Why Do We Drift Away—Even When We Believe?

In Luke 24, two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem, trying to make sense of everything that has just happened. They’re confused, disappointed, and heading in the wrong direction without really realising it.And yet, they’re met on the road by Jesus.In this sermon, we explore one of the most tender and powerful resurrection encounters in Scripture. Jesus doesn’t interrupt their confusion or shame them for drifting—he walks with them, listens to them, opens the Scriptures, and slowly reorients their understanding of what God has been doing all along.Only later, in the breaking of bread, do they recognise him. And when they do, everything changes. They turn around and go back.This raises a deeply practical question for us today: how do we respond when we realise we’ve drifted—often not in rebellion, but simply by getting caught up in our own concerns, assumptions, and distractions?This sermon reflects on what it means to be formed over time by Jesus—through Scripture, prayer, and daily life—so that we begin to recognise him more quickly, and gently turn back before the journey takes us further than we intended.If you’ve ever felt like faith is real but life still feels slightly off course, this passage speaks directly into that experience.