THE CHRISTIAN LIFE NO ONE TOLD YOU ABOUT

Easter Sunday 2026

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE NO ONE TOLD YOU ABOUT

Intro: Let me start with a picture. Imagine a distant planet in another galaxy—intelligent beings, curious about God. They know there is a Creator… but they don’t know what He’s like. So they start asking the question: If there is a God…what is He like? Then one day, they discover Earth. And what grabs their attention is this: the people on Earth believe they were created in the image of God. So they reason, “If we want to know what God is like…we just need to observe humans.” Makes sense, right? So they build a ship. They send a delegation. And they come to Earth expecting to see a visible expression of the invisible God. They land. And the first thing they see is a man lying in the street—drunk, broken, barely responsive. They are confused by this. They move on… and run into violence—anger, threats, chaos in the streets. They hurry into a building for safety—only to find people zoned out, disconnected, staring at screens. Then they turn on the news. Terrorism. Corruption. Scandal. Confusion. Evil called good. And finally, one of them says, “Let’s get out of here. Not a God I want to know.” And they leave. Now here’s the punchline. They didn’t learn what God is like…they learned what sin is like. Their reasoning wasn’t wrong—their data was incomplete. Because yes, human beings were created to reflect God, and something has gone terribly wrong. And that raises the real question we have to deal with this morning: If human beings were created to display God…why do we so rarely look like Him? Why so much selfishness? Why so much brokenness? Why so much confusion? Let me bring that question a little closer to home by asking you something simple: Are you normal? Most people would say, “Yeah… I think so.” But how would you know? How can you call something normal unless you know what it was designed to be? If you don’t know the original design, you might be calling something normal…when it’s really broken. So, before we talk about sin…before we talk about struggle…before we talk about failure…We must ask a better question: What did God intend a human being to be? God gave you a body that can be seen and heard…so that the invisible God could make Himself visible through you. That’s normal. Normal human life is when God can be seen in what you say, how you live, how you respond. But when we look around—and if we’re honest, when we look within—that’s not what we see. What happened? Three truths will explain it…

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE RUNS ON THE LIVING CHRIST – NOT JUST THE DYING CHRIST.

Let me show you something many Christians miss.

Romans 5:10 “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Most Christians will understand the first half of that verse. Jesus died for my sins. The cross removes my guilt. Through His blood, I’m forgiven and brought back to God. That’s true. That’s essential. That’s the foundation.

But Paul doesn’t stop there. He says, “much more… we shall be saved by His life.” Don’t rush past that.

We were reconciled by His death…but we are saved by His life.

In other words—the cross deals with the penalty of sin. But the living Christ deals with the power of sin.

Forgiveness flows from Calvary. But victory flows from the life of Jesus inside the believer.

And this is where a lot of people get stuck. They understand the cross…but then they spend the rest of their life trying to fight sin in their own strength. Trying harder. Doing better. Promising more. Starting over again and again.

And it’s exhausting. That’s not how the Christian life works.

The New Testament doesn’t say, “Try harder for Jesus.” It says the power of the Christian life comes from Jesus living in you.

illus: Imagine a man who owns a perfectly good car. The engine works. The tank is full. The battery is strong. But instead of getting in and turning the key…he gets behind it and starts pushing. He strains. He sweats. He exhausts himself. Someone finally asks, “Why are you pushing the car?” And he says, “It’s the only way to move it.” No—it’s not. There’s power under the hood. The problem isn’t the car…the problem is he doesn’t trust what’s inside it. How many Christians are living this way?

Christ is in you. The power of resurrection life is already there. But instead of trusting Him…you’re out there pushing.

You push to be patient. You push to be pure. You push to be loving. You strain. You promise. You rededicate.

And deep down—you’re tired because the Christian life was never meant to be pushed. It was meant to be driven.

You don’t produce the power. You trust the power. So let me ask you plainly:

Are you pushing your way through the Christian life…or are you trusting the life of Christ within you?

Once you see that the Christian life runs on His life, not your effort—then the next question is obvious: How does that work?

