Articles

What shape is the body in here at Choctaw?Folks train for years to specialize in caring for nearly every part of the human body. That’s because every part is important to the body’s health and efficiency. The Lord’s church is no different.If your vision gets blurry, you see an optometrist to get some glasses. The dreaded visit to the dentist is necessary when a tooth is the problem. Dermatologists...

Like many of you, I have had the experience of finally recovering from a nasty cold that never seemed to end. The experience led me to think about some very basic things that even the common cold can teach us. Here are seven that mine taught me: #1 - A 7 day cold does not last 7 days. Contrary to popular belief that you're in and out of a cold in seven days, the reality is that full recovery is of...

What do you believe about Jesus? (Are you ready to meet him someday?) How are you and the Lord doing? Where do you “go to church”? Do you read the Bible? Do you believe what it says about the resurrection? Do you believe there is a day of judgment coming? Do you believe in life after death? Do you believe this life is all there is? Do you believe you will be with God when you die? What do you beli...

Simply put, it is when God provides. The fact of God’s provision is written into the first verse of the Bible when Genesis says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. He provided for our physical needs before he made the first man and woman. More importantly, the balance of the book is the story of how God provided his own Son for our spiritual needs. God’s providence is abund...

The word ‘worship’ is used around 74 times from Matthew to Revelation (depending on your translation), and there are six different definitions for each. We have been learning about honoring God in worship over the last few weeks and as Marty brings his series to a close, it is important that we truly understand the use of the word ‘worship’ according to the New Testament. Below is displayed six de...

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don’t sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, THAT IS DYING TO SELF. When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend you...

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.- Proverbs 13:22 As I have grown as a husband and especially a father, this verse in Proverbs has steadily rung in my ear. Coming from a family who was not wealthy, I have spent most of my years pursuing monetary wealth. My goal from childhood has been to be as “rich” as possible....

“I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth”, - Genesis 8:21 Just two things about this passage. #1) What it tells us about ourselvesThe intention of our hearts is evil, and this begins at a young age. Wowser. You know yourself. You know the constant mental corrections you must make to do what is right. Firstly, because we don’t...

We wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for the incredible support you provided following the tornado. Your volunteer’s efforts to remove debris from property were truly a blessing. Not only did your team work tirelessly to clear the damage, but their compassion and willingness to step in during such a difficult time brought a sense of peace and hope. Your actions have made a l...

As we in America go into the holiday week surrounded by the “need” to purchase gifts for others, we can sometimes be overwhelmed by the things we consider to be precious. We Christians know that the precious things are immaterial, but as a reminder, here are six of the most precious things ever given to mankind: God’s Loving Kindness –“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of ma...

Wang Zhiming (1907–1973) was a Miao pastor in Wuding County, Yunnan, China. Educated in mission schools, he later taught for a decade before being elected chairman of the Sapushan Church Council in 1944 and ordained in 1951. During the Cultural Revolution, Wang was arrested in 1969 for criticizing atheistic campaigns and refusing to denounce landlords. He was executed by a firing squad in a stadiu...

One of the many go-to verses used concerning how Christians are to be ‘in the world and not of it’ as we like to say, comes from Romans 12:1-2:  “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your ...

In Acts chapter 1, the now 11 apostles are in waiting in Jerusalem after having returned from witnessing Jesus’ resurrection. The apostles are gathered in a room together, along with the women that followed Jesus and His brothers. All of these people are gathered together, praying in earnest. The last month and a half has been a whirlwind for these people, with Judas betrayal, his suicide, plus Je...

As the U.S. heads into the Thanksgiving week, many preachers, teachers, parents, and people in general are quoting a portion of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances.” This is a very good thing to do, to give thanks in all circumstances, but this phrase is only a small part of a whole thought. The entire sentence begins in verse 16, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give tha...

Early in Israel’s history was a period when God raised up men (and a woman) to deliver them from their enemies. They were called judges. Samson was the only judge announced to his parents by the angel of the Lord. In other cases, God chose an individual to do his will, but in this case, he gave a previously barren woman a child who would become a great deliverer of Israel (Judges 13:1-5) against t...

The recent storms that spawned at least a dozen tornadoes across the state of Oklahoma in the U.S. also sparked a spike in some peoples' faith. I don't doubt the sincerity of folks who were "thankful to God" for being safe through the killer winds but I sometimes wonder where that faith lies when skies are blue and the weather is calm. I suppose that it's human nature to look towards heaven when t...

Have you ever been to a Thunder game? There are thousands of people there to watch and cheer for their favorite team. You can usually tell some people are a lot more passionate about the game than others. A small percentage of the crowd are apathetic and lack interest in what is happening. They might look like a Thunder fan, but they are just going through the motions. Their heart isn’t in the gam...

God gave man dominion over the creation in the beginning (see Genesis 1:26-28). This leads me to believe that God designed man with a good inclination to assume dominion over himself and his environment constructively and deliberately. Then came the fall, after which the fleshly part of man’s being caused man to focus on his own will, rather than God’s. We call it “ego”. So now from a very young a...

Sadducee: A member of a Jewish party of the period between the Old and New Testaments consisting of a traditional ruling class of priests and rejecting doctrines not in the law such as resurrection, retribution in a future life, and the existence of angels. Matthew 22:23-34 Jesus silences them in his answer about a wife and resurrection.Pharisee: A member of a Jewish sect of the period b...

“A genuine Christian is the best evidence of the genuineness of Christianity.” “The true expression of Christianity is not a sigh, but a song.” “Christianity is a ‘roll up your sleeves’ religion.” “Satan is perfectly willing to have a person confess Christ as long as they do not practice his teachings. “ “The better we understand Christianity, the less satisfied we are in our practice of it.” “Chr...