From our Pastor
Newsletter Articles
June 2025
As we continue our study in the Book of Philippians, I want to take some time to share with you about the subject of commitment. The Apostle Paul writes in 3:10 about commitment without using the word. Here is the verse; “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;” There is no word in the verse that is translated “commitment.” But notice what he is getting across to the Philippians Christians. In the Pastor’s Paraphrase, Paul says, “I want to fully know Christ in the good times and in the bad times.” He is not talking knowing about Christ like some book knowledge. Paul wanted to know Christ completely and fully in the great times and in times of darkness. That is commitment in the biblical sense.
Let me illustrate, a college student walked into a photography studio with a framed picture of his girlfriend. He wanted the picture duplicated. This involved removing it from the frame. In doing this, the studio owner noticed the inscription on the back of the photograph. “My dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart. I love you more and more each day. I will love you forever and ever. I am yours for all eternity. It was signed, “Diane,” and it contained a P.S.: “If we ever break up, I want this picture back.”
There can be no P.S. in the Christian life. We have responded to God’s grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. When we accept His gift of salvation, it is for LIFE. There is no P.S. or out clause. We are either all in or not at all. Commitment in our walk with God is supposed to be like our marriage vows that we say to our spouse. Do you remember those words in your vows? “For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, till death do you part.” That means you are in it for the long haul and not the short term. Think about it!
As a pastor, I have seen couple bail out of their vows at the first sign of trouble in the marriage. But that is not God’s design. It is the same way in the Christian life. When you trusted Christ, it was for life. He wants you to be committed to the good times and the difficult times. How many people have started with the Lord or His church only to crash and burn along the way? I know people who were supposedly called to the ministry of being a pastor but no longer have anything to do with the Lord or His church. That is not the way it is supposed to be. There must be commitment.
Think about your walk with Christ considering Philippians 3:10. Do you desire to know Christ in the power of His resurrection and in the fellowship of His sufferings? Are you committed for the long haul with Christ? Recommit today and affirm your commitment to Him without an P.S. or out clause.
April 2025
The Grove Ministerial Alliance had its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 19th, at the RU Recovery Ministry Building north on Highway 59 just outside of town. The ministry leaders wanted to fix breakfast for us and share about their ministry. They are a faith-based recovery program bringing transformation into hurting people and communities everywhere.
Statistics tell us that one out of 10 individuals in the US have a drug problem. That can be everything from illegal drugs like meth to legal drugs like marijuana and alcohol. Every one of us knows someone or some family that has been affected by drug abuse. We also know that fentanyl is being smuggled across the border and is killing over 100,000 people a year in overdoses.
The RU Recovery Program has their “10 Principles for Overcoming Stubborn Habits” that is helping people throughout our country. The very first principle is “If God’s against it, so am I!” This principle is based on Galatians 5:19-24. This is the passage dealing with the deeds of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. In our text this past week in Philippians 2:15, Paul describes the sinful world we live in as “a crooked and perverse generation.” Satan has been twisting God’s Word and tempting people to live the opposite of God’s principles. Both words have the idea of twisting or making something crooked. We get our English word “scoliosis” from this Greek word. God’s paths are straight and narrow. He promises to lead us on the right path if we trust Him. (Prov. 3:5-6) Satan tempts us to follow his philosophy of “if it feels good, do it.” How many people have turned to drugs or alcohol to take away the pain that life throws at them? If we are to be controlled by something or someone, we must be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. Anything else is sinful and hurtful.
God’s Word was written to tell us what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. And it must begin by admitting that you have sinned and transgressed God’s law. You must repent of sin. That means you must have a change of mind which leads to a change of action. Repentance is a U-turn that God allows. You turn from sin and turn to Christ who died on the cross for your sins. The gift of salvation is not cheap, but it is free. You must receive God’s free gift in faith trusting that God will lead you from this point on. We live in a crooked and perverse world. Are you more in line with the world or with Christ? Remember, if God is against it, so should you be! Get in line with God’s Word today!
