you feeling the most pressure right now, and what does your foundation look like in that area?
| 📋 Leader Note Normalize that every dad is under pressure. Remind them: a good foundation doesn’t mean the storms don’t come — it means the house doesn’t fall. Jesus doesn’t promise a storm-free life; He promises a storm-proof foundation. |
Real Dad Application:
Your kids are watching how you respond to pressure. They’re learning what a man’s foundation looks like when the storms come. A dad who is built on Jesus doesn’t crumble — he bends to his knees in prayer instead of breaking. That’s the strongest thing your kids will ever witness from you.
Connection to Marriage: Your wife needs to know that your foundation is firm. She needs to see that when things get hard, you’re going to run to Jesus, not away from the family. A firmly-founded husband is the most secure gift you can give your marriage.
| 🎯 Dad Challenge #2 — The Foundation Audit Have an honest conversation with your wife this week. Ask her: ‘On a scale of 1–10, how firm does our family’s foundation feel to you right now? Where do you feel like we’re building on shaky ground?’ Listen without getting defensive. Pray together about one specific area God is calling you to rebuild on firmer ground. What I heard and what I’m committing to: _____________________________________________ |
Discussion Part 3: Truth That Protects & Thankfulness That Overflows (11 Minutes)
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32 (NIV)
Context: Paul says when your roots are deep and your foundation is firm, your faith will ‘grow strong in the truth’ — not in spite of truth, but within it. Truth acts like a healthy constraint that focuses and directs growth in the right direction. The natural overflow of this kind of faith-life is gratitude — not because everything is perfect, but because we’re connected to the source that never runs dry.
Discussion Questions
Q5: The sermon said truth is a constraint — like the walls of a greenhouse — that actually enables us to grow to our fullest potential. What areas of God’s truth are you tempted to push against or rationalize around in your life as a dad, a husband, or a man?
| 📋 Leader Note This isn’t just about obvious sin. Truth acts as a guardrail in many areas: how we spend our time, what we let into our minds, how we speak to our wives, how we discipline our kids. Encourage dads to be specific. Reminder: the Holy Spirit doesn’t nag — He nudges. Where is the nudge in your life right now? |
Q6: The sermon ended with a challenge about overflow — a life truly rooted, built, and growing in truth should overflow with thankfulness. On a scale of 1–10, how much gratitude is overflowing in your home right now? What’s blocking the flow?
| 📋 Leader Note The sermon made a powerful point: a quiet church is a dying church — and the same is true in a home. If there’s no overflow, something is blocking the pipe. Help dads trace it back: Is the root system weak? Is the foundation shaky? Is there truth being ignored? Then pray specifically over whatever is blocking the flow. |
Real Dad Application:
The most freeing thing you can do for your family is live a life of truth — in your marriage, in your finances, about where you’re struggling. When your kids see a dad who lives in truth — who says ‘I was wrong,’ who says ‘I need help,’ who opens the Word instead of running from it — they learn what freedom actually looks like.
| 🎯 Dad Challenge #3 — Open the Blinds Identify the ‘blind’ in your life — the one thing that isn’t necessarily sinful on the surface, but is dimming the light of Christ. Maybe it’s how you spend your evenings. Maybe it’s what you’re watching. Maybe it’s a conversation you’ve been avoiding. This week — open that blind. Pull it back. Let the light in. Tell one person in this group what you’re committing to. The blind I am opening: _____________________________________________ Who I will tell: _____________________________________________ |
Personal Reflection & Application (15 Minutes)
Silent Reflection (10 minutes): Work through these questions quietly and honestly:
- Where am I right now — waiting, struggling, frustrated, or growing?
- What is God developing in me through this current season?
- How can I see my current circumstances as preparation rather than punishment?
- What is the blind in my life that I need to open?
Pair Up (5 minutes): Share one thing God is developing in you right now, and one specific blind you feel called to open this week.
Commitment & Closing (10 Minutes)
Group Takeaway Round:
“Before we close — one word or one sentence. What are you taking away from tonight?”
