TOP 2026 RESOLUTIONS ARE:

· Read for enjoyment, not productivity

· LIMIT SCREEN TIME

· SLEEP BEFORE YOUR EXHAUSTED

· SERVE CONSISTENTLY

· INCREASE CLOSENESS TO JESUS

· READ THROUGH BIBLE IN YEAR-EXERCISE MORE

· DRINK MORE WATER

· PRACTICE RADICAL HOSPITALITY

· FORGIVE/RECONCILE WITH 1 PERSON MONTHLY

· CULTIVATE ONE FRUIT OF THE SPIRT

2 CHRONICLES 36

15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.

SCRIPTURE EZRA 1:1

1. IN THE FIRST YEAR OF CYRUS KING OF PERSIA, IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE WORD OF THE LORD SPOKEN BY JEREMIAH.

 SCRIPTURE EZRA 1:1

1. THE LORD MOVED THE HEART OF CYRUS THE KING OF PERSIA TO MAKE A PROCLOMATION THROUGHOUT HIS REALM AND ALSO TO PUT IN WRITING.

SCRIPTURE EZRA 1:2

2. “THIS IS WHAT CYRUS KING OF PERSIA SAYS: “THE LORD, THE GOD OF HEAVEN, HAS GIVEN ME ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH AND HE HAS APPOINTED ME TO BUILD A TEMPLE FOR HIM AT JERUSALEM IN JUDAH. (God behind the rebuilding of the Temple)

SCRIPTURE EZRA 1:3

3. ANY OF HIS PEOPLE AMONG YOU MAY GO UP TO JERUSALEM IN JUDAH AND BUILD THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, THE GOD WHO IS IN JERUSALEM, AND MAY THEIR GOD BE WITH THEM.

TIMELINE TO SHOW NEHEMIAH

· CREATION- FALL

· ABRAHAM

· NOW

· JESUS

· MOSES-1000 YEARS AFTER-400 YEARS BEFORE JESUS

TIMELINE CONTINUED

· DAVID- MAYBE ISRAELS GREATEST KING

· EXILE- 70 YEARS IN CAPTIVITY (2 % RETURN)

 TIMELINE

NEHEMIAH- 140 YEARS AFTER DESTRUCTON

TEMPLE DESTROYED- BUILT-SOLOMON-DAVID PLAN.

CHURCH BEGINS- ACTS

REFORMATION – LUTHER 1517

1. In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 1:3

4. ‘THEY SAID TO ME, “THOSE WHO SURVIVED THE EXILE AND ARE BACK IN THE PROVINCE ARE IN GREAT TROUBLE AND DISGRACE. THE WALL OF JERUSALEM IS BROKEN DOWN, AND ITS GATES HAVE BEEN BURNED WITH FIRE.”

SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 1:4

5. WHEN I HEARD THESE THINGS, I SAT DOWN AND WEPT. FOR SOME DAYS I MOURNED AND FASTED AND PRAYED BEFORE THE GOD OF HEAVEN.

· NEHEMIAH GETS THE NEWS PRAYS FOR 4 MONTHS

WHAT HAVE YOU PRAYED FOR – FOR 4 MONTHS?

