Why I’m Excited About Our Easter Series
Every person carries questions they can’t quite shake. They may not always say them out loud, but they’re there—sometimes in quiet moments, sometimes in seasons of crisis, sometimes in the middle of success that somehow still feels empty.
Questions like:
Who am I, really?
Why do I keep doing things I know aren’t good for me?
Why does the world feel so fractured?
Is there actually hope?
What happens when I die?
Most of us try to manage those questions rather than answer them. We distract ourselves with work, entertainment, relationships, or personal goals. We try self-improvement. We chase success. But sooner or later those deeper questions find their way back into our minds. This Easter at Port City Church, we’re starting a four-week series called “This Is the Gospel.” And I’m excited about it because the message of Christianity speaks directly to those questions.
The gospel is God’s answer to the questions we can’t outrun.
Over four weeks, we’re going to walk through the core message of Christianity in four movements: God, Man, Christ, and Response.
We begin with God. Not a comfortable, customized version of God. The kind we often imagine or reshape to fit our preferences but the God who actually exists. The Bible describes Him as holy, sovereign, and unmatched. If God is real, then our lives are not accidents and our purpose is not something we invent for ourselves. Understanding who God truly is changes how we see everything else.
Next, we look honestly at ourselves. The Bible says humanity was created with incredible dignity. We are image-bearers of God. But it also says something in us is deeply broken. We experience it in our relationships, in our choices, and in the world around us. The Bible calls this reality sin. Not merely mistakes, but a rupture in our relationship with God that we cannot fix on our own.
That’s where the story turns to Jesus. At the center of the Christian message is not a philosophy, a set of moral principles, or a religious system. It is a person. Jesus Christ entered our world, lived the life we could not live, and died to deal with the problem we could not solve. And on Easter morning, He rose from the grave. If Jesus is who He claimed to be and if the resurrection actually happened then it changes everything. It means guilt can be forgiven. Shame does not get the final word. Failure is not fatal. And death is not the end.
But the gospel isn’t just information. It calls for a response. The Bible describes that response with two words: repentance and faith. Repentance means turning from a life centered on ourselves. Faith means trusting Jesus for forgiveness, life, and leadership. When that happens, people are brought from what the Bible calls the “kingdom of darkness” into the “kingdom of light.” It’s the beginning of a completely new life.
On Easter Sunday we’ll celebrate that new life together, including baptisms (public declarations from people who are choosing to follow Jesus). I’m especially excited about this series because Easter is one of the best opportunities all year to invite someone to church. Many people who would never attend a normal Sunday service are open to coming at Easter. And this series is designed to clearly explain the message at the heart of Christianity.
So I want to encourage you to do two things.
First, come ready to engage. Ask the hard questions. Lean into the conversation. Whether you’re exploring faith or have been following Jesus for years, the gospel is something we never outgrow.
Second, invite someone. Think about a friend, coworker, neighbor, or family member who might benefit from hearing this message. A simple invitation can make an eternal difference.
Because Easter is more than a tradition.
It is the announcement that this is the gospel and it changes everything.
Pastor Jeremy
