You’re The Reason (Easter 2026)
⌥ Type: Sunday Morning Service
⛪ Sermon: You’re The Reason
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
📜 Description: The cross represents God's overwhelming love for humanity, demonstrated through Jesus Christ's sacrifice to bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful people. What appeared to be Satan's victory at the crucifixion was actually his defeat, as Jesus rose from the grave to offer freedom from sin, shame, and death. Every person faces the same choice as the two thieves crucified alongside Jesus—to accept or reject God's love and forgiveness.
ℹ️ Tip: The video is set to start at the beginning of the sermon, but you can scrub the playhead to any part of the service. ℹ️
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Small Group Discussion Guide: The True Meaning of Easter (Approximately 45 minutes)
Opening Prayer (2 minutes)
Icebreaker (5 minutes) What's your favorite Easter tradition from growing up? Did you understand the connection to Jesus at the time?
Discussion Questions (30 minutes)
God's Love (8 minutes) John 3:16 says God "so loved" the world—an excessive, over-the-top kind of love. Why do you think it's sometimes hard for people to believe God loves them personally? What helps you remember that God is always thinking about you?
The Battle at the Cross (8 minutes) The message explained that what looked like Satan's victory at the cross was actually his defeat. How does understanding the spiritual battle behind the crucifixion change the way you see Jesus's sacrifice? What does 1 Corinthians 2:8 reveal about God's plan?
The Problem of Sin (7 minutes) We were reminded that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Why do we tend to compare ourselves to other people instead of God's standard? How does this comparison game keep us from recognizing our need for Jesus?
The Choice (7 minutes) The two thieves crucified with Jesus represent the choice we all face. One rejected Jesus; the other called out, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom," and Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." What keeps people from making that same choice today?
Action Step (6 minutes) This week, identify one person in your life who needs to hear that God loves them and is thinking about them. Pray for an opportunity to share the hope of Easter with them—whether through a conversation, an invitation to church, or simply showing Christ's love through your actions.
Closing Prayer (2 minutes)
Bible Verses Referenced:
John 3:16
1 Corinthians 2:8
Psalm 139:17
Romans 3:23
Luke 15 (Parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son)
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John 3:16 This verse comes from Jesus's nighttime conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council. Nicodemus came to Jesus under cover of darkness, likely to avoid being seen associating with this controversial rabbi. In Jewish culture, religious leaders were the experts on God's law, yet here we see Nicodemus seeking answers from Jesus about spiritual rebirth. When Jesus spoke about God's love for "the world," this would have been shocking to a first-century Jew. Most Jewish teachers believed God's covenant love was reserved primarily for Israel. Jesus radically expanded this understanding—God's love extends to all people, everywhere. The phrase "only begotten son" emphasizes the uniqueness and preciousness of Jesus. In ancient cultures, the firstborn or only son held special status and inheritance rights. God wasn't offering something minor; He was giving what was most valuable.
1 Corinthians 2:8 Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth around 53-55 AD, roughly twenty years after Jesus's crucifixion. Corinth was a major commercial city known for its immorality and diverse religious practices. The church there struggled with divisions and misunderstandings about spiritual wisdom. When Paul wrote about "the rulers of this age" not understanding God's wisdom, he was referring to both earthly powers (Roman officials, Jewish religious leaders) and spiritual forces of darkness. In the ancient worldview, these weren't separate—spiritual forces were believed to work through human authorities. The crucifixion method itself is significant: it was Rome's most shameful form of execution, reserved for slaves and the worst criminals. Jewish law stated that anyone hung on a tree was cursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:23). Satan and the earthly rulers thought they were destroying Jesus and proving He couldn't be the Messiah. They didn't understand that God was using this very act to accomplish salvation—the ultimate display of divine wisdom hidden from the beginning of time.
Psalm 139:17 This psalm is attributed to David, the shepherd-king of Israel who lived around 1000 BC. David wrote extensively about God's intimate knowledge of him—God knew him before birth, saw his unformed body, and ordained all his days. In ancient Near Eastern culture, kings were often viewed as distant, unapproachable figures. But David describes God as intimately acquainted with every detail of human life—sitting, rising, traveling, lying down. The image of God's thoughts being "more in number than the sand" would resonate powerfully in Israel, a land bordered by Mediterranean beaches and desert regions. Ancient peoples had no way to count grains of sand—the number was incomprehensible. David uses this imagery to convey that God's mindfulness toward us is constant, infinite, and beyond human calculation.
