Easter: A Couple Things To Know...

CC’ers, here are a couple reminders and updates as we prepare for Easter weekend.  Our Easter schedule is Good Friday at 7 pm and Easter Sunday at 9 am and 11 am.

1. This past weekend was unbelievable! The testimony of Dale and Linda Golden (my parents) was powerful. The response from those who are currently struggling with their own “no” from God was overwhelming and moving. The video will soon be posted on our facebook page and website. Go online for the podcast of When God? Part 2.
2. This past Sunday we matched our largest attendance ever for the second straight week and Easter is still to come.
3. With that said, we are praying that every one of us will take advantage of the incredible opportunity we’ve been given. The freedom to speak the name of Jesus and invite someone to a service where the hope of Christ’s resurrection will be proclaimed. Be bold!
4. People are more likely to accept an invitation to attend a service at Easter than any other time of year.
5. If everyone shared an invite on facebook, sent an e-invite on our website, or simply gave out one of the invite cards we’ve made available it would reach thousands. Go to http://www.centerpointfl.org/viewseries.php?id=62 to view the trailer video which will also be posted on facebook.
6. I love Paul’s words shortly after the launch of the church in Acts 28 when he gives this promise: “God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen”. That promise should ignite passion. This isn’t about more people attending; it’s about people being transformed by the love of Jesus forever.
7. Also, this Sunday is the Grand Opening of our new Kids Point environment. We will have some special things taking place for the kids through 5^th grade. THANK YOU to everyone who has given so much time and effort to make this environment happen for our kids!
8. Lastly, you’ll want to get there early Sunday for two reasons:  1) You don’t want to miss our pre-service opener…it will be worth it. 2) And the earlier you get there the easier it will be on our parking teams and ushers. Despite two services we expect the 11 am to be full.

Each night at 7 pm we are praying for God to give us boldness and for the Holy Spirit to transform lives. Pray with us wherever you are. See you Friday!

Bryant

Important Info About Easter

One of the big questions about Christianity is how did it get out of the first century? How did a struggling movement centered around a dead guy ever make it out of Jerusalem? Furthermore, how did a band of insurrectionists and misfits who were cowering to school girls in courtyards (Peter) hours before Jesus’ crucifixion suddenly become ferocious with the message of Jesus? And not only did the message make it out of Jerusalem; it divided history, toppled the greatest power of the known world (Rome), spread across every socio-economic line, and eventually dominated the entire globe.  

And here we are… The name of Jesus is recognized and known worldwide like no other name. How does that happen?  Two words: The resurrection! The resurrection of Jesus turned cowards into fearless communicators of the good news of Jesus.  It’s what led them, at the expense of their life, to pray this astonishing prayer shortly after Jesus’ ascension in Acts 4:29: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” They didn’t pray for protection; they prayed for boldness. It’s the reason the world will celebrate and gather around the name of Jesus this Easter.

Today, because of their boldness, most of us will never face that kind of persecution in our part of the world. In contrast, we have an incredible opportunity to speak out about Jesus, but it still requires courage. We have been invited into this unstoppable movement known as THE CHURCH and our mandate is clear. It’s time to BE BOLD…

1. EASTER EXTRAVANGANZA this Saturday from 12-3 pm. This is not about Easter egg hunts, food, and bounce houses. This is a bridge for people to be introduced to what THE CHURCH is about.  And by the church, we mean the people!
2. GOOD FRIDAY, April 6^th at 7 pm. We will have a chance to remember the events of Good Friday through an extended time of worship in music and Communion.
3. EASTER SUNDAY, April 8^th at 9 am and 11 am. With two services, we have created more space for everyone to invite freely and to witness “the power of God for salvation” in many lives.
4. PRAY FOR BOLDNESS each night at 7 pm. We are asking CC’ers throughout the community to join us each night at 7 pm, wherever you are, and pray specifically for boldness as we invite and for God to powerfully transform lives this Easter.
5. For more details, invites, and volunteer sign ups, go to www.centerpointfl.org .

This past weekend, a man named Joe approached me and said he was on an international flight in December when someone told him about CC. He decided to attend one of our Christmas services and has been coming regularly ever since. What he said next was a reminder to me about what’s at stake every week and why I’m praying for boldness this Easter: “You just have to know that my life has changed over these past two and a half months, and I just want to say thank you.”

We all have friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members, work-out partners, school friends, and others who don’t know Jesus. Because Jesus first loved us, we can love them. It’s time to be BOLD and

INVITE!

Quick thoughts on Easter at CC

A couple quick thoughts about an incredible Easter weekend at Centerpoint:

Actually, it started on Palm Sunday when dozens of adults responded to embrace the reality of the cross rather than the shadow of ritualistic religion. That morning in Promiseland, nine children accepted Christ as their Savior, along with several students from our ReGeneration student ministry that night. I talked and prayed with one father after the service who had been burdened to pray for his child until 2 a.m. that morning only to find out when he was leaving the service, his child had accepted Christ!

We opened Easter weekend with a Good Friday service where we worshiped together and reflected on Christ’s brutal sacrifice in the short film, Who Killed Jesus?. Then, we remembered the cross and what it means for us through communion. It was powerful to hear how God moved in hearts through this time of reflection.

On Easter Sunday we celebrated an event that happened in history – the resurrection. It was the largest attendance we have ever had at Centerpoint because YOU invested & invited. We had to add chairs to the worship center two separate times and each of those chairs represented people who were impacted and radically changed by the Gospel. Many adults accepted Christ, a father and his two daughters recommitted their lives to Christ, and the Holy Spirit clearly moved in the hearts of many others.

If someone were to ask me what we did that was “special” this year for Easter, I really wouldn’t know what to say. No special lights added. No special set. No special giveaways. We just prayed, invested & invited, removed as many of the unnecessary barriers to Jesus as we could, and proclaimed the Gospel clearly. God did His thing.

We pretty much do that every week. God pretty much did what He’s been doing every week - changing lives!

Now it’s your turn. If you had a friend visit with you this week, then use this as an opportunity to ask them what they experienced. It may open up a conversation about Jesus. A new series starts Sunday called Storytellers which is another great time to invite someone.

Lastly, thank you to those who served this past weekend. You didn’t park cars, greet guests, serve in the café, play music, do A/V, hold babies, take care of children, lead small groups…instead, you became a bridge to the power of Jesus Christ changing people’s lives!

The best is yet to come…

Bryant Golden