Stopped in my tracks...

This past weekend I was out of town for a wedding, and after the rehearsal dinner in the historic Stockyards, some friends and I were driving back to our hotel. Now, the Stockyards are all charm and cowboy boots… but the drive back took us through a much sketchier part of town.

And just to be clear, I have no problem with sketchy. I’ve spent plenty of time in places where the GPS gets nervous. But when you’re in an unfamiliar city late at night, sketchy has a way of keeping you alert. At the same time I was much more relaxed than normal since I had no deadlines or kids to drop off.

As we wound our way through the backroads, we came upon not one… not two… but three train tracks crossing the road, each about fifty feet apart.

There was a long line of cars at the first track, but eventually it started moving. Everything was fine until we approached the second crossing, where the line slowed down and that would have put me right on the tracks. Now, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I do know its not a great idea to park your car on train tracks in a dark, unknown part of town.

So I held back and waited.

Then, just as I was about to move forward, I noticed the crossing arm ahead of me starting to lower. What I didn’t notice was the crossing arm directly above me also coming down. In a split second I put it into reverse… and thud…the arm bounced off the roof of our rental as I backed away. Thankfully no one was in danger, the train came through seconds later, and Lord willing, the rental company does not subscribe to this email list.

Life is full of confusing signals and moments where you’re not entirely sure what to do next. And if I’m being honest, it’s not just train crossings in a sketchy part of Dallas that feel that way.

Life itself can feel like that.

People around us are navigating a world full of mixed messages, competing philosophies, and shifting definitions. They’re trying to make sense of the noise of opinions and the uncertainty of their own hearts, asking:

Where did I come from?

Who am I?

Why am I here?

How should I live?

Where am I going when all this is over?

These are not small questions. They are the questions underneath every fear, every regret, every dream, and every longing. And this Sunday, as we finish our series on how the resurrection impacts real life, we learn from 1 Peter 3:15-15 that through the resurrection, we not only have hope, we have answers worth sharing. The resurrection gives clarity where the world offers confusion. So this week we’re going to talk about how the resurrection shapes our understanding of origin, identity, meaning, morality, and destiny…and why our hope in Jesus isn’t just personal, it’s profoundly shareable.

I sure hope to see you on Sunday for services at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available), or 10:45 am (Full KidCity available). Otherwise, you can watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or on our New Life website at 9:15 am. Also, we would LOVE for you to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. 

Come early for some coffee and to meet a few friends,

Troy