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Our world moves fast. Often, it’s way too fast. If you were to take the opportunity to intentionally slow down, and then slow down some more, and then slow down some more, you would probably still be doing a bit too much.

As John Eldredge writes in Get Your Life Back, “My soul just can’t move at the speed of smartphones.” He makes an excellent point. Is the world moving faster than your soul is able to keep up? Is your soul safe and secure at the pace you’re currently living?

If you read those questions and have no idea how to answer them, you’re moving too fast. It isn’t just important to take intentional opportunities to quiet your mind, heart, and soul, it’s an essential priority. This time of intentionally slowing down isn’t something to be done every day for a week, or even a month. It’s a lifelong practice. Setting aside time to allow your soul to receive the rest God intended is essential.

Recently, I wrote about the Pause App, and how I’m finding it to be an extremely useful tool to help me slow down twice a day. I’ve continued to walk through a 5 minute or 10 minute Pause twice daily, and the benefits are tremendous.

There are other resources which help me slow down as well. And many of these tie in well with our Summer in the Psalms message series.

One Daily Devotional for the Psalms which I regularly read is The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller. Prior to writing this daily devotional, Keller and his wife Kathy read through the Psalms every month for over 20 years. Think about that. All 150 Psalms. Every month. For 20 years. That’s a lot of time in the Psalms.

Each daily reading consist of a brief reading of a Psalm, a short devotional, a question to ponder, and a prayer.

Fortunately, Keller has a devotional with a similar format for Proverbs as well. If you’re looking for a morning reading and an evening one, each of these devotionals are excellent. Just be sure to keep a journal nearby so you can write out an answer to each question for reflection. You’ll get even more out of each reading by taking this essential step.

Another Daily Devotional for the Psalms is In the Lord I Take Refuge by Dane Ortlund. Here, Ortlund provides a devotional reading for each Psalm. As such, there are 150 devotionals, as opposed to the 365 in Keller’s book. Despite the number of readings, there are tremendous treasures to be mined within these pages. It’s an excellent resource and one I’m glad to carry with me.

Finally, beloved Pastor and author Eugene Peterson has a 365 day devotional for the Psalms. Simply titled, Praying with the Psalms, the author of the Message breaks down the Psalms with the goal of aiding the reader to encompass a more disciplined prayer life. If you’d like to dig deeper into the Psalms and grow in your prayer life, Peterson’s devotional is an excellent resource.

However you may choose to more fully engage with the Psalms, may God’s Word continue to provide your mind, heart, and soul with rest.

Woosh. I won’t lie. The Tension Points series we just wrapped up at South Ridge Church was tough. The two messages I (Pastor Justin) personally focused on — Grief & Loss, and Race & Racial Reconciliation — were tough topics. I think I put more thought, prayer, and time into crafting these two messages than I’ve put into any other messages throughout my time in ministry. But I’m not alone. I believe that the topics of the Economy, the Pandemic, and American Politics & Geopolitical Unrest were challenging for Pastor Daniel and Looch to teach as well. (If you’d like to revisit any of these messages, you can do so by clicking here.)

You may be thinking, Yes, the messages were tough, but good. And I’d like to really spend some time thinking about how I can respond to these and other “Tension Points” in a godly manner.”

If this is you, allow me to provide some resources you may find helpful. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend purchasing or reading all of them, but take some time to think about which one(s) may be most helpful for you. (And, of course, if you’re ever looking for another resource…a good Study Bible is always a good option.)

One book you may find interesting is Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference, Edited by Timothy Keller and John Inazu. What I love about this book is that it wasn’t written by one person, but a treasure trove of authors and artists who have a lot of experience in navigating difficult conversations on tough topics. It’s an eye opening read, and each chapter will surely provide you a lot to consider.

Of all of the resources mentioned in this post, this would be my top recommendation. We all occasionally find ourselves on uncommon ground with others. We all want to grow in responding in love. This resource provides a lot of insight, and goes to show that there can still be unity even when there is a diverse range of perspectives on tough topics.

Another book – which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this year is The Deeply Formed Life, by Rich Villodas. Here, Rich Villodas navigates through Five Transformational Values to Root us in the Way of Jesus. These values include:

Contemplative Rhythms for an Exhausted Life

Racial Reconciliation for a Divided World

Interior Examination for a World Living on the Surface

Sexual Wholeness for a Culture that Splits Bodies from Souls

Missional Presence in a Distracted and Disengaged World

Reading through The Deeply Formed Life is easy to do. Reading through it slowly, very slowly, and practicing putting these rhythms into your daily life is the greater challenge. However, those who do will find that practicing these values well really does offer life transformation.

Another worth mentioning is A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. Some books are good for a short season, and others have lasting strength. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction was first published in 1980 and continues to be one of the greatest books on Spiritual Formation. Why is it included here as a resource for the Tension Points message series? Well, like The Deeply Formed Life, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction focuses on key values that need to be regularly lived out in our lives. And as the title says, growing in Christ isn’t a quick fix. It takes…a long obedience in the same direction. It takes time.

When we are deeply rooted in Christ, we will be able to respond to difficult topics such as the Economy, Grief & Loss, and Racial Reconciliation well. And this book is one that can be read again and again and again. The truths provided here are excellent, and we need to be reminded them regularly.

