Resonating

I think one of my favorite things about being in a place and time in ministry where things have started clicking is that everything you do and say resonates with the people around you. This morning I began my next sermon series about how to be a real disciple of Jesus. I talked about moving beyond external behavior modification and teaching about proper doctrine. I talked about how we all want to experience the abundant life described in the New Testament, but none of us ever seem to really be there. Peace and joy are sorely lacking in most people's lives most of the time. But if we take the Bible seriously and believe that Jesus wasn't lying to us, then the problem has to be on our end.

All of the things that I shared resonated with the people in church this morning, particularly with several new families that excitedly told me after the service that they had been thinking about the exact things that I talked about during the last week. It's so exciting when you see people really engaging and wrestling with tough questions, especially when those questions have to do with their own spiritual formation.