The Eastertide Joy Challenge

This is the Eastertide Joy Challenge we are issuing at Grace Vancouver Church this season, as we continue to travel through our sermon series in the book of Daniel. Consider taking the challenge with us!

The Eastertide Joy Challenge:

Daniel lived in a world filled with sorrow, evil and persecution. And the Lord gave him prophetic visions detailing this evil in great detail. All this was so disturbing, that Daniel is even described at the end of chapter 8 as remaining in bed for a few days. Still, in the midst of his sorrow, Daniel knew that he served the God of Heaven whose Kingdom alone would always win out. Because of that knowledge, Daniel approached the world with a hopeful vision serving it faithfully in his daily responsibilities and praying fervently for it (Daniel 8:27 into Daniel 9).

This Eastertide season we recognize God’s sovereign reign in the world in a way that Daniel only anticipated, because Jesus’ resurrection was the ultimate vindication of God’s power over all evil, injustice, sin and death. Our story is one of triumph and resurrection. We can be like Treebeard in Tolkien’s trilogy who is described as “sad, but not unhappy.” He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! 

So the Eastertide Joy Challenge for the rest of this wondrous season until Pentecost Sunday (May 20th) is this:

1. Take up the challenge for the next five weeks to renew yourself in the areas of:

            a. Prayer- egs. could be interceding for a neighbour, friend or family member
                              to know Christ, doing daily morning and evening prayers, i.e. Daily
                               Office, praying each day for the world, the church and city.

and/or

             b. Service- egs. could be in serving a neighbour, friend or family member in
                                 intentional ways or re-committing your daily life  and work to the
                                 Lord each day, taking up a new service project or opportunity.

2. Expect to be surprised by joy as you renew your obedience in these areas.

3. Write down some of those moments of joy, great and small alike.

4. Post one-sentence testimonials on the Grace Van “apple tree” that our GV kids will be constructing in the coming weeks.

5. Look forward to celebrating Christ’s resurrection joy with the GV family around Ascension Day or Pentecost Sunday!