Choose to Live with Eternity in Mind - Pastor Sal Roggio 5/17/26

Devotional

Day 1: Sands Through Open Hands

David stares at his weathered palms in Psalm 39, asking God to reveal life’s brevity. The psalmist compares human days to handbreadths, lifetimes to fleeting breaths. He watches harvests come and go, generations rise and fall, yet his own days feel like shifting desert sands. [02:49]

This raw prayer matters because it confronts our mortality addiction. We build sandcastles of career plans, retirement accounts, and bucket lists while eternity’s tide approaches. Jesus told parables about rich fools and barn builders to break this trance.

How many sunrises have you wasted on temporary things? Pull out your phone’s calculator: multiply your age by 365. Write that number down. What would change if you woke tomorrow with only 10% of those days remaining?

“O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”
(Psalm 39:4, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to show you one relationship or habit draining eternal significance from your days.
Challenge: Calculate your current age in days (years × 365) and write it where you’ll see it daily.

Day 2: Rocks Before Gravel

The professor stuffs fist-sized rocks into a jar until students declare it full. Then he adds gravel, sand, and water—all fitting through the gaps. “Reverse the order,” he warns, “and the big rocks never get in.” The class learns: eternal priorities demand first placement. [11:21]

Jesus modeled this when He withdrew to pray before healing crowds. Scripture became His sustaining rock, not an afterthought. Like Job who treasured God’s words more than food, we must anchor days in what outlasts us.

Where does Bible reading land in your daily jar? Before social media scrolls or after streaming binges? Try this: place your physical Bible on your breakfast table tomorrow. Can you taste two chapters before tasting coffee?

“I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”
(Job 23:12, ESV)

Prayer: Confess times you’ve treated Scripture like optional gravel. Ask for hunger surpassing physical cravings.
Challenge: Read one Old Testament and one New Testament chapter before your next meal.

Day 3: The “Then Some” Life

A businessman credits his success to three words: “and then some.” He did required duties, then exceeded expectations. Paul echoes this in Ephesians 5:15-17—walk wisely by redeeming time, understanding God’s will through intentional obedience. [06:30]

Christ didn’t just die for sins; He rose to intercede. He didn’t just feed 5,000; He stayed to teach. His “then some” was sacrificial love beyond duty. Our extra mile might look like forgiving when fair, giving when comfortable, or serving when tired.

What routine obligation could you transform today with Christlike excess? A rushed grocery trip becoming a checkout-line encouragement? A perfunctory email infused with genuine care?

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
(Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three “extra mile” people who shaped your faith. Name them aloud.
Challenge: Add 15 minutes of intentional kindness to a routine task today.

Day 4: Mattress Gratitude

The pastor lies awake, marveling at his thick mattress and 55-year marriage. He whispers midnight thanks while others curse insomnia. Paul commands this in Ephesians 5:20—perpetual gratitude for everything, from spouses to daily bread. [17:32]

Jesus thanked the Father for five loaves before multiplying them. He thanked God for hearing Him before raising Lazarus. Gratitude isn’t a reaction to blessings but a lens for seeing all life as gift. Even sandpaper people and thorny trials train us for eternity.

What ordinary gift have you stopped noticing? Your car’s working engine? A friend’s predictable laugh? The Bible app on your phone?

“Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Ephesians 5:20, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three “invisible” blessings you’ve taken for granted this week.
Challenge: Text/Call three people who’ve shown you Christlike love—name specific ways they helped you.

Day 5: Straight Ahead Gaze

Solomon urges fixed forward focus in Proverbs 4:25—no swerving toward distractions or temptations. The pastor quotes Nobel, who rewrote his legacy after reading his premature obituary. Both men chose purposeful paths over reactive drifting. [24:28]

Jesus set His face like flint toward Jerusalem, resolute in His mission. His “straight gaze” freed Zacchaeus from greed, Matthew from corruption, and Peter from shame. Eternal living requires course corrections: deleting apps, ending toxic patterns, scheduling margin.

