Filadelfia International Church Barcelona

#MONDAYRECAPFICB

“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. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

1. JESUS INVITES US TO REST.

This is an invitation to an unhurried life.

• JESUS CALL US TO TAKE UPON HIS EASY YOKE.

A yoke is almost always used to tie two oxen in order to carry a load, a cart, a plough in a field. Jesus is essentially saying, “hey, I’m here. I have a yoke, you come along side me, match your pace of life to mine, let me carry most of the weight. Let me do all the heavy lifting and it will be easy.

• TO TAKE HIS EASY YOKE, I NEED TO SLOW DOWN.

The life of Jesus was full, yet he would regularly spend time with the Father and rest, but he was never really in a rush, never in a hurry.

“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life if you want to grow in your discipleship to Jesus.” Dallas Willard

“If Satan can’t make you sin, he will make you busy!” C.S. Lewis

• What is it about Jesus that gives his life that unhurried

 feel? How did he manage to be busy but never in a hurry?

• What does simplifying your life look like to you? What are some specific areas of your life where you could simplify? 
• What do you believe ‘really matters’ in your life? What would you need to do to live around what ‘really matters’?
• How can we resist the temptation to fill our lives with unnecessary things or activities? 
• Technology really help cut back our time. Everything became instant, electronic and digital. Even so, why is it many feel they have less time instead of more?
• Talk about the pros and cons of the digital age in your life. How have the changes affected your life?
• What is distraction, addiction and the current pace of life doing to your soul?

WORKS

5 Practices to Slow Your Life Down

1. Sabbath — set aside one day a week (24-hours) to be and not to do; turn off your phone, unplug from everything internet, don’t try to be productive, just slow down, enjoy the day, sleep, play, read, eat a good meal with people you love… do whatever is life-giving to you and your family
2. Fixed-Hour Prayer — throughout the day (quiet time in the morning then around noon and later in the day) take a minute to stop, to take a deep breath and to be aware of God’s presence with you
3. Fixed-Hour Schedule — schedule out an ideal week (work, rest, exercise, spiritual practices, family activities, community, etc.) and stick to it
4. Simple Living — strip your whole life down to what really matters and to live deliberately

1. Slowing Down — make rules to cultivate a slower pace and rhythm of life (single tasking, no phone while you eat, walk slower, reflect and journal)

• Which of the 5 practices of slowing down can you commit beginning this week?