The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?" for Tuesday, 15 November 2016

[Material in this GPS is mainly drawn, or slightly adapted, from The Wesley Challenge: 21 Days to a More Authentic Faith, by Chris Folmsbee, to be published by Abingdon Press in March, 2017.]
The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?" for Tuesday, 15 November 2016

Genesis 2:2 On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.
Psalm 3:3 (2) how countless those who say of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” (Selah)
4 (3) But you, Adonai, are a shield for me;
you are my glory, you lift my head high.
5 (4) With my voice I call out to Adonai,
and he answers me from his holy hill. (Selah)
6 (5) I lie down and sleep, then wake up again,
because Adonai sustains me.
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Wesley’s question, “Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?” is about being rested for the work of God in the world, yes. However, his question also points to our willingness to live a disciplined life in general. “Do I go to bed on time and get up
on time?” is like code for “Are you rested and at your best to meet the challenges of the day, and ultimately represent God well and help make the world a better place?”
• Think about a time you’ve felt exhausted and depleted. What was your behavior like at that time? How good were the decisions you made when you were in that state of exhaustion? How would you answer John Wesley’s question, both on the surface level (adequate hours of sleep) and on its deeper level (rested enough to make the world a better place)?
• Choose a reasonable bedtime this week, one that will provide you with a good amount of rest, and stick to it. Perhaps it’s a half hour before you usually go to bed, or perhaps it’s a lot earlier than that. Don’t allow emails, television, or anything else that really can wait until the next day to interfere with that time you’ve set.
Prayer: God, help me be disciplined in my sleep and in my times of rest and recreation. I pray that I’ll be willing to stick to a schedule that allows me to be my best for your Kingdom’s sake. Amen.
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Insights from Randy Greene

