Series: The Best Summer Ever
Sermon Title: Lies that kill our rest
Passage:Luke 14:7-11

Reno Campus
Pastor Dave Pretlove

Carson Campus
Pastor Dave Pretlove

Sparks Campus
Pastor Jericho Toilolo

Campus Announcements / Service Moments

Reno Campus

High School Camp
Men’s Retreat

Carson Campus

Surge Camp Carson
High School Camp
Men’s Retreat

Sparks Campus

High School Camp
Men’s Retreat

Sermon Title: Lies that kill our rest
Passage: Luke 14:7-11

SERMON POINTS: 

5 lies we believe that keep us from receiving the gift of Sabbath.

“Rest is for the weak… I don’t need it.”

• Genesis 2:2
•  Psalm 127:2

“I am my own provider.”

• Deuteronomy 8:18 
• Matthew 6:8

“If I rest, everything will fall apart.”

•  Colossians 1:17

 

“I know better than the Creator.”

• Mark 2:27

 

“I’m fine without real connection with God, and His people”

• John 15:5
•  Acts 17:28
• Hebrews 10:19-25

 

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. The Lie: “Rest is for the weak—I don’t need it.”

• How has your pace of life been shaped more by appearance or achievement than God’s design for rest?
• Follow-Up: Do you feel guilty when you rest? Why?
• Supportive Scripture: Psalm 127:2

2. The Lie: “I am my own provider.”

• How has your drive for success or security made it hard to stop and trust?
• Follow-Up: What would it take to let Sabbath become an act of dependence on God?
• Supportive Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:18 

3. The Lie: “If I rest, everything will fall apart.”

• What do you fear you’ll lose if you actually slow down?
• Follow-Up: What part of your life is hardest to surrender to Jesus’ care?
• Supportive Scripture:  Colossians 1:17

4. The Lie: “I know better than the Creator.”

• How often do you trust your calendar or culture more than God’s design for rest?
• Follow-Up: What would Sabbath look like if you really believed God’s ways are better?
• Supportive Scripture: Genesis 2:2

5. The Lie: “I’m fine without real connection with God.”

• Has your faith become more about consuming content than cultivating intimacy with Jesus?
• Follow-Up: What is something you need to release in order to abide?
• Supportive Scripture: John 15:5

6. Performance, Pride & the Image Game

• Where in your life do you feel the pressure to be “enough” or “ahead” of others?
• Follow-Up: What would it look like to take the lowest seat and let God lift you?
• Supportive Scripture: Luke 14:11

7. Fear of Falling Behind

• What does your daily pace suggest about who you trust more—God or yourself?
• Follow-Up: How might embracing Sabbath actually free you from comparison?
• Supportive Scripture: Psalm 23:2

8. Receiving Sabbath as a Lifestyle, Not a Luxury

• Is Sabbath a spiritual discipline in your life or just a good intention?
• Follow-Up: What one step can you take this week to build rest into your rhythm; emotionally, spiritually, relationally?
• Supportive Scripture: Mark 2:27

 

PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

Day 1 – What Are You Really Tired Of?

• Primary Question: What kind of tiredness are you carrying—physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual?
• Follow-Up: What have you been pretending you can keep carrying without help?
• Scripture to Reflect On: Psalm 119:28
• Action Step: Take 10 minutes in solitude. Name the exact kind of tiredness you feel. Write it down. Offer it to God without trying to solve it.

Day 2 – What’s Behind Your Pace?

• Primary Question: Is your constant motion fueled more by calling—or by anxiety, guilt, or comparison?
• Follow-Up: Whose approval are you still trying to earn through your effort?
• Scripture to Reflect On: Galatians 1:10
• Action Step: Audit your week. Circle or highlight everything you said “yes” to that was driven by guilt, fear, or image, not joy or obedience.

Day 3 – Where Is Your Identity Rooted?

• Primary Question: What version of yourself are you protecting by staying busy and unavailable?
• Follow-Up: What do you fear you’ll find—or lose—if you actually slow down?
• Scripture to Reflect On: Colossians 3:3
• Action Step: Unplug from social media or entertainment for the evening. Let your identity rest without being seen, liked, or productive.