SOME HAVE PRAYED LONGER THAN THAT FOR …

NEHEMIAH: MEANS GOD HAS COMFORTED-40/50 YRS OLD

HE IS NOT A KING- HES NOT A PRIEST- HE’S CUPBEARER

NOT A CONTRACTOR REGULAR MAN-HEART RESPONDS

PICTURE OF PHILADELPHIA

· SOME OF YOU HAVE LIVED IN A PLACE YOU LOVE

· SOME OF YOU ARE IN SOME WAY TIED TO A PLACE

· SOME YOU LOVE IT HERE- YOU WOULD NEVER

· NEHEMIAH IS WORN OUT OVER JERUSALEM

· MANY TIMES-MAKES NO SENSE- I WANNA GO BACK

· NEHEMIAH IS HOMESICK FOR JERUSALEM

· HES NEVER BEEN THERE

 SCRIPTURE PSALM 137:5

6. “IF I FORGET YOU O JERUSALEM, LET MY RIGHT HAND FORGET HOW TO PLAY THE HARP

 SCRIPTURE PSALM 137:6

7. MAY MY TONGUE STICK TO THE ROOF OF MY MOUTH IF I FAIL TO REMEMBER YOU, IF I DON’T MAKE JERUSALEM MY GREATEST JOY.

 PICTURE TWIN TOWERS

· RUINS- A SECTION OF CITY IS IN RUBBLE

· REPAIR

 PICTURE ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

· REPAIRED- REBUILT- BROUGHT HOPE

· BECAME A PLACE OF HEALING

 SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 1:5

5. THEN I SAID-LORD, GOD OF HEAVEN, THE GREAT AND AWESOME GOD, WHO KEEPS THE COVENANT OF LOVE WITH THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. (NOTICE HOW HE PRAYS)

 SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 1:6

6. LET YOUR EAR BE ATTENTIVE AND YOUR EYES OPEN TO HEAR THE PRAYER YOUR SERVANT IS PRAYING.

 SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 1:6

6. BEFORE YOU DAY AND NIGHT FOR YOUR SERVANTS, THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. I CONFESS THE SINS WE ISRAELITES INCLUDING MYSELF AND MY FATHERS FAMLY HAVE COMMITTED AGAINST YOU.

 SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 1:7

8. WE HAVE ACTED WICKED TOWARD YOU. WE HAVE NOT OBEYED THE COMMANDS, DECREES AND LAWS YOU GAVE YOUR SERVANT MOSES.

· HE INCLUDES HIMSELF IN PRAYER OF CONFESSION

“DISCIPLES PRAYER- FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES”

IF THE THING YOU ARE FEELING COMPELLED TO REPAIR OR REBUILD CAN BE DONE WITHOUT PRAYER- PAUSE

 MAP OF RETURN TO ZION

SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:2

2. “SO THE KING ASKED ME, “WHY DOES YOUR FACE LOOK SO BAD WHEN YOU ARE NOT ILL? THIS CAN BE NOTHING BUT SADNESS OF HEART.” I WAS VERY MUCH AFRAID

· PART OF THE ROLE WAS BE AN ENCOURAGER

· NEVER HAVE FROWN/DOWNCAST PRESENCE KING

SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:3

3. BUT I SAID TO THE KING, “MAY THE KING LIVE FOREVER! WHY SHOULD MY FACE NOT LOOK SAD WHEN THE CITY WHERE MY ANCESTORS ARE BURIED LIES IN RUINS AND ITS GATES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY FIRE.

· MOST ANCIENT LEADERS/ GREAT RESPECT FOR DECEASED

 SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:4

4. THE KING SAID TO ME, “WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT? THEN I PRAYED TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN,

· BEFORE HE REQUESTS ANYTHING FROM THE KING- HE ASKS THE LORD

 SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:5

5. AND I ANSWERED THE KING, “IF IT PLEASES THE KING AND IF YOUR SERVANT HAS FOUND FAVOR IN HIS SIGHT, LET HIM SEND ME TO THE CITY IN JUDAH WHERE MY ACNESTORS ARE BURRIED SO THAT I CAN REBUILD IT. (CLARITY- HE STATES IT)

MAP OF THE CITY

· CITY PERIMETER

· GATES AND ALL THEIR MEANINGS

WHAT THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT NEED REBUILT?

HEALTH? MARRIAGE? FINANCES? PRAYER LIFE?

THE TEAM YOU ARE LEADING? YOUR PRIORITIES?

YOUR SCHEDULING OF YOUR TIME?

THERE IS AN ORDER OF THE REBUILD PROCESS HERE

ALTAR- TEMPLE- WALLS

· NOTICE THE ORDER HERE

· WE DO THE OPPOSITE- WE WANT TO FIX EXTERNAL

· WHY DO WE NOT START WITH WORSHIP

GRACE POINT OFFER TO HELP LEAD AND REPAIR

· AUGUST 2020- VACATION- DS TALKED GP

· BACK OF MY MIND- NO PART

· BEEN LIVING IN PA 2 YEARS- SERVING CHURCH

· CHURCH WAS STRUGGLING

· DID NOT WANT TO BE PASTOR-

· HE ASKED SEV TIMES- I SAID NO- I DID PRAY BUT

· STANDING IN THE KITCHEN IN LATE FALL

· RUTH AND I ON PHONE- WHAT ARE YOU WAITING

· ITS NOT ENOUGH TO JUST PRAY ABOUT IT

· SOMETIMES WE PRAY THEN OBEY- MOVE

REPAIR SHOP- INCREASED POPULARITY. 7 MIL VIEWERS

· family heirlooms with deep personal and emotional history, not significant monetary value.

· The “reveal” moment, when owners see their cherished items restored, is a powerful and MOVING-

· Dopamine isn’t just about pleasure-it’s about progress and resolution.

· CORTISOL LEVELS GO DOWN-STRESS CALMS

· YOUR BRAIN WANTS PREDICTABILITY

· WATCH SOMEONE REPAIR SOMETHING

· Your brain partially simulates the act

· You “feel” the completion as if you participate

· ATTACHMENT AND VALUE TO ITEM YES

· RESTORATION TO FUNCTION

· THIS WAS A PEAT BUCKET- A CITY WALL

RETURN TO ME

· ALL OF THE STORY OF SCRIPTURE

· RETURN TO ME- I LOVE YOU- RETURN TO ME

· GENESIS- MY ORIGINAL DESIGN

· BEEN TRYING TO REBUILD/RESTORE EVER SINCE

· Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah reconstructing the obedience of God’s people

GOD SPECIALIZES IN REBUILDING OUR LIVES

· The Lord wasn’t just restoring a city, He was restoring a relationship with His people based on His own promises to them.

BEFORE WE PICK UP A BRICK

1. WEPT-HIS HEART WAS MOVED

2. PRAYED-POSITIONED HIMSELF/QUOTED GODS PROMISES BACK TO GOD IN PRAYER

3. PLANNED 4. PETITIONED. 5. WORKED

4. The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and His resurrection, and the hope of His coming again.

5. The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.

6. All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

7. In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Let us pray.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (TAKE BREAK AND EAT)

25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Genesis 25:29-34 

“Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.” 

‭‭ 

Who in their right mind would trade their birth right for a bowl of stew? 

Your appetite’s always scream now never later. 

Our appetite’s say to trade the ultimate good for the immediate gratification of the moment. 

It’s time to obey God, not your appetites. 

Delayed obedience usually forfeits God ‘s best. 

James 1:13-16 

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.” 

Be Still and Know:  A Call to Obedience in the Chaos

I wonder…Does anyone else feel like they are running on empty? The pace of life since November hasn’t been a ‘celebration’—it’s been a marathon.

Today is about the radical act of trust required to simply say ‘no’ to the work and ‘yes’ to the rest.

If you feel weary or like you are simply stretched so thin that you’ve lost your sense of peace, this message is for you. But I want you to know: this message is also for me.

Together we are going to examine a message of holiness to honor the Sabbath—not as a burden, but as a radical act of trust. May we learn together to trust and obey God.

Before we go any further, let us go to the Lord in prayer.

Let’s pray: 

“Heavenly Father, we invite Your Holy Spirit into this room. We confess that the noise of the world often drowns out Your voice. Quiet our hearts now. Help us to set aside our to-do lists and our anxieties so we can truly hear Your invitation to rest. Teach us what it means to trust You with our time and our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

God’s profound invitation:  Our world today moves at a breakneck speed. It is a whirlwind of noise, activity, and incessant demands on our time and attention.

We live in an “always-on” culture that measures our worth by our productivity and our “hustle.”

In the midst of this chaos, God offers a profound invitation in Psalm 46:10: “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'”

This is more than a suggestion; it is a divine command. It is a posture of the heart—a deliberate choice to cease our striving and our trying to control every outcome.

It is an invitation to shift our focus from our own limited strength to the limitless power and sovereignty of the Almighty God.

God’s guidance. To understand how to do this, we look to the heart of God’s guidance for us in Exodus 20:8-10: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God…”

This past Thanksgiving, my husband Thomas and I were at Virginia Beach.

