Rhythms of Grace - Week 3 & 4 (16 Feb 2025) Daily Time with God Jesus called out, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:28-29, The Message) Study by: Ivan Cooper Sermons can be viewed on the Hope Valley Church YouTube Channel 1. Sharing Our Journey Praise, Thanks, and Reflection Invite people to share in response to one of the questions below. It can be done as a whole group or in subgroups. It can also involve a worship song. What are you thankful for? Where have you seen God at work? How has God used you? How have you gone living out God’s Word since our last gathering? Where have you struggled to follow the way of Jesus? Where and with whom have you witnessed to the love and good news of Jesus? Share how you have gone with the spiritual practice you have been focusing on. Care and Prayer In prayer, capture the things you have shared above after also inviting people to share any personal needs for prayer or support. 2. Opening God’s Word Setting the Scene Jesus declared that the scriptures of old have always pointed to him (John 5:39, Luke 24:27). Though hidden in glimpses and mystery throughout the Old Testament, the person of Jesus is revealed in fullness through the gospels and New Testament letters. The Bible is a book to grapple with, ponder, meditate on, question, reflect, and pray through. It has outlived kingdoms and empires, literally changing the world forever, one life at a time. The Bible holds a mirror up to our souls, revealing our desperate need for a savior. In the words of Peter, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (John 6:68). It is ultimately a story of redemption, describing a creator that won’t give up on His creation, risking everything for love, that we could again live daily in His presence. What does or could a daily time with God look like in your life? Does it differ on different days or in different seasons? Read: Psalm 1, Jeremiah 17:5-8, John 15:1-8 Take turns reading both of these as a group. What first caught your interest or stuck out to you as you read these passages? Or what question do you still want answered? These passages share a picture of a tree/vine whose leaves don’t wither, that doesn’t fear the heat or worry even in a year of drought. It keeps bearing fruit and prospering despite hardship. Has there been a time that God has sustained you in difficulty, pain, and trials? What were your roots that reached into the river or trunk that nurtured you at this time? How did you develop that source of life flow? What unifying message and principles do you find in the passages? What different facets are there? How has (or could) a daily time with God impacted and changed your life? What have you found successful and what have you found difficult? How can you grow in the practice of a daily time with God? 3. Living out the Heart of God Choose a way to apply daily time with God into your life… Like Daniel, pause at the start/middle/end of each day with a few moments of silence, stillness, and prayer (perhaps start with the ‘Our Father’ prayer from Matthew 6:9-13). Start a new daily devotion time using the YouVersion Bible App (which provides a free guided prayer, verse of the day, and much more), or via The Hope Valley Church App. Commit to reading through the Bible in a year. (There is a plan on the Bible App with Nicki Gumble to do this). Begin a Bible reading plan of the New Testament or the whole Bible. Start a prayer journal and record what God reveals to you from the Bible. Start a prayer list of points of thanksgiving and requests. Pray for friends, family, leaders, pastors, our church, our government, and the world. Pray that God’s kingdom will come and His will be done. Read the short text ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’ by Brother Lawrence (1691). Brother Lawrence sought to grow in the truth that he was always in God’s presence, whether he was in the Holy Sacraments at church or in the kitchen cleaning pans, he believed this truth would change his whole life. (FREE PDF available). Read the biography (or watch the documentary on YouTube) of George Muller (1805-1898), a thief whose life was turned upside down by God. Through a commitment to simple prayer (recorded in his detailed journal), his life is a testament of how God can provide and answer prayer. He went on to house and rescue thousands of orphans and provide high-quality schooling free of charge; and his work and legacy continue even today. Something else? Prayer for Each Other Break into 2s or 3s to pray: Pray for each other that they will encounter God afresh each day. Pray for the people in your life that you would like to share the love of Jesus with. Read or sing through ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’ (By Joseph Scriven, 1855). Contacts If you would like more information or further help, please contact: scott.button@hopevalleychurch.com.au