The Month We Celebrated Easter 2011
We took 3 weeks in April 2011 to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. We really celebrate it every week, but our leaders and I felt a sense that we should focus in on a powerful move of God during this Easter season. I don’t like to over-hype certain days or over-hype anything we do as a church, because every Sunday matters. I did sense, though, that God wanted to bring many people to a point of decision to follow Jesus in this season.
Walking with God is a series of next steps, and someone may be at any point on that journey, but there is a point in time when the journey must clearly begin. For many people in the Bible belt, that was at a very young age. They were sincere when they asked Jesus to be their Savior at the age of 5, 6, 7, or 17. Many then stray away from God and come back to Him later in life. Lots of Arrowhead attenders fit into this category.
But, many also think they know God because they’ve heard the story so many times. I was this way for many years. For whatever reason, I had confused knowledge of God with knowing God. So I have a unique passion for people who find themselves at this stage. And again, many Arrowhead attenders are surely in this category. We spent the last 3 weeks trying to clarify what it means to make a decision to follow Jesus and be set free.
In the month of April, approximately 35 people came to this decision to follow Christ! And I believe many more will in the weeks to come. We are following up with those who have let us know about their decision and seeking more and more to bring clarity.
Why is this such a big deal? 823 people worshiped Jesus and celebrated His resurrection here on Easter. That’s amazing. Let me say this again - 2 years and 3 months as a church, and 823 people were at Arrowhead on Easter Sunday! That only happens if people experience something powerful in their relationship with God and invite their friends and family. Arrowhead parters and attenders: you are doing an amazing job inviting people. Thank you so much for what you do! If you volunteer here on Sundays, let me clearly say again: thank you for what you do. You give up your dress-up, family-picture, religious exterior-focused Easter to roll up your sleeves and make it possible for lots of people to hear from God for the first time or the first time in a long time. I would go to war with you!
But, we’re not all about 823 people being here on a Sunday. We’re about genuine faith and genuine relationships, both with God and with others. It’s not enough to gather a crowd. In 100 years, no one will care how many people came to church here on Easter 2011. Everyone will care where they stood with God while they were here on earth because eternity is a long time.
If you are reading this and you don’t go to church here, you may respond a million different ways. It may be that you think we’re bragging or focused on ourselves because a lot of people are going to church here or because a lot of people “got saved” here this month, and I totally get that. I want you to know there are a lot people here who are not perfect but know God is doing something to help them start over in life. Many of them didn’t even know they needed to start over until they came here. We really hope you’ll do the same. Maybe He wants you to start over or maybe you just need a little re-focus, like we all do (put me at the top of that list every day). I hope you’ll come worship with us one week if you don’t have a church home.
Arrowhead Church - I love you and am celebrating everything about who you are this week.