Rest for the Soul – Renewed Purpose
In a world that glorifies busyness, God calls us to rest. Join us for a 3-week sermon series exploring the beauty and power of Sabbath. Discover how God’s gift of rest can renew your spirit, strengthen your faith, and refresh your purpose. Whether you’re feeling weary or simply seeking deeper peace, this series will help you reclaim the rhythm of rest that God designed for your life. Don’t miss this opportunity to find true rest for your soul!
Week 1: Gifted Rest
Week 2: Trusting The God Who Rests
Week 3: Renewed Purpose
God of the ages,
our present age is shaped by our incessant drive to have more stuff. The gods of commerce and power seduce us into believing we are defined by the quantity of our possessions not by the quality of our relationships. Quiet our endless, restless search for stuff. Bring us into the quite center wherein your Spirit's call is clear. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen
Matthew 11
28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 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.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Isaiah 58
13 If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
from pursuing your own interests on my holy day;
if you call the sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs;
14 then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Luke 4
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 12
Do Not Worry
22 He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Psalms 23
The Divine Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
Don't Forget
Sabbath is not merely a day of rest
but a divinely appointed time
to reconnect with God,
recalibrate our lives,
and find deeper purpose in our creator
sabbath is more than a day,
it is a way of being in the world.
It is a spirit of restfulness that comes from living
in the presence of a loving God all the time.
"God loves us to eternity... a lot for a long time." - W. Brueggemann
Psalm 90:12
So teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.
Psalm 31:15
My times are in your hand;
Shabbat
Sabbath = "to stop"
- stop working
- stop wanting
- stop worrying
- just stop
Covetousness
"Desire is infinite partly because we were made by God, made for God, made to need God, and made to run on God. We can be satisfied only by the one who is infinite, eternal, and able to supply all our needs, we are only at home in God. When we fall away from God, the desire for the infinite remains, but it is displaced upon things that will certainly lead to destruction." - Dallas Willard (Life Without Lack)
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (John Mark Comer)
Restfulness Relentlessness
Margin---------------- Busyness
Slowness------------- Hurry
Quiet------------------ Noise
Deep relationships--- Isolation
Time Alone--------- Crowds
Delight--------------- Distraction
Enjoyment---------- Envy
Clarity---------------- Confusion
Gratitude----------- Greed
Contentment------ Discontentment
Trust------------------ Worry
Love------------------- Anger, angst
Joy--------------------- Melancholy, sadness
Peace----------------- Anxiety
Working from Love------ Working For Love
Work as contribution--- Work as accumulation and accomplishment
How Do You Sabbath?
- Museum Goer - seek beauty, stand in awe
- Walker - wander in wonder, take it easy
- Creator - make something, let inspiration guide
***turn off your phone
Questions to Consider:
- What gives you purpose?
- Do you know your purpose?
- How do you stay in touch with your purpose?
- How does sabbath reveal our purpose?
Liturgies
Wayfinders Family Blessing
Gracious God,
We gather before You as a family, grateful for Your loving presence with us.
Bless our children:
Guide them in Your truth and lead them in Your ways.
Help them to walk in faithfulness, seeking Your will in all that they do.
May Your Spirit empower them to love one another deeply,
to forgive as You have, and to extend grace and mercy to all.
May the lessons they learn and the stories they share grow their love for you.
Help them to know how deeply loved they are by you and this church.
In Jesus' name we pray,
Amen.
A Litany of Surrender
Leader:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
People:
Empty me of all that’s not of You,
Empty me of all that’s not of You, Lord.
Leader:
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
People:
Fill me with You, Lord, as I surrender,
Fill me with You, Lord, so that I may stand in you.
Leader:
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
People:
Quiet our restless search for more,
Bring us into the stillness of Your presence.
Leader:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
People:
Empty me, Lord, and fill me with Your peace,
Fill me with Your love, and make me whole.
Leader:
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
People:
Take my life and make it Yours,
Take my heart and make it true.
Leader:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
People:
Empty me, and fill me with You,
In You alone, I find my rest.
