Choose Delight over Dopamine Hits

Dannah Gresh: Let me ask you something, "Have you been scrolling your life away?" Gretchen Saffles invites you to change that.

Gretchen Saffles: Delight in the Lord far outlasts any dopamine hit that scrolling your phone could ever give. God's word never changes, but it always changes us.

Dannah: This is the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author of Incomparable, for January 19, 2026. I’m Dannah Gresh.

If you’re walking through the 2026 Bible reading plan with us, today we’re reading Exodus 15–18. 

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: As you reflect on your heart attitudes, do you ever see a pattern of discontentment or discouragement? Well, several years ago, my friend Gretchen Saffles noticed that tendency in her own life. As she thought about it, she began to realize that her emotional slumps were the result of a  world-driven, phone-based life. 

Now, I want you to see if this routine sounds familiar. Gretchen would begin each morning checking her email, scrolling social media, and reading the news. When daily mom life got stressful, she’d scroll to escape. And then when she went to bed at night, she’d scroll some more before falling asleep. Hmmm, I have a hunch this is an all-too-familiar rhythm for so many of us. But it doesn’t have to be. 

This past fall at True Woman '25, Gretchen did a session about putting God’s Word before the world. As we do that, I truly believe, you and I will experience the freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ our souls truly long for. Let’s listen to part 1 of Gretchen’s message.

Gretchen: Here's a reality: every single day, we have a choice to make. Will we put the world first, or the Word first? What are we going to allow to shape our thoughts and our affections and our devotion?

Are we going to allow all of the data on our phones to shape us, or God's unchanging Word? I actually realized how detrimental this is whenever I was looking at my screen time data. When my phone rolled out that feature, and then all of a sudden, you start getting this at the end of the week: “This is your average daily data.”

Because a lot of times, we don't realize where we're spending our time until we're able to take a step back. I found some research that says that we spend over five hours a day on our phones, but when you go to Gen Z, they're spending seven hours or more. So if you were to add that up, that would amount to seventy days a year—from, I mean, every single moment—two months of the year where we're looking at a little tiny screen, and it's shaping us.

It's forming us into somebody. We want to be women who are transformed by God's Word. We are a Word-driven people because God created us to know Him through His unchanging Word. The difference between a life lived with purpose, peace, and a gospel-shaped perspective is who or what we choose to put first.

So the title of today's message is very simple. It's “Word Before World.” And my hope in the title is that those three little words can be catchy and memorable. So that when you do wake up and you feel that pull—it would be so much easier just to open up my phone right now, instead of opening God's Word—that God would bring those words to mind: a Word before World, Jesus over everything.

I'm going to go ahead and tell you our three points, because we're going to go deep into it. So the first is: the Word is eternal. Our second point in our roadmap is: the Word is powerful. Our third point is: the Word is full of grace and truth.

Delighting in Jesus, the Word made flesh, is like feasting on a steak dinner. After you have been snacking on cotton candy, once you have the steak dinner, you realize that cotton candy doesn't taste that good. This is what nourishes my soul. Because social media will fade away. The news will constantly be updating. And if you haven't noticed yet, the news is not going to report on the happy things in the world, right? The books on Amazon that you have to read—the self-help books, all the things—they're constantly updating. But it is this Word that has the power to change your life.

 

The Word of the Lord endures forever. And this Word points us to a person, and His name is Jesus. So, let's pray before we begin.

Father, Your Word is life. There is no other word that can be described as living and active, as sharper than a two-edged sword. Your Word is a gift to us that we may know You by. And Lord, I pray that if our hearts have become numb to the glory of the gospel, to Your truths, Your testimonies, Your law, Your promises, God, I pray that You would startle us awake today. Father, I pray that Christ would be glorified as we open up Your Word, and that You would show us how to pick up our spiritual fork and to feast upon Your Word day after day. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

So when my family is on a road trip, one of our favorite stops is Buc-ee’s. Have you heard of Buc-ee’s? Okay, now I know there has to be somebody in this room who has no idea what Buc-ee’s is, so I'm going to explain it a little bit. Think of the world's largest gas station. It's basically like a mini amusement park.

