Resurrection Sunday 2026

Good morning, CHURCH!

Welcome to FFM where we love God, and we love people.

Let’s quote our scripture for the year of 2026.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.

Are you ready to be equipped to go and do the work of the ministry?

Let me see your Bibles. (QR code to get my notes)

Let’s pray.

I’m so glad that we in the church still make a big deal out of Resurrection Sunday.

Today we are going to answer the question:

“What’s the big deal about Resurrection Sunday.”

Title:

From The Garden to The Cross

I don’t think we can understand the significance of today without looking back on where we come from and how we operated straight from God our manufacturer.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again;

the creation works best when it functions the way the creator or manufacturer created them to work.

Let me give you a practical example.

Take the amazing invention called the non-stick frying pan.

When you take it out the box it works great.

You ever wonder why a few months later it’s become a sticky frying pan.

It’s because most of us don’t use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

We begin to use it in ways that feels right to us; (Everyone is right in there eyes),

but that actually-degrades the product.

1.The seasoning trap- some of us spray non-stick aerosol sprays trying to be helpful. It seems okay. But when these sprays are heated up, they produce a sticky layer over the non-stick surface that causes foods to cling to the pan instead of sliding off.

2.Thermal Shock- some of us take the hot pan after use and put it under cold water to soak it or rinse it out. It may feel like the right thing to do but it causes warping and microscopic cracks in the coating.

3.High-Heat Searing – non-stick pans are designed for low to medium heat. But it seems like it would be okay to turn the heat up.

Using them for high heat searing breaks down the coating making it no longer non-sticky.

And then we blame the manufacturer for the product not being what it used to be, when it’s our fault for using it in ways it was not created to be used or ways other than its designed purpose.

And this is why the Resurrection was such a big deal and why we celebrate it every year.

Because of what happened on the 3rd day after the crucifixion of Christ, we get a reprieve. We can exchange our fallen nature for His nature.

It’s like boxing up these old sticky pans and sending them back with a note that we repent for how we used them.

And then the manufacturer sends us a brand new set of non-stick pans.

And we have another opportunity to use it the right way.

That's it, that’s what makes the resurrection of Christ such a big deal.

So now that we know how to use the non-stick pans properly, how do we properly operate as humanity?

Let’s talk about it.

Life as we know it started way back in the garden of Eden.

In the beginning, God brought life and purpose to humanity.

Genesis 2:15-16 ESV

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Sin or choosing to operate outside of the way God intended us too, is what brought death to humanity.

Death to the way we were supposed to operate.

We see they didn’t drop down and fall dead physically instantly;

but spiritually they disconnected from God as their source of life.

God should be our source for all things in life!

But because God loves us so much, He didn’t just allow us to stay disconnected from Him and sticky like the mis-used pans.

Genesis 3:22-24 ESV

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever—”

23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

So, what is this disconnection of man from God telling us?

Even though you are alive in the body, without God, you are the walking dead.

And many of you know what I’m talking about because you feel the deadness in areas of your life.

You know what I’m talking about.

-This marriage feels dead and disconnected without God.

-When you pray, you don’t feel a connection to God.

-Life feels meaningless most of the time.

-Life feels like a chasing after something you never seem to reach.

You don’t have to be in a graveyard yet, to know what dead feels like.

We’ve often mis-understood what the big deal about the Resurrection of Christ was.

We’ve been so conditioned to think that God sent Jesus to die for our sins, so that when we die, we can go to Heaven.

What About Now?

What about all this dead life going on around us every day.

-Sex trafficking is out of control.

-People are now recording fighting and showering social media with it.

-There is no respect for God amongst most of society.

-Marriage means absolutely nothing to most of the world anymore.

-Greed is out of control. Especially at the highest levels.

Just because we see this stuff all the time and get used to it, doesn’t mean its life.

This is all the walking dead.

Humans are relationally and psychologically dead apart from God.

There is no good life apart from Him.

Life in Christ restores the relationship to our manufacturer.

Jesus came, was crucified, bled and died for our sins, so that we could inherit the abundant life and eternal life right here, right now.

After the fall of mankind, life became a series of transactions, trying to earn our worth and pay for our mistakes.

But with the resurrection of Christ, life shifts to a secure relationship with the Father, where your value is a gift and not a wage.

John 10:10-11 ESV

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

John 17:2-3 ESV

2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

This lets us know that the big deal about the resurrection of Christ is not waiting to stop breathing in this physical body and then be translated into Heaven.

It is about a quality of life and existence that starts immediately once you are born a second time or born again of the Spirit of God.

And please perk your ears up and hear what I’m about to say.

When you accept Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, the barrier of sin is removed.

The noise of guilt and the weight of shame are replaced by a quiet confidence in Him.

And this is where the abundance truly shows up.

You will now have the capacity to love others deeply because you are no longer consumed by the need to protect or validate yourself.

The greatest place that having Spirit of God in your life shows up is in how you can relate to other humans.

I said we would answer the question, “What’s the big deal about Resurrection Sunday?”

The big deal is how the resurrection of Christ gives us the ability to shift from the "Adam" model to the "Christ" model.

Here are 4 things that can shift when we identify with Christ:

1. We go from "What Can I Get?" to "What Can I Give?"

When a person feels disconnected (the state of Adam and Eve after sin), they often approach relationships looking for someone to validate them, complete them, or provide a sense of security.

 * The New Reality: With God in you, your needs for worth and security are met at the source. This frees you to approach others with abundance. You aren't looking to "consume" the other person’s approval; you are looking for ways to pour out the love you’ve already received.

2. We can lean into the Power of Radical Vulnerability

In the Genesis story, the first thing Adam and Eve did was make "coverings" for themselves.

Disconnection breeds a "mask-wearing" culture.

 * The New Reality: Believers can lead with transparency.

Because your identity is hidden in Christ, you don't have to be afraid of people seeing your flaws.

This allows for deep, authentic connection.

You can admit mistakes and ask for forgiveness without it destroying your sense of self, which creates a safe environment for others to do the same.

3. We can choose the Ministry of Reconciliation vs. The Blame Game

The post-Fall relationship is defined by "The Wall"—barriers of race, status, and past grievances.

 * The New Reality: As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:18, believers have been given the "ministry of reconciliation."

Since God didn't hold your sins against you, you are empowered not to hold others' sins against them.

   * Conflict Resolution: It moves from "Who is right?" to "How do we heal?"

   * Forgiveness: It becomes a reflexive action rather than a grueling negotiation.

4. We can start Seeing Others Through "New Eyes"

When we are disconnected, we tend to see people as objects (useful, threatening, or irrelevant).

 * The New Reality: Having God in you provides a "divine lens."

You begin to see the Imago Dei (Image of God) in everyone, regardless of their behavior or beliefs.

This leads to:

   * Dignity: Treating the "least of these" with the same respect as a king.

   * Empathy: Moving toward people in pain rather than withdrawing in judgment.

Summary: The "Overflow" Principle

Ultimately, relating to others becomes an act of overflow.

You aren't trying to pump water from a dry well; you are simply directing the "living water" that is already flowing into you toward the people around you.

This shift in perspective should change the way you think about handling difficult or "high-conflict" personalities in your daily life?

We’ll see you next week.

What is Holy Spirit saying to you?