Last Sunday I preached a sermon entitled, “Keeping Time at the Altar By Setting Your Watch by the Son.” That sermon was part two of series of sermons explicating Genesis 8:20–9:7. You can find the introduction here. In all, my aim is to help members of my church, who are new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), order their lives by the pattern that comes in the New Creation. And, because Genesis 8:20–9:7, offers a glimpse of the new creation and that pattern, we are looking at each part. (For an overview of the whole pattern see this sermon on Genesis 8–9).

In the first sermon in this series, I argued that Christians should arrange their lives around the altar, which today occurs when the saints gather on the Lord’s Day to worship Christ. Yet, what do those saints do for the other six days of the week? That is what I attempted to answer in the second sermon. And in that sermon, I took three steps to move from (1) Israel’s calendar in Leviticus 23, to (2) Christ’s fulfillment of that calendar, to (3) our lives that should center themselves on Christ. If you want to see how this biblical theology moves to Christ, listen to the sermon. Yet, in that sermon I left out what I am writing here (in two parts)—12 ways to order your week by the Son.

Truly, if Christ has purchased us (1 Cor. 6:20), we are not free to do with our time whatever we want. Instead, as Paul puts it in Galatians 5:13, “you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Paul’s focus in this verse relates to the law, but part of that law relates to time—i.e., the Sabbatical Calendar (see Exod. 23:10–19; Lev. 23:1–44; Deut. 15:1–16:17).

Israel, as God’s son, was too immature to rightly define their own time. Rather, as Galatians 4:1–2 tells us, God’s children were treated as slaves and put under a guardian (the law) until the proper time. Jesus himself was born under the Law (Gal. 4:4) and had to keep the entire law, including all the commands related to the Sabbath. Yet, in keeping the Sabbath, he not only became the Sabbath-giver (cf. Matt. 11:28–30) but also reordered the calendar, such that annual feasts (like Passover) and mid-year rituals (like Yom Kippur) were all fulfilled in him.

In the New Testament, the consequence of this eschatological change was that the people of God now worshiped on the Lord’s Day, as found in 1 Corinthians 16:1–2; Acts 20:7; and Revelation 1:10. Indeed, as Jesus fulfilled and transmogrified the Passover into the Lord’s Supper, this became a weekly feast to be enjoyed everywhere God’s people gathered (1 Cor. 1:3; cf. Mal. 1:11), not just an annual feast celebrated in Jerusalem. To that end, the New Testament, as I understand it, defines Sunday (the Lord’s Day) as one day in seven to gather and worship. And this should be both the high point of the week and the central point of the Christian calendar.

Historically, liturgically, and confessionally this “Christian Sabbath” has been defined, specified, and applied in all sorts of ways. And at some point in the near future, I hope to say more about that. For now, I want to talk about the other days of the week and what Christians should do to orient themselves from and toward worship on the Lord’s Day.

Admittedly, these twelve orientations have to be general principles, not specific commands. And, if I am honest, these principles will need qualification that this article won’t have time to specify. Also, there are other principles that could be added to. So, don’t take this list as exhaustive or overly prescriptive. I am not trying to over-regulate what a Christian life looks like. Clearly, seasons in life, differing vocations, divergent interests, and various family dynamics will force these principles to form in asymmetrical ways. Over time, they will change in our lives, as well. That said, I am trying to offer wise counsel for those who are moving from the altar of God’s of worship to the city of their work.

In that way, take what is helpful. Retrofit what is partially helpful. And reject anything that stands in the way of walking faithfully with the Lord. Hopefully, however, there will be little rejection and much reflection. And so, to that end, here are twelve ways to order your week by the Son.

Twelve Ways to Order Your Week by the Son

Here’s the list. Below I will explain the first six. And next week, I will explain the second six.

Start your day with God.
Consume God’s Word on the way and make plans to feed on his faithfulness.
Pray without ceasing.
Make a midweek gathering a priority.
Preserve and protect the altar by connecting your place of work to your place of worship.
Make space in your calendar to meet with other Christians.
Enter the darkness of the city with light of Christ.
Lead others (family, friends, peers, strangers) to the altar of God.
When home, look for ways to bless the people who gather at your altar.
When traveling, look for others faithful altars to visit and encourage.
When sick, lament your absence.
Solidify your schedule and guard your time with God.

1. Start your day with God.

Psalm 92, a Sabbath Psalm begins, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.” From this text and others (Pss. 5:3; 119:47), I’m arguing you should begin your day looking to God and singing praises.

Ideally, this would include reading the Bible, praying, singing, or anything else that would wake your soul to the Creator of heaven and earth. There is no better way to keep your eyes fixed on Christ than waking in the morning and beginning with God and his Word. And for all who can begin their day with God’s Word and prayer, you should.