Romans 3:23 and Luke 15 (Parables) Paul's letter to the Romans, written around 57 AD, was his most systematic explanation of the gospel. Rome was the center of the empire, and Paul had never visited this church, so he wanted to clearly articulate core Christian doctrine. When Paul wrote "all have sinned," he was countering both Jewish pride in having God's law and Gentile pride in philosophical achievement. In the Greco-Roman world, people were ranked by social status—citizens versus slaves, Greeks versus barbarians, moral versus immoral. Paul's statement was revolutionary: before God's standard, all people are equal in their failure.
Jesus's parables in Luke 15 were told in response to Pharisees criticizing Him for eating with tax collectors and sinners. In first-century Jewish culture, sharing a meal with someone signified acceptance and fellowship. Shepherds, mentioned in the lost sheep parable, were actually considered unclean and untrustworthy in that society. By using a shepherd as the hero of the story, Jesus elevated the lowly. The lost coin parable would have resonated with women, who often received coins as part of their wedding dowry—losing one meant losing part of their financial security and identity. The prodigal son parable was scandalous: a son demanding his inheritance early was essentially wishing his father dead, and a father running to embrace such a son violated all cultural norms of patriarchal dignity. Yet this is exactly how God responds to those who return to Him.
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Kids Lesson: Jesus Wins! The Easter Story (45 minutes, Ages 5-10)
INTRODUCTION (5 minutes) Welcome the kids and ask: "What's your favorite part about Easter?" Let several kids share (candy, egg hunts, etc.). Then say: "All those things are fun! But today we're going to learn about why Easter is the BEST day ever—because Jesus won the biggest victory in history!"
Show a simple cross and ask: "Does anyone know what happened on the first Easter?" Let kids respond. "That's right! Jesus died on the cross and then came back to life! Today we're going to learn why that's such GREAT news!"
SCRIPTURE STORY (10 minutes) Tell the Easter story using simple, age-appropriate language:
"A long, long time ago, God looked down at the world and saw that everyone had a big problem. The problem was called sin—that means doing wrong things, being mean, or disobeying. We ALL do wrong things sometimes, right? Even when we try our best!
Sin separated us from God, kind of like a big wall between us and Him. We couldn't get to God by ourselves, no matter how hard we tried.
But God LOVED us SO much that He had a plan. God sent His own Son, Jesus, to earth. Jesus lived a perfect life—He never did ANYTHING wrong. But then something really sad happened. Some people didn't like Jesus, and they put Him on a cross. Jesus died on that cross.
It looked like the bad guys won. It looked like everything was over. But God had a SECRET PLAN!
Three days later, on Sunday morning, something AMAZING happened! Jesus came back to life! He walked out of the tomb! The big stone was rolled away! Jesus had WON! He defeated sin and death forever!
And here's the best part: Because Jesus died and came back to life, we can be forgiven for all our wrong stuff. We can be friends with God! Jesus won the victory FOR US!"
Read or paraphrase John 3:16 in a kid-friendly version.
CRAFT: "He Is Risen!" Resurrection Eggs (12 minutes) Materials: Plastic eggs (one per child), small crosses (made from toothpicks or craft sticks), stickers that say "He Is Risen!", markers, and empty tomb scene printouts (optional).
Instructions:
Give each child a plastic egg
Have them open it and show that it's empty
Explain: "The tomb was empty because Jesus is ALIVE!"
Let kids decorate their eggs with "He Is Risen!" stickers and markers
Have kids glue or tape a small cross to the outside
Say: "You can take this home to remember that Jesus won! The empty egg reminds us of the empty tomb!"
GAME: Cross the Victory Line (10 minutes) Set up a simple relay race:
Divide kids into two teams
Mark a starting line and a finish line (the "Victory Line")
Place "obstacles" in between (cones, chairs, etc.) labeled with signs: "Sin," "Sadness," "Fear," "Death"
One at a time, kids race from start to finish, weaving around obstacles
When they cross the Victory Line, they shout "JESUS WINS!"
Debrief: "Those obstacles were like the things that try to keep us away from God—sin, sadness, fear. But Jesus made a way for us to get through them all! When Jesus rose from the dead, He won the victory over EVERYTHING!"
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (5 minutes)
"Why did Jesus die on the cross?" (To take the punishment for our sins/wrong stuff)
"What happened three days later?" (Jesus came back to life!)
"What does the empty tomb mean?" (Jesus is alive! He won!)
"How can we be friends with God?" (By believing in Jesus and accepting His love)
WRAP-UP AND PRAYER (3 minutes) "Jesus loves you SO much! He thought YOU were worth dying for. And because He came back to life, you can live with Him forever! You can be forgiven for anything you've done wrong. All you have to do is tell Jesus you believe in Him and you want Him to be your friend forever.
Let's pray together!"
Prayer: "Dear Jesus, thank You for loving us so much! Thank You for dying on the cross for our sins. Thank You for coming back to life on Easter! Help us remember that You won the victory, and because of You, we can be friends with God forever. We love You! In Jesus's name, Amen!"
TAKE-HOME REMINDER: Send kids home with their resurrection eggs and remind them: "Every time you see your egg this week, remember—Jesus is ALIVE and He WINS!"
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Hallelujah.
How many of you have been changed by the love of God God, let me see your hands.
You may be seated A lot of us go to church because of what that song just articulated.
And if you didn't know, our very own pastor Jeff wrote that song.
And so, yeah, you can give him a round of applause for that.
But think about people who are not familiar with Christianity just for a moment.
Think about family members who didn't grow up in church necessarily, or friends, or or co-workers, or or people who go to your same school.
They've never grown up in church before.
What do they think think when they think of all of the traditions that are associated with the culture here in America, especially in regards to Easter Sunday or Easter weekend.
There's gotta be some confusion in their minds.
And the reason I say that is because because If this is a truly a faith-based holiday of some kind, what does an Easter bunny have to do with anything?
Not a thing.
More than that.
An Easter bunny that lays eggs?
I'm lost here somewhere.
Oh what why listen this is really good?
Why is the number one entree for Easter honey baked ham Isn't Easter connected to a Jewish holiday?
Somewhere along the line we went from lamb to ham.
I don't know how that took place, but it did take place over the years.
If Easter is all about God, why do so many people, even from the church, make deviled eggs?
And and you're not gonna believe this one.
I was actually in the store the other day and uh I saw an Easter book titled The Easter Crocodile.
Has anybody heard of this book before?
I mean I'm I'm going through it and it's it's the Easter crocodile is a book about a grumpy crocodile looking for Easter eggs Listen to me.
There's nothing wrong with family traditions.
There's nothing wrong with having fun.
We've had fun already this morning, but it's wrong if your traditions don't point you to the cross.
Who can say amen?
Easter is all about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But we will never understand it until we understand a couple of other fundamental truths that are found in the Bible.
And the first being this, Easter is about God's love.
Say love.
Easter is about God's love.
Now, some of us know that God loves us, and some of us aren't so sure either because we're we're not sure about his character Or we are too familiar with our own shortcomings in our own life, and we don't believe that we are worthy of the love of God.
But I'm here to tell you today, God loves you.
Who can say amen?
So I was talking to my wife about this earlier this week.
And Robin told me, well, if you're going to be talking about love, this is what I need you to know.
A box of chocolates means I'm thinking of you.
A dozen roses means I care about you.
But a diamond means business.
Oh, well, I meant business when it came to my beautiful wife.
I remember about 41 years ago this woman swept me off my feet, and I was fascinated by her and I fell deeply in love with her, but nothing compared to how much God loves us.
I'm just here to tell you, no matter what you've done, no matter where you've been, no matter who you are, God loves you.
And I'm not talking about just a little bit.
The Bible tells us in the most famous biblical text in all the world, John 3. 16, for God so loved the world.
He had an over-the-top An excessive, unbelievable kind of love that he showed towards the world.
And how do we know this?
Because he gave something to us When I was falling in love with Robin, I gave her this this beautiful engagement ring.
She's actually wearing it today.
And and and it's it's It probably doesn't look much to you today if she was to show it to you.
But let me tell you, for a 25 four-year-old who wasn't making hardly any money at all.
The amount of money I spent on that sent me back years.
Okay?
But God sent us his only son, the scripture says.
There was nothing more precious than that.
Now again, for all you church people, you celebrate that.
Yeah, but guess what?
If people aren't haven't grown up in the church, they're like, what kind of God is this?
Why in the world would God sacrifice his own son on behalf of of a bunch of strangers.
The Bible actually calls us his enemies.
Did you know that?
That we were at enmity with God before we became Christians.
But God knew something that the devil didn't know.
He knew what was going to happen on Sunday morning.
Who can say amen?
He knew that he wasn't just sacrificing a son, he was gaining millions of sons and daughters, along with his son, Jesus Christ.
And you might say, but but but are you sure about me?
Oh, all I can tell you is the scripture says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
He doesn't focus on the world as a group.
He focuses on people as individuals.
God loves you so much that he sent his son to die on the cross for you.
And listen to this.
If you were the only person in the world that ever would have said yes, he still would have sent his son.
Who can say amen?
He still would have sent him.
But of course, Jesus had to give us a gift too.
God gave the gift of his son, but Jesus gave the gift of his love, the gift of his life.
I mean, can you imagine being up in heaven one day and uh God and Jesus are talking and God says, yeah, uh, this is the plan?
