Come join us for a powerful early morning outdoor worship service on Easter Sunday featuring congregational singing, responsive readings, prayer and the Word of God.
Community Easter Sunrise Service Apr. 9
Sunrise Service
Community Easter Sunrise Service Slated for 7 a.m. April 9
Continuing the tradition of bringing the community together in the Gospel, Life Point Baptist Church has announced that the annual Community Easter Sunrise Service will be held at 7 a.m. Easter Sunday, April 9, at the Early Visitors and Events Center in Early, TX.
“The Community Easter Sunrise Service is one of my favorite events all year,” Pastor Leland Acker said. “This is where we get to gather with friends and neighbors, worship together, and truly feel the Lord’s presence as the sun rises on Resurrection Sunday.”
This year’s service will include a few minor changes to the program.
“At Life Point, we’ve come to believe that true worship is participatory, so we’ll be incorporating more group participation into this year’s service. We’ll be adding responsive readings, focusing on congregational hymns, and we will pray together as well.”
As has been the case since 2019, the Community Sunrise Service will be held at the Early Visitors and Events Center at 419 Garmon Drive.
“It’s truly an amazing venue,” Acker said. “We gather at the outdoor stage, and the sun rises to our left as we worship. There are comfortable restrooms inside, and if bad weather breaks out, we can retreat indoors.”
Acker added there is plenty of parking, and the outdoor stage area can be quickly and easily accessed from the parking lot.
For more information on the Community Easter Sunrise Service, visitors can follow the event page on Facebook, or contact Pastor Acker at (325) 200-8531.
“All are welcome,” Acker said. “This event is for the entire community.”
Community Easter Sunrise Service Set
The annual Community Easter Sunrise Service will be held at 7 am Easter Sunday, April 17, at the Early Visitors and Events Center at 419 Garmon Drive in Early. The event will feature congregational hymns, special musical presentations, scripture reading and a special message from Leland Acker, pastor of Life Point Baptist Church of Early, TX.
The Community Easter Sunrise Service has been a staple in Brown County since it was first held in 2012. It provides an opportunity for local residents to experience the hope of a new day, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the sun rises over the outdoor pavilion.
Everyone is invited to attend. For more information, call Leland Acker at (325) 200-8531, check out the event on Facebook at https://fb.me/e/2WMmJ2fZf, or contact Life Point online at www.PointToLife.net.
Gospel Week: Celebrating the Central Theme of Christianity
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Redemption.
This is the one thing that all people seek. Redemption.
It is romanticized in literature, sought through accomplishments, and desired for lifetimes. Redemption.
Redemption is often called by different names: liberation, validation, triumph. At the heart of these desires, however, is redemption.
Last weekend, millions across America celebrated Tiger Woods’ victory at the Masters. Woods’ first Masters victory in 11 years, coupled with his recovery from injury, personal failures, and controversy, prompted many in the media to hail his “redemption.”
Redemption was a theme interwoven into the NFL careers of Carson Palmer and Bruce Arians, whose careers had been sidelined due to firings and trades, then re-ignited when they were signed by the Arizona Cardinals, before making it to the NFC Finals.
The word, “redemption,” may not be used, but it has captured the hearts of writers, poets and artists. Redemption is celebrated in songs, such as Aerosmith’s “Amazing,” fairy tales such as “Cinderella,” and countless movies and TV shows. Every story about the aging athlete seeking one last championship, every story about a child seeking a long-lost parent, every story about a businessman seeking one last deal, or the advocate seeking one more victory over Wall Street, is a story about a protagonist seeking redemption. Redemption is a theme of every rags-to-riches story, and every story about overcoming loss.
We frame it in so many ways, but at the end of the day, all we are really after is redemption. And true redemption cannot be found in one last championship, one last victory, or in a dream come true. No matter what victories we score in life, we will never receive the fulfillment we seek, unless our redemption is a Spiritual one.
And that’s what Christ purchased on the cross for us.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul lays out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He reminds the Corinthians in verse 1 that they have received the Gospel, and it is the reason they have standing in God’s Kingdom. He then reminds them that the Gospel is the basis for their salvation. Essentially for them, and for us, the Gospel is the source of our hope for the future, our hope for eternal prosperity in God’s Kingdom, and our hope that all that is wrong will be made right.
Then, in one of the most important things ever written, Paul defined the Gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul wrote:
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
How did Christ purchase our redemption? He died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day in fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures.
