Easter 2026: Out With the Old and In With the New

Revelation 21:5; Matthew 28:1–10; 2 Corinthians 5:17April 5, 2026

“Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes.He arose a victor from the dark domain, and He lives forever with His saints to reign.He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!”

The Resurrection Changes Everything

The resurrection of Jesus answers one of life’s greatest questions: Who is Jesus?

The answer is clear: He is the Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world, the Messiah, and the final King who rules and reigns forever. Because He rose from the dead, you and I have the incredible opportunity to enjoy the spoils of His victory, which include a new life, a new heart, and a new start if we put our faith in Him.

Out with the old self, and in with the new self through the Savior.

The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. Much of the Bible is built around the resurrection of Jesus. As a matter of fact, if there is no resurrection of Jesus, there is no Bible, no forgiveness of sins, and no hope beyond the grave.

Paul’s Testimony: From Opponent to All In

One of the authors of the New Testament was a man named Paul. He was against Jesus. He was out and wanted no part of Him. In fact, he persecuted the followers of Jesus and was even responsible for the deaths of some of them—until he had a meeting with Jesus after Jesus rose from the dead. Maybe today is the day you have a meeting with Jesus.

Luke records this event for us in the book of Acts, in what is known as the Damascus Road experience. Paul then decided to get all in for Jesus, and he did. He went from persecuting people who followed Jesus to proclaiming Jesus and urging others to follow Him.

Listen to what Paul said about the resurrection of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15:17:“And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and we are pitied people.”

All this singing, all this celebration, all this hype, all this gathering and praying is useless if Christ had not risen from the dead. But He did rise from the dead, and my friend, that is good news for you. Yes, He rose from the dead.

What the Resurrection Means for Us

So what does that mean for you and me? There is a common thread throughout the New Testament that tells us what the power of the resurrection means for our lives.

Again, in a letter Paul writes, known in the Bible as 2 Corinthians, he goes into great detail in chapter 5. He tells us that those who have faith in Jesus will not only go to Heaven when they die, but will also be rewarded for their deeds, and that we should live all in for Jesus.

Then in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV), Paul writes these life-changing words:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

What does this mean?

It means we can start over—and we can start over today.

Everyone Needs a New Start

One thing all of us have in common is the need and desire to start over in life. We all want to hit the restart button. We all long for a do-over, a makeover, a fresh beginning.

Easter reminds us that we can start over with God.

When we surrender our hearts and minds to Jesus, He hits the restart button in our lives. The results are beautiful:

• He turns our messes into messages.

• He turns our ashes into beauty.

• He turns our failures into future possibilities.

• He turns our despair into dancing.

• He turns our fears into faith.

• He turns our shame into smiles.

• He turns our guilt into goodness.

• He turns our sin into salvation.

Out with the old self, and in with the new self through the Savior.

God Specializes in Making Things New

Listen to the promise of God in Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV):

“Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth, shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

And then in Romans 6:4 (NKJV):

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Today, do not be afraid to make a decision to walk with Jesus. He will change your life.

He turns our mourning into laughter.He turns our sadness into songs of praise.He turns our helplessness into a living hope.He turns our loneliness into fellowship.He turns our anger into gentleness.He turns our hate into love. We all need a restart from time to time. We all need the opportunity to start anew.

A Personal Illustration of Restarting

Michelle and I have a very strong and loving marriage. I can count on one hand the number of serious arguments we have had in our 40 years together. But in those arguments, we both had to lay down our weapons and hit the restart button on our marriage.

You may not need a marriage restart today, but if we are honest, there are many of us for whom a restart with Jesus would do wonders. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

The application is this: the work of God in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is making all things new—and He is very good at it.

A Living Testimony of a New Heart and a New Start

This morning, we are blessed to hear from one of our very own members, Ms. Beth Farris, who shares how Jesus gave her a new heart, a new start, and a new life.

Beth Farris’ Testimony

A Difficult Beginning

Good morning. My name is Beth Farris, and I am a member here at Bethlehem. I have two daughters: Anna Beth, who is 23, and Jaci, who is almost 20. I am here today to testify about how God gave me a new heart and a new start. This year has been a tough one for me, and I was not sure if it was the right time to share my testimony. But this story is not about me. It is about Jesus and what He can do.

So please bear with me. I am going to try not to be too emotional. I did not have the most ideal childhood. I was born in 1983 to parents who struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. They divorced when I was three, and I did not have much of a relationship with my father after that. My mom was a nurse and had a good job, but she was a drug addict in her free time and was not there emotionally for me and my two older sisters.

Growing up in that environment left me with emotional scars and many insecurities. I did not feel loved. I was full of self-doubt and shame. I always felt this emptiness inside. I felt like my feelings did not matter and were not valid, and I internalized everything. I thought something was wrong with me.

