Speaker: Pastor Chad Everett
Main Scripture: Genesis 1:11–13, Genesis 1:26–27, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 1:15
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Sermon Overview
In this message, Pastor Chad Everett teaches about the power of the seed and the foundational truth that everything God has for us is already within the seed of His Word. We are made in the image and likeness of God—modeled after Jesus—and when we receive that identity, we begin to become someone who naturally bears fruit. We don’t do Christian things to become a Christian; we become a Christian and then live from that identity. This guide is designed to help individuals, families, and groups meditate on this message and walk in the truth of who God has created them to be.
How to Use This Study Guide
This 5-day guide is for individuals, families, and Roads Groups who want to grow in their understanding of this message and walk in the truth of God’s Word.
Why use a sermon study guide?
Going deeper through a sermon-based study helps you move from simply hearing a message to living it. It creates space for the Holy Spirit to bring revelation, correction, encouragement, and transformation. By pausing to reflect, ask questions, and apply the truths from Sunday’s sermon, you position yourself to be formed by the Word—not just informed by it.
Why study the Word of God both alone and together?
Studying the Bible personally creates an intimate space for God to speak directly to your heart. It builds spiritual strength, discernment, and a foundation of truth for everyday life. Studying together with others—whether as a family, with friends, or in a Roads Group—allows the Word to grow in community. As you hear what others see, ask honest questions, and pray together, the Word becomes deeply rooted, producing fruit that impacts every area of life.
Use this guide in a way that fits your current schedule—whether early morning, family dinner table, group gathering, or nighttime reflection. The goal is not perfection, but progress—growing daily into the image and likeness of Christ.
Day 1: The Word is the Seed
Big Idea:
Everything we need is in the seed—God’s Word is ready to grow in the soil of our hearts.
Key Scripture:
“Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself…’”
—Genesis 1:11 (NKJV)
Quote from Pastor Chad:
“Everything you need is in the seed. It’s just waiting for the soil to activate it.”
Discussion Questions
New Christians
- What does it mean that the Bible is like a seed in your life?
- Have you opened your heart to let the Word grow?
Mature Christians
- How are you intentionally cultivating your heart to receive God’s Word?
- What areas of your life need the seed of the Word right now?
Jr. & Sr. High Students
- Do you believe the Bible has everything you need for your life? Why or why not?
- What does planting God’s Word in your heart look like daily?
Families with Young Children
- What happens when we plant seeds in the ground? How is that like reading the Bible?
- Why is it important to read the Bible as a family?
Families with Teenagers
- How can you make space as a family to plant God’s Word in your lives?
- What “soil conditions” in your home help the Word grow best?
Personal Application
- New Christians: Choose one verse and plant it in your heart by memorizing it and praying it daily.
- Mature Christians: Evaluate your current spiritual “soil” and create space for the Word to take root.
- Jr. & Sr. High Students: Write one Bible verse on a note and carry it with you all week.
- Families with Young Children: Plant a seed together and talk about how God’s Word grows in us.
- Families with Teenagers: Do a short Bible study together this week and talk about what stood out.
Day 2: Becoming Before Doing
Big Idea:
God created us to become someone before He ever gave us something to do.
Key Scripture:
“Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground…”
—Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)
Quote from Pastor Chad:
“We were created to become before we were assigned to do.”
Discussion Questions
New Christians
- What does it mean to be created in God’s image before doing anything for Him?
- How does this change the way you think about your value?
Mature Christians
- Are there areas where you’ve found your identity in your assignment rather than your image?
- How do you stay rooted in your created identity?
Jr. & Sr. High Students
- Do you ever feel like you need to prove your worth by what you do? Why or why not?
- What does God say about who you are?
Families with Young Children
- Does God love you because you do good things, or just because you’re His child?
- Why is it important to know who you are before you try to “be good”?
Families with Teenagers
- Are there things your family does that try to define who you are?
- How can your family remind each other of your God-given identity?
Personal Application
- New Christians: Meditate on Genesis 1:26 and ask God to show you who you are in Him.
- Mature Christians: Spend time in prayer asking God to reveal where you’ve tied identity to performance.
- Jr. & Sr. High Students: Write out who God says you are and speak it aloud each day.
