COMING BACK

I’ll never forget standing on stage singing this song as we watched hundreds and hundreds of people get baptized on Easter just a few weeks ago (I cried at every service). I looked out and saw our church absolutely packed full of people smiling and singing, “I’m coming back to my first love - nothing matters more to me.” See, I remember being a young boy coming into this very same church with such a pure heart for worship and heart for God. So much life has happened between then and now… I’ve become a husband and a father, I’ve succeeded and failed so many different times… life feels infinitely more complicated and heavy sometimes. But one thing I’ve learned is there’s so much joy in Coming Back. There’s so much joy in repentance, in fact it’s a massive part of walking with Jesus. We were always going to mess up - that’s why He came in the first place! The gift of Jesus is that we are able to come back knowing we are fully forgiven and fully free. It’s been my prayer as our church has re-filled after the pandemic, that people would discover or re-discover the joy of salvation (ps 51) as they find again the wonder of the Presence of God.

TG

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51: 10-12 (NIV)