Matthew 28:6–7  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.

Matthew 28:7-9 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

Why should Easter be celebrated?
What reasons do you have to worship Christ on this day?

Pray that you will boldly proclaim the good news of salvation that is available through Christ.

E-devotion by Jason Pettus (Senior Pastor)
In this text I sense urgency.  The disciples were discouraged. They had seen their Master die two days ago. Their hopes and dreams were dashed. While Jesus was with them, He told them about His death and resurrection, but they were not able to understand what He was saying. All they knew was that they’d left everything to follow Jesus and now Jesus was gone.

The angel told these ladies to “go quickly” and share the news.

This is still the work we are called to do. We must go quickly. Time is short. This Sunday, Easter Sunday, more lost people you know will be willing to attend church with you. Pray for them. Invite them. Share the hope you have in the resurrected Christ.

Like the women that day, Jesus will show up. You will find Him along the way and will worship Him and grow closer to Him, as you serve His purpose of spreading the Good News – He Is Risen!

Matthew 28:6–7  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.

Matthew 27:62-65 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.”

What parts of Easter do you anticipate?
How can you prepare your heart for worship tomorrow?

Pray for clean hands and a pure heart as you celebrate Easter.

E-devotion by Matt Haste (Adult Discipleship Pastor)
Today’s passage records some interesting details about the attempts of Jesus’ adversaries to squash any rumors about the resurrection before it even happened. Needless to say, this plan failed miserably. They hoped that they would guard the public from falling for the next “fraud” of Jesus and His disciples. Instead, their greatest efforts were futile and amounted to nothing more than an inconsequential detail in the grand story that God was unfolding.

Two thousand years later, all around the world, people are preparing themselves to celebrate Easter tomorrow morning.  Families will gather together. Children will sing songs. Adults will lift their hands. Pastors will preach and churches will celebrate. The anticipation is mounting. All because the greatest event in the history of the world really did happen! The tomb was closely guarded. His opponents were strategizing against Him. And yet, “He arose!” Praise God for giving Jesus the power of an indestructible life and for giving us the opportunity to celebrate His resurrection tomorrow morning. Don’t forget to pray for your friends to join you tomorrow as well. Pray that tomorrow would be the day of their salvation.

Matthew 28:6–7  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.

Luke 23:44-46 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Why is “Good Friday” good to you?
Are you committed to truly follow Christ?

Ask God to reveal where you are not fully following Him.

E-devotion by Robert Duvall (Elder)
The demonstration of God’s love is amazing! In Luke 23, we see God’s plan unfolding to allow for the reconciliation of a sinful humanity to a Holy God. There was a curtain in the temple that separated the Holy Place (where only priest could enter) and the Most Holy Place (where only the high priest could enter yearly to atone for people’s sins). As this curtain is torn, we see a beautiful picture of God intervening once and for all to bring the opportunity to rescue us from our depravity. In this moment we see the significance of Immanuel, God with us. In this moment Christ had become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity. In Revelation 21, God promises a day with a new heaven and a new earth where we will be His people and He will be our God forever. Luke 24:45 describes the very moment that made it possible to experience this eternal fellowship with our Creator. There is no question that this was a Good Friday for humanity.

It is what we do with this salvation and reconciled relationship that demonstrates the depth of our love and our appreciation to God for this amazing sacrifice. Do we commit ourselves to seek God’s plan in all of our decisions or just the ones we are willing let go of? God demands that when we follow Him, we are to submit to Him completely. George Mueller, the faithful English evangelist and founder of multiple orphanages, once commented on how he would seek God’s direction. He tried to reach a point where he had no will of his own. He stated that, “God’s plan is there shall be none of self and all of Christ.” When we strive for this as we pray, as we study God’s Word, as we spend time with our family and friends, as we allow God’s desires to become our desires, we will see Him do amazing things in and through our lives. This produces reconciliation with a purpose! This produces a Good Friday and a Good Life that honors our God and brings glory to His name.

Matthew 28:6–7  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.

