Deeper Experiences with God | Sabbatical Reflections with Pastor Dave and Casey Cheshire - Deeper Experiences with God

Sabbatical Reflections with Pastor Dave and Casey Cheshire - Deeper Experiences with God - Season 2 Episode 23

October 14, 2026 / 54:13/E23

What does it mean to fully stop and rest, and be with God? Pastor Dave is back after his summer sabbatical to share his experience on Deeper Experiences with God season 2! And in this returning episode, we flip the script and producer, Casey Cheshire, interviews Dave about his time of rest and renewal – from his adventures with his family in Alaska, to how it felt to part with and then return to his screen devices, and what God revealed to him along the way.

Takeaways:

What is sabbatical? Dave describes sabbatical as an intentional season to step away from the weight of daily work so your soul can catch up to your body. Drawing on the image of an archery bow breaking that is always bent and farmland that needs to lie fallow to bear a fuller harvest, he frames it not as a luxury but as preventative care – a chance to let God be God and find genuine restoration.
- Action: What might it look like for you to place yourself in the path of oncoming beauty? Even if a full sabbatical isn’t possible, consider what a small, intentional stopping might look like in your current season — a day, a weekend, or even an afternoon to simply rest and be with God.
Planning for Sabbatical: Nearly two years in the making, Dave shares how this question from the Lilly Grant Foundation shaped the entire vision for his time away: “What fills your soul?” He also reflects on the concept of rewilding; returning something to its undomesticated, natural state, and how he longed for that same freedom in his own walk with God.
- Action: If you were to plan a season of intentional rest, what would genuinely restore you? And what might be standing in the way? Take a few minutes to sit with those questions and consider whether there’s one step you could take toward making it a reality, however small.
Ripper Family trip to Alaska: From hiking in the vast, untamed wilderness of Denali to an unforgettable boat ride that ended in an overwhelming encounter with glaciers, whales, sea lions, and soaring eagles, Dave shares how the sheer beauty of Alaska cracked him open in unexpected ways — including shutting his phone off for two full months and watching his kids come alive as a result.
- Action: Where might you encounter the beauty of God’s creation this week? Take Psalm 90:12 with you: “Teach us to number our days, O Lord, so that we might gain a heart of wisdom”. Ask God what this particular season of your life is for.
Returning from Sabbatical: Coming back meant turning the phone on again — and discovering just how fragmented and noisy the digital world had become in contrast to two months of stillness. Dave shares how the sabbatical gave him fresh eyes for his community, a deeper gratitude for his calling, and renewed rhythms to carry forward — including guarding the Sabbath, limiting social media, and winning the morning with God, movement, and family.
- Action: Is there one rhythm from this episode that you sense God inviting you to try — whether that’s a technology fast, a Sabbath practice, or simply carving out unhurried time in scripture? Take one small step toward it this week.