Youth Sermon: Eliminate All Hurry

Ditching the Rush

Remember that verse in Ephesians 5:15-17? It's all about making the most of our time to do what God wants us to do.

Today, we're diving into the principle: ditching the rush. Jesus was always on the go, but never in a rush. He knew how to prioritize and protect his time. And guess what? Our worth isn't based on how much we get done. God doesn't need us to finish our to-do lists. This gives us the freedom to work hard because we want to be part of God's big plan.

Our worth isn't based on how much we get done. God doesn't need us to finish our to-do lists.

Being Busy vs Being in a Rush

Now, let's get real. We've seen that Jesus faced the same time crunch we do. In Mark's Gospel, the word 'immediately' pops up a lot, showing how busy Jesus and His crew were. But Jesus was never in a rush. There's a difference between being busy and being in a rush. Being busy means having a lot to do. Being in a rush means being so caught up in our stuff that we can't be fully present with God and others. Many of us are both busy and in a rush, but that's not how Jesus rolled.

So, why are we always in a rush? One reason is that we don't think about the cost of our time. Jesus talked about this when He mentioned building a tower. Before starting, we should count the cost to make sure we can finish what we've started. Jesus lived this out. When He got to Jerusalem, He didn't immediately flip the tables in the temple. He waited until the next day because He'd already had a busy day. Jesus knew that adding more to His schedule would make Him rush.

Time Management Principles from Jesus

Here's a cool object lesson. Imagine your day is a jar, and you have a bunch of rocks, pebbles, and sand to fit in it. The rocks are your big priorities, the pebbles are smaller tasks, and the sand is all the little stuff. If you start with the sand, you won't have room for the rocks. But if you start with the rocks, then add the pebbles, and finally the sand, everything fits. That's how Jesus managed His time.

To manage our time like Jesus, we need to be busy and productive but ditch the rush. Discipline is key. Jesus was disciplined, and the New Testament tells us to be self-disciplined too. But we've got to be careful not to make discipline our god. If we can't cut some slack to others who are less disciplined, or to ourselves, we've made discipline an idol. Remember, our ability to be disciplined is a gift from God, and our worth isn't based on how much we get done.

So, here's the deal. Here are seven awesome time management principles from Jesus:

1. Start with the Word

2. Mean What You Say

3. Tune Out the Noise

4. Prioritize Your Tasks

5. Accept You Can't Be Everywhere

6. Take Productive Breaks

7. Ditch the Rush

As we try to live these out, remember that discipline is a gift, but it can become an idol if we're not careful. Our worth isn't based on how much we get done. We can work hard because we want to be part of God's big plan.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. What does it mean to be busy but not hurried?

2. Why is it important to count the cost of our time before we start a task?

3. How can we prioritize our tasks to avoid being in a hurry?

4. How does understanding our worth is not determined by our productivity change how we view our tasks and time?

5. What are some practical ways we can eliminate hurry from our lives?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Building a Tower
• Group Activity: Counting the Cost
• Youth Challenge: Eliminate Hurry Challenge