At Sunrise service this bright and sunny Easter Day
"Do Not Be Afraid" is what Pastor Lynette did say
She said that there is a thief lurking through the year
We feel it at night and when darkness is near
It stops our actions because of its words we do hear
Stealing our joy and courage - its name is fear
Although this fear is not something we actually see
It often tells us to swap our integrity for popularity
It taunts us, saying we are unloved and unwanted
Through fear of failure and death, it persists undaunted
Fear's objective is to turn us into cowardly, joyless souls
Removing smiles and taking eyes off Jesus are its goals
Pastor then read Matthew 28 verses one through ten
The word "afraid" is repeated again and again and again
"Don't be afraid" appears 365 times in the Bible, it is said
Like a daily reminder from God, call it our daily bread
Pastor pointed out that although Jesus' guards seemed so strong
When the Lord's angel appeared, the guards did not last very long
Meanwhile the two Marys, despite being considered among society's worst
Were given the honour of hearing the angel and then seeing Christ first
They were given this very important part
Because of the attitude within their heart
Pastor then highlighted parallels between Christ's resurrection and birth
The circumstances and the words, they must have double the worth
Angels appeared both times, saying "do not be afraid"
We should not live in fear, God's love will never fade
Psalm 46 says "He is our refuge and our strength"
"Our help in times of trouble", no matter the length
Faith gives us strength and comfort, we should not fear
That is the phrase from Lynette we continued to hear
An author said to keep our fears to ourselves, with others courage share
Lynette said to give fears to God in exchange for courage anytime, anywhere
Pastor said to remember that the cave is not the end of the story
This is important, especially when things seem dark, dismal, or gory
At both his birth and resurrection, from the cave Jesus did come
We should remember this, for Jesus is waiting for us in His kingdom
For all of us, Christ Jesus went to the cross
That was a transforming event, not a loss
With those still in caves, we need this message to share
Making sure that nobody can say that "God does not care"
We may come to Him with fears that do not seem to fade
But remember that Jesus often said "do not be afraid"
He will deliver us to a world of hope no matter how bad things seem
Pastor said that there is no tragedy from which He can not redeem
Easter is about new life, with Jesus leading the way
No matter how good or bad things are on the day
So although we may all at times be gripped by fear
"Our Savior lives, we should not be afraid" we did hear
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