Weekly Newsletter – April 6, 2026
đź“–Sunday Recap
This past Sunday, we centered everything on one question: Is the tomb still occupied or is it empty? Because how you answer that question changes everything.
It’s easy to grow familiar with Easter. We know the story. We know the ending. But we were reminded that there is nothing ordinary about the resurrection. If Jesus is still in the grave, then Christianity is just another set of ideas. But if the tomb is empty, then Jesus is not just a teacher to admire,He is the risen Lord who changes everything about our lives.
Walking through Luke 24:1–8, we stepped into that early morning with the women who came expecting death, not resurrection. They brought spices. They came to mourn. But instead of a sealed tomb, they found the stone rolled away and a message that changed everything: “He is not here; He has risen.” In that moment, their grief, confusion, and fear collided with the reality of God’s plan.
We wrestled with why this had to happen. Jesus was not delivered to death by accident, He was handed over according to God’s plan because our sin is that serious. Scripture makes it clear that sin separates us from a holy God, and that separation carries a cost. The cross shows us the weight of our sin, but it also shows us the depth of God’s love. Jesus took the payment we could never make.
But the story doesn’t end at the cross. The empty tomb is what proves it worked.
Because Jesus is alive, everything changes. A dead savior cannot save, cannot meet us, cannot transform us. But a living Savior can—and He does. The resurrection is God’s declaration that sin has been defeated and death no longer has the final word. We are not following a memory; we are walking with a living Lord.
We also saw how the turning point came when the women remembered Jesus’ words. What once felt like confusion suddenly made sense. Fear turned into faith. Silence turned into witness. And that same pattern still holds true—when we remember what Jesus has said and believe it, it moves from our heads into our hearts and begins to shape how we live.
That led us to a personal question: Where are you looking for life? So often, we search for it in things that cannot satisfy—success, comfort, approval, control. But the message of Easter calls us to stop looking for life in places of death and turn to the One who is alive.
The call was simple but clear:
Remember that Jesus was delivered for our sin.
Believe that He is risen and alive.
Respond by trusting Him with your life.
The empty tomb is not just something to reflect on once a year. It is a reality that changes everything—our past, our present, and our future. Forgiveness is real. Hope is alive. And life that cannot be taken away is offered to all who believe.
Happening This Week
Wednesday:
- 10am – Wednesday Morning Bible Study
Sunday:
- 9am – Worship
- 10:20am – Sunday School
- 5:30pm – ThriveÂ
- 6:00pm –Â Adult Small GroupsÂ
🗓️ Mark Your Calendar
🙏 Prayer Requests
Please be praying for:
Marilyn Perry – knee injury
Kelsey Schilt – guidance
Gena Drake – surgery recovery
Steve Knackmuhs – lymphoma
Rick Kennedy – stroke recovery
Wayne Zirkle – treatments
Abigail Clodfelter Henson – health issues
Dan Greifzu -health issues
Rita Giese – health issues
Michael Walter – health issues
Kendal Loudermilk – health concerns
Jerry Mason – health issues
Adelyn Vallette – eye infection
Family of Charles Tennis
Family of Joanne Garrison
Family of George Wright
Family of Tom Goodman
If you have a prayer request, contact church office at 618-456-8563 or fill out a card on Sunday.
See you Sunday!