Easter Sunday 2026
Easter: Two Stories, One Cross
Pastors Note: Please be aware the podcast is not the same as Sunday’s message. I went “off script” during the end and those comments were not included in the podcast because, to be honest, I don’t entirely know what I said a part from alluding to my eschatology regarding everyone’s future salvation.
Icebreaker
Tell us a story about a time something you cared for went missing and someone helped you find it.
What did you feel and how did you react to them?
Sermon Reflection Questions
The sermon presented two different “versions” of the Easter story.
Which one have you most commonly heard or believed?
How has that shaped your view of God?
In the first story, God is primarily a judge who must be satisfied.
In the second, God is a Father who keeps pursuing.What feels different about these two pictures of God?
Which one feels more consistent with the life and teachings of Jesus?
In the second story, God’s response to sin is not withdrawal but relentless pursuit.
Where do you see that pattern in Scripture or your own life?
Jesus consistently led with forgiveness before transformation (“I don’t condemn you—go and sin no more”).
Why is that order so important?
How does it challenge how we typically think about change?
The sermon claims: “God has always been turning toward us, not away from us.”
What makes that hard to believe?
What makes it compelling?
Application Questions (So What?)
If it’s true that God is not holding wrath over you but running toward you…
What would need to change in how you relate to God personally?
What would you stop doing? What might you start doing?
If we are now “ambassadors of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)…
How should this reshape the way you treat people—especially those who feel far from God, judged, or excluded?
Where is one place this week you can embody that kind of invitation?
