TODAY

“Today” – Blake Hanson
6/14/2020

John 4.27-38 (NLT)

Big Idea: God gives us moments to make moments matter.

We make today’s moments matter by…

1. Engaging with . (John 4:26; Ephesians 4:32)
2. Encouraging . (John 4:27)
3. Clarifying what is . (John 4:28-30)

• “Now, faith is the gaze of the heart at God, and if this gaze is but the raising of the inward eyes to meet the all-seeing eyes of God, then it follows that it is one of the easiest things possible to do. It would be like god to make the most vital thing easy and place it within the range of possibility for the weakest and poorest of us.” – A.W. Tozer

1. Embracing the . (John 4:31-34; Philippians 1:27-30)
2. Enjoying the . (John 43;5-38; Psalm 47:1)

Discussion Guide

Talk about it…

• Reflect on an experience where someone took the time to connect with you and how that person made your day better. How can you enhance someone’s life this week? 
• The author of the book The Turquoise Table, Kristin Schell, says, “With no margin in our lives, the idea of being present seems out of reach.” What advice might you give a friend who says “Being present without distractions isn’t possible these days.”?
• We all have distractions; what do you suppose is your primary distraction? Is that that “distraction” in alignment with your values?
• If you could do one thing to be more present in the moment this week, what do you suppose it would be?

Pray about it…

• Dear God, I spend so much time reliving yesterday or anticipating tomorrow that I lose sight of the only time that is really mine, the present moment. You give today one moment at a time.
  That’s all I have, all I ever will have. Please give me the faith which knows that each moment contains exactly what is best for me. Please give me the hope which trusts You enough to forget past failings and future trials. Please give me the love which makes each moment an anticipation of eternity with You. I ask this in the name of Jesus.

  Amen.

Act on it…

• Today, be conscious of how often you miss connecting with others because you’re interacting with your phone. Imagine putting our phones down so we can enjoy a moment with someone nearby. People don’t need the light of our devices to shine on them. What they need to see is the light of Jesus shining through us. Light is a beautiful thing when it shines in dark places. Our world, your family, our church needs your light to shine now more than ever!  
• Reading Plan: Being “present” in the midst of life’s hustle isn’t an easy task. For the next 10 days, we’ll be learning from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. Part of His sermon focuses on being present (and that was before social media and technology distractions:). I hope you’ll join us!
• Memorize: Matthew 6:34 (NLT) “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
  • Invite someone to join you for church online next week. Here are some tools to help