Our Resurrection Weekend services begin with our Good Friday Evening Gathering, March 29 at 7:00 pm, and conclude with our regular Sunday activities on Resurrection Sunday Morning, March 31!

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Prepare your heart for Sunday by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and tangibly putting scripture to action in your personal life, and in our corporate body.

Carefully Think

  • Read Matthew 27:45-56.  Reflect on Matthew's emphasis of the shaming of Christ, to the seeming downplay of the actual physical crucifixion. 
  • Note the differening responses to the savior on the cross.
  • How does Christ respond right before he dies? Why?  What is going on at the this point?  How do we know? 
  • How does the temple respond?  How is this possible?
  • How do the bystanders respond?  Why?
  • How does the creation respond? How is that possible?
  • How do the tombs respond?  How do the dead in the tombs respond?  
  • How does the Roman centurion respond?
  • How do the followers of Christ respond?  Who are the followers near Christ at his death?

Prayerfully Meditate

  • Reflect on ALL those responses above and be amazed at the supernatural events that took place. 
  • How do you respond to the death of Jesus Christ? What does it stir in you?
  • Based on all the responses above, what does it testify about Jesus Christ? His power?  
  • In what ways do you meditate on this moment in the life of Christ and what it means in regards to your own sin?  Have you ever pondered on the fact that your sin as a believer was on Christ in that moment in time, long before you would ever know him.  Does that give you confidence that your salvation rests securely in Him?  

Intentionally Act

  • Pray for those who know him; that their hearts would see this magnificent event in light of God's glory and greatness.
  • Pray for those who do not know Christ; that they would come to see Him as the only way for their sin to be paid for, apart from eterninty in hell.
  • Praise God for His perfect plan; that is foolishness to the world, but life to those he saves.  
  • How can we encourage one another in life with such a heinous, sinful event? Look to the hope that comes from the work done on the cross and the resurrection to come!
  • Pray that the Word would be preached from our pulpit, to gain understanding with a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that we are not only convicted of seeing our sin, but even more we would repent and see a perfect and holy God more glorious than all and seek to worship him in truth and love.
  • Pray for those who will be leading our gathering this week: Dawson Bryant, music; Todd Arnold, Elders' prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica, teaching.
  • Prepare for our gathering on Sunday by reading through the lyrics of the songs and reflect on them, so that you can focus on edifying one another through song and give praise to the King.

Growth Group Questions

  • What is it about the death of Jesus that would cause you to worship him more fervently?
  • Why doesn't the passage focus more on the actual physical details of how Jesus died? What aspects of his death does Matthew want us to be most impacted with? How do you see this impact in your own appreciation of what Jesus accomplished on the cross?
  • If sin requires our eternal punishment, why did it only require six hours for Jesus to satisfy God's wrath? What does that say about us, Jesus, and God?
  • In what ways was Jesus forsaken by the Father? What implications does that have on us and our relationship with God and Christ as a result of his death? In what areas of your life - or in counseling others would this prove most helpful?
  • Consider how this passage would assist you in praying for your own soul - your family members - your church family? How would this passage provide instruction on how you could be praying for non-Christians in your life?
  • How does this account of Jesus' death provide more stable confidence to you about what Christ has done for you? How should this impact areas of anxiety? discouragement? what we find joy in, or from what we seek joy? How could this account help you in enduring trial and difficulty?

Songs for Sunday

Lyrics

Lyrics Morning Gathering - May 1, 2016 by Summit Woods Baptist Church