Being a disciple requires more than doing things for Jesus. We need to be with Him. In Mark 1:35–39, Jesus shows us the importance of the solitary place—a daily rhythm built around a quiet place, a quiet hour and a quiet heart.
Message Summary
This sermon is part of a series called “Discipleship Street,” focusing on the second stop: “Be with Him.” Pastor Ben draws from Mark 1:35-39, where Jesus rises early, leaves the house, and goes to a solitary place to pray. The central message is that every disciple, regardless of personality or life stage, must cultivate a consistent, intentional time alone with God. Without this foundation, we cannot truly love others, go on mission, or grow into the people God calls us to be.
Using Henri Nouwen’s framework of three concentric circles (solitude, community, and mission), Pastor Ben teaches that solitude is the starting point for everything else. He outlines three practical components of the solitary place: a quiet place (removing physical distractions), a quiet hour (silencing noise and devices), and a quiet heart (breathing deeply, offering yourself to Jesus, inviting the Holy Spirit, reading the Psalms, giving thanks, presenting petitions, and listening for God’s voice). The invitation is clear: Jesus is already waiting, the table is prepared, and every day in the solitary place is a new adventure with the One who loves us completely.
Intro Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you as a group of people who are busy, distracted, and often running on empty. As we open your Word together today, we ask that you quiet our hearts and minds. Help us to be truly present, not just in this room, but present with you. Holy Spirit, speak to each of us in the way we most need to hear. Open our eyes to the beauty and necessity of time alone with you. May this discussion draw us closer to you and to one another. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Ice Breaker
What is your favorite spot to go when you need some peace and quiet, and what makes it special to you?
Key Scriptures
– Mark 1:35-39
– Song of Solomon 2:10
– Psalm 42:1
– Galatians 5:22-23
Questions
– Pastor Ben said that without spending time in the solitary place, both extroverts and introverts will struggle in different ways. Do you see yourself in either of those descriptions, and how has the absence of regular quiet time with God affected you personally?
– In Mark 1:35, Jesus gets up while it is still dark to go to a solitary place to pray. What do you think this habit reveals about how Jesus understood His relationship with the Father, and what does it say to us about our own priorities?
– Henri Nouwen described three concentric circles: solitude, community, and mission. Why do you think solitude must come first before we can truly engage in community and mission? Have you experienced this order in your own life?
– Pastor Ben described what happens when we finally turn off the noise: the buried emotions and unresolved thoughts begin to surface. Why do you think so many of us avoid that silence, and what might we be missing by keeping the noise going?
– The sermon outlined a practical rhythm for the quiet heart: deep breathing, offering yourself to Jesus, inviting the Holy Spirit, reading the Psalms, giving thanks, presenting petitions, and listening. Which of these steps feels most natural to you, and which feels most challenging?
– Pastor Ben referenced Song of Solomon 2:10 (ESV), where the beloved says, “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.” How does it change your perspective on quiet time with God to think of it as an invitation from someone who deeply desires to be with you?
– Psalm 42:1 (ESV) says, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Would you describe your current hunger for God as a panting thirst or something more like a mild preference? What do you think shapes that level of desire?
– What is the single biggest obstacle that keeps you from having a consistent solitary place with God, and what is one practical step you could take this week to begin removing that obstacle?
Life Application
This week, commit to carving out one specific time and place each day to be alone with God. Start small if needed, even ten or fifteen minutes. Leave your phone behind, take a few deep breaths, offer yourself to Jesus, invite the Holy Spirit, and open your Bible to the Psalms. At the end of the week, reflect in a journal on what you noticed: what surfaced, what you heard, and how your heart felt different. Share what you experienced with someone in your group or a trusted friend.
Key Takeaways
– A disciple must abide with Jesus to thrive. Spending consistent, intentional time alone with God is not optional for the Christian life; it is the foundation from which everything else flows.
