We are always making exchanges—with our time, focus, energy, attention, money, trust. etc. Some of our exchanges are minor, adding or subtracting a little, while some are significant, making a radical difference. All exchanges, though, have this in common: we don’t gain anything in life without giving up something in return. You can’t have it all.
We all carry “ashes” in our life, that is, some form of desolation, devastation, defeat. Our ashes will either pull us to replace what we had or push us to exchange for something new.
We all want “beauty” or lasting satisfaction. Yet, what we want is one thing; where we hope to find it is quite another. How can we identify where we’re not finding lasting satisfaction?: What do keep replacing in your life? We can keep replacing those things or come to Jesus. He wants to exchange it for something new, for something only he can give.
5 minute sermon clip: