Palm Sunday kicks off Resurrection Week, and many churches and Christian institutions are commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ with special services and ceremonies. Grace Pointe is no different. We will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ with a Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 16, at the Depot Pavilion in Brownwood, formally known as the Stuart and Margaret Coleman Plaza.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith. For without the resurrection, we have little reason to expect life after death, nor do we have any real reason to look forward to Heaven. Without the resurrection, holy living would be pointless, as would be our entire religion. Jesus paid for our sin on the cross. When He rose again, He conquered the grave and secured eternal salvation for us. We have much to celebrate next week.

There are three things that come to my mind when I think about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1. Nothing is impossible with God. This theme is reiterated throughout the Bible, and the resurrection is just one instance where we realize that God is capable of anything. He can cause a virgin to conceive and give birth. He can cause time to stop, or the sun to move in reverse. He can turn off the sun’s light, part the Red Sea, heal the most infirmed among us, and He can raise His only begotten Son from the dead.

This is important to us, because it reminds us that God is bigger than the struggles we face in life. It’s also important because it reminds us that God can solve the most insurmountable problems we face.

2. God can, and will, heal. I was listening to a Christian talk show one evening where a man relayed how God saved His marriage. During the interview, the man recounted how he told his pastor that there was no hope for his marriage, that not even God Himself could save His marriage. The pastor then looked at this man and said, “So, you’re telling me that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead cannot raise your marriage from the dead?”

Being reminded of the power of God as evidenced through the resurrection, the man re-committed himself to the Lord, sought marriage counseling with his wife, and the marriage was saved.

The same God that raised Jesus from the dead and saved that man’s marriage can save your marriage, empower you to overcome addiction, heal you of your health problems, and heal you of the scars of your past. He can, and He will.

3. That we are safe. With Christ risen from the grave, and seated at the right hand of the throne of God, we have a continual advocate before God the Father. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, then you have been rescued from the judgment of God, and will be received into His Kingdom. This is a blessing that you cannot lose, because Christ constantly advocates with God to keep you saved. Therefore, no matter what happens to you in this world, you have the assurance that when this life is over, you will be received into a place of eternal blessing.

In light of the resurrection, we are reminded that we are never alone, and God is working His plan in our lives. Knowing that should give us the faith to go forward in life without fear.

This post is just a surface-level observation of the power the resurrection of Jesus Christ brings to our lives. Over the next week and a half, we’ll take a closer look at the resurrection, and remember how the Lord has blessed us.

When was the last time someone knocked on your door? When was the last time you were happy to answer the door?

Visiting friends and family used to be a common occurrence. You’d arrive home in the afternoon, start dinner, and there’d be a knock at the door. You would then open the door to see your brother, neighbor, college buddy or cousin standing there. You’d welcome them in, set a place for them at the table, and afterwards play cards or dominoes until it was time to settle in for the night.

Such was commonplace around my house growing up. How often I played in the yard while the grown-ups got along inside. Dominoes. Cards. Skip Bo, Uno, Monopoly. All of these visitors were friends. We (kids included) were glad to see them.

On the weekends, someone would barbecue, and we’d all contribute something to the get-together, whether it be Dr. Pepper or potato salad. We were social. We got along. We loved each other and we loved being together.

Those days seem to have gone the way of rotary phones, however. Today, when there’s a knock at the door, life inside the house stops while we see how our day is about to be ruined. More often than not, the knock at the door is a salesman, political activist, evangelist, or neighbor complaining about something your dog or kids did. To a certain degree, many are afraid to answer their doors, fearing that the knock is a prelude to a home invasion or attack.

Knocks at the door have gone from pleasure to business, as our schedules are becoming more hectic, and our daily planners fill up with business meetings, transactions, dance recitals, little-league games, parent-teacher conferences, and banquets. We have become too busy. And, it’s getting worse. We’re getting busier and less social. As such, we’re becoming more isolated.

Lost in all of this is fellowship.

Even secular scientists will tell you that humans are social creatures, and denied the ability to socialize, people develop mental illness. It’s why solitary confinement is considered a harsh punishment. It’s why crazy people tend to be hermits. (The solitude made them crazy). Leave a man alone, and he will self-destruct.

Thus, in Genesis 2, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” God created us to be social. He created us for relationships. He created us to fellowship.

Fellowship is not just a Baptist code word for “potluck dinner.” The term fellowship refers to relationships, like a partnership, community, or the shared ties of a common background.

Have you ever noticed how two war veterans who have never met, who fought in different wars, can suddenly become friends and carry on as if they had known each other for years? That’s fellowship. The common background of having served our country in the armed forces, of having seen combat ties them together, and thus they share a certain communion.

As Christians, God wants us to fellowship with each other. He wants us to be friends, to form a community, to get together and to share the ties of our common background of redemption. And while this includes attending and participating in a local church (Hebrews 10:25), it also involves getting together outside of church, and getting to know each other (Hebrews 10:24).

So, call up your brothers and sisters in Christ. Invite them over for some barbecue. Have “company” over for dinner.

Then gather with your church on Sunday. If you don’t have a church, Grace Pointe meets for Sunday School at 10 am, Morning Worship at 11 am. We meet at the Early Chamber of Commerce at 104 E. Industrial Drive in Early, TX. We also hold small-group Bible studies at Market Place Apartments, in the 2nd Floor Club Room, Wednesdays at 1 p.m., and in our office at the Chamber of Commerce Wednesdays at 5 p.m.