Lee's Summit Community Church

Tim Luke: Easter means God is close at hand

Pam Wilbur: Easter refreshes me in God's love

I am a Christian 365 days of the year. Since I was a small child, I have known the sacrifice and suffering that Jesus endured for me on the cross. It is at Easter, however, that I begin to look at that differently. As well as being a Christian, I am a mother. I have two beautiful children that mean the world to me. I would do anything for them, including laying down my own life. But do I love someone else enough to lay down the life of one of my children for them? Especially knowing they are not worthy of such an honor? It is at Easter that I am reminded that this is exactly what God did for me. He sent His Son, His only child, to die on the cross for me. I cannot even begin to fathom loving someone that much. Throughout the year, I am grateful for what Jesus did for me. At Easter, I am reminded that yes, Jesus died for me, but even more so that God loved me enough to allow his only Son to pay that price.

 

Mike Bergen: Easter makes life an adventure every day

Adam Smith: Easter means there is nothing to fear

Kyle Weldon: Easter means fresh hope every day

Scott Travis: Easter means I am restored

For years, even after I accepted Christ and became one of his followers, I could scarcely look directly at a cross for too long without being overtaken and defeated by the feelings of guilt, shame, and hopeless sorrow. All of those things would have been mine to bear for eternity had it not been for Christ, his cross, and resurrection – what we commonly refer to as Easter. So what has changed that now allows me to be able to talk about Easter more freely without being defeated by all those old nightmarish feelings?  It’s a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, second-by-second growth in my understanding of the Easter event itself. I’ve learned how it applies to me in a practical way. The power of Christ’s work at Easter is so great that there is no sinner in all of creation who cannot be fully restored. For me, that makes life worth living.

LeeAnn McNulty: Easter means acceptance

Casey Jackson: Easter has changed me

Josh Crawford: Easter means God offers life

Easter for me isn’t a day, but the earth shattering truth that 2000 years ago a man who was dead for three days lived again. It sounds like science fiction, but if God could make a dead man alive then there is hope for me. Apart from God, we are dead where we stand. But because a man died and yet lives to this day, we can believe God when He offers life to us. By His stripes we are healed, and by His life I can find the grace for each new day. He makes dead men alive!

Derek Handley: Easter means Jesus is more than a good man

Mike Knight: Easter means hope and purpose all year long

Teresa Jacks: Easter provides grace under pressure

The contemplation of Easter often leads us to consider religious words such as hallelujah, sacrifice and risen. These are all very true and poignant words to describe the Easter event. But when I think of that week in the life of Christ, the words grace under pressure always come to my mind. Though a few of Jesus’ followers understood Him and were loyal, He was mostly heralded in by people who were either caught up in the latest and greatest thing or wanted Him to crush the Romans. He was betrayed, beaten, denied, humiliated, mocked, scorned and forsaken ... yet He was still filled with grace – grace under life-altering pressure. Jesus understood the betrayal, then forgave those who beat and humiliated Him. He prayed for the mocking and scornful. His love continued for those who denied Him. Even though He believed He was forsaken, Jesus’ eyes were still on the face of the Father. Sometimes life tempts me to scream at situations or I want to lash out at someone who has hurt me. Or perhaps I feel beaten down to the point of wanting to give up and feel that this life just is not worth all this pain. That’s when I remember Jesus and His grace under pressure.

 

Dawn Henseler: Easter turns brokenness into hope, acceptance and purpose

Easter.  I still recall the year when, for me, this holiday’s (holy day) meaning changed from intellectual assent of the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to grasping that HE IS ALIVE!  Months prior, through painful rejection and awareness of my own sin, I was encouraged to seek a relationship with this person, Jesus. Only because Jesus lives, was He able to raise me from brokenness and offer me hope, forgiveness, acceptance, and purpose!  I no longer lived for the weekend, but found joy living life to know and serve the One who rescued me.  What does Easter mean to me everyday?  It means living beyond myself as I yield to Jesus’ power in me.  It means I am more fully alive.  It means I have the privilege of walking with Jesus, My Savior and Friend, assured of His constant love.

Alexis Johnson and Julia Lord: Easter motivates us to become more like Jesus

Felicia Swope: Easter means God is with me

To me, Easter is faith. Faith in the resurrection and in the knowledge that my Lord is with me every single day. Faith that I am forgiven and that I am in the hands of an everlasting God 365 days a year.

Roy Harryman: Easter gives me daily peace and purpose

Roy Harryman: Easter 365 from Lee's Summit Community Church on Vimeo.

Roy Harryman talks about what Easter means to him every day.

Jesus Butler: Easter means Christ is still changing my life

The reality of what we celebrate on Easter, that the Lord Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and lives and reigns today, effects every day of my life profoundly. I have been through many things over the years that have reminded me that depending on Christ as our salvation and stronghold is the most important thing we have in this life. The fact that Jesus is alive, actively working in my life and the lives of those around me, means everything to me. I know I would be lost without His grace, which I am grateful for and want to celebrate everyday!

Leann Adams: Christ's work at Easter is more than enough for every day

Tina Harryman: Easter leads to peace and purpose

The resurrection means that Jesus has power over death. Since he has this power, then he certainly has the power to handle any problems in my life. That means I can put my trust in him. And since I can trust him, my life has peace and purpose.

Abigail Bergen on Easter every day

To me, Easter is a day to remember that Jesus Christ died and gave up His life on my behalf. Christ's death on the cross fulfilled the reason that He came to earth. He came to pay the high price of death that our sins would have cost us, in order to restore our broken relationship with God. Jesus' death is not something that I want to celebrate or remember just once a year; Jesus' death changes my life every single day. Every day I can be grateful that I have a right relationship with God. I can talk with Him, spend time with Him, enjoy His blessings, tell Him of my pain and hard times, and find true confidence in His unchanging love and acceptance of me. Without my Lord in my life, I would have no hope, and not really any reason to live. He IS my everything, every day.