The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley
Week 5: Daily Habit 4 — Scripture Before Phone
Read the chapter on Scripture Before Phone in The Common Rule. Key Scripture: Psalm 119:147–148; Matthew 4:1–4.
Previewing Week 5 of The Common Rule
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
The fourth daily habit is about what happens in the first few minutes of your morning — and how those minutes quietly set the terms for the whole day. This week, experiment with which voice you hear first.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Earley calls the first moments of the morning a 'prime time of formation' — a window when we are unusually open and receptive. Does this match your experience of early morning? What is typically the first voice you hear in your head when you wake up?
2.He observes that most of us reach for our phones within minutes — often seconds — of waking, and that the phone immediately serves us a feed of news, anxiety, and comparison. What has reaching for your phone first thing in the morning done to the tone of your days?
3.Earley does not prescribe a particular Bible reading plan or length of time — he simply insists that Scripture comes before the phone. Why do you think he keeps this habit so minimal? What does that design choice communicate about grace versus perfectionism?