WEBVTT 00:00:09.820 --> 00:00:12.699 Hey everyone, this is Josh from Encounter Church 00:00:12.699 --> 00:00:15.279 Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:19.000 podcast. Our prayer is that through this podcast 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:20.879 you can have an encounter with Jesus that will 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.359 change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:28.079 message from our preaching team. Okay, today's 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:30.960 teaching text comes from Luke chapter 10 verses 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:35.500 38 to 42. As Jesus and the disciples continued 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:38.579 on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain 00:00:38.579 --> 00:00:41.079 village where a woman named Martha welcomed him 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:44.740 into her home. Her sister Mary sat at the Lord's 00:00:44.740 --> 00:00:47.700 feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha 00:00:47.700 --> 00:00:50.200 was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:53.740 She came to Jesus and said, Lord, doesn't it 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:56.520 seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here 00:00:56.520 --> 00:00:58.859 while I do all the work? Tell her to come and 00:00:58.859 --> 00:01:02.049 help me. But the Lord said to her, My dear Martha, 00:01:02.329 --> 00:01:05.189 you are worried and upset over all these details. 00:01:05.829 --> 00:01:08.049 There is only one thing worth being concerned 00:01:08.049 --> 00:01:10.590 about. Mary has discovered it and it will not 00:01:10.590 --> 00:01:13.069 be taken away from her. This is the word of the 00:01:13.069 --> 00:01:17.650 Lord. I wonder how many of us start watching 00:01:17.650 --> 00:01:20.569 a movie only to end up grabbing our phone and 00:01:20.569 --> 00:01:23.049 scrolling through social media, playing a game 00:01:23.049 --> 00:01:25.719 or even replying to it. There's a pause in the 00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:28.140 conversation and without thinking we pull out 00:01:28.140 --> 00:01:32.180 our phones to watch TikToks or cat videos. I 00:01:32.180 --> 00:01:35.959 do. How many of us here let distractions pull 00:01:35.959 --> 00:01:38.700 us away from actually being present in the moment? 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.099 There was one time I was meeting a friend at 00:01:41.099 --> 00:01:44.200 the bowling alley and I just absentmindedly drove 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:47.719 15 minutes past where I needed to be before I 00:01:47.719 --> 00:01:50.560 even realised where I was going and then had 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:52.799 to turn around and come back and was super late. 00:01:54.279 --> 00:01:58.099 which is pretty standard for me anyway. We live 00:01:58.099 --> 00:02:01.200 in a world where almost anything we want is just 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.099 a few taps away. If I don't know the answer to 00:02:04.099 --> 00:02:07.299 something, no problem. I just ask Google. Hungry, 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:09.520 but nothing in the fridge. We can just grab our 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:12.500 phone and order food. What if we suddenly realize 00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:16.099 we forgot grandma's birthday? Easy fixed. Hop 00:02:16.099 --> 00:02:18.479 online, pick a gift, get it delivered straight 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:20.460 to our door, and you don't even need a visitor. 00:02:24.150 --> 00:02:27.189 Even when we have just five minutes to spare, 00:02:27.610 --> 00:02:30.490 we jump online scrolling aimlessly, watching 00:02:30.490 --> 00:02:33.750 videos, checking socials. If I'm waiting at an 00:02:33.750 --> 00:02:35.810 appointment or hanging around for a friend, I 00:02:35.810 --> 00:02:38.689 instantly grab my phone to avoid feeling awkward. 00:02:39.229 --> 00:02:41.990 One reel leads to another, a few games, in my 00:02:41.990 --> 00:02:44.469 case, especially word games, or maybe a meme 00:02:44.469 --> 00:02:47.870 or two sent to a mate. It's become so normal 00:02:47.870 --> 00:02:51.150 to interact through screens. People share so 00:02:51.150 --> 00:02:53.509 much of their lives online that we feel like 00:02:53.509 --> 00:02:56.189 we're keeping up even with people we haven't 00:02:56.189 --> 00:02:58.530 seen in years. You run into someone randomly 00:02:58.530 --> 00:03:00.810 and somehow you already know everything about 00:03:00.810 --> 00:03:03.610 their life because of their posts. And what about 00:03:03.610 --> 00:03:06.150 when we wake up? How many of us instinctively 00:03:06.150 --> 00:03:08.590 reach for our phones instead of a book or even 00:03:08.590 --> 00:03:11.840 the person lying next to us? Lately, I've been 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:14.699 thinking about how often are we actually present 00:03:14.699 --> 00:03:17.039 