Curtis Zachery
Speaker, Author
Author of “Soul Rest: Reclaim Your Life. Return to Sabbath.,” Curtis advocates intentional self-care through Sabbath practice.
Curtis Zackery, a sought-after speaker and author, pastors at Church of the City, Franklin, TN, a rapidly growing multi-campus church. His contagious gospel passion defies barriers of age, ethnicity, and religion. Curtis offers a raw, relevant gospel perspective through teaching, speaking, and writing. With 15 years of diverse ministry, including church planting, pastoring, and addressing themes like rest and the gospel’s beauty, he brings unique insights.
Curtis Zackery holds degrees from Liberty University and Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to pastoral duties at Church of the City, he directed programs at Kids Across America.
At Be Still, we’re passionate about providing quality content related to developing and maintaining healthy rhythms of rest. Finding Soul Rest is a devotional we personally believe will bless you. We recommend listening to the Finding Soul Rest podcast with CZ, featuring Kristi McLelland, talking about Sabbath rest. The vibrancy and context of the conversation really shed new light on Sabbath for us and creates a posture in our hearts towards this gift from God that puts us in the right place to take on this devotional. Enjoy! Click [Here] to go to the Finding Soul Rest podcast episode.
Day 1: In and down
"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" Psalm 139:23–24 Exhausted. Dry. Tired. Disillusioned. Anxious. Stressed. Frustrated. Burned out. One, or a few, of these words might describe what you are feeling in life right now. If so, it is important to give yourself permission to ask one big question; why? Henri Nouwen once said, "The [...]
Day 2: Taste and see
"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" Psalm 34:8 Those that know me know that I really enjoy a good meal. When I taste something that's good, I let whoever is in my presence know about my satisfaction. There are times when it seems that I can't even contain the audible response, bursting out with an involuntary "mmmm!" at the table. Knowing that many people can relate to [...]
Day 3: The joy of my salvation
"Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:12 As soon as the pastor began preaching, I knew he was speaking from a place of deep honesty and vulnerability. He shared a story about how he was looking at some of his old journals and discovered something that was alarming. He noticed that the way that he wrote about his love for God during the early stages of his faith was [...]
Day 4: The rest in the gospel
"So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his." Hebrews 4:9–10 Have you ever had a set of keys, and on that key ring there is one key that you're not quite sure what it unlocks? You know that the key has to open something important, but you're not quite sure what it is. You look at the key [...]
Day 5: True soul rest
“Yes, my soul, finds rest in God; my hope comes from him.” Psalms 62:5 When your soul feels worn out and withered, we are at times tempted to feel defeated. Our natural human impulses aren’t always ones that are given over to optimism or a “glass-half-full” mentality. Even if you are a person that would describe yourself as a person of faith, sometimes, you have to tell yourself to believe what you know to be true about where our [...]
Day 6: Identifying idols
"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say." 1 Corinthians 10:14-15 There are plenty of potential barriers to intimacy with God. If we are honest, the areas that can distract us from being fully present in his presence aren't difficult to identify. John Calvin once wrote, "Every one of us is, even from His mother's womb, expert in inventing idols." I've also heard it said that our hearts are [...]
Day 7: A lighter load
"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”" Isaiah 30:15 In our search for soul rest, there is one simple thing that may be making it hard to move forward in life; set down some of the heavy things you are carrying. We all know that it is easier to walk forward when you [...]
Day 8: Feel your feelings
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 When my wife and I had our son Noah, we tried our best to find activities to engage him in that would be edifying and safe. One of the programs we found on Netflix was a show called Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. It was a modern iteration of a [...]
Day 9: Devour The Word
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1–2 When the Bible says to love the Lord your God with all your mind, I think meditation is the key in actively engaging this truth. Christian meditation is based upon on [...]
Day 10: A noisy gong
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." 1 Corinthians 13:1 When most people think of 1 Corinthians 13, they associate this chapter with Valentine’s Day, weddings, and greeting cards. Although there is a beautiful and poetic quality in the language and writing, these verses also offer a direct and important challenge if we are open to receiving. In the Bible, the Corinthians [...]
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Contributors:
Curtis Zackery
Author, speaker
Kristi McLelland
Professor, teacher, biblical culturalist
Kami R. Lobner
Author
Alan Briggs
Author, podcaster