That said, if wake at 4:00am to get to the work God has given you, you may find reading the Bible and prayer is better scheduled later in the day. It is not more spiritual to read your Bible with drooping eyes at 4:00am, just because it is first thing in the day. Spiritual wisdom means dedicating time to God, whether first thing in the day or later.

Still, for those who push the Bible until later beware of beginning your day deaf, dumb, and blind to God. Instead, as you wake, let the light of the sun lead your thoughts to the light of the Son. Discipline yourself to avoid jumping into social media, news, or work. Take a moment, however brief, to start your day with God.

2. Consume God’s Word on the way and make plans to feed on his faithfulness.

The Christian life is nothing without God’s Word. As Jesus says, quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Likewise, Psalm 119:25 says, “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” To put it as plainly as possible: You cannot have life in Christ without his Word. And you can’t grow in grace, or delight in Sunday worship, or bring his worship into all areas of life unless you are regularly feeding on his Word.

So every day, read the Bible. Listen to it. Memorize it. Mediate on it. Read books about it. And listen to podcasts (shameless plug here) that explain it. In short, give your life to it. Few are the things that will never return void in your life. But Scripture, God promises (Isa. 55:10–11), when read in faith and with prayer, always bears fruit (John 15:1–5). So consume the word on the way. And then make plans to slow down and read the Bible with prayer at some point in your day.

Truly, the altar (i.e., the church gathering for worship) should be a place where the Word is faithfully taught. Yet, how quickly the altar will become a lifeless pile of stones for those who do not read the Bible on their own. So, in your car, as you clean dishes, as you go to the gym, as you sit in the hospital, as you wait for the train, or in any other place feed on the word. As Deuteronomy 6:7 says, talk about the Word “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Whatever the day brings, don’t stop conversing about the Word. And don’t forget to converse with God about the Word, too.

3. Pray without ceasing.

This is Paul’s command in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, as he says that praying without ceasing is God’s will. Yet, in addition to being God’s command, constant prayer is the only way we can go into the city and not abandon the grace and truth of God’s altar. Indeed, as saints made alive by the Spirit, we can pray anywhere and anytime. Incredibly, Psalm 139 promises that God hears and sees us, no matter where we are.

Because of this omnipresent attentiveness, Christians don’t have to live at the altar, like Anna did in Luke 2. We can go out into the world and set our mind on things that take our attention away from God. Still, we cannot endure in holiness and love, unless we punctuate our pursuits with prayer.

So, pray without ceasing. Say ‘grace’ before you eat. Give thanks to God for your body when you walk or workout. Ask for wisdom when you work, or when you come to a crisis in your day. When you take off or when you land, pray for the pilot and all the people on the plane.[1] When you take the train, pray for safety – for you and others. When you meet with other Christians, pray. Don’t forsake the chance to pray with other believers, if only for a minute before returning to work. On it goes. Learn to pray when you gather at the altar, and then make your life a prayer walk through the world.

In short, pray without ceasing. And yet, do not only pray on the go. Make sure you take time to stop, bow the knee, and commit to structured times of prayer, too.

In my life, I think this has been hardest for me. Since coming to faith, I have read the Bible and prayed alongside; I have also prayed spontaneously and continuously (i.e., at all times and for all types of thing). Still, I have been less disciplined in my structured prayer. I have been convicted of this recently and in 2025, this has been a real aim. And I encourage you to do the same—make a prayer list, a prayer time, and a prayer place. Then, with God’s Word in hand, make a plan for giving thanks, for asking God for personal grace, for interceding for your household, your church, and your country.

In all, find a way to devote times of pray, and do that without ceasing. And then, look for ways to do that with others, too.

4. Make a midweek gathering a priority.

If the first three orientations of the week are personal and individual, the next three involve others. Indeed, God did not intend for his people to walk the Christian life alone, even when we have to do things by ourselves. Rather, there is a needed place in the life of Christian to gather with other church members during the week.

At our church, this could be a Bible study, a community group, Tuesday Discipleship, or simply a weekly conversation with another trusted Christian from the church. But whatever it is, don’t make it a habit to go from Sunday to Sunday without meeting with other church members.

Indeed, the elders at our church make plans for holding Bible studies, fellowships, and various ministries throughout the week. In all, we plan more than anyone individual can (or should) make. And we don’t hold it against anyone who can’t make these planned events. But Christians need mid-week gatherings and should prioritize time with members from their church. For this not only ministers to the needs of the individual; it also builds up the church so that the people who gather on Sunday are ready to worship God.

