This week's soul-nourishment emphasizes the need for rest, for being recreated, re-energized and finding a godly rhythm in our lives. The second chapter focuses on finding freedom in God's ways rather than outside of his ways.

Lord, help us find a divine rhythm that blesses the soul in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus engaged in certain practices that allowed God's grace to keep replenishing his Spirit:

• He prayed.
• He had a circle with close friends.
• He engaged in regular corporate worship at synagogue.
• He fed his mind with scripture.
• He enjoyed God's creation - mountain, garden, and lake.
• He took long walks.
• He welcomed little children, hugged, and blessed them.
• He enjoyed partying with non-religious types...

A common problem is that people think of spiritual practices as obligations that will actually drain them. Sometimes I may need to engage in a practice like giving generously, or serving humbly, which my sinful side resists. But generally I need to engage in practices that connect me to God's grace and energy and joy. That might be going to the ocean, listening to glorious music, being with life-giving friends, taking a long hike - doing them with Jesus.

-- Soul Keeping, John Ortberg, pages. 129-130

Matthew 11:18,19

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon.” The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.

Invoking God onto our Week

We step into this week celebrating You, Father, who built a creation that inspires our souls;

We celebrate You, Jesus, who helps us find rest for our souls;

We celebrate You, Spirit, who calls us to the green pastures and quiet waters to restore our souls.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

John 10:14-16

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.

They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

What jumps out at you from this Bible reading? Ask God why…

Jesus had great clarity about the significance of his life, often described in his great "I AM" statements: I am the bread of life; I am the way; I am the Vine; I am the Good Shepherd. The reasons he was here in the world. Then he would state the significance of his followers, the "you are..." statements: You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. You are a city on a hill. His third movement involves grace not just flowing into us, but also now through us and out into others for their sake. But this, too, is a gift of God's grace. Do we know who we are, apart from money, power, and reputation?

-- Soul Keeping, Ortberg, page 133

Come Unto Me

Jami Smith

Why do you linger,
Why do you wait?
You carry on without me.
I've always been there,
still you hesitate.
I have much in store for you
If only you would
Come unto me all you who are weary
Come unto me all you who need rest
Take up my yoke and learn all about me
And I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

There is a world of difference between being busy and being hurried. Being busy is an outward condition, a condition of the body that occurs when we have many things to do. Being hurried is an inner condition, a condition of the soul. It means to be so preoccupied with myself and my life that I am unable to be fully present with God, with myself, and with other people. I am unable to occupy this present moment. Busy-ness migrates to hurry when we let it squeeze God out of our lives... I cannot rest in God with a hurried soul. 
-- Soul Keeping, Ortberg, page 134

Remember: Take five to ten minutes a day to stop and listen, to connect with God in music. Let the Holy Spirit use it to feed your soul.

Psalm 23:1-3

The LORD is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down
in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

The psalmist says our job is not to heal our souls, but to make space for them so that he can come. "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul."
-- Soul Keeping, John Ortberg, page 136 

Lord Jesus, Shepherd of my soul, show me where the green pastures are, where the quiet waters reside. 

Cause your Spirit to lead my spirit; It is there that I am made whole under your healing leadership.

Remind me of the value and the power of a refreshed, revitalized, re-energized soul. 

Remind me that the abundant life is in you, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for me. 

Teach me that the time to come to you for rest is before I am empty, not after. 

Let it be for your sake, 

Amen

Outward Expressions of our Commitment to Jesus:

In light of Jesus’ call to follow Him, we recognize that carrying out this discipleship process includes a Regular time with God in His Word, letting the Spirit disciple us directly.

This includes time alone for prayer and reflection to hear from and yield to the Holy Spirit. (SCOPE²). 

S Standing
C Commitment
O Offered to the
P Potter (God)
E Every day (Early)

It also involves time with God and others in His Word like in worship and small group, other great ways to be discipled both directly and indirectly by the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:14

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
~ Apostle Paul

The Ten Commandments were never designed to be a stand-alone list of rules.

They come within a relational context. They describe what living up to a certain value and a certain identity and a certain destiny look like... They flow out of how we were designed, who we were meant to be.

We read them as "this is what you have to do," but God was saying, "this is who you are." That's why we don't so much break the Ten Commandments as we break ourselves when we violate them.

-- Soul Keeping, John Ortberg, p. 144

Father God, it is good for me to know that true freedom comes when I surrender to your ways rather than "kicking against the goads" as you called it with St. Paul. 

Let your Holy Spirit teach me how to enjoy freedom within your ways rather than seeking freedom outside of them, which often ends up with me being enslaved to something unhealthy. 

I want to learn the value of a surrendered soul -- surrendered to you of course. I pray for this blessing in the name of Jesus, 

Amen.

Enoch

Hebrews 11:5-6

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Enoch, the great-great-great-great-grandson of Adam, is known in the bible for being one of only two people to have escaped dying (Elijah is the other). What made him so distinctive? According to Genesis 5:24, he was a man who walked with God. Of all the things a person could be known for (fastest runner, creative inventor, awesome chef, etc.), the tombstone of his unoccupied grave could read “walked with God”. 

Psalm 119:144-145

Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live. I call with all my heart; answer me, LORD, and I will obey your decrees.

If you want to free your soul, you acknowledge that there is a spiritual order that God has designed for you. You are not the center of the universe. You are not the master of your fate. You are not the captain of your ship. There is a God, and you're not him. True freedom comes when you embrace God's overall design for the world and your place in it. This is why in the Bible you see this strong connection between God's law and soul-freedom.
-- Soul Keeping, John Ortberg, page 147

Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Good habits are enormously freeing - we accomplish good things almost on auto-pilot... Good habits free us, but when sin becomes a habit, our souls lose their freedom... You can override a habit by willpower for a moment or two. You go to church. Read the Bible. Worship. Sing. Pray. You feel at peace with God for a moment, and then your sin habit returns. Habits eat willpower for breakfast. Our only hope is not for more willpower, it is for a new set of habits... This is what the cure of souls looked like for Jesus' followers. They confessed their sins to each other, prayed, and studied the scriptures together. They replaced sinful habits with new habits - Jesus habits. They met and broke bread together, not as an obligation, but for survival. Soul survival.
-- Soul Keeping, John Ortberg, pages 150, 151

Thank you, Father God, for the blessings of fellowship with other believers, your wise teachings for life, and for plentiful food. But especially I am grateful for the opportunity Jesus affords me to come to your throne with confidence that I am received as Your child in His name. Let me model my life after those followers in Acts 2 who built “Jesus habits” to help live a godly life. 

I ask this in Jesus’ name,

Amen.