Day 1: Come to Jesus for soul-rest and refreshment.
When the weight of life feels like too much, the one simple command is to come to Jesus and let him give rest. This is not emotional platitude but a practical invitation: lay down the burdens you’ve been carrying and allow him to ease, relieve, and refresh your soul. Resting in him looks like stopping the frantic striving and receiving revival for the things that are depleted. [39:19]
Matthew 11:28 (Amplified) — "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls."
Reflection: What is one specific burden you have been carrying this week that you can physically hand to Jesus by name in prayer, and what will you stop doing this week to make space for his rest?
Day 2: God is near the brokenhearted and saves.
When the soul is crushed and every angle seems closed in, God draws near rather than staying distant. The promise is not a minimization of pain but a nearness that brings true salvation for the crushed in spirit. Bring your brokenness to him honestly, trusting that his presence meets what your explanations and fixes cannot. [44:30]
Psalm 34:18 (ESV) — "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
Reflection: Identify a recent moment when you felt crushed—what did you try first to fix it, and how might you practice turning immediately to God's nearness instead of other quick fixes?
Day 3: Wait on the Lord to renew your strength.
God does not faint or grow weary, and he gives power to those who are faint; waiting on him is not passive defeat but active reliance that renews strength. Waiting on the Lord produces renewed energy that enables people to "mount up with wings like eagles"—to run without growing weary and to walk without fainting. In the middle of exhaustion, faith looks like choosing to trust God's timing and provision rather than exhausting yourself in restless striving. [55:46]
Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV) — "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth? He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
Reflection: What does "waiting on the Lord" look like for you in a specific situation where you currently feel drained—what is one small, practical step you can take this week to replace anxious activity with expectant waiting?
Day 4: Hope overflows through the Holy Spirit's power.
Hope from God is not a small emotion but an overflowing reality produced by the Holy Spirit, bringing perfect peace and uncontainable joy as trust grows. This hope is meant to be visible—so much so that people entering a room see the presence of God in a life that radiates hope. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you beyond "enough" so your life becomes a signpost of hope to those around you. [58:27]
Romans 15:13 (ESV) — "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
Reflection: In what one area of your daily life (home, work, relationships) would you most want others to see hope radiating from you, and what is one prayer you will pray this week asking the Spirit to begin that overflow?
Day 5: Surrender, not striving, leads to true victory.
Weariness is not a badge of honor or proof of commitment; it is a signal to surrender burdens to God and enter his rest rather than to push harder in your own strength. The Holy Spirit will not force rest on a person, but he offers a resting place—true Sabbath rest for the people of God—when people stop doing and start trusting. Choose surrender as an act of faith: give up the illusion that relentless striving secures victory and instead receive the rest God provides. [57:54]
Hebrews 4:9-11 (ESV) — "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience."
Reflection: What habitual effort or performance are you relying on to prove worth or secure outcomes, and what practical step will you take this week to intentionally surrender that effort to God and practice entering his rest?
Sermon Summary
As we step into the Christmas season, we began our series, The Hope, by naming something many of us feel but rarely say out loud: weariness. Not just being physically tired, but that deep depletion of the soul that comes from long seasons of fighting, waiting, and carrying more than we were built to hold. Into that place, Jesus extends a simple invitation: “Come to me.” He doesn’t ask us to hustle harder or prove ourselves worthy; He promises to ease, relieve, and refresh our souls.
I challenged us to reject the lie that exhaustion is a badge of honor. There is no trophy for burnout. The way of Jesus isn’t to push past weariness—it’s to bring it to Him. Like a parent who scoops up a deliriously tired child, He will cause us to rest. That’s not passivity; it’s trust. It’s letting God be God and letting our souls breathe again.
We looked at Mary, who was in God’s will and still walked through scandal, fear, and misunderstanding. Her situation was far from perfect, yet she held onto what God said. That is the shape of Christian hope: a confident expectation rooted in God’s promise, not in our control of outcomes. Hope does not erase struggle; it reveals God’s presence within it.
