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Creekside Church, Sunday, August 23, 2026
5 Minutes
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 8:25 AM
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sunday 11:15 AM
THE PROBLEM: RUNNING ON EMPTY
Many of us are running on a 1% spiritual battery, reacting to life under our own strength instead of plugging into the source.
Hearing God's Word without taking time to build an interior life leaves us stuck at zero, unable to produce lasting fruit.
Mark 4:5-6, 16-17 - "Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root... Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away."
MOSES: CHOOSING GOD'S PRESENCE OVER SUCCESS
We often try to use God for His blessings and success without actually desiring His presence.
Moses recognized that without God's presence, no task or promised outcome was worth pursuing.
Exodus 33:11 - "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent."
Exodus 33:12-18 - "Moses said to the LORD, 'You have been telling me, "Lead these people," but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, "I know you by name and you have found favor with me." If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.'
The LORD replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'
Then Moses said to him, 'If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?'
And the LORD said to Moses, 'I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.'
Then Moses said, 'Now show me your glory.'"
JESUS: RECALIBRATING IN SILENCE AND PRAYER
Even in the middle of demand and ministry success, Jesus prioritized quiet time with His Father to align His mission and rest in His identity.
Time alone with God keeps us from reacting purely to the noise and demands of the world.
Mark 1:35-38 - "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: 'Everyone is looking for you!' Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.'"
PSALM 1: ROOTED TO WEATHER THE STORM
Spending regular time in God's Word fuels our life and keeps us grounded when trials hit.
Psalm 1:1-3 - "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers."
PRACTICAL STEPS: HOW TO GET OFF ZERO
Start small with just 5 minutes a day in a scheduled space.
Minute 1: Acknowledge God's presence. Say, "Lord, I am here to meet with You."
Minutes 2-3: Rest in His love. Say, "I trust that You love me."
Minutes 4-5: Be honest about your heart. Ask God to search you and hand over your anxieties.
Gradually build out your routine by adding short Bible readings and journaling to help process emotions and reduce distraction.
--
Listen to a worship song and then sit in silence for a few minutes after.
--
Read a small portion of the Bible and then sit in silence for a few minutes after.
--
Check out our Learning to Pray Course at followone.ca
----------
Ending Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSmYXORDAM8
Many of us are running on a 1% spiritual battery, reacting to life under our own strength instead of plugging into the source.
Hearing God's Word without taking time to build an interior life leaves us stuck at zero, unable to produce lasting fruit.
Mark 4:5-6, 16-17 - "Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root... Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away."
MOSES: CHOOSING GOD'S PRESENCE OVER SUCCESS
We often try to use God for His blessings and success without actually desiring His presence.
Moses recognized that without God's presence, no task or promised outcome was worth pursuing.
Exodus 33:11 - "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent."
Exodus 33:12-18 - "Moses said to the LORD, 'You have been telling me, "Lead these people," but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, "I know you by name and you have found favor with me." If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.'
The LORD replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'
Then Moses said to him, 'If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?'
And the LORD said to Moses, 'I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.'
Then Moses said, 'Now show me your glory.'"
JESUS: RECALIBRATING IN SILENCE AND PRAYER
Even in the middle of demand and ministry success, Jesus prioritized quiet time with His Father to align His mission and rest in His identity.
Time alone with God keeps us from reacting purely to the noise and demands of the world.
Mark 1:35-38 - "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: 'Everyone is looking for you!' Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.'"
PSALM 1: ROOTED TO WEATHER THE STORM
Spending regular time in God's Word fuels our life and keeps us grounded when trials hit.
Psalm 1:1-3 - "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers."
PRACTICAL STEPS: HOW TO GET OFF ZERO
Start small with just 5 minutes a day in a scheduled space.
Minute 1: Acknowledge God's presence. Say, "Lord, I am here to meet with You."
Minutes 2-3: Rest in His love. Say, "I trust that You love me."
Minutes 4-5: Be honest about your heart. Ask God to search you and hand over your anxieties.
Gradually build out your routine by adding short Bible readings and journaling to help process emotions and reduce distraction.
--
Listen to a worship song and then sit in silence for a few minutes after.
--
Read a small portion of the Bible and then sit in silence for a few minutes after.
--
Check out our Learning to Pray Course at followone.ca
----------
Ending Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSmYXORDAM8