c er

OUR PRAYER REQUEST

Pace-maker put in on Monday,

November 18th

at St.John Hospital

Neil Richey, Shreveport, LA

Via Bulletin Digest

OUR PRAYER REQUESTS John Murray’s cancer has progressed and

there is a new chemo the doctors have

prescribed for him. He received 2 units of

blood on Thursday to help with his fatigue

and it will also boost his blood count. He

will start the new intravenous chemo

program on August 20th

. Please keep John

in your prayers.

Pam Howard is home after being

hospitalized at St. Francis Hospital in

Tulsa. She needs plenty of rest.

Ronda Moss is now home. The results of

her heart tests came back good.

Charles Finney was taken to Hillcrest

Hospital with high blood pressure.

OTHERS TO PRAY FOR

Bess Brooks, Carl Best Sr., LaVerne

Boren, Carol Downs, Jeanetta Clark, Judy

Coppedge, Craig Coppedge, Sue Finney,

Lauren Graves, Luke Graves, Ronald

Hamm, Carol Hall, June Hester, Bradley

Monett, Carolyn Nelson, Carol Reiner,

Beverly Stout, Brannon Scrivener, Betty

Stafford, Billie Stafford, Janet Sharp,

WHY INVITE PEOPLE TO

SERVICES? Though 85 percent of Americans call

themselves Christians, only 69 percent regard

themselves as church members. Only 43 percent

will attend church on a given Sunday. Another

22 percent will attend occasionally. Only 22

percent of Americans will attend Bible classes on

Sunday mornings. There are now 79 million

“unchurched” people in America.

Many of these people are “notional”

Christians. They claim to be Christians but do

not practice their Christianity by church

attendance. These are people who need a church

home.

Why do they need a church home? For the

same reason you do. They need the spiritual help

and climate going to church provides. They need

to hear the Scripture preached and to remember

the Lord’s death in His supper. They need to

praise the Lord in song and to pray about their

needs. They need the Lord’s help and teaching

from week to week.

They also need a church home because we

all need brothers and sisters in Christ. Life has a

way of handing us surprises. It means so much

to have the support of loving brothers and sisters

who will pray with us and for us when we need

them. Solomon was right when he said,”Two are

better than one” Ecclesiastes 4:9. There is

strength in numbers, and brothers and sisters

assure our hearts when they walk beside us in

serving the Lord. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

(Proverbs 27: 17).

Surely you know someone who needs a

church home. Won’t you help them? Bring

them to the Lord. “Come and see” John 1:46.

Phil Sanders, Edmond, OK

PRAYER REQUEST

BIBLE TRIVIA -Question of the week

What was Adam’s occupation while he lived in the Garden of Eden?___________________________ COMPLETE: Cain’s occupation was a__________________ and Abel was a _________________________ (Genesis 2 and 4) Write your name below. Then cut or tear out this box and turn it in to the office. ______________________________________ Congratulations to: Hermoine King, Joel

Dunham, Drew Dunham. Wyatt Applegate,

Tatem Kegley, and Gracie Vivion for

answering last week’s trivia question

correctly!

COMING EVENTS

January 24 – VBS Meeting – after evening

services January 24 – 7th-12th Grade Devo

January 26 – Power of Prayer – 6:00 p.m.

February 7 – Super Bowl Party at the

Castoe’s

BIBLE READING PLAN FOR 2016

Jan. 24-30 - John 1-21

J.E. Casey – January 26

Kylie Ramsey – January 27 Dutch Longenbaugh – January 28

Mike Upshaw – January 28 Clarissa Downing – January 30

IN NEED OF OUR PRAYERS/

ENCOURAGEMENT Health Concerns/Long Term Illnesses Kody Ramsey is improving.

Jerry McNickle is recovering from surgery.

Lynn King – Please pray that his heart procedure

on January 21st, will be successful.

Payton Stanley is in LeBonheur Hospital in

Memphis. He is going to have to have more

surgery to stop his seizures. He will be there for

some time in preparation for this surgery.

Harold Anglin requests our prayers for his

condition.

Toni Vivion’s biopsy revealed no cancer cells.

Deloris Lane has had to cancel knee surgery twice

due to illness.

Kathy Bryant, friend of the Narney’s, remains in

St. Francis with serious problems.

OUR NURSING HOME RESIDENTS Laverne Boren – Nursing home in Texas

Colonial Terrace-Pryor

Carol Reiner, Sue Finney, Sammie Casey

Shady Rest, Apt.C-10

Oliver Elliott

Avondale Cottage– Pryor

Edith Radschweit

Cancer/Cancer Treatment Colt Rowland Charles Finney Eric Yoder

Harley Turner Monty Stipes Keith Martin

Barbara Pittman Others to Pray For

Cathy Boren, Rick and Janette Clark, Judy

Coppedge, Glenn Downing, Don Foster, Ronald

Hamm, Earline Henson, Martha Johnson, Taylor

Kegley, Delores Martin, Juanita McNickle, Bonnie

Stafford, Teresa Stafford, Joe and Beverly Stout,

Chester Thompson, Gertrude Teague, Don and Katie

Vickery

NOTICE TO LTC PARTICIPANTS REGISTRATION FEES OF $35 ARE DUE

FEBRUARY 7. IF THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR

YOU, PLEASE LET DJ OR ONE OF THE ELDERS

KNOW.

