MESSAGE NOTES, 6/8/25

Following Jesus isn’t just about Sunday mornings or spiritual moments—it’s about surrendering your whole life to Him.

This series explores how every area of our ordinary lives—resources, relationships, health, and careers—is meant to be lived fully with and for God’s glory. This week, we focus on bridging the sacred-secular divide.

CONNECT 

  1.  Let’s get honest about the “mundane” stuff that fills our lives!  If you could magically eliminate one everyday task (like dishes, emails, laundry), what would it be—and why?

REFLECT 

  1. Read the paragraphs on the back page and then reflect on these passages (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Isaiah 6:3, John 1:14,  Matthew 27:51, Acts 2:17, Colossians 1:16). What does all this tell you about God’s original and ongoing intent to have us live our lives wholeheartedly with Him.
    Which text stands out to you and why?
  2. What past or present religious, historical,  cultural, and or political influences do you feel have helped to create the divide between the sacred and secular?
  3. To bridge the divide between the sacred and secular, we must make a shift in how we live with God. View the diagram below. What makes it so difficult for individuals to make this shift from the “segmented life approach” to “the whole life approach”? What are others thoughts you have about the diagram and making this shift?
  4. Which area of your life feels most “sacred” to you? How did this come about?          Which area feels the least “sacred”? Why do you think this is challenging?
  5. Read Colossians 3:17. It  says to do everything (whatever) in Jesus’ name. What would it look like to do your work, parenting, recreation, friendships, errands, or rest “in Jesus’ name”? Can you give an example? How might you acknowledge His presence and invite Him into this space?

TAKE ACTION

  • Ask the Spirit of God to help you be more engaged with His presence throughout your day.
  • Ponder tomorrow and invite God into what might be happening THIS/THAT TIME TOMORROW.
  • Memorize Colossians 3:17

LIVING HOLISTICALLY

God’s original intent was for us to live holistically, with every area of our lives—work, rest, relationships, creativity, stewardship, and worship—integrated under His loving rule. In the Garden of Eden, there was no divide between the sacred and the ordinary; Adam and Eve walked with God, cultivated the earth, and lived in harmony with one another and creation. This vision didn’t end with Eden—God sought the same wholeness with Israel.

Through the Law, the tabernacle, sabbaths, and festivals, God invited His people into a fully integrated life where He was central to everything. For example, the Sabbath wasn’t just a religious ritual but a weekly rhythm that shaped their time, work, and rest around trust in God. Likewise, agricultural laws like leaving the edges of the field for the poor (Leviticus 19:9–10) tied economic activity to compassion and justice. These practices showed that faith was never meant to be a compartment, but the framework for all of life.

Just like Adam and Eve, the Israelites eventually fell out of this holistic way of living. Despite God’s desire to be present in every part of their lives, they began to separate their worship from their daily actions. They observed religious rituals, but neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness in everyday life. Prophets like Isaiah, Amos, and Micah called them out for this disconnect—offering sacrifices while oppressing the poor, observing festivals while ignoring God’s commands in business, family, and society. Their lives became segmented, and they lost the integrated vision God had given them.

Like humanity in the garden, they chose autonomy over intimacy, compartmentalizing their faith instead of allowing it to shape their whole lives.

 

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