Canceling Hurry - Week 2
Last Week — The Gift of Rest
We learned that rest is not weakness, it’s worship.
The question we left with: “Can I trust God enough to stop?”
Big Idea: Hurry is the enemy of spiritual life. God designed us for rhythms — of rest and work, stillness and movement, abiding and fruitfulness.
- Jesus’ Pattern: The Rhythm of Withdrawal
- He lived in a rhythm: retreat → renewal → return.
- Jesus never faced a moment publicly that He hadn’t first faced privately with His Father.
- Jesus’ private life prepared Him for His public life.
- This rhythm is not accidental — it’s spiritual formation in motion.
1: The Way of the Vine — Fruit Comes from Abiding (John 15:1–5)
Main Thought: We bear fruit not by trying harder, but by staying connected longer.
Spiritual life flows through proximity, not productivity.
2: The Speed of the Spirit — Learning When to Move and When to Rest
When to Move:
1. When obedience is clear
(Acts 8:29 – Philip and the Ethiopian)
When God’s command is unmistakable, don’t hesitate — step forward in faith.
2. When compassion calls
(Luke 10:33 – The Good Samaritan)
When love demands action, that’s the Spirit stirring your heart to move.
3. When the Spirit stirs
(Acts 13:2 – “Set apart Barnabas and Saul”)
When the prompting of the Spirit is unmistakable, surrender your schedule and say yes.
When to Rest
1. When your soul feels thin
(Mark 6:31 – “Come away by yourselves”)
Jesus invites us to rest not as a luxury, but as a necessity. When your inner world feels empty, withdraw before you burn out.
2. When work replaces worship
When the doing for God outweighs the being with God, step back and realign your heart.
3. When worship feels like work
When devotion turns into duty and joy gives way to obligation, the Spirit is whispering, “Rest.” When love feels like labor, it’s not more effort you need — it’s more encounter.
4. When your pace outpaces your peace
When your activity exceeds your awareness of God’s presence, it’s time to slow down and breathe again.
5. When you’re producing more than you’re praying
When your output exceeds your intimacy, the fruit becomes fragile. Prayer sustains what effort alone cannot.
The mature (ing) believer doesn’t just ask “What does God want me to do?” but also, “When and how does He want me to do it?”
1. Speed without Spirit = Burnout
2. Rest without Purpose = Stagnation
3. Spirit-led Rhythm = Fruitfulness
Practicing the Rhythm — Silence & Solitude
Main Thought: Silence and solitude are not luxuries — they are lifelines for a world running on empty.
“If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.” – John Mark Comer
“If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” – Corrie Ten Boom
Small Group Discussion Questions
Theme: “Learning the Rhythm of the Spirit”
1. What are the warning lights on your soul’s dashboard?
What signs show you’re moving too fast — irritability, fatigue, loss of joy, shallow prayer, etc.?
(Mark 6:31 – “Come away by yourselves”)
2. How do you discern the Spirit’s pace in your life right now?
What helps you know when it’s time to “move” and when it’s time to “rest”?
3. Which of Jesus’ withdrawal moments (temptation, decision, ministry, grief, rest) do you most relate to right now?
What might “getting alone with the Father” look like for you in that situation?
4. Where have you been “producing more than you’re praying”?
How can you reorder your schedule or habits to ensure intimacy fuels activity rather than the other way around?
5. How can your group practice the rhythm together?
What would it look like to create shared space for silence, simplicity, or Sabbath — as a community rhythm, not just an individual one?
3-Day Devotional Guide
“Life on Empty — Learning the Rhythm of the Spirit”
Each day builds from a core truth in your sermon. These can be shared as a follow-up email, a group text plan, or social posts for reflection.
Day 1 – Abide Before You Act
Scripture: John 15:1–5
Reflection: We often rush into doing for God before resting in Him. Jesus teaches that fruit comes not from trying harder but from staying connected longer. Abiding isn’t inactivity — it’s dependency. When you stay close to the Vine, the fruit grows naturally.
Prompt: Where am I mistaking activity for intimacy? How can I begin my day connected to Jesus instead of consumed by tasks?
Prayer: “Lord, teach me to remain in You before I reach for anything else. Let my fruit come from friendship, not striving.”
Day 2 – Learning the Speed of the Spirit
Scripture: Acts 8:29; Mark 6:31
Reflection: God’s will has a pace. There are seasons to move and seasons to rest — both are obedience. The mature believer doesn’t just ask “What?” but “When?” and “How?” If the Spirit moves slower than your schedule, it’s your schedule that must change.
Prompt: Where is the Spirit asking me to slow down? Where might He be asking me to move forward in faith?
Prayer: “Holy Spirit, tune my heart to Your rhythm. Slow me down where I’m rushing and stir me up where I’ve settled.”
Day 3 – Rest as Resistance
Scripture: Matthew 11:28–30; Psalm 16:8
Reflection: Rest isn’t laziness — it’s trust. When you stop, you declare that God is still working. When you rest, you resist the illusion of control. Sabbath is not a nap from life; it’s a declaration of faith in God’s sufficiency.
Prompt: What does true rest look like for me this week? Where am I still living like everything depends on me?
Prayer: “Jesus, I set You always before me. Teach me to rest, to trust, and to live at the pace of love.”