Articles by Mike Mazzalongo

#10 – Don't need special clothing or haircut to be a member. #9 – No killing of others necessary. #8 – Men and women equal. #7 – No special perks for clergy. #6 – Founder is always alive. #5 – Teaching is always relevant. #4 – Lifestyle is always adaptable. #3 – Converts receive new life, not just new religion. #2 – Salvation is by faith, not human effort. #1 – NO MORE DEATH! “...the mystery which...

Justin Martyr was a Samarian Christian who lived in the second century. He was a Platonist philosopher who was converted to Christianity and became a strong defender of the faith. In one of his works, “Apology of the Christian Religion”, written in around 150 AD, he describes a typical Christian worship service of that day. “On that day which is called after the sun, all who live in the cities or ...

It seems that there are three elements that help identify the "modern" church. One is a focus on music in worship. Orchestras, choirs, even drama with music are a must if a church is to appeal to today's church goer. Another is the preoccupation with the miraculous. People want to go to a place where God reveals Himself to the congregation through healings, tongues, and a sure vision and knowledge...

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they realized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” (Nehemiah 6:15-16) These brief verses describe the completion of the repairs made to the wall surrounding the city of Jerusale...

The title says it all, doesn’t it? All the fuss and handwringing over the Artificial Intelligence (AI) phenomena is quite anxiety producing for unbelievers. They have nowhere to go. The machines they depend on (computers, software, information-times-a-trillion) now threaten to eat them alive. Frankenstein’s revenge is here with a single key stroke! Not so with God’s children, who fear God, not mac...

I have mixed emotions concerning this latest runaway hit streaming online called the “Chosen”. Imagine, a TV soap opera based on Jesus’ life! What is there not to like? Great production, realistic portrayals and aside from accurate reenactments of the familiar events in Jesus’ life and ministry, the writers have created fascinating back stories for each apostle that brings these little known chara...

They talked endlessly. Since there was no need to express and explain, their communication moved beyond the speed of light, yet the time taken by the exchange was imperceptible. However, the deconstruction of what was said would take much of history to unravel, but if we stopped the clock or slowed it down to hear the Divine Trialogue, these would be the points they considered. "Let us make man," ...

It has long been held that preachers can’t count. I suppose it’s because they usually overestimate the size of attendance or count the unborn babies as present. All humor aside, it is true that preachers do place a certain importance on “numbers” because numbers reveal certain things about a church. 1. Numbers Reveal Commitment You may have 1,000 people at church but if this represents only 50% of...

Curtis Hartshorne has been ministering with the Church of Christ in Checotah, Oklahoma since February of 2012. He works primarily in preaching and teaching. He leads evangelistic Bible studies with his wife Kathy, he does marital and parenting classes and counseling. Before Oklahoma, he preached for 25 years in Colorado. He has taught college level courses on Principles of Marriage and Death and D...

It has been eighteen months since my first serious bout of dizziness and nausea (during a men’s breakfast) which has since been diagnosed as Ménière’s Disease, a condition of the inner ear that causes hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and the reoccurring symptoms of vertigo and debilitating nausea. This condition has caused me to experience weight loss, fatigue and almost daily bouts of ...

Dave Laton has more than 40 years’ experience developing and managing education and training for business and industry, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and congregations of the churches of Christ. Dave holds degrees in education administration, business management, adult education, and a Doctor of Ministry in Religious Education Leadership. He is currently serving the deacon for miss...

Enough cowering! Enough hiding out and social distancing from getting things done because of the virus! Paul said that there would be “in season” and “out of season” times for preaching the gospel (2 Timothy 4:2) and for growing the kingdom. He did not mean that sometimes we work and serve, and at other times we should stop because it is inconvenient or dangerous. I believe he was exhorting the ch...

The year 2020 has brought several changes among the ministry staff here at the Choctaw congregation. We have seen the departure of our Youth, Family and Involvement Minister, Mike Coghill, which will bring about the eventual addition of another (new to us) minister at some point this year. Then there are the growing responsibilities taken on by our ministry intern, Titus West, as he is tasked with...

The first question people ask when they find out that I’m a minister is the name of the church that I preach for and then, without fail, follow up with the query, “How big is your congregation?” It seems as if there is something about the size of the congregation I serve that somehow gives them insight into who I am and probably my abilities as a minister. When it comes to judging the value of any...

On Sunday, July 7th our new Summer education quarter for adult Bible classes begin.  On Wednesday nights we will have the third edition of “The Main Lesson in____” series with different speakers coming each week to summarize and explain what they believe is the main teaching of each book of the Bible.  We have a great line of speakers beginning with Howard Norton, kicking off the series ...

Ever wonder why God wants us to obey Him?  What exactly does God receive from our faithfulness and obedience?  We say that we want to please God and do so by avoiding sin or making a sacrifice in our service to others but how does our improved morality or increased service advantage God?  He doesn’t need anything nor does our goodness add any advantage to Him—He’s above it all...

I would like to thank all the teachers, helpers and cooridnators who have served during the winter quarter (January-April).  Our education program is the ministry that requires the most volunteers (of at least 40) and functions year round.    With it we train the young and prepare them to receive the gospel when they are old enough; we strengthen Christian families with our you...

I'm on a one-man crusade against the movie industry. Here's why. The rating system will give a movie an R rating for graphic violence, sex, or repeated use of the dreaded "F" word, but relegates the profaning of the Lord's name to a benign PG13 slot. It seems that blasphemy against God is less pervasive to a young viewer than common vulgarity or simulated sex. What's even more insulting is that it...

In almost every edition of the weekly church bulletin there is a call for some kind of assistance.  Sometimes it is for teachers or some person to help clean the building.  At other times, we need a member to visit the sick or bring communion to a brother or sister who is a shut-in.  Whatever the situation we are usually asking someone to give up their time and energy, perhaps even ...

With the big day upon us I offer a few reminders to parents and kids to help get us started on the right foot: Parents: You are the primary teachers Even though the schools provide instruction in the Sciences and Arts, you remain the primary teachers and most influential figures. Moses reminded parents to, "…teach your sons." Deut. 1:18 School reflects the society we live in, parents r...