LIVERMORE — March 31, 2024 Service. The congregation was welcomed by Pastor Bonnie Higgins at 9:30 a.m. to begin the service. The Invocation/Lord’s Prayer were recited. The Choir sang songs of Easter throughout the service. The hymn that was sung was “” . The service ended with “Go Now in Peace”. Linda Lyman is the organist each week. Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.

The sermon, titled “The Full Payment of Sin” and scriptures from Matthew 28:1-6. Pastor Bonnie began with the Easter story. There were two women, both named Mary, that came to the tomb with heavy hearts. The hope of the Messiah that they believed in for many years, the One that was prophesied in the Old Testament, had died on a cross. They watched Jesus die three days before and they came to prepare His body.

They and countless others watched Jesus die on a cross, taken down from that cross, and placed in a tomb as what they thought, was His final resting place. There were guards placed around the tomb so no one could get to the body of Jesus. All of a sudden, an earthquake happened and the tomb was made unsecure by an angel that God had sent to earth. The guards were frozen in time and in shock of what was happening. As the two Marys approached the tomb they found an angel on the stone. He told them not to be afraid and that Jesus was no longer there. He showed them inside the tomb. They found it empty except for the linens, neatly folded.

The angel told them that Jesus was alive, He had risen. The resurrection of Jesus gave the women and the disciples hope of the true Messiah. That same hope is for us today. God in His mercy, gave us His Son, Jesus as a living sacrifice for our sins. Because of the mercy God gave us, we are made cleaned by the washing of our sins through the acceptance of Jesus as our Personal Savior. On the cross, God changed our past, our present, and our future by the life, death, resurrection and the ascension of Jesus Christ. God wanted us to leave our world of sin and follow Jesus for an eternity with Him. God wanted us to change our hearts. In changing our hearts and following Jesus, we are saved from death, and our sins, to a life with Jesus when we leave this world.

The New Testament, foreshadows the birth and death of Jesus, from a manger to the cross. We read in the Bible that Jesus laid His life down willingly for us and our sin. Jesus not only served others, established a new covenant in His blood, made a full payment of His life for our sin, He fulfilled prophecy from the Old Testament. Jesus died all of this for each one of us.

As people celebrate Easter, many will think it is about being with family and friends eating a great meal, others will celebrate it by going to the movies or outside playing a game of pick-up football, some will even go to a church, there will be many ways people will celebrate. Those who follow Jesus, those who have accepted Him as their Savior, they will celebrate that Jesus is alive, He has risen and is coming back again. Christians, our faith is in the one who will be back for us – Jesus Christ!

Announcements listed in the bulletin are that the congregation will be collecting cereal for the Food Pantry in April. Bible Study: Tuesday at 1 p.m.

You can email the church at nlbcmaine@gmail.com. Pastor Bonnie’s office hours are Tuesday’s from 9 a.m. to noon.

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