resurrection hope
One of the central tenets of Christianity is Jesus’ victory over death. We believe after dying a brutal death on our behalf, for our sin, he was buried. Three days later, He rose to life, declaring certain victory over sin, death, Satan, and Hell itself. This is so important that the Apostle Paul wrote, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17). In other words, if there was no empty grave and Jesus didn’t really raise from the dead, everything we do is ultimately a waste of time! What’s worse is that our sin is still our sin and hasn’t really been dealt with! Ultimately it’s all a lie. But that’s all contingent upon the first word in Paul’s words: “If!”
But the incredible truth is that He did rise from the dead, He is alive, and He is returning one day to renew all things! That’s the beautifully simple reality of what we call the gospel!
What is the gospel? The word gospel means good news. The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ lived sinlessly in our place, died shamefully in our place, rose victoriously in our place, will return to renew all things, and by faith in Him, we can be reconciled to God, completely righteous in His sight, with the aim that we can enjoy Him now and forever.
When we come to understand our need for Christ and God’s provision on our behalf, it radically and drastically changes everything about us! It means we should be:
Captivated by the staggering beauty of God’s love as clearly expressed in the cross of Christ.
Enthralled that the God of the universe would set His affections on us in the midst of our sin.
Repentant of sinful patterns, behaviors, and motives in our lives that grieve the very heart of God.
Completely and wholeheartedly committed to the work of God through the local church.
Unabashedly confident, utterly fearless, unwaveringly humble, absurdly joyful, and recklessly hopeful!
Swiss theologian, Emil Brunner once said, “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life.” Yet today hopelessness and despair seem to permeate everything, everywhere, at every turn. Trusting God doesn’t magically make everything better. God doesn't remove us from the trials of life. Rather, He meets us in the midst of them to display His mercy, grace, and love through our brokenness, helplessness, and dependence upon Him. That’s one of the profound aspects about an empty grave that gives us tremendous hope: Jesus is alive and working on behalf of His people, the church, for the glory of God and advancement of His Kingdom.
It is our hope and prayer that as you walk through the ups and downs of life, full of joys and hardships, laughter and tears, that you are able to see, by faith, that God is enough for you. Anything and everything else that you would or could potentially build your life upon will fail you. Not God. Never God! When you turn to Him by faith, treasuring His love for you in Christ, you are His forever. Never to be forsaken or abandoned. That’s the source of hope that we all need; not just on Easter, but every single moment of every single day of our lives! And it is all secured for us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave.
For a fantastic (and free) book on this subject, please check out “50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die” by John Piper. In the meantime, we would encourage you to check out our website for more detailed information about who we are as a church. If we can answer any questions you may have, please contact Pastor James.
JOIN US
We typically meet every Sunday at 9:30am, though with all of the recent happenings with the Coronavirus, have had to postpone our normal gatherings in lieu of gathering in various online formats, the most important of which is Zoom. The Zoom meeting information you will need is: Meeting ID: 716 231 2311 / Password: slefc. We look forward to you joining us soon!
children’s easter week activities
Parents, below are the individual components we included in this year’s Easter Week Activity bags. We would encourage you to spend a few minutes each day reading the Bible verses associated with each of the components with your kids. They are simply designed to help you in conveying the amazing story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection in our place. Be sure to share the hope we have because He rose victoriously over death and is alive today! Spend a few minutes talking about the significance of each symbol as it builds toward Easter Sunday. Have fun and be sure to show your kids Jesus during these days!
Sunday, April 5 / Palm Sunday: Palm Branch
The week before Jesus was killed, the people were so excited that their king was coming to Jerusalem. As He rode into town, they shouted with excitement!
Monday, April 6 / Coins
Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, accepted 30 silver coins for betraying Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders who would kill him.
Tuesday, April 7 / Leather Whip
After his trial by Pilate, the Roman soldiers used leather ropes with rocks, glass, and metal woven into it to whip Jesus leaving 39 deep gashes in His body.
Read John 19:1-15
Wednesday, April 8 / Cross
Three large nails were driven through Jesus’ wrists and into his feet to nail Him to the rough, wooden cross.
Read John 19:16-22
Thursday, April 9 / Spear
Roman soldiers used a spear to pierce Jesus’ side when He was on the cross to make sure He was dead because the Jewish holiday of Passover was starting.
Read John 19:23-37
Friday, April 10 / Good Friday: Cloth
Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the dead body of Jesus in a linen cloth and covered it with spices after He died on the cross.
Read John 19:38-40
For a great resource to use and walk through the actual events Jesus experienced on Good Friday in corresponding time, click here.
Saturday, April 11 / Stone
The soldiers rolled a huge stone to cover the entryway of the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid and guarded it because they thought the disciples would steal it.
Read Matthew 27:59-66
Sunday, April 12 / Resurrection Sunday: Butterfly
No Jesus didn’t become a butterfly! The tomb was empty on that first Easter Sunday because Jesus rose from the dead!
The butterfly just reminds us that Jesus rising from the dead changes everything! When we trust Him by faith, we are new creations! The old life of sin is gone, dead, and no longer defines us! Now we belong to Jesus. Forever! Because the tomb is empty and Jesus is alive, we can trust Him for anything and everything anytime and always!
“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen!”