What comes to mind when you think of Easter? Colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, kids dressed in pastels? But this holiday is more than candy and delicious food and pastel colors. It’s a victory celebration. The Enemy did everything to try to wipe out the the bloodline of David and to stop any chance of a messiah gaining a foothold in the world. But Jesus surprised everybody by not fighting. Instead of trying to gain political and military might, he surrendered his life to death. And then he surprised everyone even more by coming back from the dead three days later.

It’s an amazing story, and these events shoo up the whole world. So how does it impact you?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:23 — 32.4MB)

Do you have any struggles?  It seems like just about everybody does.  Some struggles we choose—like getting in shape or learning a new language.  Some we don’t have any choice in—like dealing with cancer or the loss of a loved one.

Jesus struggled against suffering and death by choice.  He entered into a broken and hurting world in order to bring healing and new life to us.  Matthew tells us a story of how Jesus came close to people in their brokenness to demonstrate the kind of transformation God wants to bring to the lives of all people.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:45 — 49.2MB)