West View Church of Christ

08/26/2024

05/16/2024

Mark your calendar the 2024 Oklahoma New Years Meeting dates are December 28th - 31st. Keep watching social media for more information in the coming months!

07/08/2023

West View Church of Christ 175 Gooder Simpson Blvd Piedmont, OK

Introduction to worship: We understand it is a big decision to begin attending worship or to visit a new church. We want everyone to be comfortable walking through our doors. Here is a brief preview of what to expect when attending our worship services at the West View Church of Christ in Piedmont, Oklahoma.

We conduct our worship in a simple and orderly way with respectful obedience to the details of the Bible’s New Testament. We understand the Bible is to be our only guide and want our worship services to be in "spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24, John 17:17). All who attend, adults and children stay together in the worship area, each learning and worshipping as we are able. What follows is a list of the items of worship we find in the scriptures, with a short explanation of each.

Singing: Since the New Testament commands Christians to “sing and make melody in our heart” (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16), we sing without the addition of any instruments of music. We express our devotion and thanksgiving to God as we make a “joyful noise” to the Lord (Psalms 95:2). Songs are selected from the songbooks that are at every seat. We hope everyone will be comfortable singing along.

Teaching: The teaching service will be conducted by men only, speaking one at a time, and is intended to strengthen, encourage, and comfort all in our walk with God (1 Corinthians 14:3, 31, 34). Open Bibles and Bible apps are encouraged so we can see and follow as scriptures are read, explained, and given application by the speaker.

Contribution: The collection or contribution is taken only at the Lord's Day morning service (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). At this time each disciple voluntarily gives money, “as we have prospered, or earned, and as we have purposed, or planned” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Guests are not expected to participate when the basket is passed but may do so if they desire.

The Lord’s Supper: Each Lord’s Day morning we observe the communion just as it was introduced on the night of our Lord's betrayal (1 Corinthians 11:23-29). The brother initiating the Lord’s Supper will make a few introductory remarks before giving thanks for the bread, a single loaf of unleavened bread that represents the body of Christ (Matthew 26:26). He will break off a small piece and eat it, in obedience of the example to “break bread on the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7). The plate holding the single loaf of unleavened bread will then be passed row by row so each member of the church who wants to participate can break off their small piece to eat. Anyone who declines to participate simply passes the loaf on to the next person.

Next, the brother initiating the Lord’s Supper will pick up the cup that represents the New Testament (Luke 22:20) containing grape juice that represents the blood of Jesus (Matthew 26:28-29). He will give thanks and drink a sip. Like the loaf, the single cup will be passed row by row for each person to drink or decline until the whole assembly has been served. This is the simple pattern given in the New Testament and repeated every first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 1 Corinthians 11:23-29).

Prayers: The prayers, led by male members of the congregation, are addressed to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17). Our prayers praise God for his greatness, offer thanksgiving for our blessings, address various needs of which we are aware, and request God’s continued watchful care over all.

To Become a Christian: At each service, at the end of the sermon, an invitation will be offered, and a song will be sung. Those wishing to become Christians are invited to step forward and let their desires be made known. One who believes in God (Hebrews 11:6, Romans 10:17), repents of their sins (Luke 13:3), confesses that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:37), and is immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the remission of sins, has the promise of the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 28: 18-19, Acts 2:38). Salvation is at the time of baptism since that is when sins are forgiven (Acts 22:16).

When we obey the gospel in this way, we become Christians (Acts 11:26) and are added to the membership of the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47) which is identified in the Bible as the Church of Christ (Romans 16:16).

The invitation is also a time when any member who has sinned publicly can come forward to request prayer for forgiveness (Acts 8:24, 1 John 2:1-2).

Please join us for worship at West View Church of Christ, 175 Gooder Simpson Blvd., Piedmont, OK 73078, as we follow the ancient pattern of worship given in the New Testament and practiced by the earliest Christians. Our worship is every Sunday at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

06/07/2023

Make plans now to join us!

12/22/2022

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09/21/2022

Harvest Time Greg Gay September 21, 2022

After the flood, God’s covenant with mankind included these words: Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease."

This is the time of year when our thoughts turn to the time of the harvest, the gathering of what has been planted months before and cared for till the proper time.

