All in with your time(Ephesians 5:15-16)

Introduction

Church, if there’s one thing we all have in common—it’s time.

No matter how rich you are,

no matter how poor you are,

no matter what side of town you grew up on, no matter your race, your education, or your background

every single one of us has been given the same twenty-four hours in a day.

You can’t buy more of it. You can’t borrow it. You can’t hoard it. And once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

Have you ever heard the phrase that “Time is precious!” But we don’t just say it, do we? We live like it’s endless.

We scroll through social media for hours, binge-watch shows, waste our weekends on things that don’t matter and then we wonder why life feels empty.

But listen, God didn’t give us a lifetime to waste away!

No, He gave us time as a gift, and how we spend it reveals the condition of our hearts.

I want you to hear me: you can’t be all in with God and be careless with your time.

You can’t say, “God, I love You,” while giving 80% of your day to distractions that steal your destiny.

That’s like planting a seed and then stepping on it every day—how can it grow?

Let’s see what God has to say about being “ALL IN” with your time and why it’s important for us.

The Bible says this in Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV) in the English Standard Version...

15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Look at that—make the most of every opportunity. Not some. Not when it’s convenient. Every opportunity. Because the days are evil.

Context & Cultural Background: Why Paul Wrote to the Ephesians

Church, before we dive deeper, I want you to understand why Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians.

He wasn’t just giving advice—he was sounding an alarm for a people in the middle of temptation and moral chaos.

Ephesus was a busy city—a hub of trade, culture, and religion.

People from all over the world came there to buy, sell, and worship.

It was famous for the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

And listen to me—was the culture there not like ours?

No! It was filled with immorality. Sexual sin, idol worship, occult practices, and greed filled the streets.

And Paul writes to this church: “Be very careful how you live—not as unwise but as wise.”

He’s saying: “I know the world you live in.

I know the temptations all around you.

I know the pressures from the culture to compromise.

Don’t be like them. Live wisely.”

Somebody needs to hear me! Paul knew that sin doesn’t just knock on your door—it moves in like it owns the place.

And he’s warning the Ephesian believers: “Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

The days were evil because the culture around them was trying to pull them away from God—just like today.

[Pause, let it sink in, lower tone]

Church, let me tell you something: Paul’s warning wasn’t optional. It wasn’t casual. It was urgent.

The Ephesian believers had freedom in Christ, but freedom in a world full of vice is a dangerous gift.

If you’re not careful, you will waste your freedom—and your time.

And here’s what’s important: the warning for the Ephesians is the same warning for us today.

We live in a culture that says: “Time is yours—do what you want. Don’t worry about God.”

Social media, entertainment, endless distractions, the pressure to keep up, greed, selfish ambition—the days are evil.

Paul is saying: “Make the most of every opportunity. Don’t be careless with your life. Don’t squander what God gave you. Live intentionally!”

Somebody needs to hear me—this is not a suggestion. This is a mandate for your generation!

Point 1: Time is a Gift, Not a Guarantee

Paul begins with a warning: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.”

That word carefully in the Greek means “to examine with precision, to look closely, to pay attention.”

Paul is saying, don’t drift through life carelessly. Don’t stumble around like you’re sleepwalking. Be intentional. Be alert. Be precise.

Let me put it like this: time is like sand slipping through your fingers. You don’t even notice how much is gone until suddenly your hands are empty.

Let’s start here: time is a gift from God. Not a right. Not a guarantee. A gift.

And gifts are meant to be used, not ignored. Gifts are meant to be treasured.

Gifts are meant to be used for God’s glory.

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Do you hear that? (Lean in)

The Psalmist is telling us: be aware of your days. Recognize how limited they are. Use them wisely.

Illustration: The Hospital Room

Picture this: a hospital room.

A loved one lies there, hooked to machines, every breath a reminder that time is fragile.

You sit beside them, holding their hand, and the doctor says, “I’m sorry, but their time is limited.”

Now let me ask you—how many of us wait until that moment to treasure the people we love? [Pause, sweep gaze]

How many of us wait until the last day to start living the life we were meant to live?

Somebody needs to hear me: your time is not yours—it is God’s.

How you spend it determines whether it produces fruit or fades away.

Paul is saying: don’t wait. Don’t delay. Every day is a gift from God.

Let me give you an illustration. Imagine God hands you a bag of gold coins—one coin for every day of your life.

You could spend them wisely, invest them, multiply them. Or you could throw them in the trash.

What you do with those coins matters. That’s your time. Every hour, every minute, every second is a coin from God.

Will you spend it wisely, or will you waste it?

I’ve got to be honest with you—some of us are walking around like we have eternal batteries.

But the truth is, our days are numbered. And some people get a rude awakening when the last coin drops and they realize they wasted it.

And don’t get me wrong—God is patient. He’s merciful.

But He’s not going to bless wasted time the way He blesses surrendered, intentional, God-focused time.

Illustration: The Social Media Trap

Look, we live in a time where distraction is a full-time job. Social media, Netflix, YouTube, facebook, instagram…you name it.

We scroll mindlessly for hours. And the crazy thing? We wake up at midnight and wonder why we’re stressed, tired, unfulfilled.

Here’s the hard truth: time spent on what doesn’t matter steals time from what does matter.