when we're stuck in those mindless scrolling 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:20.659 moments? How often are we giving someone or something 00:03:20.659 --> 00:03:24.620 our full undivided attention? Or are we always 00:03:24.620 --> 00:03:27.000 constantly distracted, always somewhere else 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:30.699 mentally? If we're always online, always plugged 00:03:30.699 --> 00:03:34.680 in, are we ever really here? I've heard it said 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:37.020 that most people will make a judgment based on 00:03:37.020 --> 00:03:40.060 the first seven seconds of a conversation. And 00:03:40.060 --> 00:03:42.699 statistics show the average attention span during 00:03:42.699 --> 00:03:46.500 a talk is around eight minutes. So given that 00:03:46.500 --> 00:03:49.060 my first seven seconds are up and I'm about four 00:03:49.060 --> 00:03:51.060 minutes in, I've got maybe four minutes left 00:03:51.060 --> 00:03:53.659 before you guys mentally check out. So I better 00:03:53.659 --> 00:03:56.699 keep it interesting. But seriously, what would 00:03:56.699 --> 00:04:00.419 it look like if we just paused? If we sat still 00:04:00.419 --> 00:04:03.460 for a moment to rest, to learn, to observe, to 00:04:03.460 --> 00:04:06.680 listen? What if being present wasn't just a habit, 00:04:06.979 --> 00:04:09.240 but a spiritual discipline? And what if attention 00:04:09.240 --> 00:04:11.699 was more than just a skill? What if it was a 00:04:11.699 --> 00:04:14.939 gift? In our teaching text from Luke, we read 00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:17.420 about Jesus visiting sisters, Mary and Martha. 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:21.339 While Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, Martha 00:04:21.339 --> 00:04:24.160 is preoccupied, busily preparing the meal she 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:27.360 intends to serve. The text suggests that Martha 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:30.060 is more focused on being an attentive hostess, 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:32.759 perhaps hoping she can impress Jesus with her 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:35.839 hospitality rather than being focused on receiving 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:39.110 his teaching. As she toils away at her tasks, 00:04:39.470 --> 00:04:42.209 Martha begins to feel justified in her frustration. 00:04:42.769 --> 00:04:45.050 Why should she shoulder all the responsibility 00:04:45.050 --> 00:04:47.949 while her sister simply sits in the company of 00:04:47.949 --> 00:04:51.529 Jesus? She voices her frustration asking, Lord, 00:04:51.870 --> 00:04:54.170 doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister 00:04:54.170 --> 00:04:56.569 just sits here while I do all the work? Tell 00:04:56.569 --> 00:05:00.670 her to come and help me. In response, Jesus gently 00:05:00.670 --> 00:05:03.540 redirects her perspective. My dear Martha, you 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:06.019 are worried and upset over all these details. 00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:08.920 There is only one thing worth being concerned 00:05:08.920 --> 00:05:11.500 about. Mary has discovered it and it will not 00:05:11.500 --> 00:05:15.259 be taken away from her. Though both sisters clearly 00:05:15.259 --> 00:05:18.180 love Jesus, it becomes evident that only one 00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:21.959 is offering him her undivided attention. So why 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:24.699 does Jesus praise Mary for what appears to be 00:05:24.699 --> 00:05:27.660 doing nothing while Martha is the one doing all 00:05:27.660 --> 00:05:30.740 the work? It's worth recognizing that Martha 00:05:30.740 --> 00:05:34.420 was doing all this work for Jesus, so how could 00:05:34.420 --> 00:05:36.839 that be less important than simply being with 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:41.660 him? But the truth is, doing things for Jesus 00:05:41.660 --> 00:05:44.759 doesn't automatically help us grow in faith or 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:47.399 build a deeper connection with him. Think about 00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:50.180 it this way. If you invite someone over for dinner 00:05:50.180 --> 00:05:52.819 and spend the whole time in the kitchen, you 00:05:52.819 --> 00:05:54.920 miss the chance to actually connect with them. 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:58.519 It's the same with Jesus. A deep personal relationship 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:01.959 with Him comes first, and then from that relationship, 00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:04.379 the doing will naturally flow out of the being. 00:06:05.939 --> 00:06:08.439 In that moment, Jesus doesn't shame Martha for 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:11.019 working hard. He's not bothered by her efforts. 00:06:11.259 --> 00:06:13.420 Her efforts are not the problem. It's rather 00:06:13.420 --> 00:06:16.879 her distraction. Martha is so caught up in doing 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:19.980 that she misses the one thing that truly matters, 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:23.910 being with Jesus. Mary, on the other hand, isn't 00:06:23.910 --> 00:06:26.350 being lazy, even though it may seem that way. 00:06:26.709 --> 00:06:29.269 Her stillness is a sign of spiritual awareness. 00:06:29.769 --> 00:06:32.449 She recognises the moment and chooses to be fully 00:06:32.449 --> 00:06:36.850 present. Sometimes, like Martha, our attention 00:06:36.850 --> 00:06:39.750 is elsewhere. We miss the opportunity for deep 00:06:39.750 --> 00:06:42.230 connection that only comes through undivided 00:06:42.230 --> 00:06:45.459 presence. We can confuse being still for being 00:06:45.459 --> 00:06:48.560 lazy. We live in a fast -paced world in which 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:51.819 we can send and receive information in microseconds, 00:06:52.139 --> 00:06:54.620 so we can feel like being still can be a waste 00:06:54.620 --> 00:06:57.899 of time. Even in moments that should have our 00:06:57.899 --> 00:07:00.740 for -all attention, we are resistant to the stillness 00:07:00.740 --> 00:07:03.500 and busy ourselves wearing multitasking as a 00:07:03.500 --> 00:07:06.180 badge of honour. Perhaps we need to start seeing 00:07:06.180 --> 00:07:08.740 these moments of stillness as spiritual awareness. 00:07:09.069 --> 00:07:11.350 Choosing presence rather than worrying we are 00:07:11.350 --> 00:07:14.009 being lazy or missing opportunities to get things 00:07:14.009 --> 00:07:18.529 done. What if we reimagined the way we perceive 00:07:18.529 --> 00:07:20.930 stillness instead of viewing it in the absence 00:07:20.930 --> 00:07:24.370 of noise or activity? We begin to see it as a 00:07:24.370 --> 00:07:27.189 sacred space, a quiet invitation to hear the 00:07:27.189 --> 00:07:30.509 voice of God. What if, in the stillness and silence, 00:07:30.689 --> 00:07:33.230 we actually positioned ourselves to notice His 00:07:33.230 --> 00:07:36.250 voice? In those undisturbed moments when we start 00:07:36.250 --> 00:07:39.189 our day, what would happen if we stopped, not 00:07:39.189 --> 00:07:42.029 to scroll or rush, not to concern ourselves with 00:07:42.029 --> 00:07:44.970 being busy, rather take the opportunity to sit 00:07:44.970 --> 00:07:48.529 in solitude or prayer with God? What if we turned 00:07:48.529 --> 00:07:51.189 down the radio on our drive to work and invited 00:07:51.189 --> 00:07:54.829 God into the silence, allowing that time to become 00:07:54.829 --> 00:07:58.189 a space for deeper connection? What if rather 00:07:58.189 --> 00:08:00.589 than offering God the leftovers of our attention, 00:08:00.970 --> 00:08:04.170 we made him our first priority? Why is it that 00:08:04.170 --> 00:08:07.829 God so often comes after the scroll, the binge, 00:08:07.990 --> 00:08:11.029 the to -do list? Why do we claim to be too busy 00:08:11.029 --> 00:08:13.490 for God, but willingly give our time to everything 00:08:13.490 --> 00:08:18.579 else? For so many of us, the true challenge isn't 00:08:18.579 --> 00:08:21.560 just finding time, it's learning how to be present 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:24.660 and still while letting go of the need or pressure 00:08:24.660 --> 00:08:27.720 to always be doing something, achieving something. 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:30.939 For many of us, stillness can feel unproductive 00:08:30.939 --> 00:08:33.580 in a world that measures success and value by 00:08:33.580 --> 00:08:37.259 what we do. Instead, we can find in that stillness 00:08:37.259 --> 00:08:39.779 that something better, something holier happens. 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:43.179 If most of us were truly honest with ourselves, 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:45.580 We'd probably struggle to remember the last time 00:08:45.580 --> 00:08:49.159 we gave anyone, let alone God, our full, undivided 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:52.740 attention. The sad truth is life will always 00:08:52.740 --> 00:08:55.820 pull at us. Work consumes so much of our day, 00:08:56.019 --> 00:08:58.759 especially when we have deadlines to meet. Study 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.379 fills our nights and early mornings as we scramble 00:09:01.379 --> 00:09:03.820 to finish assignments and tasks we've desperately 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:06.960 avoided. Our calendars can fill up quickly with 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:09.639 lunches, dinners and catch -ups, books, weeks, 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:13.220 or like us, sometimes months in advance. And 00:09:13.220 --> 00:09:15.500 often we find ourselves keeping up with these 00:09:15.500 --> 00:09:18.659 commitments out of a sense of obligation, not 00:09:18.659 --> 00:09:21.700 wanting to disappoint anyone, but often there 00:09:21.700 --> 00:09:24.559 are times when our commitments are simply unavoidable. 