Thankful Story Tellers

Thankful Story Tellers

Sean Vickers

This is the season that we focus on the things we are thankful for. Sometimes it is hard to be thankful. Perhaps you have lost your job in our lagging economy. Or maybe your health is not what it used to be or you recently lost someone you love. Even the everyday pressures of life can test our thankfulness. While it is sometimes hard to be thankful it is essential that we find ways to be thankful. It can even make a difference in the lives of those around us.

King David, from the Old Testament, wrote, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—” Psalm 107 (NIV) In this passage from the Bible, David gives us reasons to have the attitude of gratitude.

There is a very popular saying among Christians of all denominations today. One believer will say, “God is Good” and the other responds, “All the time.” This powerful saying is a reminder of exactly what King David is saying in this Psalm. We can be thankful because the Creator of the Universe is a Good God. No matter your current circumstance you can be thankful this season because of the Goodness of God.

(Thank you for getting to this part of the article. Some people do not read beyond the title of most articles, so I appreciate you staying with me to this point and I have some great news.) These verses also describe the love of God. When we deserve judgment, God give us love. This passage says, “His love endures forever.” Think about this truth. There will never be a time that God does not love you. His love endures forever!

This love of God is a powerful force for change. God’s love is not a passive type of love, it is an active love. The Apostle Paul described God’s love when he wrote, “But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinner, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV) Of all the things we have to be thankful for, we should be thankful for a God that loved us so much that He would sacrifice His Son so that we could be forgiven and become children of God. I am thankful for my Savior. He has changed my life! Have you allowed Christ to change your life? He has a life of forgiveness, freedom, liberty, purpose and joy for you.

This passage of scripture also addresses the child of God when it says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” Imagine the impact you could have in the lives of those around you if you told them your story. God wants to use you as an ambassador of His love to everyone you influence.

My prayer for you is that you will take time to be thankful this season and tell your story to everyone that will listen. You will be amazed at what God will do. (Thanks for making it to the end of this article. You are a finisher and I am thankful!)

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

Pray the Pledge

Pray the Pledge

Sean Vickers

It is a blessing to live in the United States of America. On a recent mission trip to Asia I came face to face with how blessed we are to have the freedoms and lifestyle we enjoy. On this trip I witnessed poverty in a country that has a 46% unemployment rate and I witnessed the effects of communism on its citizens. We are blessed to live in the United States and we need to discover ways we can be a blessing to this great country. One of the ways we can be a blessing is by praying for the country we love. As we celebrate Independence Day this year, pray for the United States. A creative way to pray for our country is to pray through the Pledge of Allegiance phrase by phrase. Let’s Pray the Pledge!

Pray the Pledge

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America,

Thank God for our country and the blessing of being a citizen of the greatest nation the world has ever known.

and to the Republic for which it stands,

Pray for the political process as we are represented by those that have been elected. Regardless of your political convictions, our elected officials need our prayers. Pray for our local, state and national leaders.

one Nation under God,

Pray that our nation would return to God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” This is God’s formula for a nation that honors Him.

indivisible,

Pray for unity for our nation as the political debate continues. There are many issues that divide our country. Pray for our leaders to have divine wisdom.

with liberty and

Thank God for the religious liberty that we have and ask Him to preserve that liberty. Our country is only as strong as it’s families and churches.

justice for all.

Pray for justice for all Americans including the unborn, elderly and defenseless. Father, we pray that you would bless the United States of America. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” Psalm 33:12

Alive Post 3

Alive Post 3

Sean Vickers

alive1

Acts 1:1-8

Before Jesus ascended back to Heaven He spent time with His disciples. This was very insightful for the disciples and it is very meaningful for us today.

#1 Jesus is Alive and He gives us clear INSTRUCTIONS. Acts 1:1-2

#2 Jesus is Alive and gives us EVIDENCE of His Resurrection. Acts 1:3

#3 Jesus is Alive and gives us the gift of HIS SPIRIT. Acts 1:4

#4 Jesus is Alive and gives us the gift of CLARITY. Acts 1:7

#5 Jesus is Alive and He gives us a clear MISSION. Acts 1:8

You Might Be a Texan If . . .

You Might Be a Texan If . . .

Sean Vickers

15.  Your priorities, in order of importance: Texas, air, water, food, clothing, shelter, etc….

14.  If you can’t believe that other states pay income tax.

13.  When it’s Summer, you want Winter, and when it’s Winter, you want Summer.

12.  You’ve hung ornaments and tinsel on tumbleweed and used it as a Christmas tree.

11.  You know what a ‘Cowboy Cadillac” is.

10.  You’re more interested in fully loaded truck than a luxury car.

9.  The Blue Book value on your truck goes up and down depending on how much gas it has in it.

8.  You refer to the Dallas Cowboys as “God’s team.”

7.  You measure distance in time, not miles.

6.  If when the rest of the country complains about a heat wave, you tell them to quit complaining’.

5.  You know from experience that rattlesnake taste like chicken.

4.  You know someone who ate the 72 oz steak and got it for free.

3.  You know that Bluebell Ice Cream is the best ice cream in the world.

2.  You throw a party for all your friends when it rains.

1.  You’ve got Texas in your soul. It’s a Texas thing.

Alive! Post 1

Alive! Post 1

Sean Vickers

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

After Resurrection Sunday Jesus appeared to His disciples over a period of 40 days before He ascended to Heaven. Acts 1:3 Believers in Christ can celebrate our Savior who is Alive! He is not only Alive, but He is interested in us.

#1 Jesus PURSUES us where we are. John 21:1

#2 Life with Jesus is an ADVENTURE. John 21:6

#3 Passion for Jesus is Rewarded with His PRESENCE. John 21:7

#4 Jesus INVITES us to join Him in His work on Earth. John 21:9; John 20:21

#5 Time with Jesus is CRITICAL and cannot be replaced. John 21:12

Our Great Savior is Alive!

Pray for Rain

Pray for Rain

Sean Vickers

Let me state the obvious: We need rain. If you live in Dalhart, Texas you know exactly what I am talking about.

Since moving to Dalhart, I have developed the habit of praying for rain. We desperately need the heavens to open and for rain to fall down on our dry land. Psalm 63:1 says, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; 
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water. (NIV)” This Psalm shows us the way we can pray for rain.

The first priority in prayer should be to seek God with our whole hearts. God reigning in our lives is our first priority. Notice how passionately David pursues his God. He says, “earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you.” There is a great spiritual principle here. When we passionately pursue God, He will meet our needs and work in our lives in ways only He can. Let me ask you a quick question. How passionately are you pursuing God? This is a heart-probing question that we must ask. There is always room for pursuing Him more and focusing our attention and affection on Him. My church, First Baptist Dalhart, or one of Dalhart’s Bible believing churches can help you along this path.

Once we are pursuing Him earnestly we can approach Him with confidence and ask Him to meet our need for rain. Philippians 4:19 declares, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Seeking God first and then trusting Him for our spiritual and physical needs leads to transformed lives and a changed community.

In his book, The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson tells the story of Honi, the circle maker. Honi lived in the time between the Old and New Testaments. He followed God passionately and persisted in prayer until the rain came. This is an uplifting book that I would highly recommend.  Click here for more details about the book. It is my prayer that God would raise up many in our community who would seek Him with their whole hearts and pray for the rain we so desperately need. Seek Him and pray for rain!

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

 

Easter Changes Everything!

Easter Changes Everything!

Sean Vickers

EasterBanner

#1 Easter Changes Brokenness to SERVICE  John 20:1-2

#2 Easter Changes Questions to FAITH  John 20:5-8

#3 Easter Changes Grief to GLADNESS  John 20:10-18

#4 Easter Changes Fear to PEACE  John 20:19-20

#5 Easter Changes Fate to PURPOSE  John 20:21

#6 Easter Changes Doubt to BELIEF  John 20:24-28

#7 Easter Change EVERYTHING!  John 20:30-31

The Center of Easter

The Center of Easter

Sean Vickers

EasterBannerIt’s an old, old story. He lived. He died. He rose from the dead. What does that mean for you and your family today? In a world where we can command information with the click of a mouse or a touch of a phone, how do historical events still impact our lives?

Next month we will celebrate Easter. What do you think about when you think about Easter? Do you think about Easter egg hunts when your children were young, family meals after church, getting dressed up for your annual Easter family picture or chocolate bunnies? Easter is a precious holiday, and as with all things that are precious it must be protected. To protect this precious treasure we must keep Jesus at the center of Easter and truly take time to reflect and marvel at God’s great love for us.

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

This is a truth that is worth celebrating at Easter and everyday of the year.

Consider these ideas to keep Jesus in the center of Easter this year:

1. Attend church with your family on Easter. Churches all across our community celebrate Easter and would welcome you and your family. If you don’t have a church home, I would like to invite you to attend First Baptist, Dalhart this Easter.

2. Watch a movie that depicts the sacrificial death of Christ. Decide on the movie based on the ages of those in your family. Possible movies would include:  Passion of the Christ, Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, The Bible or Veggie Tales: T’was the Night before Easter.

3. Spend time reading the Bible together as a family during the 40 days before Easter or the week before Easter. Free devotions for the Easter season are available at www.bible.com

4. Use Resurrection Eggs to explain the true meaning of Easter to children. www.resurrectioneggs.com

5. Travel to the large cross at Groom, TX and pray the stations of the cross. www.crossministries.net

The focus is not planning more things to do, but deliberately remembering Jesus at Easter. Look for opportunities to talk about Jesus with those you are closest to.

I hope you have a great April as you put Jesus at the center of Easter.

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