Easter Sunday 2026

KiDZ Message

SLIDE - KiDZ Message

Props - Daffodil & table. place the daffodil under the table/ tape to leg.

Hook

Ever looked for something… and it was right in front of you?

Mary

Tomb empty, Crying, Jesus right there, Didn’t see Him

Object

Flower hidden “It was here the whole time.”

Big Idea

Sometimes we look around and worry that think Jesus is gone

When you pray for something… and nothing changes.

When you’re scared at night and your room feels really dark.

When your parents are fighting and you don’t understand what’s happening.

When you feel like everyone else understands church… but you don’t.

In those moments, it can feel like Jesus is far away.

But Mary thought Jesus was gone too.

And He was standing right there.

He’s closer than we think, and he knows what you’re going through.

Listen For

What changes when He says her name?

What does He tell her to do?

Prayer

Main Sermon

They Have Taken My Lord

SLIDE - Title

Mary outside the tomb. Weeping, disoriented, grieving and hopeless

SCRIPTURE - John 20:13.

John 20:13 “13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.””

In her grief, She interprets absence as defeat.

Some of you know what it feels like to stand in front of something that looks hopeless.

- Sitting next to an empty chair this year. - Carrying a diagnosis that has rearranged your future. - Watching a child or friend drift away from the life you hoped they could have. - Trying to hold a marriage together, but slowly losing hope. - Living with shame from something you’ve done. - Feeling like you faith has been hijacked, stolen or distorted by powers so much larger than you - Looking at the world and wondering if goodness is losing.

Mary is standing outside a tomb believing death had the final word.

You may not be outside a literal tomb.

But you know what it feels like to look at something and think:

“It’s over.” “It’s been taken.” “It’s hopeless.”

Losing keys → panic → “Who took them?” Grief creates a story quickly.

Grief doesn’t just make us sad, It also makes us interpret the world around us

And sometimes, if we’re honest, that’s how we feel about the world around us.

We look at what’s trampled, distorted, exhausted… and we assume hope has been taken.

A few weeks ago, I was walking after the snow had started to melt…

The Flag – The Condition of the World

SLIDE - Flag Image

Dirty, trampled flag half frozen into ice.

- Temptation to Walk past it. (Not my responsibility) - Spirit Nudged me to turn around - Not patriotic obligation, but Compassion. (Like seeing someone beaten on the roadside.) - I Turned around. (Picked it up and cared for it.)

The flag is not just our government, but our community: - created to live out our purpose. Created to draw the weary, lost, and burdened back to God - Instead trampled, ignored, forgotten.

The poem on the Statue of Liberty called “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus ends like this...

SLIDE - The New Colossus

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

It sounds a lot like Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28-30.

SCRIPTURE - Matt. 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Mary was one of those weary and burdened who came to Jesus. - She had seen miracles. - She had seen resurrection. - Then saw Him beaten, bloody, dead. - Possibly touched His lifeless body. - She shows up → empty tomb and assumes: The enemy finished the job and now he is just being desecrated.

The Reality – She Is Talking to Jesus

SCRIPTURE - John 20:15.

But, who is she actually speaking to? - (v. 15) She thinks she’s talking to a gardener. - She is speaking to the risen Christ.

Jesus was not stolen, defeated, or overpowered.

What looked like defeat was the greatest victory in history.

Grief + limited imagination distort interpretation.

She is weeping in front of resurrection. Hopeless in front of hope itself.

She is offering to clean up the broken pieces.

I wonder where we are weeping in front of resurrection without realizing it - The parent who believes their child is too far gone. - The addict who believes relapse is the final word. - The person who believes their past has disqualified them. - The one sitting quietly in church thinking, “This works for other people, but not for me.” - The one watching the news thinking, “There’s no way goodness wins.” - The one who feels numb and assumes that numbness means God is absent.

Mary was weeping in front of the risen Christ.

What if we are misreading our moment?

What if what looks like final is not final?

“Mary.” – The Emotional Peak

SCRIPTURE - John 20:16.

And then in one word. Her entire world is re-ordered.

That word is her name. That’s significant.

When he says her name.

She sees that it is really him, the one who knows her.

Jesus is not surprised by his own resurrection.

He knows what you are seeing. He knows what you’re carrying. He knows the brokenness in the world that troubles you. He knows the brokenness inside you that you try to hide.

Her interpretation of hopelessness collapses.

She was surprised because she couldn’t see it before.

Her reality is reordered

She moves from despair → recognition.

From hopelessness → joy.

And what if He is doing the same for you?

What if your interpretation of “final” is not actually final?

What if he has been looking right at you this entire time, but your despair has blinded you to what is real?

