Podcast Summary: Mariners Church Weekend Messages
Episode: December 29, 2024 – Hope for the New Year (Jared Kirkwood)
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode, delivered by guest speaker Jared Kirkwood, centers on navigating worry and embracing hope as we move into the New Year. Drawing deeply from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 and the story of Peter on the water (Matthew 14), Jared explores the pitfalls of worry, how it interrupts faith, and offers practical spiritual practices—anchored in seeking Jesus—to reorient our lives toward hope, purpose, and deeper relationship with God.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Opening Illustration: Running, Multitasking, and Focus
- Outdoor running as metaphor:
- Jared shares about running trails with his kids and colleague, Justin Herman, highlighting the need to watch your step rather than soaking up the distant view (01:04).
- Myth of Multitasking:
- “Research now shows multitasking is a myth. Your brain cannot actually do multiple simultaneous things…You are rapid task switching.” – Jared (04:20)
- Quoting Cal Newport, Jared notes that every switch to a new task can cost 25 minutes of deep focus.
- Spiritual Application:
- Just as multitasking hampers focus, flipping between faith and worry “gunks up the system” of spiritual life (06:10).
Examining Jesus’ Teaching on Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
- Scripture Reading:
- Jesus: “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink…” (Matt. 6:25) (07:49)
Three Problems with Worry
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Worry Feels Productive, But Isn’t
- “When we worry, we feel like we’re doing something… It felt productive, and yet it really did nothing but rob you of sleep.” – Jared (10:10)
- Analogy: The Car Horn
- Using your horn feels proactive, but it rarely produces the change you want—same with worry (11:45).
- Chronic worry can even shorten your lifespan, the opposite of our desire for longevity (13:20).
- Jesus: “Can any of you add one moment to his lifespan by worrying?” (Matt. 6:27) (09:50)
- The antidote: Remembering our worth before God—“Aren’t you worth more than they [birds]?” (15:00).
- Personal note: Jared shares that this verse is his daughter’s life verse to remind her to never confuse worth and worry.
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Worry Clouds Our Vision, Magnifying Problems
- “We take an issue and we pull it so close that our field of vision cannot see anything else, including Jesus.” (20:15)
- What If Syndrome:
- Light-hearted example: Googling toe numbness leads Jared to believe he’s gravely ill; in reality, he just needs to stretch (21:45).
- Allowing worries to grow unchecked consumes focus and “leads toward pain…a life of distance from Jesus.” (23:30)
- What Jesus offers is ‘much more’—not everything we ask, but more of Himself. (24:40)
- “The more you want him, the more he’s going to give himself to you. This is the ‘much more’ that is promised for us.” – Jared
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Worry Distracts from God’s Mission and Diminishes Impact
- “Worry may diminish our life’s impact…” (26:20)
- Contrast between the Gentiles (“those outside the people of God”) and followers of Jesus: “Everyone has opinions about how you should live…but are [those voices] built on the foundation of God’s Word?” (27:15)
- Jesus pinpoints three concerns: Eat, drink, wear—mapped to safety, security, and significance.
- “Who are you listening to, to help answer those?” (28:30)
- Jesus’ remedy: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matt. 6:33) (29:00)
The Story of Peter Walking on Water (Matthew 14:22-33)
- Where you look is where you’re going:
- Peter’s faith gets him out of the boat; his worry, as he turns his eyes to the waves, causes him to sink (32:15).
- “Faith got Peter out of the boat, but worry caused him to sink… the minute he took his eyes off Jesus…” (33:00)
- Moment of Rescue:
- “Peter cries out to Jesus. And… Jesus closes the gap… pulls him out of the water…delivers him back to the safety of the boat. Jesus did the saving.” (34:20)
- Application: No matter how your year went, “if you can turn your eyes to Jesus, even in this very moment, he will rush to you just like he did Peter.” (35:15)
Invitation for the New Year: Seek First the Kingdom & His Righteousness
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Practical ways to be proactive in 2025:
- Rooted: 10-week spiritual growth group at Mariners Church (37:45)
- Life Groups: Connecting and growing in biblical community (38:30)
- Annual Read: Committing to daily engagement with God’s Word (39:00)
- “On the Table” series: Upcoming discussions addressing big questions about life and faith (39:35)
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Clarification of God’s Promise:
- “This does not mean…all your dreams are going to come true…seek him first, trust him, and allow him to fill in the details. Because he is the Great Provider.” (40:10)
Final Encouragement: You Will Find God When You Seek Him
- Jeremiah 29:13:
- “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” (41:00)
- Personal story:
- Jared likens God’s desire to be found to a parent playing hide-and-seek, emphasizing that “our heavenly Father is not very good at hiding. He wants to be found.” (42:00)
- Summary quote:
- “Where you look is where you are going. Who you look to is who you are becoming. Let's look to Jesus this year. Let's search for Him. Let's seek Him. Let's become more like Him.” (45:05)
- Old hymn:
- “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and all the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” (45:20)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Multitasking is a myth. Your brain cannot actually do multiple simultaneous things… you are rapid task switching.” – Jared Kirkwood (04:20)
- “Worry feels productive, but it only robs you of sleep.” (10:10)
- “No one has ever changed their driving because you have honked at them.” (12:19)
- “Aren’t you worth more [than the birds]?” – Jesus, Matt 6:26 (15:00)
- “We take an issue and we pull it so close that our field of vision cannot see anything else, including Jesus.” (20:15)
- “Faith got Peter out of the boat, but worry caused him to sink.” (33:00)
- “Where you look is where you are going. Who you look to is who you are becoming.” (45:05)
- “Seek him first, trust him, and allow him to fill in the details. Because he is the Great Provider.” (40:10)
- “Our heavenly Father is not very good at hiding. He wants to be found.” (42:00)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 01:04 – Introduction & Metaphor of Running/Focus
- 04:20 – Multitasking Debunked & Link to Spiritual Life
- 07:49 – Matthew 6 Reading: Do Not Worry
- 10:10 – Worry Feels Productive (Car Horn Analogy)
- 13:20 – Worry Shortens Life & Undermines Worth
- 20:15 – Worry Clouds Vision (Hand-to-Face Illustration)
- 21:45 – What If Syndrome & Self-Diagnosis Story
- 24:40 – What Jesus Promises: “Much More” of Himself
- 26:20 – Worry Distracts & Diminishes Mission
- 29:00 – “Seek first the kingdom” (Matt. 6:33)
- 32:15 – Story of Peter Walking on Water
- 33:00 – “Faith got Peter out... worry caused him to sink”
- 35:15 – No Matter Your Year: Jesus Closes the Gap
- 37:45 – Practical Steps: Rooted, Life Groups, Annual Read
- 41:00 – Jeremiah 29:13 Promise
- 42:00 – Hide and Seek Illustration: God Wants to Be Found
- 45:05 – “Where you look is where you are going…”
- 45:20 – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Hymn)
Conclusion & Tone
In a message filled with wit, stories, and spiritual encouragement, Jared’s hopeful and relatable tone helps listeners reflect honestly on the past year’s worries while inviting them to fix their eyes on Jesus for the New Year. The practical tools and biblical truths offered serve as a roadmap to deeper faith, renewed focus, and a resilient hope grounded in God’s presence.
For more information, resources, or to get involved, visit marinerschurch.org.