Articles by Jon Arvin

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Jon Arvin | October 19th, 2023
I love this time of year. There are pros to every season, but fall is my personal favorite. We get football, playoff baseball, and a new basketball season all at once. We can start to make those food dishes for warm weather we don’t crave in the heat (I’m looking at you chili - and yes, with beans). Pull out your hoodies, sweatpants, and beanies, fall is here! Oklahoma is emotional and we don’t kn...
Jon Arvin | August 4th, 2023
"If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you must adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.” I came across this line in my reading this week and in true preacher fashion I let out an audible, “wow.” It’s obvious, yet I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of it that way. We look at the life of Jesus, see a man who is full of peace, love, mercy, and assurance, and we want that. We see His life bearing fruit in nu...
Jon Arvin | July 7th, 2023
As the associate minister, I am responsible for the adult education here at Choctaw. It’s a role that I believe is crucial for the health and growth of a congregation and I take it very seriously. I want to provide all of you with classes that help you grow more into the image of Jesus. The goal of teaching is not to simply inform you, but transform you! If teaching doesn’t help you change, it isn...
Jon Arvin | May 11th, 2023
If somebody was to ask why the church meets on Sunday, we would likely answer, “to worship.” This isn’t an incorrect answer. We are called to assemble with the church on the first day of the week and worship is something they did on this day (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1-2). However, look at one of the clearest statements made about our purpose of assembling together: And let us consider how to s...
Jon Arvin | April 7th, 2023
If we want to reach somebody, whether they are our kids, our neighbors, our family, our coworkers, or anybody else, we must remember this truth: People don’t care about what we know, until they know that we care. Here’s an example. What is a television show you absolutely love? Take a second and bring it to your mind. Once you have it in mind, answer this question; What was the opening line in the...
Jon Arvin | March 9th, 2023
I always laugh at the teenage girl who says the word “literally” too much. “I literally can’t even.” I am not sure what that even means. “I literally can’t breathe.” You are literally breathing when you said that. “Literally.” Sometimes in Scripture there are figurative statements. These statements aren’t meant to be taken in the most basic sense but are illustrative and metaphorical. I’m not sure...
Jon Arvin | February 16th, 2023
A class filled with almost 30 teenagers ready to learn about God on a Wednesday night. A nine-year-old stand before 100 people and lead us in our singing to the Lord.A group of girls spend Saturday night watching their church family’s children so couples could have a date night.Multiple young men quietly serving trays during our communion time multiple weeks in a row.A group of young adults gather...
Jon Arvin | January 5th, 2023
After the birth of Jesus, Joseph is told in a dream to take Mary and their Son to Egypt to avoid the threat against his life from Herod (Matthew 2:13). In this short passage we learn a few truths about the enemies of Jesus. To the Enemies Of Jesus, Nothing Is Off Limits: “…Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him (Matthew 2:13).” Herod was fearful of losing his power and authority. H...
Jon Arvin | December 8th, 2022
Psalm 1:6 “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” - According to the psalmist, there are two paths in life we can take. The path we take is determined by our decisions. Here are five choices every person needs to make in order to walk the right path. Listen To The Right People “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked” If we want to be...
Jon Arvin | November 18th, 2022
Now that I’m officially in the family, what is the first message I want to share with all of my new brothers and sisters in Choctaw? I’m going to “pull a Paul” and take a page out of his books. In nine of his thirteen New Testament writings, Paul begins with a message of thankfulness. If you’ve never noticed this, take a look and see for yourself. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for al...