What does it look like, practically, for His life to be the power of your life? Paul answers that directly…

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT YOU LIVING FOR JESUS – IT IS JESUS LIVING THROUGH YOU.

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

This is where everything starts to come into focus.

How many Christians—without even realizing it—operate with this mindset? “Jesus saved me… now it’s my job to live for Him.”

So they try. They try to act right. They try to think right. They try to be more disciplined, more committed, more consistent.

What’s the result? More pressure. More frustration. More starting over.

That’s not how the Christian life works.

Paul doesn’t say, “I’m doing my best to live for Christ.” He says, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

That’s a completely different way of thinking.

The Christian life is not imitating Jesus—it’s participating with Jesus.

It’s not you trying to act like Jesus. It’s Jesus expressing His life through you.

Let me say it another way:

To be in Christ makes you fit for heaven. But for Christ to be in you makes you fit for earth.

That’s the difference.

And here’s the truth we don’t naturally think about:

It takes God to be a man the way God intended man to be.

You were designed to display Him. But without Him living in you—you can’t.

illus: Imagine I set a glove on this stage and say, “Pick up this Bible.” The glove looks like a hand. It has fingers. It has shape. But it just sits there. It doesn’t move. So, I start explaining. “Here’s how you grip. Here’s how you lift. Come on—you can do this.” I could preach to that glove all day. And nothing would change. But I have a glove at home that has picked up a shovel dozens of times. But never once before I put my hand into the glove. But the moment a hand goes into that glove…everything changes. Now it can pick things up. Now it can move. Now it can function. Everything possible to my hand is now possible to the glove. Not because the glove got better…but because the hand is now living through it. That’s the Christian life. You are the glove. Christ is the hand. Everything that is possible to Jesus…now becomes possible through you. But only as you let Him live through you.

The issue is not, “Am I trying hard enough?” The issue is, “Am I depending on Him…or still depending on me?”

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WORKS THE SAME WAY JESUS LIVED HIS EARTHLY LIFE.

This is where everything comes together.

How many people assume Jesus lived the way He did for one simple reason: “Well… He’s God.”

So of course He could heal the sick. Of course He could resist temptation. Of course He could know the secrets of a man’s heart. Of course He could remain silent when falsely accused. Of course He could forgive His enemies while he was dying.

But if that’s all there is to it—then what hope do we have? That would mean Jesus lived a life we could never touch.

But that’s not the whole picture. Jesus didn’t just come to show us what God can do.

He came to show us what a human life looks like when God is living through it.

Listen to how Jesus described His own life:

John 5:19 “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do…”
John 5:30 “I can of Myself do nothing…”
John 14:10 “The Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

Do you hear that? “I can do nothing of Myself.”

That doesn’t sound like rugged individualism. That sounds like dependence. Jesus wasn’t operating independently, pulling from His own power.

He was living as a man—dependent, submitted, listening, obeying—trusting His Father at every step.

In other words, Jesus didn’t live saying, “Watch what I can do as God.” He lived saying, “Watch what God can do through a man who trusts Him.” And that changes everything.

Now His life isn’t just impressive…it’s instructive. It shows us the pattern.

Here’s the pattern:

Jesus → depended on the Father
We → depend on Jesus

Same life. Same way. Same dependence. Let me show you what that looks like in real life.

illus: During the early 1900s, during the Welsh Revival, there was a young man with a broken heart who walked miles just to meet Evan Roberts. He found the house where Roberts was staying and knocked on the door. When someone answered, he said urgently, “I need to speak with Mr. Roberts.” The host went upstairs and told Roberts, “There’s a man here who needs you.” But Roberts was in prayer. He was meeting with God. And he would not come down. The host returned and said, “He’s praying.” But the young man grew more distressed. So the host went back again and pleaded, “At least come greet him—he’s in bad shape.” Still, Roberts refused to leave his place of prayer. Finally, he gave the host a message: “Give him Psalm 27:10.” “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” The host went downstairs and shared that verse. And when the young man heard it—he broke. That was exactly his situation. The week before his parents had rejected him. He had been put out of his home. He was despairing of life. Yet instead of leaving disappointed that he didn’t meet Evan Roberts…he left rejoicing—because God had met him.

Now don’t miss the point. Why didn’t Roberts come down? Because he understood something many miss: The answer wasn’t in him. The answer was in the Lord. He refused to step out of dependence…just to perform.

And because he stayed in that place—God spoke. That’s the life Jesus is talking about.

That’s why He said: John 15:5 “Without Me you can do nothing.”

Do you hear the connection? Jesus said, “I can do nothing of Myself.” Then He turns and says, “Without Me—you can do nothing.”

Which means the Christian life comes down to this: “I can’t; He never said I could. He can; He always said He would.” That’s it.

“I can’t fix this. I can’t become what I’m supposed to be. I can’t overcome this on my own.” And God says, “You’re right.”

He never asked you to. God never intended for you to live the Christian life. Only Jesus can live it.

And the moment you stop trying to produce it…and start depending on Him to express it…everything begins to change.

Conclusion/appeal:

Let’s come back to where we started. If human beings were created to display God…why do we so rarely look like Him?

Easter answers that question. Because the life we were meant to display…walked out of a grave.

Jesus didn’t just die to forgive you. He rose to live in you.

Romans 5:10 says we were reconciled by His death…but we are saved by His life.

And Easter proves that His life is not a memory. It’s not just a message. It’s not an example to admire. It is a living, resurrected Person.

You don’t need a better version of yourself. You don’t need more discipline. You don’t need to try harder. You don’t need another fresh start.

You need a life you don’t have.

And the good news of Easter is this: That life is available.

The same Jesus who walked out of that tomb…the same power that broke death…the same life that could not be held down…is the very life He will place inside of you.

So listen carefully: God is not asking you to live for Him. He’s inviting you to receive Him as your life.

And that brings this down to a very personal moment. Some of you have never received Him. You’ve believed about Him. You’ve respected Him. You’ve celebrated Easter. But you’ve never opened your life to Him.

Easter is not just something to celebrate. It’s Someone to receive.

Prayer:

“Lord Jesus… I’m done trying to live this life on my own. I confess—I can’t do it. I’ve tried. I’ve pushed. I’ve failed. But today, I believe You are alive. And right now, I receive You—not just as my Savior…but as my life. Live in me. Be what I cannot be. Do what I cannot do. From this moment on, I’m not trusting in my strength…I’m trusting in Your life within me.

In Jesus’ name, amen.”

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You can find Romans chapter five in your Bible. And I have one verse from Romans chapter five today.
And before we begin, I want to give you a preview of the teaching series that starts next week. Because it requires a disclaimer, I want to give you a quick heads up about our new series next week called Broken Bedrooms. I think there's a flyer that you received about that on the way in. We are going to be talking very openly and biblically about things like sexual purity and God's design for sex and marriage and how to navigate dating in a way that honors the Lord. There won't be anything inappropriate and nothing graphic or vulgar, but we are going to speak plainly about these matters, because the Bible speaks plainly about these matters.
So if you have grade school children, we just want you to be aware so you can make the best decision for your family about whether they attend the main services or remain in children's ministry during the series. Our heart in this is very simple. We want to bring clarity where there's confusion in people's lives. We want to bring hope where there's brokenness, and we want to bring God's truth into an area where the world's gotten really loud and boisterous about sexuality. I expect this teaching series to be helpful and freeing and practical for all of us.
And so next week we start Broken Bedrooms. Are you looking forward to it? Are you afraid to say yes? Because that's icky. Okay, whatever.
I am not ashamed of what the Bible says. And so Romans chapter five is one of our verses today.
What I'm going to teach today on Easter Sunday is basically what I've adopted as my life's message. This has been chiseling away at things in me that don't look like Jesus. It's captured my heart, and I think it explains the most important truths about the Bible. And so I call this message the Christian life no one told you about. I think for many of you, it's going to be new in how this is presented.
But let me start with a picture. I need you to do a thought experiment with me, especially after NASA launched a group that's going to fly by the moon and they're on the way there now. I need you to imagine a distant planet in another galaxy. And there are intelligent beings on this distant planet, and they are curious about God. They know there's a creator.
They heard that rumor, but they don't know what he's like. Then one day they discover with their technology, a little blue planet called Earth. And what grabs their attention about this little blue planet is they learn that the people on Earth believe that they were created in the image of God. So they reason, if we want to know what God's like, we just need to observe humans. That makes sense, right?
So they build a ship, a spacecraft, and they send a delegation. And they come to Earth expecting to see a visible expression of the invisible God. So they land. They land in a city that's a whole lot like the largest city closest to where you live. And the first thing they see is a man lying in the street.
He's drunk, he's broken. He's barely responsive. He can only utter a few groans. And that's their first human they see. So they're confused by this, but they move on.
And in the streets, they run into violence. There's anger and threats and gangs and chaos in the streets. This frightens them. So they hurry into the closest building. It happens to be a restaurant, for their safety.
And as they look around the room, they see people gathered around tables, but they're zoned out and disconnected, and everybody's got their face in a device.
They wonder what that's all about. And then they see the screens mounted in the restaurant walls. It's the world news. And now they're introduced to terrorism and corruption and scandal and confusion and evil being called good. And finally, one of them says, let's get out of here.
That's not a God. I want to know.
And they leave. And here's the punchline. They didn't learn what God is like. They learned what sin is like. Their reasoning wasn't wrong.
Their data was. They didn't have the information that they needed. Because, yes, human beings were. Were created to reflect God. But something has gone terribly wrong.
And that raises the real question we have to deal with this morning. If human beings were created to display God, why do we so rarely look like him?
Why so much selfishness? Why so much brokenness? Why so much confusion and corruption? In fact, I can bring that a little closer to home with a different question.
Are you normal?
Are you normal? Most of us would say, yeah, I think so. I think I'm pretty normal.
But how would you know? How can you call something normal unless you know what it was designed to be?
If you don't know the original design, you might be calling something normal when it's really broken. So before we talk about sin, and before we talk about struggle and before we talk about failure, there's a better question we have to ask. What did God intend a human being to be?
Isn't it true that God gave you a body that can be seen and heard? Yes or no? Look to the person next to you. Can you see them? Are they there?
If not, this sermon doesn't work. Okay, so we got that right. You were given a body that can be seen and heard so that the invisible God could make himself visible through you.
That's normal. Normal human life is when God can be seen in what you say and how you live and how you respond. But let's be honest. When we look around and when we look within, that's not what we see. So what happened in my sermon today?
I'm going to give you three truths that explain it. Three truths. That's the outline of the message. Truth number one. The Christian life runs on the living Christ, not just the dying Christ.
Let me show you something many Christians miss. Romans, chapter 5, verse 10. For if when we were enemies of God, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Here's what I know. Most of you understand the first half of that verse.
You get it? Jesus died for my sins. The cross removes my guilt and appeases the holy wrath of God. And through Jesus blood, I'm forgiven and I'm brought back to God. That's the first half of the verse.
You're not confused about that? It's true. It's essential. It's the foundation. But the Apostle Paul who wrote this letter doesn't stop there.
He says, and you ought to circle these words in your verse much more. Everybody say much more. Much more. Than the death of Jesus being a help to you, we shall be saved by his life. Don't rush past that.
We were reconciled by his death. We were saved by his life. In other words, isn't it true that the cross deals with the penalty of sin? I owe it and I'm wrong and I need to be punished. But Jesus, didn't the cross deal with that?
Well, what deals with the power of sin in your life? What is it that you can point to and grab onto that helps you overcome temptation and stop falling in the ditch on either side of the narrow road all the time? It is the living Jesus who deals with the power of sin. We can say it another way. Forgiveness flows from Calvary, but victory flows from the life of Jesus inside the believer.
I overcome sin by Jesus living in me and no other way. And this is where a lot of us get stuck. We understand the cross, but then we spend the rest of our lives trying to fight sin in our own strength, which is really our own weakness. Trying harder and doing better and promising more and starting over again and again. Stop me when this sounds like us and can we talk?
It's exhausting. That's not how the Christian life works. The New Testament doesn't say to you try harder for Jesus.
It says, the power of the Christian life only comes from Jesus living in you.
Let me illustrate this. Imagine an old guy sitting on your row. He owns a perfectly good late model Ford F150 truck. It's the highest trim package. He washes it all the time.
He talks to his wife about how pretty it is and so much so that she just rolls her eyes. He loves this truck. The engine works and the tank is full and the battery is strong in the truck. But instead of getting in and pressing the start button, because that's how new it is, doesn't even need a key.
He gets behind this truck and he starts pushing it and he bends his knees and he strains and he sweats and he exhausts himself and he keeps trying harder. And the truck doesn't move anywhere and he doesn't understand why. And somebody drives by and says, why are you pushing your truck? And he says, it's the only way to move it.
Well, no, it isn't. There's power under that hood. Yes, the problem isn't the truck. The problem is this guy doesn't trust what's inside it.
How many Christians are living this way? Christ is in you. The power of the resurrection life is already there. But instead of trusting him, you're out there pushing. You push to be patient.
You push to be pure. You push to be kind. You push to be loving and forgiving. You strain and you promise and you rededicate every other Sunday and you keep the same pattern. And deep down, you're tired.
Because the Christian life was never meant to be pushed. It was meant to be driven. Listen, you don't produce the power. It's not in you. You trust the power.
He lives in you. So let me say it plainly. Let me ask, are you pushing your way through the Christian life or are you trusting the life of Christ within you?
You see, once you begin to understand that the Christian faith, the Christian life, runs on Jesus life and not your effort, the next question becomes obvious. How in the world does that work? What does it look like for his life to be the power of your life? Well, it's truth number two. The Christian life is not you living for Jesus.
It's Jesus living through you. And the apostle Paul answers that directly with Galatians, chapter 2, verse 20. When he writes, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. Everybody say, christ lives in me.
This is where everything begins to come into focus. How many Christians, without even realizing it, operate with the following Jesus saved me. Now it's my job to live for him. I have stuff I have to do. I have work and effort to offer.
So they try.
They try to act right. They try to think right. They try to be more disciplined. They try to be more committed. They try to be more consistent.
And what's the result? Just frustrating pressure. Just more starting over. My brothers and my sisters, this is not how the Christian life works. Paul doesn't say in the Bible, I'm doing my best to live for Christ.
He says, it's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. Do you see the difference? That's a completely opposite way of thinking. Let me say it this way for you. Note takers.
The Christian life is not imitating Jesus. It's participating with Jesus. Do you remember the old hymn? He walks with me and talks with me. Not I try to run after him and do more things for him.
It's not you trying to act like Jesus. It's Jesus expressing his life through you. Let me say it another way, more theologically profound. To be in Christ makes you fit for heaven, but for Christ to be in you, that makes you fit for earth. That makes you normal.
That shows others what God is like. That's the difference. And here's the truth we don't naturally think about. It takes God to be a man the way God intended man to be. It takes God to be a man the way God intended man to be.
In other words, we can't be normal men and women, we, without Jesus Christ living in us.
You were designed to show others what he's like, to display him. But without him living in you, you can't do it. Let me illustrate to you. This is a water bottle. Yes.
I went to seminary to learn these things. This is a glove. All right, Imagine I set a glove under here, and I say to that glove, glove, pick up that water bottle. Now, look, does the glove look like a hand? It's got thumbs and fingers and such.
Yes. Okay, well, let's watch. It's Trevor's laboratory.
It has fingers, it has shape, but for some reason. And that's a new glove, by the way. It just sits there. I know it's not Tired. I know it's not worn out, but it doesn't move.
So I start explaining to the glove. Look, here's how you grip, and here's how you lift. And I say, cheer it on. I say, come on, you can do this.
You know, I could preach to that glove all day long and nothing would change.
But do you know I have a glove at home that's picked up a shovel dozens of times, but the glove at home never once picked up a shovel until I put my hand into the glove. But the moment that a hand goes into the glove, everything changes. Now it can pick things up and it can move and it can function. Listen to me. Everything possible to my hand is now possible to this glove.
