Four Keys to Experiencing the Resurrection

Every pastor’s nightmare is to wake up on Easter Sunday morning and miss the biggest opportunity of the year to help people near and far from God experience the presence of God through the most significant event in the history of the world-The Resurrection. This Sunday, we will wrap up our iBelieve sermon series by unpacking what we believe about the resurrection and I can’t wait to share it with you and your family, friends, and guests! There are four things we are asking of you to help as many as possible experience the power of resurrection.

1-Preparation

Prepare your own heart for the joy of Easter and the Easter. Easter reminds us that Christ was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life, but died a sinner’s death. Easter proves that Jesus defeated the grave and took the keys of hell and death. Our youth did a marvelous job of presenting “Palms to the Cross” on Palm Sunday night. We also have the opportunity to experience daily video devotions led by our staff each day of Holy Week. You can find and share all our services and devotions on our newly designed web site, brand new church app, and social media outlets (Facebook and YouTube).

2-Participation

One of the best forms of preparation is participation. Holy Week holds powerful worship services such as Maundy Thursday (at 6PM) and Good Friday (at 7PM) which help us prepare by participating in these opportunities to remember the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the crucifixion, and the tomb before Easter Sunday morning. Both Thursday and Friday night’s services will be in our traditional sanctuary. On Saturday morning, we will also have our Easter Eggstravaganza for children and their families from 10-11:30 AM.

3-Invitation

Everyone needs a place to experience the joy of the resurrection on Easter. I hope you have already begun, and will continue, inviting others to join you for all the worship services this week, and especially for one of our three worship services on Easter Sunday, 8:15 and 11 AM contemporary services in the Artz Fellowship Hall and 9:45 AM for our traditional worship service in the sanctuary. We will have golf carts in the parking lots, fantastic food throughout the morning, and photo spots for families at the Living Cross at the corner of Main and 6th and outside the contemporary worship services. We will also have a special short experience at the Living Cross for children and their families on Easter at 9:30.

4-Presentation

On Easter, we are asking every person and family who considers Columbus First Methodist our church home to help us in presenting Christ by choosing to “Worship One and Serve One.” Our goal is to have every parking lot, every door, and every part of our buildings filled up with our wonderful hospitality team. There are three main serving times related to the three worship services and there are so many places and ways to serve. To find your place please email elizabeth@columbusfirst.org.

I tell people all the time how much I am blessed to be your pastor and partner in ministry, but there is no time of the year when that is truer than this Sunday. We will be revealing lots of new things this Sunday and you will not want to miss them or miss sharing them. I hope you will help us celebrate the joy of the resurrection and that you will help us make sure that more people than ever know the love, hope, and joy that is found in Jesus through our preparation, participation, invitation, and presentation of Christ.