No Holding Back" | New Hope Presbyterian Church | April 4, 2026

Christ is risen, and resurrection reframes the ordinary into new life. The narrative moves from Easter morning into daily practices: people arrive carrying what they expect to be dead—grief, empty provision, worn-out hope—but encounter a reality already changed. The stone sits rolled back because God had already acted before arrival; the living presence asks why the living are sought among the dead. Remembering becomes the pivot: memory rekindles motion, and motion breaks the inertia of disappointment. The sermon uses a simple kitchen moment—staring into a refrigerator and saying “ain’t nothing in here”—to show how eyes dulled by habit miss the provision already present. The women at the tomb model how expectation can be overturned when God has already prepared the way.

Resurrection surfaces not only as historical event but as daily practice. Praying when tired, choosing rest in a busy culture, forgiving without an apology, serving the hungry, opening doors for belonging, and investing in young people all register as signs of life renewed. These actions prove that resurrection is communal: hands of different tones working together, an orchestra, food distribution, and global mission mark the ongoing unrolling of the stone. Communion anchors that conviction—body broken, cup poured—as a tangible promise of life that never loses power. Giving and hospitality become responses to a risen reality, not mere obligations.

The message insists on looking again. What looks small can become large in God’s hands; what looks over can be the place God is rewriting. The community’s recent ministries—music at a gala, a water tower in Kenya, and local outreach—serve as evidence that small faithfulness accumulates into visible resurrection. The closing sends people into the world to lift Christ up daily, to live as people who see what God has already begun and continue the work of making life anew.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Don't call empty what God fills The temptation to name circumstances “empty” often comes from tired eyes and small expectations. Calling something empty shapes behavior toward resignation rather than creativity; a renewed look reveals resources, relationships, and grace already present. Naming provision awakens stewardship and moves the heart from scarcity to faithful action. [46:19]
• 2. God moves before human arrival Divine action frequently precedes human comprehension or arrival at a problem. The rolled-away stone in the tomb is a pattern: God has often already unlatched what feels immovable. Expecting God to be earlier than memory opens one to surprise and reduces the burden of having to manufacture solutions. [42:06]
• 3. Remember, then move—don't stay stuck Memory reconnects present life to promises previously received, and that recollection energizes movement. Stagnation often results from forgetting what God has done; remembering ignites risk and testimony even when understanding lags. The faithful response is to rise and go, trusting that motion will clarify meaning. [44:36]
• 4. Everyday acts become resurrection Small, ordinary choices—rest, prayer, forgiveness, civic generosity—constitute resurrection when repeated in community. These practices reshape identity more than dramatic events because they rewire habits toward life and witness. Valuing daily faithfulness reframes ministry as ongoing transformation rather than episodic triumph. [49:40]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [14:45] - Easter and the First Quarter
• [15:57] - Gratitude Amid Hard Times
• [16:35] - Lifting Names and Birthdays
• [18:14] - Prayer of Thanksgiving
• [24:10] - Passing the Peace & Guests
• [25:45] - Children’s Easter Activities
• [38:36] - Kitchen Moment: Expectation vs. Provision
• [41:01] - Women at the Tomb
• [42:06] - Stone Rolled Back: God Ahead
• [44:36] - Remembering and Moving Forward
• [46:19] - Look Again: Don’t Call It Empty
• [49:40] - Resurrection in Daily Choices
• [55:06] - Communion: Broken Body, Poured Cup
• [59:39] - Offering and Giving
• [63:26] - Global Mission & Announcements
• [68:06] - Benediction and Sending Blessing

Bible reading: Luke 24:1-8 (ESV)
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words.

Observation questions

1. What were the women carrying with them to the tomb and what does this tell us about their expectations?
2. What did the two men at the tomb ask the women, and what was significant about the way they referred to Jesus?
3. According to the sermon, what is the turning point for the women that changes their inaction into movement? [44:36]
4. What everyday kitchen moment was used to illustrate how we often look at our circumstances? [39:21]

Interpretation questions

1. The question "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" challenges a fundamental perspective. What are some modern "tombs" or places where people might still be looking for life among things that are dead or empty?
2. The act of remembering what Jesus had said was the catalyst for the women's action. Why is remembering God's past faithfulness so powerful in overcoming present disappointment or stagnation?
3. The stone was rolled away before the women arrived, indicating God had already acted. How does the belief that God is often at work before we even recognize a need change our approach to problems?
4. The sermon suggests that hope can sound like nonsense to those who have lived with disappointment. Why is it sometimes difficult to believe or share good news when you are accustomed to things going wrong?

Application questions

1. The temptation is to name circumstances “empty” from tired eyes and small expectations. [46:19] What is one situation in your life, work, or relationships that you have been quick to label as "empty" or "hopeless"? What might it look like to look at it again with fresh, faith-filled eyes?
2. Divine action frequently precedes human comprehension. [42:06] Where in your life are you trying to manufacture a solution or force an outcome, and how can you shift to actively looking for where God has already been at work before you arrived?
3. Memory reconnects present life to promises previously received. [44:36] What is a specific promise of God or a time He has been faithful in your past that you need to remember right now to break out of a current feeling of being stuck?
4. Small, ordinary choices constitute resurrection when repeated in community. [49:40] Which of these "resurrection practices" feels most challenging for you right now: praying when tired, choosing rest, forgiving without an apology, or serving generously? What is one small step you can take this week in that area?
5. The call is to stop calling empty what God has already filled. [46:19] Is there a person in your life (an "irritant") or a part of your own story that you have written off? How can you begin to see them or it through the lens of God’s grace and potential for new life?
6. The resurrection was not just for then but is a daily practice now. What would it look like for you to "get up" from one thing that has been weighing you down, as an act of living out the resurrection this week?