Splash...

August 21st, 2026

Earlier this summer, on a day that was way too hot, the boys and I went to the Roeland Park Aquatic Center to cool off. They have one of those climbing walls over the pool, and after watching the kids go up it, I made the mistake that every aging father eventually makes. I thought, “That doesn’t look that hard.”

It was.

The kids took their turns and eventually moved on. I stayed behind, apparently determined to prove something to absolutely no one.

I would climb...miss a foothold...and fall into the pool.

At some point, a three- or four-year-old wandered over and started coaching me from the side. Sadly, even with professional preschool instruction, I never made it to the top.

Also, you can probably tell that the pictures with this email are from several years ago. I didn't take pictures this time because I try not to be the dad taking pictures at the pool...and more importantly, I was busy climbing!

So I am probably not qualified to give climbing advice, but I did learn that you don't need to see the entire path. You just need the next good foothold.

I think faith works this way too.

This Sunday at New Life, we are continuing our sermon series by walking through Ruth 3:1–18. This is the scene where Naomi comes up with a plan, Ruth takes an incredible risk, and Boaz wakes up in the middle of the night to find a woman lying at his feet. A marriage proposal is made, and by morning the situation is still not fully resolved.

But Ruth doesn't go home empty-handed.

Boaz fills Ruth’s cloak with barley and sends her back to Naomi. It doesn’t complete the redemption, but it shows that the redeemer is already at work.

It’s a foothold.

If you are like me, you want God to show you the whole path. We want to know what will happen with our kids, how the relationship will turn out, when the prayer will be answered, and what comes next. But often God just gives us glimpses of His redemptive work that are enough to strengthen our faith and help us take the next step. There is much more to discover, but you’ll have to come Sunday ?.

I can't wait to see you on Sunday at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available), or 10:45 am (Full KidCity available)…OR a service in Spanish at 1:00 pm. 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.

Have a great evening,

Troy