As we approach Easter, many of us think about the meaning of Easter. It is not about bunnies, colored eggs, peeps, or chocolate candy. The Bible gives us the true meaning of Easter: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NKJV).

As I was doing research for a sermon a few weeks ago, I came across a 2020 Pew Research Center survey that said 65% of adults in the United States identified themselves as Christians. I think most of us can agree that 65% of Americans don’t act like Christians. Gallup in a 2020 survey found that 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue, or mosque. Other surveys say that 27% of Americans attend church regularly. If we add in those who attend church services on Christmas and Easter, we get 35% who attend church either regularly or occasionally.

Naturally, we wonder why so many Americans who say they are Christians don’t attend church regularly. This reminds me of two of Jesus’ followers on the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ crucifixion found in Luke 24:13-35. These two followers of Jesus had heard his teachings and most likely seen him perform some of his miracles.

As these two followers were walking on the road to Emmaus, we read in Luke 24:15-17: “So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, ‘What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?’”

They told this stranger that they didn’t know was Jesus about the events of the last three days. In verse 21, we see that so many of Jesus’ followers misunderstood his true mission when we read: “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.” When they got to Emmaus, they invited this stranger to break bread with them. It was then that we read in verse 31: “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him…”

Just like those two followers of Jesus, many Americans who claim they are Christians need their eyes to be opened so they can truly know Jesus. Those of us who regularly attend church need to pray that our family’s, friends’, and neighbors’ eyes would be open. We need to share the love of Christ and share the Gospel message with them.

To those of you who believe in Jesus but don’t attend church, I invite you to come visit my church or any other Bible-believing church for a Sunday Worship service. I pray that your eyes would truly be open to Jesus.

Tim Hammond is the pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church in Kingman, AZ.

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In my last article I wrote about having true freedom in Christ over the bondage of sin. What does that true freedom look like?

Freedom in Christ can give us peace in difficult times. Each day things are getting more difficult with prices for gas at an all-time high, supply chain issues causing empty shelves at the grocery stores, and what is available costs more each time we go to the store. Our country is more divided than ever and now there is a war in Ukraine. So many people are under stress.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV).

With everyday life getting more stressful each day, we need to go before God in prayer. We need to tell God what our concerns are and ask Him to give us peace during these difficult times. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27 NKJV). That verse has always given me great comfort.

When I go through difficult times, I always pray with that verse and ask God to fill me with His peace, which is total and complete peace. The first time I prayed that, and I asked God to fill me with His peace, He put the following on my heart: When you are going through difficult times, are stressed out or angry, think of the love that I (God) have for you.

When I quiet my heart and think about the love God has for me His peace falls over me. That verse has given me so much comfort over the years.

There are so many distractions in the world today. So many of us are always looking at our phones, whether it is to check emails or social media. It is easy to find ourselves constantly watching the news when we are at home with all that is happening in the world today. There is nothing wrong with watching the news, but constantly watching it will add a lot of stress to your already stressful life.

With our daily responsibilities added on top of that, we feel overwhelmed and don’t have enough time in the day. My advice to people is take 30 to 60 minutes out of our day to read the Bible and pray. Turn off the TV, put down your phone, and you will find at least 30 minutes to spend with God. Making time to spend with God by reading His Word (the Bible) and praying will help you tremendously.

Tim Hammond is the pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church in Kingman, AZ.

The post Peace in Jesus first appeared on The Standard Newspaper Online.

When I talk to people about Jesus one of the reasons I often hear for why they don’t want to accept Jesus is that they don’t want to give up their freedom. They say religion is full of rules of what you can and cannot do. My response is always, “You are correct, religion is full of rules, but I am talking to you about having a relationship with Christ, not living a life full of religious rules.”

What is the freedom that so many cling to over having a relationship with Jesus? Maybe it is the freedom to drink alcohol whenever they want. After all, many say there is nothing wrong with having a drink or two to relax. There are times that a drink or two leads to several more. In the best case, the next morning you wake up with a hangover. You are left searching your foggy memory from the night before to see if you did anything foolish or anything you regret. In other cases, you may wake up next to someone you met the night before which opens you up to a host of other issues. Some have woken up in a holding cell because they were arrested for DUI. Are those things true freedom?

That freedom that so many hold onto over a relationship with Christ is really the bondage of sin. The things that so many think are freedom actually hold them in bondage to addiction, anger, bitterness, and many other things that lead to a life full of struggles.

Before I became a pastor, I did jail and prison ministry for 9 years. At the end of one service, an inmate asked if he could share something with the other inmates. He told them that he had just been sentenced to life without parole. He continued to say that even though he would spend the rest of his natural life in prison, for the first time in his life he was truly free.

How could someone who was looking at spending the rest of his life in prison say he finally found true freedom? The gospel message had set him free from the bondage of sin. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul tells us: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1 NKJV).

The so-called freedoms that so many don’t want to give up are keeping them in bondage to their sins. We read in the Gospel of John: “Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’” (John 8:34-36 NKJV). True freedom is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Tim Hammond is the pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church in Kingman, AZ.

The post True freedom first appeared on The Standard Newspaper Online.