Today’s Message: God’s Gift of Sabbath, Part 2

(Gen 2:1-3; Heb 4:1-11; Ex 20:8-11; Dt 5:12-15 & other texts) 

 

Intro:      

 

*** God’s Word reveals four key ways that _______-centered Sabbath-like activities free us to experience God’s _____ & peace & purpose.  _______-centered Sabbath-like activities free us to experience God’s _____ & peace & purpose: 
 

 

I.  … by giving us time to _______ in God through Jesus. 

 

II.  … by giving us time to _________ our lives before God through Jesus. 

 

III.  … by giving us time to ____________ our burdens to God through Jesus. 

 

IV.  … by giving us time to ________________ God through Jesus. 

 

Concl: 

 

Practicing “Sabbath” & “Sabbath-Rest” Activities

 

Here are a few introductory suggestions for how to “strive to enter that (Sabbath) rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience”.  Hebrews 4:11

Daily:  Spend time alone with God in the Word & prayer until you sense that you have seen God’s glory, been touched by His grace, & moved to pass it on.

Weekly: 

  • Set aside time for the public worship of God in a Christ-centered Bible-based church to which you are committed. 
  • Prepare for Sunday morning by praying for 10-15 minutes on Saturday night and/or on Sunday morning.  Prayer walk the church building. 
  • Come hungry to church/ Come seeking to pass on a blessing to someone/ Later in the day reflect on how you saw God at church  
  • Be involved in weekly small group mainly to give to others
  • Spend time alone with your “family”, giving priority to those relationships. 
  • Spend an hour with a same gender spiritual friend or co-mentor
  • Spend 1 hour/ up to a ˝ day alone with God in the Word, prayer & solitude

Monthly or Quarterly:

  • Consider spending ˝ to 1 full day alone with God each month or quarter mainly to pray & reflect on God’s Word. 
  • Once a year consider giving 1, 2 or 3 days in a row over to be alone with God

Good books:   include these three:

·         Long Wandering Prayer: An Invitation to Walk With God by David Hansen

·         I have greatly benefited from  Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives and The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits by Physician Richard A. Swenson  (Nav Press).

Z