Memory Verse — Read Colossians 2:6–7 together one final time as a group.
| Remember This Week Your faith doesn’t grow by trying harder — it grows in the right environment.What you’re rooted in determines what fruit comes from your life.A firm foundation doesn’t mean storms won’t come — it means you won’t be destroyed by them.Truth isn’t a cage — it’s the greenhouse that lets you grow to your fullest potential. |
| Closing Prayer Father, we thank You for these men. Tonight You’ve shown us that faith isn’t something we manufacture — it’s something You grow in us when we get our lives in the right place. Lord, we want our roots to go deeper into You. We want our foundations to be firm in You. We want to submit to the truth of Your Word and live in the freedom it brings. And God, we want our lives to overflow — not because everything is perfect, but because we are connected to You. Help us go home tonight and open the blinds — whatever has been dimming Your light in us. We want to be the dads You created us to be, the dads our wives need us to be, the dads our kids need us to be, and the dads this world so desperately needs to see. In Jesus’ name — Amen. |
Participant Handout — Open the Blinds
Series: It’s Impossible | March 1, 2026
| Session Goal Growing faith isn’t about trying harder — it’s about getting your life in the right spiritual environment every day. |
| 🌱 Big Idea A growing faith is the natural byproduct of a life that is rooted in Christ, built on Christ, growing in truth, and overflowing with thankfulness. |
Scripture Foundation
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” — Colossians 2:6–7 (NIV)
- ROOTS — Identity, nourishment, and fruitfulness from Christ
- FOUNDATION — Stability and structure built on Christ
- TRUTH & THANKFULNESS — Constraints that protect and gratitude that overflows
1. Roots Down in Him
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5 (NIV)
Reflection Q1: Where are you currently drawing your identity from?
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Reflection Q2: Where in your life as a dad are you seeing fruit you don’t like? What does that tell you about where your roots might be going?
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Dad Challenge #1 — My Root Check commitment this week: _____________________________________________
2. Built on Him
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.” — Matthew 7:24 (NIV)
Reflection Q3: Where in your life as a dad do you feel like you’re building on shaky ground?
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Reflection Q4: Where are you feeling the most pressure right now? What does your foundation look like in that area?
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Dad Challenge #2 — Foundation Audit: What I heard and what I’m committing to: _____________________________________________
3. Truth That Protects & Thankfulness That Overflows
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32 (NIV)
Reflection Q5: What areas of God’s truth are you tempted to push against or rationalize in your life?
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Reflection Q6: How much thankfulness is overflowing in your home right now? What’s blocking the flow?
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Dad Challenge #3 — The blind I am opening this week: _____________________________________________
Who I will tell: _____________________________________________
Memory Verse
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” — Colossians 2:6–7 (NIV)
This Week’s Commitment
- Root Check: I will spend time with God asking ‘What am I rooted in that isn’t You?’
- Foundation Audit: I will have an honest conversation with my wife about our foundation.
- Open the Blind: I will identify and address one thing dimming the light of Christ in my life.
Accountability Partner: _____________________________________________
Check-In Date: _____________________________________________
Additional Scriptures for Personal Study
On Being Rooted:
- Psalm 1:1–3 — The man who meditates on God’s Word is like a tree planted by water
- Ephesians 3:17 — Rooted and grounded in love
- Jeremiah 17:7–8 — Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
On Foundation & Stability:
- Psalm 62:6 — He alone is my rock and my salvation
- 1 Corinthians 3:11 — No one can lay a foundation other than Jesus
On Truth & Freedom:
- Psalm 119:105 — Your word is a lamp to my feet
- 2 Timothy 3:16–17 — All Scripture is God-breathed
On Gratitude:
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — Give thanks in all circumstances
- Psalm 100:4 — Enter his gates with thanksgiving
Prayer Requests from the Group
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| Be The Dad Be the dad God created you to be. Be the dad your wife needs you to be. Be the dad your kids need you to be. Be the dad this world needs to see. |
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