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Welcome everyone. I’m really glad you’re here today – in the room and online.

We are in week three of a series called Well Spent.

The idea behind this series is simple but powerful.

Every day we are spending something.

We spend
our money
our time
our energy

The question is not if you’re spending your life.

The question is how you’re spending it.

We have a Toolkit and 30 challenge to help you reset your money, time, and energy.
Download it. Use it. Share it.

What you invest in shapes who you become.

In week one we talked about money.

Today we are talking about something even more valuable than money.
Because money can be earned again.
But time cannot.

So today’s message is called

Spend Your Time on What Lasts.

And I want to begin with something I have had to admit in my own life.

There have been seasons in my life where I was incredibly busy.

Running from one thing to the next.

And here is the uncomfortable truth.

Most of the things I was doing were good things.
Important things. Church things.
But I started noticing something.
Even though I was busy doing good things…
Sometimes I was missing the best things.
Moments with my family.
Time with Jesus.
Meaningful conversations.
Quiet moments where my soul could breathe.
And I had to face a truth that I didn’t want to admit.

BIG IDEA: Busy isn’t the same as meaningful.

You can fill your life with activity and still miss what matters most.

We know what this is like right? 

The Age of Constant Distraction

We live in what could honestly be called the age of constant distraction.

The average person checks their phone 96 times a day.
(https://www.asurion.com/press-releases/americans-check-their-phones-96-times-a-day/)

that means:

Over a lifetime, that can easily become millions of interruptions.

Now combine that with another reality.

The average American spends around 7 hours of screen time every day. (https://www.magnetaba.com/blog/average-screen-time-statistics) 

That means nearly half of our waking life can disappear into screens.

Harvard researchers discovered that 47% of our waking hours are spent thinking about something other than what we are doing.
(https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101111141759.htm) 

Almost half of life… we are mentally somewhere else.

Distracted. Fragmented. Pulled in multiple directions.

We are busy.

But here is the deeper question.

If we are so busy… why do so many people still feel like their life lacks meaning?

Maybe the issue is not that we are busy.

Maybe the issue is what we are busy with.

And Jesus speaks directly into this.

Luke chapter 10 tells the story of two sisters.

Mary and Martha.

Jesus comes to their home.

Martha immediately begins preparing the house.

Cooking. Serving.Getting everything ready.

Luke says this.

Luke 10:40 (NIV) But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.

Notice what the Bible does not say.

It does not say Martha was sinning.
It says she was distracted.
She was doing good things. Important things.
But Martha becomes frustrated.

And she says to Jesus,

Luke 10:40 (NIV) “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Notice something here.

Martha’s concern was not that she was too busy.
Her concern was that Mary was not busy like she was.
Martha did not think she needed to slow down.
She thought Mary needed to speed up.

That sounds familiar.

Sometimes when we feel overwhelmed we don’t question our pace.
We question why other people aren’t keeping up.
But Jesus answers Martha with incredible tenderness.

Luke 10:41 (NIV)“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things…

And then Jesus says something that might be one of the most important statements about priorities in the entire Bible.

Luke 10:42 “Few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Let’s pause right here.

Because this is where the message lands.
Jesus says Few things are needed. Indeed only one
So here is the honest question.

Do I believe Jesus?
Because if I believe Jesus…my life should  reflect what He says.

Look at your calendar.
Look at your habits.
Look at how you spend your time.
Does my life look like few things are needed?
Or does my life look like everything is needed?

Few things are needed.

Indeed only one.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING?

So what is the one thing?

At its core, it is this – Being with Jesus.
Mary sat at His feet.
She listened.
She was present.
She chose relationship over activity.

But this truth expands beyond quiet prayer moments.

Because when you are truly with Jesus,
you begin to value what Jesus values.
You begin to love who Jesus loves.
You begin to prioritize what actually matters.

And what matters most in life has never been activity.

It has always been relationship.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING?

Because at the end of your life, you will not wish you answered more emails.

You will not wish you attended more meetings.

You will not wish you checked your phone more often.

You will wish you spent more time with Jesus and with the people you love.

Few things are needed.

Indeed only one.

Choose the better thing.

So how do you actually live this out?
Let me give you three practical ways to start choosing the better thing.

Before your phone.
Before social media.
Before the chaos begins.

Spend the first ten minutes of your day with Jesus.

Scripture.

Prayer.

Quiet.

Center your heart before the world starts pulling at you.

Research shows that couples who share spiritual habits like prayer and Scripture together report stronger marriages and higher relationship satisfaction.

People who regularly engage Scripture also report greater peace and resilience in stressful seasons.

When you invest time in what matters most, your life begins to reflect that investment.

I challenge you to spend the first 10 with Jesus every day this week.

Schedule one protected hour every week.

One hour where you intentionally invest in what matters most.

A meaningful conversation.

Prayer.
Family connection.
Encouraging someone.
Community.

This is why things like Connect Groups matter.

Because life transformation rarely happens in crowds.

It happens in relationships.
Mary chose the better part.
She slowed down.
She sat down.
She paid attention to Jesus.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is simply slow down long enough to be present.

If something matters, protect it.
Build a boundary around it.
Protect your time with God.
Protect your family.
Protect worship.
Protect your church community.

Something always comes up that makes it easy to skip Church and family time. 

You must build a boundary around what matters most. 

“Few things are needed. Indeed only one.”

Are you ready to live differently?
Are you ready to live simply?

CALL TO ACTION

I want to give you three invitations.

Maybe today you realize you have been running after many things.

Busy.
Distracted.
Fragmented.
And today Jesus is inviting you back to the better part.
Back to His presence.
Back to sitting at His feet again.

Maybe the change you need is relational.
Maybe it is time to pray with your spouse.
Read Scripture with your family.
Start spiritual conversations again.
Invest in the relationships that matter most.
Spend time on what matters with the people who matter.

Maybe today you need to draw a line around what matters.

Around worship.
Around time with Jesus.
Around the people you love.

Few things are needed.

Indeed only one.

Choose the better thing.

As our music team begins to play, this is a moment to respond.

One thing matters right now. Choose it!