- Families with Young Children: Say one truth about who God made you to be each day at breakfast.
- Families with Teenagers: Have each family member share one thing they believe God sees in them.
Day 3: Made in the Image of Christ
Big Idea:
You were created in the image and likeness of God—Jesus is your model, not people.
Key Scripture:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”
—Colossians 1:15 (NKJV)
Quote from Pastor Chad:
“Jesus is the model for your life—not your grandpa, not a preacher—Jesus.”
Discussion Questions
New Christians
- How does it feel to know Jesus is the image you were made to look like?
- Why is it important to look to Jesus instead of others?
Mature Christians
- Who have you looked to as your standard besides Jesus?
- What does conforming to His image practically look like in your life?
Jr. & Sr. High Students
- Are you comparing yourself to others or to Jesus?
- What’s one way you want to grow to be more like Him?
Families with Young Children
- Who do you want to be like? Can you be like Jesus?
- What are some things Jesus did that we can try to do too?
Families with Teenagers
- How can your family keep Jesus as the model when facing challenges or decisions?
- What do you see in Jesus that your family can reflect more of together?
Personal Application
- New Christians: Read a Gospel chapter and write down what you learn about Jesus’ character.
- Mature Christians: Make a list of traits of Jesus you want to grow in and ask the Holy Spirit for help.
- Jr. & Sr. High Students: Find one story of Jesus this week that inspires you and journal about it.
- Families with Young Children: Act out a story about Jesus and talk about how He helps us be like Him.
- Families with Teenagers: Do a character study on Jesus together—choose one Gospel and read a few verses aloud each evening.
Day 4: The Power of Becoming
Big Idea:
We’re not just trying to bear Christian fruit—we are becoming someone who naturally bears it.
Key Scripture:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away…”
—2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
Quote from Pastor Chad:
“I’m not trying to produce Christian fruit—I’m becoming someone who naturally produces it.”
Discussion Questions
New Christians
- What does it mean to be a new creation?
- Are you trying to change yourself, or letting God transform you?
Mature Christians
- Are there areas where you’ve focused more on fruit than becoming?
- How can you rest in who God is making you to be?
Jr. & Sr. High Students
- Are you trying to “look Christian” or become Christlike?
- What changes when you focus on who you’re becoming instead of what you’re doing?
Families with Young Children
- How does a tree grow fruit? How does that remind us of how we grow with Jesus?
- Why is it important to stay close to Jesus?
Families with Teenagers
- What are signs in your family that growth is happening?
- How can your family focus on becoming more like Jesus together?
Personal Application
- New Christians: Declare daily: “I am a new creation in Christ.”
- Mature Christians: Reflect on a past struggle and celebrate how you’ve grown in Christlikeness.
- Jr. & Sr. High Students: Ask God to help you become more like Him instead of just trying harder.
- Families with Young Children: Water a plant together and talk about how God helps us grow like fruit on a tree.
- Families with Teenagers: Take one night to reflect on each person’s growth and encourage one another.
Day 5: Christ in You
Big Idea:
Jesus is the seed God planted in us to become Christlike—not just to receive blessings, but to become like Him.
Key Scripture:
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
—Colossians 1:27 (NKJV)
Quote from Pastor Chad:
“We don’t sow seeds to get things from God—we sow seeds to become like God.”
Discussion Questions
New Christians
- What does it mean that Christ lives in you?
- How does that change your daily choices?
Mature Christians
- Are you using the Word more to get something or to become something?
- What does becoming like Christ look like in your current season?
Jr. & Sr. High Students
- What does it mean that Christ is in you?
- What might change if you really believed that every day?
Families with Young Children
- Where does Jesus live?
- What does Jesus help you do each day?
Families with Teenagers
- How can your family live with an awareness of “Christ in you” this week?
- What helps remind your family of your identity in Christ?
Personal Application
- New Christians: Begin each morning saying: “Jesus is in me, and I’m becoming more like Him.”
- Mature Christians: Fast from striving—spend time listening to God and simply receiving His presence.
- Jr. & Sr. High Students: Create a reminder (art, note, or lock screen) that Christ lives in you.
- Families with Young Children: Say together each morning: “Jesus is in me!”
- Families with Teenagers: Choose one way to intentionally reflect Christ in your home this week.