John 13:35

I remember coming in as a, as a Christian who had been a Christian for a long time. I had been around the block. I'd been in many different denominations and many different, um, fields or and churches. And I remember walking in and just, um, recognizing, like, what is going on here? Why is everyone so happy? And why, why is everyone serving and excited? Like, something—there's something different that I, I wasn't used to.

I loved it, and as someone who had been in church for years, I just thought, I want to come back, and not only that, but I want to bring all my friends. So I remember, um, coming, and all I wanted to do was buy a Combi at that stage and bring friends, high school friends, guys that I'd known in school, to church, which is what I, which is pretty much what I did without buying a Combi. But I'd squash them in the car and bring guys along because I, I, yeah, I just saw, I just saw something of, uh, just laugh, and it wasn't, uh, at it.

What I, what I don't remember is necessarily the leaders, or even the preaching as much. Or the worship as much. That stuff was great, but I just remember seeing these, the people and just going, these people are amazing. And it feels like this is what they're living for. It feels like this is the priority of their lives, and it feels like, uh, this is, this is what they're looking forward to. It's the next moment where they're going to meet together and be together and serve Jesus together and come around the person of Jesus together.

And so I've loved that, and I've always—that's what I've always sought. That's what I've always desired, and that's what I've picked up, and that's what I've wanted to help now model in terms of leading a church.