A few weeks ago, I was at a coffee shop, sitting alone at a table and reading. Four people came and sat down at a table next to me, so I thought, "I hope they don't talk too loud. I need to focus on this article I'm reading." I'm happy to report that they were not loud at all. In fact, they didn't say a word to one another. Each of them spent the entire 20–30 minutes on the phone, texting or tweeting.

I'm not writing this to be critical. I have no doubt that these four had agreed to meet that morning so that they could connect as friends. And, I also have no doubt that all of them would say that they were connecting with other friends via their smartphones and tablet devices. But, I do wonder whether they were really "connecting." Were they sharing life deeply with one another? Were they learning to develop trust in one another?

Believe it or not, these musings at the coffee shop bring me to the topic of my Easter message. For several months at Lake Avenue Church, we have been hearing stories giving witness to "turning points" in people's lives. Each turning point took place when people connected deeply and personally to God. We have heard over and over again how people had times when the God who made the universe broke into their lives, turned them around from the way they had been living, and then sent them into the future with new resolve and hope. Amazingly, we have been collecting hundreds of stories from those who have attended our services, describing these kinds of turning points. Today, in one segment of our service, we will see and hear a few of those stories.

As we have told these stories in our gatherings together, a good number of people have asked me how it is that we actually connect to God in this deep and personal way. When I watched the four folks at the coffee shop, I was quite sure that they were connecting at one level, but I wondered whether there were a deep and personal connection to one another. In a similar way, I began to wonder about those of us who sometimes go to church. We may connect with God at one level—believing that God exists, seeking to worship in some ways, and even desiring to live a good life. However, the Bible talks about connecting to God in a way that actually becomes a turning point in our lives. How do we have that connection?

So, on this Easter Sunday, we will look at some people in the Bible who thought they had a connection with God. But, something happened one day that brought them into a real and life-changing connection. I call it "resurrection faith." Maybe Easter 2012 will be a turning point for you, too.

To His Glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor