The Living | From The Archives

For Easter Sunday, Lead Pastor Erwin McManus brings us into a powerful conversation on the life of Jesus and his desire to wrestle us free from the things that are stealing life from us.In Luke chapter 24 we learn that two women ran to Jesus' tomb after he had resurrected, searching for his body. They were met by two men that were beaming with light. The women were asked "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?" Pastor Erwin emphasizes that cemeteries are the most predictable place in the world. But Jesus was an outlier to monotonous this narrative.Many of us ask God for a lot of things while neglecting to ask for the one thing that could change everything. We ask for a house, a car, or a spouse. Meanwhile, Jesus desires to give us life from the inside-out, not just decorations for our bodies. Similar to the angels asking the two women at Jesus' tomb what they were looking for, Jesus asks us the same question.Pastor Erwin shares that Jesus is consistently working to bring us to a crossroads in our lives-choosing between life or death. Often, we think we either have to choose between life or death and then add God to the equation. But Pastor Erwin states that the words "life" and "God" are synonymous, just like the word death is synonymous with a life absent of God's presence. Death looks like jealousy, greed, and violence ruling our lives. Life is the existence God wants us to experience when we live deeply connected to Jesus.If you've been living a life that is decorated with things but absent of true life, this message will empower you to leave death behind and take Jesus at his word as he offers you abundant life.

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