Here at Epic, we believe that Jesus Changes Everything. And yesterday we were able to see the most people we have ever seen baptized in one day in our entire history as a church.

If someone tells you their vision is to win a gold medal in the Olympics for gymnastics, but they never practice their routine, what do you think the chances are that they’ll even be in the Olympics? If someone told you their vision is to have an intimate marriage with their spouse, but they spend very little time with her or him, what’s the likelihood they will have an intimate marriage? If someone has a vision to become a morning person, but they never set an alarm, it’s hard to imagine that vision being realized. It takes rhythms and habits to make a vision become a reality.

The vision of Epic Church is to see an increasing number of people in San Francisco orient their entire lives around Jesus.

I hope you have a vision to orient your entire life around Jesus. I don’t know of a higher purpose we could pursue with our lives. But if we’re going to see that vision come to fruition, there is a path or a way to that kind of life. And thankfully, we haven’t been left in the dark for what kinds of rhythms, habits, and practices will help us fully live into this vision.

Knowing we’re now into summer, I want to encourage you to do two things: 1) if you get a vacation this summer, enjoy it to the fullest. 2) when you’re home in San Francisco, prioritize gathering with your church family on Sundays and through things like Summer Sessions. We’re starting a new series today called More Than a Routine: The Habits of Jesus. We are going to discover the practices or habits that can position us for our formation. The default environment for all of us is to only live in a world that is destroying our attention. And here’s the problem with that if our vision is to be formed into the way of Jesus.

Without giving our attention to Jesus, we will not be able to give our life to Jesus.

“As long as we remain enslaved to a culture of speed, superficiality, and distraction, we will not be the people God longs for us to be.” -Rich Villodas, The Deeply Formed Life

But we will have to step out of the flow that most humans believe has to be the norm to be a productive person in 2026…especially in a city like San Francisco.

“What we assume is a normal lifestyle is absolute insanity to the God-given nature of our heart and soul.” -John Eldredge, Get Your Life Back

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Today we’re going to look at the habit of solitude. And I know what many of you are already thinking. “Ben, there are too many people who need me in my life and I have a really important job that is quite demanding. Maybe solitude works for people who have less to do than I do.”

When we hear the word solitude, maybe the image of a monk’s life comes to your mind. A life where you just meditate and pray in isolation 24 hours a day. But I want to show you how Jesus includes it between lots of intense productivity.

Mark 1:29-39 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

If I only showed you verse 35 today, you might think that all Jesus did was withdraw from people and go to solitary places for prayer. But that would misrepresent the life of Jesus. He heals Peter’s mother-in-law and then the same night after the sun goes down, the WHOLE TOWN gathers at the door for Jesus to heal them. Jesus doesn’t have a “just leave me alone” approach to life. He is living on mission.

Spiritual practices are not the mission; spiritual practices are necessary to empower and sustain the mission.

In verse 38, after his time of solitude, Jesus says, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” In other words, “I am here to do the work the Father has called me to. But also, I need space and time with the Father. I need communion with Him and I need Him to refresh and empower me.”

Jesus demonstrates how we engage in the practice of solitude: He chooses the best time for himself. He withdraws from all the people. He goes to a specific, solitary place.

He’s there to pray and commune with God. He’s not simply just trying to get time to himself.

“To enter into solitude and silence is to take the spiritual life seriously. It is to take seriously our need to quiet the noise of our own lives, to cease the constant striving of human effort, to pull away from our absorption in human relationships for a time in order to give God our undivided attention.” -Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Solitude and Silence

I believe we all need to have a solitude practice in our lives. Now that I have said we all need it, let me provide some nuance. We don’t all need the same kind of solitude or the same frequency of solitude. Your season of life plays into this. Some of the specifics of your solitude practice should be determined by your personality and the way God has wired you. Some people simply need more time to recharge than others.

I also believe the frequency of our need for solitude is shaped by the kinds of work God has assigned to us. You might think I mean, if you have really important work to do – you should do solitude less frequently than others. I mean the opposite.

People with the heaviest assignments need more frequent times of solitude.

You can go and read about this in all kinds of secular research and leadership books. It’s clear that people in high demanding roles need more solitude. They might call this white space, thinking time, or “looking out the window” time. I believe Jesus needed way more solitude after his ministry went public than when he was mostly living in obscurity.

Luke 5:15-16 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Watch the correlation: News about Jesus is spreading > Crowds are coming to listen and be healed > Jesus withdraws OFTEN to lonely places and prays. At times, Jesus says “no” to people so He can do what is best for Himself and those people. What if solitude with God actually increases the effectiveness of God’s mission for your life?

“Somewhere we know that without a lonely place, our lives are in danger.” -Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Formation

I don’t want us to see the practice of solitude as a have to. This is not intended to be a duty; it is intended to be a gift. Receive it as an invitation from Jesus. My favorite direct invitation from Jesus to us is found in Mark 6:31.

Mark 6:31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Solitude is about detachment and attachment. Solitude is about disengagement and engagement. It is about replenishment. And it certainly is about communion with God.

“The purpose of silence and solitude is to be able to see and hear.” -Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

It’s about gaining clarity, often by way of being reminded. We get clear again on our truest identity. Our calling. We can discern how God is leading us in a particular area of our lives.

Practicing Solitude

• Choose a Time

• Withdraw from People and Technology

• Choose a Place

• Commune with God in Prayer

Choose a time. For me, it’s mostly the early mornings But if a different time of day is better for you, then set aside that time. Withdraw. From people. From your phone. Unless I’m traveling, I find it better to use a paper Bible and keep my phone in a different room. Choose a place. Have a chair. Or a walk. Or a park bench. Or even an airplane. Pray. Listen to God first. Speak to God. Be with God. A couple of Scriptures I’ve found to be helpful in opening up my times of solitude.

Psalm 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 131:1-3 My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

If this is new for you, start with 5 minutes in the morning or before bed. If you’ve had a practice, maybe schedule a few hours or even a solitude retreat.

Response: Give your life to Jesus. Give your attention to Jesus. Give the gift of solitude to yourself and others. Who. When. Where. What.