AFTER THE SERMON-Rest Is Essential
We hope today’s message was encouraging and helpful. Take a moment to process and discuss what God may be trying to say to everyone in your home or in your community group. If no one is with you, have a personal conversation with God, He is with you.
Scripture: Luke 10:38-42; Matthew 11:28-30
(If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read or paraphrase through some of the provided scripture to catch everyone up!)
Overview:
For most of us, life suddenly stopped at the announcement that Delaware was being shut down due to Covid-19. Overnight, families were reunited, home offices were dusted off and school was at the dining room table. Life looked different. After we all pivoted and adapted to the change, life seemed to slow down, there was room to breathe… a little more than before COVID. This wasn’t the case for all of us and our hearts and prayers go out to all the essential workers, medical personnel, and government leaders who work tirelessly. Pastor Ryan shared how this time has given us, well… time. We got a little room to breathe, to rest and we started to discover things about our lives, families, community, and our world. A lot of good has happened, like more family time, a new appreciation for church fellowship, learning our neighbor’s names, and serving our essential workers. The question Pastor Ryan posed that is key to this new series is what have we learned is essential? What were some lifestyles we lived before COVID that we would like to leave behind and new lifestyles or things we want to bring with us as we reopen? The first message Pastor Ryan brought to us was about rest, room to breathe, and live. God gave us life and Jesus came to give us life to the fullest. Mary slowed down to connect with Jesus and because of it she experienced soul rest. It’s hard to walk with God and others when we seem to be running in a hurry through it. What are we missing because we’re too busy and distracted by other things? What if all that mattered, all that is essential is right in front of us and all around us. Rest. Is. good. Quality time is important. It’s not just about rest, it’s about making room in our schedules for what is essential. Let’s pack that in our suitcase and bring it with us when we reopen.
Takeaways:
We needed to slow down to see what is truly essential. We need to make room in our schedules for what is essential.
Physical rest allows us to soak in soul rest. We have to slow down and make room for soul rest. (Emotional, mental, and physical rest is soul rest.)
The first person to pay the price for an overly busy life is us, the second is everyone around us.
Rest from playing God.
Rest from chasing an image and someone you’re not.
Rest from letting the world and all that it chases dictate your pace and rhythms.
Rest from chasing THINGS that are not essential.
Give yourself permission to rest.
Discussion:
What stuck out to you from today’s message and why?
What are some things you are determined not to return to when life goes back to some type of normalcy? What have you noticed is more essential since the quarantine life began?
Why is rest and free time important?
Physical rest can open the door for soul rest, why do we need soul rest?
How does hurry and busyness hurt our lives?
Saying no to unessential things is good, what is one thing you can say no to this week to get some soul rest?
Pray:
God, in you I have rest, give me rest for all the things I am worried, afraid, and unsure about. I rest in knowing you are in charge and all things work out for my good.
Challenge: Take multiple times to physically slow down this week and connect with Jesus. Unplug from this world and plug into God.
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray that you find ways to apply it this week!