East Rock Celebration
- Last week East Rock Celebrated 5 years since they launched their Campus in Elkton. Over 100 people stayed to fellowship and celebrate.
- What a great team they have there with Pastor Jarod Link, Beth Suhr, Pastor Terry, Steph Higgs their children’s Director and Karen Good with works with the teens
- I have the privilege of sitting in Monday
Meetings with Pastor Jared and Beth and wow, God is doing some amazing things not just on their campus, but in their community because of the faithfulness and obedience of the people at COTN.Soletstake a moment and celebrate them and all that God is doing and moving within the Elkton Community.NowIfonly we can get moving on bringing summer back toVA.You all fooled this Easterner fromPA.My first 2 winters in VA were easy. Hardly any snow, mildtemps.Then BAMM you hit us Alaskan like weather.
I am done with this winter weather. I know this is an unpopular opinion but, I not only love thebeach,Ialso love the heat, the sun….Ijust love summer.
Olafonthe beach.
About 8 years ago, my parents moved fromPA toOrmondBeachFlorida, for this exact reason.Theycouldn’tstand the cold anymore.Which is good news for me, because visiting them means trips to the beach for us.However, the beach, although wonderful, comes with its own troubles.
Beach water waves.
My girls loved getting in the water, which as a mom ofcourse,freaked me out.I was constantly watching them, making sure that they were not too far out and safe from thecurrent andwaves.But without fail, after a few minutes of them swimming in the ocean, I would have to start waving them down.The waves, little by little, would drift them out too far from where I was.
Theydidn’ttry to drift.
Theydidn’tplan to drift.
But the currentslowly pulledthem too far away.
And once they realized it, they would start makingtheanxiouseffort and intention to swim back. Most of you have been there. Your umbrella was over there…and nowit’sWAY over there.
Spiritual drifting works the same way.
Nobody wakes up and says, “Today, I think I’ll drift away from God.”I’mgoing to disconnect from my faith – or in current terminology –I’mgoing to DECONSTRUCT my faith today.It happens slowly.
There was an old song by casting Crowns that said, “It’s a slow fade, when you give yourself away.It’sa slow fade, when black and white, turn to gray”
No big waves, no storm, just slow quiet movement, small waves that cause someone to drift from where they started.It’susually slow… andit’salwaysvery dangerous.
Signs Someone is Drifting
- They’re slowly pulling back from church, small groups, serving, worship, and Bible reading.
- Faith stops being the center of life and other things start taking priority.
- They start isolating themselves from Christian friends and accountability.
- Their beliefs begin to shift quietly, leaning more on culture than Scripture, and small compromises start to feel okay.
And suddenly they are not where they used to be spiritually speaking.
Often the first signisn’tbehavior,it’sdisconnection.
Drifting doesn’t always look like running away.
Sometimes it lookslikeslowly letting go.
We included this topic in our relationship series because some of the most heartbreaking relationship strugglesaren’taboutconflict, they’reabout distance. Not just emotional distance, but spiritual distance.
Many of us carry quiet burdens for people we love whoaren’twalking with God anymore. And the Bibleactually speaksto how we love people in that space.
Right now…this morning, you may know and love someone in exactly this situation.
So,here’sthe question today:
What do we do, when someone we love and care for starts to drift? Someone who perhaps at one time in their life, called themselves a follower of Jesus, but now, their relationship with Jesus seems distant.
James 5:19-20 (NLT) – Bring ThatPerson Back
19My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back,20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sinsJames 5:19-20 (The message)
“My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented anepidemic of wanderingaway from God.” The Message
Scripture is clear that we are notto ignorethe drifter. We are called to be theWaver!
THE WAVER
- Stays aware
- Keeps looking outward
- Notices movement
- Cares enough to call out
- Acts out of love, not superiority
Before we look at John 21, let me say this: Peter is not the perfect example of a drifter. I could have used Jonah as an example of a drifter, who ran from God’s calling who knew God but didn’t want to obey, or Samson who was called by God at birth and drifted through pride, lust and disobedience, or perhaps, the parable of the prodigal son, who leaves his father to pursue worldly living. Peter had a momentary lap of judgement.Perhaps itwas a momentary drift, but heisn’tthe perfect example of a drifter.But he does show us what it looks like to struggle and stumble in faith.
What’sremarkable in this chapter is how Jesus responds not with condemnation, but with patient restoration. Here, Jesus shows us exactly how to love, guide, and restore someone who has drifted. And that is who I want to focus on today, Jesus.
Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, had denied Him three times, not once, not twice, but three times. He had boldly said he would never fall away, never fail, and yet when fear and pressure came, he completely denied even knowing Jesus. Just a few days earlier, Peter would have called himself Jesus’ most loyal follower. But in that moment of weakness, he drifted away.
With a curse, the Apostle Peter disconnected.
