The Fast | Week 1 | Fasting To Unburden Your Soul | Jentezen Franklin

Sunday, January 5

Scriptures

Deuteronomy 18:1-3; Matthew 23:4; Matthew 11:28-30; Isaiah 58:6; Galatians 6:2; Luke 6:29; Isaiah 50:6; Psalm 106:15; Matthew 6:33, Matthew 5:6

Optional Activity | Burdens and Blessings

Objective: To encourage participants to share personal reflections on burdens, forgiveness, and spiritual hunger in a way that fosters connection and spiritual growth within the group.

Give each participant three slips of paper.
Ask them to write on one slip something they feel is a burden (like worry, fear, or a responsibility they feel is too heavy).
On the second slip, they should write an offense or a situation where they need to forgive or seek forgiveness.
On the third slip, ask them to write down something they hunger for spiritually or a spiritual goal for the new year.

Discussion:

Burden: Discuss how fasting can help us release our burdens to God, referencing Deuteronomy 18 where the shoulder symbolizes burdens. Ask, "What does it mean to give your burdens to God during a fast?"
Offense: Talk about the act of forgiveness, using the sermon's reference to the cheek. Question for discussion: "How can fasting help us let go of offenses and find peace?"
Appetite: Discuss spiritual hunger and appetite, linking to Psalms 106 about not filling ourselves with things that lead to leanness of soul. Ask, "What are we truly hungry for in our spiritual lives, and how can fasting help us redirect our focus?"

Commitment to Fasting:

Encourage participants to consider what kind of fast they might engage in, whether it's a food fast, a technology fast, or another form.
Have each person share one small commitment they will make during the fast to unburden or renew their spiritual life (e.g., daily prayer, reading nine chapters of the Bible daily).

Introduction

We have become people accustomed to instant gratification and excess. This idea of doing without things is a difficult challenge for us to accept. In this week's message by Pastor Franklin, we have been challenged to embrace the third element of a life of effective Christian discipleship. We have previously addressed the roles of prayer and giving. Now we are responding to the call to fast.

It is an act of sacrifice of food to sharpen our spirit which has been dulled and tarnished by life and the struggles we have faced this past year. Fasting is the choice, consecrated and modeled by Christ Himself, to abstain from food for a season to make room for us to draw near to our Heavenly Father spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and even physiologically.

Pastor Franklin took us back into the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy to show a law that governed the tribe of Levi. They were the tribe that would take care of issues of ministry and from whom the line of priests would come. The cost of that service was that they would not get an allocation of land, as the other tribes did, because they were to be dispersed among all 12 tribes to serve in ministry to them.

“The priests, the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion. Therefore, they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them. “And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is bull or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach." Deuteronomy 18:1-3 NKJV

God did however provide for them from the very portion that the people would bring to Him as sacrifices. Specifically, Pastor Franklin focused on the portion of the animal sacrifices they would receive: the shoulder, the cheek, and the stomach. In as much as Christ is our ultimate High Priest, we are called to give a portion of our sacrifice to Him as well. In the next three sections we will be delving into the significance of each portion and how they represent an aspect of our lives that we can give to the Lord. Keeping in mind, what we give up makes room for what God wants to give us!

How does the practice of fasting help us in drawing closer to God, as described by Pastor Franklin? Discuss personal experiences or examples where fasting has led to spiritual growth or clarity.
In what ways can the sacrifices of the Levites - giving up land for service - be likened to modern-day sacrifices we might make in our spiritual lives? How does this relate to the idea of 'the Lord is their inheritance'?

1. Bring The Shoulder

God challenges His children to "bring the shoulder." In the message, the shoulder can symbolize burdens or the weight of natural circumstances. These burdens relate to financial stability, marriages, families, and friendships, as well as stress, depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. The list goes on.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

Don’t go into the new year with last year’s burdens. If your children, marriage, or health is going in the wrong direction, bring that burden you carry on your shoulder to Jesus.

When we carry these burdens, their heaviness can control us, weakening us and making us vulnerable to feelings of hurt or anger, often due to worry, guilt, or shame. This can lead us to entertain fleshly thoughts influenced by the enemy rather than the Holy Spirit's promises.

God calls all nations to call on Him and cast their cares upon Him. He wants you to come to Him with everything. He desires to love you and lighten your burden, making your yoke easy.

What burdens are weighing you down, making you feel weak or tempted to give up?
Can you surrender these burdens by immersing yourself in the New Testament, allowing His words to guide you, providing reassurance and supernatural strength?

2. Bring The Cheek

Luke 6:29 (NIV):

"If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them."

Taking offense is a choice made by the one on the receiving end. Some in our modern day might rationalize that they need to defend themselves because their "buttons were pushed." However, the fact remains that two wrongs do not make a right.

The Word instructs us not only to forgive those who wrong us but to go a step further and bless them. This is both our responsibility and privilege as true witnesses for Jesus.

What does it mean to "turn the other cheek" in today's context, and how does this principle challenge modern attitudes towards personal defense or retaliation?
How can we practically apply the teaching of not only forgiving those who wrong us but also blessing them? Can you share a personal experience where you've tried to do this?

