Be With Jesus
On our first Sunday of the new year, Pastor Jake introduced our new sermon series, “A New Way of Living.” A new year invites honest recalibration. Resolutions expose a shared longing for change, but the deeper issue is formation: the habits, rhythms, and daily choices that shape the soul. Jesus promises life “to the full,” not as a slogan but as a lived reality of an overflowing inner life. If that abundance feels distant, the answer isn’t more ambition—it’s reorientation. Discipleship begins not with output but with presence. The first task is to be with Him.
Key Takeaways
– Be with God before doing
Abiding is not optional equipment; it is the lifeblood of Christian existence. Fruit is the byproduct of sustained connection, not the reward for frantic effort. Rebuilding life around His presence reorders calendars, ambitions, and yeses. Start with presence, then let action flow.
– Apart from Jesus, nothing lasts
Self-sufficiency feels efficient but quietly starves the soul. Jesus’ “nothing” includes impressive outcomes that lack eternal weight because they weren’t born in Him. Dependence is not weakness; it is alignment with reality and the path to durable fruit. Humble reliance restores joy and power.
– Activity isn’t kingdom productivity
Running hard in place still goes nowhere. Scripture warns that works not rooted in Christ will not survive the testing fire. Fruit arises from union, not hustle; pruning our commitments may be the most productive act we take this year. Less noise, more life.
– Follow Jesus into quiet withdrawal
As demands rose, Jesus withdrew to pray—choosing being with the Father over building His platform. His ministry flowed from what He saw and heard in the secret place. Apprenticed to the Father, He moved with unhurried clarity and authority. His pattern is our path.
– Solitude trains the soul to abide
Silence exposes our inner scaffolding and then frees us from it. Stay long enough for the turbulence to settle; in that clarified space God repairs, directs, and fills. Think workshop, not performance—receive, then obey. Schedule the silence you say you need.
Reflection Questions
- If “abide” means to remain or stay connected, what does that imply about how spiritual growth actually happens compared to willpower-driven resolutions?
- What does Jesus’ repeated withdrawal to pray reveal about the source of his clarity and authority—and what might that suggest for disciples today?
- Jesus promises an abundant, overflowing life. Where do you sense a gap between that promise and your present experience, and what might that gap be telling you about your current rhythms?
- Which inner drivers most tempt you to live as a doer first—“a need to be needed,” “having to prove something,” or “busyness as identity”? Share a recent example and what it cost your soul.
- If activity isn’t the same as kingdom productivity, what is one commitment you can prune this month to make space for abiding—and what fruit do you hope might grow as a result?
- Silence and solitude: when, where, and for how long will you schedule a simple, phone-free quiet time this week? What will help you stay long enough for the inner “turbulence” to settle?
- Name one active project (home, work, ministry) you will consciously submit to Jesus before taking the next step. How will you listen for his lead so the work begins in him, not just in you?
Watch the Message
Worship Songs from Jan 4
- “Praise”
- “Throne Room Song”
- “Waymaker”
- “Nothing Else” (after the message)
Listen to the songs we play on Sundays by clicking the image below to access our Spotify playlist!