Jesus had to say, okay.
Jesus had to agree.
Jesus had to think this was a good idea.
Jesus had to leave all of his divine prerogatives up in heaven and come down to this planet and live just like you and I.
There are a lot of people who complain about God and say, you know what?
Why is there evil in the world and why is there all these bad things?
There can't be a good God.
But listen, our good God dove into our mess, he didn't run away from it.
He actually he experienced the same temptations as you and I, the same struggles as you and I.
He experienced more pain than probably any human being has ever experienced. experience in the in the history of the world and he did it all because he loves us so much.
So listen to me.
If you ever wonder how much God loves you, you don't have to guess.
All you have to do Is look at a cross to thieves the perfect lamb of God between.
A broken heart and mother at his feet, the pain of it all for me, the earth shame.
When darkness falls, the father hides his face.
His body hits the dust of a borrowed gray.
Lord you paid it all for me for me I thank you thank you thank you for the I praise you, praise you, without it I'd be lost.
There's no man I can a thousand so I know to save me.
Thank you for the cross my victory.
Bursting from the grave my risen king The sacrifice for love was held to free Lord you want it all For me, yes, you did, Jesus.
I thank you, thank you, thank you for the cross, I pray.
To say Thank you.
Just wanna say thank you.
For the father, for the sun, for the power of the love, for the spirit that's in us, for the blood, for your life, for For the contest we say thank you Thank you for the father, for the Son, for the Sun.
We say thank you for the cross.
I thank you, thank you, thank you for the road, I praise you.
Like you're saying so you know I see thank you, thank you.
Thank you for the rose and rage.
There's no life joined thousands on There's no there, like your thousand song There's no there, like your thousand song To save away I don't know if you were watching the video that was playing while they were singing, but that depiction depicted not just an event in history.
It depicted the crossroads of all history.
It is literally the single most important event that has ever happened in the history of humanity.
And what a lot of people don't understand is they don't understand what really took place.
Because the cross is the culmination of a war.
A war between good and evil.
A war between right and wrong.
A war between God and an entity known as the devil.
And that war didn't start on Good Friday.
It wasn't a a weekend battle.
It started many, many eons before, over Four thousand years before, in a place called the Garden of Eden.
And this is when a rebel, a renegade from a distant time, convinced Adam and Eve to disobey.
You see, God had set them up for success.
God had set them up to rule and reign on this planet.
And Satan, the devil, convinced them. that that God was holding out on them and I'm here to tell you God never holds out.
Who can say amen?
God never holds out.
Fast forward 4,000 years to the first Good Friday.
And as I said just two days ago, it wasn't so good for the disciples It was pretty painful for Jesus, God's representative in the supposed hope of the entire world.
But Jesus was arrested.
Most of you know the story.
He was harassed.
He was convicted of blasphemy, which deserved the death penalty in Jewish law But before that took place, they they punched him in the face repeatedly.
They mocked him.
They ridiculed him.
They placed a crown of thorns upon his head.
They took the staff that he had at one time and used the same staff to mock him, and then they beat him over the over the head with it.
They placed a cross upon his his back after he had been whipped at least 39 times with a whip that was so heinous that they embedded the ends of the whip with metal and rock and glass.
So that when the whip hit his back, it would literally fillet him.
It would tear so deeply into his back that the nerve endings were exposed blood blood was obviously seen but bone was also visible it was a heinous heinous thing And then they finally mailed him to the cross.
But the cross wasn't just a normal way of killing somebody.
I wrote down here, it was a masterpiece of misery.
The Romans had created a That would break men's spirits long before it broke their bodies.
And on that cross, Jesus died.
It appeared like all hope was lost.
But what looked like the end was actually a setup.
1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 8, listen.
In referencing the demonic kingdom, the Bible says, had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Satan thought he was ending Jesus, but he was actually signing his own defeat.
In the darkness of that grave, something was happening Jesus went down to the very pits of hell and did battle with the devil himself Hear me, hear me.
The cross was designed to have the last word, but the blood of Jesus that was spilt that day began to spill speak and is still speaking to this day.
It spoke over our sin.
It spoke over our shame.
It spoke Spoke over death, hell, and the grave.
It is yelling in this moment over your addictions.
It is yelling over your insecurities.
It is yelling over your depression.
I'm here to tell you, God has won.
A great victory in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
God has flipped the script.
Jesus is alive, and the King is on the throne forever and ever.
Moon and stars they wept.
The morning sun was dead.
The savior of the world was fully, his body on the cross.
His blood poured out for us, the weight of every curse upon him.
One final breath he breathed as heaven looked through.
The Son of God was laid in darkness A battle in the grave The war on death was waged the power death The ground began to shake.
