My pastoral journey began more than twenty years ago. In those early years, I was fortunate to have been blessed with mentors who taught me how to plan, budget, lead, and resolve conflicts. Their lessons were practical and helped me understand how to guide people and build ministries with care and purpose. As the years went on, another question began to stir in me: What is all this leadership really for?

That question has changed how I see ministry. Leadership in the church is not just about managing programs or growing churches. It is about shaping lives. It is about helping people learn how to follow Jesus in real, everyday ways. Many models of church leadership seem to assume that discipleship will happen naturally as people participate in church activities. But I’ve learned that discipleship must be intentional. If we’re not careful, we end up focusing more on keeping the church running than on helping the church become holy.

When I look at our Wesleyan heritage, I see that John Wesley didn’t assume discipleship. He organized it. He knew that holiness was not achieved in isolation but formed through community, through small groups, prayer, and accountability. Wesley understood that grace shapes us, holiness refines us, and community sustains us.

In Acts 24, Felix listened to Paul's defense. The text tells us that the governor "was rather well informed about the Way." We know his wife was Jewish. So, she could have let Felix in on the information she had heard about this growing movement. As a political leader, he may have already been aware of the events that had been taking place. He may have investigated for himself what all the fuss was about.

It seems like something he knew about the Way impacted what he was willing to do for Paul.

I'd be curious to find out what he knew. I'm always somewhat curious to sense what people know about our faith. Sometimes, people who are not Christian may know more about the Christian faith than those who are. In our modern world, a simple web search can teach us far more about anything than Felix could ever think possible.

But I want to reflect on what we show the world about Christianity. Today's passage reminds us of the Way. That label pointed people to Jesus and identified his followers as those who followed his way. I'm all for bringing that ID and expectation back! Learning about a religion's background and history is one thing. But showing the world the Way with our daily lives is something different.

Some people say, “The next generation just isn’t listening.” Let's assume that's right. Well, what if they're not listening because we’ve stopped talking about God? Oh, we talk about God stuff. Church. Church programs. Church budges. Church attendance.

We talk much about what's wrong with the world and all that used to be right. There's room for that, by the way. But when was the last time we told our children what God has done for us? When was the last time we shared how God brought us through, not in some general sense, but in if-it-hadn't-been-for-God detail?

Listen to the psalmist's loud praise. He says, "I will lift you up high, my God, the true king. I will bless your name forever and always.” Not, “I’ll keep a low profile and hope that's enough for someone to notice.” That's not bold enough for the psalmist. He refuses to let silence erase the story of God’s goodness.

To reject our faith's call for social justice is to ignore some of the Bible's most uncompromising words. Take the prophet Amos, for example.

Amos was a shepherd and farmer chosen by God to speak up for true faithfulness. The prophet spoke to the prosperous northern kingdom. At this point, Israel looked well on the outside. They were religious, wealthy, and stable. Underneath their veneer of holiness, however, lay a foundation of systemic injustice. The poor were oppressed, the courts were corrupt, and the powerful people lived in comfort at others' expense.

Today's reading is like a courtroom speech. The Lord lists the "many" crimes and "numerous" sins of the people. You didn't have to be God to see them all in action. They weren't secret, hidden things. They were normalized parts of society. And if injustice lies underneath our success and prosperity, God is not impressed because we have failed to love and protect others.

So, what's the response? God says plainly, "Seek good."

To seek implies a continuous spirit. This is not a one-time choice or a "I've done my good deed for the day" mentality. Instead, this seeking is a way of life. To seek God, in part, is to seek the good of others. Every decision is a chance to choose life for another human being. So, Amos told the people to keep from harming others.

But he didn't stop there.

This past Sunday was a busy one. I wasn't home for much of the day. Even in the evening, I had some things that I needed to get done. Before that, though, I took a little time to watch a bit of NFL football. Usually, I don't listen to the commentators, but I'm glad I had the volume up this time. A statistic that one commentator shared caught my attention.

In the last five years, the player who has scored the most points might surprise you. It's not a highly-rated quarterback or wide receiver. It's not a powerful running back. I would've guessed it'd be one of those guys, since they score touchdowns every week to win games. But the highest scorer in the league is a kicker, someone who kicks field goals and extra points.

That got me thinking about how the little things matter.

Praying every day may not seem like much to you. Your Bible reading sometimes feels like it doesn't add up to much. Even the things you do for other people don't look like anything remarkable.