Living in Overdrive?

LIVING IN OVERDRIVE:
Resisting Relational Sprawl

Monday, October 15                                                                Mark 3:7-14
Think for a moment about the number of worlds you have to manage that are not connected to one another. List them: work, home, school, kid's activities, church, extended family, etc. Now stop for a moment and consider the relationships tied to each of those worlds. How much time and energy does it take to manage this picture? Are you in overdrive?

When you look at this passage and observe the relational pressures that Jesus is under, how does He handle it? What steps does He take (v. 7, 13-14)? How can you be more intentional when it comes to all the relationships that require time and energy?

Tuesday, October 16                                                                  Acts 2:42-47
When you think about the relationships that occupy your schedule, where do most of those relationship come from? Are they work relationships? Family/ Church friends? Why?

What does this passage say about the first believers? What did they share in common? What was the result? Who did they spend time with? Why do you think its important to surround yourself with other followers of Jesus?

Wednesday, October 17                                                           Hebrews 10:19-25
Who is this letter written to? What is the encouragement of this passage? How does it apply to your life? What does it have to say about our relationships and how we manage those?

What does this passage indicate we should be doing when we gather together? Why is that so important? Why do you suppose church falls on the relationship priority list in our lives?

Thursday, October 18                       Proverbs 18:24, 27:17, Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
What do these passages communicate about relationships? What would you say is the sum of their wisdom? How can you apply these truths to your life?

Friday, October 19                                                                                     James 2:1-9
Do you ever find yourself playing favorites when it comes to your relationships? Why? What are the motivations for who you spend you time with (good and not so good)? According to this passage, how should we determine who we spend time with?

What does it look like to really "love your neighbor as yourself?" How capable are you of pulling that off? How many relationships do you have where that is the priority?

Too busy with business Putting the Brakes on the Hours at Work

Monday, October 1                                                                Luke 10:38-42

How would you describe the scene in this passage? What characteristics would you ascribe to Mary? Martha? Why? What justification does Martha give to Jesus? What are the "many things" that upset your day and cause you to be hurried and stressed?

After reading through the story, who do you most identify with-Mary or Martha? Why? What is the value Jesus elevates? Why do you think Jesus responds this way to Martha? How do you think Jesus would respond to what drives your schedule and work load?

Tuesday, October 2                                                                  Exodus 20:8-11
What is the commandment about? How would you restate the idea behind it, in your own words? Why do you think God is so insistent on this, to the point of including it in His ‘top ten' things to obey in life?

Work is good, but clearly needs boundaries. How are you at taking a Sabbath/resting? Why? What keeps you from obeying this command? Compare this command to the other ten. We really have a high regard for the others (esp. vs 13-17)...why not the same regard for this one? How can you begin to live into this command-for your own good? Spend some time considering what makes you feel rested and replenished.

Wednesday, October 3                                                              Psalm 46:10
What does it look like to "be still and know that [He] is God?" How often do you follow these instructions in your life? How would it help to do so more?

One translation says "cease striving" instead of "be still." How does that change the meaning of this verse for you? What do you strive after in your life? How do those things get in the way of seeking the things of God? What does that reveal about your life? How can you begin to incorporate stillness into your life?

Thursday, October 4                                                                    Jeremiah 9:23-24
What would you say are the top three motivations for work (yours and the people around you)? What does this passage have to say about our work and our motivations for working? How does this fit in with verse 24?

When you look at the heart condition, what does the boasting about wisdom, strength, and wealth indicate? What are the parallels of each of those things today? What are the parallels God offers in v. 24? What does it look like to live out v 24? How can you begin to let v. 24 drive your life-esp. your work life?

Friday, October 5                                                                               Colossians 3:23-24
What is the difference between someone who is just showing up, and someone "working as for the Lord?" How does this fit in with all the other passages about work? How can this verse be taken to excess? How do you then reconcile all these passages? What are the correct priorities when it comes to work and rest?

Avoiding Calendar Fatigue: Shifting gears toward a healthy schedule

Monday, September 24                                            Luke 14:15-24
In this parable of Jesus, who are the invited guests? What reasons do they have for not coming to the banquet? How would you characterize the reasons given in relation to the banquet invitation? Why do you think the banquet hosts responds so strongly to those refusing the invitation?

Who do you think the banquet host represents in this story? In your life, what are the things (good and not so good) that keep you from enjoying time with the banquet Host? How can you address the need to accomplish certain things (ie taking care of fields and oxen (business) and/or relationships) and not miss out on/prioritize invitations from God?

Tuesday, September 25                                             Matthew 6:25-34
What is the point Jesus is making in this passage? How does this passage relate to your schedule? What is the promise of this passage?

Stephen Covey talks about having ‘big rocks' in life...things that take priority over everything else. What are the ‘big rocks' in your life? How does your schedule/calendar reflect them? How does it betray them? What does it look like to have the Kingdom of God (v.33) at the head of those big rocks?

Wednesday, September 26                                             Psalm 37:3-6
What do you think this passage has to do with our calendars/schedules? What does it mean to ‘delight yourself in the Lord?' How often do you have a chance to literally take delight in the Lord?

What are the promises of this passage? When you think of spending time with Jesus, what comes to mind? Is it a positive, restful, enjoyable thing, or something else? Why? How can you make more room in your schedule for enjoying time with God?

Thursday, September 27                                                 Psalm 27:4, 13-14
This psalm is another encouragement to seek God first, trusting in Him to provide whatever else we seek with our time. Read verse 4 aloud. What does the passage mean? What jumps out at you? Why? Pray this psalm back to God, and ask Him if there's a part of your schedule that He wants to address.

How good are you at waiting in general? At waiting 'for the Lord?' What does that mean, in your mind? What does it require?

Friday, September 28                                                       Romans 7:14-25
Is this an accurate description of your schedule? Do you find yourself often doing things when you would rather be doing something more in line with your ‘inner being' (v. 22)? What keeps you in this cycle? Work? Kids' activities? Spend some time asking the question about your schedule: why do I do all the things I do? What drives each of the activities that clog my calendar? Sometimes its healthy to take a look at our motives for all the things we have in our lives to make sure we're doing things for the right reasons.

Living in Overdrive: Clocking the speed of the average American family 

Monday, September 17                                                 Matthew 11:28-30

What in your life makes you feel burdened and weary? What does your typical "rest" from these things look like? Contrast that with Jesus' prescriptions here? What does He mean? What reasons does He give?

What do you think this passage tells us about God? What do you think Jesus means when He says to take His yoke and learn from Him? Given Jesus' instructions here, what would the ideal "rest" include? How appealing does that sound? Why? Take a moment and ask God to teach you how to find real rest.

Tuesday, September 18                                                           Mark 1:29-39
Notice that Jesus' day (vs. 29-34) is pretty busy. What was He doing? How many people were present? What do you think the scene was like? In v. 35, what is Jesus' response to the busy-ness? When does it say He did this?

What can you learn from Jesus' actions here? How hard is it for you to go to a solitary place and pray? What keeps you from doing so? How can you make this activity part of your daily routine? Do you believe this would make a real difference? Why or why not?

Wednesday, September 19                                                      Isaiah 40:28-31
What are the promises of this passage? What is the condition? What does it mean to "hope in the Lord?" How does that hope lead to strength & endurance?

What does this passage communicate about the character and nature of God? How easy is it for you to believe that God wants to offer this kind of assistance to us? How are you doing at really relying on Him for your strength?

Thursday, September 20                                                             Psalm 9:9-10
Restate this psalm in your own words. What does it mean to know the name of the Lord? Where are you on the journey to knowing His name?

What is the promise for those who know His name? Why? How have you experienced this in your own life? Spend some time today giving thanks for His faithfulness in your life.

Friday, September 21                                                                    Hebrews 12:1-3
What is the context of this passage? Who are the "witnesses" that the author is speaking of? For what are they being commended? What, then, are the instructions in this passage, and how do they fit?

What are the things that hinder you and wear you out the most? What is the sin that "so easily entangles" your life? What is the prescription offered here? How can that, in a real way, affect your outlook? Spend some time today really considering "Him who endured so much." How can you rely on Him for the strength you need to overcome the busy-ness in your life?