In a world shaped by busyness, noise, and distraction, many of us long for a deeper, more meaningful connection with God and others. The life of Jesus not only offers us teaching but also practices—rhythms and habits that shape us into people of love, peace, and purpose.

The Way is a journey into nine transformative practices from the life of Jesus that align our lives with His, helping us grow spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. Each practice invites us to open our hearts to God’s work and take steps toward becoming more like Jesus. Together, they form a Rule of Life—a framework for living in alignment with God’s Kingdom in the modern era.

Over these weeks, we’ll explore how embracing these practices leads us into God’s rest, shapes us into a loving community, and empowers us to live as His witnesses in the world. Starting on February 2, each Sunday will provide an opportunity to learn, reflect, and take practical steps toward living out these rhythms in daily life.

All are also invited to the "Practicing the Way Course" that is designed to help get you started on the journey of spiritual formation, help you get unstuck if you’ve stalled out, or just guide you into taking your next step.  The course will introduce some of the practices mentioned in "The Way" sermon series.   Groups will vary in meetings times: Fill out the form below to indicate your level of interest.
  • Wednesday Night Large Group: starting February 5, 6:30-8:00pm in worship center at Stonecrest and will meet weekly; childcare available for PreK and under but must RSVP to Pastor Joe: joe@stonecrestchurch.com.
  • Sunday Group in Branchburg: starting February 2, 5:30pm, meeting weekly but with a rhythm of a meal one week and course discussion the other.  
  • Sunday Group in Somerset: starting February 16 and time TBD,

Resources for "The Way"

Check back for updates weekly on resources to help you take your next step towards Jesus and "The Way"
Access Practicing the Way course materials
Practicing the Way Course on Rightnowmedia
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Solitude Practice Devotional
Sabbath Practice Devotional
Generosity Practice Devotional
Fasting Practice Devotional
Community Practice Devotional
Scripture Practice Devotional
Prayer Practice Devotional
Service Practice Devotional

The Way: Spotlights from Week 1

Here are some highlights from the week 1 sermon of The Way.

Key Verses

  • Rest: Matthew 11:28-20
  • Abide: John 15:1-5

The Practices: Detach to Attach

  1. Sabbath: Detach from Hurry; Attach to Rest in Jesus.
  2. Solitude – Detach from Noise; Attach to Peace in Jesus.
  3. Prayer – Detach from Distraction; Attach to Communion with Jesus.
  4. Community – Detach from Isolation; Attach to Love in Jesus.
  5. Scripture – Detach from False Ideologies; Attach to Truth in Jesus.
  6. Fasting – Detach from Indulgence; Attach to Holiness in Jesus.
  7. Generosity – Detach from Greed; Attach to Trust in Jesus.
  8. Service – Detach from Self-Centeredness; Attach to the Mission of Jesus.
  9.  Witness – Detach from Fear; Attach to the Light of Jesus.

The Rule of Life

  • Just like vines need a trellis to grow strong and bear fruit, our spiritual lives need a framework to keep us rooted in Jesus. Without it, we drift—distracted, overwhelmed, and stagnant.
  • A Rule of Life provides structure for our spiritual growth, a structure that helps us intentionally make space for Jesus in our everyday lives.
  • A Rule of Life supports and strengthens your walk with Jesus, so you don’t get tangled in the chaos of life.  Its the PLAN of ABIDING - DETACHING and ATTACHING, Daily, Weekly, Seasonal PRACTICES.
  • What intentional rhythms can we step into daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally?

Your Next Step

  • What’s one small change you can make this week to create space for Him?
  • Consider going through "Practicing the Way" with others either in a small group at Stonecrest or with others you know. (scroll back up to see the choices or get the resources).

The Way: Spotlights from Week 2: Sabbath

Here are some highlights from the week 2 sermon of The Way.  DETACHING from the relentless hurry of life and ATTACHING to His REST.

Key Verses

  • Sabbath is woven into creation = Genesis 2:1.
  • Sabbath is a declaration of trust - Exodus 20:8-11.
  • Sabbath is tied to liberation - Deuteronomy 5:15.
  • Sabbath restores rest - Exodus 31:13.
  • Sabbath is a radical reorientation of our relationship with God - Hebrews 4:1-3, 9-10.

Digging Deeper into Sabbath

  1. Sabbath as resistance: pushing back against Egypt and our inner Pharoah's.
  2. Sabbath as liberation: we are no longer slaves.
  3. Sabbath as justice: extending rest to others.
  4. Jesus is our Sabbath rest.
  5. Don't miss the heart of Sabbath - beware of legalism.

Practice Sabbath

  1. Stop – Embrace the Gift of Ceasing
  2. Rest – A Radical Act of Trust
  3.  Delight – Joy Feast for Your Soul
  4. Worship – Reorient Your Life Around God

Your Next Step - start small

  • if you can't carve out a 24 hour time period, start small, morning or afternoon, to STOP, REST, DELIGHT, and WORSHIP

The Way: Spotlights from Week 3: Solitude

Here are some highlights from the week 3 sermon of The Way.  Solitude: Detach from Noise; Attach to Peace in Jesus.  Solitude is intentional time in the quiet to be alone with ourselves and God.