Not because the glove got better, but because the hand is now living through it. Friends, that's the Christian life. You're the glove, and Jesus is the hand. Everything possible to Jesus now becomes possible through you, but only as you allow him to live through you. The issue is not, am I trying hard enough?
The issue is, am I depending on him or still depending on me? The Christian life is not you living for Jesus. It's Jesus living through you. You're the glove and Jesus is the hand. Truth number three.
The Christian life works the same way. Jesus lived his earthly life. Now this is where everything comes together. Are you guys following what I'm saying so far? Is this simple enough?
How many people assume that Jesus lived the way he did, that we read about in Matthew, Mark and Luke and John, for one simple reason. Well, he's God.
So of course he could heal the sick. And of course he could resist temptation. And of course he knew the secrets of a man's heart. And of course he could remain silent when he was being falsely accused. And of course he could forgive his enemies while he was dying.
He is God in human flesh. His deity gave him the power to do that. But, friends, if that's all there is to it, then what hope do we have?
That would mean that Jesus lived a life that we could never touch. And. And how in the world do we aspire to it? But friends, that's not the whole picture. Jesus did not only come to show us what God can do, he came to show us what a human life looks like with God living in it when God is living through it.
If you don't believe me, listen to how Jesus described his own life. He says he calls himself the Son. The Son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do. John 5:19. Do you believe that verse?
Yes. Or no, he says, I can of myself do nothing. John 5:30. Do you believe that verse? He says, the Father who dwells in me does the works.
John 14:10. Is that verse true? Do you hear him? I can do nothing of myself. Does that sound like rugged individualism, American dream to you?
That sounds like dependence to me. Jesus was not operating independently, pulling from his own God power and living the life that we read about in the Gospels. He was living as a man, dependent and submitted and listening and obeying and trusting his Father at every step. The Father who dwells in me does the works. In other words, listen very carefully.
Jesus didn't live saying, watch what God can do. He lives saying, watch what God can do. Let me say that again. Jesus didn't live saying, watch what I can do as God. He lives saying, watch what God can do through a man who trusts him.
That changes everything.
Now, Jesus life isn't just impressive, it's instructive. It shows us the pattern. Here's the pattern. Jesus depended on the Father, we depend on Jesus. The same relationship that Jesus had with his Father while he was on earth, where he says, I can't do anything except what he does and what he shows me.
He says, now I move into the Father's position, and your relationship with me is the same thing, same life, same way, same pattern, same dependence. Let me show you what it looks like in real life. During the early 1900s, there was a move of God in the British Isles, and it was a revival, the Welsh Revival.
And during that time, there was a young man with a broken heart who had walked miles kind of in the rain at night, just to meet one of the key figures in the revival, Mr. Evan Roberts. He found the house where Roberts was staying, and he knocked on the door at a very inconvenient hour. When someone answered the door, he said urgently, I need to speak with Mr. Roberts. The host went upstairs and told Evan Roberts, there's a man downstairs who needs you. But Evan Roberts was in prayer at that time.
He was meeting with God and he would not come down. The host returned down the stairs and he said, I'm sorry, he's praying. But the young man got even more distressed. So the host went back again and pleaded, Mr. Roberts, at least come and greet him. He's in really bad shape.
Still, Evan Roberts refused to leave his place of prayer. Finally, he turned to the host and he gave him a message. He said, give him Psalm 27:10. In case you don't know. Psalm 27:10 says, when my Father and my Mother, forsake me.
Then the Lord will take care of me. The host went downstairs and he shared that verse with this troubled young man. And when that young man heard it, he broke completely. I mean, the floodgates of tears and wails and repentance and brokenness all came out. Because that was exactly his situation.
You see, just the week before, his parents had rejected him, and he had been put out of the family home, and he had nowhere to go. He was despairing of life. And yet, instead of leaving, disappointed because he didn't get to meet Mr. Evan Roberts, he left, rejoicing in his heart because God had met him there. I don't want you to miss the point, Pastor. Why didn't Evan Roberts come down?
Because he understood something that many of us miss. The answer the young man needed wasn't in Evan Roberts. It was in Evan Roberts. Lord. So he refused to step out of dependence on that Lord just to perform a religious duty.
And, friends, because he stayed in that place of prayer, God spoke.
That's the life Jesus is talking about. That's why Jesus said in John 15:5, without me, you can do nothing.
I wonder if you hear the connection there. Jesus says, I can do nothing of myself. And then he turns to us and he says, without me, you can do nothing. I can do nothing of myself, and without me, you can do nothing. Which means the Christian life comes down to this.
I can't. He never said I could. He can. He. He always said he would.
That's it.
I can't fix this. I can't become who I'm supposed to be. I can't overcome this difficulty on my own. And God says, you're right.
He never asked you to.
God never intended for you to live the Christian life. Only Jesus can live it.
And the moment you stop trying to produce it and start depending on Jesus to express it, everything begins to change. The Christian life works the same way Jesus lived his earthly life.
