Because He Lives: Believe, Rise, and Make a Difference

Devotional

Day 1: Why Seek the Living Here?

The women carried spices through dim morning light. Angels interrupted their grief with a rebuke: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” The tomb stood empty. Linen grave clothes lay abandoned. When they ran to tell the disciples, their words sounded like “idle tales”—but resurrection had already rewritten the story. [30:16]

Jesus turned mourning into messaging. These women became the first evangelists of the risen Christ, despite living in a culture that dismissed their testimony. Their persistence mirrors the kingdom’s way: God often entrusts breakthrough truths to those the world underestimates.

You carry resurrection news someone needs to hear. Who has dismissed your voice or labeled your hope as foolishness? Write down one area where you’ve hesitated to speak. Then declare: “Christ is risen—and His life changes everything.” What dead place have you been staring at, forgetting He walks alive beside you?

“He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”
(Luke 24:5-7, NKJV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to make you bold like the women—declaring life where others see death.
Challenge: Text one person today: “Christ is alive—here’s how He’s working in my life.”

Day 2: Linen Clothes and Marveling Hearts

Peter sprinted to the tomb, breathless. He saw strips of linen lying alone—no body, no robbery, no explanation. The text says he “marveled,” a Greek word meaning thunderstruck wonder. This fisherman who’d denied Jesus now faced physical proof: death’s grip had been shattered. [30:40]

Empty grave clothes signaled a new order. Jesus didn’t just resuscitate—He transformed. The linen strips symbolized shed limitations. Peter’s marveling ignited a chain reaction: doubt turned to awe, fear to courage. One encounter with resurrection evidence reshaped his destiny.

What tangible reminders of God’s power have you overlooked? Open your journal to last year’s prayers. Circle three answers received—even if they came wrapped in unexpected linen. How might revisiting past victories fuel your faith for current battles?

“Then Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.”
(Luke 24:12, NKJV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for specific “linen cloth” moments—answered prayers that still declare His power.
Challenge: Place a physical reminder of God’s faithfulness (a stone, photo, or note) where you’ll see it daily.

Day 3: Fingers in Scars, Faith in Heart

Thomas demanded physical proof: “Unless I see…I will not believe.” Jesus didn’t scold him. He extended scarred hands and said, “Reach your finger here.” But then He added: “Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” The invitation to touch became a call to transcend sight. [37:56]

Jesus honored honest doubt but refused to let it stagnate. Thomas’s confession (“My Lord and my God!”) shows faith leaping beyond evidence. Those who believe without touching inherit greater blessing—they learn to walk by Spirit-led conviction, not just sensory confirmation.

Where are you demanding visible proof before trusting? Identify one situation where you’ve said, “I’ll believe when I see…” Now pray: “Jesus, I choose to believe Your promise first.” What relationship, calling, or fear requires you to stop waiting for guarantees?

“Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands…Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ Thomas answered…‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said…‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”
(John 20:27-29, NKJV)

Prayer: Confess one area of unbelief; ask for faith that clings to Christ’s words over circumstances.
Challenge: Write “BLESSED ARE THE BELIEVERS” on your mirror—say it aloud each morning.

Day 4: Mustard Seeds and Hidden Kingdoms

Jesus compared God’s kingdom to a mustard seed—tiny, buried, unimpressive. But underground, it pushed through soil until branches sheltered birds. The kingdom works invisibly before erupting into visible impact. What starts small in faithful hands becomes greater than human schemes. [34:00]

Resurrection power operates similarly. The women’s “idle tale” became global truth. Peter’s marveling birthed apostolic courage. God specializes in hidden growth: silent prayers, quiet obedience, unseen sacrifices. These plant seeds that outlast empires.

What “mustard seed” have you discounted? A whispered prayer? A tentative step toward forgiveness? Water it today with declaration: “This small act matters in God’s economy.” What area of your life needs patience for hidden growth?

“The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed…when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
(Mark 4:30-32, NKJV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to show you one “small seed” He wants you to nurture this week.
Challenge: Plant an actual seed (in soil or a pot) as a physical reminder of God’s hidden work.

Day 5: Greater Works in His Name

Jesus stunned His disciples: “He who believes in Me will do greater works.” Not by human effort, but through resurrection partnership. Asking in His name aligns us with heaven’s authority. The same power that vacated the tomb now fills believers to heal, restore, and proclaim. [42:22]

“Greater works” flow from surrendered identity. The women testified. Peter led thousands. Thomas carried the gospel to India. Each acted not in self-confidence but Christ-commission. When we ask according to His kingdom purposes, heaven’s resources follow.

What “greater work” feels impossible for you? Write it down. Then pray: “Jesus, I ask this in Your name—not mine.” How might stepping into this promise shift your approach to daily obstacles?

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me…will do greater works than these…Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
(John 14:12-13, NKJV)

Prayer: Boldly ask Jesus for one “greater work” He wants to accomplish through you this month.
Challenge: Call or visit someone facing a struggle—pray with them aloud, invoking Christ’s name.

Sermon Summary

God is the source of strength and the living center of hope. Luke 24 unfolds the scene at the empty tomb, the angelic reminder that the living should not be sought among the dead, and the women who first report the news. The narrative emphasizes the kingdom of God as a new way of thinking, perceiving, and living, likened to a tiny seed that grows unseen into a sheltering tree. Jesus returns for forty days after the resurrection to teach about that kingdom and to reorient disciples toward life that transcends present appearances.

Disbelief meets testimony when the women share their vision and the men call their words idle tales. Peter inspects the tomb and marvels. Thomas demands tangible proof, and Jesus invites him to touch the wounds, then names blessing on those who believe without seeing. The text presses belief as the axis of spiritual life: believing what cannot be seen unlocks peace, purpose, and the power to live differently in a world rife with darkness. Belief breaks the snare of despair, redeems from the curse, and restores motion to those who have fallen.

Belief also issues a mandate. Jesus promises that those who believe will do the works he did and even greater works because he goes to the Father. Asking in Jesus name becomes the means by which power and mission flow into ordinary lives. The resurrection validates that everyone can rise, recover, and make a difference regardless of past failure or present oppression. The call then becomes concrete: allow God to develop his character in life, run toward darkness with light, confront hatred with love, and build a better tomorrow.

The conclusion moves from proclamation to invitation. The living Christ calls for a decision to follow, to receive forgiveness, and to be made new. A simple prayer anchors that response: repentance, reception of new life, a plea for growing faith, and a commitment to share the news that Jesus is alive, powerful, lord, and loving. The promise is clear: because he lives, life gains meaning, fear recedes, and the work of God presses forward through those who believe.

Key Takeaways

1. Believe without seeing, live fully Belief in the unseen becomes the decisive posture of discipleship. Trusting the risen Christ transforms perception so present circumstances no longer dictate destiny. That faith frees people from despair and opens them to God ordained possibilities. Living by what is true, not by what is visible, changes daily choices and long term hope. [38:52]
2. Kingdom rewires heart and life The kingdom is not merely a future hope but a new operating system for thought and action. It reshapes priorities, speech, and relationships so life reflects heaven’s ordering here and now. Small, unseen beginnings grow into public influence when kingdom principles root in the heart. Practicing kingdom habits rewires responses to fear, loss, and injustice. [33:04]
3. Resurrection empowers disciples to act The resurrection serves as the engine for renewed agency and mission. Rising from defeat becomes proof that everyone can stand, repent, and move forward in service. Belief in the risen Lord mobilizes ordinary people to perform extraordinary works by faith, not by mere effort. Resurrection faith reframes failure as a starting point for impact. [41:53]
4. Ask in Jesus name, receive power Prayer directed in Christ’s name opens channels for divine enabling, not merely self improvement. Requests shaped by his purposes invite the Father to work through human weakness. Asking cultivates dependence and aligns desire with kingdom mission, producing tangible change. Persistent, faith filled petition releases grace to do the works of Jesus. [42:22]
5. Women first saw the risen Christ The first witnesses embody the gospel’s disruptive priorities and God’s choice of unexpected messengers. Their testimony challenges cultural assumptions about credibility and honors faith over status. The sequence affirms that revelation often comes to those who watch, serve, and believe without seeking recognition. The gospel advances when ordinary faith speaks and the community listens. [36:02]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:46] - Opening Confession and Praise
[28:29] - Receiving the Word
[29:14] - Reading Luke 24
[30:16] - The Empty Tomb Declared
[31:19] - Reactions and Easter Proclamation
[33:04] - The Kingdom Explained
[36:02] - Women Witnesses First
[37:24] - Jesus Appears to Thomas
[41:53] - Belief Enables Works
[48:04] - Prayer and Invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Luke 24:1-12 (ESV): The women discover the empty tomb, hear the angel’s message, and report the resurrection to the disciples, who dismiss their words as "idle tales."
- John 20:27-29 (ESV): Jesus invites Thomas to touch His wounds and declares blessing on those who believe without seeing.
- John 14:12 (ESV): Jesus promises believers will do greater works through faith in Him.

Observation Questions

In Luke 24:1-12, how do the disciples initially respond to the women’s testimony about the empty tomb, and what does Peter do afterward?
What specific action does Jesus ask Thomas to take in John 20:27, and how does Thomas respond? [37:24]
According to John 14:12, what does Jesus say believers will do if they have faith in Him? How does the sermon connect this to "building a better tomorrow"? [41:53]
The sermon emphasizes that the women were the first witnesses of the resurrection. What cultural assumptions does their role as messengers challenge? [36:02]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus have chosen women—who held less cultural credibility—as the first witnesses of His resurrection? What does this reveal about God’s priorities?
Jesus tells Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). How does unseen belief guard against despair in a "world rife with darkness"? [38:52]
The sermon describes the kingdom of God as a "new operating system" for thought and action. How does this reorient daily priorities, even in small, unseen ways? [33:04]
How does the resurrection empower believers to view failure or oppression as a "starting point for impact" rather than a dead end? [47:43]