Isaiah prophesies the Lord’s servant (Jesus) would endure beating, mocking, and spitting, acts typically for criminals.

Isaiah 50:6 (NIV):

"I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting."

This foretells Jesus' suffering for our sins, enduring criminal-like humiliation. We should always be thankful that Jesus healed us through the humiliation he endured for us and his death on the cross.

Reflecting on Isaiah 50:6, how does understanding Jesus' suffering influence your perspective on dealing with personal injustices or humiliations?

Rather than complain, we can confess our hurts and shortcomings to God and ask Him to help us overcome with love and peace. We can become instruments of peace with practice. Don't let a chip on your shoulder brew and even become a hidden habit. Forgiveness frees!

Bring Jesus your cheek of offense and unforgiveness and turn the other cheek toward forgiveness rather than offense. You don’t have to carry your old hurts and offenses; give them to Jesus instead.

In what ways can confessing our hurts and shortcomings to God help us become instruments of peace? Discuss any steps or practices you've found effective in moving from a mindset of offense to one of forgiveness.

3. Bring The Stomach

In addition to giving our burdens and our hurts to Jesus during this fast, Pastor Jentezen has called us to give Jesus all or ourselves. Our attention, devotion, and desire. A true hunger for Jesus.

Matthew 5:6 (NIV): "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

As humans, we often have wrong appetites. The things we hunger for and focus on are often worldly and not kingdom focused. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life are not of God. (1 John 2:16). In 2025, Pastor challenges us to give up appetites of the flesh. These appetites often start as “small things” or “justifiable slackness” but become big hindrances to our spiritual walk and oneness with Jesus.

When you fast, you bring God your wrong appetites and liberate yourself from them.

What “hungers” rose up in 2024 that you felt had to be satisfied?
Did any of those appetites seem to be “no big deal” but now you think they may have been drawing you away from holiness or from Jesus?

Sometimes it is a slow fade and then our hearts harden as we drift. Slowly, we forget God’s grace, we don’t acknowledge Him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:5), we peruse the world and subsequently God gives us the desire of our heart. Our bodies may be satisfied but our soul starves.

Psalm 106:15 “And He gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul.”

Pastor is encouraging us to stay focused on things above (Colossians 3:1-2) and to seek first the Kingdom. (Matt 6:33).

How do we gain a heart and mindset to seek and stay fixed on the things above?

Jesus said man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Matt 4:4). We cannot live without bread or water. Jesus is both the bread of life and living water.

Psalm 63:1 (NIV) says, "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water."

Did your soul feel parched in 2024? Did you consider that perhaps you were longing for Jesus? (Psalm 42:1)

Jesus tells us we can be fully satisfied in the Lord:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

Is anyone ready to commit to “empty your stomach” of anything that is not from God and “take out the trash” so that rivers of living water can flow forth? If so, you may want to notate your commitments and getting an accountability partner.

Living Sacrifice and Gratitude

If you bring your shoulder, cheek, and stomach to Jesus, you will see the faithfulness of God in a magnificent way. Get your attention off food and put it all on God as you seek Him in prayer and fasting.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

It is through grace (Jesus did it all) that we are saved, forgiven, healed, provided for… but our response to such grace should be one of thanksgiving, value, and gratefulness. If we offer our gratitude and it costs us nothing, have we offered anything worthy? This is where God has given us the opportunity to offer up ourselves to become a 'living sacrifice' to Him. God owns everything, so there is little we can give God. The exception to that is 'us'. God chose to give us the freedom of will, which means we can choose to withhold ourselves from God's love, grace, and peace.

The choice to make ourselves living sacrifices and to give up things to draw nearer to God is a sweet and pleasing offering to Him. Moreover, there is a promise that accompanies this offering. When we sacrifice for Jesus' sake, we get the clarity and confirmation of God's will that we so eagerly desire.

How does the act of fasting relate to expressing gratitude and drawing closer to God? Discuss personal experiences or thoughts on this practice.
In what ways can we show our gratitude to God that truly cost us something, and how might this change our understanding of sacrifice?

Conclusion

As a church, we are setting aside a time of fasting and offering to the Lord our sacrifices. As Pastor Franklin reminded us this morning, during these next 21 days, fasting is not about you or food; it is about God. You will miss it if you spend time deciding what you can and cannot eat. Our fast is about being desperate for God's Presence, His direction, and His anointing going into the new year (for without Him, it would be disastrous).

Before His ministry ensued, Jesus set aside a time of seeking the Father. Likewise, we take time out to be equipped and prepared for whatever God has for us in the New Year.

Concluding question: What is your WHY? What is it that you are seeking through this fast? If you do not have a goal in this fast, how will you measure God's response to your sacrifice?

Prayer

End by forming a prayer circle where each person can silently or aloud (if they choose) offer their burdens, offenses, and spiritual appetites to God. Close with a collective prayer asking for strength, wisdom, and renewal.

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