Let's come back to where we started. If human beings were meant to display God, why do we so rarely look like him? Well, can I tell you that Easter answers that question?
Because the life that we were meant to display walked out of a grave.
And Jesus didn't die just to forgive you. He rose to live in you. Romans 5:10 says, we were reconciled by his death, but were saved by his life. And Easter proves that Jesus life is not just a memory. It's not just a message.
It's not just an example to admire. Jesus is a living, resurrected person. Do you believe this?
Everybody look at me. You do not need a better version of yourself.
You don't need more discipline. You don't need to try harder. You don't need another fresh start. You need a life you don't have.
And the good news of Easter is this, that life is available in this moment.
Did you know that the same Jesus that walked out of the tomb, did you know that the same power that broke death, did you know that the same life that could not be held down is the very life that Jesus Christ will place inside of you?
So listen carefully. God's not asking you to live for him. He's inviting you to receive him as your life. And that brings this down to a very personal moment that I have. I make no apologies for saying this to you.
Some of you have never received Jesus. You don't have his life in you. You've believed about him. You've respected him. You've even celebrated Easter, but you've never opened your life to Him.
Easter is not just something to celebrate. Easter is someone to receive.
And so if that's you, I'm going to invite you to do something that you probably didn't do last week. I'm going to lead this whole crowd in a prayer. Whether you're Christian or not doesn't matter. All the believers, you just join in along to be supportive. And if you want to receive the life of Jesus and Jesus into your life, if you would like to go from unbeliever to believer in the way God sees it, if you would like to go from one of God's enemies to one of his children, because nobody's default destination is heaven.
We're all born separated from God. If you would like to go from God's courtroom, where he's your judge, to God's living room, to where he can be your Father and have Christ in you, the Bible says that everyone who asks him, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved from their sins, rescued from wrath, delivered from judgment. But you must call on Jesus, and the result will be you'll go from abnormal to normal. Jesus will be now living his life through you. You'll become a Christian, a radical one.
You'll become the person your friends warned you about. You're not one of those radical Christians, yet it's the only kind that go to heaven. Does that make sense? So if you want to. If you would like to become a Christian today, I'm not wasting the moment.
I'm just gonna ask you to say prayer with me. Look, we don't trust In a prayer, we trust in the one we're praying to. There's not a magic prayer. You could just bumble your way through it. And what you're trying to say to God is, God, I'm not yours and I want to be yours.
God, I have ruined everything. You can fix it. I only trust in you. You're the only Jesus that can make me right with God. If that's your heart, right in this moment before the world and the enemy try to steal this moment away from you, just pray this prayer with me.
Let's bow our heads together and close our eyes. Everybody, all the believers, just pray this with me out loud.
I'll go line by line. Just say, lord Jesus, I'm done trying to live this life on my own.
I confess I can't do it.
I've tried, I pushed, I failed. But today I believe you're alive.
And right now I receive you not just as my Savior, but as my Lord and my life. Live in me. Be what I cannot be. Do what I cannot do.
From this moment on, I'm not trusting in my strength. I'm trusting in your life within me. In Jesus name, Amen. Now I believe that some of you possibly meant that for the very first time and you're on your way to being born again. If that prayer was meaningful to you in a way that says, I think God's given me new life, I would like to know about it.
Would you give me that courtesy? There's a welcome card on your seat and it says in the middle, what's next for me? And the second box says, I'm ready to trust Jesus or rediscover my faith.
If you prayed that prayer and it was monumental for you, would you put your name and maybe a phone number on that card and mark that box? I want to know, and I'd like to contact you, give you some resources, talk to you about what the next step would be for you. If you're a brand new believer, please give me that courtesy today. It'll be an act of faith on your part.
If you're new to our church, we always pray for people. And we have a very trained, skilled and eager prayer team of just kind of regular Christians. They're the best kind. They're normal and they just kind of look like you and live like you and they just know God. And when we adjourn this service, they're going to be down here up front.
Most everybody's going to go to the exits, but there may be more for you from God. And if you're being stirred on the inside, would you come for prayer today? You can pray about anything that we, we don't limit it. And the best place to be is. I'm not exactly sure what I need prayer for.
That's when you're ready for something for God to move in your life. Just come down to one of our prayer teams and say, look, I don't know exactly what I need to be prayed for today. Would you just hear from God and pray for me? I dare you to try that and see what happens. The power of the Lord is present in this room.
Are you glad that you came? If you're glad that you came, stand to your feet. Prayer team. You guys come forward. Guys and gals, on behalf of our church, as GCC's pastor, I just want to thank you.
You could have gone to a bunch of churches today and you came here and we were thrilled about that. We feel loved by you because you did that. I'm going to say a closing prayer and after I say amen, the prayer lines will be open and we'll be dismissed. Father, I pray that you would fill every person in this room in the next few days with the life of Jesus Christ. We want to be normal and display you to a watching world.
This is our prayer. In Jesus name and a faith filled church said Amen. We are dismissed.