For years, it has been our practice to begin our day in quietness with the Lord—reading our Bible and praying.

I recall one morning where Thomas sat on the hotel balcony, reading his Bible and praying, facing the vast ocean with its rhythmic waves in the distance.

The scene beautifully illustrated putting God first amidst life’s powerful ‘waves.

Inside, I was in our hotel room with my prayer journal, my Bible, and a warm cup of coffee.

As I sat there, I looked out over the ocean and thought about the Call to balance and wholeness.

I sat there contemplating: “What gift will I give to the Father this year?” God reminded me that running hard for six days is only achievable when we honor His plan for Sabbath rest.

That quiet moment—choosing devotion over immediate productivity—is a meaningful offering and a lifestyle that I currently live on an almost daily basis.

Yet, I could feel an inner yearning. God was doing a new thing in me. My heart’s desire was to abide (to stay and remain) with God and move to the next level of obedience, allowing Him to fine-tune me into the woman of God He desires me to be.

That quiet moment—choosing devotion over immediate productivity—is a meaningful offering, and it is a rhythm I have sought to live out daily.

Yet, I could feel an inner yearning. God was doing a new thing in me. My heart’s desire was to abide—to stay and remain—with God, and to move to the next level of obedience.

I felt Him calling me to allow Him to fine-tune me into the woman of God He desires me to be.

I am practicing God’s sovereignty through this daily quiet time, but I realized His call was for something even deeper…”

It wasn’t a suggestion to “relax”—it was a call to a radical act of faith.

It was an invitation to move from the theory of God’s sovereignty into the practice of it.

What the Holy Spirit whispered to me in that stillness was a reminder that our horizontal rest (how we relate to our work and our families) is entirely dependent on our vertical alignment (how we relate to God).

You see, we cannot truly rest until we settle the question of who is in charge.

Before we look at the Law, we have to look at Creation. The biblical support for Sabbath and rest is first found in Genesis.

We see in Genesis 2:2-3:

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

Consider this: Man was created on the 6th day. This means man’s very first full day of existence was not a day of “hustle” or “work”—it was a day of rest with his Creator. God didn’t rest because He was tired; He rested to set a rhythm for us. He expects for us to practice a Sabbath day of rest because it is how we were designed to function.

When we skip the Sabbath, we aren’t just breaking a rule; we are breaking our own design.

The Ten Commandments, including the Fourth Commandment to honor the Sabbath, are a revelation of who God is, not just what He requires.

They are not merely behavioral modification rules, but a pathway to a deeper relationship with the ultimate Lawgiver.

True stillness—a quieting of our own desires and self-justifications—allows us to truly “know” that He is the sole, sovereign God. It is in the quiet that we recognize He is in control, even when circumstances feel chaotic.

To settle the question of who is in charge, we look at The God-Foundation:

1. Dethroning the “God of Hustle”: “You shall have no other gods before me.”

When we refuse to be still, we are essentially making a “god” out of our own productivity. Being still reminds us that God is the one providing, not our constant “hustle.” Exodus 20:3

•  Smashing the Image of “Self-importance”: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image… You shall not bow down to them or serve them.” Exodus 20:4-5

Practicing Sabbath stillness is a physical act of humility. It’s that internal battle where we say: ‘I have to get this done… this is urgent… it can’t wait.’ 

Maybe for you, it’s the laundry pile that feels like it’s judging you. Maybe it’s the text message you feel you must return right now, or that one special project that is so close to the finish line.

We tell ourselves these things are vital, even when God is saying, ‘Wait and be still.’ 

By stepping away for twenty-four hours, we are admitting to our own souls the truth:

“God is the sustainer and we are not.”

But there is a second danger in the ‘hustle’—the danger of contradiction.

• The Third Commandment in Exodus 20:7 tells us:

‘You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.’

We often think this is just a rule about our language… but the Hebrew word for ‘misuse’ or ‘take’ is nasa. It literally means ‘to lift up’… or ‘to carry.’

It’s the image of a soldier carrying a banner into battle… or a child carrying a family name into the world.

When we call ourselves ‘Christians,’ we are carrying the name of God into our offices, our schools, and our homes.

