Resources
Read Psalm 131 together. What does it mean to have your soul weaned? What matters have you concerned yourself with that are too great to grasp?
It is better to live with the tension that humility creates than the responsibility that arrogance creates. Have you found yourself to react to our circumstances arrogantly or anxiously?
What are you trusting in that has now been disrupted? What feels threatened?
Has your false hope led you to paralysis or hyperactivity, or have you found that your soul is weaned? How can you calm and quiet yourself?
We have an opportunity to grow and move towards God. How can you make yourself available for that kind of work?
My soul can rest and trust when I do not have answers or control and no access to either of those things.
We have God, but more importantly, he has us. We are his people.
Hope does have concern over real issues but is not paralyzed in despair.
Since studying Psalm 131 last week, what have you done to quiet and calm your soul? What changes have you made or do you still need to make?
What were you feasting on before this pandemic that has been taken away (does not have to be food)? Has fasting been a regular spiritual practice for you or is this a new concept? What thoughts do you have about leaning into fasting instead of feasting?
You can read our article on fasting here.
The Bible gives us two categories for who to serve—family (both spiritual and natural) and your neighbor (your friend, enemy, and the stranger you have not met). Who are you responsible for serving right now? How are you living your life with an openness to whoever God might bring?
With just those few people in mind from question #3, how can you serve them best during this time?
Quieting our souls (Psalm 131) through fasting teaches our souls to do without what we crave, to take a posture of humility that acknowledges we need God more than food, and to recognize that this world is not our home and the things we need are not to be found here.
“Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” -Andy Stanley
We are called to serve our family (spiritual and natural) and our neighbor (friend, enemy, and the stranger that you have never met).
The only lasting thing we can give anyone is hope that Jesus provides.
Confidence that Jesus is going to take care of us allows us to not just be focused on having to take care of ourselves.
Our pastoral and ministry staff is engaging with our community and mobilizing our resources to serve in this rapidly changing environment. Your generosity allows us to not only care for the immediate and present needs in our community but also to prepare and plan for the impact this will have on the most vulnerable, even beyond the end of the COVID-19 crisis. If you would like to give above and beyond your normal gift to Grace, we have created a special fund called the COVID-19 relief fund. Consider contributing here.
These daily readings will help prepare you for the upcoming teaching you will hear this weekend at Grace Church. These passages will create some context for the sermon by showing you Scriptures the author might be quoting and some passages that contain related ideas. Our hope is that as you follow this reading plan, it will help you become more defined and directed by Scripture.