08/30/2026
Welcome to Worship at Third Baptist Church of Chicago
On this Fifth and final Sunday of August, we gather believing that the same Jesus who called Lazarus out of the grave is still speaking life into places we thought were finished.
Today’s message is:
“Life Lessons From a Dead Man”
John 11:1–7; 11–15; 17–27; 32–44 ERV
Lazarus never preached a sermon from the grave, but his story still has something to teach us.
By the time Jesus arrived, the situation looked settled. The mourning had begun. The stone was in place. Lazarus had been dead for days, and everyone around him had accepted what seemed to be the final outcome.
But Jesus had not said the last word.
There are moments in our own lives when something feels too far gone, too broken, too delayed, too damaged, too dead to ever live again. We can become so convinced by what we see that we forget who Jesus is.
Martha said, “Lord, if You had been here…” She knew what Jesus could have done, but Jesus was about to reveal what He could still do.
That is the word for somebody today:
A delay does not mean God has denied you.
A grave does not mean the story is over.
And what looks dead to you is not beyond the reach of Jesus.
Sometimes God will allow us to reach the end of our own possibilities so that we can witness the beginning of His power.
Jesus did not simply comfort the people standing outside Lazarus’ tomb. He called Lazarus by name and commanded him to come out.
And when Jesus speaks, dead things have to respond.
So whatever you brought into worship this morning—buried hope, broken dreams, unanswered prayers, disappointment, grief, or something you had already written off—bring it to Jesus.
The stone can still be moved.
The grave can still be opened.
The voice of Jesus still carries power.
And your story may not be as finished as it looks.
In-Person Worship:
1551 W. 95th Street | Chicago, IL
Worship Online:
https://forms.gle/W1dsEDeHAysATwRZ6
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Reverend Dr. T. D. Hughes, Senior Pastor
Third Baptist Church of Chicago
