Recover Your Life
October 24 – November 21, 2021
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace." -Jesus Weariness. Exhaustion. Burnout. Anxiety. Our quality of life has taken a hit this past year. Maybe you've taken that vacation, updated your kitchen, or crammed your schedule with exciting activities. But when you try to go back to “normal life,” you realize that it doesn't satisfy your deep need for joy, peace, and rest. This series will show us how to truly recover our lives by engaging in practices that will replenish and restore us.
We desire simplicity but find ourselves overwhelmed with an over-accumulation of things, or people, or media. So we watch more shows about minimalism, decluttering, and tidying up. We all want "clean" and "simple" in everything from the design of our coffee cups to our kitchen counters and even in our relationships. Yet real simplicity is elusive. This message will help us not only find simplicity on the outside, but simplicity that flows from the inside.
The name "Jesus" means savior. What do we mean by Savior? The text 52:13-53:12 is quoted more often in the NT than any other OT text. It was a deep understanding of Is 53 that formed the apostolic understanding of what Jesus came to do. What salvation means - to be set free - redemption is at the heart of salvation. Most of us are not free, and we don't know how to get there. Salvation is not a word we usually use, but we do use Freedom. Personal liberation - I don't have to be bound.
Everyone has a need to for a guide in life to help us through the unknowns. That guide is Jesus. We get guidance from him through the Spirit and the Scriptures, but we hear God's voice and understand the scriptures best in community. We all need guidance as we walk through life and that begins with community.
Everyone has a deep longing to find rest. We all search for places where we can finally be at peace and be free to be ourselves. God has designed us to find true rest only in himself, and we will be restless until we find ourselves in him. This message will share God's design for rest (the Exodus story), his provision of the Sabbath, and the fulfillment of rest in Christ.