If we claim to serve a God of peace… but we live in a state of constant, frantic, soul-crushing hurry… our lives contradict the character of the Name we carry.

If we never stop, we are telling our neighbors that our God is a demanding taskmaster who never sleeps… rather than a loving Father who invites His children to rest.

We must remember: God is the sustainer. He doesn’t need us to do His job. He isn’t looking for employees to keep the universe running; He desires for us to rest in His finished work.

When we refuse that rest, we aren’t just working hard… we are carrying His name in a way that hides His heart to the world. 

If the first three commandments show us the danger of the hustle, the Fourth Commandment provides the rescue. God doesn’t just tell us to be different; He gives us a rhythm to live differently.

The Fourth Commandment in Exodus 20:8:  ‘Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.’

For many of us, the struggle isn’t about pride—it’s about responsibility. We work like it all depends on us, even while we pray like it all depends on God.

We feel the weight of every ‘urgent’ task and every person counting on us. But Sabbath is the moment where we move from knowing it depends on Him to acting like it depends on Him.

Honoring the Sabbath is the act of releasing the weight. It is a physical declaration that while the work is essential, we are not the ones who must hold the universe together.

It is the moment we put down the burden of being the one in charge.

Think of a ship that has been running its engine at full capacity to navigate a demanding sea. The captain isn’t being unfaithful by keeping the ship on course; they are being faithful to the mission.

But no engine is designed to run at redline forever. Eventually, the ship must enter the harbor.

When the captain drops the anchor, three things happen:

1. The engine finally rests. The constant vibration of ‘doing’ stops. The ship is just as much a ship when it is still as when it is moving.

• The ‘Burden of the Essential’ is transferred. The captain is no longer responsible for the ship’s position; the anchor is.

Dropping the anchor is saying, ‘I have done what I can; now I will trust the ground beneath me.’

• The ship is restored. In the stillness of the harbor, the hull is cleaned, the fuel is replenished, and the captain remembers that they are more than just a navigator—they are a person.

When we ‘drop the anchor’ for twenty-four hours, we aren’t being lazy. We are being obedient. We are admitting that the world is safe in His hands, even when our hands are still.

I’ve felt that yearning lately for a ‘deeper and richer’ Sabbath. I realized that observing this day is more than a break—it is a Declaration of Sovereignty. It is the most direct, practical application of ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’

This recognition of His sovereignty does three things:

1. It declares God as Sustainer: We step back from the ethic that says we earn everything through labor. We admit that while we work, He provides; and while we rest, He sustains.

• It fosters Wholeness: This isn’t just ‘recharging batteries.’ It is spiritual renewal—finding the grace to serve others out of a full soul rather than an empty one.

• It is a Gift, not a Burden: We must resist the temptation to feel guilty. The ‘danger zones’ of ignoring this gift are real: burnout, anxiety, and fractured relationships.

It is easy to sing ‘Trust and Obey’ when the sun is shining and the waves are calm. But the real test of our theology is this:

What does it look like to ‘trust and obey’ when the storm of the urgent is so loud you can’t hear your own breath?

Maybe it looks like dropping the anchor anyway.”

We see this trust most clearly not in the calm, but in the deepest valley.

You may know the name Steven Curtis Chapman—a man who has spent his life writing songs that call us to ‘Be Still.’

But in May 2008, his family faced a tragedy that defines ‘chaos’ and tests the very limit of human faith. His five-year-old daughter, Maria Sue, was tragically killed in their own driveway.

In that moment of unimaginable loss, the command to ‘be still’ was no longer just a lyric on a page; it became the only ground left to stand on. Steven and his family had to make the radical choice to trust the heart of the Father when His hand was difficult to trace.

Their journey shows us that ‘being still’ isn’t about the absence of trouble… it’s about the presence of a Sovereign God in the midst of it.  Getting out of the Rocking Chair

Trusting God is not a restless activity. As I sat there by the ocean, I realized that trying to control every outcome while we are supposed to be resting is like sitting in a rocking chair:

It gives you something to do… but it gets you nowhere. It doesn’t move you an inch closer to the Father. 

