Pressing Pause: Starting Sabbath

Pressing Pause: Starting Sabbath

Author: Gateway Center for Israel March 4, 2026 Duration: 46:17

Are modern Christians missing the gift of the Sabbath?

In a world addicted to productivity, burnout, and constant noise, what if the Fourth Commandment isn’t a burden, but an invitation?

In this episode of Covenant & Conflict, we sit down with Michael Hirsh, author of Pressing Pause: A Guide to Sabbath Rest for Modern Believers, to explore how rediscovering Shabbat transformed his faith, marriage, and ministry.

Michael shares his radical conversion story from growing up without faith in Michigan to leaving the dream of baseball behind to pursue Jesus. But the real turning point came years later in Jerusalem, during a Shabbat dinner that he describes as a “Damascus moment.” What he discovered about the command to “Remember the Sabbath” changed everything.

This episode unpacks:

  • What the Fourth Commandment really means
  • Why Sabbath is not legalism
  • The burnout epidemic in modern Christianity
  • How Shabbat restores identity and communion with God
  • Practical steps to start observing Sabbath today

If you are a pastor, leader, high achiever, or simply exhausted… this conversation may be exactly what your soul needs.


Hosted by Nic Lesmeister and David Blease, Covenant & Conflict is a production of the Gateway Center for Israel. This podcast engages directly with the tensions between timeless scriptural foundations and the pressing questions of our time. Conversations with various experts navigate complex terrain-from social ethics to geopolitical currents-always anchored in a covenantal framework. The aim isn't to sidestep difficulty but to enter into it thoughtfully, demonstrating how a rooted perspective can inform rather than inflame our dialogues. You'll hear nuanced explorations that resist easy answers, prioritizing depth and understanding over rhetorical point-scoring. It’s for those who suspect that ancient wisdom has urgent, practical things to say about modern conflicts and who appreciate dialogue that seeks clarity amidst complexity. Tune in for episodes that challenge assumptions and encourage a more considered engagement with the world, all through a lens that takes both text and context seriously. The result is a consistently thoughtful audio experience that stands apart in the realms of faith and culture.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Covenant & Conflict
Podcast Episodes
The Church Without Israel: What Our Churches are Missing! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:26
In this episode, Petra Scott shares her journey of understanding the need for the Church to embrace its Jewish foundation and relationship with the Jewish community. Petra's journey began with resistance and skepticism t…
Israeli Settlers & the West Bank: How Should We View the Conflict? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:13
What is the name of the small stretch of controversial Middle Eastern land where 80% of the Bible took place? The ancient phrase "Judea and Samaria" or the more modern "West Bank?" And IF the Bible says God gave this lan…
Developing God’s Heart: A Christian Nanny in a Jewish Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:09
Ashlee, a friend of Gateway Center of Israel, joins David to discuss her personal experiences while employed as a nanny to an Orthodox Jewish family. Knowing zero about Jewish life before being hired, she shares how much…
The End Times & Israel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:23
Nic and David tackle the topic of eschatology (or study of the end times) with author Travis Snow. For 20 years Travis, who holds an MDiv in Biblical Studies from Regent University School of Divinity, has researched theo…
Firsthand Account of October 7th with Yoel Shoshani [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:07
Nic Lesmeister introduces his friend Yoel Shoshani, a native-born Israeli and Jewish believer in Jesus, who served in the Israeli military reserve force immediately after the horrors of October 7th. He shares his soberin…