00:09:25.399 --> 00:09:28.279 Life will pull us in every direction. So many 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:32.559 of us, like Martha, often feel overwhelmed by 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:35.259 the sheer volume of things that need to be done. 00:09:36.139 --> 00:09:38.779 And taking the time to sit at Jesus' feet like 00:09:38.779 --> 00:09:42.289 Mary can feel unrealistic. But the beauty of 00:09:42.289 --> 00:09:45.029 Jesus is that he will never ask us for perfection. 00:09:45.450 --> 00:09:47.789 He doesn't expect us to have it all figured out. 00:09:48.149 --> 00:09:51.210 He welcomes the moments we take for him, no matter 00:09:51.210 --> 00:09:54.929 how big or small. Whether it's 10 quiet minutes, 00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:57.690 reading a devotional, a quick whispered prayer 00:09:57.690 --> 00:10:00.129 in the car on the way to work, or signing up 00:10:00.129 --> 00:10:02.230 to a verse of the day to read between tasks, 00:10:02.529 --> 00:10:04.690 or even signing up to Word Week with your church 00:10:04.690 --> 00:10:09.090 family. What takes us away from God is not our 00:10:09.090 --> 00:10:11.559 busyness, but our priorities. It's when we fill 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:14.019 our days with everything else and leave him out 00:10:14.019 --> 00:10:16.659 entirely. No one likes to feel like they are 00:10:16.659 --> 00:10:19.419 low on the list of someone's priorities. It can 00:10:19.419 --> 00:10:23.059 lead to feeling undervalued and unwanted. Spending 00:10:23.059 --> 00:10:25.759 quality time with people can lead to more positive 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:29.059 emotions, even giving people a sense of purpose. 00:10:29.909 --> 00:10:32.970 God himself even says, it's not good for us to 00:10:32.970 --> 00:10:35.610 be alone. He created us to be in relationship. 00:10:36.129 --> 00:10:38.929 Much of what we can gain, learn and experience 00:10:38.929 --> 00:10:41.450 from relationships is a reflection of the kind 00:10:41.450 --> 00:10:45.049 of connection God wants to have with us. Many 00:10:45.049 --> 00:10:47.490 of us probably live in that tension. I know I 00:10:47.490 --> 00:10:50.289 definitely do. For those of you who know me, 00:10:50.330 --> 00:10:53.230 this is not a shocking revelation, but I have 00:10:53.230 --> 00:10:58.340 a really poor attention span. Thanks, Sammy. 00:10:59.700 --> 00:11:03.200 Mix this with hectic calendar, three kids and 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:06.100 undiagnosed ADHD. I'm sometimes a bit of a train 00:11:06.100 --> 00:11:09.139 wreck. I can't even begin to detail the struggle 00:11:09.139 --> 00:11:12.120 of writing this sermon and committing to it at 00:11:12.120 --> 00:11:17.980 that. Let alone the irony of preaching on a subject 00:11:17.980 --> 00:11:20.940 that is objectively one of my greatest weaknesses. 00:11:21.940 --> 00:11:24.559 Growing up, my attention span was always the 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:27.299 topic of conversation on my school reports. Kara 00:11:27.299 --> 00:11:30.019 would do really well if she could just pay more 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:33.360 attention. Kara needs to pay more attention to 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:35.700 the task and not everything else around her. 00:11:36.059 --> 00:11:42.080 I'm chronically late. Apparently lose my spot, 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:49.919 which is great. Yes, I'm chronically late and 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:52.970 I believe I'm currently on my second. or third, 00:11:53.110 --> 00:11:55.009 actually think it could be fourth when I think 00:11:55.009 --> 00:11:57.389 about it, expired referral to be assessed for 00:11:57.389 --> 00:12:01.470 ADHD. It's not from a lack of want, but rather 00:12:01.470 --> 00:12:06.049 I'm simply just always distracted. I love to 00:12:06.049 --> 00:12:08.110 start watching new TV series, but will often 00:12:08.110 --> 00:12:11.809 find myself reaching for my phone and deep diving 00:12:11.809 --> 00:12:14.269 into Wikipedia to find out the life story of 00:12:14.269 --> 00:12:17.169 the leading actor. I'll start a crochet project 00:12:17.169 --> 00:12:20.549 and often almost finished when I find another 00:12:20.549 --> 00:12:23.820 job to begin. I have started but am yet to complete 00:12:23.820 --> 00:12:27.539 not one but two separate university degrees and 00:12:27.539 --> 00:12:30.899 one diploma in education support. It's clear 00:12:30.899 --> 00:12:33.299 to anyone around me that I have good intent and 00:12:33.299 --> 00:12:36.279 even execution but I just never seem to land. 00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:40.919 Why? Writing this sermon has really challenged 00:12:40.919 --> 00:12:44.019 me to think deeply about why I always fall into 00:12:44.019 --> 00:12:46.440 patterns of distraction and why I can't really 00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:49.059 give my full and undivided attention to just 00:12:49.059 --> 00:12:52.490 one thing. Is it FOMO? Do we all suffer from 00:12:52.490 --> 