The stone was rolled away.
His perfect love had been.
I feel bersong Now death where is your stink Our Resurrecting King Resurrecting you to be Tanto Now began to shake The storm was rolled away Cause perfect love could not be home Now that we go We sing hallelujah, we sing hallelujah, we sing hallelujah.
Hallelujah, the Lamb is Lord.
We sing hallelujah.
We sing Hallelujah.
We sing Hallelujah.
We sing Hallelujah, we sing Hallelujah, we sing Hallelujah, the Demozo We sing Hallelujah, we sing Hallelujah, we sing Hallelujah, and that is our God.
Praise you, Jesus, Hallelujah.
Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
You may be seated.
Thank you for joining us in worshiping our risen Savior.
A number of years ago a church decided that they were going to do a presentation of the Easter message on Palm Sunday the Sunday before Easter and they were going to use children in all of the main actors' roles.
And so they Got a Jesus and a Peter and a Judas and all the disciples and Mary and and uh so they were running out of students to to put on the play.
And so they were looking for someone to be the angel uh who says he's not here, he's risen.
And so they went to a a kid who was probably a a little young, but five years old and they thought uh you know he could probably do it and in rehearsals he did a great job he was able to pull it off and then the day of the big production arrived And uh they were all going through it just seamlessly.
It looked like it was going to be a perfect presentation of the of the Easter message.
And so the stone rolls away from from the tomb and and the ladies approach the the tomb area and the angel comes out and he freezes He doesn't know what to say.
He forgets his his lines.
He forgets his words and he starts to panic.
But the the director is right there directing and starts whispering to him He's not here, he's risen.
And the little boy gets a little closer and she says it again.
He's not here.
He's risen.
And he gets a little bit closer.
And she says, He's not here.
He's risen.
And with that, he he smiles.
Miles and he says, he is not here, he's in prison.
Now what's ironic is just the exact Opposite is true.
The exact opposite is true.
Yes, the message of Easter is he's risen, but the grave is empty, and because Jesus is alive, you and I can come out out of our prisons, who can say amen?
We don't have to fear death any longer.
We don't have to be subject to sin.
We can have victory over temptation.
I'm here to tell you we can get the victory again and again and all of our But Addictive chains can be broken in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
That's why we celebrate Easter.
And you should too.
Because Easter is about every single person in this room.
It's not just about the good people and the bad people.
We're all bad people according to the scriptures.
But but but Easter's about you.
And I know it's hard to believe sometimes.
But did you know that God's Thinking about you right now?
He's actually thinking about you.
Listen to what the Bible says, Psalm 139, 17.
How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them if I should count. them they would be more in number than the sand on the seashore.
I'm just here to tell you that that number is so vast That we could never count to that number.
We're not talking about billions, we're not talking about trillions, we're not talking about quadrillions, we're talking about a you know, some number that goes way beyond any of those words that we have to use.
And God is always Always say always.
Always always thinking about you.
I was trying to figure out how how do I explain this to the congregation?
And the only way I can explain it is um I fell in love. with my wife.
And if you've ever fallen in love, you know how how it just captures your imagination How that that you can be at work and you can be going through the motions, but you're still thinking about the person that you love.
You can be eating that steak and shake enjoying a burger And all you can think about is is that person that you love.
Well God in his divine nature is always Thinking about you with far more precious thoughts than I could ever even think of my own life.
So if you've ever fallen in love, you know that God loves you infinitely more.
Now listen, some of you have walked in here today and you don't feel loved.
You feel forgotten, you feel overlooked You feel like nobody cares, but I want you to hear this clearly.
God cares and God wants a relationship with God. with you.
Right now, in this moment, God has got you on his mind.
See, I've read the words in red, how you leave for ninety-nine To find the one missing feels like that was written with me on your mind and the Son who ran leaving his home behind part where the father came running to meet him, did you say?
Say that with me on your mind Who am I that the king of the world would give one single thought about my broken heart?
Who am I?
I let the God of all race wipes the tears from our faces come as we walk You wave the price You drove the cross You gave your life You did it all with me on your time.
You're mindful of me, just knowing you call me your child, flooding my soul with unspeakable hope.
Thank you, Lord.
That is me on your mind.
Who am I that the king of the world?
And says, Come as you are, you gave the price.
Show the cross.
You gave the price.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Glory I've read the words in red of a Heavenly home on earth You're preparing a place where the sorrows erase And when I stand before you I will find all Only was me on your mind when I left when you want string out of that I let the God of all raise my tears from my face to say the prize You should the prize I've talked to people who say, if that's true, Pastor Tom, if if God really has me on his mind and if God loves me so much, why is it so difficult to connect with him?