The death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid the price for our sin. 1 John 2:2 says that He is the propitiation for our sins. A propitiation is a payment made to God to atone for sin. A propitiation cancels a debt owed as a result of sin. To make this payment on our behalf, Christ gave Himself, and was nailed to the cross, and gave up His life.
In doing this, Christ not only paid our debt, but He also removed the stain and guilt sin left on our lives (Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”) Essentially, the old has been washed away, and all things have been made new. New life, new Spirit, new us, new hope. (Isaiah 43:18-19, Revelation 21:5, Ephesians 2:15, Ephesians 4:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Historically, churches have commemorated the death of Jesus Christ on the cross on “Good Friday.” (In all actuality, He was likely crucified on a Wednesday, but that’s a story for another day.) On Easter Sunday, we celebrate His resurrection.
In 1 Corinthians 14:3-4, Paul wrote that the Gospel is how Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, that he was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures. He then spends the rest of the chapter defending, and advocating, that Christ rose again from the dead. When you see how adamantly Paul argued that the resurrection happened, you will understand not only how important this doctrine is to Christianity, but also how much hope it gives us.
As Phil Robertson once said, “A dead savior can’t do much for you.” However, a living Savior advocates for you and opens the doors of Heaven for you.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows us His victory over death, which will also be our victory if we know Him as Savior. And that’s true redemption. To be rescued from the pain of this life into an eternal life with no pain, to be transformed from the old you into a gloriously new version of you, and to be cleansed from all unrighteousness is the ultimate redemption, and that is truly what we celebrate, not just every Easter, but every Sunday as well.
Come join us for Sunrise Service, 7 a.m. Sunday, April 21, 2019, at the Early Visitors and Events Center at 419 Garmon Dr. in Early, TX.
New Venue Announced for Annual Sunrise Service
The Early Visitors and Event Center will be the site of the 8th Annual Community Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday, Pastor Leland Acker announced Monday via Facebook. Life Point Baptist Church first sponsored the Community Sunrise Service in 2011. The service, which features Gospel singing, and preaching, will begin at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 21, at the newly built Early Visitors and Event Center. The entire Early and Brownwood communities are invited.
The Early Visitors and Event Center is located on Garmon Drive (Hwy 84/183 East), at the corner of Live Oak Rd., in Early. The Sunrise Service will be held in the courtyard in the back of the facility (pictured above). The sun will rise to the left of the pavilion, allowing those in attendance to experience the sunrise on the Lord’s day. The event center building will also be open that day, allowing access to restroom facility, and shelter from inclement weather.
Come join us for a moving worship experience, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. Enjoy good Gospel singing, and a Gospel message from Pastor Acker.
For a map to the Early Visitors and Event Center, click here.
Contact us for more information:
Life Point to host Community Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday
The 6th Annual Community Easter Sunrise Service will be held at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 1, at the Margaret and Stuart Coleman Plaza at the Depot Center, which is located next to the Adams Street Community Center in Downtown Brownwood.
Life Point Baptist Church (formerly Grace Pointe Missionary Baptist Church) has hosted the Easter Sunrise Service since 2011.
“The Community Easter Sunrise Service began when our church saw the need for a central place for Christians to come together and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday,” said Pastor Leland Acker. “There is just something special about being outdoors as the sun rises on the day that we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. It gives you the feeling of a new day, a new hope, and blesses you with a unique experience that can’t really be described.”
Acker said the resurrection is the foundational doctrine of Christianity.
“Christianity is built on the idea of redemption, new life, and eternal life,” Acker said. “The Bible teaches that we have all gone astray, we have all lost our way, and we have all sinned against God. Sin leads to destruction and eternal condemnation, but Jesus Christ loved us so much that He gave His life on the cross, taking the divine consequences of our sin upon Himself.
“The Bible teaches that He was buried, but that He rose again the third day, where He conquered death, thus opening the gates of Heaven so that all that repent and believe in Him will be given eternal life.”
Acker went on to say that because Christ rose from the grave, He lives, is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, and advocates for His believers daily.
Acker will bring a special message at the Community Easter Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 1. Bro. Waymon Childress will lead the group in Gospel singing as the sun rises.
Life Point Baptist Church was founded in 2008 in Brownwood, Texas. The church currently meets for Sunday School at 10 am every Sunday, and morning worship at 11 am every Sunday, at the Early Small Business Incubator Facility (also known as the Early Chamber of Commerce) at 104 E. Industrial Dr. in Early. Life Point’s worship center is being built on Sunrise Drive in Early, with completion expected this summer.
