Thanksgiving Rest
God created us with a need for rest, which the curse and our culture have magnified, and we should use Thanksgiving as a chance to receive God’s gift of rest.
Genesis 1:31-2:3
The Resurrection Changes Everything!
The physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead changes everything, and His followers gather each week to remember His resurrection and then take the Good News forth to everyone.
John 20:19-29
The Gift of Sabbath Rest
Sabbath rest is not a legalistic restriction but rather a gift from God to allow us to be refreshed as we rest from our daily vocations and activities so we can focus on God and His provision for us.
Leviticus 23:1-3
The Son of Man and the Sabbath (Part 2)
Legalism blinded the Pharisees to God’s gracious work through Jesus, so instead of praising God, they decided Jesus must be put to death.
Mark 3:1–6
The Son of Man and the Sabbath (Part 1)
As the Son of Man, Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and He cut through the extra-biblical burdens that had been added to the Sabbath to return it to its original purpose as a gift for humanity.
Mark 2:23-28
The Priorities and Practices of the King
Disciples must imitate the priorities and practices of Jesus – personal prayer, the study and proclamation of God’s Word, and gathering with God’s people for public worship. Any helpful ministry can only come by attending to these priorities and practices first.
Mark 1:35-45
The Sovereignty of the King
In a single day, Jesus displays His Sovereignty as He teaches with authority, exercises total control over demons, and heals sick people completely.
Mark 1:21-34
Disciples, Followers, Apprentices of the Master
Jesus is calling a community of disciples/followers/apprentices to learn from His teachings, be transformed to have His character, and imitate His practices and life rhythms.
Mark 1:16–20
Rest and Peace – The Heart of the Reformation
Understanding that we are saved by grace, justified by faith, forgiven through Christ, according to God’s word, to the glory of God is the key to the Christian faith and to entering God’s rest.
Romans 5:1-2 (ESV)
Freedom – Embracing the Rhythm of Work and Rest
True freedom embraces the rhythm of work and rest, for body and soul, that God built into creation.
Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:1-3; Genesis 2:15
The Resurrection Changes Everything!
The physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead changes everything, and His followers gather each week to remember His resurrection and then take the Good News forth to everyone.
John 20:19–29
RESET: Redeeming the Quarantine
Like the exile, our current time of disruption should be used as a divinely appointed season to reset our priorities and practices, redeeming the quarantine to make beneficial changes to our lives.
Deuteronomy 4:27-31
The Covenant of Creation – Part 3
God’s covenant of creation calls us to obey Him as our covenant Lord, embracing the limitations He built into us at creation, including receiving and celebrating the gift of Sabbath rest.
Genesis 1:26–2:3; Genesis 2:15-17
Sit – Our Position in Christ
Every Christian is seated with Christ in heaven at God’s right hand and this reality is the basis and power for the whole Christian life.
Ephesians 1:15-23; 2:4-7 (ESV)
The Lord of the Sabbath
Jesus healed the lame man with His powerful word on the Sabbath to show that He is Lord of the Sabbath because He is One with God the Father and does the works of the Father.
John 5:1-18
Jubilee
Jubilee was a year of freedom of sins forgiven, slaves set free, and restoration of inheritance, and it finds its fulfillment in Jesus.
Leviticus 25:8-12
Sloth
Sloth is a disordered love that that does not desire God, His works, or the vocations He has given me, but finds them boring, refusing the effort to love and serve God and others.
Proverbs 26:13-15
The Refreshment of Rest
Sabbath rest is not a legalistic restriction but rather a gift from God to allow us to be refreshed as we rest from normal activities so we can focus on God and His provision for us.
Leviticus 23:1-3
Resting In A Relentless World
We need consistent times to rest and remember redemption, but the iWorld is relentless in its opportunities and demands, giving no room for this.
Mark 2:27