Do Me A Favor
I got an email from a friend this week who ended his correspondence with this statement.
Pete, do me a favor this year and celebrate the resurrection of Christ as if you were there to witness it in person. Be amazed and marvel at it all as if it’s the first time you’ve heard it.
That statement kicked me in the teeth. Like many of you I’m up to my eyeballs in the details and logistics of pulling off a major Easter weekend. I’m distracted, maybe a little stressed and certainly carrying all kind of concerns. But I just want to issue this challenge to all of us as we draw closer to this weekend.
Pastors, I pray you’ll preach the hope of Jesus Christ like never before. Preach the resurrection as if you were there the day it happened and is if this were the last message you are ever going to give!
Worship Leaders, I pray you’ll lead worship with the same awe and amazement as if you just watched the stone roll away. Whether you have lights or no lights, production or no production may they see the wonder and awe in your eyes and voice that you actually believe what it is you’re singing.
Kids Teachers, I pray you look your kids in the eyes and use every bit of passion, energy, and excitement you have to tell them a story that can and will impact their life forever.
Volunteers, I pray you’ll serve, sing, hand out programs, park cars, turn knobs, and make coffee as if eternities were on the line, because they are!
Worshipers, I pray you’ll open your heart and raise your voice and pour out all you have and all you are in honor of a God who has defeated death so you may have life.
I pray this weekend we’ll all drop our cynicism, egos, and agendas and will stand amazed and marvel at the wonder of a God who has set us free from the penalty and the power of sin!
41 Comments:
pete, so true and thank you for the suggestion.. i received this little side note from one of my friends who happens to be jewish, but a born-again christian. he said that this easter actually falls on the exact day of Christ’s resurrection..(18 Nissan) hasn’t happened since 1980 and won’t happen again until 2038.. so cool and thought i would share being that it is so relevent to your suggestion for the church this Easter.. it’s friday, but Sunday’s comin!
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carlee brian
6:25 am
Amen!
Annabelle’s last blog post..Good Friday
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Annabelle
6:43 am
I am super excited about this Easter. This will be my first Easter at CPCC, because I usually go to visit family. Second, I get to teach my 3-year-old KidzWorld class about how awesome Easter is. Third, I am headed to the Nashville campus for the service on Saturday night. The first time that I will visit Nashville CPCC. But what has my heart really brimming over this week, is that my husband has agreed to attend the Saturday service with me. I am so excited that God is working in my life right now. This will be a wonderful Easter!
Ladybird’s last blog post..TWT – Tuesdays With EC
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Ladybird
6:44 am
@Ladybird, I’m stopping to pray for your husband right now. Can’t tell you how excited I am for you!
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Pete Wilson
6:46 am
Although I know we should practice this ALWAYS, not just during this special weekend, but I am trying to flood my thoughts with HIS words, HIS Images. I have googled “The Passion of CHrist” and there are SO MANY video clips that are set to beautiful worship that help set my mind on things above and my heart has been so moved by these videos.
I’m a visual person and it helps put me in the place your friend spoke about.
Enjoy this weekend like never before!
sherri’s last blog post..It was a Good Friday
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sherri
6:53 am
I am so grateful for my child like spirit. It never ceases to amaze me what God has done! I’m SO excited about Easter.
Dorothy Holland’s last blog post..ha, ha, ha…
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Dorothy Holland
7:05 am
I am celebrating! On my knees ~ in tears ~ in joy and peace ~ in hope. Today is Good Friday…. my heart has been racing since my devotional time this morning. It is still unfathomable that a humble, simple man, died for me, and that I can spend eternity in Heaven. I am not worthy. Just hoping I am honoring Him and glorifying God with my life. I’m so thankful that Cross Point is a part of my journey.
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Melissa Irwin
7:06 am
Hey Pete – I have just started coming to Cross Point this past summer. I’m not a member and being a college student, it’s been hard to be involved as much as I’d like to. This past season of Lent has been life-transforming for me and this Holy Week is so real. However, I was getting a little discouraged that we didn’t really recognize some of the older traditions of the church…. and then so much about Easter, that I was scared that remembrance in its purest form wasn’t being recognized at Cross Point. So, thank you for the blog. It was dead on. Live today like you watched your Jesus being beaten…. betrayed last night… dying today. Sunday is gonna be victorious, but today and tomorrow should be anything but.
Heather’s last blog post..+maundy thursday
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Heather
7:21 am
Such an awesome reminder! I am going to pass this on to a few other friends including those who serve my gathering in Ktown.
We need to be reminded of what these days really are.
Thank you Pete!
