Posts by Southwest Church of Christ
Pearls from Proverbs: Influence (Proverbs 27:17)
Your environment matters. Who you spend your time with can significantly impact the direction of your life. Consider a smoker, for example. According to the American Cancer Society, two of the most common reasons individuals begin smoking are because their parents or their peers smoke. The desire to fit in with friends or to imitate someone admired influences desire, and desire influences behavior. The point is simple: your environment can impact your behavior. This does not mean our environment excuses…
3 Things Being a False Witness Can Accomplish
“The ends justify the means” and “A little white lie never hurt anyone”— these two cliches miss the obvious and contradict Almighty God. Proverbs 6:16-19 reveals seven things that the Lord hates. These abominations do not belong in the realm of moral ambiguity, yet man will run to defend them to some degree or another. James warns us about the tongue’s great potential to destroy, and John was told that “all liars” will have their part in the lake of…
Pearls from Proverbs: Trust (Proverbs 3:5,6)
Who do you trust? That is a loaded question, and the answer often depends on the context in which it is asked. Yet one thing is certain: we all place our trust in someone. For some, it may be a spouse; for others, a close friend, a mentor, or even themselves. Trust is a powerful bond. It often takes years to build, yet it can be broken in a single moment. The book of Proverbs has much to say about…
Biblical Occupations
One of the great things about the Bible is that God chose to use real life examples to teach us. We can better understand how to be Christians when we can relate a Bible truth to something we know already. The New Testament uses the following occupations to teach us what it means to live by faith (Gal. 2:20). A Christian is like a builder. Jesus used the parable of the wise and foolish man to illustrate the point that…
Pearls from Proverbs: Focus (Proverbs 4:25)
Where is your focus? Maybe it is upon the aspirations and goals you have set for yourself this year. It may be more narrowly upon a trial you may be facing or a desire you have right now. It may also be possible that you have no true focus at all, or your focus is crystal clear. Wherever you find yourself, we live in a world that is constantly trying to steal our focus, draw our attention elsewhere, or change…
Pearls from Proverbs: Generosity
Do you want to prosper? Prosperity is a state of living that most are working hard to achieve. Merriam-Webster simply defines this lifestyle as “thriving.” This is a life characterized by success and well-being. Naturally, the question then becomes, “How do I achieve such a life?” One of the keys to a prosperous life is given to us in the Book of Proverbs. This pearl of inspired wisdom says, “The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will…
To Whom Shall We Go?
One of the most powerful moments in scripture is recorded in John 6. Jesus had taught something that many of his listeners found offensive. Many of His disciples stopped following Him. Jesus, seeing them turn away, turned to the twelve apostles and asked them if they would also leave Him. Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the Son of the…
How Many Talents Have You Buried?
As we approach the end of December, many begin to reflect on the year. Perhaps you do this as you prepare for your goals for the upcoming year. What went right? What went wrong? What do I want to do differently next year? Amongst all these questions of reflection, consider this question: “What if I did not spend so much time on my phone?” The average American spends 5 hours a day on their phone. To put this into perspective,…
The Greatest Giver
I have been blessed to have received many wonderful gifts from friends and family members. But sometimes the gifts we receive are not useful, good for us, or right for us at the moment. The Hebrews writer made an interesting connection between God and our human fathers when he wrote, “God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (Heb. 12:7). In Luke 11:11 Jesus asked, “If a son asks for…
Run Towards the Storm (Jonah 1:1)
What’s the difference between a cow and a bison? This may seem like a silly question or the start to a joke, but the answer is fascinating. In the Northwest, ranchers deal with massive snowstorms that roll in each winter. These storms highlight a major difference between cows and bison. You see, when a snowstorm comes, cows will try to “outrun” the storm. In trying to run away from the storm, they often spend more time in the storm, and…
Take Time to Be Worldly
I love the song Take Time to Be Holy written by Williams Long Dunstaff and George C. Stebbins.. It indicates that time and effort must be offered on our part for holiness to be achieved. Of course man cannot save himself by works (Gal. 2:16). However, my obedience is necessary to have the faith and love required by God (Jn. 14:15; Jms. 2:17). Unfortunately, many spend their time in sinful worldliness instead of walking in God’s light. It’s as if…
How Far Will You Go? (1 Kings 10:1)
When you think about interesting characters found in the pages of scripture, the queen of Sheba makes my list. While there are many things we do not know about the woman (including her name), there are a great number of lessons we can learn from her example. 1 Kings 10:1 says, “Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with difficult questions.” (NASB 95) Just…