Before you start · for whoever is leading
Note for group leaders: the empathy material in this session draws on Brené Brown's short animated talk on empathy (RSA Short: Empathy, 2013) and on the four qualities of empathy she cites there from nursing scholar Teresa Wiseman (A Concept Analysis of Empathy, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1996): perspective-taking, staying out of judgment, recognizing emotion in other people, and communicating that you feel with people. The session also works well as a chance to revisit Sabbath with a more holistic, Kingdom-centered approach, and it is a good opportunity to invite potential leaders to facilitate that conversation if they have sat through the earlier session.
One verse says the righteous run somewhere and are safe. The other says we carry something for each other.
Read what the name of the Lord is compared to.
Then read what Paul says fulfills the law of Christ.
Proverbs 18:10 | Galatians 6:1-2
Tap a tool, then tap words. Highlight what gets your attention · underline what God is doing or saying · circle a repeated or unfamiliar word.
Read it aloud, then give everyone two minutes to mark it in silence.
Read both passages slowly. Notice where the righteous run, what makes them safe there, and what carrying one another's burdens fulfills. What details stand out? What surprises you?
Proverbs 18:10: The name of the Lord is a strong tower.
Galatians 6:1-2: Carry one another's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ.
Mark it:
- Underline what God is doing or saying.
- Circle a word that repeats, or one you don’t understand.
- Highlight whatever gets your attention, even if you can’t say why.
Proverbs 18:10
10
Galatians 6:1-2
1
2
Proverbs 18:10
10
Galatians 6:1-2
1
2
NET Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. netbible.com
What stood out?
Go around the room. Each person reads one thing they marked. If you know why it stood out, say so. If you don’t, “it just stood out” is a complete answer. Nobody explains, nobody corrects.
Your markings are saved on this device and will be here when you come back.
A Safe Place
God's name represents His character and protection. In the New Testament, we carry the name of the Lord; we are called to express His character and nature. A safe place in Christian community reflects this by offering security and refuge, and bearing each other's burdens is a practical expression of love and support, essential for a safe and caring community.
A safe place is an environment where individuals feel secure, accepted, and free to express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or rejection. Trust, confidentiality, empathy, and compassion are foundational to creating such a space. Three postures cultivate a safe place, and make you a safe person.
Presence. Being present means fully engaging with others, showing that you value their time and feelings. This involves active listening, making eye contact, and responding thoughtfully.
Empathy and compassion. Brené Brown, in her short talk on empathy, says it this way: empathy fuels connection, while sympathy drives disconnection; sympathy feels for you, empathy feels with you. Empathy involves perspective-taking, staying out of judgment, recognizing emotion in other people, and communicating that empathy is feeling with people. Empathy is a choice, and it's a vulnerable choice, because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling. Rarely, if ever, does an empathic response begin with at least. What makes something better is connection.
Trust and confidentiality. Trust is foundational to any relationship; without it, individuals cannot feel safe to open up. Confidentiality means respecting what others share and keeping it private. This builds trust and shows respect. What is shared personally in the group should normally stay in the group. The exception is when someone may be in danger, abuse is disclosed, or appropriate pastoral or safeguarding help is needed. In those situations, care for the person matters more than keeping a secret.
And just as we need to be a safe place for others, Sabbath rest is about creating a safe space in our lives to rest, rejuvenate, and reflect God's goodness into creation.
God's name represents His character and protection.
Read this one out loud.
Discussion questions
- Which of the three postures, presence, empathy, or trust, comes most naturally to you, and which costs you the most?
- When has someone been a safe place for you? What did they actually do?
Write it out.
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Let’s pray together
Pray for your group to become the kind of place where the righteous can run and be safe.
Pray for one another's burdens by name, where they have been entrusted to the room.
- What burden are you carrying alone that this community could help carry?
- Where is God inviting you to become a safer person for someone else?
Leave space for silence, listening, and Spirit-led prayer. If someone senses a word, a Scripture, or a picture for another, offer it gently and pray into it.
Let’s pray
Breakthrough is when God's Kingdom breaks into your reality: His refuge where there is exposure, His presence where you have carried things alone. Pray from that Kingdom, not toward it.
Be still for a moment. Open your hands and simply pray: “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Write down the burden you have been carrying alone, and run to the strong tower with it by name. Then ask where God is inviting you to become a safer person for someone else, and write down any encouragement, Scripture, or impression you sense while you pray.
You can pray more than once. Stay present, and trust that God is at work. Take your time; there is no hurry.
Choose one. Say it out loud so someone else hears it.
Next time you gather, share what you practiced and how God used it, not for pressure but for encouragement.
The reminder downloads as a calendar event. Open it and it lands on your calendar for tomorrow morning.
Done.
God's name represents His character and protection.