Easter Vision

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. GO and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see Me.”- Matthew 28:10

In this season dominated by news of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a more noteworthy and victory story to get out to the public, to post with confident joy and even throw in a smiley face, thumbs up emoji or two. The good news of Jesus confronting the grave and defeating death is needing to be spread in these times. Easter is just over a week away, and I am wondering how many of us have EASTER VISION? If not, I want to act like the announcer on an amusement park ride or at the movie theater who says, “It is now time to put on your 3D glasses.” This is not the time for us to live in fear and doubt, but to have faith and hope vision beyond today and beyond what we can see. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 the apostle Paul encourages us, “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

One of the most interesting things from the resurrection account is the call He gives to SPREAD THE WORD. The women who came to the tomb expecting to see death encounter life! Their Living Savior tells them to share the Good News to His followers. The women are sent to a small group locked in a house, living in fear and the unknown of tomorrow (quite relatable in these days).

Even though we will not be able to gather at the church property this Easter, I believe there is still a tremendous opportunity to spread the word of resurrection power, eternal life, and unfailing hope! I have heard from many pastors who have seen a beyond imagined increase in their attendance since going online. One church which generally has tens of thousands in-person on a Sunday, two weeks ago had over one million screens watching the service live! The opportunity for salvation and harvest is as real as ever. Normally, many will come to an Easter service, who generally do not attend church. Well, this year we can see an increase to those numbers as people have nowhere to go (physically) and nowhere to turn (optimistically). This is the time for the church to seize the moment and share the Messiah. In John 4:35 Jesus said, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest?’ I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

Here are three ways for our church to reach and impact our community this Easter:

1) Place a LAWN SIGN in your front yard that displays an invitation to our service

2) Deliver a GIFT BAG to your neighbor which has a New Testament, Easter Eggs, and a personalized greeting card.

(You can pick-up these items at the church this Wednesday from 2-7 pm; this Sunday from 9-10 am; or Easter week Monday-Thursday from 1-6 pm)

3) Send people to visit our WEBSITE and encourage them to click the “Plan Your Visit” tab on the homepage. Anyone who fills out the form and attends our Easter service as a first-time guest will be mailed a special gift.