Okeechobee Christian Church is an independent, congregationally governed community of Christians. We do not believe that we are the only Christians, but we do seek to be "Christians only."

At the Christian Church, our aim is to follow the pattern of the early Christians, in so far as possible. To this end, we try always "to do Bible things in Bible ways, and call Bible things by Bible names." We do not follow any creed written by men; our sole guidebook is God's Word, as revealed in the Bible. In matters of opinion, where there is no definite statement from the Bible, we try to allow for each individual to follow the dictates of his or her own heart and conscience (see Romans 14).

We believe that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and that only through God's grace can anyone be saved (Ephesians 2:8-10). Furthermore, the Bible teaches that we must repent of our sins; that is, we must be truly sorry for the sin in our lives, to turn our backs on those sins and live in a way that is pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 7:9, 10).

We practice baptism by immersion for the forgiveness of sins, according to the New Testament (Acts 2:38). We believe that baptism is not a work, but an act of faith and obedience to God's command (1 Peter 3:21). Romans 6:1-6 teaches that baptism is a burial, in which the old way of life is put to death, and that a person rises from the water to "live a new life."

Acts 2:38 teaches us that at their baptism, believers receive "the gift of the Holy Spirit." We understand this to mean that God’s Spirit comes to live in our hearts as our Comforter (John 14:16). He helps us in our prayers (Rom. 8:26) and assists us in understanding spiritual matters (1 Cor. 2:10-16).

We observe the Lord's Supper every Sunday; we believe that this was the early church’s practice as well (Acts 20:7). The Communion is a memorial service honoring Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-26), and it was Jesus' commandment that all His followers should share in it (Matthew 26:26-28). Therefore, we believe that no one has the right to open or close this service to anyone. We ask only that a person follow the words of the Apostle Paul and "examine himself before he eats and drinks" (1 Corinthians 11:28).

We believe that our Christian faith must reveal itself in our individual lives and character. The qualities which Paul calls "the fruit of the Spirit" must be seen in our lives: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22, 23).
If you are not a Christian, we want to help you come to know God in a real and personal way. If you are already a believer and are looking for a place to worship and serve God, we invite you to join with us.

With the Bible as our only rule of faith and practice, we entertain the hope that as a congregation we may help to restore the truth and simplicity of the Church as founded and established by Christ and organized by His apostles, under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

If you would like help in finding a Christian Church near you e-mail me.

mikeratliff@highstream.net

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