I’ve got a bit of a confession to make… I’ve never been much of a “New Year’s Resolution” kind of guy. I didn’t sign up for a gym membership this pasts week, nor did I swear off of sweets. (I promise you that will never happen!) Don’t get me wrong, I set goals and have things I set out to accomplish each year, but I’ve never called them “resolutions.” But if there’s one thing that has really been on my mind for 2026, it’s the idea we read about in Psalm 46:10, where the Psalmist says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” If we’re being honest, the concept of “being still” is kind of foreign to today’s culture of 24/7 accessibility. We live in a society where we feel pressure to respond, we feel the need to post, we feel the pull to consume, and without even realizing it, we have enslaved ourselves to a device that fits in our pocket.
If you don’t believe me, pay attention to how you feel the next time you see that your phone battery is about to die. Here’s the thing – I’m not against cell phones or technology – I have and use both. I’m speaking from my own personal battle with how much I allow devices to control me. Even when I’m not on my phone, it’s always within arms’ reach. During commercials, I pick it up. When I’m bored, I pick it up. Then it hit me – if I’m battling this pull to my device, then certainly someone else is fighting the same fight. (Actually, I already knew that.) That is why we are going to start off the new year talking about this very subject in the HS group.
For six weeks, we will be in a series called Unplugged: Finding Freedom In a Connected World. Unplugged is a six-week teaching series designed to help high school students think biblically about technology, attention, and identity. In a world where students feel constant pressure to stay connected, this series invites them to slow down, examine what is shaping them, and discover the freedom, rest, and clarity Jesus offers. Rather than encouraging students to disconnect from life, Unplugged challenges them to reconnect with God and others by building healthier rhythms in a connected world.
The greatest example we have of what it looks like to unplug is Jesus Christ Himself. We read in Mark 1:35, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” There’s no doubt Jesus was busy, He was pulled in so many directions at the same time with people needing healing, forgiveness, and so on. Then there were the disciples He was pouring into. Yet He created margin in His life to “unplug” from all of that and connect with the Father. As I challenge our HS students to create margin in their lives to “be still” and connect with God on a deeper level, I want to extend the same challenge to all of you as well. Are you able to set your device aside and lean into God? If not, it’s not too late to start. You can do it, and I’ll be cheering you on!
Blessings,
Joe Newton | Pastor of High School | Hessel Church | joe@hessel.org
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