After Jesus’ death, the women had discovered the tomb was empty, and their resurrected Lord began appearing to His disciples.
Peter and the disciples returned to fishing on the Sea of Tiberias.But that night, they didn’t catch a single thing.
Then a man on the shore, someone theydidn’trecognize at first, called out and told them to cast their nets on the other side. When they did, the nets were overflowing with fish. They might have thought to themselves, “We have seen this happen before.” And then it clicked, it was Jesus.
Peter, the one who had failed, the one who had walked away in fear, and denied knowing Jesus,didn’thesitate. He jumped into the water and swam straight to Jesus.
This storyisn’tjust about Peter’sfailure,it’sabout Jesus’ patience.It’sabout how He pursues those who drift.First Jesus
Pursue the drifter with presence, notpressure
Jesus’salways knew where He had to be and who He had to be with.
John 21:12-14 NLT
“Now come and have some breakfast!”Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.13Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.14This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
“Now come and have some breakfast!” This invitationrepresentsrelationship and intimacy.
Jesus spent time with Peter (even sharing a meal) before addressing anything spiritual.
When someone is drifting, they often already feel distance. But presence is more powerful than
punishment or judgment. A wise servant once said,
presence matters mostand presence =Love
- Invite them to coffee, a walk, or normal hangout
- Keep the relationship warm and safe
- Let them see that they are loved, without an agenda.
Because Jesus shows us to
Lead with love, not lectures
John 21: 15-17
After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter,“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”“Then feed my lambs,”Jesus told him.
16Jesus repeated the question:“Simonson of
John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”“Then take care of my sheep,”Jesus said.17A third time he asked him,“Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Jesusdidn’tstart with, “Why did you deny me?”
He started with, “Do you love me?”
BAMM-BAMM
Bamm-Bammfrom The Flintstones had a good heart, but his “bam” was still powerful enough to hurt.
Where wavers get it wrong:
Sometimes our desire to see a drifter return can make us push or ” Bible -bam” too hard. Wedon’twant to overwhelm them with Scripture, hoping something sticks. Truth is best received whenit’sshared with love.
Drifting hearts need reminders of love more than reminders of failure.
- Ask heart-level questions
- Listen more than you talk
- Affirm your care for them Examples:
- “How are you really doing?”
- “What is going on in your life?”
- “Where do you feel God in your life lately?”
Remember: You are not the Holy Spirit. You area friend.
John 21:18
“Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you. “Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
Sometimes no matter howgentlyyou approach the drifter, they may still feel hurt and defensive.Some drifters workvery hardto prove they are not wrong in disconnecting.
Which is why we need to
Keep it personal, not public.
Not every moment needs an audience. Some things are meant to be handled up close, in love, and in private.
John 21:20
20Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved,
Peter turned and saw the other disciples behind him, itshowed us there was some space between them.
Jesus addressed individuals privately,Thewoman at the well,Theonepossessedby demons, The woman caught in adultery, The pharisees tried to make that public, but Jesusdidn’taddress her till everyone walked away.
Social media is not the place to call out the drifter.(Thisisn’tjust a younger generation problem! According to data released by AARP in 2026…. 73% of adults over the age of 50 are active onSocial Media)
I’vehonestly never heard someone say they found Jesus because a Christian called them out publicly.But I have seen people get hurt, shut down, orpushedfurther away because of it.
Church, please hear my heart on this. When we publicly call someone out, whether on social media, or any other way, it almost never brings the change we hope for. Instead, it often brings division. And not just division, it can hurt our testimony. The world is watching how we treat people when theystruggle or driftor disagree.
Someone said the church is the only army that shoots its own wounded…
If our goal is restoration, then ithas tostart with relationships.
Restoration starts with relationship
A message. A phone call.A coffee. A quiet and personal conversation. Again, presence matters most.
You may want to have an honest conversation at some point about the risks of walking away,Therewill come a time when youwill haveto havethehard conversation, butthat’susually not where you begin.
That’swhere love really works.That’swhere people feel seen, notshamed. And that’s where Jesus meets them. So,let’spursue people the way He pursues us – personally, gently, and privately. Because we are to
Extend Grace, Not GossipSometimeswhat we call “concern” is really a comparison. Sometimes what we call “sharing” isactually gossipdressed up in spiritual language.
Show a picture of Emily and Haley
Look at these two girls who love each other deeply today. But when they were little, they fought like cats and dogs. There were moments I honestly wondered ifthey’dever be close.
When one made a mistake, the other was quick to point it out…..quick to make sure I knew who was wrong and who was right. One would be in trouble, and the other wouldalmost glowin the moment, quietly saying, “See?I’mthe good one.”
Ephesians 4:29
29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”
Church… ifI’mhonest,I’veseen that same tendency in my own heart.
