In a world that celebrates hustle, Mary shows a different way—she sits close and listens. You may feel the pull of tasks, expectations, and the good things that need to be done, yet Jesus invites you to choose what is best. When time feels tight, the first thing we often drop is time with the Lord, but that only deepens our thirst. Draw near, slow down, and let His words steady your heart. Listening is not laziness; it is love that fuels all faithful action. [46:38]
Luke 10:38-42 — As Jesus traveled, He was welcomed into Martha’s home. Mary sat at His feet, taking in His teaching, while Martha was pulled in every direction by preparations. Frustrated, Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to help. Jesus gently replied that she was anxious about many things, but only one thing was truly necessary. Mary had chosen the better portion, and it would not be taken from her.
Reflection: Where, specifically, will you place fifteen protected minutes this week to sit with Jesus, and what will you say no to in order to guard it?
Service is beautiful, but it is not a substitute for communion. Full calendars can hide starving souls, and activity can masquerade as intimacy. You are called to sit and serve, in that order, so your serving flows from a full heart. You cannot pour water you haven’t received. Let love for Jesus, born in quiet with Him, shape every task you undertake. [55:37]
Luke 10:40-41 — Martha was pulled away by many preparations and came to Jesus, upset that she was working while Mary sat. Jesus answered that she was agitated and worried about many things. The few things that truly matter—and especially the one that matters most—were being chosen by Mary.
Reflection: What one good-but-distracting commitment will you set aside this week, and which spiritual practice will replace it in that same time slot?
The gospel frees you from the exhausting race to earn God’s smile. In Christ, you serve from a place of acceptance, not to achieve it. When approval is already given, obedience feels like freedom instead of fear. Let your identity rest in the finished work of Jesus so your work becomes worship, not a wage you’re trying to earn. This is the difference between bondage and joy. [01:00:15]
Ephesians 2:8-10 — You are rescued by God’s grace through trusting Him; this is not your doing or your achievement—it is a gift. Your standing with God is not earned by works, so no one can boast. You are God’s handiwork, remade in Christ Jesus for good works that He planned ahead of time for you to walk in.
Reflection: Where have you been trying to “be good enough” for God lately, and what simple prayer and reminder could you practice daily to rest in His finished approval?
Anxiety, fatigue, and sleepless nights often push us to do more, yet busyness is not the same as faithfulness. Jesus invites you to come to Him, learn His heart, and find rest for your soul. His way is gentle, His burden fits, and His strength carries what yours cannot. Rest is not escape; it is dependence on the One who loves you. Let enjoyment of His presence become the quiet engine of your days. [01:01:52]
Matthew 11:28-30 — All who are worn out and weighed down are invited to come to Jesus for real rest. Take on His way of life and learn His heart, which is humble and kind. There you will discover rest deep within, because His yoke is good and His burden is light.
Reflection: Looking at your evening routine, what one practical change will you make tonight to create space to receive Christ’s rest before sleep?
Resolutions need rhythms, and the heart needs a plan. Commit to regularly engaging Scripture—the “power of four” can reshape desires, strengthen courage, and quiet bitterness. Identify one distraction and swap it for a simple practice like prayer, Scripture meditation, or fasting. If you are married, guard daily space for your spouse to meet with the Lord. Small, faithful steps open a wide road to becoming more like Christ. [01:09:23]
Psalm 119:105 — Your word is the lamp that shows my next step and the light that makes my path clear.
Reflection: What is your exact plan to be in the Word at least four days this week—what time, where, and with what reading plan—and who will you tell for gentle accountability?
Life with Jesus is not built on clever tactics but on choosing what is better. Luke 10:38–42 sets two faithful disciples side by side—Martha, active and overwhelmed, and Mary, settled and attentive—and exposes a pattern many carry into a new year: full calendars and starving souls. The call is to build a spiritual strategy that forms Christlikeness, not merely a list of religious tasks. Four steps shape that strategy.
First, listen to the Lord. Mary’s posture at Jesus’ feet reveals the priority: presence before productivity. Daily Scripture is not optional fuel; it is light for the path and lamp for the feet. Regular, engaged Bible intake deepens communion with God and reorders desires, not only trimming compromise but increasing joy, patience, and resilience. It is not a box to check; it is the place where the heart is warmed to God’s voice and will.
Second, do not mistake distraction for devotion. Serving is commanded; substituting serving for sitting is not. Good things—ministry, hospitality, even helpful systems—can crowd out the best thing: unhurried time with Christ. The test is simple: if we are pouring out faster than we’re being filled, we will confuse activity with faithfulness and call our distraction “devotion.” Presence must govern practice.
Third, serve from God’s approval, not for it. Performance spirituality exhausts; grace-driven identity frees. In Christ, acceptance is settled—secured by his perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection. Ephesians 2 insists salvation is a gift, and our good works flow from it, not toward it. Serving from approval produces joy and steadiness; serving for approval breeds anxiety and pride.
Fourth, find rest in the Lord. Busyness is not faithfulness. Jesus offers an easy yoke and light burden to those who come, commune, and trust. Real rest is relational: praying, depending, and enjoying the One who carries what we cannot. And for those outside of Christ, rest begins at the cross, where the perfectly just and perfectly loving King bore the lashes we deserved, so that by faith we might be forgiven, welcomed, and made new. Therefore, take concrete steps now: open James today, replace one distraction with a spiritual discipline, renounce approval-chasing, and, if needed, come to Christ in repentance and faith.
The truth is for you, you cannot rest in the Lord if you do not have a relationship with the Lord. You cannot rest in the Lord if you do not have a relationship with the Lord. And if you do not have a relationship with the Lord, listen, I love you. I love you. The bible says that you are dead in your trespasses and sins. The bible says that you need to repent and believe on Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
[01:02:36]
(25 seconds)
And so this morning friends, I do worry for us. I worry that going into the new year, some of us will have full calendars, but starving souls. I worry that some of us, all of our calendars and our plans and our to do list, they will be full, but our souls will be starving. And so let's not distract. Let's not mistake distraction for devotion to the Lord.
[00:55:37]
(34 seconds)
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Dec 29, 2025. Do you have any questions about it?
Add this chatbot onto your site with the embed code below
<iframe frameborder="0" src="https://pastors.ai/sermonWidget/sermon/mary-not-martha-2026" width="100%" height="100%" style="height:100vh;"></iframe>Copy