NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper: Care for Them as They Cared for You

Phil Meade on June 25, 2026

²“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” ³He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”

Matthew:2-3 (ESV)

¹⁰For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ¹¹But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— ¹²then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, ¹³thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do”

Mark 7:10-13 (ESV)

CARE FOR THEM AS THEY CARED FOR YOU

In this passage from Mark, Jesus responds to the Pharisees’ accusation that His disciples are violating a tradition by not washing their hands before they eat. As is typical of Jesus, His response comes in the form of a pointed question directed at His accusers. Jesus asks the Pharisees why they are breaking the Fifth Commandment—to honor their father and mother—in order to satisfy their man-made tradition of “Corban.”

Corban, as defined by theologian John Gill, “signifies a gift, or offering, which was devoted to sacred use and was unalienable, and could not be converted to any other use.” The Pharisees withheld assistance from their parents, justifying their actions through their own tradition and thereby violating a godly commandment. Are we also guilty of using “godly”—and not-so-godly—excuses for neglecting our parents in their senior years?

The message of today’s devotional hits fairly close to home for me. The last 15–20 years of my parents’ lives were spent more than 2,000 miles from where I lived. Consequently, my children and I did not get to see them very often. As the end of their lives approached, one of my sisters lived nearby and was responsible for the majority of their family contact and care. I have always regretted not visiting more often. I really had no excuse, since for most of those years I had free flight privileges through my employer.

The author of Proverbs 23 writes, “Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old . . . Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice” (Prov. 23:22, 25, ESV). Matthew Henry comments, “When the mother was grown old, we may suppose the children to be grown up; but let them not think themselves past being taught, even by her, but rather respect her the more for the multitude of her years and the wisdom which they teach.”

Paul told his protégé Timothy to remind the children and grandchildren of a widow that it is pleasing to God “to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents” (1 Tim. 5:4). May we honor our aging parents by caring for them as needed, with love and respect. Trust me—you can never get that time back!

Digging Deeper (er):

1 Tim 5:8; Isa 46:3-4; Ruth 4:15.

Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 6. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his 25 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.

Digging Deeper: Honor Thy Mother

Phil Meade on June 24, 2026

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee”

Exodus 20:12 (KJV)

HONOR THY MOTHER

Being a man, I can only offer my experiential perspective on motherhood. I was fortunate to have a great mom who lived a life of sacrifice and humility. I like to think I inherited her softer side, but I probably inherited more of my father’s analytical, slightly standoffish nature. My mother was the kind of mom who would let her kids win the games we played, eat the first burnt pancake, and tend to our many cuts and scrapes. She was a friend to all, a mother to many, and a devoted wife.

My mother was, however, far from perfect. She could never quite duplicate my Polish grandmother’s meatloaf, and her children never let her forget it. Do not judge me! She was quick to accept blame for others’ failures, but she thankfully learned to lovingly stand up for herself when the situation warranted it. The things she taught me are exemplified in the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). Her strongest attributes were patience, kindness, and a genuine joy in loving others.

My siblings and I obeyed my father out of respect and, at times, out of fear. We always obeyed my mother out of love—we deeply desired not to disappoint her. I vividly remember going through my divorce and the pain it brought my parents. My mother cared very much for my wife, and it pained her to see our family dissolve. I felt a deep sense of shame and guilt for disappointing my parents. My mother unwaveringly supported me and never once displayed an ounce of judgment or condemnation toward either party. While her reaction should not have surprised me, I still struggled with the feeling that I had let her down.

I continue to honor my mother even today, though she passed away in 2004. Every time I discover a new recipe (my meatloaf is not even close to my grandmother’s), see beautiful wildflowers, or play with my grandkids the way she played with hers, I say a prayer of thanks to the One who created her.

I challenge each of you to honor and love your mother, no matter the season of life you are walking through. If she has passed away, honor her memory and thank God for the traits—both good and not-so-good—that she passed on to you. If she is still in your life, enjoy the time you have with her and honor her continued presence. If you are estranged from your mother, I pray that God will soften the hearts of all involved. Time is a commodity we cannot control, and reconciliation can occur with God’s help and in His timing.