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Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church for a welcoming and uplifting worship experience. If you’ve been searching for a church near you, you’ll discover a warm, authentic church family ready to help you grow in faith.

We are a family-friendly, non-denominational Christian church in Olive Branch, serving individuals and families throughout DeSoto County and the greater Mid-South. People looking for Christian churches in Olive Branch often discover a vibrant community where faith comes alive and lives are transformed through the Gospel.

Whether you’re new to faith or have followed Christ for years, you’ll find welcoming Sunday services, practical Bible teaching, and a place to belong. We are more than a congregation — we are a church family united by a mission to follow Jesus and live out the Great Commission.

A Place for the Whole Family

Families searching for a church with strong children’s programs love our engaging Kids Ministry and safe, caring environments. Students can connect through our Youth Ministry, and adults of every stage can find community through groups, prayer, and discipleship opportunities. As a multi-generational church, we love seeing every age grow in faith together.

Meaningful Worship

Experience contemporary worship with modern Christian music, heartfelt prayer, and Gospel-centered messages designed to help you encounter God personally. If you’re looking for vibrant worship near Memphis, you’ll find a place that feels both authentic and inspiring.

Grow in Your Faith

We offer Bible studies, small groups, and discipleship opportunities that help you understand and apply God’s Word to everyday life. If you’re looking for a place to grow spiritually, you’ll find support and encouragement here.

Connected to Our Community

We are passionate about serving our neighbors through outreach and local partnerships, making a positive impact in Olive Branch and beyond.

Conveniently located in Olive Branch, we serve families from surrounding communities, including Southaven, Germantown, Collierville, Lewisburg, and Byhalia.