Today we celebrate the greatest news of all time. But before we get to that great news, let’s first discuss the bad news.
Sometimes before you can fully appreciate good news, you first need to understand the bad news that came before it.
For instance… “I don’t need to have an operation on my leg!” That’s good news. But if you were to know that two weeks ago, the surgeon said that an operation was the only solution and that there was a possibility I might lose my leg during surgery, you can now appreciate just how good that good news really is.

Here’s the bad news… you and I are imperfect. We most likely don’t need convincing of that. We make mistakes and wrong choices. We choose wrong over right more often than we’d like to admit. The Bible calls this ‘sin’ - missing God’s mark. And every time we miss God’s mark, we fall short of His best for our lives and we commit sin.
The Bible lets us know that sin requires a payment. The problem is, we are unable to cover our own sin, no more than a person in debt is able to get themselves out of it, without outside help.
Sin creates a divide between a perfect God and imperfect people, a divide that cannot be mended by ourselves. This then leads to eternal separation from God in a place called Hell, where man is separated from God and punishment for sin is inflicted.

BUT… “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)
Jesus Christ became your sin and my sin when He hung on the cross. He paid our debt because He was the only one not in debt Himself. And because of Jesus, the bad news isn’t final; instead, we get to receive the greatest news of all time.

Jesus has presented humanity with a gift through what He did for us. All that is required for you to do is receive it. It already has your name on it, but you can’t experience the benefit of it until you reach out and receive it. How do we receive it? By doing what John 3:16 tells us to do and “believe in Him.” By believing in Him, you are first acknowledging that you have need of Him. You recognise that you are a sinner and your sin requires payment. Either you can choose to reject God and end up having to pay for your own sin, or you can receive God’s grace, given in the form of Jesus, believing that He paid for your sin and because of that, you are no longer separated from God but are brought into relationship with Him.

The good news gets even better today… the cross was not Jesus’s final resting place. Jesus is now seated with God in Heaven, having been resurrected on the third day, giving you and I the assurance that He is who He says He is and that you and I can be in relationship with Him, both now and forever.

On this Resurrection Sunday, receive the gift extended to you and know that because of Jesus, death is not your end either, but you now have life with Him forevermore!

I hope to see you in Church today. Happy Easter!

After the darkness and the liberation of the cross on Good Friday,
 and before the powerful victory of the resurrection on Easter Sunday,
 we have today – Saturday. Holy Saturday.
 
This cannot be the plan.
For those who followed Jesus as He walked the earth, this was a Saturday of questions.
A Saturday of what’s going on?
A Saturday of I don’t understand this.
A Saturday of I don’t like this.
 
Even the most faith-filled disciples now had questions, doubts and confusion.
They might have said, “Jesus knew what He was doing, He even seemed to allow this to happen.
But we don’t understand it. We can’t see how this works from here.
Where do we go from here?”
 
We all have these times in our lives, but when Jesus is in the story, you can be sure He is at work.
 
When Jesus is present, you can be confident that something is happening and that it is something good: good for you, good for your loved ones, good for our communities, and good for the world.
 
Even if you can’t work it out right now, even if you don’t like it right now – trust in Jesus’ plan and His power to save.
 
As we learn to trust in the Lord ourselves, we are reminded of Mary, waiting those three days (Jewish culture counted any part of a day as a whole day). We come alongside her as she waits on the promise of new life, the promise Jesus made in Mark 8:31, and which was also prophesied in Hosea 6:2.
 
A lot can happen in three days.
Queen Esther spent three days praying before she spoke out to save her people.
Jonah spent three days in the belly of a great fish before he went to call a nation to repentance.
Mary waited three days for her Son to be raised, to bring salvation to all.
 
We now know that Jesus was at work, even in the grave, overcoming sin and taking back authority over death.
 
So this Holy Saturday, let us take confidence that far more is happening behind the scenes than we can see:
The seeds are growing.
The coffee is brewing.
The bread is baking.
The gift has been sent but has not yet arrived.
 