We say we want to help, but deep down we feel a little better about ourselves in the process.It’sthe intent of the heart.What’syour goal, to help a brother or sister in need, or to puff yourself to flex your “spiritual muscles.”
The Gospel doesn’t call us to gossip about the drifter, it calls us to extend grace to them.
Because the truth is, every one of us has been the one who wandered. Every one of ushas neededmercy. None of us are sitting here today because we got it all right,we’rehere because God was gracious when we got it wrong.
So yes, seek wise counsel when needed. But never forget where God found you. Remember what He saved you from. When we remember our own rescue story, it softens our hearts.
Then we stop offering gossip and start offering grace.It’sthat grace that often helps bring a drifter home.
Trust God with the outcome
Jesusdidn’tforce Peter’s response. He invited it.
Youcan’tmake someone come back to faith. You can only love them toward it.
- Pray for them consistently
- Let the Holy Spirit work
- And be Patient with the Drifter
A Message to the Drifter:
Ifyou’resitting here today, or listening to my voice, andyou’rerealizing…
“I might be the one drifting”…. hear this with love:
This messageisn’ta warning shot.It’sa wave from the shore.
The umbrella never moved. You did!
Nobody here is throwing stones at you.We’rewavingyou home.
Driftingdoesn’tmake you a failure. It makes you human. But youdon’thave to stay where the current has taken you.
Remember Peter.
He drifted.
He denied Jesus.
And yet Jesus pursued him, restored him, and still called him forward.
Jesus is in the restoration business.
The very Peter who drifted became the rock on which Jesus built His church.
Sohear this clearly: your drifting does not cancel God’s calling.
Your distance does not disqualify your destiny.
The same Jesus who cooked breakfast for Peter, who gently restored him, whodidn’tshame him, that same Jesus is invitingyouback.
Not with pressure.
Not with guilt.
But with open arms.
Ifyou’vedrifted, you can come back.
Peter jumped in the water,couldn’teven wait for the boat to dock, he came swimming to Jesus.
Small strokes still move you towardshore. One prayer. One step. One surrender at a time.
And know this: He still has a plan for you.
Your storyisn’tover.
Yourcallingstill stands.
As a former pastor of mine often said,
“Jesus is desperately in love with you!”
Maybe today is your moment to turn your heart back toward Him.
1Corinthians 13 the Love Chapter says,
“Love is patient, Love is kind.Love is not jealous or boastful or proud, or rude. It does not demand its own way.It is notirritableand it keeps no record of being wronged.
These verses are not just instructions about love to be recited at awedding,they are also instructions on how to wave down the drifter.
David G Allen, a publishedauthorand researcher said,
“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you
have in your mind.”
Likeeatinga TootsieRoll Pop.Anyone remember this commercial?
How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie pop?
Inever did havethe patienceto notbite into the tootsie roll pop.After a while, I just got tired and had to take a bite.
LifeSavers
LifeSaver Illustration: Patience with the Drifter
Go ahead and put the LifeSaver in your mouth now, buthere’sthe challenge:
Do not bite it.
Just let it sit there and dissolve.
You’llnotice something almostimmediately,you want to bite it.
It takes patience to just let it sit and slowly dissolve.
And honestly?
It’seasier to bite than to wait.WhenTryingthis at home it took me 2 min and 30 sec. before I just took a bite.
That’sa lot like how we treat people who are drifting fromthe faith.
We see them drifting.
We love them.
We want them to come home.
But sometimes instead of patiently loving them, we bite down in frustration.
Welecture.
Wepush.
We ‘Bible-bam’ them over the head.
Not becausewe’remean… but because we care.
Butchurch, when we bite, it often causes more harm than good.
People rarely drift back because they were pressured.
Theycomeback because they were loved.
Because someone waved them down. Because someone stayed patient.
Brian’s Pop
Brian’s pop (grandfather) a patriarch of the family prayed for Brian’s Dad, to come to the Lord for 15 years. He prayed and Waved him down for 15 years. Talk about patience. Brian’s Dad gave his heart to the Lord when he was 33. Brian’s dad passed at 35 of cancer.
Pop,also prayed for me. He waved me down for about4 yearsbefore I gave my heart to Jesus.
Were there times when he had difficult conversations with us…absolutely, buthe LOVED us first. And He loved us well.
During this last song,letstake a moment to think of that person in your life who seems spiritually distant or drifting.Perhaps it’ssomeone you care about but may feel powerless to reach.Picture them clearly in your mind.
If you still have a lifesaver in your mouth, Keep sucking! Cause whether you are the drifter of the waver,it’soften inthe waitingthat the Holy Spirit moves.
Song…
Be patient with the drifter
Love before you lecture
Pursue with presence, not pressure
Extend Grace and not Gossip
Trust God to do the heart work
You’renot the Savior,
you’rejust called to point the drifter to THE
Savior, Jesus