Randy Greene is a part of the Communications team at Church of the Resurrection. He helps develop and maintain the church’s family of websites. When he’s not at the church, he loves to write on his blog and reads a wide variety of books.
“Here, Randy… have a Snickers. You’re not you when you’re hungry.”
You’ve seen or heard these Snickers commercials. They start with some kind of monster who is nonsensically angry – the monster is fuming for absolutely no reason, usually destroying things and causing havoc for everyone around. Then someone comes up to the monster and offers it a candy bar, pleading with it to eat. Once the monster take a couple bites, it transforms into a completely normal person and the world is restored to order.
I hope I’m not alone in this, but those commercials are a pretty accurate depiction of me when I don’t get enough rest. My wife always knows when I’m tired because I stomp around the house, yell at our dog, and have a generally sour disposition. When I’m tired, I’m like a volcano waiting for any reason to erupt. It’s not pretty and I’m not proud of that version of myself. I don’t represent Christ well in those moments. When I lose control like that, I seriously damage my relationships with my wife and the people around me.
If I have truly given myself to Christ, I must prioritize the things in my life that help me live the life of grace Christ modeled. One of those priorities is the self-discipline to take time to rest. Even Christ himself modeled for us what it looks like to take time away from the crowds and the chaos in order to recuperate and recover. Sabbath rest is not only for Sundays – it is required anytime our lives become unbalanced. As we seek to love God with our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies, we must give ourselves the proper rest our physical bodies need.
When I sleep as I should, I can avoid becoming the monster from the Snickers commercial. Rather than waiting to take a nap until I feel exhausted and have already caused havoc, I must plan ahead to prepare for the rest I know I’ll need. By looking ahead at my calendar and anticipating the moments when I’ll need extra rest, I am better able to work effectively and represent Christ more fully. I am able to notice God at work in the world around me.
This is one small but effective step I can take to more closely live like Christ.-------
"Do I grumble or complain constantly?" for Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Philippians 2:14 Do everything without kvetching or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation,[Philippians 2:15 Deuteronomy 32:5] among whom you shine like stars in the sky, 16 as you hold on to the Word of Life. If you do this, I will be able to boast, when the Day of the Messiah comes, that I did not run or toil for nothing.
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Are you a constant complainer? It’s easy to find out: ask the people around you. When we
complain, we think we are just making observations about reality. But constant complaining creates an alternative reality that leads us to shirk responsibility and blame others for our discontent. Wesley called us to ask ourselves and one another this question so that we can replace negative
with positive thoughts, and start developing new habits marked by hope and optimism.
• Do you think you are optimistic or pessimistic by nature? What kind of feedback have you received from people in your life about this aspect of your personality? Do you believe it is possible to reframe your approach to circumstances to view them in a positive vs. negative light? What could help you do this?
• Think about any constant grumblers you know. What choices might be driving their negative outlook? Who do you know who is consistently a “glass half-full” person? Observe closely what decisions and practices seem to help them live their lives this way. When have you made a conscious decision to be more positive about a particular situation, or about your life overall?
Prayer: Holy God, you always work for my good. May I honor you by avoiding complaining and replacing it with rejoicing, even when things do not go my way. Amen.
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"Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?" for Thursday, 17 November 2016
1 Timothy 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world; and we can take nothing out of it; 8 so if we have food and clothing, we will be satisfied with these. 9 Furthermore, those whose goal is to be rich fall into temptation; they get trapped in many foolish and hurtful ambitions which plunge them into ruin and destruction.
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The underlying principle behind this question of Wesley’s is simply: Who or what owns us? What consumes us? Who or what do we allow to control our life? When we are a slave to something or someone, it clearly means that we take our direction from a controlling person or object that is not God. We are called toward a healthy, balanced life of serving the Kingdom virtues we see in the life of Christ.
• What controls your life? Be honest with yourself. What is the focus of most of your thoughts? What preoccupies you? How much time, effort and focus would be available for your participation in the mission of God if this factor did NOT preoccupy your life? Ask your spouse or a trusted friend to alert you when they notice you “feeding” this preoccupation in a way that limits your ability to allow God to control your life.
• One of the best ways to control or curb your enthusiasm for things in your life that consume you other than God’s mission is to consistently serve others. Find a place to serve regularly, to help rebalance the priorities in your life. (Go to www.cor.org/missions to view one good listing of lots of varied options for ways and places to serve.) Don’t put it off, and don’t wait for the ideal service situation to present itself. Try out a variety of service opportunities to find the place that captures your attention and focus.
Prayer: God, help me resist the desire to collect things I do not need, to resist the temptation to allow my impulses and obsessions to direct my decision-making. Help me to give you all I am and have. Amen.
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"How do I spend my spare time?" for Friday,  18 November 16
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now, in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah we command you, brothers, to stay away from any brother who is leading a life of idleness, a life not in keeping with the tradition you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you must imitate us, that we were not idle when we were among you. 8 We did not accept anyone’s food without paying; on the contrary, we labored and toiled, day and night, working so as not to be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not that we hadn’t the right to be supported, but so that we could make ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: if someone won’t work, he shouldn’t eat! 11 We hear that some of you are leading a life of idleness — not busy working, just busybodies! 12 We command such people — and in union with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah we urge them — to settle down, get to work, and earn their own living. 13 And you brothers who are doing what is good, don’t slack off!
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A 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey said that, on average, employed Americans age 25-54 with children sleep 7.7 hours a day. Of the remaining 16.3 hours, people in that group average 2.5 hours of leisure time, what we might assume Wesley meant by “spare time.”
1 It is essential to determine where in your day you have spare time. You must also find what you should do with that time. This is
not a time to answer emails you didn’t get to during your hours of work! Wesley proposed this as a key question for Christians so that we can determine which activities help us be refreshed, renewed and refocused on the essential priorities of our lives.
• Wesley (and Jesus) both want to make sure that we are not wasting time that we could be
using to strengthen our daily pursuit of becoming deeply committed Christians. What activities bring you the most enjoyment and make you feel the most refreshed and energized? How much of your spare time do you spend on these pursuits? If it’s less than you would like, how can you restructure your time so that you are spending it in ways that bring you life?
• Make a spare time “map” of your week. For one week, record everything honestly, (for only your eyes). Be specific enough so that you can spot spare time patterns to help you evaluate your map. Use the calendar or notes functions on your phone to help you, or jot down notes in your desk calendar or portfolio, if that works best for you.
Prayer: God, may I use my spare time in way(s) that please you. Help me develop the consistent practices needed to use the time I have wisely. Amen.
[1 http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/]
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"Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?" for Saturday, 19 November 2016
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves — 4 look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own.
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It is healthy to be self-aware. However, being too aware of self can make us self-absorbed if we’re not careful. Wesley wanted us to reflect on the question, “Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?”
so that we confront our human penchant to be so concerned with “self” that we lose sight of the “others” in our lives. Do yourself a favor. Reflect carefully and act swiftly on the core of what Wesley was getting at in today’s question. Watch it change the way you see the world and also the way others see you.
• How often do you attempt something you will be “bad” at? If your answer is “rarely,” why do you think that is? Are you afraid of being embarrassed or looking foolish to others? Are you worried about criticism, or is it because you have an excessive need to always be the “best”? Has anyone ever told you that you are self-absorbed, self-pitying, or self-justifying? What were the circumstances of that encounter? What, if anything, did you learn about yourself as a result?
Prayer: God, teach me to serve you first and to seek your kingdom. Help me to be less concerned about myself and more about you and your mission for this world. Help me not to be so concerned with myself that I forget your purpose for me. Amen.
Family Activity: Did you know that God wants us not only to care for others, but to also care for ourselves? Prepare a piece of paper with the headings Physical, Emotional, Spiritual and Mental. Down the left side of the paper, write the name of each family member. First, talk together about how we can each care for ourselves. Are we getting enough rest and eating healthfully? Do we express our emotions in helpful ways? Are we reading our Bible, attending worship and praying? Have we learned any new information recently? Encourage each person to choose one way from each category to commit to growing this year. Pray and ask God to help each of you as you better care for yourselves.

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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Marsha Monica and family on the death of her father Dale Dixon, 11/5
• John DeVera and family on the death of his mother Kitty Juanita DeVera, 11/3
• Deb Wertin and family on the death of her mother Donna Bracken, 11/3
• Ty Cowan and family on the death of his son Evan Cowan, 11/1
• Victoria Edmondson and family on the death of her ex-husband Mike Edmondson, 11/1
• Friends and family on the death of Lester “Les” Pebley, 10/31
• John Yost and family on the death of his sister Dorothy Plum, 10/31
• Megan O’Neill and family on the death of her grandfather Nelson Ball, 10/30
• Jane Berry and family on the death of her mother Shirley Conway, 10/30
• Randy Weast and family on the death of his father Max Snodgrass, 10/29

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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
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