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Pleasant Grove
Church of Christ
Teaching People to Follow Jesus
The Rest of God
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Now Stop
November 18, 2018
The Sabbath is God’s gift to His beloved children. These past few months we’ve done our best to uncover God’s original intention for this special day. The problem is: finding it a fragile thing, in an effort to protect what we’ve found, we bury it only to lose what we’ve discovered. On November 18th, 2018 we unpacked what we’ve learned and choose to follow Jesus' example of truly living in the Sabbath. Please join us in reading Genesis chapter 2 in preparation for this message: Now Stop. Click on the image to Listen.
Reflect & Anticipate: Stopping to Glimpse Forever
November 11, 2018
“Who am I?” That’s a question that stands at the heart of a reflective life. Such reflection bears the fruit of anticipation – “Who am I becoming?” – helping us view our lives through the lens of eternity. On November 11th, 2018 we learned to see what we’ve gone through in the past and what we’re going through in the present in the light of our future with God. Please join us in reading Genesis chapter 32 in preparation for this message: Reflect and Anticipate: Stopping to Glimpse Forever. Click on the image to Listen.
Remember: Stopping to Pick Up the Pieces
November 4, 2018
Our memories define our identities. Since that is true, why do have such a hard time remembering what God has done for us, yet we don’t seem to be able to forget how we have messed up. On November 4th, 2018 we learned to take time to remember what draws us to God while forgetting what pulls us away from Him. Please join us in reading Exodus chapter 17 in preparation for this message: Remember: Stopping to Pick Up the Pieces. Click on the image to Listen.
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Listen: Stopping to Hear God
October 28, 2018
Carl Sandburg, in his biography of Abraham Lincoln, wrote, “In the making of him, the element of silence was immense.” What is it that is making us? On October 28th, 2018 we learned to listen and hear the voice of God. Please join us in reading 1 Samuel chapters 2, 3, 4:1 in preparation for this message: Listen: Stopping to Hear God. Click on the image to Listen.
Feast: Stopping to Taste the Kingdom
October 21, 2018
Sabbath is for feasting. Only feasting on the Sabbath doesn’t seem to mean much anymore – we feast all the time. On October 21st, 2018 we learned to live frugally during the week so, when we come to the Sabbath, we can truly feast in celebration of God’s bounty and feast in the work God lays before us. Please join us in reading John chapter 4 in preparation for this message: Feast: Stopping to Taste the Kingdom. Click on the image to Listen.
Restore: Stopping to Become Whole
October 14, 2018
“Do you want to get well?” Those were the peculiar words that Jesus asked the lame man beside the Pool of Bethesda. Of course he wanted to get well! Who wouldn’t want to get well! But we’ve often grown so accustomed to our brokenness that we don’t really want to get well anymore. On October 14th, 2018 we learned to turn to the Lord to restore our souls. Please join us in reading John chapter 5 in preparation for this message: Restore: Stopping to Become Whole. Click on the image to Listen.
Play: Stopping Just to Waste Time
October 7, 2018
“Time flies when you’re having fun?” Time flies, energy returns, and hunger and thirst are forgotten. Both play and Sabbath participate in something outside the bounds of strict usefulness and time. On October 7th, 2018 we learned to be more like our children by taking time to waste some time – making time to play. Please join us in reading Nehemiah chapter 8 in preparation for this message: Play: Stopping Just to Waste Time. Click on the image to Listen.
The Golden Rule: Stopping to Find a Center
September 30, 2018
The Sabbath is bigger than just a day during the our week. The Sabbath is a lifestyle that impacts every day of our lives. On September 30th, 2018 we examined “The Golden Rule” of the Sabbath to see how it offers us the abundant life Jesus promised his followers. Please join us in reading Luke chapter 19 in preparation for this message: The Golden Rule: Stopping to Find a Center. Click on the image to Listen.
Losing My Religion: Stopping Legalism
September 23, 2018
The rest that God offers in many ways sounds too good to be true, almost mythical. Our problem with thinking of the Sabbath as fictional stems from two things: busyness and legalism. On September 23rd, 2018 we will see that we often bring our own rigidness into the Sabbath. Then, we learned to deny our own way and find our joy in the Lord. Please join us in reading Mark chapters 2 &3 in preparation for this message: Losing My Religion: Stopping Legalism. Click on the image to Listen.
We're Not in Egypt Anymore
September 16, 2018
Life is in the details. When two things are so similar, the differences take on added significance. So it is with the commandment about keeping the Sabbath holy. On September 16th, 2018 we examined the two passages where the command is given to see what significance their distinctiveness holds for our lives. Please join us in reading Exodus chapter 20; Deuteronomy chapter 5 in preparation for this message: We're Not in Egypt Anymore: Stopping to Remove the Taskmasters. Click on the image to Listen.
The Rest of Time: Stopping to Number Our Days Correctly
September 9, 2018
How do we handle interruptions? Henri Nouwen observed at the end of his life, “My whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted until I discovered the interruptions were my work.” On September 9th, 2018 we learned to view our time through the lens of eternity realizing the purpose and meaning God has woven into it . Please join us in reading Psalms chapter 90 in preparation for this message: The Rest of Time: Stopping to Number Our Days Correctly. Click on the image to Listen.
In God's Time: Stopping to See God's Bigness
September 2, 2018
How can we take time to experience the Sabbath when so many things seem to solely depend on us? Our answer to this question reveals a lot about what we think of God. On September 2nd, 2018 we oriented ourselves to who God is so we can start to trust Him to do what He does. Please join us in reading Acts chapter 16 in preparation for this message: In God's Time: Stopping to See God's Bigness. Click on the image to Listen.
The Rest of God: Stopping to Find What's Missing
August 19, 2018
Do you ever feel like you are chasing after something that isn’t even real? Too often, we are in such a hurry and worn out that we find it hard to care about the things we care about. On August 19th, 2018 we learned to live in an awareness of the moment – to pass through a day without passing by it. Please join us in reading Mark chapter 6 in preparation for this message: The Rest of God: Stopping to Find What’s Missing. Click on the image to Listen.
A Beautiful Mind: Stopping to Think Differently
August 12, 2018
We often think, we just need some time away from our busy schedules to recharge. Then, we come back from our “leisure” desperately in need of a vacation. Leisure is what Sabbath becomes when we don’t know how to sanctify time. On August 12th, 2018 we sanctified our time by learning to experience the sacred amidst the commonplace. Please join us in reading Genesis chapter 2 in preparation for this message: A Beautiful Mind: Stopping to Think Differently. Click on the image to Listen.
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Work: One Thing Before You Stop
August 5, 2018
Why are we talking about work in a sermon series about rest? Well, without a rich theology of work, we’ll have an impoverished theology of rest. On August 5th, 2018 we looked at what Scripture has to say about work to help us see what we do from God’s perspective. Please join us in reading Luke chapter 5 in preparation for this message: Work: One Thing Before You Stop. Click on the image to Listen.
The Rest of God
July 29, 2018
"Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). There are certain things about God that can only be known through times of rest. Yet, as Christians, we often neglect the day of rest that God has perscribed. On July 29th, 2018 we began to not only change our minds about the Sabbath, but also to change the way we live out our week. Please join us in reading Matthew chapter 11 in preparation for this message: The Rest of God. Click on the image to Listen.