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Summit Church
Jesus Our Fortress Pt 6 | Easter Sunday | The Power of the Cross | Jim Ladd
Locations & Times
Summit Church
7200 S Clinton St, Centennial, CO 80112, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
The Tension We All Feel
Easter is either the best news in human history…
or it’s just a nice story we revisit once a year - about as meaningful as a bunny who hides its eggs - when bunnies don't lay eggs.
Easter is either the best news in human history…
or it’s just a nice story we revisit once a year - about as meaningful as a bunny who hides its eggs - when bunnies don't lay eggs.
There’s no middle ground.
Because if the power of the cross is true and God raised Jesus from the dead, then:
• Death has been defeated
• Sin has been paid for
• Your condemnation is removed - forever
• And everything about your life, my life, our life together, has changed
Because if the power of the cross is true and God raised Jesus from the dead, then:
• Death has been defeated
• Sin has been paid for
• Your condemnation is removed - forever
• And everything about your life, my life, our life together, has changed
Most people treat Jesus like a life coach, a therapist, or a source of inspiration…instead of who He actually is.
He is the image of the invisible God (see also Hebrews 1:1-3)
The creator of all things
The sustainer of all things
The head over everything
The one who holds your life together right now
The creator of all things
The sustainer of all things
The head over everything
The one who holds your life together right now
He made peace… through His blood on the cross.
Let that land.
Don’t rush past that.
Let that land.
Don’t rush past that.
Peace didn’t come through a conversation.
It didn’t come through a second chance.
It came through blood.
It didn’t come through a second chance.
It came through blood.
The cross is not God saying, “It’s not a big deal.”
The cross is God saying, “It cost everything.”
The One who made everything…
allowed Himself to be killed by what He made…
to reconcile you.
Not a future version of you. Not a cleaned-up version of you.
You.
Your worst decisions. Your hidden thoughts. The things no one else knows.
He didn’t wait for you to become acceptable. He chose the cross knowing everything about you.
The cross is God saying, “It cost everything.”
The One who made everything…
allowed Himself to be killed by what He made…
to reconcile you.
Not a future version of you. Not a cleaned-up version of you.
You.
Your worst decisions. Your hidden thoughts. The things no one else knows.
He didn’t wait for you to become acceptable. He chose the cross knowing everything about you.
The Big Idea:
The only logical response to Jesus is a fully yielded life.
The only logical response to Jesus is a fully yielded life.
Why Is That Logical?
Because of what actually happened
Because you weren’t neutral.
Colossians says: You were alienated… enemies… in your minds.
But now?
Reconciled
Made holy
Without accusation
Not because you tried harder. But because He died in your place.
Imagine your life as a ledger.
Every lie. Every selfish choice. Every failure—written down.
The cross is not God erasing the page.
It’s Jesus signing His name at the bottom and writing:
“Paid in full.”
Not ignored. Not minimized.
Paid.
Because of what actually happened
Because you weren’t neutral.
Colossians says: You were alienated… enemies… in your minds.
But now?
Reconciled
Made holy
Without accusation
Not because you tried harder. But because He died in your place.
Imagine your life as a ledger.
Every lie. Every selfish choice. Every failure—written down.
The cross is not God erasing the page.
It’s Jesus signing His name at the bottom and writing:
“Paid in full.”
Not ignored. Not minimized.
Paid.
Religion says: Fix yourself and come to God.
The cross says: Come to God and I will fix you.
Religion says: Do more.
The cross says: It is finished.
Religion says: Earn it.
The cross says: Receive it.
The cross says: Come to God and I will fix you.
Religion says: Do more.
The cross says: It is finished.
Religion says: Earn it.
The cross says: Receive it.
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, defeated death, and seated Him above all authority …is now directed toward you.
Not just for you. Toward you. In you. Available to you.
So this isn’t just forgiveness. This is resurrection power in your actual life.
The same power that broke death… is not distant.
It’s not theoretical.
It’s aimed at your addiction.
Your anxiety.
Your patterns.
Your past.
This isn’t just about eternity.
This is about your actual life.
Not just for you. Toward you. In you. Available to you.
