1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,160 Daniel Sumoge: Uh, I know today's a special day. 2 00:00:02,220 --> 00:00:03,480 Well, there's two reasons why it's special. 3 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,780 The first one is my, my friend Lucas Kaufman from Phoenix. 4 00:00:06,780 --> 00:00:10,770 He's here today with us here in Orange County, and I don't know if you guys 5 00:00:10,770 --> 00:00:13,950 know this, but Lucas was, uh, in the room when I called Savannah's 6 00:00:13,950 --> 00:00:16,800 dad to say, Hey, I need to talk to you about marrying your daughter. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:18,960 So Lucas kind of pumped me up to do so. 8 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,090 So thank you so much Lucas for that. 9 00:00:21,150 --> 00:00:24,780 But also today is Mother's Day, man. 10 00:00:24,780 --> 00:00:25,620 I love. 11 00:00:25,995 --> 00:00:27,495 Mother's Day. 12 00:00:27,675 --> 00:00:30,255 You know, I love my mom so much. 13 00:00:30,315 --> 00:00:34,155 Uh, I like to think of myself as, have you guys seen that Adam Sand movie? 14 00:00:34,155 --> 00:00:34,875 The Water Boy? 15 00:00:35,595 --> 00:00:35,655 Yeah. 16 00:00:35,745 --> 00:00:36,105 Alright. 17 00:00:36,105 --> 00:00:37,125 I'm like, Bobby Boucher. 18 00:00:37,125 --> 00:00:38,625 I'm like, mama says, right? 19 00:00:38,625 --> 00:00:41,565 So whatever my mom says, I take it as truth. 20 00:00:41,565 --> 00:00:44,685 Funny story, you know, with preaching camp coming up, the registration is 21 00:00:44,685 --> 00:00:48,165 the last, uh, today, today's the last year to register, but, uh, when I was a 22 00:00:48,165 --> 00:00:50,325 pre-teen, my first year of pre-teen camp. 23 00:00:50,805 --> 00:00:54,105 Uh, I called home, I went to the infirmary. 24 00:00:54,135 --> 00:00:56,955 'cause I figured that's where you go if you're sick and you need help. 25 00:00:57,165 --> 00:00:58,125 So I went to the infirmary. 26 00:00:58,125 --> 00:00:59,955 I said, call my mom. 27 00:00:59,955 --> 00:01:01,125 I want to go home. 28 00:01:01,725 --> 00:01:02,655 I got homesick. 29 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:03,675 I was like, I missed my mom. 30 00:01:03,675 --> 00:01:04,575 I missed the home cooking. 31 00:01:04,575 --> 00:01:08,055 And I called her and she was like, oh man, I'm so sorry. 32 00:01:08,055 --> 00:01:12,075 Even if I could come and get you, I can't because we're in Vegas with you. 33 00:01:12,285 --> 00:01:13,005 The family. 34 00:01:13,005 --> 00:01:16,575 So I was stuck at teen camp, but it was a great time though. 35 00:01:16,575 --> 00:01:19,155 So for those who haven't registered for pre teen camp, 36 00:01:19,155 --> 00:01:20,655 just know that I turned out. 37 00:01:20,655 --> 00:01:20,985 All right. 38 00:01:20,985 --> 00:01:24,645 All right, so man, please go ahead and do so with that. 39 00:01:24,765 --> 00:01:28,215 But, uh, as you know, we're also in a sermon series right now in the sermon 40 00:01:28,215 --> 00:01:31,545 series is called Am I doing this right? 41 00:01:32,445 --> 00:01:32,805 There it is. 42 00:01:32,805 --> 00:01:33,825 Am I doing this right? 43 00:01:33,825 --> 00:01:36,164 And this is something I feel like we can ask ourselves 44 00:01:36,315 --> 00:01:37,995 more times than we can count. 45 00:01:38,460 --> 00:01:41,310 Maybe for the parents here in this room, maybe you think that, you 46 00:01:41,310 --> 00:01:43,950 know, your kid asked for a candy or a cookie before dinner and 47 00:01:43,950 --> 00:01:45,479 you said, no, you can't have it. 48 00:01:45,690 --> 00:01:48,270 But then you're in the kitchen secretly eating that cookie before dinner. 49 00:01:48,270 --> 00:01:50,550 You're probably thinking, am I doing this right? 50 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,600 Or maybe you're like myself, where your wife makes you, you know, you 51 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,570 have to clean around the house and she still just critiques you about the 52 00:01:57,570 --> 00:01:59,280 baseboards and all this other stuff. 53 00:01:59,729 --> 00:02:02,790 But then you ask yourself, am I doing this right? 54 00:02:03,390 --> 00:02:05,310 Or maybe it's our walk with God. 55 00:02:05,715 --> 00:02:08,985 Maybe when you read your Bible, but forget what you read five minutes later. 56 00:02:09,495 --> 00:02:12,135 Or maybe you're trying to pray in the morning, but then you're like, man, 57 00:02:12,135 --> 00:02:16,125 I'm so tired, or, I have so much stuff to do that you kind of stop praying 58 00:02:16,125 --> 00:02:18,825 and you wonder, am I doing this right? 59 00:02:19,425 --> 00:02:23,655 You know, we've all been there and that's what this series is all about. 60 00:02:23,655 --> 00:02:26,835 Moments where we're trying to learn moments when we're trying to grow, 61 00:02:27,525 --> 00:02:31,485 but we're always, uh, we're not always sure if we're doing it right. 62 00:02:32,144 --> 00:02:36,135 Today, uh, today's topic I feel like is definitely special because 63 00:02:36,375 --> 00:02:40,454 obviously it's Mother's Day, we're gonna be talking about relationships. 64 00:02:41,084 --> 00:02:44,204 Am I doing this relationship thing right? 65 00:02:44,774 --> 00:02:46,334 You know, let's be real relationships. 66 00:02:46,334 --> 00:02:50,114 They're a big part of our lives, whether it's in our marriage, in 67 00:02:50,114 --> 00:02:53,774 our dating relationships, in our friendships with our family, with our 68 00:02:53,774 --> 00:02:57,375 coworkers, relationships shapes us. 69 00:02:57,945 --> 00:02:59,625 You know, if you want a strong friendship. 70 00:03:00,105 --> 00:03:03,585 A healthy marriage, a closer bond with your kids or with your parents. 71 00:03:03,915 --> 00:03:10,065 It all comes down to this one thing love, but not just any kind of love. 72 00:03:10,065 --> 00:03:13,275 I'm not talking about the love you see in those romantic comedy movies 73 00:03:13,395 --> 00:03:15,285 or the songs you hear on the radio. 74 00:03:15,405 --> 00:03:18,480 Those are often about following your heart, and it's the shallow 75 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:19,575 and self-centered kind of love. 76 00:03:19,575 --> 00:03:22,515 But I'm talking about the love that comes from Christ. 77 00:03:22,935 --> 00:03:24,075 The Christ-like love. 78 00:03:24,645 --> 00:03:29,175 It's a love that's patient, that's sacrificial, that's forgiving. 79 00:03:30,045 --> 00:03:33,285 A love that says, I'm here for you, not what can you do for me? 80 00:03:33,975 --> 00:03:38,415 And the only way to consistently love like that is to start with God. 81 00:03:39,165 --> 00:03:43,035 When we love God with everything we got, his love fills us. 82 00:03:43,245 --> 00:03:46,605 And that becomes the source of how we get to love others. 83 00:03:47,415 --> 00:03:50,505 You know, for those who know about Matthew 22, if we have some, some 84 00:03:50,505 --> 00:03:53,295 Bible scholars here, you guys know throughout this chapter in Matthew 85 00:03:53,295 --> 00:03:56,655 22, Jesus was getting full court pressed by all the Pharisees and the 86 00:03:56,655 --> 00:03:58,425 Sadducees and the teachers of the law. 87 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,440 These people here, you know, they, they know the word of God, that 88 00:04:01,500 --> 00:04:02,370 that's what they do for a living. 89 00:04:02,370 --> 00:04:03,180 They, they love it. 90 00:04:03,300 --> 00:04:04,650 They know all the commands and stuff. 91 00:04:04,650 --> 00:04:07,590 So they're asking Jesus, they're like, Hey, what, what's going on? 92 00:04:07,590 --> 00:04:10,140 Like, do we have to pay taxes to Caesar Jesus? 93 00:04:10,650 --> 00:04:12,750 Or, Hey, what is this about the resurrection? 94 00:04:12,750 --> 00:04:15,000 Tell us more about it, but more in a threatening way. 95 00:04:15,540 --> 00:04:19,500 And then here, uh, it stumbles upon in Matthew 22 where someone just gets 96 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,940 up and it said, Hey, Jesus, out of the 600 plus laws in the Old Testament. 97 00:04:24,180 --> 00:04:26,520 Please just narrow it down to this one commandment. 98 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,470 What is the greatest commandment? 99 00:04:28,980 --> 00:04:33,510 And we see in Matthew 22, verse 37, uh, through 40, it says, Jesus 100 00:04:33,510 --> 00:04:36,659 replied, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all 101 00:04:36,659 --> 00:04:38,190 your soul, and with all your mind. 102 00:04:38,610 --> 00:04:40,440 This is the first and greatest commandment. 103 00:04:40,740 --> 00:04:42,240 And the second is like it. 104 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:44,850 Love your neighbor as yourself. 105 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,760 All the prophet, all the law and the prophets. 106 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:49,980 Hang on to these two commandments. 107 00:04:51,210 --> 00:04:52,440 That's the foundation. 108 00:04:53,085 --> 00:04:58,875 Love God and love people, but here's the thing, if we don't love God with all our 109 00:04:58,875 --> 00:05:02,625 being, with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, then we're 110 00:05:02,625 --> 00:05:06,555 trying to love others on an empty tank, and that's when things get messy, right? 111 00:05:06,555 --> 00:05:06,975 Church. 112 00:05:07,455 --> 00:05:08,775 That's when we get impatient. 113 00:05:09,105 --> 00:05:10,425 That's when we get jealous. 114 00:05:10,665 --> 00:05:13,335 We get bitter, we get insecure, we get controlling. 115 00:05:13,695 --> 00:05:17,865 Not because we don't care, but because we're not rooted in the love of Christ. 116 00:05:17,865 --> 00:05:22,545 First, let me ask you, have you ever tried to love someone right? 117 00:05:23,145 --> 00:05:26,445 A parent, maybe a friend, your spouse, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, and 118 00:05:26,445 --> 00:05:28,845 still felt like something was just off. 119 00:05:29,355 --> 00:05:32,534 Like, man, I'm doing my best, but you know, I'm showing up, I'm 120 00:05:32,534 --> 00:05:34,005 doing, you know, I'm being kind. 121 00:05:34,065 --> 00:05:34,995 I'm trying to make it work. 122 00:05:34,995 --> 00:05:36,345 But there's still this tension. 123 00:05:36,975 --> 00:05:38,625 There's still this miscommunication. 124 00:05:39,135 --> 00:05:42,855 There's this insecurity, man, something's off and you can't 125 00:05:42,855 --> 00:05:44,565 quite put your finger on it. 126 00:05:45,585 --> 00:05:45,735 You know? 127 00:05:45,735 --> 00:05:49,815 Maybe the problem isn't our effort, but maybe it's our foundation. 128 00:05:50,565 --> 00:05:51,675 We're trying to do life. 129 00:05:52,034 --> 00:05:53,055 We're trying to do relationships. 130 00:05:53,055 --> 00:05:57,465 We're trying to do faith without first inking ourselves in God's love. 131 00:05:58,515 --> 00:06:00,075 But can I be real with you all this morning? 132 00:06:00,705 --> 00:06:01,215 I know. 133 00:06:01,245 --> 00:06:02,985 You know, it's, it's not easy. 134 00:06:03,555 --> 00:06:06,255 It's not easy to always be rooted with God. 135 00:06:07,034 --> 00:06:08,565 Life gets busy. 136 00:06:09,104 --> 00:06:13,485 We've got school, we've got work, we've got sports, got family, we got 137 00:06:13,485 --> 00:06:15,825 bills, we have appointments, group text, laundry, dinner, all this stuff. 138 00:06:15,825 --> 00:06:18,555 And somewhere in the middle of that, we start forgetting what's 139 00:06:18,555 --> 00:06:20,895 important that relationships. 140 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:22,500 They're not built by accident. 141 00:06:23,250 --> 00:06:25,710 I think about my relationship with my wife, Savannah. 142 00:06:25,890 --> 00:06:29,880 It didn't just happen because we liked each other or had a few things in common. 143 00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:31,950 It was built with intention. 144 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,790 It was built through conversations, through choosing to listen 145 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:37,650 when I'd rather be speaking. 146 00:06:38,220 --> 00:06:43,500 It's through showing up through forgiving, through the hard conversations. 147 00:06:44,220 --> 00:06:49,110 It's been built through effort and being present, and that's true for every 148 00:06:49,110 --> 00:06:50,640 relationship in your life that matters. 149 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:52,740 Think about your best friend. 150 00:06:53,130 --> 00:06:56,190 You don't just drift into that deep friendship that you have with them. 151 00:06:56,970 --> 00:06:59,640 You don't just stumble into a strong marriage. 152 00:07:00,150 --> 00:07:03,030 You don't accidentally just get close to God. 153 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:08,400 It takes time being intentional with our time, with our attention, with our heart, 154 00:07:08,790 --> 00:07:13,050 because the truth is you can be around someone but still be distant from them. 155 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,580 You can be doing the right things, but you can still miss on the relationship. 156 00:07:18,510 --> 00:07:20,850 For me, I definitely fell short with this not too long ago, 157 00:07:20,850 --> 00:07:24,720 literally last week, where I was caught up in doing so many things. 158 00:07:24,990 --> 00:07:27,060 For those who don't know, I worked part-time for the church, 159 00:07:27,060 --> 00:07:28,830 so I have another part-time job. 160 00:07:28,830 --> 00:07:29,880 So I was doing that. 161 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,570 I was planning up for teen camp, so I was calling the parents and the teens. 