Indeed, the midweek gathering is for the people of God traversing the city of man during the week. But there is also a need to assemble during the week in order to improve worship at the altar, as well as the altar itself.

5. Preserve and protect the altar by connecting your place of work to your place of worship.

For most altar’s (places of worship), there includes a church building, church grounds, a parking lot, (maybe) a graveyard, financial books, and a host of other material needs. If the church is going to have a suitable, hospitable, and effective worship service, some attention must be given to the materials of the church. And during the week, this is something for which someone must care.

Yes, the church is the people of God not an empty building, but I suspect modern evangelicals have so emphasized the gathered saints that we miss the role that buildings play in the service of God. Why do we have so many ugly and run down churches? Could it be because we have stressed the spiritual to the neglect of the material? I suspect it is so, and I could offer a few theological movements that led to this desecration of God’s space, but instead let me simply offer a positive exhortation.

During the week, the people of God need to preserve and protect the altar. For some this will include the basic necessity of caring for the building. For some, this will include giving, so that others can maintain the building. Yet, it also means that we need garbage men to take out the trash and lawyers to stand up for the right of Christians to (1) gather for worship and (2) work according to their conscience.

In other words, preservation and protection of the altar is not simply fixing light bulbs and mowing the grass at the church. It also includes going to work and upholding a society where a church can be sustained. And more directly, it includes making money that can be invested in the ministries and necessities of the church. Further, such vocations (which I will preach about in a forthcoming sermon) involves creating a society where churches are still places of honor and protected by law and custom. Again, garbage men and lawyers, to give only two examples, are necessary for providing a clean and orderly society.

So, the work that Christians do during the week has implications for the church and its Lord’s Day worship. Space does not permit a full explication of economics and basic religious liberties to work and worship. But all of these things, down to the growing of grapes and the making of wine for communion are part of preserving and protecting the altar.

Thus, as you go into the city and work as unto the Lord (Col. 3:17, 23), take time to consider how your work relates to the worship of God. And then, if you cannot make those connections, make an appointment to visit your pastor and talk about it. Sitting here, reflecting on all the ways our members work, I can draw multiple connections between their work and Paul’s command to pray for peace (1 Tim. 2:1–4).

Thinking vocationally, one does not have to labor inside the church walls to do work that protects and provides for the local church. Yet, such “secular” work may not have an immediate connection to the church. Still, with minimal reflection those connection soon come to light, and what that for the Christian who walks through the city of man each week is to provide significance to work that might not immediately connect to God and his worship.

That said, because God has created all things in the city, and the city is the place where the church sits, there is always a way to relate the two. But that may require further reflection with other Christians, which is the last way to orient your week by the Son.

6. Make space in your calendar to meet with other Christians.

This orientation complements and continues the last two. If you go from Sunday to Sunday without meeting with other Christians, you make your time in the city darker than it needs to be. Indeed, few are the places or positions that are off limits for Christians to work. Yes, there are sinful jobs (prostitution) and careers that Christians need to avoid (a killer for hire), but by and large, Christians can and should work in all areas of life. Some of those places, however, are darker than others. When Christians enter those places of service, if they do so without any Christian fellowship, it makes their witness and their walk more difficult.

By contrast, when you run across Christians in your workplace, you not only find an ally but also an advocate and a confidant for walking according to the truth in places that may not respect the truth. Indeed, while a Christian’s faith is upheld by the living God of heaven, the Lord in his wisdom employs means. And a fellow traveler on the path of obedience is often such a means of grace.

So, with that in mind, Christians who leave the altar behind during the week, should look for those Christians who are in the city. At the same time, you should pray for God to direct you to them. And when you find them, put time on your calendar to visit them, talk with them, and encourage them. Don’t wait for Christians to encourage you, seek to encourage them. And in the process, you will be amazed at how the light of Christian fellowship may grow.

Equally, don’t neglect the members of your own church. Many are scattered throughout the fields of service in your region. And others start and end their day in close proximity to the place you live and the altar (the church) where you worship. Accordingly, make plans to meet with them during the week. Few are the weeks that are so full that there is not one hour or more where you can visit with a fellow Christians. Rather, what prevents Christian fellowship is not the inability to meet, but the inattention to make plans to meet. So, make space in your calendar and make plans to meet with other Christians, especially church members (of the same sex) during the week.

From those meetings you can pray and plan for ways to bring God’s light into the darkness of the city. Next week, I will pick up with that theme and consider how to fill out a week that orients itself toward the light of the Son.

Soli Deo Gloria, ds

[1] I have done this for years, but this week, with the crash in Washington, D.C., this prayer for traveling mercies has fresh urgency.