Resting is Hard Work!

I was thinking about how us humans have a predisposition to earn our worth by doing—do to be– to work hard for status, love, acceptance, and value.

I once heard it said that we always want to work FOR love instead of work FROM love. I want to remind you that in the beginning of the Story, God created humans in his own image on the sixth day, to be like him. And then on the next day—the very first full twenty-four hours of life for Adam and Eve—was a day off. A day of rest.

In the book of Exodus found in the Old Testament of the Bible, these ancient Hebrew writings show us that when God gives the fourth of what we commonly call the Ten Commandments, he says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”  He’s not talking about Ozzie Osbourne and his band… but he gives us a whole paragraph of instructions on this command while the other of the 10 Commandments are just mentioned briefly, such as, “You shall not steal or lie.”

Why do we treat God’s command to keep sabbath as a suggestion? We wouldn’t do that with the other 9

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It seems that God knew that we were going to want to work hard at earning and providing for ourselves, and that we would need a rhythm of reminders to help us restore balance and trust in him each week.​God created everything, including us, pronounced it awesome, and then took a break to enjoy it all. That is his desire for us too—to live in a rhythm of resting in his finished work. So why do we so often treat this command of God’s as a suggestion? “Oh, um, yeah…I really need to do that more.” Or… “In the New Year, I am going to rest and take some time off. At least I hope to.”

But we would never say that about any of the other commands: “Next month I am going to cut my stealing and telling lies in half. I really need to.” Or, “I should definitely stop murdering people. I really gotta cut back.”

What?!

Why is it when it comes to the command to rest and then work, we so easily blow this one off? Maybe we get so busy we forget. We lose track of God’s ongoing goodness and provision, and begin thinking that we’re our own source of talent, energy, skills, and…well, everything.

God desires our lives to be a perpetual state of Sabbath, a non-stop resting in his completed work on the cross.

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God desires our lives to be a perpetual state of Sabbath, a non-stop resting in his completed work. On the cross, Jesus secured for us what we never could earn for ourselves, the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of our relationship with his Father. We can do nothing to add to this any more than we can cause plants to grow, control the weather, or cause God to love us any more than he already does.

Because of Jesus we can rest. Today. Every day. At a soul level.

So if you’ve been working hard and then resting… the next best time to start working from rest is now.

Let me know what keeps you from truly resting in a regular rhythm in the comments below.

Advent Week 2: We Live With Peace Because God Is Glorious

The peace Jesus came to bring was not coercive or backed up by military might, and it was not the type of peace that most of the world was looking for. The announcement of the Messiah’s birth heralded something different and transformational.

In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, Caesar continues the Advent Series as he looks at the truth that God is glorious so we don’t have to fear others! Believing this leads us to peace in relationships, peace with ourselves, and peace with God.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

  • The second of four eternal truths about God that transforms us. (The 4 G’s)
  • The ways that the “fear of man” may be ruining your life and relationships.
  • How Jesus came to bring peace to all of mankind and the world.
  • How to find the unbelief and actions that are keeping you from having peace.

Get started here…

A happy child with a fluffy Santa hat holds a model Earth and figurines symbolizing unity.

Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. 

Please check out this new episode and be sure to get this week’s FREE Download of the Big 3.

Shifting Your Small Groups to Vibrant Missional Communities

Around the world thousands of churches have loads of people involved in what we’ve come to know as “small groups”. And that’s a good thing. But often these groups can become very inward focused–not a lot of outward or missional impulse. It’s time to shift those small groups to missional communities!

Transitioning small groups or community groups to missional communities is much more than a name change. It’s much more than a weekly meeting (of mostly Christians) and it’s not just a monthly service project added in and called “mission”.  (more…)

Advent Week 1: We Have Hope Because God Is Great

The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, shopping lists, and debt.

In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, Caesar starts a special Advent Series by diving deep into the greatness of God and how believing this changes what and Who we put our hope in this holiday season and in everyday life.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

  • The four eternal truths about God that change everything. (The 4 G’s)
  • Why we continue trusting in “self” yet hoping for more.
  • How Jesus was born to bring and fulfill hope!
  • How to discern the areas of life you are still trying to control.

Get started here…

lighted advent candles

Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. 

Please check out this new episode and be sure to get this week’s FREE Download of the Big 3.

Friendsgiving: Welcoming People to God’s Table

Thanksgiving gives us a beautiful chance to practice radical hospitality—welcoming others into our lives and treating them like family. But what if this year, you opened up your table in a way that reflects how big God’s family really is?

In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, Tina joins me for a conversation about Friendsgiving—a simple but powerful way to include others in your life, especially those who may not have a place to celebrate. We’ll talk about how to shift your mindset, get your family on board, and create space at your table for gospel relationships to grow.

You don’t need a perfect meal. You just need a seat, a little flexibility, and a willingness to love like Jesus.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

  • Why expanding your definition of “family” is central to living on mission.
  • Who you might invite this year—and how to ask without it being awkward.
  • What to do when your relatives aren’t thrilled about “outsiders” joining the table.
  • How to express thankfulness in a way that feels genuine and Spirit-led.

Get started here…

A group of friends laughing, gathered around a table celebrating thanksgiving as a family.

Each week the Big 3 will give you immediate action steps to get you started. 

Please check out this new episode and be sure to get this week’s FREE Download of the Big 3.

Gospel Tipping: Why Overtipping Should Be Our Norm

Is it just me or does it seem that more and more people are expecting to be tipped for their services these days? And at increasing rates.

When my wife Tina and I lived in Manhattan we had to actually plan to have cash on us in small denominations at all times because it was such a tipping culture. Why do some people get tipped extra money for doing their jobs and others do not? And how should we respond to that? And what about people who kinda stink at their job, but expect to be tipped anyway?

(more…)

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