Articles

Recently, I had an encounter with about 10-12 of our teenagers. They had been asked a simple question, “If someone asked you what you believed in, how would you answer?” After several minutes of silence, it was clear they did not know how to respond. At another activity they were asked, “Who said, ‘I am not my brother’s keeper?’” and again, no response. Now, I’ve been in and taught the younger cla...

Delusion is the belief or altered reality that is persistently held despite evidence or agreement to the contrary, generally in reference to a mental disorder. Self-delusion is the act of deluding oneself on purpose. Someone who retreats into a false reality to escape the one around them. In our society, self-delusion is an accepted way of life. We spend our time obsessed with tv shows, video game...

It is about making disciples by telling folks about Jesus. He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Like Jesus, when we try to reach folks with this saving message we face rejection or ridicule. Friends may be lost and family members may start to avoid us. Yes, I seem to remember him saying something like, “If they have called the head of the house ‘Beel...

For more than a century, the study of dinosaurs has been limited to fossilized bones. Now, researchers have recovered 70 million-year-old soft tissue, including what may be blood vessels and cells, from a Tyrannosaurus rex. “ From, “Scientists recover T-rex soft tissue”, March 2005, msnbc.com Science cannot explain 70 million year old tissue that is “soft and transparent” as well as “stretchy and ...

The Holy Spirit must have considered the following to be an important point, seeing he had Solomon state it so frequently. “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?” Ecclesiastes 2:24 “I know that there is nothing better for them tha...

The saints in Rome must have been baptized prior to receiving Paul’s letter: Romans 6:3 – “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” The folks in the church at Corinth were baptized in Jesus’ name: 1st Corinthians 1:13 – “Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” T...

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...

This morning’s lesson will be over our spiritual gifts. To help us apply what we will learn and to prepare us for the week, I would like to share with you what I believe is the most important aspect of the gifts that we have Christians. That is the nature by which we come to use our gifts. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pag...

Words from the past by Dayton Keesee (September 14, 2018)Solomon stated: “ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in setting of silver” (Prov. 25:11). Your speech can deeply and sweetly enrich others. Yet, Solomon adds Proverbs 18:7:  “A fools mouth is his destruction and his lips are a snare to his soul.”  James even warns that “out of the mouth comes forth blessing and cursing,” ad...

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,- John 13:34-35 How will all men know if we are Jesus’ disciples? Jesus made it clear above. This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.John 15:12 Do...

The apostle Thomas is often remembered as a doubter because he refused to believe in the resurrection until he saw Jesus for himself, according to John 20:19-29. Earlier, however, when Jesus had determined to return to Judea where his life was in danger it was Thomas who said to the rest of the apostles, “Let us go also, that we may die with him”, John 11:16. Wow, that’s a fervent commitment! Know...

Noah, once surrounded by wickedness, gets a fresh start with his family.At 75 and childless, Abraham is promised a son... born 25 years later.Joseph, sold into slavery eventually becomes 2nd only to Pharaoh.Israelites, no longer slaves, cross the Red Sea on dry land.Gideon, living under crushing oppression, is given victory with only 300 soldiers.Hannah, barren & heartbroken, is given a son who be...

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopped at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersectio...

I received an e-mail from someone considering visiting one of our assemblies. They related how their past was not necessarily exemplary, and so were wondering if that would keep them from being welcomed among us. How would you answer such an e-mail? What would you say? No one among us has a stellar past either?Is your sin really worse than ours?Jesus' church is a hospital for sinners, not a countr...

As you may know, the Choctaw Church of Christ has been studying and learning about evangelism this quarter. Part of learning is putting into practice the things that one has learned. After almost 2 months of being taught by our Shepherds about evangelism, another opportunity to put into practice, the sharing of Jesus with our community, has arrived by the simple act of offering people a bottle of ...

The church in Choctaw can move forward if we are willing to work in these areas and PRAYING. There are already many areas of service to our Lord already in this place. Each and every work of service is really valuable. The purpose of this article is to focus on the three areas of previously discussed with the addition of praying for our Lord’s help for their success since they are what He wants fr...

Hebrews 10:24-25 gives very valuable instructions for our Christian efforts: “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deed, not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”  As is instructed, we should see how each of us may best stimulate (arouse, urging) others to love (...

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 ...

As we look to the future for the Lord’s church family, it is very important that part of our effort should be “Rebuilding the Church.” The virus has caused us so much difficulty as a family. Some things have changed. A few families have left for another congregation, or moved away, or become elderly and unable to regularly attend worship services or become shut-in, and even a few faithful members ...

Matthew 28:18-20 instructs us to: go make disciples, baptizing them, teaching them to observe all Jesus commanded. What were those who were taught to do? The same instructions. It continues through each generation, So, it’s ours also today. Jesus said, “I am with you always to the end of the age.” Repeating those instructions must also include our local area as well. Our plan: Marty has prepared a...