So this isn’t just forgiveness. This is resurrection power in your actual life.
The same power that broke death… is not distant.
It’s not theoretical.
It’s aimed at your addiction.
Your anxiety.
Your patterns.
Your past.
This isn’t just about eternity.
This is about your actual life.
So what’s the only logical response?
What Does That Mean Practically?
1. Your Body
A yielded life is not abstract, theoretical, or philisophical—it’s embodied.
2. Fully Alive
Living surrendered is the deeper sacrifice.
3. Given Entirely to God
Not compartments.
Not: “God can have Sunday”
“God can have my struggles but not my ambitions”
But everything.
1. Your Body
A yielded life is not abstract, theoretical, or philisophical—it’s embodied.
2. Fully Alive
Living surrendered is the deeper sacrifice.
3. Given Entirely to God
Not compartments.
Not: “God can have Sunday”
“God can have my struggles but not my ambitions”
But everything.
This Has Always Been the Call
Deuteronomy 6:4–5—the Shema
Deuteronomy 6:4–5—the Shema
So here’s the question this Easter:
Not: “Do you believe in Jesus?”
But: “Have you yielded your life to Jesus?”
Because if He really is who Scripture says He is…
Then anything less than full surrender isn’t just inadequate— it’s illogical.
The cross doesn’t leave room for casual Christianity.
You can reject Jesus.
Or you can surrender to Jesus.
But reducing Him?
That’s the one response that doesn’t make sense.
Not: “Do you believe in Jesus?”
But: “Have you yielded your life to Jesus?”
Because if He really is who Scripture says He is…
Then anything less than full surrender isn’t just inadequate— it’s illogical.
The cross doesn’t leave room for casual Christianity.
You can reject Jesus.
Or you can surrender to Jesus.
But reducing Him?
That’s the one response that doesn’t make sense.
The resurrection isn’t just something to celebrate.
It’s something to respond to. And the only response that makes sense…
is everything.
It’s something to respond to. And the only response that makes sense…
is everything.
Small Group Discussion Guide
Icebreaker Questions:
1. What’s something you’ve received that you knew you didn’t deserve?
2. When you hear “fully surrendered life,” what’s your gut reaction—honest answer?
Discussion Questions:
1. In Colossians 1:15–23, what stands out most about who Jesus is?
2. What words or phrases describe His authority or supremacy?
3. What does the passage say Jesus accomplished through the cross?
4. How does Paul describe who we were before Christ?
5. What does it mean that we are now “without accusation”?
6. Why does Paul spend so much time describing who Jesus is before explaining what He did?
7. What does “making peace through His blood” tell us about the seriousness of sin?
8. Why is the cross different from how most people think about religion?
9. What does it actually mean to be “reconciled” to God?
10. Why do you think people tend to reduce Jesus instead of fully surrendering to Him?
11. What part of your life is hardest to fully yield right now?
12. When you think about the cross, do you feel more guilt or gratitude—and why?
13. What’s something you’re still trying to “pay for” that Jesus already paid for?
14. If you actually lived like Jesus is Creator, Sustainer, and King—what would change this week?
1. What’s something you’ve received that you knew you didn’t deserve?
2. When you hear “fully surrendered life,” what’s your gut reaction—honest answer?
Discussion Questions:
1. In Colossians 1:15–23, what stands out most about who Jesus is?
2. What words or phrases describe His authority or supremacy?
3. What does the passage say Jesus accomplished through the cross?
4. How does Paul describe who we were before Christ?
5. What does it mean that we are now “without accusation”?
6. Why does Paul spend so much time describing who Jesus is before explaining what He did?
7. What does “making peace through His blood” tell us about the seriousness of sin?
8. Why is the cross different from how most people think about religion?
9. What does it actually mean to be “reconciled” to God?
10. Why do you think people tend to reduce Jesus instead of fully surrendering to Him?
11. What part of your life is hardest to fully yield right now?
12. When you think about the cross, do you feel more guilt or gratitude—and why?
13. What’s something you’re still trying to “pay for” that Jesus already paid for?
14. If you actually lived like Jesus is Creator, Sustainer, and King—what would change this week?