Why is it so hard to reach him?
Why is it so hard to find him?
And this is where we have to deal with some bad news.
And the bad news is that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.
That's what the Bible says.
But like any good doctor, you can't deal with the issue until you know what it actually is.
Some truth has to be spoken in this arena.
And the Bible doesn't say some people have sinned.
It doesn't say most people have sinned.
It says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
And what that does is it marks us, it gives us this. capacity to lean towards doing things that are easy for us rather than the right thing for us.
And we're willing to compromise at times and to do wrong in order to get our own way.
A Sunday school teacher was teaching a bunch of six seventh and eighth graders.
And we all know that can be a tough group at times And she was talking about Holy Week and and how holy God was and and that the Bible says, be holy as as as God is holy.
And one of the little sixth grade boys raised his hand and she said, yes, and he goes with a little smirk in his face.
What if you don't want to be holy all week?
That speaks to the promise or the problem right there.
Nobody is holy all week.
We've all sinned.
Now, here's what I find so interesting The primary word in the New Testament for sin is a word that simply means missing the mark.
In other words, it doesn't sound like it's that big a deal.
You know, if I'm aiming for the bullseye and I still get the target, then I must be successful in some way, shape, or form.
But the scripture plainly teaches that the mark is God Himself.
The mark is his holiness and his perfection.
And none of us measures up to that.
So if you are coming to church this Sunday to find the perfect church, I have to disappoint you We're not it because there aren't any perfect people.
If you're sitting next to someone who looks like they have it all together, spend one day with them and you'll probably realize they don't It only takes about one day.
So hear me.
Sin isn't just a church word.
It's something that we all deal with on a regular basis in our life.
It's the moments that we knew something good to do and we chose not to do it.
It's the things in life we've said and done and thought and even wished that we hadn't really thought or said or done any of those things.
It's all the things that we wish we could undo.
It's the parts of our story that we try and and hide.
And deep down we all feel a a degree of shame and guilt in regards to many of those things.
But inside the problem is sin.
Some people argue, Pastor, I'm a good person.
And my response is compared to who?
Because we love this comparison game.
And if we compare ourselves to to Adolf Hitler, yeah, we're gonna look good.
If we compare ourselves to someone on the other side of the political party, we're gonna say Yeah, they're on that side of the aisle.
So so they're definitely evil.
When we compare ourselves, we look good, but when we compare ourselves to God, we never measure up.
No amount of good works No amount of trying harder can change what's in our hearts.
It will never close the gap.
And that's why Jesus came.
Jesus came to fix what you and I couldn't fix.
He came to pay the cost that you and I couldn't pay.
He came to overcome the enemy that we couldn't defeat.
Jesus is the winner who can say Amen.
So here we've got a cross right here, and the one Jesus was on probably looked way different from this.
Um but I'm always captured by the story of the crucifixion because I've oftentimes wondered why is there one person on his right And one person on his left.
And the more I've thought about it, I believe that those two people represent the choice or the decision that we all get to make.
One of those two thieves chose not to follow Jesus Christ.
And one in desperation called out, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
And how did Jesus respond?
Today, say today.
You will be with me in paradise.
And two thousand years later, nothing has changed Every person in this room has the same decision to make.
You can reject God's love or you can accept it.
You can walk out forgiven for your sin, and the distance between you and God will be gone.
Listen, the reason for Easter isn't just coming to church on a Sunday morning.
It's knowing that Jesus Christ is reaching out for us in the here and now.
And with that said, I would just like to ask everyone to bow their heads just for a moment.
I believe this is a holy moment.
And for you, it's possibly the same type of crossroads as what took place 2,000 years ago.
The Bible says today is the day of salvation.
So when you're in a crowd this size, there are numerous people who've never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.
There are some people who who like the song that the team just sang about, the words written and read from Luke chapter 15.
There are some prodigals that have drifted far away.
One of the parables that he didn't talk about was the parable of the lost coin.
And what I love about these parables is they all describe a place that A human being is, for example, the lamb didn't really drift away on purpose, it was more accidental The coin isn't even aware.
So the coin didn't even know that that he didn't know Jesus Christ.
But the Son was the one who purposely went the other direction.
Three stories.
Three problems and the same answer for all of them, except Jesus is your Lord and Savior.
So I'm going to ask you that simple question right now Are you ready to make Jesus the Lord of your life?
Accept him as your Savior?
And do you believe that God raised him from the dead so that you could be saved?
Would you just raise your hand and Shake it at me right now and say, Pastor, that's me.
Yeah, sure.
Keep the hands up just for another second, please Thank you guys so much.
I appreciate that.
Yes, God bless you so much.
You can put your hands down.
Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father.
You saw a number of hands raised.
Today is that crossroads.
Today is that moment.
And Holy Spirit, I'm asking you to do what only you can do in this moment.
Because the hand raised really doesn't save anybody.
A walk to an altar doesn't really save anybody.
But when someone confesses with their mouth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that God raised him from the dead, and they believe it in their hearts.
That is the first step of salvation.
So, Father God, there were dozens of men and women and young people who raised their hand in this moment, and in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. that you would come upon them in such a powerful way, Father God, that they would know that they know that they know that they've had an encounter with the living God.
I pray, Father God, that you would literally send shivers up their spine in Jesus' name.
I pray that you'd give them an assurance deep in their heart that they might not have it all together.
They might not even know what to do next But you've got them in the very palm of your hand in Jesus' holy and precious name.
So Father God, we're excited by what it is you've done.
We're so happy by by this act in this moment.
And I just pray, Father God, that you would do what only you can do for the rest of this service.
In Jesus' holy and precious name we pray.
And together, everybody says.
Amen.
Now listen to me.
This is important before we move on, because we have one more song and and the conclusion of the service.
But for those of you who raised your hand After the service, we're gonna have prayer partners up here in the front, and we're gonna have prayer partners back in a room over there.
It's called our library, and it's just a little more private area And so if you would like to discuss what has happened in your life, we want to walk this through with you.
We want you to know that we care about you too.
So We have a gift bag for you that contains a Bible, a book that actually helps you understand what to do next, some other resources that will help you get started in your Christian life, and we are so, so excited for you.
Give the Lord a round of applause right now.
Now you might be thinking, um, is it really appropriate to clap in church so much?
Absolutely.
Well remember Luke chapter 15, the words in red we talked about earlier?
In each of those three parables, the parable of the lost sheep.
The parable of the lost coin and the parable of the lost son.
When the lost thing or person or animal was found, there was a celebration In the Bible, Jesus says when someone gets saved in in the world, there is even a bigger celebration going on in heaven between God and Jesus and all of the angels.
And so the last thing you need to know is Easter is about celebrating.
Who can say amen?
Come on.
Um great.
Sin was stained on me.
Shame was running deep.
The love was spilled on Calvary.
Oh, hallelujah, I'm clean.
God, I How can it be?
I'm ransomed and reading Standing in your victories.
Oh hallelujah, I've been washed in your water, washed in the blood.
Good as new, oh hallelujah, I've been washed in the water, washed in the blood because I knew Oh hallelujah, it's not what I have done.
But what you've done for me, you play it all up on that tree, oh hallelujah, your love has overcome, and your mercy.
I'm dancing in your mentoring.
Oh hallelujah, I've washed in the wall, washed in the buttons.
Oh hallelujah, I've watched the ball.
Washing the water, washing the blood, everybody.
Oh hallelujah, washing the water, washed in the blood, as good as me.
Oh hallelujah, I'm washing the water.
Watching the blood of the belly Potion took away my shame And he gave it to the prize But you took away my shame and you held it through the cross I'll be running up the river.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, one more side, which you can do You got me back with One, two, three, six, chop, chop, chop, chop, jump.
Come on, put your hands together.
So I've been washed in the water, washed in the blood.
I'm as good as you Oheluia, I've been washed in the water, washed in the blood All because of you, oh hallelujah Okay, before you go, I just want to remind you there is an egg hunt for your children, but you need to pick up your children first.
So you go back, get your kids, take them to the egg hunt area.
There's maps back there, but it's over to this side of the sanctuary, and there's also gonna be food there, snow cones, all different kinds of things.
Can you just give a round of applause?
Applause to this team for working so hard.
And don't forget those of you who raise your hands, these prayer partners are for you.
Also, if you need healing in your body, please come forward for one of these prayer partners.
You can also go into that library room if you need to see a prayer partner with a little more privacy.
God bless you.
Happy Easter
Blog Post
Beyond the Easter Bunny: Understanding the True Meaning of Easter
Easter traditions can be confusing. Bunnies that lay eggs, honey-baked ham at a Jewish holiday, and deviled eggs at a celebration of God—somewhere along the way, the message has gotten mixed up with cultural traditions. While family traditions and fun are not inherently wrong, they miss the point if they don't lead us to the cross.
The true meaning of Easter centers on three foundational truths: God's love, the battle between good and evil, and the personal decision each person must make.
The Overwhelming Love of God
John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only son. This wasn't a small gesture—it was an excessive, over-the-top demonstration of divine love. God didn't send a representative or a prophet; He sent what was most precious to Him.
