Bible

Lord’s Supper FAQ

Lord’s Supper FAQ

Sean Vickers

communionWhat is the Lord’s Supper?

The Lords Supper was started by Jesus when He was in the Upper Room with His disciples celebrating the Passover. Matthew 26:17-30. Jesus used bread and the cup to represent His body and blood. It is a symbolic act of obedience where believers remember the death of their Savior, Jesus.

Who can participate in the Lord’s Supper?

Most protestant churches offer Open Communion. This means that anyone in attendance that has trusted Christ as their Savior and Lord may participate in the Lord’s Supper.

How often should a church offer the Lord’s Supper?

Each church determines the frequency of  offering the Lord’s Supper. Quarterly seems too infrequent while weekly too often. Participating in the Lord’s Supper on a monthly basis works well for many churches.

Can you celebrate the Lord’s Supper outside of a church setting?

Yes. Participating in the Lord’s Supper outside a church setting is very meaningful for families, shut-ins, and those incarcerated.

The power of a symbol is based on what that symbol represents. Since the Lord’s Supper represents the Body and Blood of Christ, it is a powerful symbol of the faith that strengthens the church, encourages believers and honors our Savior.

1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Known by Love

Known by Love

Sean Vickers

 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails….” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV)

This is a familiar passage from the Bible. It is frequently used in wedding ceremonies, vow renewal services and it is the sentiment in many Hallmark cards.

1 Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul to the mission church he started on one of his missionary journeys. The church at Corinth was having some problems and Paul was writing to correct and encourage this young church. Although we primarily use this passage to describe the love between a husband and wife, the original intent was to describe how people within the church should treat each other.

Paul paints a literary masterpiece with the theme of love. He describes what love is and what love is not. We all want to be loved and we all need to show love to others. Can you imagine belonging to a group of people that truly love each other like Paul is describing?

Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 NIV) This life is not meant to be lived in isolation. The church is a great place to be loved and to love others. Chocolate and flowers are great, but belonging, truly belonging, to a group is sweet to the soul.

This article originally appeared in the Dalhart Texan and was written by Sean Vickers.

 

Advent Love

Advent Love

Sean Vickers

Love is a powerful thing. Christmas is the season of Love. It is a time we celebrate God love for us when He sent Jesus to be born of the virgin Mary.

God went beyond words of love for us and PROVED His love for us with his ACTIONS.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

  1. God proves His love through the BIRTH of His Son. Matthew 1:18-25
  2. God proves His love for us through the LIFE of His Son. Hebrews 4:15
  3. God proves His love for us through the DEATH of His Son. Romans 5:6-11
  4. God proves His love for us through the RESURRECTION of His Son. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Advent Joy

Advent Joy

Sean Vickers

joyJoy is a gift from God. Jesus came to give us Joy and we celebrate His joy at Christmas.

Christmas Joy from Luke 2

  • Surprising Ambassadors of of the Message of Joy Luke 2:8
  • Surprising Messengers of Joy Luke 2:9
  • Surprising Message of Joy Luke 2:9-12
  • Surprising Worship of God Luke 2:13-14
  • Not so surprising response to the message of Joy Luke 2:16-20

Steps to Unwrapping Joy this Christmas

  1. Receive the Good News
  2. Realize you are not the source of Joy for your life.
  3. Receive Joy and Choose Joy

 

My Hope for America – A Great Plan

Sean Vickers

myhopepicOn November 7, 2013 Billy Graham will turn 95 years old. This incredible man of God has a final message for America. To get the message about Christ out to as many people as possible the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has provided a power tool for evangelism called My Hope for America. Their plan is great! It is based on Matthew 9:9-13. After he started following Jesus, the Apostle Matthew invited people into his home to meet Jesus. This is the plan for those who will be a part of this historic event and throw a party for Jesus:

  • Look around and identify your friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, and family who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior.
  • Look up and pray every day for each person you have listed.
  • Look out for opportunities to build your relationship with these people.
  • Look forward to preparing your home and inviting every person on your list to view a program in your home or other comfortable place.
  • Look after those who give their lives to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.

The content of the video messages are evangelistic, inspiring, and compelling. Watch the videos here: VIDEOS

These messages are available in multiple formats to accommodate the variety of locations these meeting will take place in.

May God richly bless My Hope for America with a great harvest.

 

Small Group Ideas for Summer Time

Small Group Ideas for Summer Time

Sean Vickers

Small Group Ideas for Summer Time

As Summer vacations start and kids are out of school, small group ministry can be challenging. Look for ways to stay connected to every member and reach out to those you have not seen in a while. Please don’t take the Summer “off” as you minister to your group. This can be a great time of ministry and connection with your class. Consider these ideas for Summer time ministry:

1. Pray for your group, calling each member by name before the Father.

2. Plan a summer fellowship for the group. Include kids and make it a fun time. Fellowship is a very important part of a small group ministry.