00:12:54.730 the fear of missing out? Maybe it's something 00:12:54.730 --> 00:12:57.370 as simple as the design of technology being so 00:12:57.370 --> 00:13:00.730 alluring. We are constantly receiving notifications, 00:13:00.990 --> 00:13:03.809 emails and texts. If you have a smartwatch, those 00:13:03.809 --> 00:13:06.750 notifications are on hand at all times vibrating 00:13:06.750 --> 00:13:09.350 on your wrist and drawing your attention. Not 00:13:09.350 --> 00:13:11.750 to mention the internet seems to read our minds 00:13:11.750 --> 00:13:14.110 and tailor our algorithms to target the things 00:13:14.110 --> 00:13:16.649 we're talking to our friends about. The quick 00:13:16.649 --> 00:13:20.029 refresh of information is constantly at our fingertips, 00:13:20.370 --> 00:13:25.649 pulling us away from the things that really matter. 00:13:25.970 --> 00:13:28.389 We can make the choice to fall into the distraction 00:13:28.389 --> 00:13:30.909 of life, instead of choosing to pay attention 00:13:30.909 --> 00:13:35.470 to God. God models this so simply for us. From 00:13:35.470 --> 00:13:37.889 the very beginning of time, He has paid close 00:13:37.889 --> 00:13:41.610 and intimate attention to every detail. He models 00:13:41.610 --> 00:13:44.490 the very act of attention for us. When we choose 00:13:44.490 --> 00:13:47.450 God and we pray, we have the undivided attention 00:13:47.450 --> 00:13:50.029 of God and He loves nothing more than giving 00:13:50.029 --> 00:13:53.809 us His full attention. So why do we choose the 00:13:53.809 --> 00:13:56.610 distractions of life over our devotion to God? 00:13:57.149 --> 00:13:59.610 In the long list of things we do each day, does 00:13:59.610 --> 00:14:02.450 time with God even make our lists or are we simply 00:14:02.450 --> 00:14:06.700 too busy and too distracted to notice? Statistics 00:14:06.700 --> 00:14:09.799 show the average amount of time people spend 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:13.960 on screens per day is six hours and 38 minutes, 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.159 with over 50 % of that time being used on our 00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:20.299 mobile devices. As healthy individuals, we can 00:14:20.299 --> 00:14:23.679 expect to have 10 to 15 usable hours in a day. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:27.299 Of those 10 to 15 hours, most of us can allocate 00:14:27.299 --> 00:14:30.200 eight hours to an average working day, leaving 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:33.549 us with two to seven remaining hours. of usable 00:14:33.549 --> 00:14:36.649 time. With our average daily phone usage time 00:14:36.649 --> 00:14:39.149 of six plus hours, that doesn't leave us much 00:14:39.149 --> 00:14:42.629 time for anything else. Earlier this year, a 00:14:42.629 --> 00:14:44.909 survey conducted by Red Search reported that 00:14:44.909 --> 00:14:47.730 as many as three out of four Australians will 00:14:47.730 --> 00:14:49.870 check their phones within 10 minutes of waking 00:14:49.870 --> 00:14:52.409 up in the morning, while four out of five of 00:14:52.409 --> 00:14:55.389 us will do it before we go to bed. With statistics 00:14:55.389 --> 00:14:57.570 like this, it would be fair to assign a label 00:14:57.570 --> 00:15:00.129 of addiction or deem it problematic, because 00:15:00.129 --> 00:15:03.269 not only does phone and screen usage lower our 00:15:03.269 --> 00:15:06.289 need for social interaction, it also has negative 00:15:06.289 --> 00:15:08.850 impacts on our sleep and our physical and mental 00:15:08.850 --> 00:15:12.169 health. So knowing how easily we're pulled in 00:15:12.169 --> 00:15:15.169 every direction, the question becomes how do 00:15:15.169 --> 00:15:18.049 we quiet the noise and turn our focus to what 00:15:18.049 --> 00:15:21.590 truly matters? How do we replace these constant 00:15:21.590 --> 00:15:24.169 distractions with something that brings peace, 00:15:24.669 --> 00:15:27.429 strengthens our faith and supports our physical, 00:15:27.570 --> 00:15:30.970 mental and emotional wellbeing? We can engage 00:15:30.970 --> 00:15:33.950 in spiritual practices like Sabbath or focus 00:15:33.950 --> 00:15:37.029 prayer and increase our social interaction with 00:15:37.029 --> 00:15:40.610 people or even employ digital boundaries. Exodus 00:15:40.610 --> 00:15:44.529 chapter 20 verse 8 to 11 says, remember to observe 00:15:44.529 --> 00:15:47.580 the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have 00:15:47.580 --> 00:15:50.399 six days each week for your ordinary work, but 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.200 the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:56.659 to the Lord your God. On that day, no one in 00:15:56.659 --> 00:15:59.480 your household may do any work. This includes 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:03.120 you, your sons and daughters, your male and female 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:05.779 servants, your livestock, and any foreigners 00:16:05.779 --> 00:16:09.549 living among you. For in six days the Lord made 00:16:09.549 --> 00:16:12.730 the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything 00:16:12.730 --> 00:16:16.190 in them. But on the seventh day He rested. That 00:16:16.190 --> 00:16:19.110 is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set 00:16:19.110 --> 00:16:22.350 it apart as holy. Sabbath is a day which we set 00:16:22.350 --> 00:16:25.570 aside to give our attention to God. Sabbath is 00:16:25.570 --> 00:16:29.590 like a gift to God of your full attention. Focused 00:16:29.590 --> 00:16:32.169 prayer can sometimes seem like a chore, but it 00:16:32.169 --> 00:16:34.110 can be as simple as praying in the shower, like 00:16:34.110 --> 00:16:36.690 I do, or even turning off the music on your drive 00:16:36.690 --> 00:16:39.269 to work. You could sign up to an hour time slot 00:16:39.269 --> 00:16:42.269 in our 24 -7 prayer room, attend prayer meetings 00:16:42.269 --> 00:16:46.110 at our prospect location. Sometimes I know I 00:16:46.110 --> 00:16:48.350 feel like I might not have much to pray about, 00:16:48.690 --> 00:16:51.029 but if you go to our Slack, you can read about 00:16:51.029 --> 00:16:53.049 other people's prayer needs and you can add them 00:16:53.049 --> 00:16:56.259 to your prayer time. When we are busy people, 00:16:56.519 --> 00:16:59.379 it's hard sometimes to give our full attention 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:02.659 when we are so easily distracted by everything 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:05.579 around us. Engaging in Sabbath can help us to 00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:08.640 slow down and take time to listen to God, pray 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:11.759 with Him and be in His company. In this time 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:14.420 we can give God our full attention and in return 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:18.500 we have His. Being present with people isn't 00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:21.599 a hard task. You can employ rules like no phones 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:24.039 at the dinner table, pop a container on the bench 00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:25.819 and everyone has to put their phones in there 00:17:25.819 --> 00:17:28.920 for an hour to avoid digital distraction. Make 00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:30.940 time for people in your life and give them your 00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:33.740 full attention. To achieve this, you may need 00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:36.240 to create some digital boundaries, set limits 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:39.109 for social media apps. have phone lock times, 00:17:39.369 --> 00:17:41.589 make times to play board games rather than online 00:17:41.589 --> 00:17:44.589 games, charge your phone in another room, tell 00:17:44.589 --> 00:17:46.569 someone about your plans so that you might have 00:17:46.569 --> 00:17:50.190 an accountability buddy. At the end of the day, 00:17:50.589 --> 00:17:54.089 it's up to us. We decide whether we'll stay distracted 00:17:54.089 --> 00:17:56.509 or start being intentional with our time and 00:17:56.509 --> 00:17:58.950 attention, especially when it comes to others 00:17:58.950 --> 00:18:03.430 and to God. Before we can choose how to live 00:18:03.430 --> 00:18:05.950 differently, we need to choose who we're living 00:18:05.950 --> 00:18:10.589 for. I'll be honest, sometimes making time for 00:18:10.589 --> 00:18:13.910 God feels impossible. Life can get loud and even 00:18:13.910 --> 00:18:17.009 messy. But if we find time to schedule coffee 00:18:17.009 --> 00:18:19.509 dates, hair appointments, or even to scroll, 00:18:19.690 --> 00:18:22.210 why can't we carve out time for the one who gave 00:18:22.210 --> 00:18:26.789 everything for us? It really is a small ask compared 00:18:26.789 --> 00:18:30.440 to the sacrifices made on our behalf. I know 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:32.960 personally sometimes it's easy to be distracted 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:35.599 by all the things we need to do because we can 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:38.579 see them. That lot of dishes in the sink, the 00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:41.660 big pile of laundry that needs folding, the reminders 00:18:41.660 --> 00:18:44.099 in our phones and calendars that tell us that 00:18:44.099 --> 00:18:46.799 we have places to go and people to see. These 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:49.380 things are always there and in our faces. It's 00:18:49.380 --> 00:18:52.519 hard to avoid them but we can't see God so it's 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:54.880 easy to get consumed by the tasks that are visible 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.380 and forget about directing our attention to God. 00:18:58.119 --> 00:19:01.259 I can assure you, as someone who feels like they're 00:19:01.259 --> 00:19:04.019 juggling full time work, three kids, dance mum 00:19:04.019 --> 00:19:07.000 duties and church, I get it. Life can be hectic, 00:19:07.380 --> 00:19:10.119 but I've found that when I do make space for 00:19:10.119 --> 00:19:12.940 God, everything else becomes clearer. I feel 00:19:12.940 --> 00:19:16.759 lighter and more grounded. So maybe instead of 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:20.000 asking ourselves, do I have time for God? We 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.819 should be asking ourselves, will I make time? 