God of Fun – 2 – Stop Scrolling Past Your Life, Start Living

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Welcome back to week 2 of our series, God of Fun.

Last week we told you…

God is not the enemy of joy. He is the inventor of it.

God created joy.

Jesus came to make our joy complete.

Today I want to get practical.

“I only meant to check one thing…”

I opened my phone to do one thing…

• Check the weather.
• Answer one text.
• Look at one notification.
• Check the time.

Then somehow, 15 minutes later… watching something completely unrelated.

• Pressure washing video.

I only meant to check one thing.

But my attention got captured.

Scrolling usually does not feel sinful.
…rebellious.
…dangerous.

It just feels like:

• A break.
• A minute.
• A quick look.
• Nothing.

But my minutes add up.

Eventually, I am not just scrolling my phone.

I am scrolling past my life.

I can scroll past:

• Conversations.
• Meals.
• Kids.
• Spouse.
• Friendships.
• Prayer.
• Worship.
• Rest.
• The real gifts God put right in front of us.

We are more connected, but less present.

Do you agree?

This is not just a kid problem.

This is not just a teenager problem.

This is not a “young people these days” problem.

This is an “us” problem.

We are…

• More connected than ever.
• Less present than ever.
• More entertained than ever.
• Not necessarily more joyful.

Scrolling Stats:

• Nearly half of U.S. teens say they are online almost constantly.
• About one in four teens who spend four or more hours a day on screens recently reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. 
• Adults who use screens before bed have a 33% higher rate of poor sleep quality.

• This is not just touching our kids.
• It is touching our homes.
• Our sleep.
• Our peace.
• Our souls.

Some of us do not call it scrolling:

• We call it staying informed.
• We call it multitasking.
• We call it relaxing.
• We call it checking something real quick.

Questions:

• Have we ever been too tired to pray, but not too tired to scroll?
• Too busy to read Scripture, but had time for videos?
• In the same room with people we love, but everyone is on a screen?
• Gone to bed exhausted because we gave the last hour of our day to a glowing rectangle?

Our phones may not be evil. But they are forming us.

We are not just losing minutes.
We are missing moments.

We are not just checking phones.
We are checking out of real life.

So here is the message today:

Stop Scrolling Past Your Life. Start Living.
God gave you a real life. Don’t settle for a digital substitute.

My goal is not to get you to throw away your phone, tv, or Nintendo Switch.

The goal is to put the screen back in its proper place…

• Fully present to God.
• Fully present to people.
• Fully awake to the life God has given us.
  

And Jesus shows us a better way.
I have 3 ways Jesus shows us how to live real life joy. 

Jesus shows us real life joy
1. Look up (Matthew 6:25-34)

Context:

• Jesus is talking to worried, anxious people.
• ..worried about life, food, clothing, tomorrow, and things they cannot control.

Matthew 6:26 NIV:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Matthew 6:28 NIV:
See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

Jesus tells anxious people to:

• Look. See. Pay attention.

Jesus does not say:

• When you are anxious, numb yourself.
• When you are worried, distract yourself until you forget your soul.

Jesus says:

• Look at the birds.
• See the flowers.
• Pay attention to the real world God made.

Here is what Jesus is teaching.

Your attention is spiritual.

What gets your attention gets your:

• Affection.
• Energy.
• Imagination.
• Heart.

Scrolling is sneaky because:

• It is not just taking your time.
• It is training your attention.
• It is teaching your soul what to look at.
• It is teaching your heart what to chase.

Pay attention – Creation is preaching:

• Birds.
• Flowers.
• Sunrise.
• Laugh around the table.
• Child asking you to play.
• Quiet moment with God.

Creation is saying:

• God is faithful.
• God is generous.
• God is present.
• God is taking care of what He made.

And if God cares for birds and flowers, how much more does He care for you?

2. Taste & See (Psalm 34:8)

Psalm 34:8 NIV:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

God does not only say:
“Think and agree that the Lord is good.”

He says:
“Taste and see.”

Meaning:

• Experience His goodness.
• Wake up to His goodness.
• Receive His goodness.

• You cannot taste and see while constantly swiping and scrolling.
• You cannot look at the birds if you never look up.
• You cannot see the flowers if you never slow down.
• You cannot hear God in quiet if every quiet moment gets filled with noise.

God gave you a real life joy. Don’t settle for a digital substitute.

Before we leave today we should seek to taste & see God’s real life joy. 

3. Be Here (Exodus 3:14)

Scrolling pulls us out of the present.

Examples:

• Body at the table, mind online.
• Body in worship, heart is somewhere else.
• Body with family, attention on a notification.
• Body in today, worry in tomorrow.
• Regret in yesterday.
• Attention everywhere but here.

But God meets us here. 

In Exodus 3, Moses is afraid and uncertain about the future, and God reveals His name as I AM, the God who is present with him right now.

Exodus 3:14 NIV:
“I AM WHO I AM.”

God’s name is not:

• I was.
• I might be.

God reveals Himself as: I AM.

God meets us:

• Here. Today. This moment.

Jesus taught us to pray:
“Give us today our daily bread.”

Emphasis:

• Today. Daily. Present.

God gives grace for today,
But many of us are missing today because we are distracted, anxious, and absent.

Jesus shows us real life joy
1. Look up (Matthew 6:25-34)
2. Taste & See (Psalm 34:8)
3. Be Here (Exodus 3:14)

So what do we do?

What real life step do you need to take?

The answer is not guilt.

The answer is not shame.

The answer is not throwing your phone in a lake.

The goal is not to hate technology.

The goal is to put technology back in its proper place so we can receive the life God gave us.

So here is the question:

What is one real life step you need to take this week?

Not twenty steps or complete digital detox.

Just one step where you stop scrolling past your life and start living.

Maybe your real life step is:

• A no-phone dinner.
• A walk outside.
• Worship before scrolling.
• Calling a friend instead of only liking a post.
• A family game night.
• A screen-free hour before bed.
• Ten quiet minutes with God.

The action does not have to be impressive.

It just has to be real.

Some of us do not need more information.

-We need more presence.

-We need to look up.

-We need to taste and see.

We need to be here.

We need to receive the real life God has placed in front of us.

Call to Action: Choose Real Life

1. Bring your real life to God.

Come pray.

Bring your:

• Distracted life.
• Anxious life.
• Tired life.
• Real life.

Bring your real life to a real God.

This is not a place of shame.

This is a place of grace.

2. Start a real conversation.

Maybe today you need to start a conversation.

Maybe you need:

• Prayer.
• To talk about baptism.
• To get connected.
• Help taking your next step with Jesus.

Use the connection card.

Start a real conversation.

3. Take one real step.

Before this day is over, name your step.

Examples:

• No-phone dinner.
• Call a friend.
• Worship before scrolling.
• Screen-free hour.
• Family game night.

Write it down.

Tell someone.

Put it on the calendar.

God gave you a real life.

Don’t settle for a digital substitute.

Stop scrolling past your life.

Start living.

Let’s seek God.