One final resource to mention is The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby. Here, Tisby navigates through the history of the Christian Church being complicit in racial segregation. It’s a tough read, because the history provided here is irrefutable. While not everybody may agree with some of the proposed solutions Tisby provides, The Color of Compromise is eye-opening and will help the reader see a challenging topic through the lens of history.

I’ll be sure to throw out a couple of recommendations for the current Summer in the Psalms series soon as well. But if you’re ever looking for a resource on a specific topic, feel free to let me know.

Are you feeling tired? Stretched? Overworked? Anxious? All of the above?

In a culture that thrives on success and accomplishments it’s no wonder we occasionally find ourselves living at an unsustainable pace.

Fortunately, John Eldredge (author of Wild at Heart, Get Your Life Back, Resilient, and more) has created an app with the sole purpose to help you Pause once or twice a day.

As you may know, I (Pastor Justin) have regularly been an advocate for the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship material. And one of the key principles of Peter Scazzero’s work is that what we DO for God must come from our BEING with God. We are not able to give to others what we don’t have ourselves. As such, we must take in silence, be still in the presence of God, remember that He and He alone ultimately has control of the universe, and then we can live the life He has invited us to live.

Until now, I’ve simply used a timer on my phone to take opportunities to experience silence. But a few months ago I discovered the One Minute Pause app and have found it extremely helpful.

In this app, you will have the opportunity to build from a One Minute Pause, to Three Minutes, then Five Minutes, and then Ten Minutes. You may be thinking, There’s no way I can just sit in silence for ten minutes! but you may be surprised. Eldredge’s team has created a remarkable app that really does help.

If you’re interested, you can check out it here:

One Minute Pause on iOS

One Minute pause on Android

(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)

Take the opportunity to review this week’s questions and scripture readings. 

What is one way you’ve grown this week in your understanding of God, yourself, and others? 

Take some extra time today to write out a prayer to God. Share your heart, fears, and feelings with Him, knowing He is intently listening, and believing He is with you in all things.

(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)

Take the opportunity to review this week’s questions and scripture readings. 

What is one way you’ve grown this week in your understanding of God, yourself, and others? 

Take some extra time today to write out a prayer to God. Share your heart, fears, and feelings with Him, knowing He is intently listening, and believing He is with you in all things.

(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)

Take the opportunity to review this week’s questions and scripture readings. 

What is one way you’ve grown this week in your understanding of God, yourself, and others? 

Take some extra time today to write out a prayer to God. Share your heart, fears, and feelings with Him, knowing He is intently listening, and believing He is with you in all things.

(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)

Take the opportunity to review this week’s questions and scripture readings. 

What is one way you’ve grown this week in your understanding of God, yourself, and others? 

Take some extra time today to write out a prayer to God. Share your heart, fears, and feelings with Him, knowing He is intently listening, and believing He is with you in all things.

(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)

Think about a time when you felt totally, completely, wholly loved. What was that experience like? Why do you think that memory has stuck with you so strongly through the years? 

When Jesus interacted with people, there’s no denying that He had a tremendous impact on their lives. Those He healed were immediately freed from a burden that may have been hindering them for years. Those who struggled with unforgiveness were challenged to forgive those who had wronged them. Those who had sinned against others and were experiencing shame were challenged to receive forgiveness. In short, those who listened to His teachings remembered the stories and illustration He used for years.

Some would’ve taken the opportunity to compare His teaching to the Old Testament, only to discover that His life completely adhered to the most important law – the law of love. 

Today, write out your own definition of the word love. Then spend some time reviewing some of the passages you’ve read this week. In what ways is your definition of love similar to or different from the life and ministry of Jesus? 

READING & JOURNALING:

     MARK 2:18-3:6

In what ways is your definition of love similar to or different from the life and ministry of Jesus? 

What is one way you will adhere to the law of love today?

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, as I wrote out my own definition of the word love today, I acknowledge that it still felt somewhat incomplete. It’s difficult to define such a complex word in just a few words. However, I continue to realize how Jesus lived out of the law of love in every circumstance. Help me continue to be like Him and to reflect His love upon a broken world. I pray in His holy name. Amen.

(End with 1-2 minutes of silence)

(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)

If you read through the Gospels carefully, you’ll discover that people respond to Jesus in a number of different ways. Some were attracted to His teaching. He showed tremendous care and compassion toward those who were beat down and despised and they eagerly listened to His teaching. Others were more ambivalent. They had likely heard a number of good teachers throughout their lives, yet didn’t have a strong desire to listen to or apply the principles from the teachings they heard. 

But there was another group of people who responded to His teaching quite harshly. They believed that Jesus was breaking God’s laws and not upholding them. Following and obeying the law was most important to them. 

Jesus, however, never did break God’s law. Instead, He practiced living out the principles of God’s law in the manner it was intended to be lived out. Not as a checklist, but as a path to overcome the consequences of sin and death. The result is extraordinary. Jesus healed people of their physical and spiritual pain. And their lives were never the same again. 

READING & JOURNALING:

     MARK 2:1-17

What sticks out to you from this passage? 

What areas of your life do you consider to be healthy? Do you have any you consider to be sick (Mark 2:17)? What steps will you take today to be in good health emotionally and spiritually? Be specific. 

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, it’s clear from the Gospels that Jesus was, and is, One who heals. The healing He provides may be physical, but the real healing is a spiritual one. Today, I simply ask that You help me to remember that I’ve received a tremendous spiritual healing and I can cling to it in every circumstance. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

(End with 1-2 minutes of silence)