What path deviation most threatens your forward focus? A resentment you rehearse? A compromise you excuse? A distraction you indulge?

“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.”
(Proverbs 4:25-26, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one bend in your road where you’ve veered from eternal priorities.
Challenge: Delete 30 minutes of media consumption today to journal about your desired spiritual legacy.

Sermon Summary

Graduation season sets the frame, but the call to live with eternity in mind carries the weight. A simple poem says it straight, Go with God, stand firm, be strong, because his hand steadies the steps. A. W. Tozer’s word about the long tomorrow sets the tone. The doctrine of living with eternity in view begins by counting time honestly. Psalm 39 asks God to teach a person how fleeting life is, and Psalm 90 tells a person to number days so the heart gets wisdom. A novelty clock may guess a death date, but truth says only this is certain: life is short, death is sure, and dying without a Savior is the greatest mistake. Matthew Henry’s line presses the point: the business of every day is to prepare for the last day.

Ephesians 5 then tells a person to be wise in how to walk, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. A picture helps. The Lord votes for a person, the devil votes against, and the person’s vote breaks the tie. The decision is not to wait for an opening but to make one, and to live “and then some,” going the extra mile in faithfulness. The urgent must not shove out the important. The jar with big rocks, gravel, sand, and water makes the point. If the big rocks do not go in first, they will never go in. Job 23 gives one big rock: treasure God’s word more than food. A simple practice, no Bible, no food, turns two chapters a day into a long obedience that actually adds up. Only one life will soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will last.

Ephesians 5:17–18 then centers a person on God’s will. The Spirit fills, the flesh fights, and the so-called harmless weekends carry a price that does not stay in Vegas. First Peter 2 calls for honorable conduct so that slander gives way to God’s glory. The great commandments pull love for God and the neighbor into one life. Acts 20 reminds that work and blessing are for helping the weak, because it is more blessed to give than receive. Ephesians 5 forms a grateful people who sing and give thanks always for everything, even for a thick mattress and a faithful spouse. Matthew 9 shows a harassed crowd and a compassionate Christ, and the harvest needs laborers who welcome, pray, and step toward people. Romans 13 sounds the alarm. Salvation is nearer now, so throw off the dark and put on the armor of light. Time choices bind in eternity, as Alfred Nobel learned when he rewrote his legacy. Proverbs 4 fixes the gaze straight ahead. Analyze time, spend it wisely, center on God’s will, and a life is ready to meet the Lord.

Key Takeaways

1. Number your days with wisdom [02:49] The heart grows wise when time is faced honestly and finitude is not dodged. Scripture trains a person to sit with brevity, not to be morbid, but to live clear-eyed about what truly matters. The greatest loss is to meet eternity without Christ, and the next is to drift through years as if they were endless. Wisdom comes when the last day shapes this day. [02:49]
2. Put the big rocks in first [10:56] The important must go on the calendar before the urgent fills every crack. A life ordered by God’s priorities turns habits into harvests, like treasuring Scripture more than food. Small, steady practices cut channels for grace, and over time they quietly build a sturdy soul. [10:56]
3. Choose “and then some” faithfulness [07:17] Going a step past obligation forms a character that is ready for eternity. The tie-breaking vote is made in daily decisions to make an opening, to serve, to keep showing up. Such extra-mile obedience is not flashy, but it bears the weight of a life that counts. [07:17]
4. Center life on God’s will [14:44] The Spirit-filled life refuses cheap thrills that scar the soul and instead pursues a clean, steady testimony. Honorable conduct turns accusations into opportunities for God’s glory. Holiness here is not dour; it is a bright, glad yes to the better portion. [14:44]
5. Let gratitude fuel generosity and witness [17:32] Thankfulness notices ordinary mercies and loosens the grip on self. Gifted people become giving people, meeting practical needs and opening doors for the gospel in crisis moments. Simple kindness sticks to memory and often becomes the path by which grace walks into another life. [17:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Graduation season and eternity
[01:48] - Think of the long tomorrow
[02:49] - Number your days wisely
[03:47] - The death clock illustration
[06:30] - Make the best use of time
[07:17] - The and then some mindset
[09:46] - Big rocks before the sand
[11:21] - No Bible, no food habit
[14:44] - Center life on God’s will
[16:38] - Generosity and gratitude in practice
[19:37] - Pray for laborers and welcome
[21:58] - Salvation nearer and armor of light
[23:14] - Alfred Nobel and a new legacy
[25:13] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Psalm 90:12 (ESV): "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
- Ephesians 5:15–18 (ESV): "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit."
- Romans 13:11–12 (ESV): "Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light."

