Posted by VSBC Blog Administrator

A large crowd of members and guests came to Vine Street Baptist Church to celebrate the RISEN LORD. Easter Sunday!

The service opened with a ready of Psalm 98 and a prayer, lead by Deacon Betty Jeffries. When she finished, Worship Pastor Chris Wells lead the assembled with the song Christ The Lord is Risen Today.

An extended time of welcome and fellowship was held, which made sure everyone got plenty of hugs and a handshakes. Pastor Ben Dockery took to the platform to welcome everyone again and presented a few announcements. Associate Pastor Chris Moss lead the congregation through a responsive reading from John 20:11-16,18-20 NIV

  • Leader: Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
  • Congregation: They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
  • Leader: “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
  • Congregation: At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
  • Leader: Thinking he was the gardener, she said,
  • “Sir if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
  • Congregation: Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
  •  Leader: Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”
  •  Congregation: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples where together, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
  •  Leader: After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.
  •  Congregation: The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

After the reading, Wells lead the gathered in more singing:

  • Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee
  • Because He Lives

Deacon Gary Cook said a prayer, then offerings were collected. While ushers were doing this, the choir ensemble sang a special arrangement of In Christ Alone.

Pastor Ben presented today’s Easter Sunday message. The full audio can be heard by clicking on a date link below, or right-click and select “Save As” to save the file to your computer.  Click on the scripture reference to follow along with the reading. To bring the message to a close, Pastor Ben asked Wells to sing Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus) so the listener would have an opportunity to reflect and meditate on The Word.

March 31, 2013 AM John 11:1-27 The Signs of Easter: A New (Eternal) Life in Christ Ben Dockery

A stanza of Because He Lives was sung again for a time of response, then Pastor Ben closed the service with a benediction reading.