TAKEAWAY: Attention is the new treasure; wherever our attention goes, our heart follows.

HEAD CHANGE: Scripture before screens establishes a biblical worldview as our foundation.

HEART CHANGE:  Love begins with attention—we cannot love what we don't attend to.

LIFE CHANGE: A digital rule of life helps us use technology intentionally rather than being used by it.

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In a world where we unlock our phones up to 205 times per day, spending an average of seven hours staring at screens, we're confronted with an uncomfortable truth: we're swimming in digital water without even realizing it. This exploration of technology and faith challenges us to recognize that attention isn't neutral—whatever we give our attention to, we eventually give our hearts to. Drawing from Luke 10 and the story of Mary and Martha, we're reminded that Martha wasn't rebuked for serving, but gently invited to reorder her attention. Like Martha, we find ourselves distracted—a word that literally means 'pulled apart' or 'fragmented'—by notifications, endless content, and algorithms designed to monetize our focus. The profound invitation here isn't to eliminate technology but to reclaim our attention for God through practices like a digital rule of life. The psalmist's prayer becomes our own: 'Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways.' When we adopt the practice of 'Scripture before screens,' we're not restricting ourselves but restoring ourselves, building our lives on the foundation that brings true peace, joy, and presence—the very things we're desperately scrolling to find.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Read Luke 10:38-42. In what ways do you relate more to Martha or Mary? How does our digital world make it easier to be "distracted by many things"?

2. What does it mean that "attention is never neutral"? Can you think of examples from your own life where sustained attention to something shaped your heart or behavior?

3. The sermon stated: "We want to believe we are a customer. That's not the business model. We're the product." How does understanding this change your relationship with social media and apps?

4. "Scripture before screens" - What practical barriers prevent you from making this a reality? How could you overcome them?

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PRAYER:  

Close your time by praying for:

• Awareness of what truly controls our attention

• Freedom from digital addictions and compulsions

• Wisdom to use technology without being used by it

• Grace to reorder our loves around Christ

• Strength to maintain our Digital Rule of Life

• The presence of God to meet us in stillness

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“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

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