Let’s Be Men Who Keep Easter Hope Burning Bright.

We hope this Fist Bump finds each of you coming off a high from celebrating Easter with friends and family.

No other day has the meaning and significance that Easter does. When the rock was rolled back, and we learned that Jesus had risen, the world was changed forever.   

We were talking this week about being there that first Easter morning. What would we have felt? Being there, we would have just witnessed Jesus' crucifixion and thought we had lost him forever. Talk about shock! Today, we have the benefit of knowing the "rest of the story," but they did not. This was all unfolding REAL TIME!

Think about that for a minute. Think about what your life would be like if you did not know that Jesus rose. Let's go to that morning and read the story.

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became almost like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; HE IS RISEN, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell the disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." Matthew 28: 1-7

 Take a moment to reflect on what the events of that Easter morning long ago meant to you and the world. Those events brought the world hope.

The GREATEST gift of Easter is HOPE!

"May the God of HOPE fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" Romans 15:13

Today, the message of hope and Jesus are needed more than ever. As much as we want to hold onto this hope, the busyness and temptations of the world can make it seem distant and out of touch.

How do we keep the "HOPE OF EASTER" overflowing all year?

It is like going to a sales meeting, getting all fired up, and then a few weeks later, you lose the fire. We get it, it happens to all of us. We all need to get our "HOPE OF EASTER" fuel tanks" filled up regularly. How do we do that?

A few things we talked about this week:

• Spend more time serving others than yourself. Great joy comes from giving vs. receiving. It is not all about us/you. We find that the more we serve, the more we experience the love and hope of Easter. Many of us took time this past week to bring the "Hope of Easter" to Hope Community Center in the heart of Grand Rapids. We heard our serving efforts brought much joy and HOPE to families, carving Easter's HOPE.

We have been doing a devotion this past week, reflecting on each day of Holy Week. On Thursday, Jesus washed his disciples' feet at the Last Supper. Can you see yourself doing that? It was Jesus doing an act of servanthood. It showed his love and dedication to his followers – you and us. May we, in some small way throughout this coming year, be servants to someone else, removing the focus from our needs and putting them on someone else to keep the "Hope of Easter" alive.

• Time in prayer and devotion with others. Yes, hanging around others who understand the message of Easter hope can be powerful. They pour into you, and you pour into them. You help each other keep the message of Easter alive. Our intent was and continues to be to make Seven24 a source of Easter Hope to men seeking deeper faith relationships.

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and to do good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging on another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near" Hebrews 10:24-25

• Keep God's love for you Front and Center. Regularly remind yourself of the following four things. This will remind others in your path of the same thing. Please put it on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator, and mirror, and remind your kids of this daily.    

1. You are completely accepted. Jesus took care of this for us on the Cross. What Jesus did on the Cross made you completely acceptable to God – no matter what you have done. Lose the guilt!

2. You are unconditionally loved. The love of Jesus is beyond question. You can not make God stop loving you. Think about that for a minute. "The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end" Isaiah 54:10

3. You are totally forgiven. YES, Jesus gave his life as the payment for our sins, and you are forgiven. So many of us are burdened with guilt. The Message of Easter is to lay this guilt at the foot of the Cross, once and for all.

4. You are valuable. You are a unique and special creation of God. No one else is like you. Value is often described by what something is worth. Your life is so valuable that Jesus died on the Cross for it. Pretty amazing. So many today are struggling with self-concept and self-worth. Social media is not helping with this. As we carry the message of Easter forward, it may remind others of how truly valued they are.   

Gents, it is up to us. We can let the message, excitement, and HOPE OF EASTER fade in a few weeks, or we can be the ones to keep it alive, not only in our lives but also in the lives of others. We pray that the Holy Spirit will work through each of us to be Beacons of Easter Hope all year.

Have a GREAT week.