THIS COULD BE YOUR BEST EASTER WEEK ... EVER!
A number of news organizations are drearily reporting gloomy stories like “Easter Week is going to be so tragic for churches since Christians can’t gather for services”. I don’t agree with them! I believe this could be one of our best Easter weeks ever for the following reasons:

1) There will be fewer distractions from the main story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We won’t be as distracted with clothes, candy, traveling and getting to service on time.
2) We have a wonderful reminder that Easter is not about special presentations by musical groups or a pastor at a large Sunday morning gathering. It is about a living Lord Jesus who is still transforming the lives and eternities of people today. If Pilate couldn’t end Him and the grave couldn’t hold him, then COVID-19 is not going to stop Him either!
3) We have the opportunity to do “homemade” messages of Easter. How about if you read the story out of your own Bible, make phone calls or texts to friends to wish them God’s blessing and encourage others? Maybe you want to follow the suggestion from KLOVE, to step outside your front door at 8:00 am this coming Easter morning and sing the first verse of Amazing Grace. (I’m gonna do that!)
4) The contrast between our Living Hope in Christ and the dour negativity of the COVID-19 reporting can be a great platform for declaring hope. More people may hear about Easter than ever before as people turn to electronic media to see what is going on, and will discover that “the Living Lord Jesus is what’s going on”!
5) As long as we live, we will never forget the Easter of 2020. So let’s make it more about Jesus and His living hope than ever before! Get ready this Easter more than ever before to “love Jesus more, talk about Jesus more, trust Jesus more, worship Jesus more, and be forever changed by Jesus more”.

· Thank you for your connection to GracePoint Church.
· Visit gracepointlodi.com or our Facebook page to watch our videos or connect with others.
· We will have a Good Friday video complete with a communion time you can share (we’ll send instruction later this week). We will also have a special Easter Sunday video complete with a sunrise service and something for children and youth.
· Thank you to those of you who continue to comment, encourage and give, either by mail or on-line. We are the body of Christ and will carry His truth no matter where we are.

Praying for you to have the BEST EASTER WEEK...EVER!

From a Shepherd’s heart,
Pastor Perry Kallis