2. ♫ Turn on your speakers! ♫ Turn on your speakers! CLICK TO ADVANCE SLIDES Adapted from an article by Linda Bowles, Creators Syndicate, Inc.

3. “He is not here. He is risen!” “He is not here. He is risen!” The simple message that changed the world forever was this one:

4. That understanding often gets lost in the day-to- day busyness of living. We get caught up in the hectic pursuits and graspings of life, totally consumed and directed by the pushes and pulls of the world around us, not only unable to break free, but unaware we are captive.

5. But the very notion of resurrection is rejected by the intellectual gurus among us. “Death is the end,” they say. “It would take a miracle to bring back the dead, and there are no miracles.” If a miracle is that which transcends the ability of science to explain, it may safely be said that each of us is a walking-around miracle, and all that we see, all that we hear and all that we touch are miracles. But the very notion of resurrection is rejected by the intellectual gurus among us. “Death is the end,” they say. “It would take a miracle to bring back the dead, and there are no miracles.” If a miracle is that which transcends the ability of science to explain, it may safely be said that each of us is a walking-around miracle, and all that we see, all that we hear and all that we touch are miracles.

6. We yearn for understanding, and we are impelled toward the heavens by an implanted homing instinct. Oh, if there were only some vantage point, some philosophical place where we could step back and away from ourselves, some place where we could stand and see ourselves clearly in the perspective of all of creation and in the perspective of eternity. We yearn for understanding, and we are impelled toward the heavens by an implanted homing instinct. Oh, if there were only some vantage point, some philosophical place where we could step back and away from ourselves, some place where we could stand and see ourselves clearly in the perspective of all of creation and in the perspective of eternity.

7. Christians have found such a place, and the joy of its finding shines in their faces. From that place, they see that the full meaning of their lives is to be worked out, fulfilled and understood not in the span of a lifetime, but in the framework of forever. That is the essence of Easter. The words resonate throughout all of creation: “He is not here. He is risen!” That is the essence of Easter. The words resonate throughout all of creation: “He is not here. He is risen!”

8. Would you like to live in the forever, instead of the today? Would you like to see your life as counting for eternity, and not lost in the mishmash of everyday problems and trivia? I know that you do, and Jesus knows that you have a need to reach out beyond the physical, beyond your day-to-day routine, beyond the millions of details of life that would drag you down.

9. He is reaching out His hand to say, “I love you, and I am here, and I want to be a part of your life.” Take Him into your heart, won’t you? He will never leave you and He will never let you down. He can forgive all your sins, and even help you to quit falling down in areas where you want to be stronger. He’s just that wonderful! He is reaching out His hand to say, “I love you, and I am here, and I want to be a part of your life.” Take Him into your heart, won’t you? He will never leave you and He will never let you down. He can forgive all your sins, and even help you to quit falling down in areas where you want to be stronger. He’s just that wonderful! Please take Jesus today. He loves you and He wants to make your life blossom into all He’s created you to be. He’s the miracle-worker, the problem-solver, the healer— and He is right there for you. Please take Jesus today. He loves you and He wants to make your life blossom into all He’s created you to be. He’s the miracle-worker, the problem-solver, the healer— and He is right there for you.

10. You can receive Him and His salvation by simply and sincerely praying a prayer like the one which follows: Dear Jesus, I believe that You died for me and arose from the grave. I need Your love to cleanse me from my mistakes and wrongdoing. I need Your light to drive away all darkness. I need Your peace to fill and satisfy my heart. I now open the door of my heart and I ask You, Jesus, to please come into my life and give me Your free gift of eternal life. Thank You for suffering for all of the wrong I have done, and for hearing my prayer and forgiving me. Amen.