Day 4 – What Do You Believe About God’s Provision?

• Primary Question: Do you trust that God can provide while you rest,  or only while you work?
• Follow-Up: Have you been living like God’s provision is conditional on your effort?
• Scripture to Reflect On: Isaiah 30:15
• Action Step: Tithe your time: give God one uninterrupted hour today without work, phone, or “doing.” Just be with Him.

Day 5 – What Kind of Life Are You Building?

• Primary Question: Are your rhythms forming you into someone more like Jesus—or more like culture?
• Follow-Up: How has your view of success shaped your resistance to rest?
• Scripture to Reflect On: Psalm 127:1
• Action Step: Choose one margin-building change (e.g., block Sabbath in your calendar, cancel a non-essential meeting, say no to one thing).

Day 6 – Who Suffers When You Don’t Rest?

• Primary Question: When you live at an unsustainable pace, who experiences the worst version of you?
• Follow-Up: What relationships would be more life-giving if you chose rest over hustle?
• Scripture to Reflect On: Philippians 2:4
• Action Step: Create a tech-free, hurry-free zone this evening with someone you love. Be fully present. No multitasking.

Day 7 – Are You Ready to Obey God’s Invitation to Rest?

• Primary Question: Is Sabbath still optional in your mind or is it sacred?
• Follow-Up: What false belief about rest are you finally ready to lay down at Jesus’ feet?
• Scripture to Reflect On: Isaiah 58:13–14
• Action Step: Plan and practice a Sabbath this week. Choose a 24-hour period to stop, delight, and reconnect—with no work, no earning, and no performing.

 

SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:

• Matthew 11:28–30 
• Hebrews 4:9–11
• Isaiah 58:13–14

 

RESOURCES:

• BOOK | JEFFERSON BETHKE | TO HELL WITH THE HUSTLE:RECLAIMING YOUR LIFE IN A OVERWORKED, OVERSPENT AND OVERCONNECTED WORLD.
• BOOK | A.J. SWOBODA | SUBVERSIVE SABBATH: THE SUPRISING POWER OF REST IN A NONSTOP WORLD
• PODCAST | SIMPLY SABBATH | SABBATH AND IDENTITY 
• THE SABBATH PRACTICE | JOHN MARK COMER | 4 PART PRACTICE

 

MONTHLY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE:

“The Soul’s Quiet Place”

By Rob Hans, Spiritual Formation Pastor, LifeChurch NV

As Pastor Dave taught this week, we often fall for subtle lies that steal and kill our rest—and with it, God’s best for our lives. One of the most dangerous lies is that time doesn’t matter, and we can somehow “hack” our way to a peaceful soul through a strategy of chaos. We sprint through our schedules, believing rest will eventually catch up—while our souls quietly suffocate beneath the noise.

Busyness is not neutral. Daily distraction creates distance—from our deep heart, from God, and from the life that actually leads to joy. The false self thrives in hurry, while the true self—your Spirit-formed identity—requires margin, stillness, and presence to surface.

One of the most powerful tools God gives us to reclaim the true self is the practice of silence and solitude. In The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg puts it bluntly:

“Love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible.”
He’s right. Chaos is incompatible with intimacy—with God, with others, and even with ourselves.

Solitude and silence aren’t just spiritual trends. They are sacred tools to unplug from performance and reconnect to Presence. When we intentionally resist distraction and noise, we begin the slow process of renewal. This is the fireplace where intimacy with God is rekindled and the soul is re-formed.

We cannot discern what needs to be removed if we’re too distracted to see what’s poisoning us. As I’ve written before, we are always being formed—either by the pace and noise of culture or by the gentle rhythms of Jesus. Solitude and silence help us say “yes” to Jesus and “no” to the world’s distortion of identity, purpose, and success.

Scripture invites us into this with a simple but profound invitation:

“Be still and know that I am God.” —Psalm 46:10

Stillness isn’t passivity. It’s powerfully intentional. Even Jesus, fully divine, needed silence with the Father. If He needed it—so do we.

