Why the Resurrection Matters
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)
Mini Devotional
A mini message to take with you this week to help you in your devotion to God.
Why the Resurrection Matters Devotional by: Nick Gill
I believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central event of the Christian faith. It is not only a historical fact, but also a living reality that shapes and transforms our lives today. Many skeptics have tried to dismiss the resurrection as a myth or a hoax, but there are at least three factors that strongly support the resurrection of Jesus as a fact of history.
First, the empty tomb. The gospels report that on the first day of the week, some women went to the tomb where Jesus was buried and found it empty. They also encountered angels who told them that Jesus had risen. The empty tomb was confirmed by other witnesses, including Peter and John, who ran to see it for themselves. The empty tomb is a powerful evidence for the resurrection, because it shows that Jesus' body was not stolen or hidden by his disciples or his enemies. If anyone had moved the body, they would have produced it to disprove the resurrection claim. If the resurrection accounts in the gospels were hoaxes drafted to fool people in the 1st and 2nd century world, the accounts of women would not have been included. The best explanation for the stories of the empty tomb is that it was indeed empty.
The second factor is the appearances of the risen Jesus. The gospels and the letters of Paul record that Jesus appeared to many people after his death, including Mary Magdalene, the other women, the disciples, Thomas, James, and more than 500 people at once. These appearances were not hallucinations or visions or sightings of someone who had survived a crucifixion. No, they were real encounters with the living Lord, who spoke to them, ate with them, and walked with them. The appearances of Jesus transformed his followers from fearful and hopeless to bold and joyful. They also convinced many skeptics, such as Paul and James (Jesus’ own little brother!), to become believers and witnesses of the resurrection.
Third, the birth of the Church is a powerful piece of evidence supporting the truth of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus gave birth to a renewed community of faith, the Church. The early Christians proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, and the King of all Creation. They practiced baptism and communion as signs of their participation in his death and resurrection. They faced persecution and martyrdom for their faith, but they did not waver in their conviction that Jesus was alive and reigning. They also expected him to return one day to judge the world and to renew all things.
In conclusion, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not only a historical fact, but also a living reality that shapes and transforms our lives today. It is not only a proof of life after death (a concept few questioned before the Modern era), but also the first sign of God's new creation. The resurrection invites you to participate in God's new creation by living in faith, hope, and love and working for reconciliation and setting right the effects of sin, iniquity, and transgression on the people and world around us. It challenges us to bear witness to the risen Lord by proclaiming and demonstrating his lordship over all aspects of life. I believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead!
Missions
These are the challenges that the congregation is actively working on this month.
Our Missions For June
Equip — Commit to being present every night for VBS, and making genuine connections with people.
Kids’ Challenge — Come to Vacation Bible School each night, and make sure to say “hi” to the people you’ve met. Make them feel welcome!
Teach — Take one of the lessons from VBS, study it on your own at home, and share what you discover about Jesus with someone else.
Kids’ Challenge — Share with your regular Bible class something you learned at Vacation Bible School!
Serve — Sign up for the VBS follow-up team to help make our guests feel welcome and valued.
Kids’ Challenge — Make a card saying “Thank you for coming to VBS!”, and have your parents ask Elijah for the address of one of our guests.
*Be on the lookout for weekly training videos on our Facebook and YouTube pages, published each Sunday, to help you complete the challenges.
*As you complete each challenge, drop one of the pom-pom balls into the corresponding jar at the Mission Control Center in the lobby so we can see how many people are completing each challenge. One completion per person, per challenge, per month.
News
This section is for any special announcements that are not upcoming events or prayer requests.
Baby Bottle Donations
Holly Hill Family,
Baby bottle collections have not gone very well. I have been gone a lot and not promoted it well, we have had other things going on that are very important such as collecting money and items for Cuba and obviously preparing for VBS. Please return filled baby bottles, get additional if you can and let’s fill up all the bottles. Thank you for your help.
