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Join Us
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Greetings!
Let us not forget: tomorrow is Easter Sunday, otherwise known as the Resurrection Sunday! We celebrate our Lord's arising from the tomb and thus He assures us that our salvation rests in Him. He conquered death and arose victorious!
"Glory be to You Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. I pray for a closeness to You like I have never felt before. Lord, I seek Your face and desire Your will. Please increase my thirst for Your presence. While You will always be my heavenly Father, and I Your child through the blood atonement of Jesus Christ, I pray that You will keep me close to you. "Lord, I ask that the powerful Spirit that was operative at Your resurrection be the same Spirit that will continue to abide in me to make me an effective witness for You. "Thank You. I love, respect, appreciate, and lift up my praise to You God, in the name of Jesus. Amen." |
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HALLELUJAH! CHRIST IS RISEN!
When Jesus rolled the stone away from his tomb's entrance on that first Easter morning, He opened an unequaled door of opportunity for all people. He opened the door to a relationship with God. He opened the door to eternal life. He opened the door of assurance, peace and joy! And he invited the whole world to step through!
Likewise, each Resurrection Sunday gives you and me, as congregants at Gospel Life Community, a unique door of opportunity to influence people for God. The celebration of Jesus' resurrection will bring new people to church--even if they aren't sure why they are there or what they are celebrating.
The question is: Will you take advantage of the open door of opportunity that Easter provides, or will your lack of preparation block the way?
Easter is arguably the biggest day of the year in the life of the church, with Christmas being its only competition. We tend to plan more precisely for Christmas because it is the same day every year. Everyone looks forward to it. Easter Sunday's date varies, and it can sneak up on you, as well as on the unchurched people in your community, if you aren't careful. You must let God use this singular day to draw people to Himself in larger numbers than at any other time throughout the year.
Let's prayefully commit to maximizing this natural boon and blessing of Easter, and once you've made this commitment, spend some time thinking about this important question: How will I follow up with the guests God brings me on Easter Sunday?
In this vein of making the most of the opportunity that Easter affords you, make sure you think about the "Next Step Program" that we mentioned in our Newsletter last week.
First of all, take time to greet our guests, to welcome them, to speak to them, to make friends with them. Invite them to join us for the Fellowship Lunch.
And just as important is to find a way to follow up with each and every first-time guest who walks through Gospel Life's doors tomorrow. Give them your contact number, and ask for theirs. These may be future new believers. You just have to cooperate with God in being wise about how you can keep them connected to us at Gospel Life. Invite them to come again, or if there is any interest, ask them if they'd like to join you in your small group fellowship or Bible study group.
This follow-up process is not only critical for the guests God brings us tomorrow, but also for all the guests He brings us on other Sundays of the year. Without a plan in place to keep our guests coming back, we will be allowing the new people that God sends through our doors to slip through our fingers, so to speak. He, and they, deserve better.
Yes, Jesus' open tomb gives you and I a unique door of opportunity -- the opportunity to cooperate with God in connecting people to Him and to Gospel Life in a fresh and innovative manner, so that they might come to understand the significance of that empty tomb in their own lives.
Happy Easter!
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Gospel Life Community - Church Without Walls
18901 E. Amar Road
Walnut, California 91789
626-965-4300
Mailing Address:
436 Crestwood Lane
Walnut, CA 91789
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MEDITATION
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Dear Jesus, I am so thankful that You shed your blood for me on the cross, that You died for my sins and for all mankind, and that You rose from the dead to assure me of my salvation, provided I believe and accept You.
"You are the key to my happiness. You are the key to my life. You are the key to my future. I have heard You knocking and I'm opening the door. Please come into my heart and guide my every thought and move. Bless me and make me a blessing to others. In Your precious name I pray, Amen."
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