3. Spend some time every week talking about your member’s Summer plans. Let them know you will miss them while they are on vacation and you intend to see them when they come back.

4. Develop a weekly plan to contact absentees to check on them. Including other group members in the process is a great way to share your leadership responsibility with other members.

5. Plan a Summer mission project for the group and encourage each member to participate in the ministry opportunity.

Make a goal to contact every members on your list during the Summer. Summer is a great time to reconnect.

Arlington Cemetery – Changing of the Guard

Sean Vickers

The Changing of the Guard Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery honors those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom whose bodies are not identified. The video below is a clip from the Stepping Up Bible Study – A Call to Courageous Manhood. It interviews some of the soldiers who bravely guard the tomb and the sacrifice they make. I highly recommend the Stepping Up Bible Study from Family Life. See samples of the Bible study at the link below.

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Stepping Up Channel on YouTube

Stepping Up – A Call to Courageous Manhood Official Site

Guided by God’s Word

Guided by God’s Word

Sean Vickers

Guided by God’s Word

2 Timothy 3:1-17

The Textbook of Sunday School (Small Group Bible Study) is the Bible, the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:1-17 focuses on the importance of the Bible. What would our Small Groups be without the Bible as our focus? Would it be a support group, a civic club, a gathering of friends, or a prayer group? Even though a good Small Group will have some of these elements, the Bible is central to what a Small Group Bible Study is all about.

The Bible is not only our Textbook, It is the Test for the quality of our Christian walk. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

  • Teaching – divine instruction or doctrinal teaching
  • Rebuking – Reproof of wrong behavior or wrong belief
  • Correcting – The restoration of something to its proper condition
  • Training in Righteousness – Positive training in godly behavior.

These powerful aspects of the Bible lead to completeness and competence in the life of a believer.

If you are not committed to a small group of believers that meet weekly around the Word of God, let me encourage you to find a group and dig in. Your Christian walk will be greatly affected when you connect with other believers and connect with God, through His Word.

Follow Sound Doctrine

Follow Sound Doctrine

Sean Vickers

1-tim

Follow Sound Doctrine

There are many people giving and receiving advice today. In our culture, the idea of “coaching” is popular. People from every industry and station of life pay large amounts of money to their “coaches” to help them go to the next level. Through the study of the Scripture we can receive coaching that will encourage us to keep going, help us make course adjustments along the way, and take our place in God’s Kingdom for His glory.

God used the Apostle Paul to write a large amount of the New Testament. Paul was instrumental in spreading the Gospel about Jesus from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and ultimately to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) The books of 1st and 2nd Timothy are personal letters to Timothy from the Apostle Paul. These books contain Paul’s counsel to Timothy concerning issues of church leadership. By reading and studying these books, we will receive “coaching” from the Apostle Paul himself that will inform, encourage and challenge us.

Toward the end of his life, Paul wrote three letters (1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus) to Timothy and Titus to instruct them as they continued in the work of the church. 1 Timothy 1:1-2 identifies the Apostle Paul as the author of this letter and his “son” in the faith, Timothy, as the recipient.

As a young leader, Timothy was prone to discouragement. Paul is writing to encourage him to stay on the job and fight the good fight. The presence of false teachers in the early church was one of the reasons that Paul encourages Timothy to stay strong and fight against error. Little has changed in the church since Paul wrote these words to Timothy. We have the same charge to fight the false teachers of our day.

The motivation of Paul’s command to fight against error is love. Paul writes, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5) Paul has a genuine concern for those who have been deceived spiritually. A wrong understanding of the Old Testament Law is part of the false teaching. These false teachers were leading people to legalistic religion rather than a relationship with Christ. “The flesh loves religious legalism because rules and regulation enable a person to appear holy without really having to change his heart.” (New Testament Commentary, Warren Weirsbe) The Law is powerless to save. The purpose of the law is to reveal our need for a Savior.

Paul writes his personal testimony, describing the incredible work God has done in his life. It is not enough to fight false teaching, we must also proclaim the truth of the Gospel starting with our own lives. Paul summarizes the Gospel in one verse proclaiming the power of the Gospel, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

1 Timothy, chapter 1 ends with Paul charging Timothy to “fight the good fight” and hold on to his faith and not quit. It is always too soon to quit. The gospel and our spiritual lives are worth fighting for.

While reading and studying 1 Timothy 1 consider these questions:

1. Describe the most important letter or e-mail you every received.

2. How valuable is the content of the Bible in your life? If you did not have access to the Bible, how much would you pay to get it?

3. What are some of the false teachings of our day?

4. How does your testimony help you defend that which is true?

5. What can you do to strengthen your own understanding of the Scripture?

6. What will be the results of better understanding the Scripture?

7. If you could ask Paul any question, what would it be?