Church guide

2 Peter 3:10 (KJV) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Congratulations to one of our graduates, Carlee Taylor! We love you and can’t wait to see where the Lord takes you.

Join us for adult bible study on Wednesday evenings at 6:30. Everyone is welcome.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalms 61:2

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is Easter Sunday, the day that we rejoice, and as a Christian community we are joyous. Please join with us, and celebrate that Christ is risen! (He is risen, indeed!) On Resurrection Sunday we reach the culmination of Passion Week. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event of the Christian faith. The very foundation of all Christian doctrine hinges on the truth of this account. Early Sunday morning several women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and Salomay are all mentioned in the Gospels) went to the tomb and discovered that the large stone covering the tomb's entrance had been rolled away. An angel announced, "Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen." On the day of His resurrection, Jesus Christ made at least five appearances. Mark's Gospel says the first person to see Him was Mary Magdalene. Jesus also appeared to Peter, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and later that day to all of the disciples except Thomas, while they were gathered in a house for prayer. Thomas, who had not seen, was in denial of the resurrection of Christ. Eight days after the resurrection, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! Jesus said to Thomas, Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” Are you one of those who have not seen, but still believe? Jesus spent forty more days on Earth after His resurrection, speaking and spending time with His disciples. Jesus was preparing them to go out into the world and spread the Gospel, which means Good News. He gave the Ultimate Sacrifice for you on the cross. Have you accepted His gift of salvation? Remember, all of this, He did for you.

Holy Saturday in the Tomb: Jesus' body lay in the tomb where it was guarded by Roman soldiers as a favor to Pilate throughout the day on Saturday, which was the Jewish Sabbath. When the Sabbath ended at 6 p.m., Christ's body was ceremonially treated for burial with spices purchased by Nicodemus."He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth." Nicodemus, like Joseph of Arimathea, was a member of the Sanhedrin, the court which had condemned Jesus Christ to death. For a time, both men had lived as secret followers of Jesus, afraid to make a public profession of faith because of their prominent positions in the Jewish community. Similarly, both were deeply affected by Christ's death. They boldly came out of hiding, risking their reputations and their lives because they now realized Jesus was, indeed, the long-awaited Messiah. Together they cared for Jesus' body and prepared it for burial. While His physical body lay in the tomb, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin by offering the perfect, spotless sacrifice. He conquered death, both spiritually and physically, securing our eternal salvation. The Bible says, "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."

In the Tomb: By 6 p.m. Friday evening, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body down from the cross and laid it in a rich man's tomb.

Events Following Jesus' Death:
 Right after Jesus gave up His spirit, there was a great earthquake. Matthew 27:51-52 says: "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."

 The ripping of the curtain or veil in the temple was God’s way of telling His people that there was no longer separation between them and Him. The veil surrounded the “Holy of Holies.” This was a place only the highest of religious leaders could enter, and it is where the Holy Spirit was said to dwell. By Jesus sacrificing His life for our sins, we can now be made clean. He took our punishment. There is no more separation from God. The Holy Spirit now dwells within us if we accept this gift of salvation.

During the earthquake, the earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
The Centurion commented that "Surely He was the Son of God!"

 The Soldiers then break the thieves' legs, and pierce Jesus’s side to make sure he was dead.

Jesus Dies on the Cross for Us:
 3 P.M. "The Ninth Hour:”
Jesus breathes His last breath and surrendered His spirit as the Ultimate Sacrifice for us. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, unto your hands I commit my spirit." When He had said this, He breathed His last.

Jesus on the Cross:
2 P.M.:
When Jesus had tasted the liquid He said, "It is finished!"

Cameron Eric Reynolds, Connor, Tyler Stein, and Caleb kicked back on the Corn Maze train!

Happy birthday dear Larrys!

Cassie's birthday!