Posts by Cody Westbrook
The “Proverbs” of the New Testament
The Book of James has been called “The Proverbs of the New Testament” because of its highly practical nature. Within it you will not find a detailed theological dealing with justification or God’s eternal purpose, but you will find an exposition of God’s will on a number of subjects and challenges which confront Christians the world over, on a daily basis. How do we handle trials? How do we control our tongues? How should we view wealth? How should we…
A Desire to See
English writer John Heywood is said to have written the proverb “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” The statement perfectly captures the stubborn unreasonableness of one who willingly rejects truth. Sadly, the world is full of such people. Tragically, some can even be found in the church of our Lord. While Heywood perfectly captured the stubbornness of rejection, the Psalmist identifies the antithesis–the desire that should be found in every child of God. Psalm 119:18…
We Become What We Hate
The Irish philosopher, George William Russell, once said “By intensity of hatred nations create in themselves the characters they imagine in their enemies.” He recognized the ironic tendency in nations to adopt, over time, the characteristics of their adversaries which they focused all their energy on avoiding. Interestingly, that phenomenon often proves true in individuals as well. One who consumes himself with the determination to not become like his parent will often, unintentionally, become like that parent. Why is that?…
Our Passion for Leadership
An organization without capable leadership is like a ship without a rudder. It drifts along with the wind, headed to nowhere and destined for disaster. The same could be said about a nation, a family, and yes, even a congregation of God’s people. In time past Western Culture was led by figures like Churchill, Thatcher, Washington, and Lincoln. But tenacity, courage, and vision like theirs is difficult to find in the halls of government now, and where have we arrived?…
Welcome Bryce and Shelby Mayfield!
We are blessed to welcome Bryce and Shelby Mayfield to the family of God here at Southwest. They are both 2024 graduates of the Southwest School of Bible Studies and were married in October of 2024. They come to us from the Canyon Lake congregation where Bryce preached for just under a year. Bryce will serve as the associate minister for the Southwest congregation. He will be the primary coordinator of our evangelism program and will work with the youth…
Friendships to Avoid
The sins of Judah were numerous. Even a casual glance at the books of the Prophets reveals that truth clearly. But there is a curious, and perhaps overlooked point mentioned in Lamentations 1:2, “…All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.” The list of Judah’s sins included friendship with nations like Egypt and Assyria (Jer. 2:18). When trouble came, God’s people would run to their pagan friends for aid. Only to learn that Egypt and…
There is Hope in Your Future
Jeremiah 31:17 shines like a bright light in a dark night. In a book overflowing with doom and destruction, we find this statement: “There is hope in your future, says that Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border.” Judah was going to Babylon and nothing could be done to stop it. Their sin had found them out (Num. 32:23)! And yet, there was hope. After 70 years (Jer. 29:10) Judah would return, the walls and the…
In My Anger
It may seem strange to include Jesus and anger in the same sentence, much less an entire article dedicated to learning something about His anger. But perhaps our squeamishness at the idea of Jesus being angry is due to our tendency to view Him through a modern lens. When we think about anger in our culture, we usually think about someone who is out of control, who launches into a fit of rage. Cursing, being destructive, and seeking vengeance are…
Your Word is Your Bond, or is it? (Part 2)
The old colloquialism, “Your word is your bond” has roots in scripture. Numbers 30:2 says, “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” But, in a culture that no longer values honesty and integrity, it can be easy to forget that our word must be trustworthy. Consider three examples that are…
Your Word is Your Bond, or is it? (Part 1)
Shakespeare’s Hamlet said, “Ay, sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.” How right he was. Solomon asked, “But who can find a faithful man” (Pro. 20:6)? He sought for a man who was dependable, trustworthy, and truthful. That kind of person may be hard to come by in the world, but it should not be so in the church because God’s will for His people is that they be…
The Lord is Near the Broken Hearted
Psalm 34 is thought to have been written by David in remembrance of his escape from the courts of Achish, king of Gath, as recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. For fear of his life, David fled from the pursuit of an angry king Saul. He made his way to Gath, evidently expecting to receive quarter from Achish. But, David was not met with the greeting he expected. Instead, the servants of Achish identified him as king and he quickly realized…
The Goal of Sound Doctrine (Part 2)
Additionally, sound doctrine will create people in the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:10) and allow them to be examples that others can look to (vs. 16). Paul says, “However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” Wayne Jackson summarized the point of this passage very well. But Paul’s point of emphasis here is God’s…