Robert
Regarding Church Announcements
Just a friendly reminder to everyone regarding church announcements: If you wish to make an announcement or have a prayer request, please contact Matthew Woodyard via email (office@hollyhillcoc.org). Announcements will be included in our daily email (5pm), our weekly Vine (Thursdays at 10am), and posted to Holly Hill’s Facebook page. If you wish something to be shared, please submit your announcement by 4pm. Emergency prayer requests can be submitted at any time and will be shared as soon as possible. If you’re not receiving our daily emails, weekly Vine Newsletter, or text messages, or if you have any questions about this process, don't hesitate to contact Matthew.
Church Records (June 11th, 2023)
Bible Class (Sun AM) - 72
Worship (Sun AM) - 106
Contribution — $5,617.00
Prayers
Here are some individuals that especially need our prayers this week. Please keep them in mind every time you pray.
New Prayer Requests:
Janis Friend
Larry & Renita Clarke
Ongoing Prayers For: Alyson Woodyard, Brenda Perkins, The family of Edith Martin, Steffan Widener (Johnny & Julie Widener’s daughter-in-law), Robin Iberschoff, Jerry Mayes (Mike Mayes’ brother), Pam Smith (foster parent of Robin Mayes niece, Lexi), Family of Steve England & Inez Ramsey, Family of Graham Heustis, Family of Renaee Diffee (Robin Iberschoff), Mike & Patricia Robertson (Melissa Trent’s parents), The Horn Family, Butch Elliott (friend of Robin Mayes), Montooth Family, Rhoda Jones, Betty Blanton, Bill & Mary Jo Marion (friends of Robin Mayes), Helen Hall, Penny Harland (Katie Bell’s mother), The Parnell Family, Alyssa Deaton, Robert Lewis (Sharon Lewis’ son), Pete & Jessie Tropoulos, Codie Rich (Michael & Kimberly Mundt’s son-in-law), Emma Collins, Rusty Bell (friend of Robin Mayes), Tanya Phipps (Brenda Stone’s niece), Samantha Stone (Brenda’s daughter), Gail Keith (Michele Blanton’s mother), Nikki Fenney (Johnny and Julie Widener’s niece), Bertha Young’s Family, Dorothy Trent, Polly Deaton, Jane Dempsey, Rita Tackett (Alyson Woodyard’s aunt), Sandra Haden (Tiffany Quarles’ mother), The Valentine Family, David Fair (prayers for his marriage and family situation), Steve Small, Phil and Suzanne Wilkins, Jim Clark (Continued Prayers), Prayers for Mission Control Challenges, Glenda Mitchum, Lisa & Pete Vogel (family of Brenda Stone).
* Please submit your prayer requests for inclusion at office@hollyhillcoc.org
Upcoming Events
Here are some events that are coming up that you need to make space on your calendar for.
Singing Service — Sunday Night, June 18th at 6pm
We will meet downstairs in the fellowship area to sing together in worship to God, and to encourage each other. The chairs will be arranged in a circle to intentionally draw attention to the fact that we are a family and are singing to build each other up. For many, these singing events are very moving and powerful. We want you to be there!
Small Groups — Sunday Night, June 25th at 6pm
In order to build relationships with our church family, instead of meeting at the church building, we will meet in each other's homes for a short devotional, guided discussion, prayer, and fellowship. More information on locations will be coming soon.
R.E.A.L. Ladies Meeting — Monday Night, June 26th at 6pm
The R.E.A.L. Ladies group will meet Monday, June 26 at 6 P.M. at the home of Joyce Best. The meal will be furnished. There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer to help determine how much food to fix.
How You Can Serve
There are a lot of ways you can get involved and do the work of God in our community!
For more information or for help signing up for any of these ministries, please call the church office at: (502) 227-7796.
