Sunday Prayer: An Easter Prayer

Gracious God,

On this Easter day, I come before you with a heart full of gratitude and joy, for you have given me new life through the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.

I thank you for your abundant mercy and great love, which have given your people a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I praise you for the imperishable inheritance that you have kept in heaven for all of us, who are protected by your power through faith.

As I celebrate this day, I pray that you would fill me with the joy and peace that come from knowing you and trusting in your promises. I ask that you would help me to live each day in the light of Jesus’ resurrection, empowered by the  Holy Spirit to love and serve others just as Jesus loved us.

May your grace and peace be with me always, and may I live in the hope of your promise of eternal life. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord and Savior of the World.

Amen.

Making Impact

Our world has been corrupted by sin and evil. This reality means that poverty, abuse, racism, hunger, and numerous other tragedies are a common part of life.

As individuals, we feel powerless to solve the world's biggest problems like world peace, global hunger, or the crime in our communities. We can wonder if our actions make any real difference in the face of these huge problems.

As followers of Jesus we are called to be lights in the world. In other words, we are to be a positive influence in the world. The Bible teaches us that our choice to love, to forgive, and to serve can have a huge impact on the people around us.

In 1 Corinthians 13, commonly called the "love chapter," the Apostle Paul wrote about the power of love.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3; NLT)

Paul went on to describe love in terms such as patience, kindness, and forgiveness. Love is not only important, but it is essential to our relationships with others.

Love is crucial for influencing the world around us. Forgiveness is another powerful tool in making an impact on our families, churches, and communities. In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus told Peter that he should forgive his brother seventy times seven times. This is not meant to be taken literally, but rather it emphasizes the importance of forgiving others, even when it's difficult. Forgiveness opens up the way for healing and restoration to occur. This is crucial to break the cycle of exclusion, retaliation, and revenge.

Service is a third way that we can make an impact in our communities. In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus said that when we serve others, we are serving him. He went on to say that when we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, and visit those in prison, we are doing it for him. Service is not only important in helping others, but it also allows us to see the face of Christ in those we serve.

Our actions may not result in world peace or solve global hunger or diminish crime in our communities, but our choice to love, to forgive, and to serve can have a huge impact on those around us.

When we choose to love, we create an environment of kindness and respect. When we choose to forgive, we break the cycle of exclusion, retaliation, and revenge. When we choose to serve, we help meet the needs of those around us and show them the love of Christ.

We need to remember that we can make a difference in our communities by choosing to love, forgive, and serve those around us. Followers of Jesus need to strive to embody the love, to extend forgiveness to those who have wronged us, and to serve those in need. When this becomes our way of life, the church can make a real impact on the people in our communities, and we can bring a little bit of heaven to earth.

The Foolishness of the Cross

 

Good Friday invites us to reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the moment when He obediently laid down his life as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. For those of us who have been around church cultural most of our lives, there’s a risk of growing numb to the profound strangeness of the cross—an instrument of execution turned into a symbol of victory. It defies human logic to think life could spring from death or that winning could emerge from losing. Yet, this is the heart of the gospel.

The Apostle Paul captures this paradox in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (CSB):

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved… For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached… Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Writing to Greeks influenced by philosophy, Paul says what they are thinking: the cross “foolishness.” It’s a stumbling block to some, nonsense to others, yet for those who believe, it’s the power and wisdom of God. The cross is central to God’s plan to redeem His good creation from sin, decay, and death—a plan that defies our comprehension and will always feel a bit mysterious.

Theological doctrines like justification, atonement, and sanctification help explain the cross, but they can’t fully capture its oddity. If we reduce the cross to a neat formula, we risk missing its transformative power. We don’t need to unravel every mystery of the crucifixion to experience its gifts—forgiveness, mercy, and new life. Our salvation rests not on perfect understanding but on faith in Jesus.

Good Friday reminds us that the power of the cross lies in God’s love and grace, not our ability to comprehend it. We may never fully grasp how one man’s death saves all who believe, but we can trust the One who made it possible. This day calls us not to neatly explain God’s ways but to rest in His love.

The ME Centered Life

 

American society seems to prioritize the individual over the community. I think this reality is reflected in our rampant consumerism. Consumerism is the constant acquisition of goods and services in the pursuit of happiness. This means we prioritize our own desires over the well-being of others and the environment. For example, we are willing to discard last year's model for the smallest improvement on this year's model.

This one of the reasons why I think the fundamental issue with consumerism narcissism. We tend to prioritize our own wants and desires, without considering the consequences of our actions. We often seek pleasure and immediate gratification, without thinking about the long-term effects on ourselves or others.

This narcissistic mentality is pervasive in the world. We can see it in a cheating spouse to a teenager seeking a quick high. Our world teaches us to chase the momentary pleasure without considering the long-term consequences of our actions. When we have this mind set what matters more than anything else is getting what we want.

However, a life centered solely around ourselves will eventually catch up with us, and the pain and misery of the consequences always outweigh the short-term pleasure we sought.

In his book Uprising, Erwin McManus wrote:

In the midst of our growing fragmentation, we have never been more focused on the individual than we are today. This focus plays itself out in unbridled consumerism. While materialism is certainly an outgrowth of consumerism, it isn’t its primary focus. Consumerism’s primary product in our culture is narcissism. Remember, narcissism is a life in which everything is about us.

While pursuing a life centered on ourselves may bring temporary pleasure, it inevitably leads to negative consequences that outweigh any enjoyment we may have experienced. Unfortunately, the world's solution to avoiding these consequences is to pursue an even more self-centered lifestyle.

However, the key to a fulfilling life is found in focusing on relationships with others, rather than on ourselves.

In contrast, the New Testament emphasizes the importance of community and loving one another. Our best experiences in life come from investing time and love in other people. If relationships are the most important thing to us, then we will prioritize loving others rather than gratifying our desires.

As the Apostle Paul wrote,

Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Ultimately, the life of a Christian is not about putting ourselves first but rather focusing on loving God and loving our neighbors. We are not the most important thing in the universe, and living our lives as if we were will lead to a dissatisfying existence. By prioritizing relationships and serving others, we can discover the fulfilling life that Jesus promised us.

The pursuit of a self-centered life may bring temporary pleasure, but it ultimately leads to negative consequences. The key to a fulfilling life is found in prioritizing relationships and focusing on others, rather than solely on ourselves.