I absolutely L.O.V.E. Easter….and all that it stands for. Easter is the reason we even exist as a church and as a ministry. Without Easter, it would all be pointless. But Jesus Christ overcame sin, death, and the grave and we can stand in his victory as more than conquerors.

• Our service today touched on the “Rescue” element of LOST. In life, just like the TV show, when rescue is being offered, a voice (Ben from the TV show) calls out that the rescue is risky and dangerous….that accepting “rescue” would be a mistake.
• That voice today comes from the sworn enemy of mankind, Satan himself. And he warns you that accepting the offer of Jesus rescue is too costly..the price is too high… you can make it on your own.
• We celebrated the specialness of the day by observing The Lord’s Supper at the conclusion of the service.
• Our music was “spot on” for the message content
• Hannah Huebner returned from her mission trip to France and was in the service this morning. She was tired…but radiating.
• Paul and Paula Scott are headed to Dallas to investigate a mission ministry “Shoes for Orphan Souls”.
• We had Scott Campbell, a missionary to the eastern Canadian provinces in the service this morning. Scott and his family have done marvelous work for the kingdom in Canada. He is now coordinating church planting efforts there and pastoring/coaching the planters. What a wonderful ministry. Thanks Scott for honoring us and worshiping with us this morning. (Click here to see the churches under his care)
• We had a larger than expected crowd today and the spirit was good.
• We had at least one person indicate they invited Christ into their life as Lord.
• We are unofficially opening a “satellite campus” in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We had more people leave for there this afternoon….which brings the count for the month up to almost 15 Grovers in Gulf Shores. I guess we’ll just start renting space.
• Lesley hooked us up with an awesome ham and hashbrown casserole for Easter lunch. Mmmm, Mmmmm good!
• We had a couple of visits to the blog today from Israel…. which is kinda cool on Easter Sunday.
• It’s a good thing Jesus wasn’t crucified in Peoria in 2008…. he would have arisen to snow. (is that a sign of spring here?)

I hope and pray that your Easter was fulfilling…. and full of power of Jesus Christ.

It is hard for me to imagine what it must have been like on that day of days for Mary and Mary.  Matthew 28 tells the story of that early morning arrival of the two women before dawn.  In all likelihood, they were still mourning…still shaken that Jesus, this man they had placed so much faith in, had been so brutally beaten and murdered. 

Isn’t it amazing how quickly mourning can turn to dancing?  In short order they learned that Jesus was no longer a prisoner of death and the grave.  He had arisen.  It is his crowning achievment that death could not hold him.  Today he is ALIVE…and is forevermore.  Our savior lives!

I pray that you may find a community of worship in which to celebrate his resurrection on this special day. 

I’ve had several conversations over the last two weeks about the seeming decline in the importance of Easter among Christians. I’ve been wondering if I’m just missing it, or if it’s really happening. I grew up in the South, which has been known for years as the “Bible Belt”. And it’s true to a large extent. Church is part of the culture of the South. Even those who claim no religious affiliation whatsoever recognize the place of church in southern culture. And for those who are regular church attenders, church and church life often are the hub of life. It is the center point that everything else revolves around. So when Easter arrives, it is THE DAY! When you get down to it, Christmas is an important celebration, but there is no call for it in the Bible. But Easter….. Jesus told us to REMEMBER! Easter is the watershed event in Christianity because it sets Christianity apart from every other faith…because our leader - Jesus Christ - is NOT in a tomb. He rose again. And that is what led to Easter being such a large celebration in the life of the church in the South.

But maybe I’m NOT missing it. Maybe I’m NOT misreading the cultural tea leaves. In Friday’s edition of USA Today, There was an article titled “Has the Notion of Sin Been Lost?” (You can read it here). Rev. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, made this observation:

Read the full story

Businesses close. Schools close. It is marked on the calendar and observed carefully by millions of people around the world. So what is it? What is Good Friday all about? Before I answer those questions, let me offer another twist. I’m not convinced that Good Friday is really is Good Friday. I never have been. Why do I say that? Because Jesus Christ gave a recurring hint at how he would prove he was the Son of God. He would be dead for THREE days, and THREE nights. I am no math wizard, but I’ve never been able to count three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. I think there must be another explanation. And maybe this has bothered you as well. Maybe it’s kept you from connecting the dots. If so, or if you just enjoy deepening your understanding of biblical issues, take the time to read this excellent post (click here to read) examining the problems of “Good Friday.”

With that being said (and hopefully read…you did read the link,didn’t you?), let me add that whether people focus on the work of the cross on Friday, Thursday, or Wednesday, the important thing is that people DO recognize what Jesus did……… FOR YOU! That’s right! “Good Friday” is about YOU! Some of you out there are probably thinking that I have completely lost it….because Good Friday is about Jesus. That’s true in so much as it is the crucifixion of Jesus that we recognize.

BUT WHY WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED?

IT WAS FOR YOU!

No matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you have done, Jesus Christ died for you. Everything has a price. And so does sin. In our modern world, sin’s price is often time in jail or fines. In the Old Testament biblical world, the price of sin was death…the death of some sort of unblemished animal to “PAY” for the sin of the guilty party. But it was always a temporary fix. However, it served to point to the need for a permanent solution….a perfect “once-for-all” sacrifice. That was Jesus Christ. He is described in the Bible as a “spotless lamb” and “the lamb that takes away the sins of the world”. His death, His sacrifice, was offered to “PAY” for the sin of all guilty parties….and THAT MEANS YOU! AND IT MEANS ME!

It was the most brutal of deaths. But it was “GOOD” because it is now offered for you and me as a payment for our guilt. Just before Jesus drew his last breath he said, “It is finished!” It was the reason he came. It was the destiny of his life here….to pay a price we could not pay. And we can all apply this payment to our account….IF WE CHOOSE TO! For a more thorough explanation, please proceed to the information on “The Main Thing” page at the top of the blog.

What thrills me most is that Jesus is not still on the cross. There is still something more. And that is what Easter is about. I will add another post on Easter morning as we celebrate this MOST special time of the year.

So how about you? Has it really become “GOOD” Friday for you yet? Has it become “GOOD” news for you yet? It can be…..just say YES!

I am totally amped about the next few weeks leading up to Easter. Last summer, during the days of crummy, non-interesting reality shows that litter TV during that timespan, we discovered LOST. I picked up the first disc of Season One at the rental store just to check it out (I know…we’re WAY uncool since we just started watching). Anyway, by the time we got to the end of the first episode we were hooked. Our whole family was staying up late at night to watch as much as we could cram in. If you haven’t seen it yet (which would make you more UN-cool than me), you have really missed out on one of the rare pleasures of really good TV entertainment.

LOST has really captured my attention and curiosity. AND….Beginning next Sunday (3/9), The Grove Church will use LOST, one of the most popular, intriguing programs on TV to explore our own story.

Our story is everyone’s story!

• It’s my story….
• It’s your story….
• It’s your neighbor’s story…
• It’s your best friend’s story…
• It is the story of all of mankind!

Don’t miss a week of this exciting Easter series. But more importantly, don’t come alone. Invite your friends and family. Invite fans of LOST. Invite the neighbors. Invite the neighbor’s cats and dogs if necessary. Do whatever you have to do to get them here.

We don’t want to leave anyone…. LOST!

Services begin at 10:00 am with our good friends from Trefzgers Bakery (the finest bakery in Peoria) providing goodies and coffee served between 9:30-9:55. Child care is provided. Click here for directions.