Water Walkers - Focus

MAIN IDEA: You’re called to focus on Jesus.

Head Change: To know that whatever has your focus has your faith.

Heart Change: To feel secure and grateful that keeping your eyes on Jesus prevents you from sinking.

Life Change: To concentrate your efforts on what God has called you to be and where God has called you to go.

Share an embarrassing moment that resulted from you being distracted. What’s your biggest distraction when you’re trying to work, study, or concentrate on some other task? More seriously, have you ever heard about or seen an accident caused by someone who was distracted while driving?

As you watch, write down how Jason answers these questions.

Why did Peter begin to sink?

What are some of the things we tend to focus on instead of focusing on Jesus?

Jason’s snowboarding experience taught him that wherever you look, you will ___________.

How is identity linked to focus?

Do you pride yourself on your ability to multitask? If not, who strikes you as someone who is great at multitasking? Do you think multitasking is really possible or are we just dividing our attention and becoming less effective?

Which noises in your life do you wish you could switch off, permanently or temporarily?

What or who has your full attention? Where is your mind most inclined to wander? Why?

Do you agree with Jason that whatever has your focus also has your faith?

What are the things that give your life shape and meaning? If you feel comfortable doing so, share about a time in your life when you found your identity primarily in your work, a relationship, an addiction, or some other endeavour.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

According to the writer of Hebrews, how do we throw off hindrances or distractions? What is the result?

Proverbs 4:25–27 ESV

25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

How might you paraphrase these verses for a teenager sorely tempted to look everywhere except ‘straight ahead’? Where are you personally prone to looking ‘to the right or to the left’?

Luke 10:38–42 ESV

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Do you identify more with Mary or Martha? Do you think Jesus was concerned about Martha’s actions or her attitudes? Why?

Matthew 4 ESV

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. 12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. 23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Do you find fasting and prayer an effective way of focusing on God? Have you ever made a drastic lifestyle change in order to refocus on Jesus? Did the experience increase your faith?

LAST WORD Pause to remind yourself that if your eyes are fixed on Jesus, you’ll naturally and joyfully step into your God-given calling and destiny. May you remember that water-walkers focus. Water-walkers find their identity in Jesus. Water-walkers refuse to get caught up in the disturbances of winds and waves, calming the chaos by gazing at the God whose plans and promises can be trusted.

DEEPER WALK Select at least one activity below to complete before watching the next session. Read: Read 2 Samuel 11–12, perhaps from The Message translation. What distracted David? How did God get David’s attention? Can you relate? What is God showing you from this narrative? Write: Make a list of all the things you have to focus on to make your life work (like laundry, fetching kids from school, writing a report for work, making appointments with clients, spending time with your friends or spouse, and so on). Even while fully engaged in each of these activities or obligations, how could you make Jesus the deeper, truer focus of your attention? Pray: For the next week or month, choose a time a day that will work best for you to maintain five or ten minutes of absolute silence. Try to spend that time focusing just on Jesus. Don’t worry if your mind wanders. Keep practising. Focus on His character traits, miracles He performed, His death and resurrection, or what it might be like when you see Him face to face one day.