Order of Worship
Christ The Lord is Risen Today
Christ the Lord is risen today, alleluia
Sons of men and angels say, alleluia
Raise your joys and triumphs high, alleluia
Sing ye heavens and earth reply, alleluia
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Lives again our glorious King, alleluia
Where O death is now thy sting, alleluia
Dying once He all doth save, alleluia
Where thy victory O grave, alleluia
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Love’s redeeming work is done, alleluia
Fought the fight the battle won, alleluia
Death in vain forbids Him rise, alleluia
Christ has opened paradise, alleluia
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Soar we now where Christ has led, alleluia
Following our exalted Head, alleluia
Made like Him, like Him we rise, alleluia
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, alleluia
Call to Worship
Easter Litany
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: Christ is risen indeed!
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia
O Praise the Name (Anástasis)
I cast my mind to Calvary
Where Jesus bled and died for me
I see His wounds, His hands, His feet
My Savior on that cursed tree
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His body bound and drenched in tears
They laid Him down in Joseph’s tomb
The entrance sealed by heavy stone
Messiah still and all alone
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O praise the name of the Lord our God
O praise His name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
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Then on the third at break of dawn
The Son of heaven rose again
O trampled death where is your sting?
The angels roar for Christ the King
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O praise the name of the Lord our God
O praise His name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
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He shall return in robes of white
The blazing sun shall pierce the night
And I will rise among the saints
My gaze transfixed on Jesus’ face
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O praise the name of the Lord our God
O praise His name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God
A Reading of the Easter Story
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. Mark 16:1-8 NIV
Prayer
Compassion Fund
Our Easter offering is dedicated to the Compassion Fund, and all contributions today will directly be a beacon of hope and light in challenging times. This fund directly assists those in need within our community and church family. It provides financial aid, helping individuals meet their obligations and fostering hope for a brighter future.
Over the last year, the fund has changed the lives of over 315 people, including a young pregnant woman fleeing from domestic violence. Because of the Compassion Fund, we were able to provide supplies for the baby, and the mom was able to stay current on her rent during her unpaid maternity leave. Baby and mom are doing well, thank you for your support!
King of Kings
In the darkness, we were waiting without hope, without light
‘Till from heaven You came running, there was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfill the law and prophets, to a virgin came the Word
From a throne of endless glory, to a cradle in the dirt
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Praise the Father, praise the Son, praise the Spirit, three in one
God of Glory, Majesty, Praise forever to the King of Kings
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To reveal the kingdom coming, and to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation, You did not despise the cross
For even in your suffering You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation, Jesus for our sake You died
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Praise the Father, praise the Son, praise the Spirit, three in one
God of Glory, Majesty, Praise forever to the King of Kings
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And the morning that You rose, all of heaven held it’s breath
‘Till that stone was moved for good, for the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs, and the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come to the Father are restored
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And the church of Christ was born, then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this gospel truth of old shall not kneel, shall not faint
By His blood and in His name, in His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ, who has resurrected me
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Praise the Father, praise the Son, praise the Spirit, three in one
God of Glory, Majesty, Praise forever to the King of Kings
Easter Message
Baptisms
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
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In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
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There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
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No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Benediction
Leading in Worship
- Aaron Williams – Worship Leader
- Caleb Hardy – Worship Leader
- Jay Lee – Exectuvie Pastor
- Calum Lindsay – Pastor of Worship and Prayer
- Isabelle Heard – Director of Elementary
Was Jesus Really
Raised from the Dead?
Easter isn’t good news if it isn’t really true. Many in our day believe the resurrection is really just a sentimental way of talking about hope and spring and newness of life. There have been times in my life when I wondered whether any of this was really true. In college, I took a course called The Death of God, which summed up the strongest arguments against the historical resurrection of Jesus. It challenged my faith to its core, but the journey through those doubts actually led to a stronger and deeper confidence in an actual, historical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
One of the most compelling evidences is that women were the first witnesses of the resurrection. Women’s low social status in the first century meant that their testimony was not admissible evidence in court. If you were making up this story, there’s no way women would be the first witnesses. Among them was Mary Magdalene, a woman who was demon possessed before Jesus changed her life. This was about the least likely candidate in the entire New Testament to be the first witness of the empty tomb. The best possible explanation for why women are recorded as discovering the empty tomb first is that’s how it happened, and they couldn’t bring themselves to alter the true story.
Some skeptics argue that Jesus’ disciples made the resurrection up to advance their own agenda. The only problem with that is the disciples—as a matter of historical record—faced persecution, suffering, and ultimately death for claiming they had seen the risen Jesus. People will die for all kinds of things, but not for something they know to be a lie. No one gives their life for a metaphor. The most compelling explanation is that the tomb really was empty, and 500 eyewitnesses saw the risen Jesus, and simply could not ignore the truth. The church did not create the resurrection; the resurrection created the church.
Further reading:
- The Reason for God – Tim Keller
- Surprised by Hope – N.T. Wright
- Sacred Rhythms – Ruth Haley Barton
- The Deeply Formed Life – Rich Villodas
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