1. Be Real

Take a few minutes to catch up, tell stories, and laugh together. Trust and friendship take time to build. As you launch your new DNA, one person should tell their story — what do we need to know about you? Next week, another person will share their story.

2. Grow Together

The primary ways we grow together are to dig into scripture, point each other to Jesus, give encouragement. This week, we’re learning to adopt one of the rhythms of following Jesus that is most counter-cultural in our society: sabbath.

What is the Sabbath?

In Genesis 2:2, way back before God gives the law or other instructions to humans, God finishes his beautiful work of creation and then does something surprising… he rests. Because we’re made in God’s image, we must consider how rest, or lack of rest is affecting our ability to be who God has made us to be.

Our goal is to enjoy a 24 hour period to worshipfully and joyfully rest from our work just like God did. That means we’re really shutting down our email and our impulse to get stuff done.

Read this together: Genesis 2:1-3

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

• Does the idea of practicing sabbath sound good, bad, “legalistic,” freeing?
• If you had 24 hours devoted to worshipful rest and play, what would it look like?
• God works and rests. What are the implications of that rhythm for you?
• Our culture is incredibly noisy, busy and demanding. What would have to you say “no” to in order to Sabbath?
• Real talk: are you addicted to your phone?

3. Next Steps

Make a plan for sabbath that suits your season of life. Who is in your DNA? Singles, married people, empty nesters, young families? Share activity (or inactivity!) ideas that will benefit your DNA.

How much time can you take to start a sabbath? Can you start small?
Ask for help and accountability from your DNA in battling phone and busyness addiction.

Pray
What’s going on that we need to pray about today? Ask God to help us enjoy him and all he’s already given us.

Additional Recommended Resources

Subversive Sabbath — AJ Swoboda
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Book + Podcast — Peter Scazzero
Garden City — John Mark Comer