Knowing About God but Struggling to Believe He Loved Me

Although I did not have the best parents, I had the most amazing grandparents. They took us to church every Sunday, so I knew God. But I struggled to understand how Jesus could love me. I thought I had to be perfect to be a Christian, and no matter how hard I tried, I always found myself messing up and pushing the limits.

Searching for Love in All the Wrong Places

When I got into high school, I began experimenting with drugs and alcohol. I was immediately drawn to drugs because being high gave me a false sense of security. I could be anyone I wanted to be when I was high. I was confident and the life of the party. I would jump from one relationship to another. I was searching for love in all the wrong places.

When I was a senior, I got pregnant. I definitely was not ready to be a mom, but I was excited and wanted to be a better mom to her than what I had experienced. I straightened up, graduated high school, and on July 23, 2002, I had Anna Beth.

A Fresh Start That Fell Apart

I went on to cosmetology school and got my cosmetology license. I reconnected with Jon, a guy I knew growing up, and we got engaged. I got a job at Headliner Hairstyling back when it was in town and met the sweetest ladies—Mrs. Kathy Scott, Mrs. Gail Willard, and Mrs. Enola Taylor. They were so kind to me, really poured into me, and began inviting us to this church.

We loved it here and pretty quickly joined the church, and Jon and I got married. I thought this was going to be my redemption story, my second chance to do things right with God, and I was all in.

Soon after we married, I got pregnant and we were so excited. God was working on me, and I felt like I had been given a new start. But when I was three months pregnant, Jon’s brother died of an accidental drug overdose in our home. It was a very traumatic situation for everyone, but it was devastating for Jon. A few months later, on April 18, 2006, we welcomed Jaci into our family. I tried desperately to hold on to my marriage, but the grief over Jason’s death was too much for our young marriage to bear.

Walking Away and Hitting Rock Bottom

At a time when I should have held onto the church, I pulled away. I was so ashamed and embarrassed that my marriage had fallen apart so quickly. I felt like my redemption story was over, my new start was gone, and I gave up.

I turned back to the one thing that had always been there to make me feel better and numb the pain I was in: drugs. I was using meth, prescription drugs, and really anything I could get my hands on.

The next few years, I was barely holding it together. We had moved back in with my mom. I was working some and seeing my kids, but I was not present. I was dating a lot and putting men ahead of my own children. I was depressed and hopeless.

In 2010, my mom died tragically. She fell asleep at the wheel on her way to Memphis to see her pain doctor and crashed into the median. Things spiraled pretty quickly after that for me.

On August 28, 2012, I was arrested for conspiracy to manufacture meth. Drugs had taken everything away from me.

Tough Love That Saved My Life

Fortunately, my sister and brother-in-law, Amy and Eli, hired me a lawyer, and I was able to get on a pretrial diversion program and got out of jail a couple of weeks later.

You would think I would have learned my lesson after that, but I tend to learn the hard way. Amy even let me come stay with them, but the first weekend out I ran off and partied all weekend. When I went home that Monday morning, Eli met me at the door. He had hit his limit with me and told me that they were not going to enable my addiction and that I could not stay there.

I thank God for that tough love.

Although it did not feel like love at all in the moment, it probably saved my life. This was my rock-bottom moment. I did not want to live without my family. In that moment, I realized my family was not going to enable me any longer. I was not going to be a professional drug addict. I would either be in prison or dead.

I knew I had to get clean if I wanted to be a part of my family’s lives.

The Seed of Faith Was Planted Again

Ironically, my ex-mother-in-law, Susan, took me in. She had been taking care of Jaci at the time. She was very kind to me and gave me time to get myself together.

At the time, my faith was nonexistent. I was so ashamed of myself that I felt like a fraud to call on Jesus after the way I had been living. But Susan was always gently reminding me that Jesus loves me and died for me. I did not want to hear it at the time, but she kept planting that seed.

I knew I needed help to stay clean. The devil was always reminding me of the bad things I had done. Processing those things with a sober mind was unbearable. I needed a Savior.

Learning to Pray Again

One day, I began to pray again. I begged God to take away the urge to use drugs and to heal my heart. I slowly started to get back into my kids’ lives and began trying to rebuild relationships with my family. It was a slow process, but day by day things got easier.

After some time, I finally found a job. My grandfather, PA, let me and Jaci move in with him. He had been taking care of Anna Beth for a couple of years, and for the first time in a long while, me and both of my girls were all back together under one roof.

Just like Jesus had given me chance after chance after chance, so did my PA. If it were not for him never giving up on me, I would not be here today.

Healing Broken Relationships

It was so great to be back with my girls, and I thought things would just be perfect, but it was a really tough journey for all of us. We all had some healing to do.

I had abandoned them, and they had some of the same feelings I had as a child. They did not trust me or respect me. They were afraid to get close to me again. The guilt ate me up. I cried myself to sleep many nights, thinking, “I just can’t do this. How could I ever make it right?”

I had to grow up a lot and learn how to process all of life’s challenges and emotions in a positive way instead of running away. I had to learn how to show up emotionally for my kids and be present with them. I had to humble myself, take accountability for my actions, make amends, and ask for forgiveness.

Returning to Church and Receiving Grace

We started coming back to church, and slowly things began to get easier. The girls forced me to go to Sunday School. I do not know why, but I was terrified to go to Sunday School. I had not been since I was a kid and really put it off, but once I went, I loved it.

I was learning about God and His character and started to really understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. I struggled to accept His grace. I wanted it so badly, but the devil was always reminding me of who I was. I still carried a lot of guilt for not being there for my girls, and the devil would replay some of those bad memories over and over again in my head. But I kept praying and coming to church.

God was healing the relationship between me and the girls. Slowly they started to trust me again and count on me for things, and one day that little attitude of resentment they had toward me was gone.

Their forgiveness meant everything to me and helped me begin to forgive myself. I had abandoned them and missed those very important early years of their lives. I put them through things they will never forget, but somehow they forgave me.

This became an illustration to me of God’s forgiveness and how worthy I was to Him in spite of my past.

Jesus Met Me on the Walk to Emmaus

In 2019, I went on the Walk to Emmaus, and it changed my life. I still cannot explain it, but Jesus met me there that weekend in a way I had never experienced. The love and forgiveness He poured out on me was so overwhelming that I could do nothing but accept it.

I surrendered all of the guilt and shame I had been carrying for so long. God gave me a new heart and a new start that day, and I have not looked back. He turned my guilt into gratefulness, because without my past I would not be here right now.

I can now see the purpose in my pain and how God has always been setting things up behind the scenes.

Caring for PA and Trusting God With What’s Next

I never left my grandfather’s house. By the time I could have, he was getting old and needed a little help. God knew my PA would need me one day. He gave me the sweetest opportunity to be there and care for him the way he had always cared for me.

It was the honor of my life to get to be there and give just a tiny bit of what he had given me back. I am so grateful for that time.

On February 20, PA got the ultimate new heart and new start in Heaven. My whole life and purpose changed overnight, and it has been a difficult season for me. I have felt lost and a little directionless, but I have also felt God so near to me and have felt loved and supported.

I may not know what is next for me, but God does, and I trust Him to show me the way.

A Scripture That Carries Me

Philippians 4-6,7 says, “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all that he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

I am learning to fully trust Jesus and rest in His strength. I still have a lot of struggles. Anxiety, fear, and some of those same insecurities I had as a kid, but I have learned that it is not about me. It’s about Him and who He is, and what He can do. When I focus on Him I can do all things. When I am weak; He is strong. When I can’t; He can!

New heart, new start, and a new life

My new heart is one full of love, joy, and peace. God has fully restored the relationship with my girls. They are amazing young women and love and protect me fiercely. I’m so grateful to be present in their lives today. I now do things I never imagined I could do, like giving this testimony. I am even our substitute teacher in my Sunday School class. With God, all things are possible. If He can give me a new heart and a new start, imagine what He can do for you. This Easter morning, would you let Him?”

In John Chapter 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a watering well. This woman had been married 5 times and was living with another man she was not married to. She needed a restart in life. And Jesus gave her one. And this lady changed and she went from leading men to bed to leading them Jesus for forgiveness. (New heart, new start, and a new life).

Peter denied Jesus three times saying, “I don’t know this Man.” Later Jesus comes to Peter, forgives Him, and gives Peter a restart in life, and he becomes the first preacher of the resurrection of Jesus. (New heart, new start, and a new life).

Mary Magdalene is another woman in the Bible we know. She had 7 demons in her. 7. Did you hear me? 7. She was in a mess. But Church, when she meets Jesus those 7 demons left. Mary Magdalene was set free. And she became the first evangelist to carry the good news that Jesus was risen from the dead to the disciples. (New heart, new start, and a new life).

Zacchaeus was a guy in the New Testament who was a hated man because he was the leading IRS collection agent. He cheated, he lied, and did what he could do to have more money. But he came to faith in Jesus, gave back what he took, plus

more. And Jesus came to his house, sat down at the table with him, and ate a meal with him. (New heart, new start, and a new life).

Out with the old self and in with the new self with

the Savior!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQoEooOhyT4