Fix Your Eyes

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 27th Sermon, Day 5

We have covered a lot of ground this week. We have talked about habits, attention, distraction, and the quiet ways technology can shape us without our permission. But it all comes down to this. The world is very good at saying, look over here. Every notification, every trending topic, every algorithm is designed to redirect your gaze. And in the middle of all that noise, Jesus offers something completely different. He says, look to Me.

The writer of Hebrews puts it beautifully. We are called to throw off everything that hinders and to fix our eyes on Jesus. That word fix is intentional. It is not a casual glance. It is a sustained, deliberate focus. It is a choice you make again and again, especially when everything around you is competing for your attention. Guarding your attention is not about being anti-technology or living off the grid. It is about deciding that Jesus deserves the best of your focus, not just whatever is left over after everything else has had its turn. You have made it through five days of honest reflection. That matters. Now carry it forward. Create space. Guard what you give your attention to. And keep fixing your eyes on the One who is always worth looking at. He is not going anywhere. He is right here, and He is glad you are looking.

Bible Verse

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. - Hebrews 12:1

Reflection Question

What would it look like for you to make fixing your eyes on Jesus a daily, intentional practice rather than something that only happens when life slows down?

Quote

Guard your attention, create some space, and fix your eyes upon Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, in a world that constantly pulls my gaze in every direction, help me to keep coming back to You. You are worth my full attention, and I want to give it. Amen.

More Than Just Removing Things

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 27th Sermon, Day 4

Here is something important to understand about change. If all you do is remove something from your life, you will almost certainly go back to it eventually. Willpower alone is not enough. The goal is not just an empty space where a bad habit used to be. The goal is to fill that space with something better.

This is where the spiritual side of this conversation gets really good. When you put down your phone in the morning before reaching for it, what if you picked up Scripture instead? When you feel the pull to scroll during a quiet moment, what if you used that moment to pray? These are not complicated suggestions. They are small redirections that, over time, can genuinely change the way you experience God. If your phone is constantly interrupting your thoughts, it becomes very difficult to have a quiet moment with the God who loves you and who wants to be with you. Stillness is not wasted time. It is sacred space. And God meets us there. The deeper goal in all of this is not a cleaner digital life. It is a closer walk with Jesus. Every habit you build around your attention is either moving you toward Him or pulling you away. That is not meant to create guilt. It is meant to create hope, because it means every small choice matters.

Bible Verse

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. - Hebrews 12:1

Reflection Question

What is one small habit you could build this week that would redirect your attention toward God rather than away from Him?

Quote

If all we do is remove things from our lives, eventually we'll go back to them.

Prayer

Jesus, I do not just want empty space in my life. I want more of You. Help me to replace distraction with something that draws me closer to Your heart. Amen.

Don’t Be Mastered

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 27th Sermon, Day 3

There is a difference between using something and being used by it. Paul wrote with remarkable clarity on this. He said he had the right to do anything, but he refused to be mastered by anything. That is a bold standard. It is also a deeply freeing one. Think about your relationship with your phone or your favorite app. Do you pick it up when you choose to, or does it summon you? Do you scroll because you decided to, or because a notification pulled you in before you even thought about it?

These are not trick questions. They are honest ones. Anything good can become unhealthy when it begins to control us. Social media, news, entertainment, even helpful apps can quietly shift from tools we use to habits that use us. The line between the two is not always obvious, which is why it is worth paying attention. Some practical steps can help. Turning off non-essential notifications is a small change with a real impact. Creating phone-free times during your day gives you back moments that were being taken from you. These are not dramatic gestures. They are small acts of reclaiming your own life. You were not made to be managed by an algorithm. You were made for something far better. And with God's help, you can live like it.

Bible Verse

'I have the right to do anything,' but I will not be mastered by anything. - 1 Corinthians 6:12

Reflection Question

Is there a specific habit or app in your life that has quietly shifted from something you use to something that controls you?

Quote

I can do anything, but I won't be mastered by anything.

Prayer

God, show me where I have given up control without realizing it. Give me the strength and wisdom to reclaim what belongs to You. Amen.

Your Attention’s Not Unlimited

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 27th Sermon, Day 2

You have a lot of things competing for your attention today. Notifications, news, social media, emails, and a hundred other things are all quietly saying the same thing: look here first. Here is something worth sitting with. Your attention is a spiritual resource. It is not infinite. Every hour you have is an hour you will not get back, and what you consistently give your attention to begins to shape who you are becoming.

Jesus made a striking observation about treasure and the heart. He said where your treasure is, your heart will follow. That principle does not stop at money. It extends to time, energy, and yes, attention. What you keep returning to is quietly forming you, whether you realize it or not. Algorithms are not neutral. They are designed by very smart people to keep you engaged as long as possible. That is not a conspiracy. It is just business. But it means that if you are not making intentional choices about your attention, something else is making those choices for you. The good news is that awareness is the beginning of change. You do not have to overhaul your entire life today. Start by simply noticing. Notice when you reach for your phone. Notice what you are feeling in that moment. That small act of awareness is the first step toward living with greater intention.

Bible Verse

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21

Reflection Question

If someone could see exactly where your attention goes throughout a typical day, what would they conclude about what matters most to you?

Quote

Your attention is a spiritual resource.

Prayer

Father, open my eyes to the patterns I have not noticed. Help me to see my attention as something valuable and worth protecting. Amen.

What’s In Your Hands?

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

September 27th Sermon, Day 1

Think about the last time you picked up your phone without really meaning to. Maybe you were waiting in line, sitting at a red light, or lying in bed before falling asleep. It happens fast, almost without thinking. And that is exactly the point. Distraction is not a new problem.

Long before smartphones existed, the Apostle Paul was already addressing the human tendency to pursue things that are available without asking whether they are actually good for us. Writing to the church in Corinth, he said it plainly: not everything permissible is beneficial. Not everything available is constructive.

Technology is not the enemy here. The real question runs deeper than what is in your hand. It is about what is happening in your heart because of how you are using it. Are your habits drawing you closer to God and the people around you? Or are they quietly pulling you somewhere else? This week, we are going to explore what it looks like to take our attention seriously as a spiritual resource. You do not have to throw your phone in a lake. But you do have an invitation to pause, look honestly at your habits, and ask God to help you live with greater intention. You are not alone in this. God is not frustrated with you. He is for you, and He wants to help you find your way back to what matters most.

Bible Verse

'I have the right to do anything,' you say, but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything,' but not everything is constructive. - 1 Corinthians 10:23

Reflection Question

When you reach for your phone out of habit, what need are you trying to meet in that moment?

Quote

The problem's not necessarily what's in our hands. The bigger question is what's happening in our hearts because of what's in our hands.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see my habits honestly and without shame. Give me the courage to ask the harder questions about where my attention is going and why. Amen.