For those unfamiliar with faith, this seems strange. Why would God sacrifice His own son for strangers—even enemies? But God knew something the devil didn't know: Sunday was coming. He wasn't just sacrificing a son; He was gaining millions of sons and daughters alongside Jesus Christ.
This love is intensely personal. God doesn't just love "the world" as a collective group—He loves individuals. If you were the only person who would ever say yes to Him, He still would have sent Jesus.
Jesus had to agree to this plan too. He left all His divine privileges in heaven and came to earth to experience the same temptations, struggles, and pain that we experience—and more. He didn't run from our mess; He dove into it. If you ever wonder how much God loves you, you don't have to guess. Just look at the cross.
The Battle That Changed Everything
The crucifixion wasn't just a tragic event in history—it was the culmination of a war between good and evil that started over 4,000 years earlier in the Garden of Eden. When Satan convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God, he set in motion a conflict that would reach its climax on Good Friday.
On that day, Jesus was arrested, mocked, beaten with a crown of thorns pressed into His head, and whipped with a heinous instrument embedded with metal, rock, and glass that tore deeply into His back, exposing nerve endings, blood, and bone. He carried a cross and was nailed to it—a masterpiece of misery designed to break men's spirits long before it broke their bodies.
It looked like the end. It appeared that all hope was lost. But what looked like defeat was actually a setup. First Corinthians 2:8 says that had the demonic kingdom known what would happen, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Satan thought he was ending Jesus, but he was actually signing his own defeat.
In the darkness of the grave, something was happening. Jesus went to the very pits of hell and did battle with the devil himself. The cross was designed to have the last word, but the blood of Jesus began to speak and is still speaking today. It spoke over sin, shame, death, hell, and the grave. It speaks over addictions, insecurities, and depression.
God has won a great victory. Jesus flipped the script. He is alive, and the King is on the throne forever.
God's Personal Thoughts Toward You
Psalm 139:17 reveals something remarkable: God's thoughts toward us are more numerous than the grains of sand on the seashore. This number is beyond billions, trillions, or quadrillions—it's a number we don't even have words for. God is always thinking about you.
When you fall in love with someone, they capture your imagination. You can be at work going through the motions, but you're still thinking about them. You can be eating a meal, and all you can think about is that person. God, in His divine nature, is always thinking about you with far more precious thoughts than any human could have.
If you've walked in feeling forgotten, overlooked, or unloved, hear this clearly: God cares and God wants a relationship with you. Right now, in this moment, God has you on His mind.
The Problem We All Share
If God loves us so much, why is it difficult to connect with Him? The answer is sin. The Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God—not some people, not most people, but all people.
Sin is the primary New Testament word that means "missing the mark." It might not sound like a big deal—if you're aiming for the bullseye and still hit the target, you're somewhat successful, right? But the mark is God Himself—His holiness and perfection. None of us measures up.
Sin includes the moments we knew something good to do and chose not to do it, the things we've said and done and thought that we wish we hadn't, and all the things we wish we could undo. It's the parts of our story we try to hide. Deep down, we all feel some degree of shame and guilt.
Some people argue they're a good person. Compared to who? We love the comparison game. Compared to someone we consider worse than us, we look good. But compared to God, we never measure up. No amount of good works or trying harder can change what's in our hearts or close the gap between us and God.
That's why Jesus came. He came to fix what we couldn't fix, to pay the cost we couldn't pay, and to overcome the enemy we couldn't defeat.
The Choice We All Must Make
At the crucifixion, there was one person on Jesus's right and one person on His left. These two thieves represent the choice every person must make. One chose not to follow Jesus. The other, in desperation, called out, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus responded, "Today you will be with me in paradise."
Two thousand years later, nothing has changed. Every person has the same decision to make. You can reject God's love or you can accept it. You can walk away forgiven, with the distance between you and God completely gone.
The reason for Easter isn't just coming to church on a Sunday morning. It's knowing that Jesus Christ is reaching out for you right here, right now. The Bible says today is the day of salvation.
Whether you're like the lamb that drifted away accidentally, the coin that wasn't even aware it was lost, or the son who purposely went the other direction, there's one answer for all three situations: accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
A Reason to Celebrate
In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. In each story, when the lost thing or person was found, there was a celebration. Jesus says when someone gets saved in the world, there's an even bigger celebration in heaven between God, Jesus, and all the angels.
Easter is about celebrating. The cross wasn't the end—it was the beginning. Jesus is alive. The grave is empty. Because He rose from the dead, we can come out of our prisons. We don't have to fear death any longer. We don't have to be subject to sin. We can have victory over temptation and addiction.
The chains can be broken. That's why we celebrate Easter—and why you should too.
