22 Feb
2026

Only One

Passage: Luke 10:38-42

“We have everyday habits, formative practices, that constitute daily liturgies. By reaching for my smartphone every morning, I had developed a ritual that trained me toward a certain end: entertainment and stimulation via technology…Examining my daily liturgy as a liturgy (as something that both revealed and shaped what I love and worship) allowed me to realize that my daily practices were malforming me, making me less alive, less human, less able to give and receive love throughout my day.”

—Tish Harrison Warren, Liturgy of the Ordinary

SERMON OUTLINE:

1. Why is Martha upset?
2. How does Jesus help her?
3. What does this exchange teach us?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

The picture below reveals how one little girl depicted her family and particularly captured her parents’ attention. If someone close to you were to draw a picture of what you are mainly giving your attention to in this season, what might it look like?

 

 

 

 

 

Read Luke 10:38-42. What does this passage show you about God’s character and about being his follower? What challenges, encourages, or sparks questions for you in this passage? What person in this text do you identify with?

What do you notice from this passage as an example of trusting in/following Jesus?

Why was Martha upset? Consider her situation and particularly how distraction crept into her perspective. Where did it come from and what was its result?

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “[Martha’s] fault was not that she served. The condition of a servant well becomes every Christian. Her fault was that she grew ‘cumbered with much serving, so that she forgot him and only remembered the service. Martha’s ministry was keeping her from Jesus.” In what ways might your ministry or good work become distracting?

What daily/weekly rhythms do you currently practice that help you listen to Jesus and learn from him? Consider this question from a personal level, a small group/family/friend level, and church-wide level. How are you listening to Jesus in these various contexts?

In what ways are you currently prone to being distracted from Jesus? How might Jesus’s response to Martha help draw your attention back to him?

What from this passage and this discussion is something you want to put into practice or be more aware of this week or praise God for?

 

PRAYER

Share with your group how they can be praying for you: what is weighing on you from this past week? What are you praising God for from this past week?

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).