Your dreams, your ministry, your family, your calling—they suffer because your attention is being kidnapped by a feed that doesn’t care about your future.

Do yourself a favor and compare your screen time with your prayer time. Who wins?

Let me tell you a story. I had a friend—smart, gifted, full of potential.

But every evening, he would sit on his phone for 3–4 hours.

Netflix on one side, social media on the other. he was always tired, always complaining he didn’t have time to pray, read the Word, or pursue God’s calling.

And one day, he said to me, “I just don’t have time anymore.” And I had to tell him the truth: he had time—he was just spending it on the wrong things.

Church, we’ve got to invest our time where it counts.

Point 2: Redeem the Time

Ephesians 5:16 doesn’t just say “use your time”. It says, “redeem the time”. The Greek word there literally means to buy back.

To reclaim. To take something that’s been wasted or misused and turn it into something valuable.

Think about that. Every wasted hour can be redeemed.

Every minute you’ve spent scrolling, gossiping, arguing, worrying—you can turn it into worship, prayer, service, or love.

God doesn’t waste our mistakes, but we’ve got to repurpose our time wisely.

Let’s talk about the thief of time—procrastination. Some of you know what I’m talking about.

You know God gave you a calling, but you keep saying, “I’ll start next week. I’ll start tomorrow.”

Guess what? Tomorrow is a lie. The devil loves that word. Because while you wait for tomorrow, your destiny is slipping by.

I want to give you a practical tip: start today. Start small, start now. Redeem the time God gave you.

Maybe it’s 10 minutes of prayer in the morning.

Maybe it’s reading one chapter of the Bible.

Maybe it’s making that phone call to encourage someone.

Small acts of obedience add up. That’s how you redeem time.

Illustration: The Garden of Life

Your life is a garden. [Gesture hands like planting seeds]

God gives you seeds—time, opportunities, relationships, prayers, acts of service.

These are precious seeds meant to bear fruit.

Neglect your garden, and weeds grow—distractions, worry, procrastination, sin.

But God can redeem it. Pull the weeds, plant, water, and cultivate fruit for eternity.

Point 3: Make Every Moment Count

Time is short, and the days are evil. That means opportunities will not wait.

Someone needs your encouragement. Someone needs your wisdom.

Someone needs your generosity. Don’t let the moments pass.

James 4:14 says, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Church, your life is like vapor! It’s here for a little while, then gone.

You’ve got to make your life count right now. Don’t wait until retirement.

Don’t wait until you’re “ready.” Be ready today.

Let me tell you something: God doesn’t just want your time. He wants your investment.

He wants you present, engaged, intentional. He wants you all in, because a half-hearted life never fulfills God’s purpose.

Paul gives us the reason: “Because the days are evil.”

Now, that doesn’t just mean the days are bad or tough. It means the culture around you is corrupt, the system of the world is bent against God,

and if you don’t live intentionally, the current of evil will carry you away.

Church, time is not neutral. The world is pulling at your hours, your minutes, your focus, your attention.

If you don’t redeem your time, the days will consume it.

Personal Story / Connection

I’ll be honest with you—I’ve had my struggles with time. I’ve wasted hours on things that didn’t matter.

I’ve scrolled through my phone when I could have been in prayer.

I’ve procrastinated when I could have been planting seeds for the Kingdom.

And one day, I realized thats time I can never get back had been stolen from me.

But here’s the good news: God doesn’t condemn wasted time. He redeems it.

He gives you another moment to start over, another opportunity to make it count.

And that’s what I want to challenge you with today—redeem the time, starting now.

Practical Applications

Evaluate your schedule: Write down how you spend your 24 hours. Ask God to show you where time is being wasted.

Prioritize God’s agenda: Start with prayer, Scripture, and serving others before entertainment and distractions.

Eliminate time thieves: Identify what steals your focus—social media, gossip, unproductive habits—and limit it.

Invest in others: Time spent encouraging, mentoring, or loving others is never wasted.

Be present: Don’t live on autopilot. Engage in the moments God gives you.

Illustration: The Vine and the Branch

John 15 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Think about it: a branch apart from the vine withers. It might look alive for a while, but eventually, it dies.

Time spent apart from God is wasted time. Time invested in God—praying, serving, loving—produces fruit that lasts.

Call to Action / Altar Call

Some of you know it’s time for a change. You feel it in your heart.

God is saying, “Redeem the time. Don’t waste another minute.”

If that’s you, I want you to come forward—or wherever you are, lift your hand and pray with me:

“Lord, I want to be all in with my time. I surrender every hour, every minute, every second to You.

Help me prioritize what matters. Help me eliminate distractions. Help me redeem the time. I give You my life today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Somebody needs to hear this: God can take the rest of your wasted time and use it for something glorious.

But you’ve got to surrender it. You’ve got to be intentional. You’ve got to be all in.

Conclusion

Church, hear me clearly: time is fleeting, but God is eternal.

How you spend your time today echoes into eternity. Don’t waste it. Don’t ignore it.

Redeem it. Invest it. Make it count. Be all in with your time, and watch God multiply your life in ways you never imagined.

Remember Ephesians 5:16: “Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Redeem the time today.

Stand tall. Step forward. Make the decision. Say, “God, my time is Yours!” And let Him bless the fruit of your surrendered life.