Honoring the Sabbath is the courage to get up and walk away from the chair. Because ultimately, Sabbath isn’t about finishing the work; it’s about stopping the work.“

When we finally settle into that quiet strength, something remarkable happens:

The peace we find in the vertical—between us and God—begins to spill over into the horizontal—between us and everyone else.

The Promise is fulfilled in our obedience. The Sabbath is not a burden; it is the sacred framework for a life where we can truly ‘be still’ because we live within the protective boundaries of God’s kingdom.”

As we look toward the start of a new year, we often think about what we want to get, but I want to ask you: What gift will we give Jesus for the New Year?

The most meaningful gift is our obedience. For me, this “next level of obedience” isn’t just a feeling, it’s a strategy.

As we look at my strategy for the new year, keep this one thing in mind:

Sabbath isn’t about finishing the work; it’s about stopping the work. It’s okay if the list is still long; we are choosing to be still anyway.

1. Protect Your Private Time: Start each day by anchoring yourself in God before the ‘waves’ of the week—and the demands of your schedule—hit you.

• Pick Your 24 Hours: As a bi-vocational pastor, I realize I must be intentional. My heart’s desire is to simply abide with God and stop.

My next level of obedience is choosing to let the work be ‘unfinished’ for 24 hours. My Sabbath will be either Friday or Saturday of each week.

• The Courage to Leave it Unfinished: I am a planner, but I recognize that there will always be more to do. Honoring the Sabbath means having the courage to say, ‘If it doesn’t get done today, that’s okay.’ I am choosing to trust that God is at work even when my hands are still.

• Build Accountability: Maintain relationships that help you keep these boundaries and remind you that your worth is found in Him, not in your ‘to-do’ list.”

So, if you call or text me and you don’t hear an immediate response, please do not get upset with me. I ask for your grace as I practice this next level of obedience alongside you.

I am making this change to fine-tune my walk with God and to be the leader He desires me to be. By practicing this, we learn to be still like that seagull on the sand, finding our center while the world rushes around us.

As the music plays, I invite you to leave the ‘rocking chair.’ Bring your burdens, your busyness, your chaos, and your ‘six days of labor’ to the altar.

Let’s give Him the gift of our trust today.   I want to invite you to respond. Perhaps you are here today and you are exhausted.

You’ve been running 60-hour weeks, your soul is depleted, and you’ve let the ‘rocking chair of responsibility’ take the place of the ‘altar of rest.

God is calling you back to His rhythm. He is asking for the gift of your trust. This isn’t just a resolution; it’s a return to holiness. As I shared, I plan to be intentional with my gift to Jesus.

If you want to commit to a life of “Sabbath-living”—I invite you to come forward. Let us lay our busyness at the feet of the One who says, “I will be exalted.”

The altars are open. Come, be still, and know that He is God.

 Let us prayer: 

“Heavenly Father, I hear the invitation to come to the altar and be still. Today, I confess that my heart is often crowded with the noise of my own to-do lists and the chaos of the world around me.

I respond now by relinquishing control. I recognize that my worth is not found in my productivity, but in being Your child. Right now, I breathe in Your peace and breathe out my burdens, trusting that You are moving even when I am standing still.

I commit to the rhythm of Sabbath. Help me to honor Your commandment—not as a burden, but as a gift of grace. Teach me to set aside time to rest, to delight in Your creation, and to listen to Your still, small voice.

May this practice of stillness become the anchor of my week, reminding me that the world continues to turn because of Your hand, not mine.

In the quiet, I acknowledge Your sovereignty. You are the King of the storm and the Prince of Peace. I choose to know—deep in my soul—that You are God, and that is enough. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

VIDEO:  Let’s listen and “Be Still and Know He is God”  The altars are open. 

“Be Still and Know” by Steven Curtis Chapman plays while the congregation is invited to pray:  https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/wjt5vvad0ljeevrcmsqg5/AOAiI9V6dT-ITpp5WThqCiE?dl=0&e=1&preview=Be+Still+and+Know+3_20.mp4&rlkey=8kv28j4mfkkr6dl6ou93gnrie&st=erk5tfus

Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭14‬ ‭

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”