"Ten Words: Remember the Sabbath" -Exodus 20:8

Speaker: Steve Lee

​Sabbath is God’s gift to us, freeing us from the burden of performance and inviting us to trust in his care over us. It foreshadows the ultimate rest that we will one day enjoy at the renewal of creation.

Discussion Questions: 

1. God’s rest on the seventh day was not about recovering from exhaustion but about reigning over a world brought into peace and order. How does that change your understanding of what “rest” means in the Bible?
2. Israel’s value in Egypt was measured by how many bricks they could produce. In what ways does our culture still measure people’s worth by productivity, success, or accomplishment? How have you experienced that pressure personally? What are the “bricks” you tend to count in your own life?
3. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,” and repeatedly healed people on the Sabbath. What do those stories teach us about God’s purpose for Sabbath?
4. Hebrews says we must “make every effort to enter that rest.” Why do you think surrendering control and trusting Christ’s finished work can feel more difficult than simply continuing to work harder?
5. The Jewish day began with sleep rather than work. What does that teach us about dependence on God? How might beginning from rest rather than working toward rest reshape the way you approach your week
6. Paul teaches that Christians are not legally required to keep a weekly Sabbath (Colossians 2:16-17, Romans 14:5), yet we ought to still consider cultivating rhythms of intentional rest. Why do you think freedom in Christ doesn’t eliminate the need for spiritual disciplines?
7. If you were to set apart part of one day this week to practice Sabbath, what would you need to stop doing? What would help you delight in God? How could your rest become a gift of rest to someone else?