God created mothers for a very special, yet very difficult, task. Honor your mother—not just on a day marked on the calendar—but celebrate her throughout the year.

Digging Deeper (er):

Mark 7:10; Prov 2:20; Col 3:20.

Dealing with Doubt

Kevin Burrell on June 24, 2026

“Gideon said, Please, Lord, how can I lead the people? Look, my family is the weakest, and I am the youngest in my entire family.”

Judges 6:15

DEALING WITH DOUBT

Let’s face it: most people struggle with the same doubts. We question our abilities, our failures, our past mistakes, our lack of experience, our qualifications, our age, and our shortcomings. We wonder whether God can really use someone like us.

Yet throughout Scripture, God consistently chooses ordinary people who feel inadequate. The reality is that He often does His greatest work through people just like that.

Moses stuttered and doubted his ability to speak. Jeremiah doubted because of his age. Peter doubted because of his countless failures. Gideon doubted because of his weaknesses.

The common thread is this:

“God never asked them to be qualified before He called them.”

“God rarely calls the qualified; He qualifies those He calls.”

Please don’t miss those truths!

Doubt has a way of distorting our identity. It causes us to focus on our weaknesses, limitations, and insecurities rather than on God’s power and promises.

When God called Gideon to deliver the people of Israel, Gideon immediately listed all the reasons he wasn’t the right person for the job. He saw himself as weak, insignificant, and unqualified.

But God saw something completely different.

Before Gideon ever voiced his doubts, God called him a “mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12).

God was not speaking to who Gideon was in that moment; He was speaking to who Gideon would become through His presence and power at work in his life.

Listen closely. Instead of praying,

“God, use me,”

a better prayer might be:

“God, make me usable.”

A usable heart is humble, surrendered, faithful, available, teachable, and willing to trust God beyond its own limitations.

God is not looking for perfection; He is looking for availability.

When doubt whispers, “You can’t,” faith responds, “God can.”

The difference between Gideon’s fear and his victory was not newfound confidence in himself—it was confidence in the God who promised to be with him and who called him by name.

What doubts are keeping you from stepping into what God has called you to do?

Are you focusing more on your limitations, comfort, or inabilities than on God’s ability?

Stop doubting and begin trusting.

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Digging Deeper: Honor Thy Father

Phil Meade on June 23, 2026

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee”

Exodus 20:12 (KJV)

HONOR THY FATHER

I do not know most of you who are reading this, and I have met very few fathers of those of you I do know. I do not pretend to understand the family dynamic that existed in your household as a son or daughter. I know some situations were peaceful and loving, while others were turbulent and loveless. I imagine the majority of situations fell somewhere in the middle.

I was blessed to have a father who loved and protected his children. He was by no means a perfect father, but he loved Jesus and treated us with love and respect. His love was rarely displayed in a touchy-feely, emotional way. He was always there in the shadows, showing his love in subtle, behind-the-scenes ways. I have always compared his parenting style to the bumpers found at a bowling alley. These devices are put in place to keep the ball from rolling into the gutter. If you are over the age of ten and still use these when you bowl, then maybe you should consider either giving up the game or taking a lesson!

My father allowed his children to chart their own paths in life, but he did not lack discipline. He tried to keep us on a straight path and was always present to keep us “out of the gutter.” I will fully admit that there were times when each of us managed to fall into “the gutter” despite his protection. We survived, and my father was there not only to help us back onto our feet but also to reinforce the lesson we had just learned. I tried to emulate his parenting style with my own children; you will have to ask them how I did!

When God commands the Israelites to “honor your father,” He is reinforcing a relationship that mirrors the relationship His children are to have with Him. My siblings and I rarely obeyed my father out of fear—although the occasional spanking was threatened and sometimes delivered. We respected my father for who he was and for what he stood for. We honored him in our hearts, although not always consistently in our actions.

Honoring one’s parents is one of the pillars of a successful culture. Biblical commentator Alan Cole notes, “This is not a popular doctrine in our modern world, where youth is worshipped, and old age dreaded or despised. The result is the folly by which men and women strive to remain eternally youthful, only to find it an impossible task.”

Whether your parents, like mine, have long since passed away, are nearing the end of their lives, or are still youthful—in body and/or spirit—remember that you will always be their son or daughter. Honor their memory. Honor their wisdom as they approach the end of their journey. Honor them while you still have them here on earth.

I pray that, no matter the state of your relationship with your father, you will love and honor him as we are called to love and honor our Heavenly Father.

Digging Deeper (er):

Prov 30:17; Deut 21:18-19; Lev 19:3.

Digging Deeper: Honor THE Father

Phil Meade on June 22, 2026

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

Exodus 20:12 (ESV)

HONOR THE FATHER

The verb honor is defined as “to regard or treat (someone) with admiration and respect” (Merriam-Webster). Synonyms include: (1) homage—the implication of accompanying praise; (2) reverence—profound respect mingled with love, devotion, or awe; and (3) deference—a yielding or submitting to another’s judgment or preference.

In the book of Revelation, John witnesses the throne in heaven. Twenty-four elders fall down before God, cast their crowns at His feet, and say, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11). God is worthy of our admiration and respect—He created all that we are and all that surrounds us. Paul reminds his readers in Corinth, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

We are to pay homage to God our Father. We are to praise Him in all circumstances. David writes, “O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love” (Ps. 59:17). David wrote this passage while assassins lurked outside his doorway, looking for an opportunity to kill him. As Seth so often melodically reminds us, we are to praise God “on the mountain and in the valley, just the same!”

God must be held in reverence. Fearing the Lord—viewing Him with awe—should be a natural outflow of a reverent heart. Our Father must also be the recipient of our love and devotion. How can we not feel devotion to and love for the One who created us, loves us unconditionally, and promises us an eternal home? Being devoted to someone means not only seeking to please them through our actions but also glorifying their name through those actions.

Finally, we must approach God with humility and total submission. I know my personality does not easily lend itself to deference. I have had to endure much discipline and refinement to more clearly view God as Father and Lord. Jesus is the perfect example of total submission. He constantly did the will of His Father, no matter the cost. May we all submit to the Father’s will as a way of honoring our heavenly Father!

Digging Deeper (er):

Prov 3:9; 1 Sam 2:30; Deut 10:12.

Digging Deeper: Go Where You Hear Him

Curt Bowen on June 19, 2026

²⁷And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:27 (ESV)

GO WHERE YOU HEAR HIM

In a windowless room in the basement of a church, an older man taught a Sunday school class. I had my suit and tie on and had arrived just in time, having traveled specifically to hear this particular person teach. He was considered one of the leading defenders of Christianity and, without question, the smartest person I have ever personally met.

I asked a question so obscure that I was almost embarrassed to bring it up. I wanted to know whether we were warranted in praying for events in the past. Not only did he understand my question, but he had actually written about it in a professional journal and even had a name for it: retrospective prayer.

I’m not a Taylor Swift fan, but I think I know how one feels. I had been following this philosopher and theologian for years and was an unabashed theological “Swiftie.”

After class, I ended up going to lunch with a group of regular attendees. I sat next to a younger gentleman and got to know him. He shared my passion for theology, apologetics, and philosophy.

At one point, he opened his backpack and pulled out N.T. Wright’s monumental book The Resurrection of the Son of God. This is not light reading. In fact, it’s 817 pages of some of the finest modern scholarship on the historical facts surrounding the death and resurrection of Christ.

When my new friend informed me that he had read the entire book over the weekend, I was stunned.

I reflected on something during the drive home that day.

The way that young man interacted with God was through his mind.

There are all sorts of ways to connect with God. Some people have a passion for music and experience God through lyrics, chords, and melodies. Others worship God through study. Personally, I find that I connect with God when I travel to remote places, hike through nature, and simply listen.

God spoke to people in Scripture through dreams, the testimony of others, and even burning bushes. It occurs to me that if God spoke through only one means, we might be tempted to worship the vehicle of the message rather than the Messenger Himself.

And so, God may speak in many different ways to different people.

Here’s the key takeaway:

Where do you hear God the loudest?
Wherever that is, go there—and go there during this newly allotted time we call the Sabbath.

