Another Holy Week and Resurrection Weekend in the books...2023

 


What you see is the Sunrise Service at 7 a.m.  We are utilizing one half of the sanctuary because the other half is set up for the breakfast to follow.  This was probably my favorite service of the week, same level and just my Bible in my hand.  

Holy Week consisted of a Palm Sunday service followed by a daily Monday through Friday "come and go" early morning prayer event.  We had a traditional Good Friday service covering the 7 phrases of Jesus on the cross.  Resurrection Sunday included a Sunrise service followed by a breakfast and then the regular Morning Worship service.  Each was well attended so I was spent by all the personal interactions.

It is a challenge to craft messages around passages of scripture that are always referred to during this time of the year.  It is similar to what happens during the Advent season.  I am reminded though that Peter in our study of 1 and 2 Peter is always reminding the beloved of things they already know.  Our minds need to be continually renewed as Paul said in Romans.  I am also reminded of Jesus' words that we continue with the Lord's Supper until He returns as His reminder of something we already know.

Highlights from Holy Week:

Prayer Week:  

What a blessing to pray alongside of the people I preach to each week.  Sometimes I was praying with the person who made out the prayer card I just got done praying over.  Also reports were given of how this time restarted some prayer lives among the congregants.

Palm Sunday:  

There were some who were not believing in Him (Jn. 12:37).  There were some who were believing in Him, but because of the Pharisees... (Jn. 12:42).  There were some who were believing in Him and in the One who sent Him (Jn. 12:44).  Three different groups but only two outcomes.  Two lead to eternal separation from God and one leads to eternal life with God.  

Good Friday:  

Jesus intercedes for others to the Father for forgiveness.  (Father, forgive them...)  Jesus offers salvation for the thief on the cross.  (Today...Paradise...). Jesus fulfills His earthly responsibility to His mother.  (Women, behold your son...)  Jesus willingly drinks the cup of God's wrath against sin.  (Eli, My God why....abandon Me...). Jesus uses human resources to accomplish God's will.  (I thirst.)  Jesus cries out a victory chant.  (It is finished.)  Jesus is in control.  (Into Your hands I commit My spirit.)  All this is done while hanging on a cross.  Totally amazing and some words we need to use at time.

Sunrise:  

Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her. (Jn. 20:18)  We love to say, "He is risen!" and hear the response "He is risen indeed!"  Mary gives us something new and very personal to say on Resurrection Sunday.  Are you telling others that you have seen the Lord and sharing the other things He has written to us to share with others?

Main Service:  

What does it mean to believe in Him?  John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  Romans 10:8-11 helps us to have a correct understanding of what it means to believe in Him.  Our mind and our heart has been changed by God to submit to Jesus as our Lord and to respond in worship as the One God raised from the dead.  As the old song says, "I serve a risen Savior..."

What a full week!!!

Adam












A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life - Spurgeon

     I heard this phrase today along with another that if you connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life, it will end up effecting all of your life.  This came up in my study of the book of James and specifically the verses dealing with not just being a hearer of the Word but also be a doer of the Word.  It is all about application.  I can't look at preaching the Word without giving steps of applying the Word.  It really is an incomplete sermon if I don't.      Many times I think it has to be big and many points and given cute aliteration that makes it snappy and I think easy to remember and fun to write down.  Reality is, if I would make it a bit of Scripture connected to a bit of life and just that it would probably accomplish much more.  How much time I spend on the opening statement and lame joke and research and introductions and how many points and the closing statement and so little time on connecting the bit of Scripture to the bit of life.      So I guess I ha
Read more

Galatians #15 - Galatians 6:11-18 - "On The Road Again..."

Image
  Another week closer and it involves some more travel for the Wolfgangs.  I feel like the Willy Nelson song, " On the road again... "  I don't know if I agree with the next line though. " ...I can't wait to get on the road again. " One of the members of the church in Wisconsin calculated that I will travel well over 10,000 miles to make this transition.  Traveling mercies prayers please. Last Sunday we will look at Paul's final words to the churches in Galatia.  He brought them the gospel (good news) message of Jesus and what resulted were churches forming throughout the region.  The letter is to defend that message that our salvation comes from and is in Christ alone.  Christ's sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins.  The summary statement of the letter is found in  Galatians 6:15 (LSB) .  " For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. "  Translated another way earlier in  Ga
Read more

Sermon prep and maybe a video...

     James 4 has brought up some interesting study.  First, "the quarrels and fights among you."  Those are usually worse than you think even though we try to minimize them.  The source is simpler than you think because it is coming from within you.  The solution is easier than you think because the solution that James gives is that we need to humble ourselves before the Lord.  Any sincere resolution is specific and brief.  Beware of lengthy resolutions that usually include explaining it away or excusing some of the behavior.      As I have seen before, the words are a sign of the heart.  I read this week that if we have a critical heart we usually start by speaking evil of another to ourselves.  Then we progress to speaking evil of another to that person with a running tally in our heads of all their wrongs.  Finally, we speak evil of another to others and broadcast in a way that we are thinking that we are helping.  Giving judgment is always easier than giving mercy.  I
Read more