12-Week Study & Discussion Guide

The Rest of God

by Mark Buchanan·96 discussion questions

Week 1 — FreeRead the Introduction of The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan. Primary Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11.

Discussion question your group will work through:

1.Buchanan opens by describing the relentless pace of modern life and the way even our vacations feel like tasks. Does his description of hurry and busyness resonate with your own experience? What words or images does he use that feel most true to your life?

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About This Study Guide

At a glance: this is a 12-week study and discussion guide for The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan, with 96 questions organized by reading assignment. Week 1 is free to read, with no card required.

Mark Buchanan's The Rest of God is a pastoral and theological invitation to reclaim the ancient practice of Sabbath — not as a legalistic rule but as a life-giving rhythm woven into creation itself. Buchanan's central thesis is that most of us are not simply tired; we are Sabbath-starved. We have lost access to a particular quality of rest that only God can give — what Buchanan calls "the rest of God" — and in losing it we have lost not just leisure but a portion of God himself that can only be known in stillness. Drawing on Scripture, personal stories from his pastoral ministry, and vivid imagery from everyday life, Buchanan argues that Sabbath is essential to our full humanity, our fruitfulness, our relationships, and ultimately our experience of heaven on earth.

This study guide is designed for use in a small group or for personal study over twelve weeks. Each week, read the assigned chapter before your group meets (or before you sit down to journal). Then work through the discussion questions slowly — resist the urge to rush. Some questions are meant to surface what you noticed in the text; others are meant to press you toward honest self-examination; still others invite theological reflection on how the chapter connects to the gospel and to God's larger story. If you are using this guide individually, consider keeping a journal where you write out your answers before praying through the closing prayer. If you are in a group, give people permission to be honest about their busyness and their burnout — that vulnerability is itself a small act of Sabbath.

By the end of this guide, you will have thought carefully about why rest is not a reward for finishing your work but a command and a gift from a God who knows you cannot sustain yourself. You will have been challenged to examine the idols of productivity and busyness that quietly rule your schedule. And you will have been given practical, imaginative tools for restoring Sabbath rhythms to your actual life — not as one more item on a to-do list, but as a doorway into the presence of the God who rested on the seventh day and called it holy.

Week 1: Introduction — The Rest We've Lost

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Read the Introduction of The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan. Primary Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11.

Before diving into solutions, Buchanan wants us to sit with the diagnosis: we are not just busy — we have lost something sacred. As you begin, ask yourself honestly: when did I last feel truly rested?

1.Buchanan opens by describing the relentless pace of modern life and the way even our vacations feel like tasks. Does his description of hurry and busyness resonate with your own experience? What words or images does he use that feel most true to your life?

2.The title of the book, The Rest of God, carries a deliberate double meaning. What are the two meanings Buchanan points to, and why does he find both of them essential to understanding what Sabbath is really about?

3.Buchanan suggests that 'if I only had more time' is the mantra of our age — but that this is actually a misdiagnosis of our problem. What does he believe we have really lost, and why does that distinction matter?

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12-Week Schedule

  1. Week 1Introduction — The Rest We've Lost8 questions
  2. Week 2Chapter 1 — Stopping: The Sabbath Rhythm8 questions
  3. Week 3Chapter 2 — The Ache of Desire: A Sabbath Heart8 questions
  4. Week 4Chapter 3 — Holy Leisure: Playing and Praying8 questions
  5. Week 5Chapter 4 — The Sanctuary in Time8 questions
  6. Week 6Chapter 5 — Paying Attention: The Sabbath Practice of Seeing8 questions
  7. Week 7Chapter 6 — Remembering Who You Are: Sabbath as Identity8 questions
  8. Week 8Chapter 7 — Eliminating the Clutter: Sabbath Simplicity8 questions
  9. Week 9Chapter 8 — The Practice of Sabbath: Hallowing Time8 questions
  10. Week 10Chapter 9 — Sabbath in the Wilderness: When Rest Is Hard8 questions
  11. Week 11Chapter 10 — The Rest of Heaven: Sabbath as Foretaste8 questions
  12. Week 12Review & Reflection — The Whole Journey8 questions

Week 2: Chapter 1 — Stopping: The Sabbath Rhythm

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Read Chapter 1 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 31:12-17.

1.Buchanan argues that the first and most basic act of Sabbath is simply stopping — ceasing from work entirely. Why does he believe this kind of full stop is so countercultural and so difficult for most of us?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 3: Chapter 2 — The Ache of Desire: A Sabbath Heart

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Read Chapter 2 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Psalm 23; Matthew 11:28-30.

1.Buchanan describes a 'Sabbath heart' as something deeper than a day off — it is an interior posture of receptivity and trust. How does he distinguish between the outward practice of Sabbath and this inward quality of heart?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 4: Chapter 3 — Holy Leisure: Playing and Praying

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Read Chapter 3 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Nehemiah 8:9-12; Ecclesiastes 2:24-25.

1.Buchanan argues that genuine Sabbath rest involves what he calls 'holy leisure' — the freedom to play, delight, and enjoy without the pressure of productivity. How does this challenge or expand your previous understanding of what a Sabbath day should look like?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 5: Chapter 4 — The Sanctuary in Time

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Read Chapter 4 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:1-3.

1.Buchanan draws on Abraham Joshua Heschel's famous idea that Sabbath is a 'cathedral in time' — a holy structure built not from stone but from hours. How does this image reshape the way you think about what makes a place or moment sacred?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 6: Chapter 5 — Paying Attention: The Sabbath Practice of Seeing

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Read Chapter 5 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Psalm 19:1-4; Luke 12:22-31.

1.Buchanan argues that busyness makes us functionally blind — we stop noticing the world, the people around us, and God's fingerprints on ordinary life. Does this resonate with you? What is the last thing you noticed — truly noticed — as beautiful or remarkable?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 7: Chapter 6 — Remembering Who You Are: Sabbath as Identity

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Read Chapter 6 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Galatians 5:1.

1.Buchanan notes that the Sabbath commandment appears twice in the Pentateuch — in Exodus 20 (grounded in creation) and in Deuteronomy 5 (grounded in the Exodus from Egypt). What is the significance of both foundations, and what does each one add to our understanding of Sabbath?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 8: Chapter 7 — Eliminating the Clutter: Sabbath Simplicity

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Read Chapter 7 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Luke 10:38-42; Philippians 4:11-13.

1.Buchanan uses the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10 as a lens for this chapter. How does Martha's distraction and Mary's stillness illustrate the tension between a cluttered life and a Sabbath life?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 9: Chapter 8 — The Practice of Sabbath: Hallowing Time

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Read Chapter 8 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Isaiah 58:13-14; Nehemiah 13:15-22.

1.Buchanan draws on Isaiah 58:13-14, where God describes Sabbath as a delight and promises that those who honor it will 'ride on the heights of the land.' What does this passage suggest about the tone of Sabbath — is it primarily about restriction or about delight?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 10: Chapter 9 — Sabbath in the Wilderness: When Rest Is Hard

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Read Chapter 9 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Exodus 16 (the manna); Hebrews 3:7–4:11.

1.Buchanan uses the story of Israel's wilderness wandering — and especially the manna — as a parable of Sabbath trust. God provided bread six days a week and commanded rest on the seventh, giving double provision on the sixth day. What does this story reveal about the relationship between Sabbath and trust in God's provision?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 11: Chapter 10 — The Rest of Heaven: Sabbath as Foretaste

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Read Chapter 10 of The Rest of God. Primary Scripture: Hebrews 4:1-11; Revelation 21:1-5.

1.Buchanan argues that our weekly Sabbath is a foretaste — a small anticipatory portion — of the eternal rest of heaven. How does this eschatological framing change the stakes of the question 'Should I take a day off this week?'

+ 7 more questions in the full guide

Week 12: Review & Reflection — The Whole Journey

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No new reading this week. Review your notes, journal entries, and any passages you marked throughout The Rest of God.

1.Looking across the entire book, which chapter or idea had the deepest impact on you — the one you find yourself still thinking about? What was it about that particular argument or image that got under your skin?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide
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About the The Rest of God guide

How many weeks is the The Rest of God study guide?

This study guide covers The Rest of God in 12 weeks, with week-by-week discussion questions, reading references, and closing prayers for each session.

How many discussion questions are included?

The complete guide includes 96 discussion questions across 12 weeks — an average of 8 questions per week, designed for group conversation.

Can I use this guide for a book club?

Yes — the questions are written for group discussion and work well for small groups, book clubs, church studies, and couples reading together.

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