Application Questions

Belief in the unseen often clashes with visible circumstances. What area of your life feels "stuck" or hopeless right now, and how could trusting God’s promises shift your perspective? [40:34]
The kingdom of God starts small, like a seed. What is one "tiny" habit (e.g., prayer, forgiveness, generosity) you could practice this week to align your heart with God’s kingdom?
Jesus says asking in His name unlocks power for "greater works." What specific need or mission feels impossible to you? How can you boldly ask God to work through it? [42:22]
The women shared their testimony despite being dismissed. Where can you courageously speak about Jesus’ power or love this week, even if others might doubt you? [36:02]
The sermon urges believers to "run toward darkness with light." What practical step could you take to confront hatred, fear, or injustice in your community? [48:55]
Thomas needed tangible proof to believe. What doubts or questions about God do you wrestle with? How can you bring those honestly to Him while still choosing to trust?
The resurrection proves "everyone can rise." Who in your life needs encouragement to "get up" from failure or shame? How will you share hope with them this week? [47:21]

Sermon Clips

Now, I know I know it's hard when you, at first, it's kinda hard to think. Can I really make a difference? I've made so many mistakes. I've messed up so many times. Can I make a difference? Listen, the resurrection because he got up. Yes, sir. He got up so that everyone of us can get up. Amen. Everyone of us can get up. No matter what our situation, no matter how many times we failed, no matter how many times we've fallen down, no matter how far down we've gone. Come on. The resurrection is proof. [00:47:05] (39 seconds) #RiseAgainProof

Listen, there's something going on in our world. There's something that's that's a a darkness that's wrapping itself around people in our world. It it's starting in the brain and wrapping itself around our brains and causing us not to be able to believe anything that we see is causing us to begin to follow along a path of destruction. Yeah. But there is one who is alive and we don't see him but he says, if we'll believe in him, we will be blessed and we'll break from the curse. [00:39:30] (36 seconds) #BreakTheCurse

There are a lot of things he could've talked about but he chose to talk to to them about the most important thing. The thing he came to do was to establish to bring the kingdom of god on Earth as it is in heaven. As he walked the Earth before his crucifixion, he walked about saying, the kingdom of god is at hand. Repent. Change the way that you think. Change the way that you're thinking because the kingdom of god is at hand. And then after he was raised from the dead, the thing that he talked to them about was the kingdom of god. Amen. [00:32:20] (40 seconds) #KingdomOnEarth

The kingdom of god is a new way of thinking. It's a new way of perceiving. It's a new way of acting. It's a new way of talking. It's a new way of believing. It it it's it's different from just looking at everything and saying, well, this is all there is. The kingdom of god says, there's more. Come on. The kingdom of god says, there's there's something more. It it doesn't stop with this. It doesn't end with this. It doesn't, it's not over. [00:33:01] (28 seconds) #KingdomIsMore

Look at verse 10. Luke 24 verse 10. It was, remember this, Mary, Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles and their words seem to them like idle tales. And they did not believe. Have you ever ladies, have you ever thought that your husbands thought that your words were like idle tales? Mighty quiet today. Mighty quiet. Okay. But the men thought that what the women were saying were just idle tales. [00:35:57] (42 seconds) #DismissedButTrue

We're not giving up. We're not quitting. We're not letting evil win. Because you live, we live also. Because you live, we're pushing fear back. Because you live, we're taking your power. We're taking your plan and we're building a better tomorrow. I pray that you'll raise up men and women out of this congregation that will run, run to the darkness with their light, that'll run, run to the evil with their goodness. That'll run, run to the hatred with their love. I pray that there'll be men and women in this congregation that you'll use to make a difference. [00:48:22] (49 seconds) #RunToDarknessWithLight

The kingdom of god says, there's more. One time, Jesus told the parable, he said, the kingdom of god is like a man that that plants a seed in the ground. Yeah. And the seed, he's he says, the smallest seed takes, it's a teeny weeny seed planted in the ground. It's it's not and it it's not even as big as as other seeds. But he says, that seed that you can't see for a while. That seed becomes a shrub and a tree that becomes bigger than all the other trees [00:33:29] (31 seconds) #SmallSeedBigKingdom

Jesus, what what can you ask? Jesus, I want to believe more. Yes. Yes. Jesus, I I want to know you. I want to know your love. What what can you ask? Jesus, I want to know that my sins are forgiven. Jesus, I want to follow you with all of my heart. See, you can't make these things happen yourself but if you ask, he says, whatever you ask, you'll receive because he's gone to the father. He's alive. He said, you could you could ask, Jesus, I want to be filled with your power. [00:42:43] (34 seconds) #AskAndYouShallReceive

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Because He Lives: Believe, Rise, and Make a Difference

Devotional

Day 1: Why Seek the Living Here?

Day 2: Linen Clothes and Marveling Hearts

Day 3: Fingers in Scars, Faith in Heart

Day 4: Mustard Seeds and Hidden Kingdoms

Day 5: Greater Works in His Name

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Because He Lives: Believe, Rise, and Make a Difference

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