And as you've been driving and you're so tired of being cooped up in the car, I cannot tell you the excitement of being like, “A Buc-ee’s is coming up! We can stop and we can get out and stretch our legs. It's easy to get gas. And when you go inside, there's so much food and snacks and all the things you could ever want. They have Dr Pepper slushies. It's so good.

Well, what? One of my favorite billboards I've ever seen for a Buc-ee’s—because if you live near one, you know they're pretty good at billboards—read: Wasn't no potty like a Buc-ee’s potty. If you've been there, you know it's true.

Well, every time we stop at a Buc-ee’s, we always get the same snacks. I'm the Dr Pepper slushy girl, and my children always get a bag of Buc-ee’s cotton candy and a slushie. That's one of those things where they put a little bit of every flavor, and it looks like mucky brown and black at the end. And that's their favorite snack.

We get in the car. We've had our little Buc-ee’s stop, and they start snacking on it. And even though I tell them, “Do not drink that whole slushie and eat all that cotton candy at once. You will not feel good,” every single time, they do. Every single time.

And you know what ends up happening? They get a stomach ache, because drinking a slushie like that in the car and a bag of cotton candy is a recipe for disaster. Because the truth is, Buc-ee’s is not the place to go for a nourishing, strengthening meal.

The same is true, though, for our intake of words. Each day our souls are hungry. They're ravenous. We want to know the truth. We have doubts and fears and questions, and yet we turn to every other place other than this place, this Word that God has given us.

Did you know that the average person encounters about 100,000 words per day? Now, if you have young kids, I'm going to up that by like 10,000 with all the questions that they add in.

And yet, the American Bible Society did research in 2024, and it revealed that only about 40 percent of adults read the Bible. But here's the kicker: that's only three to four days a year when they attend church. On average, it's only about 16 percent that say they read the Bible daily.

We are in this room because we know this Word is life, and yet it can be so easy to turn everywhere else. We're consuming words just like that cotton candy, and they may give us a sugary, delightful dopamine hit—for just that little moment, that brief amount of time—but they leave our souls empty, malnourished. They leave us wanting more.

Sisters, God has given us the greatest gift of salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ, and He has blessed us with the written Word of God. Have we forgotten the wonder that we have God's written Word, and most likely multiple copies at home? This is the Word that has the power to save. God's Word is not a sugary snack. It's not a quick fix for the soul. It's a nourishing, mouth-watering, soul-satisfying meal—or snack—that He has invited us to feast upon.

The psalmist writes in Psalm 119:103, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” The more you taste God's Word, the rest of the world loses its flavor, and your cravings—your spiritual cravings—get rewired.

So I want you to walk away from this session—and this is by God's grace: it's not through me; it's through the work of His Holy Spirit—with an unrelenting hunger to know Jesus more.

And now we're going to start reading in John chapter one. In this gospel, John presents Jesus in a way that his deepest desire is that his audience will believe that Jesus is the Son of God. So He writes in verses 1 and 2:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

Now, what do those verses make you think of? It's another part of the Bible. Anybody know? Go back to the very beginning. I hear everybody whispering, “Genesis.” This is not by accident. John knew exactly what he was doing whenever he echoed the words of Genesis chapter 1.

So if you want to flip there, it's pretty easy to get there. It's the first part of the Bible. Flip there, and you can actually save your spot, because we're going to be coming back to Genesis in a little bit. The opening words of the Bible:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (vv. 1–2)

Before the world was ever created, the Word was. Before there were sun and moon and stars to light the night. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit dwelled together in perfect harmony.

Before there were ants and antelopes and asteroids in the sky, the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, existed. His Word is eternal. His Word is true.

Psalm 119:160—this beautiful psalm—I can't remember the exact words that Nancy used to describe it, but it is this masterpiece of adoration for God. In His Word it says,

The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

So why does God call us to put the Word before the world? Because that's how He wired the world. That's how He created the world.

The meaning of the word "Word" in John chapter 1—when he says, “In the beginning was the Word”—is logos. Now I know that somebody's here representing the Bible software Logos. So if you're ever wondering where they got it from: John chapter 1, “In the beginning was the Word”—the revelation of God.