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:26.140 What could change if we penciled him into our 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:29.880 calendars like we do everything else? James 4, 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:32.980 8 says, draw near to God and he will draw near 00:19:32.980 --> 00:19:36.160 to you. This reminds us that when we make time 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:39.299 for God through Sabbath, prayer, worship, or 00:19:39.299 --> 00:19:41.799 reading the word, we're invited into a deeper 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:44.900 relationship with him. Yes, God is always present, 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:47.920 but intentionally seeking him allows us to truly 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:51.579 experience that presence. Even Jesus modeled 00:19:51.579 --> 00:19:55.420 this, Luke 5 16 tells us, but Jesus often withdrew 00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:57.920 to the wilderness for prayer. Even in the middle 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.660 of his ministry, surrounded by crowds and constant 00:20:00.660 --> 00:20:03.900 need, Jesus made it a priority to find time and 00:20:03.900 --> 00:20:06.660 connect with the Father. That speaks to the deeply 00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:09.339 personal and intentional relationship that he 00:20:09.339 --> 00:20:14.180 had with God. As we follow his example and seek 00:20:14.180 --> 00:20:17.319 out time with God, we'll find joy, peace and 00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:20.250 renewal. Prayer gives us space to unload our 00:20:20.250 --> 00:20:23.329 burdens. It heals both spiritually and mentally. 00:20:23.730 --> 00:20:26.329 Scripture makes it clear. When we chase after 00:20:26.329 --> 00:20:29.569 God with attention and intention, our relationship 00:20:29.569 --> 00:20:33.130 with Him grows and thrives. God is always offering 00:20:33.130 --> 00:20:36.009 us His full attention, but are we offering Him 00:20:36.009 --> 00:20:39.630 ours? I know how easy it is to struggle to give 00:20:39.630 --> 00:20:42.269 God our attention, and when we consistently choose 00:20:42.269 --> 00:20:44.869 distraction over devotion, we're saying something 00:20:44.869 --> 00:20:48.569 about what truly matters to us. Are we prioritizing 00:20:48.569 --> 00:20:51.210 comfort, entertainment, and the noise of the 00:20:51.210 --> 00:20:53.369 world over the one who offers peace, purpose, 00:20:53.569 --> 00:20:56.890 and love? In today's teaching text, Jesus tells 00:20:56.890 --> 00:21:00.529 Martha that Mary chose the better thing. By this, 00:21:00.609 --> 00:21:03.230 He means that if we choose the material things 00:21:03.230 --> 00:21:05.910 and prioritize worldly pleasures like comfort 00:21:05.910 --> 00:21:08.470 and entertainment, we miss the opportunity to 00:21:08.470 --> 00:21:11.390 listen to His teachings and focus on our spiritual 00:21:11.390 --> 00:21:14.599 growth. With that spiritual growth comes a deeper 00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:16.839 relationship, which is what we have been made 00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:20.460 for. If we keep ignoring those sacred moments 00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:23.259 to connect to Him, we risk missing out on the 00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:25.779 fullness, the blessings and the deep peace that 00:21:25.779 --> 00:21:29.940 comes only from walking closely with God. Ephesians 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:33.460 2 .8 reminds us, God saved you by His grace when 00:21:33.460 --> 00:21:36.019 you believed, and you can't take credit for this. 00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:38.799 It is a gift from God. The gift of grace has 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:41.519 been afforded to us by the sacrifice God made. 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:44.420 For our grace and salvation, God surrendered 00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:47.680 His only Son, Jesus. How lucky we are to be able 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:50.420 to receive such a gift from God. We should seek 00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:53.000 to be in relationship with God. We should choose 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:57.559 God over any distractions. Quite simply, Martha 00:21:57.559 --> 00:22:01.019 chose to be distracted. Mary chose to pay attention. 