Celebrating God's grace on this Good Friday!

I do believe in Resurrection Sunday.  Our Church in Muscatine calls it that, too.  

I dont have a story but can you please put on Stronger by Mandisa?

Verse 1:
There is Love
That came for us
Humbled to a sinner’s cross
You broke my shame and sinfulness
You rose again victorious

Verse 2:
Faithfulness none can deny
Through the storm
And through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me

Chorus:
You are stronger
You are stronger
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written
Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all

Verse 3:
No beginning and no end
You’re my hope and my defense
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross

Bridge:
So let Your Name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher
Be lifted higher

That's an easy question. Listening to "Lay Your Burden Down" by Chuck Girard. Started weeping from the first note. I wept for sorrow over all my sins and for joy in all that i had been forgiven. " U think the wrong you've done is just too much to be forgiven but now u know that isn't true. Take your burdens to the cross He has forgiven u!

One time my brother and I were in the car with my mom, and my brother all of a sudden asked my mom if she could pray for him to go to heaven. So my mom asked him if he was sure because we were stoped at a red light in the middle of rush hour on a friday. He said yes, so they prayed and right after they prayed the light turned green. From then on he realized that he was a part of Christ's body.

As I write this, we are in the midst of thunderstorm with strong rolls of thunder and lightening.  The environment reminds me of the moment when the words, "It is Finished" were spoke from Jesus on the cross and the subsequent shaking of the earth as the Son of Man died on the cross.  

The recent severe storms across the country provide similar memories of that moment.  Accompanying the storms has been record setting rain fall totals across the middle section of the country.   The beauty of the resurrection is the analogy of the rain symbolizing the record setting amount of love which God poured out for us on the cross.  As we know, the benefit of the rain is green grass, beautiful May flowers and the continued beauty of nature.  Similar our lives continue to be enriched by the constant flow of God's love in our lives.  

I grew up in a christian home and always knew God loved me and that He died for me. But I didn't realize this until about 6 months ago at a conference called Pure Rebellion. They did a skit that completely changed my perspective of Christ and that was the moment i truly realized what Christ did for me!

I realized Jesus really and truly died for us yesterday. Every year our school's sixth grade class does a living Stations of the Cross where they act out every station, reflect, and follow Jesus on his hard journey. This year, they played the song, I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe at the beginning, before the Stations. The whole gym was dark and silent, and the only thing I heard was the music. The part that made me realize how much God loves me and how much he does for us was summed up with a simple question at the end of the song, "Can You Imagine?" I wanted to stop and cry right there, but the part where tears ran down my cheeks was when Jesus Died on the Cross, the 12th station. Jesus had hung his head in sorrow and death, and then everyone mourned in silence. Jesus truly loves each and every one of us!

I realized the need for Jesus in my life when I was 18 and laying in a hospital bed.  I had just learned that I was paralyzed from a virus and the doctors did not know how long it would last.  I couldn't see my mother's face clearly and she was standing next to my bed but I could clearly see where the tiles in the ceiling connected and formed a cross.  I realized that my life was empty without Jesus and that he would be near me no matter what the circumstances.  His suffering was so much greater then my suffering.  I have been completely healed both spiritually and physically.  I am blessed to have such an amazing Heavenly Father.  

I realized how much Jesus really loved me.  1 day during  my youth groups worship night, in the middle of worship, which I had participated in for almost a year at this point, I got a visual of Jesus on the cross looking directly at me and I realized for the first time that he didn't just die for the world, but that he also personally died for me. And immediately  I was overwhelmed  by how much I meant  to him  for him to die for me.

I realized how much Jesus really loved me just recently. I was looking up a song by Hillsong on youtube. The one that I ended up seeing had part of the Passion (the movie) on it. I have "known" what Jesus went through for as long as I can remember, but that really broke my heart. I was able to see what he went through, not just read it or hear about it.

I brought my wonderful grandmother to the Good Friday services at my church. She had been going through a time of sorrow. My Pastor had been going through sadness with his mother in Heaven and her body still not buried. He wore a Catholic black robe (he's not Catholic though) and spoke what was on his heart. A cross on the very back stage had black and red cloth draped off of it and it ran down the stairs and pooled in front of the chairs. Everyone left that service feeling glad, relieved, and clean. I left that service knowing that I was truly loved by God, Pastor and his wife, and friends. Thank God for his Son, Jesus!

I have been fighting God for years and I started getting sick with physical problems back in 2001 and I still continued to fight God.  When things got bad I would go to church and then when they got better I would stop again.  In 2007 I got cancer and I felt hopeless.  But God sent special people into my life to help me see that he could get me through it all.  I am Thankful this Easter weekend that my Lord died for my sins and set me free.  I praise God everyday that I am still cancer free.