Scripture anchors this for us. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Those who wait on the Lord renew their strength and rise again. And the God of hope fills us with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as we trust in Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, until we radiate with hope. So I called us to surrender—our striving, our timelines, our coping mechanisms—and to come boldly to Jesus. Weariness is not your final destination. In Him there is relief, refreshing, and restoration. Register for the move-in weekend, yes—but more importantly, register your heart to return to Him. This season, let’s refuse the facades and lay our exhaustion at His feet. He’s here. He’s enough. And He will meet you.
Key Takeaways
1. Weariness is a sign to surrender When you feel your soul thinning, that isn’t your cue to push harder—it’s your invitation to hand it all to Jesus. Surrender is not defeat; it’s alignment with the One who actually carries you. Strength returns when you stop competing with God for control. Come to Him, and He will cause you to rest. [56:59]
2. Hope is confident expectation in God Christian hope isn’t wishful thinking; it is anchored in God’s promises, even when circumstances are messy. Like Mary, you can be fully in God’s will and still face misunderstanding and fear. Hope holds onto what God said when nothing else makes sense. It waits for the promise-maker, not just the promise. [50:32]
3. There is no badge for burnout Hustle culture tells you exhaustion equals importance. Jesus tells you exhaustion needs healing. Refuse to normalize depletion in your life and relationships. Build holy rhythms of coming to Him for relief, not achievements to prove you’re enough. [61:33]
4. God is near to the crushed He may not always give explanations, but He always gives Himself. When the weight feels unbearable, you’re not abandoned—you’re accompanied. Let His nearness become your lifeline, and you’ll find salvation and strength in the very place you felt broken. [44:30]
5. Trust unlocks peace and overflowing joy Peace and joy are not products of control; they are gifts released as you trust. The Holy Spirit fills you beyond “just enough” into overflow when you yield the outcomes to God. Entrust specific fears to Him today, and watch your soul begin to breathe again. [58:27]
Bible reading (ESV) Matthew 11:28–30 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Observation questions (3–4)
Who is Jesus addressing in these verses, and what exact promise does he make about the weary? (Read the verse carefully; note the words he uses to describe both the people and the gift.)
The sermon expands what “rest” looks like using verbs like “ease,” “relieve,” and “refresh.” Which of those words stands out to you and why? [36:01]
How does Mary’s situation—being in God’s will yet facing scandal and fear—illustrate the difference between “being in the will of God” and “being free from struggle”? [48:19]
Interpretation questions (3–4)
How should “rest” in Matthew 11:28–30 be understood in the life of a believer: as primarily physical rest, a change of circumstances, a surrender of control, or a deep soul-rest found in relationship with Jesus? What in the passage supports that reading? [42:14]
If “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” means God gives himself rather than explanations, what practical comfort or action does that promise call for from a believer toward those who are crushed? [44:30]
Isaiah’s promise that those who wait on the Lord will “renew their strength” has strong practical implications. What does “waiting on the Lord” require emotionally and behaviorally from a weary person in a culture that prizes pushing harder? [53:51]
Application questions (4–7)
Weariness is a signal to surrender rather than to push harder. When you notice your soul thinning, what is the first thing you usually do to “fix” it? Name one specific thing you will do this week instead to bring that weariness to Jesus (for example: pray, sit quietly, ask for help, take a Sabbath boundary). [56:59]
Hope is confident expectation rooted in God’s promise. Pick one promise of God you can hold to when circumstances are messy (for example, “God is near,” “I will find rest,” or a personal promise you remember). How will you remind yourself of that promise each day this week? [50:32]
Hustle culture treats exhaustion as a badge. Identify one “badge” or expectation you feel you’re wearing (work achievement, always-available parent, perfect holiday host, etc.). What is one concrete boundary or rhythm you will put in place to begin shedding that badge this month? [39:19]
The Lord’s nearness is a lifeline to the crushed. Who in your sphere is currently crushed or barely holding on? What one practical step will you take in the next seven days to be near them (call, pray with them, bring a meal, sit quietly with them, invite them to church)? [44:30]
Trust unlocks overflowing joy and perfect peace. Name a specific fear or outcome you are holding tightly to. Will you write it down, say a short prayer daily this week surrendering it to Jesus, and share that prayer request with one person for accountability? [58:27]
(End of guide — discuss the Bible passage together first, then move through Observation → Interpretation → Application.)
Sermon Clips
So as we begin this journey into the Christmas season, we are openingwith a series called The Hope. Over the next few weeks, I want to look at the Christmas story and how it brings the message of hope to people in all different ages or all different stages of life. Hope, this idea of having hope. The Christmas story is a story about
[00:34:55]
(30 seconds)
#TheHopeSeries
redemption.It is a story about God's expressed unconditional love. But it is also a story of hope. The hope that was prophesied in the Old Testament coming to fruition to create the new. The hope that manifested itself in the birth of a baby boy in a town called Bethlehem. Today, I want to begin to dive into the hope thatJesus' birth signified and why his birth brings hope to the weary.
[00:35:25]
(45 seconds)
#ChristmasHope
If there is one feeling that we can all identify with at one point or another, it is the feeling of being weary. Weary, not physically tired, but just something deeper than that. The state of depletion, just being depleted, fighting for so long or desiring for so long or waiting for change for so long. And then as you're doing that, you get to this point where you're like, I don't think that I could wait any longer. I could push any further.
[00:36:10]
(43 seconds)
#SoulWeary
But wherever you find yourself on that spectrum of weary, I just want to remind you that God's plan for you is not that you would live a life of weary, but that we would be strengthened to do exactly what he has called us to do and that we would endure to the end. His desire, his plan is not that you would live a life of weary, but that you would bestrengthened to do exactly what he's called you to do and that you would endure to the end.
[00:37:31]
(41 seconds)
#StrengthenedToEndure
weary, our job, our one responsibility is to come to him. It's to come to him. Not to run toa relationship, not to run to drugs, not to run to alcohol, not to run to sex, not to run to addictions, not to run to pornography, not to run to a random pills, not to run to any of these things. When you are tired, when you are spent, when you are at the lowest of low, he says, come to him. Come to him.
[00:39:06]
(44 seconds)
#ComeToHimNotToAddictions
Culture's answer is to convince us that weariness is a badge of honor. It's a badge of honor that we wear.It is your badge to wear for your commitment. It is a badge to wear for your hard work. It is a badge to wear for the culture. And they will tell you that the way to accomplish anything or to see any real progress is to push past the weariness. Just keep pushing. And that on the other side of weariness is success. That is a lie.
[00:39:51]
(45 seconds)
#StopGlorifyingHustle
The only thing on the other side of weariness is moreweariness. That's it. Don't believe the hype. Don't believe what the world is trying to sell you. Don't believe the culture that is telling you to push through and keep going and hustle harder. No.The only thing on the other side of weariness is weariness. There is no trophy for exhaustion. There is no award for burnout. But Jesus tells us to come to him and he will cause us to rest. He will cause us to rest.
[00:40:35]
(54 seconds)
#RestOverHustle
You know, when your kid is tired, y'all already know where I'm going. I can just leave that right there. You know, when your kid is tired and they refuse to rest and they just keep going, keep pressing, asking crazy questions that make no sense. They try to do this and try todo that. And you can see that they are delirious, but they refuse to rest. Walking, just running into stuff. You see the long blinks, but they're going to do everything they can to not rest. That's us. That's us.
[00:41:50]
(44 seconds)
#RefuseToRest
Ever been in a place where you felt crushed. You felt like it was on every corner. Like there was no way that you could pull out of it. It is every side, the left, the right, the top, the bottom, you are crushed and there is no way forward. You can't even imagine how you got there.Your soul is crushed. He says, I'm here. He says, I'm near to you. And salvation is in me. He didn't say salvation was in revenge. He didn't say that salvation was found in you getting understanding for why it happened or what's going on or what's going on or any of that.
[00:45:53]
(64 seconds)
#SalvationNotRevenge
See,although who she was carrying was perfect, the situation in which she was carrying him was far from perfect. Mary was a young girl who was not yet married and she was pregnant. And the man that she was about to marry was not the father. Now this sounds like a HGTV series. This is a full season worth of scandal right here. This is the drama that you look for. This is lifetime, lifetime series. Yes.
