Bill called his parents to wish them a happy New Year, and his dad answered the phone. “Well, Dad, what’s your New Year’s resolution?” Bill asked him.

“To make your mother as happy as I can all year,” Dad answered.

When mom got on the phone, Bill said, “What’s your resolution, Mom?”

She answered, “To see that your dad keeps his New Year’s resolution.” (1)

Welcome on this first Sunday of a New Year. Our topic for today is communication—an important topic in the family, in the workplace, even in the church, anytime in the year.

Have you ever sent a message and wondered if it got through? Maybe you emailed a colleague and didn’t hear back from them. Maybe talking to your kids is like talking to a brick wall. Real communication doesn’t happen when a message is sent; real communication hap…