Now, this would have appealed to both the Jewish and the Greek audience who was listening to this passage: that in the beginning was God's revelation to His people.

Well, the Israelites would have heard that, and they would remember God's revelation to His people in the Old Testament. But then you have the Gentiles, who don't know all of that. They would have heard the word logos, and they would have thought of a Greek philosophy. John calling Jesus the Word would connect to them and make a bridge that He is the Creator of the world. It would establish Jesus not as just a person that was born, but as God in the human flesh.

John is showing his original audience, and he's showing us, that Jesus is the embodiment of God's message of salvation and grace. If we want to know God, we have to go through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the better Word. He's the best Word. And He is the final Word.

The prophet Isaiah describes God's Word in Isaiah 40:8 by saying, “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever.” And He's saying this to a people who are in Babylon. They're not in a place of flourishing at the moment. And He's reminding them, “Don't turn from God's Word. This is your comfort. This is your hope.”

From the very first verse in Genesis to the last verse in Revelation, the Bible tells us one story of redemption. This Word points us to a person, and that person is Jesus.

Well, we will go to great lengths to get the things that we want, right? I read an article earlier this year, and it was titled “Mount Fuji Climber Rescued Twice after Going Back for Lost Phone.” So I was immediately like, “What? What in the world has happened?”

Read the article: a student was rescued by a helicopter after he attempted to climb Mount Fuji and he got altitude sickness. Well, those kinds of rescues—they're not a small thing. This is a big deal, to be rescued off of Mount Fuji.

Well, he gets down, recovers, and realizes I forgot my phone. So he climbs back up Mount Fuji, only to get sick and be rescued again. Well, unfortunately, the article doesn't include if he found his phone. I don't know. But I will tell you that the rescue he needed was much more than just getting a phone. Only Christ can truly rescue us.

And it sounds so foolish, but so often we do the same thing. We look for hope and for help in people, and work, and friends, and TV and movie stars, and books, and all of these things, when we have it right here. We have it in Jesus Christ.

If we are going to be wise, and discerning, and fruitful women who are not easily swayed in this world, we have to be women who know and love and treasure God's Word, because delight in the Lord far outlasts any dopamine hit that scrolling your phone could ever give. God's Word never changes, but it always changes us.

And that leads us to our next point: the Word is powerful.

So flip back with me to John chapter 1. We're going to read verses 3–13.

All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

So right here, John is showing us that the Word created the world. So flip back with me to Genesis chapter 1. Again.,He's calling us back to the very beginning, and he says in verses 3–4, And God said, “Let there be—say it with me—light.”

“Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.

On the very first day of creation, the first thing God makes is light to push away the darkness.

How did He do that? Did He wave a magic wand, like we see in all of these fairy tales? No. God's very words created the world. His Word has power to create life. And this is not just life back in Genesis. His Word has the power to create life in us today. If you are weary or discouraged, if you're in a space of just grieving or questioning or hurting, His Word creates life, and it creates life in you and in me.

I love how Paul expands upon this in Colossians 1. Isn't it beautiful how all of Scripture connects? We've gone from John to Genesis; now we're in Colossians, and it's all telling the same story.

So in Colossians chapter 1, verses 15 through 16, he says, “He is the image of the invisible God.” He, being Jesus, the Word made flesh, “the firstborn of all creation. For by Him, all things . . . ”

So if you're somebody who—either if you feel okay writing in your Bible. I love to track these things, the repeated words in Scripture, as I'm studying. You can do this on your notes. I want you to notice how many times Paul is saying "all things" and what he's talking about.

For by him, all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Paul is establishing that there is not one single thing in this universe that's not under His control. He has all power and all authority. All things were created by Him. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together.

Well, I want to tell you a story about my middle child, who is precious. He is so creative; you never know what is happening in that little mind of his. He's our child that, when he was learning to ride a bike or swim, he didn't want help. He wanted to do it on his own. And he did it. We did not teach him to ride a bike or to swim. He learned on his own.

So he's that kid that is just thinking about things and figuring them out. Well, for his birthday, he asked for—he really wanted—little parachute men. And, of course, I just hopped on Amazon and ordered, like, a pack of six, and he got these parachute men.

