Review of Rooted: The Hidden Places Where God Develops You

This book should be taken off your shelf and read repeatedly. 

Whether you have been a believer and follower of Christ for years or you are just starting off on your journey, you should get this book. For those that have walked with Christ, much of this material will be familiar, but as Paul instructed in 2 Timothy 2:14, Remind them of these things... When I was pastoring and preaching regularly, I remember covering the same familiar topics repeatedly. We need to reminders in our lives.
If you are relatively new to Christianity, experimenting or investigating, you would also do well to read this book.
The message is well-intended and will build and bolster the spiritual growth of anyone following Christ. I found the book genuine, down to earth and filled with many personal stories.Banning illustrates through the Scripture how we can thrive within God's process toward our personal maturity, a process that will bring us into the best life we could live; the one God intends for us all.
ROOTED is both profound and easy to read. Its truths are easy to grasp. I found my head nodding in agreement, and each page in my copy contains my penciled underlining of numerous passages that stood out for me. Some whispered, and some stood on a chair shouting for my attention begging me to implement its truth to some needy area of my life.
I was incredibly grateful to be provided with this advance reading copy.
Banning's book was a pleasure and personal benefit to read. The message he penned is not merely a collection of information from a seasoned pastor; his life displays the visible evidence of what he believes and the fruit of truths in the pages of ROOTED.

The Peace of the City

And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it;

for in its peace you will have peace.

Jeremiah 29:7

My desire here is to not spill scripture out on you like so many dice spilled from a cup letting the numbers come up by chance.

Please don’t stare down at them and think, “Oh, that’s nice.”

Do you find that one of our biggest challenges as humans attempting to stand on this spinning blue orb is to find purpose? Purpose through our failures, trials and troubles?

Too often we spend our lives simply trying to escape life’s present objectionable circumstances.

Yeah, me too.

But, if you have even the slightest suspicion that God holds the strings, and have thus far kept from blaming Him or taking His throne for yourself; Jeremiah 29:7, may not be a comfortable truth. But knowing there is rhyme or reason to your present state of affairs can bolster your spirits.

As an aside, Jeremiah the prophet spoke this to an occupied people taken away from their land in many cases and ruled by another as slaves.

I found its difficult words a comfort in times of distress.

The essence I distill from it for my present circumstance is: rather than expend awful amounts of emotional and physical energy attempting to wrest myself from the grip of my situation I should instead seek peace for my surroundings. I should pray not only for me but also for those around me, seeking the peace of that city, metaphorically speaking.

The promise enclosed within the scripture, like a glorious Easter Egg surprise, is that within my present situation, no matter how dire, I will find my satisfaction.

I won’t attempt here to explain for God since I could expel thousands of words and still not do it justice. But, you take that kernel back to your burrow, think on it, and nibble on it, and you will find it to have an otherworldly dynamic force in your life for good.

There is a most well-known verse four steps down that does a good job of illumination:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

We can trust Him with our lives.

Wishing you peace for your city,

M. Matheson