5-Day Guide: Building a Practice of Silence & Solitude

Day 1 – Create the Space

Theme: Begin by making room for God.

• Step: Block 5–10 minutes on your calendar. Find a place where you won’t be interrupted.

• Practice: Sit quietly. Breathe deeply. Say, “Here I am, Lord.” Nothing more. Just be still.

• Scripture: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” —Isaiah 30:15

Day 2 – Name the Noise

Theme: Recognize what distracts or pulls you away.

• Step: Before entering silence, write down what’s been loud in your mind (worries, pressures, comparisons).

• Practice: Offer each distraction to God. Don’t fight them. Just release them.

• Scripture: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7

Day 3 – Welcome the Stillness

Theme: Begin listening instead of filling.

• Step: Extend your time to 15 minutes. Don’t bring a Bible or journal yet—just yourself.

• Practice: When distracted, gently return to a breath prayer like, “Jesus, I am yours.”

• Scripture: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” —Exodus 14:14

Day 4 – Hear the Inner Voice

Theme: Begin to hear what’s under the surface.

• Step: Ask this simple question before you enter silence: “God, what is forming me right now?”

• Practice: Stay long enough to let your false self surface. Let God speak to it.

• Scripture: “Search me, O God, and know my heart…” —Psalm 139:23–24

Day 5 – Rest in God’s Presence

Theme: Let it become less about doing, more about being.

• Step: Light a candle or create a space that symbolizes holy ground.

• Practice: Sit in God’s presence with no agenda—just rest and let Him love you.

• Scripture: “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength…” Isaiah 40:31

 

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:

Soul Tired: Why Rest Isn’t Optional

By Rob Hans, Spiritual Formation Pastor, LifeChurch NV

The other night, Cindy and I sat outside together, soaking in the last warmth of the summer sun while the cool evening air settled in. It was a rare moment of stillness. As we talked, we both confessed how depleted we felt—not just physically tired, but soul-weary. We’ve been moving fast, and the weight of our calendar had caught up to us. Our need to replenish was clear. But our capacity—our willingness to make space for true rest—felt weak.

That’s often how you know you’re running low: when even planning rest feels exhausting.

We realized something simple but vital: what we needed wasn’t escape. It was Sabbath. Not just a day off, but a sacred pause. A soul reset. Time intentionally carved out for deep replenishment and reconnection with God. The kind of time that isn’t just restorative, but formational.

Recognizing the condition of your inner life is one of the most important steps toward living a sustainable, Spirit-led life. Being tired isn’t a sin—Jesus Himself grew tired—but disconnection from Jesus over time can become dangerous. You can be surrounded by activity, even spiritual activity, and still be missing the nourishment your soul was made for.

Yes, our lives are full. Yes, our relationships are connected. But if we don’t stop to be refilled, the life flowing out of us becomes thin, anxious, or performative. We end up operating on fumes and then wonder why our joy, our presence, and even our clarity seem to disappear.

It’s in those sacred moments of quiet replenishment that the noise fades, and the voice of God rises again. Not because He wasn’t speaking before, but because we were too loud to hear Him.

God is always calling us, toward rest, toward relationship, toward renewal rooted in Him. But more often than not, the greatest obstacle isn’t our lack of love for Him. It’s our overcrowded calendar. We’ve allowed the urgent to crowd out the essential.

It’s a bit like food. You can technically survive on fast food, quick prayers, rushed devotions, surface-level community. But over time, it leaves you depleted. Malnourished. Hollow.

God’s invitation is like a home-cooked meal: slow, rich, relational. It requires preparation and presence—but it sustains you. That’s what Sabbath does for the soul. Not just rest for your body, but realignment for your heart.

So today, maybe it’s time to ask: Where is your soul hungry? Where do you need to stop surviving and start receiving?

Sabbath is not a luxury. It’s not a reward for finishing the list. It’s a gift. It’s a command. It’s the rhythm Jesus Himself lived by. And it’s where your soul will find its strength again.