Tonight many churches will have Good Friday services. If you are speaking at such a service and still don't have your message nailed down, you might want to check out this brief message by Paul Barreca, pastor of Faith Bible Church in Vineland, NJ. His son is deployed with the troops in Iraq. Each week he sends out an email "Message to Our Soldiers" with a short word of encouragement. I thought this week's message was especially powerful. And it hit me that this would make an excellent message for a Good Friday service. He points out that Jesus' message was revolutionary in his day, and is still life-changing today. Here are his points:
Jesus taught peace in an age of violence.
Jesus taught forgiveness in an age of victimization.
Jesus taught humility in an age of spiritual arrogance.
Jesus taught equality in an age of division.
Jesus taught love in a world of hatred.
I pass this along for your own edification and also for the benefit of those who may be speaking tonight or on Sunday morning. Well done, Pastor Paul. Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.
