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Easter Bible Conference Report by Matthew Dinges (Pre-Social Work; IUPUI)

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

    It was a pleasure being invited to and taking part in the Easter Bible Conference held in Michigan. It proved to be a spectacular event filled with people that shared a common goal; to seek Christ. This indeed proved successful as I witnessed many who both found a new strength through Christ as well as those who have finally begun to see him for the first time. The main message shared to those who attended dealt primarily on the importance as well as the power behind Christ’s death and resurrection. While this served as the epitome of the conference, I bared witness to all the other lessons my new friends had grasped from its relevance. I rarely expose myself to an event so filled with passion and meaning and there was much more to it than I anticipated. 

    The Easter Bible Conference was filling to the brim with activities to accomplish every hour of the day. The first day consisted of worship mixed in with messages about the Gospel. The Gospel was explained and even displayed as a Drama presentation to show how the people went against Christ and demanded him be crucified. This story was better explained through videos consisted of facts mixed with humorous interpretations. Then at the end of each message, the night was concluded with prayer topics. It was after all this when all attendees dispersed into their proper bible groups where life testimonies were shared among them, including mine. The bible group acted as a great welcoming to the community as each person introduced their own relationship with God. 

    The second day was the big day, as the entirety of it was constructed with activities for many different groups that started from 7am to 10pm; everyone took part in their bible groups again that morning before everyone gathered together for worship. This is when Tony King preached about the resurrection of Christ and what it meant for all those willing to put their faith in him, which is eternal life. This was followed by Tristan Pasano’s life testimony which reached out to all hearts in the audience. An event titled “Come and See me” took place after which dived into the aspects of what a life with God looks like. We were given a free period of 3 hours later to both do as we pleased while also reflecting on all we had learned so far. The evening event was the pinnacle however, as we opened our hearts to the life testimonies of 7 people, witnesses of God’s glory. They then took a huge step towards Christ with their choice to be baptized and wash their sin from their lives. Each play a role in God’s plan and all grasped their roles firmly. Our hearts now burning, we took a period of prayer, where people were divided into groups to move through 6 different stations, each providing new topics for prayer. This not only got people to pray for things they wouldn’t normally think about, but also showed the burning desire to aid those who called out. There was so much love and passion to help each other filling the room that night and it brought a call to action. 

    The festivities reached their climax as we did a final worship session Sunday morning before departing to take all that we learned with us. If there was one thing this conference did for me, it was that it rejuvenated my spirit to continue seeking God. After so long, our continuous acts of prayer and bible studies may seem tedious, but the messages spoken relit my flaming passion for Christ. The most important message I found was that you have to be willing to seek God first for he is not a tool to be used to get what you want, nor should you go to him with expectations. I should go to God in heaven with one thing above all else, faith. The messages made me proud to be involved with my bible group, one person in said group which had just turned to the Christian life. 

These conferences get me to radiate brighter than before, as well as teach me how to use my burning passion for Christ to impact others who have yet to take that step towards our father God. I find these events to be far more than a regular event or service, but an awakening to so many who have found that steel will to pursue the greatest love there is, the love from our Father in Heaven. I walk among others boldly, provided with the newfound strength that these privileges and my father God provide. It is a step I pray everyone to take, as the key to Christ isn’t our good deeds. The thing that shall always eclipse such things is faith. The knowledge I attained from this Eastern Bible Conference is a torch that can be passed among all people. I pray the lessons engraved in me from this event won’t just stay with me, but shall appeal and awaken all those willing to seek Christ, and in doing so, will also pray that events such as this can continue so as to provide everyone with that spark necessary to see Christ. 

My one word would from all this would be; seek Christ first.