For His Glory
#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
It’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.
Joshua 6 records the Victory that the Nation of Israel had when God gave them victory at Jericho. From this chapter and other scriptures there are 7 ways to overcome the obstacles that keep you or your church from being where God wants you to be.
What 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.
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.
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.
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
“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.
2014 is off to a great start. My family and I are settling in and we are looking forward to what God has in store for us and FBC Dalhart in 2014. While I was moving into my new office I found a bumper sticker that says: I ❤ My Church First Baptist of Dalhart. I quickly captured it and asked if it belonged to anyone. After finding out that it has available to take I placed in on the rear windshield of my truck. This bumper sticker is a great sign of how I feel about our church. I love our church! We are a group that gathers to WORSHIP our great God. We desire to GROW in our faith as we study His Word. We want to SERVE God by serving our community and we want to SHARE the good news about Jesus with our community, nation and world.
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.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
December 15, 2013 was my first Sunday at First Baptist Church Dalhart, Texas as their new Pastor. This moment was the result of God’s leading and the culmination of years of prayer.
We are excited about this new season of ministry and look forward to making Dalhart, Texas our new home.
Joy is a gift from God. Jesus came to give us Joy and we celebrate His joy at Christmas.
On 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:
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.