Easter Morning 2025

== Good morning, friends — and Happy Easter! HE IS RISEN!!

== My name is Jeff Pagel, I am the pastor of Sunnyside First Baptist Church.

== Whether you’ve been coming here for years, or you’ve never stepped into a church on Easter morning before — you are welcome here.

== If this is your first time… maybe you’re feeling a little uncertain. A little skeptical. Or maybe you're here because someone you care about invited you, and you're just being polite.

== Hey — we’ve all done that. But let me tell you something up front:

== This morning isn’t about religion. It’s about resurrection. It’s about hope that refuses to stay dead. It’s about a Savior who walks out of a grave so you and I can walk out of the guilt, fear, regret, shame, and hopelessness that too often feels like our tomb.

== We don’t gather today to pretend everything is okay. We gather to proclaim that Jesus is alive — and that changes everything.

Let’s go back — back to the very first Easter. Not to a sunrise service with flowers and songs. But to a quiet graveyard where two women came to grieve… and instead found an earthquake of grace, and an empty tomb

Would you stand if you can and listen now as I read Matthew 28 beginning in verse 1, and remain standing as we recite the Apostles Creed.

==“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 like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. == The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. == The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. == He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. == Then go quickly and tell his 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.” == So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. == Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. == Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’” (Matthew 28:1–10, NIV)

Did you hear the invitation?

“Come and see.” “Go and tell.”

That’s the heartbeat of Easter.

== Let’s come and see the empty tomb. == Let’s go and tell the world that love has defeated death. == Let’s worship the risen Savior.

== Please remain standing as we read together the Apostle’s Creed.

The Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

== You may be seated!!