We often say we live in the tension of the “now” and the “not yet” and this is that place.
 
It may not yet be revealed.
It may seem like nothing is happening.
But Jesus is at work.
 
Don’t rush to Sunday.
We know, two thousand years on, that Resurrection Sunday is coming.
You may have heard powerful messages declaring, “Sunday’s coming” and it is true.
 
But don’t rush there just yet.
 
Use this day to pray for those who are waiting, those who are downcast, confused, hopeless, or disappointed. Perhaps that is even you today.
 
Take heart.
Do not despair.
The Lord is at work, graciously and powerfully.
 
Take confidence, even in grief and uncertainty, that Jesus is Lord of all.
 
Sabbath
It is a gentle and beautiful detail that this middle day is a Saturday– Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, a day of rest.
 
How hard it can be to rest when we are confused, when we don’t understand what is happening, or when the future feels uncertain.
 
Yet the Sabbath reminds us that we are invited to rest in the finished work of Jesus, rather than striving in our own efforts or understanding.
 
Rest.
Trust.
Stay close to Jesus – just as Mary did.
 
Invite Jesus into your story today.
Ask Him to be present, and you will begin to know light and hope, even in the darkest of days.
 
This is the quiet, powerful hope of Holy Saturday.

Matthew 27:54
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely He was the Son of God!’

It was 7:51am in the middle of the morning rush hour. In the next 43 minutes, a violinist, dressed in torn jeans, tee shirt and baseball cap, performed six classical pieces.

Almost all of the listeners were on their way to work, passing through the Washington State train station. Of the more than 1000 people who passed by, only seven actually stopped to listen. About twenty gave him money but continued to walk at their normal pace.

When he had finished playing, no one even noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, being secretly filmed as an experiment to see people's reactions. He is one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a Stradivarius violin worth £2.2 million.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston and earned £1000 a minute.

Out of the 1097 people that passed by, only one woman recognised him as the greatest violinist in the world.

As you wake to this GOOD FRIDAY, you too could be so close to God and yet be completely unaware that He’s there right beside you —Just because you don't recognise whose presence you are in, doesn't mean that the person isn't present.

In much the same way, on that first Good Friday, hundreds stood around Jesus, but only one soldier and a few of his guards said ‘surely this must be the Son of God’.

Matthew 27:54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely He was the Son of God!’

SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HAPPENED THAT DAY LIKE NO OTHER.

Roman General Titus records for us way back in history that as many as 500 a day would be crucified, even up to 70 years after Jesus.

So powerful was Jesus’ death, that unbelieving men that spent their days crucifying hundreds of men, bowed in this one man’s presence.

All it takes is for you to look again at the cross and see the real JESUS.

Now look also at the empty tomb and see the resurrected JESUS.

Why not say those words, just as countless millions have done throughout the centuries…’surely this was the Son of God.’

His death and resurrection means that you can now know God in a personal way. He’s right there with you and is only a prayer away.

Humble yourself today and ask Him into your life.

Why not come to one of our Easter services this weekend at Champions Church— I look forward to welcoming you.

Today is Maundy Thursday.
The day when they knew something was coming, but probably weren’t fully sure what.
Yet, God knew… Jesus knew… the Holy Spirit knew.

The most important, significant few days in history were upon them, yet they weren’t fully aware.
Please don’t be unaware of what Easter is really all about.

I love how Jesus spent the evening before with His disciples, eating, drinking and giving thanks.
Commonly known as the Last Supper.
However, there were a lot of difficult conversations at that table. Challenges about commitment, loyalty and betrayal.
Not a very comfortable supper, yet extremely memorable.
Jesus was not unaware of what was about to happen at that supper, yet He made space for those men regardless.
That whole supper time would have been a massive challenge not only for the disciples, but for Jesus Himself.

Sometimes, when faced with the enormity of what was about to happen… the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, we too should see it as a massive challenge.

