Wrapping Up Rhythms of Renewal OBS!

God pours into us in the still and silent places so He can pour us out in the world He loves. ~ Rebekah Lyons

It’s wrap-up week already, friends! It’s time to grab your study guides and review our journey together, and if you haven’t finished the videos, or you want to rewatch them and take more notes (I do it all the time!), you have all week to catch up.

Rhythms of Renewal has been a breath of fresh air, hasn’t it? Like we said in the beginning, it’s a message of relief for the overstressed and haggard. And hope. And peace. It’s been a life-line for those of us who are out of balance, stressed, over-scheduled, and just… overwhelmed.

I don’t know about you, but I wrapped up this study feeling… not full of grace for myself. I’m not done! Here’s the thing to remember: new rhythms take time and a lot of grace. If you’ve stuck with us this far, then you’ve accomplished a lot! Just getting into God’s Word is a RESTORE rhythm, so give yourself a pat on the back!

But we’re not done, friends. And, we’ve got all the time ahead of us to put rhythms of balance and peace into our lives. For the better. And for the glory of God! If you’re still just getting started, you’re in good company! Let’s keep going!

There are four concepts that we see modeled throughout Scripture, which are Rest, Restore, Connect, and Create. These would be rhythms that would help with sustained emotion, spiritual, relational, and vocational health. ~ Rebekah

God is so good to start us off with Rest. Not just rest, but rest in HIM. Because He isn’t exhausted, He doesn’t want us to be either. He isn’t spinning too many plates. He isn’t disconnected and frazzled. And He doesn’t want that kind of over-stretchedness for us either.

He came to give us life and life abundantly!

Getting away with Jesus means recovering your life.

Rest restores our souls. Rest ultimately brings the most life. ~ Rebekah

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your Word. — Psalm 119:147

God ordained and blessed rest…. Rest precedes blessing. ~ Rebekah

After REST, we learned about Restore.

When Jesus said “Follow Me” He literally meant “Follow Me.” Walk with Me. Put your actually sandals on and walk next to Me. Every part of being a disciple of Jesus was met in the movement. ~ Rebekah

Restore took us out of some old, tired patterns and brought in some new rhythms that make things a little less hard: getting out for a walk, playing (!), putting the right foods into our bodies, and getting rid of negative thoughts… all for our mental, emotional, and physical health. It’s not a rhythm of punishment like we may have once believed, but of therapeutic direction guided by His love.

Connect is my favorite rhythm because we all long to be loved, accepted, enjoyed, and happy in relationships that fill us and encourage us to be the best version of ourselves. It’s where we can flourish in our truest self, become alive, and be free.

Every one of us wants to be fully known and with that… be fully loved. When you’re vulnerable and alone, you’re afraid, but when you’re vulnerable with other people, you become brave. ~ Rebekah Lyons

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. — John 15:12-13

Friendship that builds and becomes lifeblood to us is the relationship of give and take, pouring out and receiving.

Be the friend you wish to have. ~ Rebekah

If you want to have friends, you show yourself friendly. — Proverbs 18:24

Connection, fellowship, friendship, community… are where we grow, develop, and thrive!

Create helps us build the Kingdom, grow the Church, and make us more like Him. ~ Rebekah Lyons

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. — Ephesians 2:10

Create might have been seemingly the toughest of the rhythms because it’s easy to think “I don’t have anything to offer. I’m not creative!” But, the Lord created us to create. Some of us have discovered that God gave us talents and gifts that look different from others but are so valuable nonetheless! Our talents that He prepared for us in advance are meant to be a gift to the world around us to the glory of God! He’s in it with us! And, He’s already done the prep work.

However He calls us to create, whatever gift He calls us to offer the world, He is still saying, “This is My vision… that I entrust to you to steward because I’ve given you everything you’re going to need to fulfill it. Through Me.”

We’re so glad that you joined us for Rhythms of Renewal! We pray that you feel refreshed, invigorated, hopeful, and inspired to go out and be your full self, full to outpouring!

This week, let’s review our Bible verses, finish up our study guides, rewatch videos, and get everything out of Rhythms that we possibly can!

And for those of you not signed up yet for the Jesus OBS with Max, there’s still time! Our next study starts in one week from today. Drop in and be a fly on the wall if you’re just curious!

If you’re taking a break between studies, stay tuned… we have an incredible spring and summer study line-up that we’ll be announcing soon!