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Dear <<First Name>>,
Happy Easter! What a glorious time of the year, we are having a phenomenal early summer, we are finally coming out of lockdown, and it's the time of year we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest event in all of time, all of history, all of anything, and we actually took part in it. It's glorious!
It's so exciting to imagine that Jesus was there in the darkest place of hell, made sin with our sin, suffering with our pain, burning with our punishment, and suddenly a voice speaks one sentence; THIS IS MY SON, and everything changed forever. Jesus' spirit leapt from hell, right into His body, He walked right out of a sealed tomb and started making His disciples' breakfast!
And I want you to know that you have been made alive in Him too! If you believe in Jesus, those same hell-shattering, life-changing words have been spoken over you: THIS IS MY SON, or THIS IS MY DAUGHTER, and you now are alive to God, dead to sin, you are born again, you can walk out of any prison that holds you and you can serve the rest of the church! How glorious!
In the movie Independence Day, Bill Pullman's character says that if we achieve independence then everyone gets independence, that it is the day we all celebrate our independence day. This Sunday is not just His resurrection day, it is all of our resurrection days! Celebrate His resurrection, but also celebrate your resurrection in Him! You are risen too!
Today is Good Friday where we remember the throne is preceded by a cross. We thank God for giving us Jesus, we thank Jesus and worship Him for taking our place, for dying our death. What makes Jesus so glorious is that He took the nails for us! Ray Bevan says that when appointing leaders you do not judge them by how well they handle resurrection but how well they take a nail. There's some Good Friday wisdom for you right there - as disciples of Jesus, how we take a nail says volumes about our maturity and wisdom. Selah.
I want all of you to have a great Easter, so we have a number of great events on this weekend:
Online we have commmunion at 2pm (www.tree.church/youtube)
Then at 3pm we have a virtual church outing to the zoo (www.tree.church/zoo to register)
Tomorrow at 7pm we have a special Easter Saturday service, with Chris and Von leading worship and I will be preachng on the God of the Plains.
Then Sunday at 10.30am, we will be celebrating the resurrection of the Lord together!
In person this weekend, we have five services: Watford, Exeter, Brentwood, Dorset and Croydon. You must register if you are coming - go to www.tree.church/calendar and get a free ticket.
It's going to be a glorious weekend. I can't wait!
He is Risen!
Grace and peace,
Ben
PS The first of our closed locations to open again once we can travel again is Swindon. We will be having a service there on Saturday 1st May. Want a free ticket? Click here. Also in May, we are re-opening Trimley, Nuneaton and Cambridge. In June or July, we are starting meetings in Bristol. Praise God!
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Our Ladies' Conference is happening on Saturday April 17th, with sessions at:
10am-11.45am Session 1
12noon-1pm Session 2
3pm-4pm Session 3
4pm-5pm Session 4
7pm Evening Session (for all)
To find out more, go to www.tree.church/precious
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Benjamin has two blogs which are updated at least once a week with powerful articles that inspire you and challenge you!
For living the Christian life www.treeoflifeblog.com
For Christian leadership www.benjaminconway.net
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WHAT'S GOING ON THIS WEEK?
2pm prayer EVERY DAY on www.tree.church/facebooklive
4.30pm Wednesday - Story Folder with Adam and Lydia
www.tree.church/facebook
Q+A on YouTube, 4pm Thursday. Where we answer your questions about God, the Bible, life and the universe!
www.tree.church/youtube
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QUIZ NIGHT Saturday 5pm-6pm www.tree.church/games
We have a range of small groups, for young men, for the Young at Heart, for all sorts of interests - they are found at www.tree.church/smallgroups
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Sign up to April's equipping evening, which promises to be exceptionally powerful, at www.tree.church/zoom.
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