Restoring Time to Overloaded Lives

Pastor Richard Wollardrichard.wollard@gmail.com

Springbrook Community Church

Folds Thickness U/M

Start 0.014 Inches1 0.028 2 0.056 3 0.112 4 0.224 5 0.448 6 0.896 7 1.79 8 3.58 9 7.17

10 1.19 Feet

10 1.19 Feet11 2.39 12 4.78 13 9.56 14 19.11 15 38.23 16 76.46 17 152.92 18 305.83 19 611.67 20 1,223.34 21 2,446.68 22 0.93 Miles

22 0.93 Miles23 1.85 24 3.71 25 7.41 26 14.83 27 29.66 28 59.31 29 118.63 30 237.25 31 474.51 32 949.01 33 1,898.03 34 3,796.06 35 7,592.11 36 15,184.23 37 30,368.46 38 60,736.91 39 121,473.82 40 242,947.65 Miles !

The distance from the earth to the moon is 238,868 Miles

Fold a 1.4 thousandth of an inch piece of paper 40 times...and it will be thicker than the distance from the earth to the moon.

That is the power of exponentials !

Time

The Word Around Us

Linear vs. exponential thinking

Because so much of life has shifted into exponential terms, the issue of limits and how we organize and steward our time is becoming an increasingly critical issue.

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“...be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

~ Ephesians 5:15-17 NASB

Ask God to give you a desire to manage time wisely.

Pray

Knowing God’s will comes as a result of a disciplined spiritual life, and at the heart of that life, is the discipline of time.

Prepare To Listen

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

~ Proverbs 15:22

Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

~ Luke 14:31

Plan

Pray, Prepare, and Plan!

Time Activity Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun M-F Week

_______________ Sleep _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ Work _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ TV/Computer _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_______________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

Total 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 120 168

Worksheet 1

Discuss with your table which statistics most surprised you.

Looking Forward

God desires us to make time for the most important things.

Martha, Martha, Jesus said, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

~ Luke 10:41

We should make time:

• To be with God (Mark 1:35-37)

• For family (Genesis 2:21-24)

• For Christian fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25)

• To Serve Others (Luke 10:25-37)

• For work responsibilities (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13)

• For personal refreshment (Mark 6:30-32)

Activity Current Hrs Current % Desired %

Sleep _________ _______ _________

Work _________ _______ _________

_________ _______ _________

_________ _______ _________

_________ _______ _________

_________ _______ _________

_________ _______ _________

_________ _______ _________

_________ _______ _________

TV/Computer _________ _______ _________

Total 168

Worksheet 2

Discuss tools or methods that help you organize your day. In what areas do your struggle

or what obstacles have you overcome.

PassageInsight

Question

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Resources

Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded LivesRichard A. Swenson, M.D., Navpress.

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian LifeDonald S. Whitney, Navpress