Aaron’s last blog post..Hitting the Nail on the Head
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Aaron
7:23 am
Thanks for the reminder, Pete. I got so caught up in trying to figure out how to make this Sunday “work” well, I haven’t stopped to think about why Sundays at Liquid work so well to begin with. . . because Jesus died, and now he lives.
Nate’s last blog post..Grace. . .
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Nate
7:47 am
I will commit to this Pete. I sure will. Have a beautiful weekend. Praying for you and all of CP this weekend.
Fran’s last blog post..Pure bliss indeed…
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Fran
8:04 am
Thank you for this reminder. Even now I’m struggling to finish up a presentation for this Sunday and I needed the “kick in the teeth” to set my perspective straight.
Amanda Sims’s last blog post..You say, “Goodbye” I say, “Hello”
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Amanda Sims
8:07 am
OK… so I am going to be the odd one out on this one. Maybe I am missed something in scripture.
I thought we were to live everyday like you are describing.
Tony York’s last blog post..Excuses – Gotta Love ‘Em
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Tony York
8:17 am
I love this reminder. Yes, I will commit to this, Pete. Our family will have a sunrise celebration before heading to CP. Thinking about being a witness to the resurrection sends tingles up my spine!!
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Regina Sentell
8:21 am
Great Word Pete! Thank you for the encouragement to stop and experience.
God Bless you!
Dedra Herod’s last blog post..TGIF… not original, I know!
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Dedra Herod
8:33 am
Wow, I stumbled upon this just this morning and all I can say is, wow. As I head out the door to serve and volunteeer at the start of our 9, yes, 9 services our church has this weekend, this is a wonderful reminder! So easy to get caught up in the logistics and how things are going to go. May you be truly blessed by our Heavenly Father and His precious Son.
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Jaye
8:40 am
This is great! Besides the regular Easter stress, this Sunday is the official relaunch of our church. It will be an amazing opportunity to turn it all back to Jesus. All the work, sacrifices, and sweat we’ve put in started with a cross, a tomb, then a resurrection!
Good stuff. I’ll have to tweet this!
jasonS’s last blog post..Light Friday Hit List (Good Friday edition)
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jasonS
8:43 am
In prayer for everyone across the nation and the world… I hope everyone is blessed with the unconditional love our Lord will pour out this weekend. Easter always puts a smile on my face!! “SWING WIDE YOU HEAVENLY GATES, PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE RISEN LORD!!”
Landon Hampton’s last blog post..Severe Potential through the afternoon.
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Landon Hampton
8:50 am
Wonderful post! I’ve already started thinking of this and praying for easter services all over.
Alison’s last blog post..ABC’s of Me
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Alison
9:06 am
I’ve now sent the link to this to all the members of our leadership team. What a great reminder!
@MelissaIrwin, your words humble me and after reading your blog, I believe your life truly is glorifying Him.
Faye’s last blog post..Good Friday Reflection
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Faye
9:08 am
@ Tony York: I am totally with you on your comment. So we can be the “odd two out.”
Pete, I don’t claim to understand the concerns, stresses, and sacrifices involved in fulltime ministry. I wouldn’t want to be a pastor or a pastor’s wife. But it seems to me that God already “…[pulled] off a major Easter weekend” for all of us.
He did it. It is finished. Other than offering Him a heart filled with continually increasing gratitude, what’s left for us to “pull off”?
I am praying that you can simply relax into Easter and just let what happens happen. I am praying that you are set free (even from the righteous motivations present in your heart) to truly, fully, and simply worship our risen Lord. May you, your family, and your local church experience the most blessed Easter ever!
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ttm
9:30 am
Great advice!!! I actually WAS there today (location, not time period) and all I can say is…..Amen!!!!!
Maureen’s last blog post..Good Friday In Jerusalem
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Maureen
10:09 am
Very true.
Helen’s last blog post..Today Is Good Friday
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Helen
10:46 am
Our choir director blows me away, not only because she is an accomplished pianist, a published writer of liturgical music, and a great director, but because she understands one simple truth and wants the choir to remember it too: When we sing, we are ministering to the congregation. Our songs are prayers and hymns of joy, and maybe a true source of comfort to someone out there in the crowd who needs to really hear and absorb the words.
Thanks for reminding me once again that when I put my heart in the right place, the music I am singing will find its place in someone else’s heart.
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Jan
11:38 am
Soaking in the Season…..spending time with family and friends, celebrating Christ’s victory over sin and death.
Happy Resurrection Day, Pastor Pete!
*~Michelle~*’s last blog post..Good Friday
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*~Michelle~*
12:39 pm
yes.
kc’s last blog post..When Bunnies Attack!
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kc
1:24 pm
I’ve been a Christian for most of my life and this is the FIRST year that Good Friday has meant something to me.
Good post.
Becky’s last blog post..2009
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Becky
3:55 pm
I just got back from our Good Friday service and tried to focus on this thought the entire time. Early this afternoon I tried to think about the fact that ever how many years ago Jesus was hanging on a cross this afternoon. By now he had been placed in a tomb and a group of scared and anxious followers were crying as if they would never stop. Some were replaying their denial of Him, others were wondering how things could go bad so fast. It was just the past Sunday that they were rocking the Hosanna’s as Jesus entered Jerusalem. Now they were wondering if they would be coming for them next. I am sure they were feeling as dark as a person could feel. They didn’t know “Sunday was coming.”. They didn’t know there would be a resurection. I want to think about how dark their lives felt because all of our lives were just that dark at one time, whether we knew it or not at the time. I want to try harder than I ever have in my life to appreciate how Jesus had to die for me and all He has done for me.
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Harold
6:51 pm
Pete,
Praying with you – what a beautiful list of prayers for all to join in on!
Bringing them all before our Awesome WONDERFUL MIGHTY GOD!
Bring me to the cross – where Your love poured out! Oh LORD bring me – to the cross!
In His amazing grace – Jill
PS touched by your continued humility and transparency this year Pete! Blessings to you and Brandi!
Jill’s last blog post..Fearfully Fabulous Friday
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Jill
7:41 pm
Pete, thanks so much for this post. I just forwarded it to the church staff and my worship team. Amazing post, thanks for giving us all a wake-up call!
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Aaron Jackson
8:31 pm
Warning: Shameless blogpost plug.
Like Jason, we are launching this Sunday, too. We’ve been praying for each other’s churches, which is so cool. Obviously, this stuff has been on my mind, so I did 3 blog posts this week about it (4 actually, but the other one was kind of silly – if you can imagine):
Leaving Holes
The Deep Wisdom of Gene Simmons
The Bucket (of rocks) List
katdish’s last blog post..So this is actually sort of embarrasing…
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katdish
10:11 pm
Sounds familiar bro.
I know you will knock it out of the park! I’m grateful for so much this week and find myself on my knees at Golgatha. May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering. In our lives. In our ministries. In the lives of every person we lead.
Have a wonderful weekend! Resurrection Power!
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Ronni
5:22 am
@Katdish, so excited for the launch of the church. We’ll be praying for you. Please come back and let us know how it goes.
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Pete Wilson
6:22 am
Pete- I was thinking about this post in the wake of the tornadoes. I know that Cross Point sent a group down today, but I had to work. Is anyone going tomorrow? I don’t have family here and I can’t think of anything better to do on Easter than help people that desperately need our help! I’m not good at doing handyman work, but I have a trunk-full of clothes I’ve been meaning to take somewhere to donate and I can definitely cook some food or at least treats to take for the kids. PLEASE e-mail me and let me know if there is anything going on. I would love to help!
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Jessica
12:15 pm
Great stuff, Pete. I’ll be doing my best to worship the resurrection like this.
Jon Smith’s last blog post..Stories From My Childhood: We Almost Burned Down the Church
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Jon Smith
1:50 pm
great stuff.
it never ceases to amaze me that we serve a God willing to die so that we may forever live.
Kyle’s last blog post..Dennis.
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Kyle
9:24 pm
great quote
joseph’s last blog post..and you favorite thing is?
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joseph
5:09 am
Wow! Thank you Pete for sharing. I miss going Cross Point. Hope everyone had a great weekend!
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James Taylor
1:22 pm
Pete, I didn’t know where to put this, but I had to tell you. Our servolution project was awesome and today we were busting out of the seams at church. Many of our regulars had to give up their seats for visitors, they carried in seats, and our Small World which is usually 16 kids (ages 2-6) had 37. The numbers wouldn’t be important except the altars were filled with new believers and people needing a touch from the Lord. I ended up helping in the kids dept so I only know what my husband told me, but he said most of the people they ministered to today came to the servolution blow out finale yesterday. God was so good.
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Julie
2:16 pm
Pastor Pete I just want to thank you and the very talented musicians for an amazing Easter service. I dragged my husband who swore he would never go to church. His response… that was a great service! He loved the music and you Pete, and the best part he is willing to come back for another service. Something I thought would never happen.
Thank you!
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Gina
3:29 am
@Gina, that is so awesome. That’s exactly why we do what we do!!! You’ve got me all excited this morning.
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Pete Wilson
6:59 am
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