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Spiritual Rhythms Bless my Everyday Life

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. EXODUS 20:8-11 ESV

Spiritual habits are hard to build and easy to break

Bad habits are easy to build and hard to break

The weekly Sabbath teaches me how to rest

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. PROVERBS 3:23 NIV

The weekly Sabbath helps create time to learn

The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ACTS 13:44 ESV

The weekly Sabbath gives me a regular opportunity to serve

Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. JOHN 9:14 NIV

The weekly Sabbath reminds me to consistently give

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper… 1 CORINTHIANS 16:2 ESV

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 NIV

The weekly Sabbath gives me a break from my mind

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet REVELATION 1:10 ESV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 NIV

The weekly Sabbath helps me locate spiritual family to love

And the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. ACTS 16:13 ESV

The weekly Sabbath helps me practice becoming who Jesus is calling me to be

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. MARK 2:27 ESV

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. MATTHEW 11:28-29 NLT

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Take a few minutes to slow down, centering your thoughts on God. If you have any anxieties or burdens from the day, give these to Jesus right now, asking Him to free you of their power over you. When you consider your weekly rhythms, how often do you practice simply resting? As you assess this, ask God to give you insight into how you practice rest. Does anything need to change? Ask God to show you what real rest could look like and how it might affect the state of your soul. Next, in those areas where rest is difficult, does your lack of rest indicate any deeper fears that might be hidden? Hand these over to God, asking Him to give you His peace over these fears. As God reveals insight into these areas, write these down in the space below, sharing with your group if you feel comfortable.

Discussion Questions

  1. PERSONAL REFLECTION: Begin group time by completing the Personal Reflection Guide (link found on the top of sermon notes). Use this time to invite God into your personal spiritual rhythms. (Tip: playing some soft background music is helpful here!)
  2. REAL WITH SELF: What are some of your favorite or most valuable personal rhythms? What happens when you don’t practice these (or when they get disrupted)?
  3. REAL WITH SELF: Which of the following components of Sabbath (resting, learning from Scripture, serving, giving) presents the biggest joy for you? Which one presents the largest struggle for you? How could growth in these affect your life and rhythms?
  4. REAL WITH GOD: Read Philippians 4:6-7 NIV. Describe a time in your life when anxiety and fear felt really big, but then, through prayers like those in Philippians 4, God’s peace became bigger. What was that like for you?
  5. REAL WITH OTHERS: God loves you too much to let you stay where you are. What is it that you’re holding on to so tightly that it’s wrecking your life and ruining your spiritual rhythms (perhaps leading to a spike in anxiety or keeping you from sleep)? Confess that to the group right now, and have a group member pray for you as you release that to Jesus right now.
  6. TAKE ACTION: We can often use music to turn our minds off, numbing us to our fears and anxieties. But worship music is about what’s good and true, helping us to turn our minds toward Jesus. This week, pick a morning to choose worship music for your morning commute. A great resource would be to search Sandals Worship on Apple Music or Spotify; as you listen this week, pay attention to how the rest of your day goes. Share with the group next week what this experience was like for you.