Scripture
You will be saved by this message if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing.

Observation
the heart of the gospel is this: Christ died for our sins and three days later he was raised to life.

This is something beyond doubt as there are countless witnesses to it.

Paul describes himself as the least of the apostles. In fact he caused so much suffering to the church that he should not be called an apostle at all.

Application
The celebration of Christ's death and resurrection is the high point of the year for christians. The world does not understand this, although people are happy for a four day long weekend.

The wonderful message of this season is this- our sins are forgiven through the power of the cross.

God's grace is so amazingly all-embracing that He can take a man like Paul- a feared persecutor of the early church- and not just forgive him but recommission him as the great apostle of grace.

Prayer
Father, please take my sins and nail them to the cross. Make of my life what you want it to be. Amen.