Your Personal Invitation to Sunrise Service
The Community Sunrise Service is just that… a community-wide Easter Sunrise Service. If your church is not holding a sunrise service, and you still want to be blessed by this beautiful tradition, then please come worship with us.
The Community Sunrise Service will be at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 16, at the Depot Pavilion (where the above video was filmed) in downtown Brownwood. Come, and be blessed.
If There Is No Resurrection, Then Why Bother?
That is the point of 1 Corinthians 15, as written by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote:
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (1 Corinthians 15:13-20)
The Apostle Paul was addressing a skeptical doctrine that was infiltrating the Corinthian church that there is no resurrection of the dead. In essence, the doctrine taught that, once you are dead, then you return to dust, never to rise again.
Paul’s objection to this heresy addressed the following key points:
- If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. This leads to the logical conclusion…
- If Christ is not risen, then Christianity is pointless. (Paul used the word, “vain,” meaning empty.) The premise of the Christian faith is that Christ rescued us from the judgment of God by taking that judgment upon Himself, dying on the cross, and then rising again to new life, conquering the grave and making eternal salvation possible to all those who believe.
- If there is no resurrection, then there’s no judgment of God, hence no need for Christ to die.
- If there is no resurrection, then Christ did not rise again, thus the grave still holds the final victory over us, and we have no hope for an eternity in Heaven beyond this life.
- If that’s the case, then we are stuck in the here and now, with no hope for deliverance. This is as good as it gets. That being the case, “We are men most miserable.”
- But, Paul reminds us that Christ did rise from the grave, so there is deliverance from God’s judgment, deliverance from death, and the hope of eternal life in His perfect Kingdom for all who believe.
The importance of the resurrection to the Christian faith is so paramount, that the Apostle Paul tied belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the salvation of the believers (Romans 10:9-10).
This Sunday, we commemorate and celebrate the single most important event in Christian, and world, history. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Community Sunrise Service will be held at 7 am Sunday morning at the Depot Pavilion in downtown Brownwood. Come worship with us, and be a part of a truly moving experience.
The Resurrection: That DID Happen
Those who reject Christianity do so for a number of reasons. Some believe that to accept the Christian faith is to reject logic and intellect. Others reject the Christian faith due to perceived hypocrisies among Christians. One of the biggest reasons for rejecting Christianity is a disbelief in the miraculous events recorded in scripture.
Such was the stumblingblock for Lee Strobel, an investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune. A self-described atheist, Strobel rejected Christian beliefs as superstition, fairy tales, and logic defying crutches that served as emotional supports for unstable people.
Stobel’s assessment of Christianity was challenged, however, when his wife, Leslie, professed her faith in Christ during a service at the Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. Troubled by his wife’s new adherence to what he thought was a superstition, Strobel set out to disprove the most important doctrine of Christianity, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Strobel chronicled this journey in his book, The Case for Christ, now a motion picture that has been released on 1,200 screens nationwide.
Instead of disproving Christianity, Strobel stumbled upon a mountain of evidence that supported the fact that the resurrection of Jesus Christ really existed. Such evidence included thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament, eye-witness accounts of the resurrection of Christ, historical documentation, and medical evidence of the cruelty of the beatings Christ endured, and the cruelty of crucifixion.
When standard journalistic investigation, historical research, and logical processes were employed, the resurrection stood on its merit. It really happened. Confronted with this truth, Strobel was forced to face the fact that, in this instance, he was wrong. He repented and accepted Jesus Christ as His personal savior.
The resurrection indeed happened. It is proven by the empty tomb, the multiple eye-witnesses to seeing a resurrected Christ (including the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the testimony of the disciples, the fact that the Apostle Paul was confronted on the road to Damascus by the resurrected Christ, the testimony of the 500 mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15, and the fact that resurrection is the only logical explanation for sightings of Christ post-crucifixion.)
The resurrection is central to the Christian faith, because it is through the resurrection that Christ conquered the grave so that we can all be resurrected when the Lord establishes His Kingdom on this earth. It is through the resurrection that Christ rose to be at the right hand of the throne of God, where He secures our salvation through his intercession (advocacy) on our behalf. It is through the resurrection that we have assurance that we have eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Sunday morning, we will celebrate the resurrection of Christ during our Easter Sunrise Service, which will be held at 7 am Sunday at the Depot Pavilion in downtown Brownwood. Come worship with us.
The Point... 