March 2025
I attended the first Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee for 2025 at the new Oklahoma Baptist offices located in the Sonic Building in Bricktown. We were shown around the new offices and got a glimpse of what Oklahoma Baptists are doing through our state offices.
Brian Hobbs, the Baptist Messenger editor, is our contact person for the committee. We meet in his office area and he keeps us informed on what is happening about ethics and religious liberty. In his blog that he shared with us, he talked about how the state of Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 in the United States in many key categories. We are ranked 5th in the U.S. for beef production. We are ranked in the top 5 in energy production and 7th in wind energy production.
Unfortunately, Oklahoma leads in some categories that are not so good. We are 2nd in the nation for the number of casinos within our state. We are 1st in the number of Indian casinos within our state. Oklahoma is ranked 6th in the nation when it comes to gambling addiction, with the second most gambling machines per capita, according to research in “The Oklahoman.” 1 in 16 Oklahomans have a gambling problem. 59.4% of Oklahomans have gambled in 2024. We have trusted in “lady luck” instead of the Lord.
Oklahoma is truly a gambling hotspot in this nation. To compound matters, the State of Oklahoma’s lawmakers are on the verge of approving sports betting in our state. And our Governor Kevin Stitt has said that he would approve legislation that he says is fair. When it comes to the lottery, casino gambling, liquor by the drink, and medical marijuana, we always hear about how it is going to help raise money in the state and will benefit our schools. I heard that canard till I’m blue in the face. Sports betting is just another way to further entice our citizens to gamble and lose money. It is always the poor and those with less money that are preyed upon by the gambling industry. Guess how much the tribes made on Class III gambling in 2024? $3.47 billion dollars. That is a lot of Oklahomans and others losing money they can’t afford. And those people who are losing their paychecks at the casinos are showing up at our churches and asking for gas money and food.
If you are tired of this nonsense, please call Senator Tom Woods at 405-521-5576 and Rep. Josh West at 405-557-7415 and tell them to vote NO on sports betting. It is time Christians trust in the Lord rather than “lady luck.”
As we continue our study in the Book of Philippians, I want to take some time to share with you about the subject of commitment. The Apostle Paul writes in 3:10 about commitment without using the word. Here is the verse; “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;” There is no word in the verse that is translated “commitment.” But notice what he is getting across to the Philippians Christians. In the Pastor’s Paraphrase, Paul says, “I want to fully know Christ in the good times and in the bad times.” He is not talking knowing about Christ like some book knowledge. Paul wanted to know Christ completely and fully in the great times and in times of darkness. That is commitment in the biblical sense.
Let me illustrate, a college student walked into a photography studio with a framed picture of his girlfriend. He wanted the picture duplicated. This involved removing it from the frame. In doing this, the studio owner noticed the inscription on the back of the photograph. “My dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart. I love you more and more each day. I will love you forever and ever. I am yours for all eternity. It was signed, “Diane,” and it contained a P.S.: “If we ever break up, I want this picture back.”
There can be no P.S. in the Christian life. We have responded to God’s grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. When we accept His gift of salvation, it is for LIFE. There is no P.S. or out clause. We are either all in or not at all. Commitment in our walk with God is supposed to be like our marriage vows that we say to our spouse. Do you remember those words in your vows? “For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, till death do you part.” That means you are in it for the long haul and not the short term. Think about it!
As a pastor, I have seen couple bail out of their vows at the first sign of trouble in the marriage. But that is not God’s design. It is the same way in the Christian life. When you trusted Christ, it was for life. He wants you to be committed to the good times and the difficult times. How many people have started with the Lord or His church only to crash and burn along the way? I know people who were supposedly called to the ministry of being a pastor but no longer have anything to do with the Lord or His church. That is not the way it is supposed to be. There must be commitment.
Think about your walk with Christ considering Philippians 3:10. Do you desire to know Christ in the power of His resurrection and in the fellowship of His sufferings? Are you committed for the long haul with Christ? Recommit today and affirm your commitment to Him without an P.S. or out clause.
