Episode 052 – The Sabbath Pt 4: Defining Your Identityi.fb-icon-element.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-234{ color: #515151;}i.fb-icon-element.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-234:hover { color: #e00400;}i.fontawesome-icon.fb-icon-element-234.icon-hover-animation-pulsate:after {-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #333333, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);-moz-box-shadow:0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #333333, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(255,255,255,0.1), 0 0 10px 10px #333333, 0 0 0 10px rgba(255,255,255,0.5);}Key Passage(s):  Exodus 5:10-18We are a culture of accomplishment. We value people based on what they can produce. It’s toxic and oppressive. The Israelites experienced this in their slavery in Egypt. But God brought them out of that system and instituted the Sabbath so that they’d begin to learn that their identity and worth didn’t come from their work, but from something infinitely more substantial. Until we have a proper handle on our identity, we’ll miss the stunning beauty of the Sabbath and how it seeks to rescue us from one of the most destructive realities of our world.

Discussion Questions

What was your biggest takeaway from the teaching?

When meeting someone new, what is the first thing you want to share about yourself?

Do you believe that your worth and value comes from being a child of God, rather than what you do? Why or why not?

If you were to lose your job, possessions, and/or your ability to contribute to the world, how would you feel?

How do you look at others who may find themselves in this situation?

What will you do differently this week to remind yourself that your value (and the value of others you come in contact with) is solely from God alone?

For Further Study

The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan 

The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel 

Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann 

Keeping the Sabbath Wholly by Marva J. Dawn