Stop Wasting Your Life

Your Best Days Are Now

Scripture References

Primary text

• John 2:8
• Psalm 118:24
• Matthew 6:34

Other references

• John 8
• John 19:1
• James 4:13-14

Overview

Jesus’ first miracle ends with the master of the banquet saying, “you saved the best till now.” Craig Groeschel turns that line into a call: your best days with God are not somewhere out there; they are right here, right now. Looking at the way Jesus lived—always fully present—Pastor Craig exposes how distraction, worry about the future, and regret over the past rob us of the moment God is giving us. Following Jesus means learning to stay where our feet are, love the person in front of us, and trust God with everything else.

Context

This message is part of the series “A Better Way,” examining not only the truths Jesus taught but the way He lived them. Today’s focus is Jesus’ undivided attention in every encounter and what that means for modern disciples surrounded by digital and mental noise.

Main Points

Jesus models undivided attention

• Two back-to-back stories demonstrate His focus:
  • Illustration: Outside Jericho (Luke’s Gospel), a blind beggar shouts for mercy. Disciples try to silence him; Jesus stops, asks what he wants, and heals him.
  • Illustration: Entering Jericho again (John 19:1 as spoken), Jesus notices Zacchaeus in a tree. Though “on the way,” He invites Himself to Zacchaeus’ house, giving a corrupt tax collector His full attention until repentance and salvation break out.
• Whether poor or wealthy, outcast or influential, people were never interruptions to Jesus; they were the ministry.

Our distraction crisis

• Harvard research: 47 % of the time our minds are not where our bodies are.
• Average phone user touches the device 2,617 times a day; top 10 % exceed 5,400.
• Common mental games:
  • “When–then” (happiness always after the next milestone).
  • “What if” (projecting worst-case futures).
• Result: we complain about moments we will one day miss.

Faith frees us to be present

• Being present requires surrendering a past we cannot change and trusting God with a future we cannot control.
• James 4:13-14 reminds us life is “a mist”—unknown in length, unstoppable in passing, unrecoverable once lived.
  • Illustration: Hourglass visual; sand still falling but never retrieved.
• Jesus’ command (Matthew 6:34) not to worry about tomorrow is not anti-planning; it is pro-faith.

This moment is holy

• David’s declaration (Psalm 118:24) reframed: today—this very moment—is God’s gift.

• “Your best days are now.”

• Powerful moments are often small: a conversation with a child, a hug during worship, the awareness of God’s presence in everyday scenes.
  • Story: Pastor Craig once wished for a toy-free living room; now the house is spotless and quiet, and he misses the chaos.
  • Story: Senior-year adventures with son Steven (flying a plane, hot-air balloon) were meaningful, but the deepest moment was Steven’s tearful joy at a Switch event: “Can you believe how amazing our God is?”

Jesus stayed present even in pain

• On the cross, bruised and suffocating, He still notices the criminal beside Him.
• His answer, “Today you will be with Me in paradise,” proves no suffering kept Him from loving the person right in front of Him.

Key Truths

• Presence is one of the greatest gifts you can give another person.
• Distraction often signals a lack of trust in God’s care for past and future.
• Life is a mist; what you do with “now” is what you do with your life.
• Moments we rush through today may be the ones we long for tomorrow.
• Jesus’ way shows that ministry happens in interruptions as much as in plans.

Response

• Surrender regrets about yesterday to God’s forgiveness.
• Trust God with tomorrow instead of rehearsing “what ifs.”
• Put the phone down and give undivided attention to the person in front of you.
• Celebrate ordinary moments as gifts: speak gratitude, pause, breathe, notice.
• Repeat the declaration aloud during the week: “My best days with God are now.”

Closing

Pastor Craig urged every listener to trade distraction for devotion: if half our waking life drifts, half our ministry, joy, and relationships drift with it. This is the day the Lord has made—God’s grace, power, and freedom are available now. Engage the moment; love like Jesus; the rest is in His hands.

“This moment is all you have—be where your feet are and watch what God will do.”

Prayer

Pastor Craig asked the Spirit to prod hearts whenever attention drifts, empowering believers to love like Jesus, fully present. He also led those sensing God’s pull to surrender, praying for forgiveness, new life, and the filling of the Holy Spirit as they confessed, “My life is not my own; I give it to You, Jesus.”