Sorry, not Sorry!

Oct 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Reserved Seat at the Rabbi’s Feet

A woman kneels where culture says she doesn’t belong. Mary’s act of sitting at Jesus’ feet wasn’t passive—it was a bold claim to discipleship. In a world where seats of honor are earned through status, effort, or credentials, Jesus dismantles the reserved sign. The chair at his feet isn’t for the qualified but the willing. To sit there is to declare that proximity to Christ matters more than productivity. This seat—the disciple’s portion—cannot be taken, only received. [54:22]

“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.’ But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42, NLT)

Reflection: What invisible “reserved” sign have you believed disqualifies you from sitting at Jesus’ feet? How might you claim that seat today without apology?

Day 2: Resisting the Hustle That Drags Us in Circles

Martha wasn’t rebuked for serving but for letting service fracture her soul. Hustle culture—whether in ancient kitchens or modern cities—convinces us that worth is tied to motion. Yet Jesus names the cost: being “dragged around” by good things until resentment replaces joy. The antidote isn’t inactivity but recentering. Discipleship begins not in the chaos of doing but the clarity of being with the One who defines our purpose. [58:55]

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” (Psalm 46:10, NLT)

Reflection: Where does your life feel like a frantic “walking culture” pace? What would it look like to let one task or expectation wait while you practice stillness?

Day 3: When Good Work Pulls Us from the Better Portion

Martha’s distraction wasn’t sin—it was ministry. Serving Jesus had eclipsed sitting with Jesus. The tragedy isn’t bad priorities but good ones displacing the best. Like a chef overloading a menu, we add courses to God’s simple feast until we forget the meal’s point. Jesus redirects: the “one thing” isn’t a task list but a Person. Our portion isn’t earned; it’s received by those who stop proving and start listening. [59:44]

“Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.” (Psalm 16:5, NLT)

Reflection: What “good work” in your life risks becoming a substitute for intimacy with Christ? How might you recenter your serving as an overflow of sitting?

Day 4: The Unapologetic Claiming of Our Seat

Mary didn’t negotiate her place—she took it. Jesus’ validation wasn’t a gentle suggestion but a kingdom declaration: the disciple’s seat is nonnegotiable. Cultural expectations, religious guilt, and internalized shame lose their power here. The chair isn’t a reward for the disciplined but a gift for the desperate. To say “sorry, not sorry” is to trust that Christ’s invitation outweighs every competing demand. [01:04:28]

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)

Reflection: What apology have you been rehearsing (to others or yourself) for prioritizing time with Jesus? How might you “take” your seat today without justification?

Day 5: Five Minutes at the Feet That Change Everything

Discipleship starts small: five minutes of intentional presence. Like Mary, we’re not asked to ascend spiritual mountains but to sit in ordinary surrender. The goal isn’t perfection but proximity. Those minutes become the hinge between spectator faith and transformative apprenticeship. In the economy of grace, small offerings—a widow’s coins, a child’s loaves, a tax collector’s repentance—are where Jesus does his deepest work. [01:16:06]

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” (James 4:8, NLT)

Reflection: What practical step (even five minutes) could you take this week to shift from consuming faith to claiming your seat as a disciple?

Sermon Summary

Luke places Martha and Mary in a home where Jesus is welcomed, where hospitality is costly, and where the work of hosting a respected rabbi carries real cultural weight. Martha is not the villain. Her bread, water, table, and attention to detail are good things. Yet Martha becomes distracted, dragged around in circles by much serving, until good work for Jesus becomes disconnected from being with Jesus.

Mary sits at Jesus’ feet while the kitchen is still loud with expectations. Her seat is not a soft, passive picture. Her seat is an act of resistance. The place at a rabbi’s feet carried a massive reserved sign, set aside for male scholars, religious elites, and those expected to learn and lead. Mary sees the reserved chair and takes it.

Martha’s frustration exposes what happens when service loses its root. Her cry, “Lord, do you not care?” echoes the disciples’ fear in the storm, because unrooted and frantic service can make a quiet room feel like a life-threatening storm. Her activity produces loneliness, comparison, blame, resentment, and eventually the belief that Jesus must take her side against the person she is called to love.

Jesus answers Martha with gentleness: “Martha, Martha.” His words separate the work from the agitated heart carrying it. Jesus does not condemn service, but he names the many things pulling Martha apart and calls attention to the one necessary thing. Mary has chosen the better part, the better portion. Psalm 16 gives that word its deepest meaning: “The Lord is my chosen portion.” Martha prepares many dishes, but Mary claims the ultimate portion, Jesus himself.

Jesus tears down the reserved sign at his feet. His table does not belong to the super-spiritual, the religious elite, the people with everything together, or those who have hustled hard enough to earn a seat. His seat is for broken people who want healing, for disciples who want to learn, and for people willing to stop proving their worth through endless activity.

The tension is not only between kitchen workers and spectators. Jesus does not call exhausted workers to remain burned out, and he does not call passive consumers to stay in the crowd. Jesus sets a table for disciples. Presence with Christ must come before productive service for Christ, because mature discipleship begins at the Master’s feet. The empty chair is already paid for, already offered, and will not be taken away.

Key Takeaways

1. Good ministry can become distraction [01:00:25] Martha’s trouble is not wickedness but much serving that has become disconnected from Jesus. Good things can still pull a heart apart when they become a way to prove worth, manage anxiety, or carry every burden alone. Service without presence eventually turns fellow disciples into competitors and God into someone expected to validate exhaustion. [60:25]
2. Jesus is the better portion [01:03:46] Mary does not merely choose a quieter moment over household responsibility. Mary chooses the Lord as her portion, the one thing that cannot be taken from her. Christ offers himself as more than a tool for productive living; he gives himself as the life and center of discipleship. [63:46]
3. The seat is not for elites [01:05:56] Jesus removes the cultural barriers around the seat at his feet. His invitation does not depend on religious credentials, polished devotion, gendered expectations, or having life together. Grace gives disciples a place before they have proven they deserve one. [65:56]
4. Presence must shape faithful service [01:10:16] Jesus does not dismiss service, but he refuses to let service replace apprenticeship. A broken world cannot be served well by hearts that have never sat, listened, and learned from Christ. The feet of the Master are where busy people become grounded disciples. [70:16]
5. Start with intentional five minutes [01:16:06] The invitation is not another crushing spiritual assignment. Five honest minutes with Jesus can become six, seven, and eight as closeness grows over time. Intentional presence matters more than filling an hour while the heart remains somewhere else.

## [76:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:47] - Cats, Dogs, and Discipleship
[44:37] - Martha and Mary at the Table
[46:34] - The Reserved Seat
[47:35] - Hustle Culture and Worth
[51:59] - Martha Is Not the Villain
[53:12] - Mary Takes the Disciple’s Seat
[56:14] - The Noise of the Kitchen
[58:41] - Distracted by Much Serving
[60:25] - When Service Loses Connection
[62:39] - Martha, Martha
[63:21] - The Better Portion
[65:09] - Jesus Removes the Reserved Sign
[67:24] - Disciples, Not Spectators
[69:21] - Sorry, Not Sorry
[75:10] - Two Calls to Take the Seat

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 10:38-42
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” [44:37]

Psalm 16:5
“LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.” [01:03:51]

Mark 4:38
“Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” [01:01:26]

Observation questions

What details in Luke 10 show the different ways Martha and Mary respond to Jesus’ presence in their home? [52:29]
What does Martha ask Jesus to do, and what does her request reveal about how she sees Mary’s choice?
In the passage, what words describe Martha’s inner condition, and how does Jesus address her? [01:02:39]
How does Psalm 16:5 help explain Jesus’ description of Mary’s “better portion”? [01:03:40]

Interpretation questions

Martha’s service was good and necessary, yet it became a distraction. What makes the difference between serving Jesus and serving in a way that becomes disconnected from Jesus? [01:00:25]
Why might Martha’s question about whether Jesus cares echo the disciples’ fear in Mark 4:38? What does that connection reveal about what anxiety can do to a person’s view of Jesus? [01:01:19]
Why is Mary’s place at Jesus’ feet more than simply choosing quiet over work? What does it mean that Jesus welcomes her as a learner and disciple despite the cultural expectations around her? [54:17]
Jesus does not condemn Martha’s hospitality, but he names her worried and divided heart. How does this protect the group from treating either constant activity or passive inactivity as true discipleship? [01:07:34]