– Solitude comes before community and mission. Henri Nouwen’s framework reminds us that we cannot pour out love to others or go on mission if we have not first been filled in the presence of God.
– The solitary place has three practical components: a quiet place (removing physical distractions), a quiet hour (silencing noise and devices), and a quiet heart (a step-by-step rhythm of surrender, praise, thanksgiving, petition, and listening).
– Silence will feel uncomfortable at first because buried emotions and unresolved thoughts will surface. This is not a reason to avoid the solitary place; it is precisely why we need it, so that Jesus can touch the places we have been hiding.
– Jesus Himself modeled this discipline continuously. Because he emptied himself and submitted to the Father as we must, he knew He needed daily communion with God. If Jesus needed it, so do we.
Ending Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for this time together and for the reminder that you are always waiting for us in the quiet place. Forgive us for the ways we have filled our lives with noise and busyness and crowded you out. We confess that we need you more than we often admit. As we leave today, plant in each of us a deeper hunger to arise and come away with you. Help us to protect that time, to fight for it, and to show up even when it is hard. May the fruit of those quiet moments overflow into our relationships, our families, and our community. We belong to you. Draw us close and teach us to abide. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
5-Day Devotional Guide
Day 1: He Rose Early. Will You?
Devotional
There is something quietly radical about what Jesus did in Mark 1:35. He had just had an incredibly full day. He healed people, cast out demons, and ministered to crowds. And yet, before the sun came up, He slipped away to be alone with the Father. No audience. No agenda. Just communion. This was not a spiritual luxury for Jesus. It was a necessity. He understood that without consistent time with the Father, He could not do what He was called to do. And if Jesus, fully God and fully man, needed this rhythm, what does that say about us? We live in a world that rewards busyness. We wear our packed schedules like badges of honor. But Jesus modeled something different. He showed us that the most important thing we can do is not the next task on our list. It is showing up to meet with God. This week, you are invited into that same rhythm. Not because you have to earn God’s love, but because you are already loved and He is already waiting. The table is set. The invitation is open. All He asks is that you come.
Bible Verse
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” – Mark 1:35 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
What would it look like for you to build a consistent, daily rhythm of meeting with God, and what is one thing currently standing in the way?
Quote
“Jesus rose up out of bed, He went out of the house while it was still dark. Why did he do this? Because he knows if he doesn’t do this, he can’t possibly do what he’s called to do.”
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the example of Jesus, who prioritized time with You above all else. Help me to follow that same rhythm and trust that meeting with You is the most important thing I can do each day. Amen.
Day 2: You Cannot Pour From an Empty Cup
Devotional
We all know the feeling of running on empty. You give and give, to your family, your work, your church, and somewhere along the way, you realize there is nothing left. You are going through the motions, but the joy is gone. This is not a personality problem. It is a spiritual one. Whether you are an extrovert who thrives in a crowd or an introvert who recharges in quiet, the result is the same when we neglect time with God. We end up with a small world and a shrinking capacity to love. Henri Nouwen put it plainly: solitude must come first. Before community. Before mission. Before we can give love to others, we have to receive it ourselves. We need to be poured into. God is not asking you to manufacture more energy or try harder. He is inviting you to come and be filled. Psalm 42 captures this longing beautifully, a deep thirst for the living God that only He can satisfy. That thirst is not a weakness. It is a sign that you were made for more than you can produce on your own. You were made to be loved before you were made to serve. Let Him fill you first.
Bible Verse
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” – Psalm 42:1 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
In what areas of your life are you trying to give to others what you have not yet received from God yourself?
Quote
“Before we can share love, we have to be loved. We need to be poured into.”
Prayer
Father, I confess that I often try to serve You from a place of emptiness. Fill me with Your presence today so that what flows out of me comes from You and not from my own striving. Amen.
Day 3: The Quiet Place Changes Everything
Devotional
Most of us are not opposed to spending time with God. We just never quite get there. Life is loud, schedules are full, and the phone is always within reach. Before we know it, another day has passed without a real moment of stillness. Building a solitary place with God is not complicated, but it does require intention. It starts with three simple things: a quiet place, a quiet hour, and a quiet heart. That means finding a physical spot free from distraction, protecting a consistent time, and leaving your phone behind. Here is the honest truth: when you first turn the noise off, it does not immediately feel peaceful. Your mind races. Old worries surface. Uncomfortable thoughts rise up. But that is not a sign that something is wrong. It is a sign that something is finally right. You are present enough to hear what has been there all along. God meets us in that stillness. Not in the performance, not in the polished prayer, but in the honest, quiet moment when we simply show up. Acts 2:42 reminds us that the early church devoted themselves to this kind of consistent, intentional practice. Devotion is not a feeling. It is a choice made daily.
Bible Verse
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” – Acts 2:42 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
What specific distraction most consistently pulls you away from quiet time with God, and what would it take to remove it?
Quote
“There’s three parts to the solitary place: a quiet place, a quiet hour, and a quiet heart.”
Prayer
Jesus, teach me to be still. Help me to create space in my day where I can truly meet with You, without distraction and without pretense. I want to be devoted to You. Amen.
Day 4: Offer All of You
Devotional
There is a temptation in our quiet time to show up as the version of ourselves we wish we were. We tidy up our prayers, soften our frustrations, and present a polished face to God. But He is not looking for the highlight reel. He wants the real you. Jesus wants to see your face as it is, not as you want to present it. He wants to hear your voice as it truly sounds. That means bringing your doubts, your weariness, your unfinished edges, and your honest longings. All of it is welcome. One of the most powerful things we can do in our time with God is to simply offer ourselves. Every part. Your mind, your heart, your body, your day. This act of consecration is not about being worthy. It is about being willing. And from that place of surrender, we open ourselves to the work only the Holy Spirit can do. Galatians 5 reminds us that the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, and all the rest, is not something we manufacture. It grows in us as we abide. You do not have to try harder to become more loving or more patient. You have to stay closer. Offer yourself, and let Him do the rest.
Bible Verse
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
Is there a part of yourself you have been holding back from God, and what might it look like to finally offer that to Him?
Quote
“Offer yourself to Jesus. The word consecration comes to mind. Like J.D. Walt talks about, I give you my heart, I give you my mind. I give you my body. I give you my eyes. I give you all of me.”
Prayer
Holy Spirit, come. I offer You all of me today, the parts I am proud of and the parts I am not. Grow Your fruit in me as I choose to abide in You. Amen.
Day 5: He Is Already Waiting for You
Devotional
Sometimes we approach God as if we have to convince Him to meet with us. As if we need to earn our way into His presence or clean ourselves up before we knock. But that is not the picture Scripture gives us. Song of Songs 2:10 captures something breathtaking. The beloved is called to arise and come away. Not after she has prepared herself. Not once she has figured everything out. Right now, as she is. There is urgency in the invitation, and there is tenderness. You are wanted. You are desired. Come. This is the heart of Jesus toward you. He has already prepared the table. He already knows the way. He is not waiting for you to have it together. He is simply waiting for you to show up. Your discipleship will go no further than your willingness to cultivate this relationship. Not because God is withholding from you, but because everything you long for grows from this place. The love, the peace, the purpose, it all flows from abiding in Him. You do not have to have the perfect prayer or the perfect posture. You just have to come. He is already there, and He has been there all along.
Bible Verse
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.” – Song of Songs 2:10 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
Do you truly believe that Jesus desires your presence, not your performance, and how might that belief change the way you approach time with Him?
Quote
“Rise my daughter, darling, my beautiful one and come away with me. There’s nothing like that feeling of being so wanted and so desired like that.”
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that You are already waiting for me. Help me to come to You just as I am, trusting that Your presence is enough and that I am enough in Your eyes. Amen.
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