Can you believe that it is already springtime? Where has this year gone? Spring brings many exciting things. Flowers start to bloom, trees begin to bud, and it seems like everything comes back to life. Spring is a wonderful time of year. To me the greatest thing about the spring season is it is the time in which we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Easter celebration has been the great celebration of the church down through the years. The heart of the Christian faith is the event of the resurrection. It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which makes sense out of it all. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:13-15 “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” The resurrection will help us to see that sin can be defeated, that suffering can be overcome, that death has no final power and that we can trust in Jesus’ promise that He will always be with us even until the end of the world.
Let’s think about these four things for a moment. The Old Testament tells us that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins. The Old Testament people would offer sacrifices to God for their sins. These animals that were sacrificed had to be the very best of the animals. They had to have no blemishes or spots. But even then their blood was not good enough to wash the sins away, it would only cover it for a time. Jesus had to come and die upon the cross shedding His perfect blood so that our sins could not only be covered but they could be washed away. Because our sins can be washed away by the blood of Christ, sin has no victory over the Christian. We might have the consequences of sin in our lives, but ultimately sin has been defeated by Jesus.
The resurrection also teaches us that suffering can be overcome. All of us have our problems and trials. We all go through our times of pain and troubles. But Jesus died and rose from the grave to prove to us that he can help us overcome all that will try and keep us down. The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 4 verse 15, “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Christ knows what we are going through and will be there to help us overcome all that we have to face.
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [1 Corinthians 15:55-57] Jesus by His marvelous resurrection has conquered death. We have no need of fearing death anymore. Death has no power over the followers of Jesus. Death is just a doorway that we must go through in order to be with Christ for eternity. Jesus promised that he was going to prepare a place for us and one day those who trust in him will be able to spend eternity in his presence.
After the death of Christ many of the disciples felt depressed. They thought Jesus was gone and they did not know what to do. They had gathered in a room hiding from the authorities trying to figure out what to do. All of a sudden Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be unto you.” [John 20:19] Have you ever wondered why Jesus said “peace be unto you.” Think about it, the disciples were worried. They had seen the one whom they thought was the Messiah die on a cross and be placed into a tomb. The one whom they had followed around for some three years was now gone. What were they going to do? It seemed like they were all alone. But through the gloomy air of loneliness, Christ appeared to reassure them that they were not alone. He was there to give them the kind of peace that the world does not understand. The kind of peace that cannot be bought or achieved on your own. This kind of peace only comes from the Prince of Peace who has promised never to leave us or forsake us. From that point the disciples understood that Jesus was there. He was there for them. And He is here for us. He will always be there when we need Him even until the end of the world.
May the Lord place a smile on your face and love and joy down deep in your heart as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.
Pastor Baggett
We are looking forward to Easter! With So many fun ways to celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord and Savior! 1,2,3, Jesus is Alive! Join us as we sing and dance during Children’s worship about Jesus’ Resurrection, Truth, and Life!
We are looking forward to the Egg hunt this Saturday! Please join us for eggs, candy, and LOTS OF FUN!!! We do still need people to bring cupcakes, chips, and drinks! Please call the church office if you can bring in those items.
During Ultimate Wednesday, we are still making sure to "Check-in with Jesus." Seeing these kids learn what it means to pray and enjoy spending time with Him has been incredible!
We are also looking for more Volunteers in our Church nursery! We need your help! One Sunday a month, can you volunteer to spend time with our little ones, see to their needs, and share with them the LOVE OF GOD? Please See Chandler Whitford for more information!
Please also continue to pray for our many Children's Workers who shine the love of Jesus as they serve these kids and their families! Also, pray for our kids as they learn to love Jesus and grow closer to Him! We continue to pray that God will grow our children’s ministry and HIS CHURCH! We aim to bring the good news of the Gospel of Jesus to every boy and girl in Ayden, Grifton & Beyond!
When looking at the story of Jesus in the Gospels, we see Jesus welcoming the younger ones of society to come to Him. This is a beautiful image of how we need to be as the church to invite, welcome, and love the youth of our community. It is such a blessing to see all that God is doing in the lives of our teens. Even when we find the days that it does not seem they are listening to a word we say or participating as we hope. They are picking up what it means to be more like Jesus every day. It is subtle, but the sparks are connecting, and they’re beginning to understand what it means to live in the ways of Jesus.
We hope all of our middle and high school students can join us on Wednesday Nights and for our Grove Youth Night coming up on April 16th! We are planning on having a time of games, fellowship, and a time reading God’s Word together!
Thank you for your continued prayers for our youth and their families!
~Pastor Jonathan, Youth Pastor of Elm Grove Church
March 5th ~ Joey & Carrie Adams
March 12th ~ Debbie Best
March 19th ~ Jimmy & Hilda McLawhorn
March 26th ~ The Wethington Family Michael, Tiffany, Laikyn, & Cutter
In Loving Memory of Lenwood Earl Sauls
By James and Jenny Lou Garris
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In Loving Memory of Jesse B Holland Jr.
By James and Jenny Lou Garris
