Ministries:
Adult | Teens | Children

Pastor's Pen's:
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Sermon Series:
Following Jesus
Earthly Cross
His Name Is
Apostles Creed
Dealing with Feelings
Jonah
Get Real
Promised Land Living

Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2007

Grace Church of Burlington April 8, 2007 "The benefits [of the resurrection] are innumerable. To list a few: Our illnesses don't seem nearly so final; Our fears fade and lose their grip; Our grief over those who have gone on is diminished; Our desires to press on in spite of the obstacles is rejuvenated...Our identity as Christians is strengthened as we stand in the lengthening shadows of saints down through the centuries, who have always answered back in antiphonal voice: 'He is risen, indeed!'"   Charles Swindoll             Before The Jungle Book was ever a children's favorite box office draw, it was a children's classic novel. It's a great book! Better than the movie! In the book, there is an interesting conversation that goes on between Mowgli, the man cub, and his animal friends.  Mowgli asks the animals what they would consider to be the most feared thing in the jungle.  He's told that when two animals meet on a narrow path, one must step aside and let the other pass. The animal that steps aside for no one would then be the most feared. Mowgli wanted to know what kind of animal that would be. One tells him it's an elephant. Another tells him it's a lion. Finally the wise old owl exclaims, "The most feared thing in the jungle is death. It steps aside for no one."             Perhaps this is one of the greatest reasons Easter has become a universal worldwide holiday, celebrated even in many parts of the world where people are generally unfamiliar with Christianity. For the Christian, this is the most important holiday of the year. This is the day we celebrate victory over death.             Think of why the early church celebrated Resurrection Day (something they did every Sunday and why it is called “The Lord's Day”). For many of these early followers of Jesus, life took such a dramatic turn. From the depths of grief and despair they were so radically transformed to heights of joy and courage. Why? They had witnessed the greatest comeback of all history!             The November 2001 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine was covering the baseball World Series in which the Arizona Diamondbacks recovered from a slump to defeat the New York Yankees in the last inning of the final game. It started the editors thinking about the greatest comebacks in history. So, they produced their list of the "TOP TEN COMEBACKS OF ALL TIME." It was quite a broad list. Elvis Presley was on it as a result of his TV special in 1968 that revived his sagging career.  Muhammad Ali made the list when he returned from his forced seven-year exile from boxing, to reclaim the world championship. Harry Truman made the cut, owing to his 1948 victory over Thomas Dewey when all the polls had him losing by a large margin. When Michael Jordan gave up baseball and returned to his first love of basketball, he found a spot on the top ten comebacks in history. Even humanity was on the list-after recovering from the Black Plague of the 14th century when 25 million Europeans died. Number two among the all-time comebacks was a tie between Japan and Germany, devastated in the Second World War but becoming world economic powers within a generation.             And number one-named by the editors of Sports Illustrated magazine in the November 12, 2001, issue--the greatest comeback of all time ... Jesus Christ. AD 33.             But it is not just the greatest comeback, it’s our only hope. Without the resurrection Death is still an unconquered enemy. And not only has death been conquered but so has sin. That’s the power of the resurrection.             My friend, have you experienced the power of Christ’s resurrection? Have you committed your life to Christ and accepted Him as your Lord and Savior? Jesus died so that we might live...and live for all eternity. Are you alive...spiritually alive? That’s what Easter is all about, that sin and death have been conquered for all eternity!!