We started this week with a simple premise: if you’re not observing the Sabbath, you’re missing out.

Not on a rule.

On something God designed specifically for you.

We put it on the calendar first. We asked what would make it feel genuinely different from the other six days. We gave ourselves permission to stop debating what counts as work and start asking what actually depletes us versus what fills us up.

And now we arrive at the most personal question of all:

Where do you hear God the loudest?

For one man, it’s 817 pages of dense theology. For another, it’s boots on a trail with nothing but wind and altitude. A chord progression. A quiet porch. A crowded room full of people who need help.

The Sabbath isn’t just a day off. It’s a standing appointment.

God has been showing up every single week.

The only question is whether you do too.

You’ve blocked the day. You’ve set it apart. Now do one final thing with that time:

Go where you hear Him.

And listen.

Ask Yourself:

• Where is the place or activity where God feels most present and real to you?

• Is that thing currently part of your Sabbath, or is it buried beneath everything that needs to stop?

Curt Bowen is a husband, father, and group leader who loves engaging in apologetics, theology, and good BBQ. A thrill-seeker at heart, he enjoys roller coasters and has an appreciation for snakes—just not the conversational type.

Digging Deeper: What is Work?

Curt Bowen on June 18, 2026

⁶On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. ⁷And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. ⁸But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. ⁹And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” ¹⁰And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. ¹¹But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Luke 6:6-11 (ESV)

WHAT IS WORK?

In 1920, the number one dream job for a young child was to be a cowboy. Frankly, I don’t really understand how cowboys made money. Most of my knowledge on the subject comes from Looney Tunes cartoons and the movie Tombstone. The remaining top five dream jobs, in order, were:

Cowboy
Firefighter
President
Police Officer
Explorer

If I asked you to guess what they are today, you’d be right to assume they’re completely different. Not a single one is the same. In 2026, kids’ dream jobs were:

YouTuber
Professional Athlete
Superhero
AI Engineer
Programmer

If I’m being honest, with the exception of a handful of influencers like Mr. Beast, I’m not sure YouTubers have figured out the income thing much better than cowboys did.

But whether the dream job is wrangling cattle or chasing subscribers, the point is the same: work looks completely different today than it did even a generation ago, let alone in the days of Israel.

Which brings up a question:

What is work?

It’s not exactly clear.

You could define work as something tied to economic benefit, but then again, unpaid activities such as volunteering seem like work too. Jesus appears to be asking this very question when He asks, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm?”

Another question we might ask is this: Must an activity be revitalizing or restful in order to not be considered work?

Jesus certainly thought it was acceptable to heal on the Sabbath—or to pull your ox out of a ditch. So perhaps the answer is no. Abstaining from work does not necessarily mean engaging only in activities that are restful or rejuvenating.

I have a family member who serves every single weekend at MUST Ministries. I worked the pickup line back in May and was utterly exhausted after just one shift.

She has a very different personality than I do, though. She is an extremely sociable person—the type of person you want greeting guests at church. What I find exhausting, she finds revitalizing.

In fact, as I think about Jesus’ healings, perhaps He too was revitalized by serving others.

The point is this: don’t get hung up on what counts as work for you personally. There may be all sorts of activities—serving, creating, helping others—that would drain someone else but are perfectly life-giving for you.

Don’t let someone else’s definition of work or rest become your rule.

What depletes others might be exactly what fills you up.

Ask Yourself:

• Think about something you do—serving, creating, or helping others—that most people would call “work” but that actually energizes you. What does that reveal about how God uniquely wired you?

Digging Deeper: Sugar Day

Curt Bowen on June 17, 2026

¹¹For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:11 (ESV)

SUGAR DAY

I had just finished paying the monthly bills at work when I got a call from my wife. She had been at the dentist for the past several hours with our two young boys.

It was not good news.

Each one had several cavities, and the bills were massive. It seemed that every trip to the dentist resulted in cavities these days, no matter how much we focused on brushing.

I hit something of a breaking point.

That evening, I announced to the family that there would be no more sugar. We were now a completely sugar-free family.

It went over about as well as if I had announced that the family dog was being given away.