Luke 22:17-20 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Over the past 17 days, you have looked at various sins in your life.  Due to our relationship with Christ, the new covenant, we can repent from our sins and be forgiven.  Are you partaking of this new covenant?  Do you seek repentance when you sin?  Are you thankful for this new covenant?

Confess how you have taken lightly the sacrifice of Christ.

E-devotion by Bill Daniel (Elder)
We humans are the most forgetful of all God’s creation.  Not that we can’t remember phone numbers, addresses, locations, dates, people and the like.  We remember a great deal of sports trivia, world events and past wrongs we hold against others.  What we seem to have difficulty with though, is remembering God.

God is always having to exhort us to remember… “ remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy, remember the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, remember the Lord your God, remember the wondrous works that he has done, remember also your creator.”  All through God’s Word He commands us to remember, and so on the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion as He gathered with his closest disciples He again commanded them and us to remember.

Remember that He took our place on the cross, “This is my body, which is given for you.”  Remember that his blood would satisfy God’s wrath against our sin once and for all as lamb’s blood could never do, “This cup that is poured out for you is the New  Covenant.”

“Given for you,” and “Poured out for you.”

So we are to live our lives daily in remembrance.

1 John 1:8–9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Mark 14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

How do you betray Christ?
Do you seek ways to hurt your relationship with Christ or do you pursue life choices that bring you closer?

Pray that you will be steadfast in your faithfulness to Christ.

Devotional by Charles Fortney
Betrayal is the act that draws the strongest reaction in any relationship.  A cheating spouse, a parent that lies to her child, a child that will not tell the truth to a parent, or a friend that promised to meet you somewhere then didn’t show up are all examples, in varying degrees,  of betrayal.  We wonder how anyone that holds our trust and affection could treat us that way and get angry, then sad at the loss of trust.  We promise ourselves we would never treat someone close to us that way, but invariably we break that promise and betray others just as we have been betrayed.
Much of the time we don’t view our relationship with Christ in these same terms.  But it’s true.  We hurt our relationship with Christ by pursuing what’s not His.  If your  job, boyfriend, new house or boat are most important to you, you pursue them.  Those objects don’t belong to Him.  Promising to spend a daily time with Jesus, then forgetting about it, oversleeping, or saying you’ll make up for it another time all take little chunks out of a relationship that should be the dearest to you.

Tell Jesus today directly that you love Him and that you want to make Him the object of all your affection.  Psalm 37:4 -5 says “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this.” (NIV).  Desire Jesus first.  That desire will become your focus and you won’t have to worry about breaking promises, or living up to an artificial level of a relationship.  He desires authentic relationships with His children.  Don’t beat yourself up for past betrayals.  Ask forgiveness and move into a new phase of a relationship that Jesus desperately wants to have with you.

Mark 11:27-28 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?”

Who/what is the king of your life?
What evidence is there to demonstrate the presence of this king?

Confess areas in your life where you have lived by your authority rather than Christ’s.

E-devotion by Benny Stofer (Worship Pastor)

In today’s devotion, the question is asked, “Who or What is the king of your life?” That is a very good question because it’s answer is pivotal in our faith walk. Somehow, the religious leaders in Jesus’ day knew that there was something different about Him, but His authority just didn’t fit into their formula for life. Everything was orderly and structured in their position on the hierarchical religious ladder as those who knew the law, interpreted the law, and enforced the law.

Our experience with authority is not that much different. Everything within us wants to control our environment, but we often realize that our lives are not really within our control at all. There has to be One in our lives who is competent to “call the shots.” There has to be One who has proven His love for us, proven His faithfulness to us, and proven His wisdom to know what is best for us. That “One” is Jesus. He proved these things by forgiving our sins, washing us clean within, giving us peace, giving us direction, and giving us eternal life.

Let’s surrender our need for control to His authority. Today, let’s live as those who have been created and redeemed for a better way: under the loving, caring, and wise authority of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

[Weekly Scripture] Matthew 28:6–7  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.

Matthew 21:12-13 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

What in your life needs cleansing?
What do you think Jesus desires to change in your life?

Pray for the willingness to allow God to cleanse your body, His temple.

E-devotion by Jeff Carlisle (Mission Pastor)
There were all kinds of wrong going on in the temple when Jesus entered.  It was being used improperly.  It was supposed to be a house of prayer, but instead it was a den of robbers. One dictionary says that a den is ‘a place where people meet in secret, typically to engage in some illicit activity.’  That day, Jesus cleansed the temple of this ‘illicit activity.’

The Bible mentions that your body is a temple.  Is it a holy temple of prayer or a den of ‘illicit’ activities?  Daily, believers have to cleanse their temple.  During the first two weeks of this devotion, you prayed through scriptures to pinpoint different sins in your life.  Are any of them still present in your life?  Why?  Spend time today looking for sins in your life.  As you find them,  repent and seek to come closer to God as you prepare to celebrate Easter.

[Weekly Scripture] 1 John 1:8–9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Psalms 118:26-27 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!

Mark 11:4-10 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

Are you thankful for He who has come in the name of the Lord?
What is the most recent blessing that you thanked Him for?

Pray thanks to God for your blessings.

E-Devotion by Dennis Strom (Elder)
Today’s verses tell us of the light God provided to shine on us and they tell us of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The verses call our attention to our Savior and the celebration of the people as they shouted “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”. Have you reflected on the blessedness of our Savior? He who comes in the name of the Lord loves you, He wants you to know Him more and He has provided an eternal future for you. He came on your behalf and paid the sacrifice required for your eternal future. Take time today to reflect on the blessedness of Jesus, thank Him for the love He has for you and celebrate His presence as the people did on that triumphant day in Jerusalem.

Truly we are blessed by the love, grace and mercy of our Savior, Jesus

[Weekly Scripture] 1 John 1:8–9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus told his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Romans 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

What is keeping your from picking up your cross daily?
What is keeping you enslaved to sin?

Pray that you will not “think more highly of yourself than you ought.”  (Rom. 12:3)

E-devotion by Jay Berryman (Deacon)
The challenge Jesus is giving us in Matthew 16:24-25 above is not how to become a mediocre Christian, rather how to become His disciple. Everyone I know who has been greatly used by God has gone through an experience of “dying to self” described in both Galatians 2:20 and referenced above in Romans 6:6. So how do we do this and what does it look like? Holy living involves a daily decision to surrender to the lordship of Christ. It involves yielding our will to God and adopting His perspective. God wants our minds and hearts to be filled with His holy qualities. As our lives are transformed, we will project the light of His holiness into the darkness of our world. DL Moody said the world has yet to see what one person fully dedicated to God can do. 2Chronicles 16:9 tells us that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal toward Him. Real life….Abundant life….Begins with dying to self.

[Weekly Scripture] 1 John 1:8–9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

James 1:23-24 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Do you feel that you truly live what the Bible teaches?
Are you seeking God?

Pray that you can give your heart over to God and live what His Word teaches.

E-Devotion by Dwight Vincent (Deacon)
If the Word of God does not cause us to see our true spiritual condition, then there is something wrong with our understanding of its principles or its applications.
How many of us would find a black smudge on our face in the mirror and go to church without wiping it off? Yet we do that spiritually. We move about with spiritually dirty faces, with lives out of sync with God.
The Bible will reveal our sin to us when we would like to deny the reality of who and what we are. Therefore, we do not transfer the principles of God’s Word to our life. We are afraid of their implications and don’t want to let go of our sin.
The issue here is that we believe in the value of our sin over the value of God’s Word so we adjust our living to our own set of values rather than God’s values. We want to forget as quickly as possible how we look to God. We cannot stand the thought that we live inconsistently with God’s plan so we deny it to ourselves. This is an issue of honesty with self.
What is your attitude toward the Word of God? James puts it quite simply: hear the Word, receive the Word, and apply the Word. There are no hidden secrets to living the Christian life. If you are a believer, then hear, receive, and obey. Seek God with all your heart and He will wipe away that sinful smudge on your face and give you peace.