Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”
Our Bible verse for today: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “This Easter could be the day God begins a mighty movement of His Holy Spirit across our land.”
Easter is a time of renewal and awakening. Although every gathering of God’s people can and should be a celebration of Jesus, Easter Sunday is the day each year when we specifically celebrate the great truth that Jesus defeated death, arose from the grave, and that through Him we can have eternal life too.
Easter is also the day each year when churches typically experience their highest attendance. Wayward Christians who don’t go to church throughout the year do come on Easter Sunday. Non-Christians too will frequently go to church on Easter. Therefore there is a greater opportunity for a mighty movement of God on this day than perhaps on any other. On no other day throughout the year are there as many people gathered in churches across the land, singing resurrection songs, hearing resurrection truths preached, and seeing Jesus exalted in the lives of His people.
So as the people of God who are committed to being on-mission with Jesus to help expand God’s kingdom on earth, this is a day of great opportunity. If we do our part to prepare and to pray and to invite, we will be offering up to God a great opportunity to do a mighty work in our church if He so desires.
But we do have to do our part. First, we have to pray. We have to pray that God will move in our individual hearts and then in the hearts of others. Then we have to prepare. The events should be well planned; the buildings should be cleaned; the songs rehearsed; the sermon well-written. And then we must invite. If you invite them they will come. Oh, not all of them, but many of them. In survey after survey people say that they would attend a church service if someone they know invited them – especially on a special day like Easter.
Do you plan to attend church on Easter Sunday? I want to invite you to worship with us at Oak Hill Baptist. At 9:00 we will be serving a brunch in the Fellowship Hall. Come and eat with us and enjoy the good company. There will also be special events for the children, including an Easter egg hunt. At 10:00 there will be an Easter Celebration Service. We will begin with the baptism of a new believer. There will be lots of special Easter music, and some interpretive dance along with the music, and an Easter sermon.
Will you invite others? A personal invitation from you to a friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker is the best way to invite someone. You can also use this devotional message as a form of written invitation. You can re-send it to those in your email address group, and/or repost it on your Facebook page.
This Easter could be the day that God begins a mighty work in our land. But if that is to happen, it will begin in each of our individual hearts. That then could spread to those around us, and then to our church, and then to our community, and then to the state of Tennessee, and then to the USA, but it begins with you and with me.
I hope to see you at Oak Hill Baptist Church this Sunday.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 