What is Jesus is saying your name right now?

[pause here]

“Do Not Cling, GO” – From Recognition to Mission

If you can imagine yourself in her position, now hear what Jesus said next as a directive for you.

SCRIPTURE - John 20:17

He says “do not cling.” Instead, “Go and tell”

When you encounter Christ, no matter where you do, he sends you back out.

Jesus is not saving you from this world, he is saving you with this world.

And he is restoring your purpose, commanding you to go out and invite your community in to be close to him.

I think back on that flag. a symbol of this country we live in, not just our government, but also our communities and neighbors.

And I see Jesus saying each of our names, and telling us to go and tell others what Mary said in v. 18...

SCRIPTURE - John 20:18

“I have seen the Lord!”

So what will we do?

We will walk past our community and say “what a shame”

or will we go, turn around, pick them up, and tell them “I have seen the Lord, come and see”

Jesus has given Valley Chapel a very specific role in his mission. We are to be a place where people who know what it’s like to be tattered, trampled, and torn and who have encountered Jesus, are slowly but steadily re-formed into who we were always emant to be.

AND, as we are, we are to be a community that invites others into the same. Who says “ I know what it’s like to be walked on and walked past, and I have seen the Lord, and he is alive and well”

Final Declaration

SLIDE - Title

You see, Mary had bee blinded by her own despair, yet

He is not gone.

He is not defeated.

He is not fragile.

He is alive.

He is standing here.

He calls your name.

and he is sending you out.

SLIDE - Questions

Will you see Him?

Will you testify?

Will you go?

Prayer

Communion

Welcome to the Table

SLIDE - Communion

Invite band up

Communion a Sacrament, a sacred action, that Jesus commanded his followers to participate in over and over again. As Free Methodists, we understand this to be a “means of grace,” one of the primary, God-designed ways, to encounter Christ and be formed into the people he desires us to become. We gather around this table in remembrance of what Christ has done, who he is, and in pursuit of nourishment from the same God who holds the whole universe together. Jesus said in John 6:35 “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Because of this, all are invited to this table. You do not need to be Free Methodist. We simply invite you to come, humble, repentant, and aware of your need for his nourishment and salvation.

The Presentation of the Gifts

Jesus’ disciple John tells us that John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

The Psalmist teaches us that Psalm 24:1 “1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it;”

Because we believe the Scriptures speak the truth about this, we start by honoring God for his abundant blessings.

SAY: Please rise as we celebrate the entrance of the gifts of God into our worship!

SLIDE - Doxology led by band

SONG: The Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him all creatures here below Praise Him above ye heavenly Host Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost Amen

SAY: Let’s join together in Prayer.

PRAY: Generous God — Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer — from Your hands all blessings flow. We present these gifts that come from You: bread and cup, Word and work, the fruit of our labor and the signs of Your grace. Use them in and through us, that Your world may be invited to encounter Christ and be steadily formed by him. Amen.

The General Confession

SLIDE - Communion

Paul teaches the church in 1 Corinthians 11:27–29 “27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.”

Before we share in Communion, we take time to examine our hearts, confess our sin, and repent — not to belittle ourselves or grovel in shame, but to remember why this matters. When we reverently speak the truth about our need for Christ, we are able to truly enjoy the freedom He brings.

Let's join in a prayer of confession, repenting of the ways we have neglected to trust our creator. After each confession we will together say “Lord have Mercy.”

Leader: Merciful God, You whose nature is always to have mercy — we come not because we are worthy, but because You are gracious. Hear us now as we confess our sin and seek Your renewing love.

SLIDE - Confession 1

Leader: For the ways we have shaped You in our own image,instead of reflecting Your image to the world. All: Lord, have mercy.

SLIDE - Confession 2

Leader: For the times we’ve treated worship as a burden, and praise as an inconvenient chore. All: Lord, have mercy.

SLIDE - Confession 3

Leader: For the moments we’ve wounded one another, with our words, our silence, or our indifference. All: Lord, have mercy.

SLIDE - Confession 4

Leader: For the ways we’ve turned from the needs of our neighbors, and failed to seek justice for the oppressed. All: Lord, have mercy.

SLIDE - Confession 5

Leader: For the times we’ve made our own plans and treated Your Spirit as servant rather than Lord. All: Lord, have mercy.

SLIDE - Confession 6

Leader: For the ways we’ve held tightly to the time, talents, relationships and resources that belong to you forgetting that we are stewards, not owners. All: Lord, have mercy.