What is my relationship like with Jesus?
Am I faithful and am I loyal?
Am I double-minded and not sure?
Do I want part of this, or not?
Am I totally unaware of what Easter is all about?
Do I, in fact, have a relationship with Him at all?
Are my sins forgiven?


As we face the weekend that changes lives and history forever…
The weekend that conquered death and Hell.
The weekend that makes the difference between judgement and forgiveness.
The weekend that determines my eternity in Heaven or Hell.

Jesus comes to your table right now and says, “will you accept this body broken for you and the blood shed for you, and accept forgiveness for your sins?”
Or will you, like Judas, turn your back on the greatest sacrifice ever?

Don’t let tomorrow be a surprise or a shock to you. What is coming… He did for you.  

Invite Him to your table right now and say, “Jesus, thank You. Forgive me of all my sin. I give my life to You.”

Your greatest ever Easter - will be this one.

Song of Solomon 3:4
…when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go…

Easter draws me into a deeper, more personal understanding of love, one that is not just what I read of but a costly, sacrificial and unwavering love. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus stood at the threshold of His greatest suffering. Surrounded by His closest friends, yet ultimately alone, He bore the weight of what was to come. Each time He returned to them, He found them asleep (Matthew 26:40-43). His heart was heavy, His soul overwhelmed, yet He chose obedience. As prophesied, “like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

He took the stripes. He carried the cross. He endured the unimaginable, for me and for you.

When I reflect on this, I’m confronted with a question I used to ask: Why does God love me? But I’ve come to see that this question subtly places the burden on God to justify His love. Rather, the apt question is: How could You love me? This shifts everything. It reveals God not as one who calculates our worthiness, but as the very source and embodiment of love itself (1 John 4:10).

At the cross, Jesus answered the question of love in the most profound way. With arms stretched wide, He declared, “This is how much I love you”. His death and resurrection were deeply personal acts of redemption. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Through His sacrifice, He brought many sons and daughters to glory (Hebrews 2:10).

My response, then, cannot be partial. Easter calls for total surrender. Scripture reminds us: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). He desires ALL of us, not fragments, not leftovers. He is either Lord of all, or not at all.

Like Ittai and Ruth, who chose covenant over comfort (2 Sam 15;21, Ruth 1:16), we are invited into a love marked by commitment and devotion. True worship is costly. It requires us to lay down our will, our plans, our pride, our lives. But in return, we gain something eternal, intimacy with Christ our Bridegroom.
 There have been moments in my life where I’ve experienced the quiet, restoring power of Christ’s resurrection, where what felt dead within me was revived by His presence. In those moments, I’ve realised that His love is not only something to receive, but something to hold on to, intentionally, daily.

Lord, flood my heart with the revelation of Your love. Help me to grasp its depth, its width, its length, its height (Ephesians 3:18-19). Teach me to respond with all that I am. Give me the grace to hold on to You and never let go.

What part of your heart, soul, or mind are you still holding back? This Easter, release it. Fix your gaze on Him and hold Him close, for as long as you live.
Have a beautiful day.

Luke 24:6
“He is not here; He has risen.”

Easter morning is often told in bright colours, running feet, astonished joy, the shock of good news. But it’s worth remembering that resurrection came after a long stretch of silence.

Between the cross and the empty tomb, there was a day where nothing seemed to happen. No miracles. No answers. Just grief, confusion, and the lingering weight of what had been lost. The followers of Jesus didn’t yet know they were living in the middle of a miracle. To them, it felt like the end.

That in-between space matters. Because it’s where most of us live.

We know what it is to sit with unanswered prayers, to carry disappointment, to wonder if God is still at work when everything looks still. Easter doesn’t ignore that reality; it passes straight through it. The resurrection isn’t a denial of suffering; it is God’s answer to it, though not always on our timeline.

The stone was rolled away not just to let Jesus out, but to let us see in. To witness that death does not get the final word. That what looks sealed and finished may, in God’s hands, still be unfolding.

