Barbra Gentry-Pugh

“What’s in You Still Needs to Be Raised to Life?”

April 5, 2026

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” Matthew 28:5-6 (NASB)

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NASB)

Growing up in church, Easter was always a beautiful and meaningful time. I can remember sitting in church as a child, listening to my father preach about Jesus, how he died and rose again. Later, I had a better understanding of the totality of Scripture and what it said about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ with passion and conviction.

I can also remember the many times standing proudly, reciting my Easter speech, words I had practiced over and over again. I also remember my mother making sure we had our Easter outfits for that special Sunday. Can you remember your Easter speech?

Early in my Christian walk, Easter was something celebrated, honored, and participated in; however, if I am honest, it was not something that I fully lived. I knew the story of the resurrection, but I had not yet allowed it to reshape my life. It wasn’t until I grew up and experienced life’s disappointments, our mother’s death at an early age, family challenges, life’s traumas, and my own journey with God, that I began to understand something deeper.

The resurrection was never meant to be just a moment we were to remember and celebrate; it was meant to be a power we live by. Because He lives, our lives should look different. Because He lives, our thinking should be transformed. Because He lives, we cannot remain bound by the very things He died to set us free!

“We celebrate an empty tomb, but some areas of our lives are still lying in the grave.”

So today, I pause to ask you the same question God placed on my heart: “What in you still needs to be raised to life?”

Areas are still dead or dormant

Areas still wounded

Areas still bound

Because Christ got up from the grave, you don’t have to stay where you are! God is not just calling you out of the grave; He’s calling you into new life. So, you won’t allow things to weigh you down at your next level!

The Resurrection of Jesus is The Foundation of The Christian Faith.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the key to the Christian faith. Why? Because just as He promised, Jesus rose from the dead. We can be confident, therefore, that He will accomplish all He has promised. Jesus’ bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ is ruler of God’s eternal kingdom, not a false prophet or impostor. We can be certain of our resurrection because He was resurrected. Death is not the end; there is future eternal life. The same power that brought Jesus back to life is available to us to bring our spiritually dead lives back to life. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis for the church’s witness to the world. Jesus is more than just a human leader; He is the Son of God.

Our resurrection is certain because of Christ’s resurrection; we are raised to life because He lives.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the center of the Christian faith. Because Christ rose from the dead as He promised, we know that what He said is true, and He is God. Because He rose, we have certainty that our sins are forgiven. Because He rose, he lives and represents us to God. Because He rose and defeated death, we know we will be raised as well.

The Resurrection is a historical fact; however, there will always be people who say that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. The Apostle Paul assures us that many people saw Jesus after His resurrection: Peter, the 12 disciples, more than five hundred Christian believers (most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this, although some had died), James (Jesus’ brother), all the apostles, and finally Paul himself. Don’t be discouraged by doubters who deny the Resurrection. Be filled with hope because of the knowledge that one day you and they will see the living proof when Christ returns.

Our Resurrection Is Our Only Hope For Eternal Life. The Apostle Paul reminds us of the mystery of the resurrection in the 15^th chapter of 1^st Corinthians, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.

The Apostle Paul also explains in Philippians chapter 3 that we will be recognized in our resurrected bodies, yet it will be better than we can imagine; it will be made to live forever. We will still have our own personality and individuality, but these will be perfected through Christ’s work. The Bible does not reveal everything that our resurrected body will be able to do, but we know it will be perfect, without sickness or disease. Philippians 3:20-21, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

HEART CHECK (Examine the condition of your heart in light of the Resurrection)

Take a moment and sit and reflect:

Am I simply celebrating the Resurrection, or am I truly living in its power?
What areas of my life still reflect bondage, defeat, or old patterns that Christ died to free me from?
Is there anything in my heart that is still buried but not surrendered, unforgiveness, pain, fear, guilt, or shame?
Do my daily thoughts, words, and actions reflect that I am alive in Christ, or do they mirror my old life?
Have I allowed the same power that raised Christ from the dead to transform my thinking, my responses, and my heart?

Truth to reflect on: As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, “What in You Still Needs to Be Raised to Life?”

HEART CHALLENGE (Your call to transformation) This Resurrection Sunday, don’t just revisit the story, respond to it.

Because He lives:

It’s time to release what you’ve been holding onto.
It’s time to let go of what no longer aligns with your new life in Christ.
It’s time to stop managing symptoms and allow God to heal the root.
It’s time to rise in your thinking, your identity, and your obedience.

Ask yourself:

What needs to be left in the tomb?
What in me needs to be raised to life?

Make a decision today: “I will no longer live bound by what Christ has already defeated.”

STANDING ORDERS FROM THE MASTER PHYSICIAN: Standing Orders: Resurrection Rx (Spiritual prescriptions for living the resurrected life.)

Diagnosis: Living in patterns, thoughts, or emotional strongholds that do not reflect the power of the Resurrection.

Prescription #1: Renew Your Mind Daily

Romans 12:2. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Order: Replace old thoughts with God’s truth. What you think determines how you live.

Prescription #2: Walk in Newness of Life

Romans 6:4 .“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” Order: Make choices that reflect your new identity ~ not your past habits.

Prescription #3: Set Your Heart on Things Above

Colossians 3:1-2, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” Order: Shift your focus from earthly burdens to eternal perspective.

Prescription #4: Release What’s Been Binding You

Hebrews 12:1. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Order: Unforgiveness, bitterness, fear, these are grave clothes. Take them off!

Prescription #5: Live by Resurrection Power

Philippians 3:10-11 “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Order: Don’t just know about Him, walk in His power daily.

Standing Order Reminder:
God doesn’t just bring things back to life; He transforms them. Stop carrying what Christ has already crucified.

A RESURRECTED HEART: is a heart that knows that you are not who you were, you are not what you went through, and you are who God says you are. So, stop revisiting what God has already delivered you from, and start remembering what Christ has already secured for you.

Today, Resurrection Sunday, we are reminded of the greatest act of remembrance in history. Jesus did not go to the cross so we could stay bound to what He died to free us from. The cross is not just a place of suffering; it is a place of exchange! Because of the cross: your past was forgiven, your shame was covered, and your identity was made new. So, if we are going to remember anything, let us remember this:

♥ He was wounded so we could be healed.
♥ He died so we could live free.

And every time you feel yourself drifting back ~ look to the cross and remember what it cost for you to walk forward!

Remember: Because of the cross:

~Your past was forgiven
~Your shame was covered
~ Your identity was made new

So, if we are going to remember anything, let us remember this:

He was wounded so we could be healed. He died so we could live free.

And every time you feel yourself drifting back, look at the cross and remember what it costs for you to walk forward.

Never forget that you are not who you were; you are not what you went through. You are who God says you are. So, stop revisiting what God has already delivered you from, and start remembering what Christ has already secured for you.

“The evidence of the Resurrection is not just an empty tomb, it is a transformed life,” Friday said it is finished. Sunday says He is alive.

QUESTION! Is Christ Alive in YOU?

LET’S PRAY:  Father God, thank You for Your authoritative, inerrant, and inspired Word, which gives us clear instructions about the resurrection of our Savior. Thank You for the gift of the resurrection and knowing that it was not just as a moment in history, but a living power available to us today. Prepare our hearts not just to celebrate what You did, but to experience what You made available. Thank You for the cross, and for the victory of the resurrection. Help us not to stop at remembrance, but to walk in transformation. Reveal what is in us that still needs to be raised to life in You, Father, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.  