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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.

Overcoming Obstacles

Sean Vickers

joshua6Joshua 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.

  1. Realize that God has a PLAN. Joshua 6:2-5, Jeremiah 29:11
  2. Understand the place of PURITY in your life. Joshua 3:5, Joshua 5:2-10
  3. Exercise you FAITH in God. Joshua 6:7, Hebrews 11:1
  4. Practice PATIENCE on the Journey. Joshua 6:15, Psalm 40:1
  5. Control your SELF. Joshua 6:1, Proverbs 16:32
  6. Claim the PROMISES of God. Joshua 21:45
  7. Have confidence in the Spiritual LEADERS in your life. Joshua 6:27
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

I Love My Church

I Love My Church

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.

I ❤ My Church!

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

Seize Every Moment

Sean Vickers

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Gal 6:10

jwJohn Wesley’s Motto:

“Do all the good you can.
By all the means you can.
In all the ways you can.
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can.
To all the people you can.
As long as ever you can.”

National Day of Prayer

National Day of Prayer

Sean Vickers

From BGEA . . .

Billy Graham has said that the three most important things that one can do are: 1) Pray. 2) Pray. 3) Pray.

“When Paul said we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17, NKJV) he chose a term used in his day to describe a persistent cough. Repeatedly, throughout our day, we should be turning quickly to God to praise and thank Him, and to ask for His help. God is interested in everything we do, and nothing is too great or too insignificant to share with Him.” (Billy Graham, Hope for Each Day)

On Thursday, May 2, people across the U.S. will join together to celebrate the 62nd annual National Day of Prayer, with the theme “Pray for America.”

As My Hope America with Billy Graham continues to spread across the country, it is important to recall that prayer is the most crucial and basic element of the program. We hope that you will join us in praying for America on May 2. We encourage you to pray specifically for your neighbors and friends who don’t know Christ. Our nation needs to hear the Good News, and it is our prayer that the movement can begin through us as individuals committed to seeing our communities transformed with the Gospel.

 

Ordination

Sean Vickers

Congratulation to Ryan Frontz, Todd Hickox, and Todd Villemont for their Ordination to the Gospel Ministry. I had the honor and privilege to minister to and along side these three men. Below is video testimony I taped for their ordination service:

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