Key Verses

  • Stillness: Psalm 46:10
  • Knowing the voice of God: John 10:27, 1 Kings 19:11-12
  • Scripture: John 17:17
  • Identity: Luke 3:22
  • Identity is formed  in solitude: Luke 4:1-4
  • Solitude shapes our purpose: Mark 1:35-38
  • Solitude brings renewal: Mark 6:31-32
  • Solitude Strengthens us in suffering: Luke 22:41-43

Solitude is not about isolation but intimacy. Solitude is...

  1. Stillness: learning to stop and be with God.
  2. Silence: making space to hear God's voice.
  3. Scripture: anchoring ourselves in God's truth.

Practice Solitude

  1. Be still
  2. Be silent
  3.  Be in scripture

Your Next Step - start small

  • Start where you are, not where you think you should be.
  • Don't try to add one more thing, but instead subtract.  Ask yourself, what can I let go of?  Where can I create room to breathe, to be still, to sit with Jesus?

The Way: Spotlights from Week 4: Generosity

Here are some highlights from the week 4 sermon of The Way.  Generosity: Detach from Greed; Attach to Trust in Jesus.

Key Verses

  • Acts 20:35 - “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
  • Mark 10:17-27 - "The Way of Generosity"
  • Matthew 6:19-21 - "Your Heart Follows Your Treasure"
  • Matthew 6:22-23 - "Your Perspective Shapes Your Practice"
  • Matthew 6:31-33 - "Abundance and Scarcity"
  • Matthew 6:24 - "Your Allegiance Determines Your Freedom"
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 - 

Happiness Doesn't come by what we DO or DON'T do - it COMES from the LIFE of JESUS  He TEACHES us the WAY

  1. Your Heart Follows Your Treasure
  2. Your Perspective Shapes Your Practice
  3.  Your Allegiance Determines Your Freedom

Practice Generosity

  1. Start Small
  2. Prioritize Giving: Make it a habit - give first
  3.  Trust God as Your Provider: Give sacrificially.
  4. Trust Jesus. Let go of fear.

The Way: Spotlights from Week 5: Fasting

Here are some highlights from the week 5 sermon of The Way.  Detach from Indulgence; Attach to Holiness in Jesus.

Hunger: Fasting Changes What We Hunger For

  • Matthew 6:16-18
  • This is the heart of fasting. It strips away the distractions, the quick fixes, the things that numb our souls, and it awakens us to a deeper hunger—the hunger we were made for that He can only fill.
  • What are you really hungry for today? In a world of instant gratification, what if fasting could stir up a holy craving?

Renewal: Fasting Prepares Us for Forgiveness and Repentance

  • Joel 2:12-13
  • Fasting leads to genuine repentance, which opens the door to God’s forgiveness and blessing.
  • What might God want to forgive and renew in you during this season of fasting?

Alignment: Fasting Reorders Our Lives Around God's Kingdom

  • Isaiah 58:6-9
  • Fasting should disrupt our comfortable patterns and realign our priorities with God's kingdom purposes. When we temporarily say "no" to food, we create space to say "yes" to His mission.
  • How might your fasting lead to greater kingdom impact in the world around you?

Lament: Fasting Brings Our Brokenness to God

  • Nehemiah 1:4
  • Fasting is a way of saying, “God, things are not as they should be.” It is a physical expression of grief over the brokenness in our world, our communities, and our own hearts.
    Fasting creates space to bring this brokenness before God—not just with our words, but with our whole being.
  • What lament might God be inviting you to express through fasting?

Power: Fasting Releases Spiritual Breakthrough

Your Next Step

  • Esther 4:16
  • Fasting isn’t about manipulating God to do what we want. It’s not a magic formula. It’s about positioning ourselves to participate in what God wants to do.
  • Where do you need a breakthrough today? What might happen if you combined your prayers with fasting?
    Not to force God’s hand, but to place your whole self—body, mind, and spirit—before Him, craving more of His presence, His power, and His kingdom to come?
  • As we step into this Lenten season, fast to create space for Jesus to move.
  • Fasting—biblically—means abstaining from food for a period of time to redirect our hunger toward God. Maybe that’s skipping one meal a day to pray. Maybe it’s fasting from sunrise to sunset, relying on God’s strength. Maybe it’s setting aside an extended fast to seek Him more deeply.
  • Or perhaps you feel led to abstain from something that has taken up too much space in your life—social media, television, coffee, or negativity—not as a substitute for fasting, but as an intentional way to eliminate distractions and focus on God.
  • Whatever it is, remember: fasting isn’t about earning God’s favor—it’s about making room for His presence. Jesus said: “Your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:18 NLT)
  • So what might you set aside to create more space for Jesus? Where is He inviting you to align your hunger with His kingdom?

The Way: Spotlights from Week 6: Prayer

Here are some highlights from the week 6 sermon of The Way.  Prayer: Detach from Distraction; Attach to Communion with Jesus.

Key Verses

  • Matthew 6:9–13 (The Lord's Prayer) – "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..."
  • Philippians 4:6–7 – "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
  • Psalm 46:10 – "Be still, and know that I am God."
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 – "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
  • James 5:16 – "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

Key Points

  • Prayer is about relationship, not performance.
– Jesus taught His disciples to approach God as "Father" (Matthew 6:9), highlighting the intimacy and trust involved in prayer.

  • Prayer should be both structured and spontaneous.
– The Lord’s Prayer gives us a model, but we are also invited to speak honestly and personally with God.

  • Prayer includes listening as well as speaking.
– We are not just presenting requests; we are also called to be still and hear from God (Psalm 46:10).

  • God answers prayer according to His will and timing.
– Asking is an act of trust, even when we don’t understand the answer or the waiting.

  • Prayer transforms us, not just our circumstances.
– Through prayer, we are shaped into the image of Christ and aligned with God’s purposes.

Practice Prayer

  1. P – Pause
    * Begin by quieting your mind and heart.
    * Acknowledge God's presence and authority.
  2. R – Rejoice
    * Start with gratitude and worship.
    * Thank God for who He is and what He’s done.
  3. A – Ask
    * Bring your needs and desires to God.
    * Pray for others and for God’s kingdom to come.
  4. Y – Yield
    * Surrender to God’s will and trust His answer.
    * Be open to how God may be shaping you through the process.

Take Your Next Step

  1. Prayer is not about checking a box—it’s about connection, formation, and surrender. This week, identify one area of prayer where God is inviting you to grow and commit to it:
    1. Pause – Create space to be still with God, even for a few moments each day.
    2.  Rejoice – Start your prayers with gratitude and worship, shifting your focus from your problems to His presence.
    3. Ask – Bring your needs before God with faith, trusting that He sees and cares.
    4. Yield – Surrender control, listen for God’s voice, and trust that His will is better than your own.
    Jesus isn’t calling you to a prayer habit—He’s inviting you into a prayer life.  What’s your next step? Will you take it?

The Way: Spotlights from Week 7, Community

Here are some highlights from the week 7 sermon of The Way.  Community. Detach from Isolation; Attach to Love in Jesus.

Key Verses

  • Acts 2:42–47 – The early church’s model of fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, and meeting each other’s needs.
  • John 13:34–35 – "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Key Points

  • We were created for Community.
  • We all are a part of relationship circles in our lives:  the public, social, personal and intimate circles.
  • Transformation through Jesus is best experienced in our most intimate relationships - with the 2-4 people who know us best and that follow Jesus.
  • Commit to Jesus
  • Commit to Community when you gather and when you scatter.
  • Commit to the process of Community, press into the mess.

Ways to Practice Community.

Commit to Community when we gather by:
  1. attending more often
  2. shift from attending to contributing and serve.
  3. host with hospitality:  host the space around you when we gather in worship service by greeting and welcoming others.
  4. ask the Holy Spirit to reveal who you should talk to after service.
Commit to Community when we scatter by:
1. Ask Jesus, who should you gather around your table, your personal space, to cultivate relationships.
2. Identify those in your intimate space, seek transformation through Jesus together.

Take Your Next Step

  1. Identify where you may be in the phases of experiencing community:  the idealization, the let-down, the crisis, or the beauty.
  2. Practice friendship - be intentional about reaching out to someone both new and someone that provides depth, vulnerability and the commitment to transformation.
  3. Take a step towards community when we gather and when we scatter.

The Way: Spotlights from Week 8: Service

Here are some highlights from the week 8 sermon of The Way.  Service: Detach from Self-Centeredness; Attach to the humility of Jesus.

Key Verses

  • John 13:3-17

The Way of Practice

  1. Humility flows from Identity
  2. Humility flows from Relationship
  3. Humility flows from Listening

Practice Service

  1. Listen to the voice of God.
  2. For those that say "yes" to everything, listen to God's voice for when you need to say, "no:.
  3. For those that say "no" to help others, listen to God's voice for when you should say, "yes".
  4. Consider serving those around you out of humility and follow Jesus' voice.
  5. Run the risk of being known and to receive by serving and by being served.

The Way: Spotlights from Week 9: Scripture

Here are some highlights from the week 9 sermon of The Way.  Scripture: Detach from False Ideologies; Attach to Truth in Jesus.

Key Verses

  • Matthew 5:17 (NLT)
  • Luke 24:27 (NIV)
  • Matthew 5:18 (NIV)
  • Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)
  • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
  • Matthew 5:19 (NIV)
  • James 1:22 (NLT)
  • Romans 12:2 (NLT)
  • Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
  • Joshua 1:8 (NIV)
  • Psalm 1:2-3 (NIV)
  • Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 

The Way of Scripture

  1. Jesus is the Fulfillment of Scripture
  2. The Authority and Endurance of Scripture
  3. Living Out the Bible’s Teachings

Practice Scripture