Weekly Sermon, April 4, 2021
Welcome to our Easter Sunday Virtual Worship Service
Sunday, April 4, 2021
11:00 a.m.
2021 Theme: Serving the Lord with Joy
Nehemiah 8:10b
For scripture translations, click here.
Prayer/Meditation by Deacon George Hillman
He Is Risen, Let us Rejoice, Matthew 28:1-10
Worship Music:
Praise Him, Praise Him – NACOG – Celebration Church of God at Columbia, Columbia, MD. (pre-recorded) *
Come Thou Almighty King– The Langley Choir, (pre-recorded)
For Your Glory – Grace Church Of God, Brooklyn NY, (Mid-Year Retreat, pre-recorded)**
Join us Monday, April 5, 2021, for our Monthly Prayer Call, hosted by Reverend Felecia Pearson-Smith, Former Executive Pastor at Community Church in Atlanta, GA. The call will take place at 8 pm. The Zoom Meeting ID: 206 077 5452. Sponsored by National Association Women of the Church of God.
Virtual Event Series: Alzheimer’s & Other Dementia Awareness. Columbia University and the National Association of the Church of God (NACOG) are partnering to offer you a free series of discussions on memory loss and how it may impact your family. Each session will have a Q & A session at the end with a memory loss expert. Upcoming Topics include: Friday, April 9th – Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease; Friday, April 16th – Understanding Other Dementias other than Alzheimer’s Disease; Friday, May 21st – Caregiving Challenges, Concerns, and Resources; and Friday, May 28th – Barriers on Communities of Color: Clinical Evaluation, Early Diagnosis Limitation, and Research. Click here to register for the April Sessions. Click here for the May Sessions. Download the Dementia Care Guide Book here.
Men, you are invited to join the National Men’s Ministry of the National Association of the Church of God, The Huddle: A Men’s Monthly Dialogue, every 2nd Monday of the month. Log in at 6pm on the Men’s Ministry Facebook Live Page.
Praise/Raise-A-Thon, April 24th (11 am – 5 p.m.), sponsored by the National Association Women of the Church of God. Join us for a virtual event featuring anointed preachers, worship leaders and more! More information will be provided at a later date.
Final Words: Sayings of the Savior. If you missed the live service, Click here to review or go to YouTube.com/NACOGTV.
Illinois Eviction Moratorium For Renters Likely To Extend. The hold on evictions in Illinois is likely to continue following CDC guidance of a moratorium on evictions until June 30, but it’s important to not fall too far behind. For more information, click here.
Find a Covid-19 vaccine for you or a loved one here. Click the link for more information. The data on the website auto refreshes every minute. For those without computer access, please call 1-833-621-1284 (Illinois Department of Health), for a vaccine appointment.
Tithes & Offerings: At this time, we are asking that you give your tithes and offerings through Bill Pay only. Please do not mail or drop off your tithes and offerings. Bill Pay can be set up through your bank (please call, go online, or visit your bank to establish this payment system). Thank you!
Reflections:
The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. This event, which occurred almost two thousand years ago, is the best attested fact in human history and experience. The resurrection of Christ was predicted in the Old Testament and by Christ Himself. During the forty days following His resurrection, Jesus showed Himself to be alive from the dead by “many infallible proofs.” He appeared at various times and places to many people who told others what they had seen. Click here for more information. ***
A Brief History of Easter
Easter 2021 falls on April 4. Every year, the holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21, the spring equinox.
In 325 A.D., the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian church, declared that Easter should be observed on this date. Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25.
Orthodox Easter celebrations usually take place later than that of Roman Catholics and Protestants. This is because Eastern Orthodox churches base their calculation of the date of Easter on the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar. For more information, click here. ****
John 11:25-26: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
1 Peter 1:3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
1 Corinthians 15:21: “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.”
Philippians 3:10: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Stay prayerful and read the following daily:
Acts 4:33
Luke 24:6-7
Philippians 2:8
1 Corinthians 6:14
Prayer Lines Are Open For You:
The Langley Prayer Line is staffed by Langley ministers and prayer team members.
Monday and Friday: 6:15-6:45 am; 12:15-12:45 pm; 8:15-8:45 pm
Wednesday: 6:15-6:45 am, 11:15-12:00 noon
Call in with prayer requests, to connect, to pray together and for any other needs.
Let us shelter under the mighty wings of God.
Langley’s Prayer Line:
1-515-604-9094
Access code: 471-150-100
Credits:
*National Association of the Church of God (NACOG), Mid Year Retreat, 2021 – Celebration Church of God at Columbia, Columbia, MD. (pre-recorded)
**National Association of the Church of God (NACOG), Mid Year Retreat, 2021 – Grace Church of God Brooklyn, NY.
***https://www.moodybible.org/beliefs/positional-statements/resurrection/
****https://www.newsweek.com/easter-2021-history-symbols-eggs-bunny-why-we-celebrate-1577388
All photos from UnSplash.