In our culture being busy is a badge of honor – a good thing — Being bored is not an option – pausing means I have to stop and consider what I have been running from and I don’t want to do that

A hurried life is an unhealthy life –

• We Americans – the protestant work ethic gone crazy – a badge of honor
• Some are ducks on the water – peaceful on top working under the surface
• Physically if you have a steady diet of the wrong things, it has an impact
• Many have an addition and to stop is actually painful
• Spiritually if you have constantly busy life on lesser things -its opportunity cost
• Business – preoccupation – scrolling – social media – is an enemy to relationships – it takes time – focus—effort – attentiveness to have a deep relationship

The impact on you

• Physical life – anxiety –hypertension – heart issues
• Relationships – we were built for relationship with God and others
• If we don’t have relationships its destructive to our souls
• Opportunity cost – losing what you need gaining what you don’t

Ecclesiastes 2:22–23 (NIV).    Ecclesiastes 4:8–12 (NIV)

Our own personal busyness –hurried ness

• A hurried preoccupied life kills relationship with God and others
• Leads to a life of activity without depth because business kills relationship – love is patient – time – forgives – encourages –supports
• A life of busyness leads to a life of doing things in your own wisdom and not even the best version of you
• Impacts those you lead – your children as well

God wants to give us rest – life

• Rest in God – His perspective –being still is not passive and it’s not an absence of thought – like mediation
• Sabbath living – physical and spiritual

Matthew 6:25–27 (NIV)              Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV)           John 10:10 (NIV)

Waiting upon the Lord    Isaiah 40:28–31 (ESV)    Psalm 130:5–6 (NIV)

Coming to Him

Psalm 27:8 (NLT) ⁸ My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

1. Being still – stopping what you are doing – in time and space

Psalm 37:7 (NIV) ⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 46:10 (NIV) ¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

1. Allowing Jesus to be Lord – I will wait—(like a waiter) at a restaurant

• Working at the wrong things
• Or the right things in the wrong way
• His Will and His Ways
• His way is to trust in Him and His work – which we cant always see and sometimes it doesn’t move fast enough

Luke 6:46–49 (NIV)

1. What does this provide?

• Gods’ perspective
• A reminder that He has and will be involved
• His strength to continue on
• As we wait, listen, remember together there is support together

James 1:19–25 (NLT)

Making space for God’s presence in your life

I am not asking you to add this to  your busy life – I am asking you to change things

1. Make a determination to be a disciple this year –Mt 4:19

• I will follow Christ – do what He says in every sphere
• I will allow Him to change me –
• I will grow in my commitment to His mission
• The resulting fruit – relationship qualities —

2. I will make a calendar for my family –

• How much on there impacts my ability to be a disciple
• How much of what my children do helps them grow as a disciple
• Those who lead those environments –what is the agenda –what will your children learn – How will what they learn impact their lives
• Opportunity cost –
• What do I eliminate – what do I tweak– so that I can experience Gods presence –which comes through what He gives us in His Word
• What needs to change so that Gods mission agenda can be moved forward

3. I will allow my new priorities to protect my time.

Proverbs 4:20–27 (NIV)

Our hope for this series – aligning your life around the Gods priorities for your life – this is the difference between a life of I wish I would have and I did        Matthew 6:25–27 (NIV)

For Small Group Discussion

Opening Question: What is the fastest you have ever driven a vehicle, and why?

Main Point: Our culture says that if we aren’t moving fast and accomplishing more, we aren’t measuring up. This mindset can follow us into our Christian walk, causing us to believe that our faithfulness is measured by how many things we get done for God. In contrast, Jesus not only seemed unhurried (or relaxed) most of the time, sometimes he even delayed on purpose to display God’s power more effectively.

Main Scripture: John 11:1-43

Head Questions

• Why do you think Jesus didn’t immediately go to help his friend Lazarus?
• Think about our cultural tendency to value a fast orientation and devalue a slow one. In what ways do you see this tendency in your own life? What voices, within or without, seek to keep you hurried?

Heart Questions

• How do you respond to the idea of Jesus as relaxed? What is your initial reaction—is it a positive or negative one?
• In what ways do you see busyness as a hindrance to your following Jesus?
• When has God not worked in your preferred timeline? Were you able to see His reasoning later, or is it an area where faith is needed?

Hands Questions

• What opportunities to simplify your life might Jesus be inviting you to consider so that you can walk more closely with Him?

Additional Scripture: Luke 4:1-2, Matthew 6:31-34

Tips and Resources: An Unhurried Life: Following Jesus’ Rhythms of Work and Rest by Alan Fadling

For more sermon resources, podcasts, and other tools go to:  https://realliferesources.org/current-series/ (www.realliferesources.org)