Connect As we consider Jesus’ rhythm of rest, what do you find beautiful or compelling about it?

Warm-Up

1. When you hear the word rest, what comes to mind? 
2. How is God's idea of rest different from simply taking a holiday or a day off?

Read Luke 4:13-19

3. What stands out to you about Jesus' description of his mission?
4. Jesus announces "good news to the poor," "freedom for the prisoners," "recovery of sight for the blind," and "freedom for the oppressed." What do these promises reveal about the kind of rest Jesus came to bring?
5. Jesus finishes by proclaiming "the year of the Lord's favour." How does this connect with the Old Testament idea of Jubilee (Leviticus 25), and why is that significant?
6. What kinds of burdens do people in our community carry today? Which of these do you think Jesus is addressing in this passage?
7. Why do you think people often look for rest in success, possessions, entertainment, or achievement? Why do these things ultimately leave us wanting more?

Read Luke 23:55-24:1-6

8. The women wanted to anoint Jesus' body but stopped to observe the Sabbath. What does their obedience teach us about trusting God, even when we don't understand what he is doing?
9. What emotions do you think the women have experienced during that day of waiting?
10. Jesus declared, "It is finished", before he died. How does the Sabbath rest in the tomb reinforce the truth that his saving work was complete?
11. Read Genesis 2:2–3. How does God's rest after creation help us understand Jesus' rest after completing the work of redemption?
12. The women rested without yet knowing that resurrection morning was coming. In what ways are Christians today also living in a season of waiting?
13. Jesus' resurrection confirms that death is not the end. How does the empty tomb give you confidence when facing uncertainty, suffering, or grief?
14. Jesus invites the weary to come to him for rest (Matthew 11:28–30). How do his death and resurrection make that invitation possible?
15. What burdens—such as guilt, anxiety, fear, striving, or disappointment—can prevent us from experiencing the rest Jesus offers? Which of these do you most relate to?
16. What habits help you rest in Christ's finished work?

Apply Who is one person in your life who seems weary, burdened, or overwhelmed? How could you point them towards the hope and rest that Jesus offers?

‍

On Your Front Line this Week

What are your current habits of rest? Ask God to help you set a weekly pattern of rest that recharges you in him.

For Families

• Download: some of the family resources to use at home: stbartskids.org

Listen, Watch, and Read

• Listen (sermon): “Work and Rest” by Tim Keller:
  https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/work-and-rest/ 
• Read (article): “Wisdom and Sabbath Rest” by Tim Keller:
  https://redeemercitytocity.com/articles-stories/wisdom-and-sabbath-rest?rq=sabbath%20rest 
• Watch (clip): “Sabbath” by The Bible Project:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFTLvkB3JLM 
• Read (article): “Making the Most of Rest” by St Helen’s Bishopsgate:
  https://www.st-helens.org.uk/resources/article/178/ 
• Read (devotion): “Busyness and Rest” by Kevin DeYoung:
  https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2019/07/busyness-and-rest/ 
• Watch (interview): “When You’re Too Busy to Be Godly” by Kevin DeYoung:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V0FIJfGriA 
• Read (journal article): “Jesus and the Sabbath in the Four Gospels” by D. A. Carson:
  https://media.thegospelcoalition.org/documents/carson/1982_Jesus_and_the_Sabbath.pdf 

Series Resources

• Read: “Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction” by Justin Whitmel Earley. 📚
• Read: “Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster. 📚
• Read: “Prayerfulness” by Peter Adam. 📚
• Read: “A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace, Community, & Mission Around the Table” Tim Chester.
• Read: “Extraordinary Hospitality (for ordinary people)” by Carolyn Lacey.
• Read: “Subversive Sabbath” by A. J. Swoboda.
• Read: "Sabbath as Resistance” by Walter Brueggemann.

📚Available to borrow from the St Bart’s Library (Toowoomba): stbarts.com.au/library 

‍