This Sunday at Likewise

The Foundation of Easter

1 Corinthians 15:3–4

We often encounter Easter at the empty tomb—but the story really begins before that. It begins with a turning.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, there’s a word God uses again and again when calling His people back: Shuv. It means to return, to turn back, to come home. It’s more than feeling sorry or changing behavior, it’s a reorientation of the whole self: heart, mind, and direction.

Through the prophet Joel, God says, “Return to me” (Joel 2:12). Shuv.

This is where the tension of Easter begins. Before there is resurrection, there is an invitation to return. Before redemption is experienced, repentance is required, not as punishment, but as the pathway home.

We often think of repentance as a feeling, maybe even something weighed down by shame. But in Scripture, Shuv is deeply relational. It’s the Father standing at the door, calling out, “Turn back—I’m still here.” It’s not just turning away from sin; it’s turning toward Someone.

And this is where Easter changes everything.

What we could never return from on our own sin and death, Jesus steps into. On the cross, He carries the full weight of our separation. And through the resurrection, He opens the way for our return to lead somewhere, not just back to where we were, but forward… to Himself.

Because of Easter, Shuv is no longer a cycle of trying harder and falling short. It becomes the doorway to redemption.

Easter isn’t only about celebrating an empty tomb. It invites a more personal question: Where in your life is God calling you to Shuv? Where have you drifted… grown numb… settled… or run?

Because the same God who raised Jesus from the dead is still calling: “Return to me.” And the promise of Easter is this, when you do, you won’t find condemnation… you’ll find redemption.

See you this Sunday at Likewise,

Pastor Josh

HEAD — What we’re invited to understand

Easter doesn’t begin at the empty tomb, it begins with an invitation to return.

Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to Shuv, to turn back to Him with their whole lives. And Easter reveals why that return is possible. Jesus didn’t stay in the grave, He is risen, just as He said, and death no longer has the final word.

While we were still far from God, Christ gave His life for us. The resurrection is not just proof of power, it is the opening of a way back.

Do you believe that Jesus is risen, and that He has made a way for you to return?

HEART — What we’re invited to feel and receive

It’s easy to drift, not always in obvious ways, but in distraction, numbness, or self-reliance.

Yet Easter reminds us: you are deeply loved and pursued. God didn’t wait for you to return, He moved toward you first. In Jesus, He offers not just forgiveness, but new life.

The invitation still stands, not to shame, but to a Savior who is the resurrection and the life, and who gives life to those who trust in Him.

Will you trust His heart enough to turn back?

HANDS— What we’re invited to live out

Returning to God is something we practice.

To Shuv means to change direction, to turn from what has pulled you away and step back toward Him with honesty and surrender.

This week, take one intentional step toward Him. Create space to remember that He is not only crucified, but risen.

Turn toward Him. Stay with Him. And grow in knowing Him more.

Likewise Sermons

Foundation - Easter

Date: Apr 05, 2026

Category: God, The Church, Bible, Blessed

Speaker: Josh Burt

Passages: Joel 2:12-13

We often encounter Easter at the empty tomb—but the story really begins before that. It begins with a turning.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, there’s a word God uses again and again when calling His people back: Shuv. It means to return, to turn back, to come home. It’s more than feeling sorry or changing behavior, it’s a reorientation of the whole self: heart, mind, and direction.

Through the prophet Joel, God says, “Return to me” (Joel 2:12). Shuv.

This is where the tension of Easter begins. Before there is resurrection, there is an invitation to return. Before redemption is experienced, repentance is required, not as punishment, but as the pathway home.

We often think of repentance as a feeling, maybe even something weighed down by shame. But in Scripture, Shuv is deeply relational. It’s the Father standing at the door, calling out, “Turn back—I’m still here.” It’s not just turning away from sin; it’s turning toward Someone.

And this is where Easter changes everything.

What we could never return from on our own sin and death, Jesus steps into. On the cross, He carries the full weight of our separation. And through the resurrection, He opens the way for our return to lead somewhere, not just back to where we were, but forward… to Himself.

Because of Easter, Shuv is no longer a cycle of trying harder and falling short. It becomes the doorway to redemption.

Easter isn’t only about celebrating an empty tomb. It invites a more personal question: Where in your life is God calling you to Shuv? Where have you drifted… grown numb… settled… or run?

Because the same God who raised Jesus from the dead is still calling: “Return to me.” And the promise of Easter is this, when you do, you won’t find condemnation… you’ll find redemption.