SLIDE - Confession 7

Leader: For the times we’ve chosen comfort over calling and neglected the journey of the next generation. All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Lord, you teach us that If we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Use our confession today to form us further into your image and set us free to reflect you to the world. Amen

Prayer of Consecration

SLIDE - Communion

SAY: Gracious God, You gave Your Son Jesus Christ for the life of the world. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and cup. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be His body for the world— redeemed, renewed, and sent in love. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ. All glory and honor are Yours now and forever. Amen.

Consecration of the Elements

[Lift the loaf with two hands, presenting it to the congregation]

SAY: On the night of His betrayal, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it

[Break the loaf in two]

SAY: and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

[Set down the loaf then Lift the cup with two hands, presenting it to the congregation]

SAY: In like manner, after supper, He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of this, all of you, for this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins; do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

[Set down the cup]

Distribution

SLIDE - Directions

[Invite servers to come forward to receive the elements and go to their assigned locations. The band will play ambient background music as you do so. Once everyone is in their place, address the congregation.]

SAY: I invite you to come forward one row at a time, starting in the front, following the directions on the screen. If you are unable to walk up, please raise your hand and an usher will bring the elements to you. Once you’ve gathered your elements, please return to your seat so that we can eat and drink together. If you are joining us online, please take this time to light a candle and gather your own elements.

[Proceed with distribution. The Band will lead us in song as we distribute. You will remain on stage for the servers to return their trays to you when their line is complete. Offer them their elements as they hand them to you.]

[Once all the trays are returned and everyone has received their elements, stand behind the table and address the congregation]

SLIDE - Communion

[Lift the bread]

SAY: The body of Christ, broken for you

[Eat. Then, lift the cup]

SAY: The blood of Christ poured out for you

[Drink. Then, offer an extemporaneous prayer]

Baptism

For some here, they have encountered Christ, for the first time, or in a new way. They recognized that they are in a new season of life and want to tell the story of God’s transformation of their hearts. So today they will be receiving the sacrament of Baptism.

SLIDE - Baptism

Explain the dual role of the Baptism Sacrament (Adoption into the family & Pronouncement of the new birth in Christ)

Invite acolytes forward

Statement of Intention

Believing this to be true, and in obedience to the command of Jesus, these image-bearers have come to make a public confession through baptism, that healing, adoption into the family of God, and a transforming life are now theirs.

So, we encourage you to pray that through this means of grace they may be further moved to devote themselves to God and by doing so experience the constant washing, transforming, and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:

Almighty and Everlasting God, we call upon You for these wonderful human(s) that they, coming to this baptism, may by this act confess that they have received Your inner washing, adoption, and transformation through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. May they ever rejoice in the forgiveness of sins, the indwelling of Your Spirit, the fellowship of the church and the assurance of resurrection in the world to come. Amen.

Affirmation of our Faith

Let’s all join together and affirm our faith by reading The Apostle’s Creed together.

[SLIDES - AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FROM COMMUNION LITURGY - THE APOSTLECREED]

SLIDE - Creed 1

ALL: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell.

SLIDE - Creed 2

ALL: The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to 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.

SLIDE - Creed 3

ALL: 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.

[SLIDE] - Baptism

Invite Acolytes by the baptismal in order

Why, in your own words, do you want to be Baptized/ Re-affirm your Baptism today?

Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” God in his grace has brought you to a new season of life and you desire to profess before God and his church your faith in Jesus Christ, and thereby join his kingdom both now and forevermore.

Once testimonies are complete, ask the group the questions together

[SLIDES - Questions]

1. Do you trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and do you want to be baptized in His name?

2. By being baptized today, do you want the world to know that you are a Christian and that you intend to live for Jesus all the days of your life?

3. Do you believe that the whole Bible is God’s word, provided for us to learn from and follow?

4. Will you ask God and his church to help you be holy in every part of your life?

5. Will you agree to attend and participate in the family of the universal church as often as you can, to learn how to love God, love people, and make disciples?

Band will lead music while we head to the baptismal

Say: ______, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Flowers on the Cross

“The cross stands before us as a stark reminder of death, brokenness, and all that is not yet as it should be. But the resurrection of Jesus tells a different story—one where death does not get the last word, where sorrow is replaced by joy, and where God is making all things new.”

“Today, you are invited to come forward and bring your brokenness to the cross. Maybe it’s a burden you’ve been carrying, a fear that grips your heart, or a place in your life that feels beyond repair. As you come, silently name what you’re leaving behind—what you’re entrusting into God’s hands.”

“But that’s not all. As you place a flower on the cross, you’re declaring your hope that God is at work—even now—bringing life where there was death, beauty where there was brokenness. The flowers will transform this cross, just as resurrection transforms our lives. This is not just decoration. It’s an act of participation—with God—in the restoration of a broken world.”

Prayer: