Easter 2025

Home is not places, it is love.

Everybody wants to be home.

Everybody wants to be loved.

Have you ever ran away from home?

wizard of oz story

Saints, Skeptics, and Sinners.

New Living Translation (Chapter 14)

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”

5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Jesus invites anyone to follow Him to go to the fathers home.

Saints

They think they can do enough to earn their salvation.

Ephesians

New International Version (2011) (Chapter 2)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Saints need a renewed mind.

The invitation of an empty tomb is that Jesus’ work is enough.

Jesus is the only way.

Skeptics

They aren’t sure they need a savior or that there is a God, or that God is good.

Nicedemus

Skeptics need a heart changing encounter with Jesus.

Ezekail

New Living Translation (Chapter 36)

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

The invitation of an empty tomb is that Jesus is The Truth and you can try Him and test Him.

Jesus is the Truth.

Sinners

They aren’t sure they are worth of forgiveness or could really change.

Sinners need the courage to turn towards a gracious God.

1John

The New International Version (Chapter 4)

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

The invitation of an empty tomb is forgiveness.

Jesus is the way to life.

All of us whether we are a saint, a skeptic, or a sinner…are like dorothy….we just want to go home.

“Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” -St. Augustine

The invitation to all is go home and be with your Father.

Jesus is our way home.

New International Version (2011) (Chapter 11)

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Do you believe this?

Rescue is here, do you want to go home?

“The Story of scripture in four phrases repeated throughout its pages: I love you. I am with you. Don’t be afraid. You can come home.”

-Rich Villodas

Home is not places, it is love.

It is Jesus.

It is all possible because He lives.

The invitation of an empty tomb is new life.

New life is only possible by laying down your old one.

1 Peter

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Chapter 1)

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

Come home.

Sin is not just something we do, but a power humanity is under. We can’t educate ourselves out of its grip. We don’t overcome it through progressive achievements, nor by moral consistency. The antidote for sin is found in a power outside of ourselves—in the cross of Christ. -Rich Villodas