“Good, but busy.” It’s an easy answer when life fills up with work, family commitments, and the next thing on the calendar. Yet time is one resource we can never earn back. Where are we investing it, and are those investments reflecting what matters most to God?

In “ROI (Return on Investment),” Adam Burns explores Ephesians 5:15–17 and Paul’s call to walk wisely, make the best use of our time, and understand the Lord’s will. Small, everyday choices can gradually draw us away from God or help us grow attentive to His leading. Through practical encouragement, Adam invites us to make room for prayer, Scripture, and opportunities to love and serve others. This week, choose one intentional way to invest the time God has given you.

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: Time is the one currency we can never earn back, so followers of Jesus must invest every moment in ways that please Him and bear eternal fruit.

Overview

Adam compares time to money: once spent, it is gone forever. Drawing on Ephesians 5:15-17, he urges believers to “walk wisely,” redeeming the time because the days are evil. Using two Casting Crowns songs (“Slow Fade” and “Waiting on the Night to Fall”), he illustrates how small, careless choices can lead to a gradual drift from God. The message challenges hearers to audit their schedules, eliminate distractions, and intentionally devote moments to God-honoring purposes—promising that the spiritual return on this investment far outweighs any earthly gain.

Key Scripture

• Ephesians 5:15-17 — The foundation of the whole message: walk wisely and make the most of every opportunity.

Main Points

1. Time is a non-renewable currency

• “Yesterday’s time is gone.” Money and possessions can be replaced; time cannot.
• Typical answer to “How are you?” is “Good, but busy,” revealing how quickly our minutes are spent on work, children’s activities, and media.

2. Paul’s call: Walk wisely and redeem the time (Eph 5:15-17)

• Context: after explaining salvation by grace and the unity of the Church, Paul turns to daily conduct.
• Key commands:
  • Look carefully how you walk.
  • Be wise, not unwise.
  • Make the best use of the time because the days are evil.
• Evil forces oppose God’s truth; careless living leads to a “slow fade.”

3. Beware the slow fade

• Casting Crowns lyric: “It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray.”
• Spiritual drift rarely happens through one big decision; it’s usually a series of tiny compromises.
• Average American spends six hours a day on media—prime real estate the enemy can hijack.

4. Practical ways to invest time for eternal ROI

1. Conduct a 3-day time audit — record every 30 minutes; label activities life-giving, neutral, or wasteful.
2. Schedule sacred time — non-negotiable daily block for Bible, prayer, silence.
3. Seize one kingdom opportunity each day — pray for someone, share your faith, serve a need.
4. Practice intentional unplugging — set tech-free hours or a tech-free day each week.
5. Set weekly purposeful goals — 1–3 measurable aims tied to spiritual growth and relationships.

Application

The call: Choose one intentional way this week to invest your time in God’s purposes rather than letting the hours disappear unexamined.

Head — Recognize time as God’s gift and understand His will for how you use it.

Heart — Cultivate desire to be with the Lord, resisting numbness to sin or distraction.

Hands

1. Keep a 3-day time audit and prayerfully review the results.
2. Block out a daily sacred time on your calendar.
3. Unplug from digital media for at least one set period this week.
4. Act on one concrete opportunity to love or serve someone in Jesus’ name.
5. Evaluate and adjust weekly goals each Sunday evening.

Reflection Questions

1. Where did most of your discretionary hours go last week?
2. What small compromises could be pulling you into a “slow fade”?
3. Which practical step from the list resonates most with your current season?
4. How might redeeming your time bless your family, friends, or a stranger in need?
5. What would it look like for you to “understand what the will of the Lord is” in today’s schedule?

Prayer

Father, thank You for every minute You place in our hands. Forgive us for spending Your gift carelessly. Teach us to walk wisely, to number our days, and to invest our moments in things that honor You and serve others. Guard us from the slow fade and fill us with Your Spirit so that our time brings glory to Jesus. Amen.

Recorded October 18th, 2026
Message by Adam Burns
Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-17