During this past season of Lent, one of the prayer stations in the church sanctuary invited us to write on a canvas the things that we lost this year, the things we are grieving over, and the things that caused us pain and heartache. It is good to name these things and lay them…
Category Archives: Easter
7 Last Words
Good Friday is a special day in the church calendar when we focus on the hours leading up to Jesus death on a cross outside Jerusalem around 2000 years ago. A helpful way churches do this is by looking at seven passages of scripture describing that day and what Jesus said, the seven last words…
Grasping Easter: a personal encounter with Hope himself
Passage: Matthew 28:1-10 Guide for Group Discussion or Personal Reflection Sermon Summary We long to be the kind of disciples who can trust Jesus, even during the worst hardships. In order to grow in this kind of faith, we need to take hold of the victory Jesus has won for us, and we need to…
Palm Sunday: “The Things That Make for Peace”
Passage: Luke 19:41-44 Guide for Group Discussion or Personal Reflection Sermon Summary As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, pained by the spiritual blindness of his own people, he wept over the fact that Jerusalem, the City of Peace, “didn’t know the things that made for peace”. Though Jerusalem had all the spiritual resources…
Good Grief—Lent again? Resources for your journey to Easter
Next Wednesday, Christians across the world will begin to observe Lent. Many churches offer the sign of ashes to remind congregants of their vulnerability and common destination. On this day last year, we held a service based on the Psalms of Lament. As the service leader, I can remember explaining why we needed to lament….
Easter Sunday: “The Lord is Our Refuge”
Passage: Psalm 16 Guide for Group Discussion or Personal Reflection Sermon Summary We all have the need for some kind of “refuge” in life. Practically speaking, whatever or whoever we look to for ultimate security, contentment, and fulfillment in life is what we are taking refuge in. We should take refuge in the Lord alone…
The Seven Last Words of Jesus
Good Friday is a special day in the church calendar when we focus on the hours leading up to Jesus death on a cross outside Jerusalem around 2000 years ago. A helpful way churches do this is by looking at seven passages of scripture describing that day and what Jesus said, the seven last words…
The Lord Is King: A Palm Sunday Sermon Reflection
Today’s post is part of a series to help us take what we learn on Sunday into the rest of the week. These posts summarize the main points from the week’s sermon and include questions for continued reflection and prayer. The posts in this series are written by members of our church’s Adult Christian Formation…