LTC SCHEDULE Sunday

4:00 p.m. – Chorus (All)

5:00 p.m. – Puppets 10-12 / Drama 10-12

Wednesday

6:00 p.m. – Puppets – 3rd

-6th

/ Drama 3rd

-6th

7:00 p.m. – Bible Quiz Prep during class

[[[[

COME WORSHIP WITH US

SERMON TOPICS FOR JANUARY 24 Sunday AM –“Encouragement for the New Year” - Joshua 4 Sunday PM –“ Seeing People as God Sees People” - Matthew 15

Is It True That No One Wants to Hear the

Gospel Anymore? The answer to that question is a resounding NO! First, even if it were true that no one wants to hear the gospel, we still have a responsibility. (Ezek. 3:17-19; Acts 20:26-27). Second, if it were true that no one wanted to hear the gospel anymore, the Lord still has commanded us to take His Word to everyone. (Matt.: 18-20). Third, if it were true that no one wanted to hear the gospel, we must remember that not all wanted to hear Jesus or the apostles (Matt.: 10:1-4) – yet they preached! Fourth, if it were true that no one wanted to hear the gospel anymore, we should remember Noah’s example. Noah preached to people who did not want to hear (2 Peter 2:5). However, we know that the notion is not true. There are people who are willing to hear God’s Word! First, even in Noah’s day, eight souls were saved! Because of his preaching, Noah’s family was saved. Our family might be saved if we preach. Second, in the Old Testament, there was a remnant (Isa. 1:9; 10:20-22). Third, in the first century, people obeyed (Acts 2:41, 44; 6:1-7; 11:2, etc) What about in our day? “Into our hands the gospel is given! Into our hands is given the light!”

Email: pryorcoc@sbcglobal.net

Web: www.pryorchurchofchrist.com

Phone: (918) 825-2539

POWER OF PRAYER

JANUARY 26

6:00 P.M.

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Bible Class – 9:45 a.m.

Worship – l0:35 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Bible Class and Devotional – 7:00 p.m.

MINISTER

D.J. Castoe, Pulpit Minister

ELDERS

Carl Best Tom Coats

Gary Risner Don Stafford

Freddie Vivion

DEACONS Don Foster Rick Howard

Louis Gabbard

MISSION WORKS OUTSIDE OF

PRYOR Hope Harbor Claremore, Ok

Ghana Outreach Ghana, West Africa

Tent City & Last Water Village Papua, New

Guinea

Church of Christ

605 South Coo-Y-Yah

Pryor, OK 74361

Bible Study……………………………………86

A.M. Worship………………………………..133

P.M. Worship………………………………….68

Contributions……………………………..$2,803

Budget………………………………….....$3,400

Budget-Up-Date…………………..…….......+$47

LORD’S TABLE

Prayers: Carl Best Sr.

Matt King Benjamin Reist

Wayne Richardson David Stanley

SUNDAY NIGHT LORD’S TABLE

J.E. Casey/Darrell Applegate

PRAYERS

Freddie Vivion Marlow Jones

Carl Best Sr. Rick Howard

ASSIST DURING SERVICE

Jay Martin/Chris Martin/Charles Stafford

Charles Cobler

SOUND BOARD OPERATORS

1/24 Jerry McCoy - 1/31Mike Bartgis

SONG LEADER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rick Howard Carl Best Jr.

VAN DRIVERS

Charles Cobler/Jay Martin

COMMUNION GREETERS

Coblers Longenbaughs

BAKE BREAD

1/24 Raedena McCoy 1/31 Barbara Best

1/3 Toni Vivion

January 24, 2016

We Shouldn’t Have To Beg Super Bowl 50 is going to be played on February 7

th, 2016. It is estimated that over 115

million people will watch this Super Bowl. A 30 second ad will cost a whopping 5 million dollars.

There will be no telling how many Super Bowl parties will be going on. There will be no telling

how much will be spent on party supplies. Congregations will cancel services so their members

can watch the Super Bowl. If this game is anything like last year’s game, it will be talked about for

months and months after the final whistle. It is one of the biggest events that takes place in the

United States and even people all over the world get into the excitement of the Super Bowl.

It is incredible to me that over a third of the nation will watch the Super Bowl. It is mind

blowing to me that 2.9 billion dollars will be raised from companies buying 30 second commercial

time slots. It is crazy to think that congregations will change their meeting times just so their

members can watch a football game. It is hard to believe that so many people will continue to talk

about not only the game itself, but also the commercials far beyond Sunday, February 7. What is

even harder to understand is why people have no problem watching sporting events, but it feels like

we have to beg people to come and hear about Jesus Christ.

San Francisco will have no trouble filling the stadium for the game on game day, but every

week it is like pulling teeth trying to get people to come and worship God. I can’t even imagine

how many billions of dollars are spent on tickets, food, and team gear, but congregations have a

hard time meeting their budget. I wonder what God thinks when a football game, or any sports

event for that matter, takes so much more precedence than worshipping God does on the first day

of the week. I know that it is not only sports that keep people away, but no doubt sports come first

in many people’s lives, even over God.

We shouldn’t have to beg people to be a part of the body of Christ. I pray that one day the

church will get back to understanding this. God loved us enough to send Jesus to make atonement

for our sins. The best way we can respond to the love of God is to love God enough to place Him

on the highest place in our lives. God shouldn’t have to beg us to love Him and worship Him.

D.J. Castoe