April 2025
The Grove Ministerial Alliance had its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 19th, at the RU Recovery Ministry Building north on Highway 59 just outside of town. The ministry leaders wanted to fix breakfast for us and share about their ministry. They are a faith-based recovery program bringing transformation into hurting people and communities everywhere.
Statistics tell us that one out of 10 individuals in the US have a drug problem. That can be everything from illegal drugs like meth to legal drugs like marijuana and alcohol. Every one of us knows someone or some family that has been affected by drug abuse. We also know that fentanyl is being smuggled across the border and is killing over 100,000 people a year in overdoses.
The RU Recovery Program has their “10 Principles for Overcoming Stubborn Habits” that is helping people throughout our country. The very first principle is “If God’s against it, so am I!” This principle is based on Galatians 5:19-24. This is the passage dealing with the deeds of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. In our text this past week in Philippians 2:15, Paul describes the sinful world we live in as “a crooked and perverse generation.” Satan has been twisting God’s Word and tempting people to live the opposite of God’s principles. Both words have the idea of twisting or making something crooked. We get our English word “scoliosis” from this Greek word. God’s paths are straight and narrow. He promises to lead us on the right path if we trust Him. (Prov. 3:5-6) Satan tempts us to follow his philosophy of “if it feels good, do it.” How many people have turned to drugs or alcohol to take away the pain that life throws at them? If we are to be controlled by something or someone, we must be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. Anything else is sinful and hurtful.
God’s Word was written to tell us what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. And it must begin by admitting that you have sinned and transgressed God’s law. You must repent of sin. That means you must have a change of mind which leads to a change of action. Repentance is a U-turn that God allows. You turn from sin and turn to Christ who died on the cross for your sins. The gift of salvation is not cheap, but it is free. You must receive God’s free gift in faith trusting that God will lead you from this point on. We live in a crooked and perverse world. Are you more in line with the world or with Christ? Remember, if God is against it, so should you be! Get in line with God’s Word today!
March 2025
I attended the first Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee for 2025 at the new Oklahoma Baptist offices located in the Sonic Building in Bricktown. We were shown around the new offices and got a glimpse of what Oklahoma Baptists are doing through our state offices.
Brian Hobbs, the Baptist Messenger editor, is our contact person for the committee. We meet in his office area and he keeps us informed on what is happening about ethics and religious liberty. In his blog that he shared with us, he talked about how the state of Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 in the United States in many key categories. We are ranked 5th in the U.S. for beef production. We are ranked in the top 5 in energy production and 7th in wind energy production.
Unfortunately, Oklahoma leads in some categories that are not so good. We are 2nd in the nation for the number of casinos within our state. We are 1st in the number of Indian casinos within our state. Oklahoma is ranked 6th in the nation when it comes to gambling addiction, with the second most gambling machines per capita, according to research in “The Oklahoman.” 1 in 16 Oklahomans have a gambling problem. 59.4% of Oklahomans have gambled in 2024. We have trusted in “lady luck” instead of the Lord.
Oklahoma is truly a gambling hotspot in this nation. To compound matters, the State of Oklahoma’s lawmakers are on the verge of approving sports betting in our state. And our Governor Kevin Stitt has said that he would approve legislation that he says is fair. When it comes to the lottery, casino gambling, liquor by the drink, and medical marijuana, we always hear about how it is going to help raise money in the state and will benefit our schools. I heard that canard till I’m blue in the face. Sports betting is just another way to further entice our citizens to gamble and lose money. It is always the poor and those with less money that are preyed upon by the gambling industry. Guess how much the tribes made on Class III gambling in 2024? $3.47 billion dollars. That is a lot of Oklahomans and others losing money they can’t afford. And those people who are losing their paychecks at the casinos are showing up at our churches and asking for gas money and food.
If you are tired of this nonsense, please call Senator Tom Woods at 405-521-5576 and Rep. Josh West at 405-557-7415 and tell them to vote NO on sports betting. It is time Christians trust in the Lord rather than “lady luck.”