In response to the first Gospel message (last week), people were convinced of Jesus and convicted of their sin. The response to belief is to repent and be baptized and the result of belief is forgiveness and the gift of the Spirit.

The message that flows from the resurrection is that Jesus truly is the fulfillment of all of God's promises. Without the resurrection, we'd be left without confirmation of His identity. But now, we can be sure that God is faithful and all God's promises are fulfilled in the work of Jesus.

When we embrace our identity as witnesses of Jesus, we will find ourselves in situations when we don't have the words or wisdom that others need. However, the Holy Spirit empowers believers--then and now--with the power to proclaim the Gospel.

This is an introduction to the book of Acts, which shows how believers in the resurrection changed the world by the power of the Holy Spirit. That was Jesus vision for them from the first chapter--to testify about Him to the ends of the earth. That's still our purpose as disciples, too.

This is a full recording of BridgePointe's Easter Together service at East Providence High School. The message starts at 24:30.
Everything we believe is held together by Jesus. Our faith begins with the question, "Who is Jesus?" The answer to that question determines everything else about what we believe and how we should live.

When God created us in His image, He placed eternity in our hearts. We're made for more than this life and we sense it in our souls. Our eternal existence is a continuation of the relationship with God we have chosen during our time on earth. And the only way that relationship can be right is through Jesus.

The Holy Spirit, part of the Trinity, is fully and completely God. His unique role is to indwell the believer in order to produce the character of Christ and empower for the work of Christ. The Spirit is the full presence, power and peace of God with us at all times.

We are painfully aware of our own imperfection. We spend much time and energy trying to deal with it in some way--good works, behavior modification, religion, etc. But only the sacrifice of Jesus can remove our guilt once and for all.

Within the first three chapters of Genesis, two timeless truths about people are revealed: we are created in God's image to enjoy a relationship with Him and sin messed that all up. We have intrinsic value, but we need help beyond ourselves to recover the image of God that has been tarnished by sin.

The Bible reveals to us God's character, activity, and wisdom. Even with Scripture, Jesus is our starting point for accepting it and giving it authority. He is the One piece that gives meaning and clarity to the whole. When we accept the Bible as being from God, we should give it a place of authority in regard to what we believe and how we live.