Sermon Title: Slow down you move too fast
Scripture: John 1:19-23, 29-30,35-37

Q: Were you able to sabbath, simplify and/or slow down?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

There are 2 expressions of grace in this passage:

saving grace

serving grace.

John’s story reveal 3 ingredients to a joyful life:

1. He knew his identity
   
   • He knew who he was, he also knew who he wasn’t
   • His identity was grounded in the knowledge of Scripture
     “Our true self is what God created us to be—a person who lives life in love, joy, and peace.” - (Thomas Merton). Overshadowing our true self is a false, superficial self. Because it is not real, this false self constantly seeks to enhance its visibility and prove its reality.
2. He knew his calling
   
   • Because he knew his identity, he also knew his calling,
   • Your vocation should flow from an inner awareness of who God made you to be.
   • We often think success is the only path to joy but failure is JUST AS helpful. Failure teaches us who we are not, so that we can learn who we are, so that we can say yes to the right things and no to the wrong things.
3. He embraced his limitations.

3 closing questions for self-evaluation:
1. Who am I? How can I live more authentically and be less concerned about my image?
2. What am I called to do? What am I made for?
3. What are my limitations and where am I living outside of the limits God has given meå?