And so Easter speaks quietly but firmly:
what feels like an ending may only be a pause.
What looks lifeless may not stay that way.
God is often at work where we least expect it, especially in the silence.

John 19:30 (NKJV)
“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

These were the final words of Jesus on the cross.

Not words of defeat, but of completion.

In that moment, sin was paid for in full. Not covered, not postponed, but fully dealt with. The weight of sin, the justice of God, and the separation between God and man all met at the cross.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)

Jesus did not go to the cross simply to make people feel better. He went to make us right with God.
And that work is finished.

But not everyone has received it.

There is a difference between knowing about the cross and actually living in the reality of what it means. It is possible to hear it, understand it, even believe parts of it and still remain unchanged.

“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:20 (NKJV)

If the price has truly been paid, then life is no longer our own. That is where it becomes personal.
Because receiving the finished work of Christ is not just about forgiveness, it is about surrender.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” Romans 6:1–2 (NKJV)

Grace is not permission to remain the same. It is the power to live differently.

The cross does not only invite, it confronts.

“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”  Luke 9:23 (NKJV)

To follow Christ is to lay down control. To release ownership of your life. To choose obedience, even when it costs.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

This is what it means to truly receive what Jesus finished.
Not partial change. Not occasional commitment. A life no longer centred on self.

So the question is not whether the work is finished.

It is.

The question is whether it has been received and whether that is evident.

Take a moment to reflect
Have I truly surrendered my life to Christ, or have I only acknowledged Him?
Is there anything I am still holding onto that I have not placed under His authority?
Am I living like I have been bought with a price?
Does my life show evidence of real transformation?

Take a moment and come before God honestly.
Confess what needs to be confessed.
Surrender what needs to be surrendered.
And make a decision not just to remember the cross, but to live from it.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

“It is finished.”
The work is complete.
The invitation stands.
The response is yours.

The King entered on a donkey, humble, unexpected, and far from what anyone imagined a king should look like. The people of Jerusalem were waiting for a ruler who would come in power, overthrow oppression, and restore their nation. Instead, Jesus came in gentleness and peace.

What seemed unusual then, we now recognise as deeply significant, the beginning of the greatest act of love in history. He accepted the praise of the crowd, fully knowing that many of those same voices shouting “Hosanna” would soon cry out for His crucifixion. He received their worship, knowing He would also bear their sin.

In Scripture, palm branches symbolise victory and triumph. As the people laid down their garments and spread palm branches on the road (Matthew 21:8), they shouted, “Hosanna,” meaning “save us, we pray.” But their understanding of salvation was limited. They longed for freedom from their current physical circumstances, from Roman rule, from hardship. Jesus, however, came for something far greater.

His arrival fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey”. But He wasn’t coming to establish an earthly kingdom, as He later said in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” His mission was not physical or political, it was eternal. He came, not to rescue them from Rome, but to rescue humanity from sin.

What the crowd didn’t realise was that the path they lined with palm branches would lead to a cross. The same King who was welcomed with celebration would soon wear a crown of thorns. But this was never a tragedy outside of God’s control; it was always His miraculous plan of redemption. From the very beginning, God’s heart was to save His beloved children, even at the highest cost.

Isaiah 53:5 reminds us that, “But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.”

Jesus didn’t win victory by taking lives, He did so by giving His own. He achieved the ultimate victory over sin and death. Palm Sunday, then, is more than a historical moment, it is a call to reflection that challenges us to examine our own hearts. The same question remains for us today:

Do I praise Him only when my circumstances align with my expectations, or do I trust Him even when His ways are different than I imagined?

Because true faith recognises that even when God’s plan looks unexpected, it is always perfect. True victory is not found in temporary relief, but in eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

Let this be our prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Jesus, our humble King, who chose the cross so we could have life.

Help us to follow You for who You are, not just for what You do. Strengthen our faith, so our praise remains steady in every season.

Teach us to trust Your plans and remind us that true victory is found in You alone.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen