Posts from 2023
Holding Fast the Word of Life
Philippians 2:12-16 teaches us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and allow God to work in us. We must do all things without murmuring and disputing, and be children of God without fault, by being blameless and harmless. Now, fundamental to our ability to do all these things is that we “hold fast the word of life” (Phil. 2:16). How can we accomplish this? Ezra 7:10 provides three ways. First, seek the law of the Lord…
From the Director’s desk (December 2023) – Trent Kennedy
Jesus trained his apostles. Moses trained Joshua. Elijah trained Elisha. The list could go on, but the Bible is clear that the task of training men to lead, to preach, and to minister is an important one (2 Timothy 2:2). The primary training ground for leadership is the home, but the church has a great role to play in furthering this cause. It is our belief that the Southwest School of Bible Studies can help local congregations in this endeavor.…
“And When He Gave Thanks….” – Justin Gonzalez
Jesus the Christ is the supreme example that all men should follow. Paul said “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Paul understood that Christ is the example to be followed in all things. John writes that the Christian should abide in Him and “walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). When looking to Jesus for our example, in order to do as He did and live as He lived, we see His use of…
“Justified in the Spirit” – Trent Kennedy
Jesus Christ is exhorted in First Timothy as our hope (1:1), our Lord (1:2), as the epitome of grace, faith, and love (1:14), our Savior (1:15), our mediator (2:5), and the one who will come again (6:14). This epistle and the New Testament certainly proves that He is worthy of our praise, adoration, and honor. In the short, Spirit-inspired song of praise through the pen of Paul (1 Tim. 3:16), there is a phrase that draws the present-day reader’s attention:…
The Purpose of Gospel Preaching – Clay Bond
These words, spoken so long ago, reflect what God wants more than anything. His desire is for His creation to hear His spoken word which is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). In our age, God has designated Gospel preaching to be the means by which His…
Are You A “Dissembler”? – Carl B. Garner
Abraham Lincoln often told a story about a young man who murdered both of his parents, then entered a plea for leniency on grounds that he was an orphan. The judge was having none of that, and he used a word that was not familiar to the jury. The word “dissembler” was not the word they would have used, but it was exactly what they were thinking. A dissembler is “one who conceals under a false appearance; to conceal the…
How to Deal with Stress
“Americans are some of the most stressed out people in the world.” That was the conclusion of the Gallup Global Emotions report and it probably does not surprise you. What might surprise you is that the report was published in 2019. As can imagine, the problem is far worse today than it was a few years ago. Everyone experiences stress to some degree as part of the natural course of life. When events happen, like a major move, a wedding,…
Buying and Selling the Soul – Rick Brumback
Every sales transaction requires both a buyer and a seller, whether buying a home, an automobile, or any other item. In any such transaction, both the buyer and the seller must agree on the price. What the seller asks reveals how much he estimates its worth to be. What the buyer is willing to pay reveals their appraisal of its worth. It is this idea of buying and selling that Peter has in mind concerning God (1 Pet. 1:18-21). The…
The Two Roads of Life
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” The indelible ending of Robert Frost’s “The Road not taken” has inspired generations of risk takers to go against the grain in search of purpose and success. To be sure, many of the great success stories of the past relate tales of determination to defy expectation and convention in pursuit of triumph. It should be noted, however, that the…
Holding Up Our Hands
The event may seem out of place in the structure of the book but upon closer inspection one finds that it fits perfectly well. The Lord provided bread from Heaven in Exodus 16, water from a rock in Exodus 17:1-7, and in chapter 18 He will provide Moses with some helpful advice for effective leadership. How does a 9 verse narrative of a battle against the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-16 fit in the middle of God’s reminders of provision? The…
Children of God Without Fault
In Philippians 2:14-15, the Apostle Paul commanded, “Do all things without complaining and disputing…” for the purpose that we “may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world…” Therefore, it is not enough to be “children of God.” We must be “without fault”, and this is only true if we are “blameless and harmless.” Surely, when we do so, we will…
From the Director’s desk (November 2023) – Steven Lloyd
We are well into our second quarter of the school year. COVID and the flu have struck our student body and at least half a dozen students have missed school wrestling with their illnesses. Our Director, Trent Kennedy, and his wife, Lisa, and their children, Ella, Troy, Luke and Annie, are in Singapore for ten days. He is slated to speak numerous times in lectureships, Sunday worship services, and camps. The school will take a break, November 22-26. When we…