162 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,800 I was running the LA teen ball and man, there was just so many things I had to do. 163 00:07:38,100 --> 00:07:41,159 And then on top of that I was like, man, let me be a great husband. 164 00:07:41,159 --> 00:07:42,720 Lemme be an encouraging husband as I always am. 165 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:43,260 Right, Savannah? 166 00:07:43,620 --> 00:07:44,190 Yeah, there it is. 167 00:07:44,190 --> 00:07:44,700 Yes. 168 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,280 I was like, let me do the laundry. 169 00:07:47,789 --> 00:07:51,120 Not only let me do the laundry, some of us, we stop at the laundry 170 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,400 part, but I also folded the clothes. 171 00:07:53,940 --> 00:07:56,669 And then I was like, matter of fact, let me put these clothes away. 172 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:01,169 And then on top of that I was like, you know what, man? 173 00:08:01,169 --> 00:08:03,180 Let me go grocery shopping too. 174 00:08:03,599 --> 00:08:06,810 So I got the groceries, but then I was like, you know what, 175 00:08:06,810 --> 00:08:08,460 I'm gonna go one step above. 176 00:08:08,820 --> 00:08:10,500 Let me actually cook these groceries. 177 00:08:10,620 --> 00:08:12,719 Let me have dinner ready for Savannah. 178 00:08:13,845 --> 00:08:15,435 I was doing all these things. 179 00:08:15,435 --> 00:08:17,265 All these things, they weren't bad things. 180 00:08:17,265 --> 00:08:18,555 They were great things. 181 00:08:18,555 --> 00:08:22,035 But then one day, literally, I think it was probably last Saturday or Sunday, 182 00:08:22,095 --> 00:08:26,175 Savannah was just like, man, I, I haven't connected with you all week. 183 00:08:27,075 --> 00:08:30,645 And I was like, well, babe, like, yeah, I know, but I'm doing all these things. 184 00:08:30,645 --> 00:08:32,985 I have so much on my plate because I don't want you to stress out. 185 00:08:32,985 --> 00:08:34,934 I don't wanna give you the leftovers I have to do. 186 00:08:34,934 --> 00:08:35,775 But she was like, no, no, no. 187 00:08:35,775 --> 00:08:37,605 Like I don't care about that. 188 00:08:37,815 --> 00:08:39,465 I just want to connect with you. 189 00:08:40,830 --> 00:08:45,540 You see, I was doing everything for her, but Miss seeing, actually being with her. 190 00:08:45,540 --> 00:08:46,350 Are you with me, church? 191 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:46,830 Yes, sir. 192 00:08:47,250 --> 00:08:51,090 And that's when it hit me that I was busy, but I wasn't present. 193 00:08:51,810 --> 00:08:54,450 I was productive, but I wasn't connected. 194 00:08:55,230 --> 00:08:57,120 And that's exactly what we're gonna see. 195 00:08:57,210 --> 00:08:59,730 Uh, as we, uh, we're gonna dive into a story and Luke chapter 10, 196 00:08:59,730 --> 00:09:03,240 we're gonna dive into a story of two sisters named Mary and Martha, 197 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,930 both encounter Jesus, both love him. 198 00:09:07,485 --> 00:09:12,135 They both made different choices in the presence of Jesus. 199 00:09:12,615 --> 00:09:17,265 In Luke chapter 10, verse 38 through 42, it reads as Jesus and 200 00:09:17,265 --> 00:09:18,915 his disciples were on their way. 201 00:09:18,945 --> 00:09:22,125 He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 202 00:09:22,545 --> 00:09:26,325 She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he 203 00:09:26,325 --> 00:09:30,765 said, but Martha was distracted by all the preparation that had to be made. 204 00:09:31,215 --> 00:09:33,555 She came to him and asked, Lord, don't you care that my sister 205 00:09:33,555 --> 00:09:35,775 has left me to work by myself? 206 00:09:36,525 --> 00:09:37,365 Tell her to help me. 207 00:09:38,145 --> 00:09:38,535 Martha. 208 00:09:38,535 --> 00:09:39,584 Martha, the Lord answered. 209 00:09:39,944 --> 00:09:43,035 You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are 210 00:09:43,035 --> 00:09:47,475 needed or indeed, only one Mary has chosen what is better and it 211 00:09:47,475 --> 00:09:49,245 will not be taken away from her. 212 00:09:49,845 --> 00:09:50,775 You know what is happening here? 213 00:09:50,775 --> 00:09:52,454 You know Jesus, he's been traveling. 214 00:09:52,665 --> 00:09:55,965 Uh, he just sent out his 72 disciples earlier in this chapter to spread 215 00:09:55,965 --> 00:09:57,645 the message of the Kingdom of God. 216 00:09:57,704 --> 00:10:02,055 And now he has entered a, a village, a town in Bethany, a town he often visited, 217 00:10:02,295 --> 00:10:05,235 and here he's welcome by Mary and Martha. 218 00:10:05,730 --> 00:10:07,020 Let's break this down here, you know? 219 00:10:07,020 --> 00:10:10,530 And the first thing it says is, Martha opened her home to him. 220 00:10:11,340 --> 00:10:14,940 Now, I don't wanna skip past that because Martha is not doing anything wrong here. 221 00:10:15,570 --> 00:10:17,340 In fact, she's doing something right. 222 00:10:17,700 --> 00:10:20,730 She's opening her home, she's being hospitable, she's being responsible. 223 00:10:20,730 --> 00:10:22,650 She welcomes Jesus in. 224 00:10:23,250 --> 00:10:26,160 And I think this matters because at least when I read this passage, 225 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:28,470 when I think about Martha, I always, to be honest with you, I think of 226 00:10:28,470 --> 00:10:29,820 her as, as the screw up sister. 227 00:10:29,820 --> 00:10:31,140 Like, man, you can't get it right. 228 00:10:31,500 --> 00:10:32,910 What is wrong with you, Martha? 229 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:35,160 Jesus is right there. 230 00:10:35,190 --> 00:10:36,180 What are you doing? 231 00:10:36,690 --> 00:10:40,680 But then as I was studying out this week, I was like, wait, that's not true. 232 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:43,260 Actually, Martha's not lazy. 233 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:44,940 She's not indifferent. 234 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:46,710 She's not rebellious. 235 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,200 She's doing what many of us try to do. 236 00:10:49,710 --> 00:10:51,360 She's trying to take care of everything. 237 00:10:52,110 --> 00:10:55,980 She's doing something good, but yet in doing something good, she's 238 00:10:55,980 --> 00:10:57,840 still missing something essential. 239 00:10:58,425 --> 00:11:02,445 As you see in verse 39 here we get to, to Mary says, Mary sat at the 240 00:11:02,445 --> 00:11:04,725 Lord's feet listening to what he said. 241 00:11:05,625 --> 00:11:08,295 You know, that might not sound like a big deal to us in our culture, but 242 00:11:08,295 --> 00:11:13,125 back then in that culture, in Jesus's time, it was a big deal, especially for 243 00:11:13,125 --> 00:11:15,735 a woman to sit at a feet of a rabbi. 244 00:11:16,125 --> 00:11:19,845 Usually in that time it was mostly dominated by by men, and it was always 245 00:11:19,845 --> 00:11:23,325 a disciple who sat at the rabbi's feet wanting to listen, wanting to learn 246 00:11:23,325 --> 00:11:25,095 from them, to be trained by them. 247 00:11:25,650 --> 00:11:30,660 We see that Jesus, as he's in the home of Mary and Martha, that Mary decides 248 00:11:30,660 --> 00:11:32,940 to take on that posture of a disciple. 249 00:11:33,570 --> 00:11:35,850 She wants to be a learner, a follower. 250 00:11:36,450 --> 00:11:38,340 You know, Mary wasn't just chilling in the living room. 251 00:11:38,340 --> 00:11:40,350 She wasn't like, all right, Martha, you got the dinner. 252 00:11:40,740 --> 00:11:41,820 Alright, I'm gonna kick my feet up. 253 00:11:41,820 --> 00:11:43,500 I'm gonna chill with Jesus in the room. 254 00:11:43,500 --> 00:11:47,160 No, she was making a bold spiritual choice. 255 00:11:47,850 --> 00:11:52,890 She was prioritizing being present with Jesus rather than performing for him. 256 00:11:53,594 --> 00:11:56,295 She was choosing a relationship over responsibility. 257 00:11:56,895 --> 00:11:59,324 She wasn't doing less because she cared less, but she was 258 00:11:59,324 --> 00:12:00,584 doing what mattered most. 259 00:12:01,035 --> 00:12:06,974 Being with Jesus, Mary wasn't lazy, but she decided to be still. 260 00:12:07,515 --> 00:12:09,285 She decided to listen and draw near. 261 00:12:09,915 --> 00:12:12,584 She wasn't being less faithful, but being more attentive. 262 00:12:13,844 --> 00:12:19,905 And then we shift back here to Martha, it says, but Martha was distracted. 263 00:12:20,535 --> 00:12:22,665 Distracted by what? 264 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,810 Word distracted, not wicked, not disobedient. 265 00:12:27,810 --> 00:12:31,200 Not sinful, but just distracted. 266 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:33,690 Distracted by many things. 267 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,960 Many things that aren't bad things, not sinful things, but 268 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,240 good things, necessary things. 269 00:12:39,630 --> 00:12:40,110 She was busy. 270 00:12:40,110 --> 00:12:42,090 She was like, I have to prepare dinner. 271 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:43,230 I have to be serviceful. 272 00:12:43,290 --> 00:12:45,000 I have to make sure everything's just right. 273 00:12:45,630 --> 00:12:49,680 Martha was preparing a meal for Jesus, but in doing all that, she 274 00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:52,170 was missing the moment with Jesus. 275 00:12:53,010 --> 00:12:57,449 She's doing things for him, but missing the chance to just sit with him. 276 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:00,209 And we see that in her frustration. 277 00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:03,990 She says, Lord, don't you care? 278 00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:06,930 She starts accusing Jesus. 279 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:08,610 You guys ever been there? 280 00:13:09,180 --> 00:13:10,979 Man, you're doing all the right things. 281 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:12,420 You're serving, you're giving. 282 00:13:12,420 --> 00:13:13,050 You're working hard. 283 00:13:13,050 --> 00:13:15,540 You're keeping it all together, and it just hits you in a moment 284 00:13:15,540 --> 00:13:18,510 and you just wonder, God, don't you just care what I'm doing? 285 00:13:18,780 --> 00:13:20,189 Can't you just show me favor? 286 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:22,980 Maybe it's not just with God. 287 00:13:23,430 --> 00:13:26,190 Maybe you felt that in other relationships, whether it's with your 288 00:13:26,190 --> 00:13:29,790 spouse or your friend or a family member, you're doing everything you can. 289 00:13:29,790 --> 00:13:33,870 But it feels like no one notices or worse that no one cares. 290 00:13:35,010 --> 00:13:37,740 And in Martha's case here we see she's overwhelmed. 291 00:13:38,670 --> 00:13:42,990 You know, when we get overwhelmed, tired, or stretched, it's easy to 292 00:13:42,990 --> 00:13:45,210 start blaming the people closest to us. 293 00:13:46,215 --> 00:13:49,755 Growing up when I was feeling a lot, the people who were in my life that would get 294 00:13:49,755 --> 00:13:51,675 it from me are my parents and my siblings. 295 00:13:51,975 --> 00:13:53,835 They say one wrong thing and I explode. 296 00:13:54,525 --> 00:13:57,585 And now today it's Savannah, but I try not to do as much. 297 00:13:57,585 --> 00:13:58,875 So please pray for her for that. 298 00:13:58,875 --> 00:13:59,955 But think about it. 299 00:14:00,015 --> 00:14:02,985 Why do we blow up on the people closest to us? 300 00:14:03,885 --> 00:14:04,995 Well, they're, they're right there. 301 00:14:05,025 --> 00:14:06,135 They're the ones right there. 302 00:14:06,465 --> 00:14:09,795 When we often get our breaking point, it's the people around us who often end 303 00:14:09,795 --> 00:14:11,655 up feeling the brunt of our frustration. 304 00:14:12,255 --> 00:14:15,345 They're the ones, uh, who in our mind should be, should understand 305 00:14:15,345 --> 00:14:17,775 us the most, and they don't seem to. 306 00:14:17,925 --> 00:14:20,235 So it's easy to project all our stress in the moment and 307 00:14:20,235 --> 00:14:22,334 unmet expectations onto them. 308 00:14:23,505 --> 00:14:27,525 But what I love here in this verse is Jesus, you know, he was just like, 309 00:14:27,525 --> 00:14:28,785 okay, where is this coming from? 310 00:14:28,785 --> 00:14:30,285 Like, okay, Martha's just exploding. 311 00:14:30,855 --> 00:14:33,525 In my case, when Savannah would do that to me or any of my 312 00:14:33,555 --> 00:14:36,074 roommates, I would be like, all right, let's match fire with fire. 313 00:14:36,074 --> 00:14:36,915 Let's do this. 314 00:14:37,245 --> 00:14:41,324 But Jesus was like, oh, Martha, Martha. 315 00:14:42,030 --> 00:14:43,650 I just love how he said that. 316 00:14:44,310 --> 00:14:45,359 It wasn't screaming. 317 00:14:45,390 --> 00:14:46,410 I don't see exclamation points. 318 00:14:46,410 --> 00:14:47,160 He didn't say Martha. 319 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:48,329 Martha, like, what is wrong with you? 320 00:14:48,329 --> 00:14:53,490 He just says, you are worried, upset about many things, but the one thing, 321 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,490 but only one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen what is better and 322 00:14:56,490 --> 00:14:57,990 it will not be taken away from her. 323 00:14:59,670 --> 00:15:00,359 Jesus. 324 00:15:00,660 --> 00:15:01,530 He doesn't yell. 325 00:15:02,219 --> 00:15:03,180 He doesn't shame her. 326 00:15:04,109 --> 00:15:06,449 He doesn't say, man, why can't you be like your sister Mary? 327 00:15:07,050 --> 00:15:10,410 But he speaks with love, with tenderness, with clarity. 328 00:15:11,490 --> 00:15:13,980 He says, Martha, I see your effort, man. 329 00:15:13,980 --> 00:15:16,140 I'm so grateful for you wanting to put on this great dinner for 330 00:15:16,140 --> 00:15:17,790 me, but I want your attention. 331 00:15:18,690 --> 00:15:21,360 I appreciate your service, but I want your presence. 332 00:15:22,290 --> 00:15:26,580 Mary chose what is better, not what is easier, not what is more comfortable not 333 00:15:26,580 --> 00:15:32,040 is what looks more spiritual, but she chose a better thing, and Jesus says that 334 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:36,810 will not be taken away from her because time spent with Jesus is never wasted. 335 00:15:37,334 --> 00:15:38,505 It's never in vain. 336 00:15:38,564 --> 00:15:39,584 It's the better part. 337 00:15:39,885 --> 00:15:43,064 It's the part that sustains you when everything else feels overwhelming. 338 00:15:43,425 --> 00:15:46,545 It's the part that centers your life or your heart around the, the 339 00:15:46,545 --> 00:15:48,344 chaotic life that you may have. 340 00:15:49,275 --> 00:15:53,535 So the big question for us this morning today is, are we busy doing for 341 00:15:53,535 --> 00:15:56,625 Jesus, that we miss being with Jesus? 342 00:15:57,854 --> 00:16:00,555 Because the better part, the thing Jesus says that really 343 00:16:00,555 --> 00:16:02,474 matters isn't the full schedule. 344 00:16:02,805 --> 00:16:03,854 It's not the perfect dinner. 345 00:16:03,854 --> 00:16:06,015 It's not the the perfect execution plan. 346 00:16:06,375 --> 00:16:07,395 It's presence. 347 00:16:07,995 --> 00:16:11,145 Presence, not presence like gifts, but presence, like attention. 348 00:16:12,135 --> 00:16:13,064 It's relationship. 349 00:16:13,905 --> 00:16:18,675 It's sitting at his feet and listening, and that's something, as he says, 350 00:16:18,675 --> 00:16:19,964 that can never be taken away. 351 00:16:21,255 --> 00:16:25,485 But all the other things that you guys have going on in your lives, the tasks, 352 00:16:25,635 --> 00:16:30,314 the responsibilities, the constant striving, those things can be taken away. 353 00:16:31,214 --> 00:16:32,115 They're temporary. 354 00:16:32,564 --> 00:16:35,415 They fade, but time spent with Jesus. 355 00:16:36,300 --> 00:16:38,100 That right there can never be taken away. 356 00:16:38,580 --> 00:16:42,390 That is eternal and in our lives, in our faith, in our 357 00:16:42,390 --> 00:16:43,650 families and our friendships. 358 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:45,930 Are we doing the same thing Martha did? 359 00:16:47,130 --> 00:16:50,070 Maybe it's, you know, coming here, showing up to church, showing up to events. 360 00:16:50,370 --> 00:16:53,040 We read our Bibles, but sometimes only to check a box. 361 00:16:53,430 --> 00:16:54,090 We keep moving. 362 00:16:54,090 --> 00:16:55,680 We keep doing what we keep performing. 363 00:16:56,610 --> 00:16:59,610 Or maybe it's in our friendships and relationships where you're 364 00:16:59,610 --> 00:17:03,030 constantly doing things for others, making sure they're happy. 365 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,030 Yet not taking the time to slow down and listen to what 366 00:17:06,030 --> 00:17:07,530 Jesus is trying to say to you. 367 00:17:08,579 --> 00:17:12,540 We keep running from one task to the next thinking that's what's needed. 368 00:17:12,810 --> 00:17:15,750 But we never stop and just be still with him. 369 00:17:16,890 --> 00:17:20,760 And when we don't do that church, we end up like Martha, not rebellious, 370 00:17:21,089 --> 00:17:26,130 not lazy, not in sin, but just distracted, busy doing things for 371 00:17:26,130 --> 00:17:28,410 God while missing being with God. 372 00:17:29,220 --> 00:17:31,200 And the same things happen in our relationships too. 373 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:32,580 We try to care. 374 00:17:32,580 --> 00:17:35,910 We try to help, but we get overwhelmed, we get distracted. 375 00:17:36,630 --> 00:17:41,160 We can get stretched thin, and before we know it, we're present in the 376 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,500 room, but we're absent in the heart. 377 00:17:44,850 --> 00:17:47,460 We're going through the motions, but not really connecting. 378 00:17:49,140 --> 00:17:51,480 You know, as I think about it, man, I think about, man, how, 379 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:53,460 how can I shift from this? 380 00:17:53,910 --> 00:17:57,690 How do I recognize that I don't have to fall into the same trap? 381 00:17:57,690 --> 00:18:00,090 And more importantly, how do we get back to what really matters? 382 00:18:01,290 --> 00:18:04,620 Whether it's with God or your spouse or your kids or your friends 383 00:18:04,620 --> 00:18:07,199 or your ministry, it's not just about doing the right things. 384 00:18:07,439 --> 00:18:09,300 It's about being fully there. 385 00:18:10,229 --> 00:18:11,159 So what does it look like? 386 00:18:11,159 --> 00:18:15,090 Church, when we do relationships wrong, when we don't do it God's 387 00:18:15,090 --> 00:18:16,260 way, well, let's start here. 388 00:18:16,739 --> 00:18:18,689 We have this self-focused love. 389 00:18:19,530 --> 00:18:21,750 We start asking the wrong questions. 390 00:18:21,989 --> 00:18:24,629 We ask maybe, what am I gonna get out of this relationship? 391 00:18:25,020 --> 00:18:27,629 Instead of asking, how can I love or how can I give? 392 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:30,960 What we need, what we want, what we're not getting. 393 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,300 We approach relationships like consumers. 394 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:36,510 If it stops working for me, I'm just gonna get rid of it and I'm gonna go 395 00:18:36,510 --> 00:18:38,370 somewhere else and receive that love. 396 00:18:39,120 --> 00:18:40,080 But love. 397 00:18:40,500 --> 00:18:42,420 We're talking about real love that Christ love. 398 00:18:42,420 --> 00:18:45,240 It's not about how someone else feels us. 399 00:18:45,390 --> 00:18:49,530 That's about how we pour out our love from God already given to us. 400 00:18:50,190 --> 00:18:52,920 When we all make it, when we make it all about ourselves, 401 00:18:53,370 --> 00:18:55,050 relationships, they tend to break down. 402 00:18:55,950 --> 00:18:59,640 Think about maybe that friendship you had with somebody, maybe you called it 403 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,670 quit 'cause you're like, man, I'm giving too much to it, or I'm not receiving. 404 00:19:02,910 --> 00:19:07,170 Or maybe you are the person getting too much and not giving, because 405 00:19:07,170 --> 00:19:11,430 relationships, they can't thrive when one person is always taking and never giving. 406 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:15,300 You know, another way we can be doing it wrong is we prioritize performance. 407 00:19:15,870 --> 00:19:18,930 We focus more on what we're doing rather than who we're doing it for. 408 00:19:19,230 --> 00:19:21,570 And we lose the heart of the relationship. 409 00:19:22,290 --> 00:19:24,180 Our value becomes tied to the output. 410 00:19:24,675 --> 00:19:27,375 Whether in our marriage or our friendship or our faith, we start treating 411 00:19:27,375 --> 00:19:30,195 love like a job rather than a joy. 412 00:19:31,304 --> 00:19:34,304 We think if I just do more, then I'll just be enough. 413 00:19:35,115 --> 00:19:38,804 But God, he's not grading us on our busy schedules and, and our to-do lists. 414 00:19:39,345 --> 00:19:40,845 He's looking for our heart. 415 00:19:41,985 --> 00:19:45,554 Another sign of getting it wrong is we seek validation instead of 416 00:19:45,554 --> 00:19:48,345 resting in God's unconditional love, we try to earn acceptance. 417 00:19:48,975 --> 00:19:53,264 It's human nature to want to get notice, to get praise, to be approved of. 418 00:19:53,490 --> 00:19:57,629 So we keep striving to for it, but this creates a fragile relationship 419 00:19:57,629 --> 00:20:02,220 because the moment we stop performing, we fear will no longer be loved. 420 00:20:03,330 --> 00:20:04,830 But that's not how God's work. 421 00:20:04,889 --> 00:20:08,580 God works, his love is not earned, but it's received. 422 00:20:09,300 --> 00:20:12,629 We can also become distracted. 423 00:20:13,500 --> 00:20:17,970 We're physically present, but mentally we're elsewhere Scrolling on our phone 424 00:20:17,970 --> 00:20:20,665 at the dinner table while our spouse is trying to connect with us or our kids. 425 00:20:21,345 --> 00:20:24,375 Thinking about tomorrow instead of being present today. 426 00:20:25,125 --> 00:20:27,255 I dunno about you guys, but this is where I can struggle the most. 427 00:20:27,255 --> 00:20:31,545 Even in my prayer where man, I, I have trouble sitting still through it. 428 00:20:31,545 --> 00:20:34,725 I just, I gotta rush through it because I have so many things to do and like 429 00:20:34,725 --> 00:20:40,335 Martha, when we're, uh, around Jesus, but not really with him, and we miss sacred 430 00:20:40,335 --> 00:20:42,765 moments because our minds are cluttered. 431 00:20:43,995 --> 00:20:46,155 We can also have duty as a foundation. 432 00:20:46,155 --> 00:20:47,385 That's a sign of doing it wrong. 433 00:20:47,655 --> 00:20:49,305 We start saying, oh, I have to. 434 00:20:50,115 --> 00:20:52,875 I have to serve, I have to call that brother or sister. 435 00:20:52,905 --> 00:20:54,015 I have to show up. 436 00:20:54,495 --> 00:20:58,485 And yes, there is discipline and love, but if we all feel this pressure 437 00:20:58,575 --> 00:21:02,595 and never passion and something's off, when duty becomes the engine of 438 00:21:02,595 --> 00:21:04,515 our relationships, they turn cold. 439 00:21:05,175 --> 00:21:08,805 We don't need less discipline, but we need deeper devotion. 440 00:21:09,675 --> 00:21:13,545 And lastly, when we do it wrong, we can start serving without connection. 441 00:21:14,205 --> 00:21:17,565 We do acts of love, but we neglect the person we're loving Like myself, 442 00:21:17,565 --> 00:21:20,145 this past week or last week, I was doing things for Savannah, 443 00:21:20,145 --> 00:21:21,855 but I wasn't connecting with her. 444 00:21:22,395 --> 00:21:26,295 And I think about maybe we can, uh, fall victim of that as well. 445 00:21:26,295 --> 00:21:28,845 Maybe we're we get up early and we serve here at church. 446 00:21:28,875 --> 00:21:29,145 Amen. 447 00:21:29,145 --> 00:21:32,175 That's great, but maybe you don't connect with the person you're serving with. 448 00:21:33,075 --> 00:21:35,925 You know, when it comes to serving for someone, uh, you 449 00:21:35,925 --> 00:21:37,245 can still be far from them. 450 00:21:37,785 --> 00:21:41,085 You know, the heart of service is always connection. 451 00:21:42,435 --> 00:21:44,685 I dunno about you, but when I was thinking about this, this was 452 00:21:44,685 --> 00:21:47,235 me just thinking, okay, signs of doing it wrong for a relationship. 453 00:21:47,445 --> 00:21:50,055 These are areas where I think about, man, I can fall shorted. 454 00:21:50,595 --> 00:21:53,535 I don't know why, but man, I, I can get very insecure. 455 00:21:53,535 --> 00:21:55,365 I think about, man, there's no hope, Daniel. 456 00:21:55,575 --> 00:21:57,735 You're just gonna be a terrible person for the rest of your life. 457 00:21:57,735 --> 00:21:59,415 You're gonna be a terrible husband. 458 00:22:00,225 --> 00:22:05,835 But what I love about Jesus, what I love about his response to Martha, it wasn't 459 00:22:05,835 --> 00:22:09,435 just correction of like, or a rebuke of like, man, what is wrong with you? 460 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:11,040 Man, get it together. 461 00:22:11,310 --> 00:22:13,620 But he was just like, no, Martha, hey, you're distracted. 462 00:22:14,100 --> 00:22:17,430 He didn't condemn her for her hard work, but instead he gently 463 00:22:17,430 --> 00:22:18,900 pointed her to a better way. 464 00:22:20,010 --> 00:22:22,320 So I thought about, man, what, what do you, what do I think Jesus would 465 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:23,880 point to if I wanted to get it right? 466 00:22:24,450 --> 00:22:28,110 If I wanted get a a right relationship with God and want a right relationship 467 00:22:28,170 --> 00:22:29,055 with anyone else in my life? 468 00:22:29,435 --> 00:22:32,610 If I want a strong relationship, it runs on three things. 469 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:37,920 I think it runs on present, it runs on love, and it runs on a real connection. 470 00:22:38,610 --> 00:22:42,240 Because I, I believe that these are the foundations that make a relationship 471 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,550 not only survive, but thrive. 472 00:22:45,150 --> 00:22:47,460 You know, when I think about prioritizing presence, we live in 473 00:22:47,460 --> 00:22:49,500 a world where it rewards hustle. 474 00:22:49,950 --> 00:22:52,440 You know, doing the gritty, doing all that, getting down dirty. 475 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:57,900 God invites us though to be still in a culture where it says, do more, be more. 476 00:22:58,560 --> 00:22:59,340 Prove yourself. 477 00:22:59,340 --> 00:23:00,420 Jesus is saying, no. 478 00:23:02,415 --> 00:23:03,435 He's looking for us. 479 00:23:03,435 --> 00:23:04,755 He's asking us to be still. 