Observation Questions

What does Psalm 90:12 mean by "number your days," and how does this relate to gaining wisdom?
According to Ephesians 5:15–18, what two contrasting ways of living are presented, and what practical instruction is given for using time wisely?
The sermon mentions a jar filled with rocks, gravel, sand, and water. What does this illustration teach about prioritizing what matters most? [10:56]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul contrast being "filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18) with drunkenness? How does this contrast shape our daily choices?
Romans 13:11–12 urges believers to "wake from sleep" and "cast off the works of darkness." What specific "works of darkness" might people struggle to let go of today, and why?
The "and then some" mindset [07:17] encourages going beyond basic obligations. How does this principle align with Jesus’ teaching about the "extra mile" in Matthew 5:41?

Application Questions

What is one "big rock" (e.g., prayer, Scripture, serving others) you need to prioritize this week that often gets crowded out by smaller, urgent tasks? How will you ensure it comes first? [10:56]
The "no Bible, no food" habit [11:21] is one way to treasure God’s Word. What practical step could you take to make Scripture a non-negotiable part of your daily routine?
Think of a recent crisis or need someone around you faced. How could you intentionally "go the extra mile" to help them this week, even in a small way? [21:20]
Gratitude fuels generosity. What ordinary blessing (e.g., a relationship, provision, health) can you intentionally thank God for today, and how might that thankfulness lead to an act of kindness? [17:32]
If you were to rewrite your legacy today like Alfred Nobel [23:14], what specific change would you make to ensure your life reflects eternal priorities?

Sermon Clips

Will you choose godliness over worldliness? Are you trying to keep up with the Joneses or run with Jesus? Don't let the urgent take the place of the important in your life. It's not urgent that I study my bible, pray, give, or go to church. But urgent and important are so easily mixed up. An expert on the subject of time management was speaking to a group of business students to drive home a point. [00:08:39] (31 seconds)

Reality is, regardless of how much time you think you have, life is short and eternity is long, and the biggest mistake you could make is to die without a savior. The second biggest mistake you can make is to fail to live with eternity in mind by realizing life on earth is limited in length. But if you get that down, you will be wise in the way you spend your life. [00:05:30] (31 seconds)

Someone said life is sort of like this. The Lord, he's always voting for a man. The devil, he's always voting against him. And then, the man himself votes, and that breaks the tie. Decide in your heart how you're going to live. Take a lesson from the mosquito. He never waits for an opening, he makes one. Decide in your heart. To live a life that matters for eternity, you must step up and step out. [00:06:36] (36 seconds)

Top people did what was expected of them and then some. They were thoughtful of others, and they were considerate and kind, and then some. They met their obligations and responsibility fairly and squarely, and then some. They were good friends to their friends, and then some. They could be counted on in an emergency, and then some. God encouraged each of us to earn our living to the best of our ability, to use our energies wisely, and to share Jesus Christ faithfully, and then some. [00:07:43] (40 seconds)

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Choose to Live with Eternity in Mind - Pastor Sal Roggio 5/17/26

Devotional

Day 1: Sands Through Open Hands

Day 2: Rocks Before Gravel

Day 3: The “Then Some” Life

Day 4: Mattress Gratitude

Day 5: Straight Ahead Gaze

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Choose to Live with Eternity in Mind - Pastor Sal Roggio 5/17/26

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