Limited-Time Opportunities:
Operation Re-stock the Food Pantry
The Food Pantry needs to be re-stocked. During the upcoming months we will be asking for specific food donations. There will be a box in the foyer for you to place your food donations. Thank you so much and let’s make Operation re-stock a success!! For the month of June, we need:
Chicken Noodle Soup
Tomato Soup
June Mission Control Challenges
We have 3 new challenges for the month of June that we need your help on. Please see the section above entitled “Missions” for more information.Cuba Missionary Needs
Please check-out the list on the bulletin board for items to bring for Cuba. Sign-up and bring your items. Money is also appreciated. Thank you for all that you do for the kingdom.
Long-Term Opportunities:
Mission Launch Team
We are needing individuals to sign up for the Mission Launch Team. People on this team commit to working on the Mission Control challenges each month, and they also commit to encouraging at least one other person to work on the missions as well. We need you to sign up for this ministry so we can grow the Mission Control program organically from person to person. Sign up for the Mission Launch Team at the Mission Control Center in the lobby.
Tech Team Support — The Holly Hill Tech Team needs help. We would love to have a few more people trained and available to set up the livestreams and audio equipment. It’s a fairly simple task and you’ll be well trained before being thrown into the seat alone. If you’re interested, see Nick, David, or Brad.
Greeter Ministry — We’re looking for people who are friendly and outgoing to welcome our guests and members each Sunday morning. If you are interested, contact Tom Owens.
Card Ministry — Every Sunday there are cards spread out on a table in the lobby that will be sent out to various church members and guests who need encouragement. You can help serve and encourage by making sure to sign these cards each week.
Casey Blessing Box — The Casey’s are collecting items to give away to those in need in their Blessing Box. Currently, they are accepting donations of: Can goods of fruit and vegetables. Crackers, or cereal.
Shriners Children’s Hospital — Donna White is collecting soda can tabs to donate to the children’s hospital. Please leave your donations in the lobby.
Children’s Bible Class Teachers/Helpers — Our next quarter begins in September, so we will be needing to staff our Children’s Bible Classes. If you’d be willing to teach, sub, or help, please see Matthew Woodyard. We have a wonderful opportunity to teach God’s Word to our children. Let’s make sure they get our very best! Thank you!
Holly Hill’s Children’s Bible Class Ministry Needs Your Help With Materials
We are requesting your help with our new Spiritual Heritage Bible Class curriculum for K-6.
The teachers are tasked to create a God-made wall. This wall is a focal point in the classroom and will provide an opportunity to speak of the magnificence and wisdom of God. To ensure successful implementation of the program in our K-6 classes, the Bible class teachers need photos of any kind showing the greatness of God. These photos could be any type including nature, scenery, seasons, animals, people, etc. Use your imagination!
Also included in the curriculum are specific lessons directed at certain topics. We need photos of these items also.
God Planned Animal Houses
God Made Desert Animals That Can Survive On Little Water
God Made Camels, Snakes, Great Eyes, Protective Coverings, Beautiful Animals, Mosquitoes, Giraffes, Animal Hands (Claws, Wings, Paws), Big Cats
God Made Animal Hides, Perfect Animals (even though they look silly to us), Porpoises, Animal Ears, Micro-Organisms, Animal Cooperation
Great sources for these needed photos are magazines, outdated calendars, and old books. Size of the photo does not matter. Our first Sunday class with the new curriculum will be March 5th. We will be accepting and using these photos throughout the next 26 weeks. Please turn them in as you find them.
All we ask is that you cut out the photos and place them in the box located in the foyer labeled, Spiritual Heritage. Let's support these dedicated teachers and help ensure our Holly Hill kids know that our God is very great!
Holly Hill Church of Christ
1020 Holly Hill Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601
Web: www.hollyhillcoc.org
Phone: (502) 227-7796
Email: office@hollyhillcoc.org
Service Times:
Sunday Bible Class: 10am
Sunday Morning Worship, 11am
Sunday Evening Worship, 6pm
Wednesday Evening Bible class: 6:30pm