My wife spoke with me that evening and asked if we could maybe soften the rule. She wasn’t opposed to limiting sugar, but could we perhaps have ONE day when the kids were allowed to eat it?

And thus, Sugar Day was born.

We picked Saturday as the family’s Sugar Day. Six days of meats, vegetables, and carbs; one day of cake, ice cream, and candy.

And voilà—the cavities went away.

The word holy means “to separate” or “to set apart.” Essentially, if you want the Sabbath to be holy, it needs to look and feel different from the other six days of the week.

That’s going to look very different for each person. It may even look different for the same person at different points in life.

What I liked about Sugar Day was that it got the entire family looking forward to the Sabbath. I remember showing up in the morning with a box of donuts and watching the kids go wild. It created natural launching points for conversations about what the Sabbath is and about who God is.

To answer Isaiah’s question, we delighted in the day.

The obvious caveat is that I’m not promoting sin. I’m not saying it’s okay to get drunk on the Sabbath. Rather, there are all sorts of activities that require discipline, effort, or willpower that we can choose to schedule around the Sabbath.

I have a friend who thoroughly enjoys running. For some people, running six days a week and not having to get out of bed on the seventh would be rejuvenating. For him, it would be the opposite.

Think through the following as possible starting points:

Would my ideal Sabbath include:

• More technology or less?

• Stimulation or relaxation?

• Sleeping in or getting out?

• More people or fewer people?

• Noise or silence?

• Indoors or outdoors?

• Familiar or new?

• Scheduled or unstructured?

• Spiritual discipline or spiritual spontaneity?

The list is endless.

The point isn’t to get the Sabbath right. The point is to get it started.

God didn’t bless the seventh day because it was perfect. He blessed it because He set it apart. Your job is simply to do the same.

Pick something. Try it. See if it draws you toward rest, toward people, and toward Him. You can always adjust.

After all, the day was made for you.

Ask Yourself:

• If you designed your ideal Sabbath starting this week, what would be the first thing on it and the first thing off it?

• What does your soul reach for when it has nothing to do?

The Open Door of Obedience

Kevin Burrell on June 17, 2026

“I know your works. Because you have limited strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name, I have placed before you an open door that no one is able to close.”

Revelation 3:8

THE OPEN DOOR OF OBEDIENCE

Too often, people want God’s favor in their lives without God’s authority.

They want His blessings without His commands.

They want open doors while living a life of disobedience.

However, God is not a “genie in a bottle” who exists to grant our wishes whenever we call on Him. He is Lord, and His favor flows through a life surrendered to Him.

When we read this verse, it is important to notice what Jesus commends before He mentions the “open door.”

The open door was not given randomly. It was the result of a faithful relationship surrendered to Him.

Jesus points to three qualities in the church at Philadelphia that positioned them for the door that only He could open.

Don’t miss these three!

1. “Limited Strength”

Jesus acknowledged that they had “little strength.”

He did not rebuke them for their weakness. He honored their faithfulness in the midst of it.

God is not looking for people who have it all together. He is looking for people who will trust Him when they don’t.

The kingdom of God has always advanced through people who understood their dependence on Him.

The door God opens is not based on your ability—it is based on His power.

2. “Kept My Word”

Jesus said, “You have kept My word.”

This is where many believers struggle. We want God’s promises, but we resist His instructions. Yet obedience will always be the hinge to blessing.

My friend and national treasure, Ike Reighard, says:

“Great doors of opportunity swing on the tiny hinges of obedience.”

Keeping God’s Word means obeying when it’s difficult, trusting when it’s uncomfortable, and remaining faithful even when compromise would be easier.

The church at Philadelphia was not perfect, but they were committed to God’s truth. They did not pick and choose which commands they would follow. They honored His Word—all of it—even when it cost them something.

God entrusts greater opportunities to those who have proven faithful and who keep His Word.

3. “Not Denied My Name”

Jesus also commended them because they had “not denied My name.”

In a culture that pressured them to compromise, they stood firm. They refused to be ashamed of Christ.

Today, denying His name may not always happen with our words. Sometimes it happens through our actions, our silence, our compromise, or our desire to fit in.

Those who experience God’s “open door that no one can shut” are often those who remain faithful to Him when it would be easier not to.

Listen closely. Notice the progression:

• They had limited strength.

• They kept His Word.

• They did not deny His name.

Then Jesus opened a door that no one could close.

Do not miss that!

The open door was not the cause of their faithfulness; it was the result of it.

If you are waiting for God to open a door in your life, do not focus solely on the door. Focus on being faithful right where He has planted you.

Trust Him in your weakness.

Obey His Word completely.

Stand unashamed of His name.

When God opens a door, no person, obstacle, criticism, or opposition can close what He has ordained.

God sees your weakness, yet He honors your obedience and faithfulness by opening doors that no one can close.

Remember…

It may not be “your door,” but it’s “His door.”

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

Digging Deeper: Blue Ink

Curt Bowen on June 16, 2026

³Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.

Leviticus 23:3 (ESV)

BLUE INK

During its heyday, and before it was bought out by corporate interests, I listened to every single BiggerPockets podcast. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s an online resource for all things real estate. I’ve said this many times, but despite having a degree in real estate from the Terry College of Business at UGA, I learned a hundred times more from that podcast than I ever did from my degree.

The cohosts would interview a guest—sometimes a firefighter flipping houses on the side, sometimes a commercial developer with decades of experience—and then dig for insights. At the end of each episode was their “Famous Four”: four questions they asked every guest.

What is your favorite real estate book?
What is your favorite business book?
What are your hobbies?
What sets apart successful investors from those who give up, fail, or never get started?

I don’t think it was ever officially tallied, but the book most often cited was generally agreed to be Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. However, I believe the second most-cited book was probably The One Thing by Gary Keller, co-founder of Keller Williams.

Keller’s main thesis was to identify “the ONE thing” and focus on it relentlessly until it was accomplished. When starting a business, most people worry about business cards, designing a logo, or attending networking events. But what if the ONE thing most likely to make everything else easier—or unnecessary—was simply making sales calls?

Keller’s point was that by focusing first on your most important task, even at the expense of everything else, the other things would either become easier or irrelevant.

He even had a color-coded system for his calendar. The ONE thing was written in red ink, leisure was blue ink, and meetings, busywork, and other routine tasks were black ink. I still have three gel pens in those colors clipped to my paper calendar to this day.

And he was very clear about the order in which those colors should hit the page.

He insisted that the very first color to fill your calendar should be:

BLUE INK

The leisure color. The vacations. The downtime.

The founder of the largest real estate company on the planet—and Mr. Focus himself—suggested time-blocking your rest before anything else.

What if we did that with our Sabbaths?

Using a paper-based calendar forces you to realize that time is limited. What goes on first pushes out what goes on second.

When I began blocking off days with the word SABBATH, I quickly noticed a problem. I had scheduled it on Sunday, which was also the day we hosted our couples group. Much of the day was spent cleaning, preparing materials, and cooking food. I quickly realized that by the end of the day, it hardly felt as though we had rested or been refreshed.

This is probably similar for many church staff members whose Sundays are filled with responsibilities from morning until evening.

So, we made the decision to observe the Sabbath on Saturday.

I’m aware that the Sabbath was originally observed on Saturday and that the early church shifted corporate worship to Sunday to celebrate the resurrection. That seemed like a good and appropriate decision for the early church. But if they had the freedom to make that adjustment corporately, I don’t see why I couldn’t do so individually if it meant I would actually observe the Sabbath.

Regardless, that’s not the point.

The point is that the first step toward making a day of rest real and effective is to put it on your calendar. Just as eliminating time spent on business cards in order to make sales calls requires telling ourselves “no,” blocking out a full day for Sabbath requires the same thing.

The Hebrew calendar refers to the Sabbath as a מוֹעֵד (moed), meaning an “appointed time.” God essentially put it on His calendar and invited Israel to show up.

The implication is simple: if it’s not on your calendar, you’ve declined the appointment.

Ask Yourself:

• What would happen if I wrote the word SABBATH in all caps on one day of my calendar every week?

• How strong is my ability to say “no”? Is it harder to tell myself “no” or to tell others “no”? Which obligations would be the most difficult to decline, and how could I do so politely but firmly?