00:22:01.940 --> 00:22:04.720 Neither sister was wrong. Martha longed to serve 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:08.119 Jesus while Mary longed to sit and listen. Both 00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:11.119 loved him deeply. Neither approach is better, 00:22:11.420 --> 00:22:14.059 but it shows us that we need to seek balance. 00:22:15.059 --> 00:22:18.140 If we are always serving God in practical ways, 00:22:18.619 --> 00:22:22.160 we become consumed by acts of service and neglect 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:24.599 the opportunity to be in relationship with God. 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:29.180 We should seek to serve God when we can, but 00:22:29.180 --> 00:22:31.960 we should also seek to pursue a deep relationship 00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:35.140 with Him. It was Mary's simple gift of attention 00:22:35.140 --> 00:22:37.539 that earned the greatest reward. She received 00:22:37.539 --> 00:22:40.480 Jesus' affirmation, His wisdom and His presence, 00:22:40.579 --> 00:22:43.339 but most of all, she received Jesus Himself and 00:22:43.339 --> 00:22:47.079 that was everything. Sometimes we need to sacrifice 00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:49.519 the busyness in our lives so we can give our 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:53.529 full attention to God. In the moment that Jesus 00:22:53.529 --> 00:22:56.549 sacrifices his own life on the cross, a sacrifice 00:22:56.549 --> 00:22:59.329 we ourselves could never replicate, he models 00:22:59.329 --> 00:23:01.869 the ultimate act of service, while throughout 00:23:01.869 --> 00:23:04.750 his ministry he models to us how to find balance 00:23:04.750 --> 00:23:07.450 between service and heartfelt acts of communion 00:23:07.450 --> 00:23:11.630 with God. God saw how trapped we were in sin, 00:23:12.349 --> 00:23:15.529 so lost without hope, and he sent his one and 00:23:15.529 --> 00:23:18.670 only son to give his life for ours, so we could 00:23:18.670 --> 00:23:21.589 be with him in paradise forever. We all struggle 00:23:21.589 --> 00:23:24.269 to give God our full attention, but because of 00:23:24.269 --> 00:23:27.230 Jesus' selfless sacrifice we now have the Holy 00:23:27.230 --> 00:23:30.329 Spirit living within us, God with us always. 00:23:30.890 --> 00:23:33.630 Through Jesus we can confidently say that God 00:23:33.630 --> 00:23:37.670 is present with us every single day. We always 00:23:37.670 --> 00:23:39.789 have His attention in the moments when we pray, 00:23:40.190 --> 00:23:43.230 when we rest, when we worship together. God is 00:23:43.230 --> 00:23:46.430 with us and He deserves our full attention. The 00:23:46.430 --> 00:23:53.880 band can come up if they like. So if anything 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:56.000 I've said to you today has stirred something 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:58.839 in you, if you feel that desire to be more present 00:23:58.839 --> 00:24:01.859 with God, to be more active in your faith, then 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:04.579 maybe this week's Henley homework is for you. 00:24:04.980 --> 00:24:06.579 It's been a while, so I thought I'd bring it 00:24:06.579 --> 00:24:10.240 back. Yeah. This week, let's find a way that 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:14.720 we can intentionally be with God. Start that 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:17.359 Sabbath practice. Charge your phone in another 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:21.319 room. Block out an hour in the prayer room. Choose 00:24:21.319 --> 00:24:24.259 attention over distraction this week. Choose 00:24:24.259 --> 00:24:27.839 to make God your priority. None of these steps 00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:31.380 are hard, but they will take intentionality. 00:24:32.460 --> 00:24:35.960 In a world that's always on, it really is a challenge 00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:39.539 to slow down. But when we finally make that choice, 00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:43.200 to make space for God, we realise we're not losing 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:46.519 anything at all. We're gaining everything. So 00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:49.579 friends, in a world full of noise and chaos, 00:24:49.869 --> 00:24:52.430 where distractions are fighting for our focus. 00:24:53.109 --> 00:24:56.089 Let's choose differently. Let's choose the gift 00:24:56.089 --> 00:24:59.430 of attention because what we gain by giving our 00:24:59.430 --> 00:25:02.250 time to God will always be greater than anything 00:25:02.250 --> 00:25:09.710 we give up. Thanks so much for tuning into this 00:25:09.710 --> 00:25:12.849 week's message. If you felt challenged or need 00:25:12.849 --> 00:25:15.430 prayer, we'd love to hear from you on Instagram 00:25:15.430 --> 00:25:18.569 at encounterhenley. or if you're interested in 00:25:18.569 --> 00:25:21.109 how you can support this ministry, please go 00:25:21.109 --> 00:25:25.910 to our website encounteradelaide .com .au Thanks 00:25:25.910 --> 00:25:27.930 again for listening. God bless you.