[00:47:36]
(42 seconds)
#CarryingHopeInChaos
The situation is far. Can you imagine the looks from her family? Can you imagine the looks from his family?Looks from the people in the neighborhood and around and they are looking at her. And back then, young women were property. And marriage was a binding contract, a binding contract. And culturally, because she broke that contract, the penalty was death. She was supposed to be stoned because of theshame that she brought to her family and his family. She was supposed to be stoned. She had no voice.She had no platform. She had no status. Yet God still chose her and she was still in the will of God for her life.
[00:48:19]
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#ChosenDespiteShame
That's something that she could be in the midst of this and still be in the will of God.Because we deem that we see it. Oh, oh, there. They missed the mark somewhere. That is not God.That is, that ain't. In the midst of all of this, she's walking through all of this. And the only thing that she has to hold onto is what God said.
[00:49:26]
(38 seconds)
#HoldToGodsWord
She was in the will of God, but she was weary, weary from, from, am I going to be stoned? What the shame that I brought to my family? How am I going to walk this out? Am I going to see my family again? Is my husband going to believe me? Can you imagine the weariness that she's walking through? It's exactlywhere she was supposed to be.
[00:50:43]
(30 seconds)
#CalledDespiteWeariness
See, hope, hope is the confident expectation of a divine promise. Hope is the confident expectation of a divine promise. This is the hope. This is the promise that we have for those of us today who are here and are weary and are tired and are crushed in spirit. That in our most vulnerablemoments, in the moments where we feel inadequate, in the moments where we feel powerless, in the moments where we feel overwhelmed with life's situation, we have a savior that will meet us. We have a savior that will rescue us. We have a savior that will restore us.
[00:51:20]
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#HopeInTheSavior
Do not believe the lie of the enemy that says it is over for you. Do not believe the lie of the enemy that says it's just going to be thisway. This is your story. This is where it ends. There is no hope for you. You might as well give up, cave in, cave in, and quit right now. The devil is a liar. This is the hope. This is the confident expectation that we have. What is your hope in? What is your hope in? If you have placed your hopein anything else but him, it is destined to fail.
[00:52:24]
(51 seconds)
#DontBelieveTheLie
If you place your hope in your finances, if you place your hope in your 401k, if you place your hope in a president, if you place your hope in a political party, if you place your hope in your bank account, if you place your hope in your job, if you place your hope in your boss, if you place your hope on them letters behind your name because you went to college, if you place your hope in anything else but him, it is destined to fail.
[00:53:20]
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#HopeInGodNotInAnythingElse
I know that it is hard to hear this when you're in the middle of it. I know that it is hard to hear this when you can't seem, when you don't understand when it is, you don't understand where I'm at.You don't understand what I'm going through. There is no way possible. Hear me and hear me clear.The same God that wakes you up every morning. The same God that literally okays every breath that is in your lungs that you breathe.Love is the same God who is able to deliver you, who is able to keep you, who is able to lift you up, who is able to relieve you and refresh your soul if you let it.
[00:55:33]
(51 seconds)
#GodCanDeliver
Some of us are weary because we refuse to surrender because we continue to fight in our own strength because we continue to pursue.We continue to push and we just keep going and going in our own strength and the grace and the mercy of God is there and available for you.But the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and God will not make you do anything.So if you want to run till the wheels fall off, that is up to you.But he says, I am here if you let me.I'm not going to give you rest if you don't want it.You're going to be like that kid, them little babies walking around delirious.
[00:57:34]
(45 seconds)
#RestIsAChoice
Some of us are weary because we refuse to surrender because we continue to fight in our own strength because we continue to pursue.We continue to push and we just keep going and going in our own strength and the grace and the mercy of God is there and available for you.But the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and God will not make you do anything.So if you want to run till the wheels fall off, that is up to you.
[00:57:34]
(30 seconds)
#YieldToTheSpirit
He says, I want to fill you.I want to fill you through the power of the Holy Spirit to the overflowing until you radiate with hope.Until you walk in the room and people see you and they see hope.Until they see your life, they see the presence of God and they see hope.But we have to trust in him.Uncontainable joy, perfect peace.It is not a fantasy.It is available to all of us.If we would trust him, if we would yield to him, if we would give him those things, if we would stop trying to do it on our own.There is no reward for weariness.There is no badge for burnout.It is a lie.Rest.
[01:00:43]
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#OverflowWithHope
