Attentional Cultivation | JoyFull | April 19, 2026

These two passages, Romans eight and Galatians five, they combine to tell us something very important. Your focus determines your fruit. We're only able to walk by the spirit, as Paul instructs in Galatians five, when we have our minds set on the spirit, as he says in Romans eight. And when we walk by the spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh, which raises a crucial question for us this morning. What has your attention? [00:58:24] (34 seconds)  #FocusDeterminesFruit

But notice how Jesus navigates this moment. He knows what's ahead of him, and he even knows exactly how it all is gonna end. And yet, he allows himself to feel what he's feeling. And he even acknowledges to his friends that he's overwhelmed by the sorrow. Now, those are strong emotions, which shows us that not only is it okay when our circumstances cause us confusion and frustration and pain and grief, it's normal. It's human. [00:45:53] (32 seconds)  #EmotionsAreHuman

But when we're praising him simply for earthly blessings, the happiness we feel in those moments has shallow roots, roots that are anchored in transient things. And when those transient things fade away, when you bomb the next test or project at work, when a friend rejects you, when a loved one wounds you. The happiness you had been feeling fades with it. And so does your ability to praise God in your new earthly reality because what you had been experiencing wasn't the joy of the Lord, but the pleasure of your circumstances. It was a counterfeit. [00:54:45] (38 seconds)  #BewareCounterfeitJoy

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. Those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit. When we set our minds on the flesh, we can't help but to gratify the desires of the flesh. And that way of living is death. But when we set our minds on the spirit, love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, joy. The spirit gives us his fruit when we give him our focus. [01:00:21] (37 seconds)  #MindsetYieldsSpiritualFruit

Jesus is not being flippant or dismissive here. Remember, moments later, he would admit to those same disciples that he was overwhelmed with sorrow. And he's not looking at the hard things in your life and saying, Yeah, that kind of stinks, but, hey, I got it. It's all good. Don't worry about it. No. In this world, you will have trouble. Period. That's the end of that sentence. Feel it. Acknowledge it. Accept it. Don't push past it. It's our earthly reality, so pour it out to him. But I have overcome the world, so take heart. [00:48:56] (46 seconds)  #FeelItAcknowledgeIt

David is honest about what he's feeling, but rather than remaining fixated on his troublesome earthly realities, he shifts his focus to heavenly realities by praising God and reaffirming his trust in him. And instead of dwelling in his difficulties in the garden, Jesus chooses to dwell in the presence of the father. By doing that, he holds the tension between his earthly reality and the heavenly reality simultaneously. Life is hard, but God is good. [00:48:05] (33 seconds)  #PraiseAndHeavenlyFocus

And Jesus does that here as well, admitting to God that he's so overwhelmed with sorrow that he wants to be spared from what's coming. But look at what Jesus does next. He turns his focus to the father. Yet not as I will, but as you will. Not to dismiss his feelings or to pull himself up by his bootstrap well, his sandal straps, but to intentionally align his attention on something greater, on that which is excellent, on the only one who's worthy of his praise. [00:47:01] (36 seconds)  #NotMyWillButYours

Now, sometimes I can skip right past a sentence or a verse in scripture that should stop me in my tracks. And this is one of those verses. The same love that the father has for his son is the love that Jesus has for you and for me. That's incredible. And then he says, now remain in my love. How? Well, if you keep my commands, you'll remain in my love just as I have kept my father's commands and remain in his love. [00:51:49] (34 seconds)  #RemainInMyLove