Old Testament passages remind us of ancient farming: Isa 28:24-25 24 Does the plowman keep plowing all day to sow? Does he keep turning his soil and breaking the clods? 25 When he has leveled its surface, Does he not sow the black cu**in And scatter the cu**in, Plant the wheat in rows, The barley in the appointed place, And the spelt in its place?

Jesus reminds us of how seed was sown in his day in the parable of the sower. Everyone then would have understood the sower had a container of seed from which he draws a handful and throws it in a pattern as he walked. Matt 13:3-9 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

In his explanation of the parable, Jesus explains the spiritual lessons of the ancient practice of sowing seed. He explained the seed is, or represents the word of God (Luke 8:11), thrown everywhere to all the world for everyone to hear. What we do with the word of God is up to us. We can reject or receive it, as we choose. God’s love, expressed in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, encourages all to obey and embrace God’s truths. Satan, of course, is eager to have all turn away from God.

The Parable of the Tares gives us more vivid imagery to help us understand the consequences of our choice: Matt 13:24-30 24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

Jesus’ explanation of the parable is a reminder we all need serious reflection on who we are in our relationship with God: Matt 13:36-43 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

At the end of time, the final harvest will include all who have ever lived, resurrected, judged, and separated into two groups: those who have obeyed and served God versus those who have rejected God.

In the meantime, who do we want to be? Hopefully, we want to be among those who are diligently seeking God, to be ready for the final harvest!

Isaiah wrote: Isa 55:6-11 6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Please join us for worship as we “seek the Lord” in anticipation of the final harvest at the West View Church of Christ, 175 Gooder Simpson Blvd., Piedmont, OK 73078. Our goal is to follow the ancient pattern of worship given in the New Testament and practiced by the earliest Christians. Our worship is every Sunday at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

06/28/2022

We are just a few days away from our Gospel Meeting with Evangelist Cullen Smith from Farmerville, LA! This is a special event , with a special guest speaker for the weekend. We invite our friends and neighbors, especially from the Piedmont, OK area, to join us for any or all of the services. Any questions can be sent to this page, or to me at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing our building full again!

04/01/2022

The Building of a Church Greg Gay April 1, 2022

A construction company is building new duplexes on a street near our home. Each day we can see progress and steps of the construction process. A lot is leveled, followed by footings, underground plumbing, and electrical work before the concrete slab is poured. Then, the walls are framed, trusses, roofing, windows, doors, heating and air conditioning are all installed, with carpenters, roofers, electricians, plumbers, masons, and various tradespeople taking their turn. Each step involves quantities of materials expertly assembled by the builders into the exact structure planned by the architect.

Casual onlookers driving by likely have no awareness of the detailed planning and work that goes into such a structure.

In the same way, when we look at the spiritual structure of the Lord’s church, casual onlookers likely have no awareness of the detailed planning and work that was involved in creating such a structure. We find references to the intricate details of the church in the scriptures.

In an exchange with his disciples, Jesus said he would build his church. Matthew 16:13-19 13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." NKJV

When Jesus said he would build his church, he was not referring to a physical building such as the Jerusalem temple where God was worshiped under the law of Moses. He used the imagery of a physical building to refer to a spiritual structure, a spiritual temple.

In ancient building, the cornerstone is the source of strength for the entire building. In the Lord’s church, that is Jesus: Acts 4:10-12 … Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead… 11 This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." NKJV

The first century prophets and apostles are also part of the foundation of the structure. Ephesians 2:19-22 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. NKJV

All who are members of the Lord’s church are also part of the structure of this holy temple. 1 Peter 2:4-5 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. NKJV

We become a “living stone” when we obey the gospel in Faith (Romans 10:17, Hebrews 11:6), Repentance (Luke 13:3), Confession (Matt 10:32), and Baptism for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38, Acts 20:16). When we obey the gospel, God adds us to the spiritual house, the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47), identified as the Church of Christ (Romans 16:16).

This spiritual house is an amazing and beautiful structure. It is the exact structure planned by the greatest architect of all, God.

The beauty of the Lord’s church is compared to the relationship that is to exist between husbands and wives. Ephesians 5:22-32 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. NKJV

If anyone would like to know more about the church Jesus said he would build, message this page with any questions or to request a correspondence course.

Please join us for worship at West View Church of Christ, 175 Gooder Simpson Blvd., Piedmont, OK 73078, as we follow the ancient pattern of worship given in the New Testament and practiced by the earliest Christians. Our worship is every Sunday at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM.