Hello Friends, welcome to Sunday2Monday. The place where we say it again!

As my pastor says: Repetition brings revelation!

This weekend we had a dear friend, Ken Roberts, teach and train our leadership team at a retreat getaway in Dubuque, Ia. He also spoke to our church on Sunday. Ken Roberts is a visionary man with a beautiful wife, Missy. He is a teacher, speaker, and coach with a heart to see men and women lead well and grow in their inner man.  He has recently released LIFE-FOCUS: The art of a more purposeful and productive life. If you are ready to make 2018 your most “purpose-filled year ever,” then check out Ken’s new course.

In keeping with our series Rhythms of Grace, Ken gave us 5 essentials to rest but first let’s chat and ask a few questions. Our culture pushes us to keep up a pace that is out of step with the pace of grace. So what will we do? Will we keep running, keep working, keep hustling or will we become intentional about what and how we “do” life? Will we keep up the rat race or will we make the significant change needed to create a more enjoyable life?  Will we enter into the abundant life God has created for us or will we just keep trucking along at this world’s drumbeat of 24/7?

Ken says that when it comes right down to it, we have to ask ourselves some tough questions. If the Bible says in Matt. 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”, then do we really believe that Jesus invited us to come to Him and if we do, He will give us rest? 

Over and over this weekend Ken brought us back to this question: do we really believe?

Hebrews 3:12  Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

Unbelief puts a space between you and God, not that He has left you but that when we disbelieve it dislodges us from the communion that we have with Him. Why is this important? It is important because that communion is where the rest we so desperately need resides. Rest isn’t a day off. It’s not about taking a physical break. Even though those breaks are good and needed. Ken explained that rest is a combination of these things: spirit, mind, will, emotion, and body, working together. In order to have rest, you must have them working together. Otherwise, you may have a body at rest (not working) but if your mind is playing wack-a-mole with your emotions, you are not at rest.

Here are the 5 Essentials:

1. Identity: Do I know who I am in Christ? Do I know what I am called to do? Do I know what season of life I am in?
2. Trust in the Father: Are you are full of fear, worry, anxiety, or terror and if you pull on the rope will you find that you have not trusted God in some way in that area, and that is why you are shaken?
3. Meditation (confession & application) on the Word of God: Our minds informs our emotions. If we are not going to put the word of God in our minds, it will be impossible to not feel fear and worry. You are not giving your mind what it needs to fight fear. Ken says, “Worry is like a rat, and a rat has to gnaw.” Get the word in there. It’s an exterminator!
4. Intentional periods for pausing: There are a couple ways to pause. Sabbath – a day to not work but rather to delight in the Lord and the life, He has given us. Silence -a time to reflect. Solitude – a time to get alone with ourselves and the Lord. The last two, Ken said, “In silence and solitude is where the soul comes out of hiding and the lover of our soul comes out to speak.” 
5. A life management process: Do you know where you are going and how you will get there? No one gets to a destination by chance.

Ken said so much more this weekend. Meet me over at the Watering Hole later this week as we unpack these 5 essentials with some practical action steps that Ken gave the Springs of Life team at the leadership retreat. Until then….

Thanks for Listening,

Starla 

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