Application questions

Where does life currently feel like “the kitchen”—full of good responsibilities, urgent needs, and expectations that are pulling the heart in several directions? What signs show that these responsibilities are becoming disconnected from closeness with Jesus? [01:06:37]
When exhaustion builds, is there a tendency to feel alone, compare effort with others, or become resentful toward people who seem less involved? What would it look like to bring that honest frustration to Jesus instead of blaming others? [01:00:35]
Many people feel they must earn rest, presence with God, or a place in Christian community through productivity. What messages most strongly make a person feel that way, and how does Jesus’ invitation challenge those messages? [01:08:58]
Is there an area of service, work, caregiving, or church involvement that needs a healthier boundary so that it can flow from being with Jesus rather than replace being with Jesus? What is one gracious, practical change that could be made this week? [01:10:19]
For someone who feels spiritually distant or unsure where to begin, what could five honest minutes with Jesus look like this week—at a specific time and in a specific place? [01:16:24]
Jesus calls people neither to burned-out work nor to passive spectatorship, but to become disciples who learn from him. What is one next step toward active, grounded discipleship that feels faithful rather than frantic? [01:07:49]

Sermon Clips

46s

#SitAtJesusFeet

“You cannot serve a broken world if Jesus... If you've never spent the time with Jesus sitting and learning. Mature discipleship doesn't start in the heat of the kitchen, it starts at the feet of the master. put down the heavy clattering of other things that are competing for your life. Stop apologizing for choosing presence over productivity look at the empty seat. It is available for you. Take the seat that will never be taken from you because there is room at the table.”

38s

#CalledToDiscipleship

“A role that is ascribed to all of us, not because we'll fill the seat well, not because we know how to do it well, it's because God has chosen us to be a part of his movement. Jesus didn't build a stadium for an audience. He set a table for disciples. And at his table, there's no back row. There's no second tier followers. There is only a seat at the master's feet waiting for you to take your place. This”

38s

#DiscipleNotSpectator

“We treat church like a spectator sport, and the table of God like a drive through restaurant. We come to be entertained, we consume a Sabbath service, and we leave without ever being transformed. But hear me today, Sam. Jesus didn't die on a cross to turn you into an exhausted kitchen worker, and he didn't rise from the dead, Sam, to turn you into a passive spectator in the crowd. He called you to be a disciple, not a spectator, an apprentice.”

35s

#PresenceOverProductivity

“I want to give you the permission to stop apologizing for taking your seat. When culture tells you that your value is found in the hustle, you step back and sit at Jesus' feet. You can respond, sorry, not sorry. I'm taking my seat. When the voice of religious guilt whispers that you're not doing enough, serving enough, managing enough. Choose intimacy with Christ over busyness. Let people say what they wanna say, but come sit at Jesus' feet. When Mary took her seat, she literally was saying, sorry, not sorry.”

41s

#RoomAtTheTable

“Jesus has pulled up a chair for each and every one of us. He points to that simple seat right at his feet, and he says, the chair is not reserved for the super spiritual. It's not reserved for whatever cultural ties we put on and who should sit in that spot. It's not for the religious elite. It's not even for the people who have it altogether. It wasn't a statement to say that Martha knows the deal and she's got it all together. No, no. This chair is reserved for the broken who want healing from this cup. This chair is reserved for you. It's reserved for me.”

41s

#MinistryWithoutIntimacy

“Martha was distracted by serving. Martha was doing a good thing, and she was distracted by being pulled left, right, and center. Don't miss this. Martha wasn't dragged around in circles by bad things. She was pulled apart by good things. She was doing work Jesus. But it's unfortunate, as we can conclude from this, is that even though she was doing work for Jesus, it seems that she had lost her connection with Jesus.”

48s

#ClaimYourSeat

“Jesus looks at the cultural roles. He looks at the grumbling expectation, and he tears down the reserved sign on that chair, and he essentially tells Martha that she doesn't need to apologize. In other words, Jesus supporting Mary is Jesus saying, 'I gave her that seat,' and nobody's gonna take it away from her. Jesus validates that at his table, your seat at his... As his apprentice or his disciple is nonnegotiable, and you just need to claim it.”

32s

#GraceAtTheTable

“this I think is the heart and the vision as to why we say there is room at the table. It means you don't have to earn your right to sit down. You don't have to perform before God just to be with God. You'd have to exhaust yourself running in circles to prove that you belong in this community, part of this kingdom movement. The seat is already yours. Jesus paid it. He tore down the cultural barriers and he wrote your name on it. So today,”

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