Dear Church Family,
It’s hard to believe that April is almost here and with it, Easter. As a person, this is my favorite time of year. Just today I noticed some green grass in my yard and I know that garden season is just around the corner. As a Christian, this is also my favorite time of year. This is the time when the universal church united through faith in Christ, celebrates the new life He has given us through His death, burial, and resurrection.
This year at Grace we have the opportunity to remember Christ’s sacrifice in a new way. We are going to do this by taking an evening to look back on what God developed for the Jewish people in the Old Testament – The Passover Meal. The Passover Meal (or Seder Meal) is a reminder to the Jews of God’s deliverance of them from the nation of Egypt. But it also pointed to the coming Messiah. As we study the elements of this meal and their symbolism, we clearly see Christ as the Promised Messiah.
I invite you to join me on April 3 at 7 pm here at Grace Church as Avi Snyder, from Jews for Jesus, shares with us the powerful symbolism found in the Passover meal. The evening will include:
- A visual presentation on how Jesus is pictured inside the ancient Passover celebration.
- A vivid explanation of the origin of the Lord’s supper.
- An overview of how God is at work among the Jewish people today.
- A chance to learn more about Passover, Israel, the Jewish people today, and the Jewishness of the Hebrew Scriptures.
This event is free but there will be a free-will offering taken for Jews for Jesus after this event, so please come prepared to give as God leads. Note: Childcare will be provided.
Let me know if you have any questions.
I love you all,
Pastor Daniel
WINTER!! Is it actually over? There have been some beautiful days when I have enjoyed being outside getting my hands dirty in the garden. However, the next day is cold with a chance of snow. I know it is a typical Nebraska spring, or second winter, as many of you like to say. These transition months are quite the commentary on life, aren’t they? We each have our ups and downs, joys and sorrows, pleasures and pains. Many of them are drastic changes from one to the other, some in the same day (or even hour), much like the weather. We start the day with a mountain top experience and are filled with joy, eager to engage the day ahead, only to drag through the door at the end of the day wondering why we even got out of bed that morning. Other times you may not have such drastic shifts, but realistically, most days are a mixture of both highs and lows. It is beneficial to ponder these experiences. I have the teens talk about their highs and lows most Wednesday evenings when we meet because of the importance of building those memories. It is easy to go through our days, weeks, months, and even years, without really giving much thought to the positives. It is easy to remember the lows that hit us, and while important, we often miss, or forget, the highs because they get drowned out by the lows. We have joy in the moment, but they are easily forgotten as the next thing comes, and we don’t take time to solidify in our minds the blessings brought by God. In times of struggle, we need those reminders that God blessed us. Life is hard, we all know this, but there are blessings and joys along the way that we need to hold tightly. Take some time this week/month as we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior and recall all of the blessings He has brought into your life recently. You might be surprised how many there are when you really focus on them. Also read a few of the Psalms and recall what God has done for His people. If I can suggest one, Psalm 30 is a good place to start.
Pastor Eric