With the ever-increasing pace of life in our society, finding time for personal restoration can seem impossible. The treadmill of life speeds up, and we run faster just to keep up. In the process, we sometimes move farther and farther away from whom God designed us to be. We feel tired, burned-out, and overwhelmed. How can restoration happen when we’re so busy and preoccupied? The truth is that restoration is exactly what we need. The world tells us there are plenty of ways to repair, revamp, and remodel our lives. It says… It’s all about you… Do what you need to do to be happy… Change your surroundings… Change your appearance… Do more… Be more… Buy more. These diversions may bring temporary pleasure, but they don’t get to the root of the problem, and all too quickly we find ourselves right back where we were; discouraged, hopeless, and exhausted. The God of Creation is calling us back to Him. Only our Heavenly Father can restore us, renew us, and revive us.
In this retreat, Carey will share the similarities between the restoration we so desperately need and the restoration of the exiled Israelites to their homeland of Jerusalem as decreed by King Cyrus. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah, the commission for restoration was under way. These three men led the Israelites back to (1) rebuild the temple and altar for worship, (2) restore the community and (3) rebuild the wall and gates of Jerusalem, respectively.
You will be challenged to follow their example by:
Restoring your relationship with God
Creating peace and safety in the communities you live and function in
Understanding the importance of rebuilding your identity in Jesus Christ
(I provide the following: attendee notes for each session, post-session discussion questions, and post-retreat reflection questions)
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