The way our steps are. You can stand and be able to drop something down. So he would stand there, and he'd put little things on his army men and drop them down.

One day he came to me and he said, “Mom, can you tie all of these together?” And I was like, “Sure.” So I tied them all together. Who knows what? You just never know.

Well, later, he comes to me with this face serious, and he says, “Mom, I need to tell you something.” And he takes me out to the stairs where I look down, and there's just a pile of pillows and blankets. And I knew. I knew he used that little pack of six as a parachute, thinking that he would just glide down from the top of the steps to the floor like an army man.

Well, I hate to break it to you—it did not work. But praise the Lord, he had the foresight to put the blankets and all the pillows down, because if he did not, I would be telling a very different story today.

These toy parachutes—they're just a false promise, a false hope—that he would carry his body down to the floor and not be hurt.

Don't we do the same thing? We look for hope in the words of others that so often lead us astray from this Word. Or we look for peace and satisfaction in the things of this world. Maybe it's shopping, or getting a bigger home, or a promotion. Or maybe it's just that your kids would be well-behaved at church.

We look for hope in so many other things other than this perfect One. We are not the perfect One, but He is. And we've been doing this ever since Adam and Eve. 

Well, I want us to go back to the beginning of Genesis chapter 3. So flip back to the beginning, and we're going to read the first verses in this passage.

Now, the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made“.

He said—so I want y'all to notice all of the words in this passage. Okay, as you're reading, notice these words.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

What's he doing there? He's making them doubt God's Word, His good Word, that He'd given them for their joy, for their protection.

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Right here, we see that Satan's tactics have not changed, have they? He caused her to doubt God's good and powerful Word.

Sisters, if we are not careful, we too will easily turn away from God's Word and soak our souls in the words of this world, thinking that they could offer something better. Satan promises to bring us high, but really sin brings us low. It is only through Christ that we are lifted up again by His grace.

When we are stressed or anxious, it's so easy to turn to Netflix, or TikTok, or novels, or all of these different things, trying to find something to soothe our sorrows. But we only find these little toy parachutes that really will not bear us up when the burdens of life weigh us down. Because when our world is falling apart—and does it not feel a little bit like the world is falling apart a lot of times?—God's Word holds it together. It is this Word in which we hope.

Nancy: You’ve been listening to part 1 of a message Gretchen Saffles gave at True Woman '25. I hope this reminder to put the Word over the world prompts you to reach for your Bible even more this January—and all throughout the year ahead. 

Dannah: I agree, Nancy. I want to go grab my Bible right now, that was so good.

If you’re feeling the same, and you’d like some inspirational resources to help you on your way, I’ve got good news. This month, when you make a donation of any amount to support Revive Our Hearts, we’d love to say “thank you” by sending a set of twelve beautifully-designed In His Presence Scripture Cards. Each card includes a Scripture verse and a thoughtful quote from Nancy. On top of that, we’ll also send you a printed copy of the 2026 Bible reading plan. 

And for those who make a donation of fifty dollars or more, we’ll add in the Behold the Wonder Bible Reading Journal and the cutest Bible study toolkit, complete with assorted highlighters, pens, sticky notes, and a zip-up pouch to contain it all. To donate and request your gift, visit ReviveOurHearts.com, or call us at 1-800-569-5959.

And remember, it’s not too late to begin reading through the Bible with us in 2026. Just visit ReviveOurHearts.com/Bible2026 to sign up and find all the information you’ll need.

Also, I wanted to let you know this! Gretchen has written a book called Word before World: 100 Devotions to Put Jesus First. So if you’re loving what you heard today—you may want to grab that resource as well! We’ll link it in the transcript of today’s episode at ReviveOurHearts.com or on the Revive Our Hearts app. 

Tomorrow, we’ll hear part two of Gretchen’s message, "Word before World." If you thought today’s program was encouraging, you’ll want to be here tomorrow as well. Please be back for Revive Our Hearts.

This program is a listener-supported production of Revive Our Hearts in Niles, Michigan, calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

All Scripture is taken from the ESV.

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