480 00:23:04,755 --> 00:23:08,835 I think about in Luke 10, verse 38, which we just read, is that Mary sat 481 00:23:08,835 --> 00:23:10,755 at the Lord's feet listening to him. 482 00:23:10,755 --> 00:23:16,035 She was being with him, and that's what prioritizing presence looks like. 483 00:23:16,725 --> 00:23:20,565 Not squeezing God into the leftover corners of our day, but really planning 484 00:23:20,565 --> 00:23:23,055 our day centered with God around him. 485 00:23:23,235 --> 00:23:23,745 Rounded. 486 00:23:24,165 --> 00:23:27,585 It's choosing to sit with no agenda, to pray without rushing. 487 00:23:28,170 --> 00:23:31,890 To read scriptures without trying to finish it, but trying to listen. 488 00:23:32,940 --> 00:23:37,200 And in our relationship it means to show up fully when you're out, you know, at 489 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,380 the dinner table, it means putting your phones down, making eye contact with the 490 00:23:40,380 --> 00:23:44,790 person across from you, listening to them showing that you mattered, not just with 491 00:23:44,790 --> 00:23:46,860 words, but with my attention as well. 492 00:23:47,700 --> 00:23:52,800 You know, Jesus was never too busy to stop for one person, so let's really slow down 493 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,910 and try to mirror that by, by being fully present with God and with each other. 494 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,360 With presence, uh, with having a presence. 495 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:02,400 It's not enough if it's not rooted in the right motive, 496 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:03,930 and that's where love comes in. 497 00:24:04,530 --> 00:24:07,230 Everything changes when love becomes the reason. 498 00:24:07,890 --> 00:24:09,090 Think about his greatest commandment. 499 00:24:09,090 --> 00:24:12,960 What we read just earlier, it wasn't, hey, try harder, do more. 500 00:24:13,740 --> 00:24:18,570 It was simply love, love god and love people. 501 00:24:19,350 --> 00:24:20,730 That was the foundation. 502 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,910 You know, if we serve out of guilt, we'll grow bitter. 503 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:26,520 If we give because we feel pressure, then we'll burn out. 504 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,180 If love is our motive, our love for God and each other, 505 00:24:30,330 --> 00:24:31,980 then our faith becomes alive. 506 00:24:32,580 --> 00:24:35,850 I dunno about you guys, but when my foundation is in love, I find 507 00:24:35,850 --> 00:24:37,410 myself to forgive people quicker. 508 00:24:38,250 --> 00:24:40,290 I serve with joy and not resentment. 509 00:24:40,889 --> 00:24:43,139 I don't quit when things get hard. 510 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,230 I care more about the person's heart rather than the appearance. 511 00:24:46,980 --> 00:24:50,010 Love reminds that people matter more than performance. 512 00:24:50,580 --> 00:24:53,940 It's not out of obligation, but out of the overflow of our heart. 513 00:24:54,750 --> 00:24:56,190 God's love is filling us. 514 00:24:56,190 --> 00:24:58,620 Then we spill into others how we treat others. 515 00:24:59,550 --> 00:25:01,320 And then finally, we need more than just love. 516 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:01,890 In theory. 517 00:25:02,250 --> 00:25:04,170 We need a real connection. 518 00:25:04,860 --> 00:25:07,320 This was a huge part of Jesus' rhythm. 519 00:25:08,250 --> 00:25:11,610 He didn't just wake up every morning and says, all right, it's time to baptize. 520 00:25:11,670 --> 00:25:13,470 Time to heal, time to save the loss. 521 00:25:13,475 --> 00:25:14,010 Do all these things. 522 00:25:14,010 --> 00:25:15,810 No, he did do that later on. 523 00:25:15,810 --> 00:25:16,920 But what did he do? 524 00:25:17,580 --> 00:25:20,820 He went to a solitary place to connect with his father. 525 00:25:22,175 --> 00:25:26,985 That was his source and that was his strength, and that's our strength as well. 526 00:25:27,735 --> 00:25:30,225 But here's where we often can get it wrong, this is where I can get it wrong 527 00:25:30,225 --> 00:25:35,115 too, is that we try to do life with, uh, for God, without doing life with God. 528 00:25:35,715 --> 00:25:39,495 We try to love people without being filled by God first. 529 00:25:40,215 --> 00:25:43,665 But when we stay connected, when we, uh, make a space just to be 530 00:25:43,665 --> 00:25:45,675 with him, we stop performing. 531 00:25:46,544 --> 00:25:50,925 We stop pretending we're not out to prove we're living from a place of peace. 532 00:25:51,870 --> 00:25:55,590 You know when we get that real connection, we lead with peace and not pressure. 533 00:25:56,100 --> 00:25:57,990 We offer grace and not guilt. 534 00:25:58,440 --> 00:25:59,700 We're not giving from emptiness. 535 00:25:59,700 --> 00:26:01,470 We're giving from the overflow. 536 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:07,590 So this morning, church, if you're feeling exhausted, I wanted you to consider, maybe 537 00:26:07,590 --> 00:26:09,600 it's not because you're doing too much. 538 00:26:10,170 --> 00:26:13,890 Maybe it could be that you're trying to give without first being fully connected. 539 00:26:14,850 --> 00:26:17,010 And Jesus, he didn't live like that. 540 00:26:17,460 --> 00:26:19,980 He started with God and then he gave to others. 541 00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:21,870 So I really wanna courage. 542 00:26:21,870 --> 00:26:26,130 Let's really follow this rhythm because when we prioritize presence, make love 543 00:26:26,130 --> 00:26:29,790 our foundation, have a real connection, we stop striving and start abiding. 544 00:26:30,390 --> 00:26:34,020 That's when faith becomes alive and that's when we can truly get it right. 545 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:35,790 I mean, just imagine church. 546 00:26:35,790 --> 00:26:39,090 What would it look like if we in our relationships that uh, we 547 00:26:39,090 --> 00:26:42,780 lived out our relationships in the way that Jesus described, not out 548 00:26:42,780 --> 00:26:47,820 of duty bout of love, not out of performance, but out of presence. 549 00:26:48,495 --> 00:26:53,025 Not rushed and distracted, but rooted and intentional, man. 550 00:26:53,415 --> 00:26:55,005 What would that look like for us church? 551 00:26:55,575 --> 00:26:59,925 What would it look like in our families, in our marriages, in our 552 00:26:59,925 --> 00:27:03,555 friendships, in our ministry, if we live from a place like that? 553 00:27:04,365 --> 00:27:07,125 Not just doing relationships but doing them right because we're doing 554 00:27:07,125 --> 00:27:09,045 it with God at the center of it. 555 00:27:09,975 --> 00:27:13,245 That's the kind of relationship God wants us to have, and it's 556 00:27:13,245 --> 00:27:15,315 the kind of relationship he wants us to build with others. 557 00:27:16,155 --> 00:27:20,745 So today, whether you feel like Mary or Mar Martha know this, know that 558 00:27:20,745 --> 00:27:24,945 Jesus is not asking for perfection, but he is longing for your presence. 559 00:27:25,605 --> 00:27:27,045 He's not saying try harder. 560 00:27:27,075 --> 00:27:28,245 He's saying Come closer. 561 00:27:28,815 --> 00:27:33,075 Because the better part, the only that matters is simply being with him. 562 00:27:33,615 --> 00:27:37,545 And as Jesus told Mary, when we be with Jesus, when we choose to be with 563 00:27:37,545 --> 00:27:40,485 God, that can never be taken away. 564 00:27:41,340 --> 00:27:44,280 So, as we close today, I wanna leave us with some, uh, practicals. 565 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,400 Let's get real practical here about doing relationships, right? 566 00:27:47,730 --> 00:27:52,440 Not out of pressure, but from presence and not out of guilt, but out of grace. 567 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,310 You know, first I want us to, let's try to make space for God this week. 568 00:27:57,150 --> 00:28:00,450 You know, uh, maybe it's just five or 10 minutes, maybe you're not in the rhythm. 569 00:28:00,450 --> 00:28:03,060 Try to do five to 10 minutes, try to read a scripture. 570 00:28:03,090 --> 00:28:06,270 I mean, the Bible app does a great job saying a verse right there for you, man. 571 00:28:06,270 --> 00:28:06,930 Try to read that. 572 00:28:06,930 --> 00:28:07,980 Try to meditate on that. 573 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:09,330 Try to pray. 574 00:28:10,815 --> 00:28:14,415 When we choose to center ourselves with God, when we get our relationship 575 00:28:14,415 --> 00:28:18,795 with God, right, man, that means we can truly love and appreciate and it 576 00:28:18,795 --> 00:28:20,415 really affects others in our lives. 577 00:28:21,075 --> 00:28:25,215 Second, let's give to someone your presence and not just your productivity. 578 00:28:25,845 --> 00:28:29,925 Think about someone in your life who needs your attention, not just your help. 579 00:28:30,615 --> 00:28:36,165 Maybe it's your spouse or your kid or your friend, but this week really slow down. 580 00:28:36,645 --> 00:28:37,665 Look them in the eye and listen. 581 00:28:37,665 --> 00:28:38,505 Be present. 582 00:28:39,315 --> 00:28:40,545 Love looks like showing up. 583 00:28:41,355 --> 00:28:45,195 And lastly, this is a hard one here, but love someone who's hard to love. 584 00:28:46,215 --> 00:28:46,515 Jesus. 585 00:28:46,515 --> 00:28:50,175 Didn't say love that person who makes it easy for you or love that 586 00:28:50,175 --> 00:28:51,855 person who you agree with the most. 587 00:28:52,365 --> 00:28:54,225 He said, love your neighbor. 588 00:28:54,825 --> 00:28:57,105 So this week, do something loving for someone that maybe 589 00:28:57,105 --> 00:29:00,885 frustrated you, that maybe annoyed you, that disagreed with you. 590 00:29:01,395 --> 00:29:02,175 Try to talk to 'em. 591 00:29:02,175 --> 00:29:02,895 Try to forgive them. 592 00:29:02,895 --> 00:29:03,555 Pray for them. 593 00:29:03,555 --> 00:29:05,565 Call them, text them, bless them. 594 00:29:05,955 --> 00:29:07,815 'cause that's what love does. 595 00:29:09,225 --> 00:29:12,735 As we take communion together, remember that Jesus didn't just tell us how 596 00:29:12,735 --> 00:29:14,415 to love, but he also showed it. 597 00:29:14,415 --> 00:29:15,675 He backed it up as well. 598 00:29:16,215 --> 00:29:18,525 I mean, he sat at the table with all his disciples, with 599 00:29:18,525 --> 00:29:19,725 those who are gonna betray him. 600 00:29:20,415 --> 00:29:23,055 He washed their feet, he broke bread, and he gave thanks. 601 00:29:23,685 --> 00:29:26,295 And ultimately, he carried the cross for us. 602 00:29:26,835 --> 00:29:30,165 And I think the cross is the clearest picture of what love looks like. 603 00:29:30,945 --> 00:29:34,575 God or Jesus loving all his heart with all his soul, with all his mind so that 604 00:29:34,575 --> 00:29:37,485 we could love him and others the same. 605 00:29:38,415 --> 00:29:41,175 Close out in one John chapter four, verse nine through 11. 606 00:29:41,775 --> 00:29:44,745 Uh, it says, this is how God showed his love among us. 607 00:29:45,075 --> 00:29:48,555 He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. 608 00:29:49,185 --> 00:29:50,025 This is love. 609 00:29:50,535 --> 00:29:54,195 Not that uh, we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as 610 00:29:54,195 --> 00:29:56,295 an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 611 00:29:57,015 --> 00:30:01,215 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also had to love one another 612 00:30:02,025 --> 00:30:04,845 As we take communion together, let's remember that the love. 613 00:30:05,399 --> 00:30:07,740 Not just a command, but it's a gift. 614 00:30:08,370 --> 00:30:13,560 God showed his love by sacrificing his son as an atoning sacrifice for us. 615 00:30:13,830 --> 00:30:18,629 And Jesus in his perfect love laid down his life For us, this is the 616 00:30:18,629 --> 00:30:23,129 love we are called to reflect, not just in words, but in our actions, in 617 00:30:23,129 --> 00:30:25,379 our hearts, and in our relationships. 618 00:30:25,770 --> 00:30:26,370 Amen. 619 00:30:26,820 --> 00:30:29,399 Let's go to God in prayer and then we'll take communion. 620 00:30:33,060 --> 00:30:34,620 Heavenly Father, uh. 621 00:30:35,070 --> 00:30:40,230 Thank you for just your incredible gift, incredible gift of, of your love. 622 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:45,210 As we take this bread and we take this cup, we remember Jesus' body 623 00:30:45,210 --> 00:30:47,550 and His blood being on the cross. 624 00:30:47,790 --> 00:30:52,260 God, we are humbled by his depth of love, a love that reaches 625 00:30:52,260 --> 00:30:54,300 us even in our own brokenness. 626 00:30:55,110 --> 00:30:57,870 And Lord, we ask you to help examine our hearts today. 627 00:30:58,380 --> 00:31:01,800 Not just for what we've done, but for how we've loved. 628 00:31:02,639 --> 00:31:05,639 Help us to love you with all our heart, with all our soul, and with 629 00:31:05,639 --> 00:31:09,090 all our mind, so that way we can love others as you have loved us. 630 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:13,200 Lord, as we take communion, I pray you can draw us closer back to you, 631 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:17,909 back to the relationship you desire for us, and let this moment remind 632 00:31:17,909 --> 00:31:19,919 us that love can hold us together. 633 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:21,570 We thank you for your time. 634 00:31:21,570 --> 00:31:25,440 God, we thank you for your incredible grace, your mercy, and your love, 635 00:31:25,889 --> 00:31:26,879 and your son's name we pray. 636 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:27,450 Amen.