From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday

Dear Church Family,

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and this marks the beginning of the events of Holy Week which will lead us to Resurrection Sunday. This season should be marked by our praise to God for His great mercy to us, for such a great salvation accomplished through our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3).

Let me encourage you with a few practical ways in which you as an individual, or you as a family might draw near to the Lord and celebrate the Gospel.

Below are multiple resources, including a daily Bible reading plan for this week. We recommend that you read one or more of the Gospel accounts each day. There's also an accompanying Spotify playlist with songs for each day. If you want to go further, we've also included a daily video devotional series that we created back during the initial lockdown in 2020.

Palm Sunday: Jerusalem
Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-50
Spotify Playlist

Monday: Temple Cleansing and Bethany
Scripture: Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48;
Spotify Playlist

Tuesday: Temple Confrontations and Olivet Discourse
Scripture: Matthew 21:18-26:1; Mark 11:20-13:37; Luke 20:1-37;
Spotify Playlist

Spy Wednesday: Betrayal and Anointing
Scripture: Matthew 26:3-16; Mark 14:1-11; Luke 20:38-21:6;
Spotify Playlist

Maundy Thursday: Passover Meal, Arrest, and Denials
Scripture: Matthew 26:17-75; Mark 14:12-72; Luke 22:1-65; John 13:1-18:27
Spotify Playlist

Good Friday: Crucifixion and Burial
Scripture: Matthew 27:1-61; Mark 15:1-47; Luke 22:66-23:56a; John 18:28-19:42
Spotify Playlist

Saturday: The Tomb
Scripture: Matthew 27:62-66; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56b
Spotify Playlist

Resurrection Sunday
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:2-8; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21:25
Spotify Playlist

We invite you to gather together with the saints as we remember Christ’s sufferings and death and celebrate his resurrection.

Good Friday Service, Friday, April 15, 7:00pm
Come join us this Friday as we remember Christ’s cross. We will gather at 7:00pm for a time of singing and Scripture reading, and we will consider the words spoken by our Lord at the cross.

Resurrection Sunday, April 17, 10:00am
Come worship with us as we celebrate the good news of our Lord’s victory over death this Resurrection Sunday. If we are given good weather, our plan is to hold one outdoor worship service at 10:00am, with no Sunday School this Sunday. If it rains, we will shift to two indoor worship services at 8:30 and 11:00am, with baptisms between services at 10:00am.

For further reading, Desiring God Ministries has also published a short book Your Sorrow Will Turn to Joy, which is filled with morning and evening meditations, and it has been made available for you to download for free.

If family worship is absent or irregular in your home, I invite you to read Don Whitney’s book Family Worship and consider how the Scriptures might have a more central place in the life of your home.

We look forward to this special week of remembering the work of Christ, celebrating His resurrection, and rejoicing and worshiping our Lord together.

May the Lord bless our church family as we draw near to Him. He is risen!

Pastor Ben