Posts by Southwest Church of Christ (Page 2)

In Habakkuk 2:4, the prophet declared, “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” Although this is the first time the principle is stated in these words, it is not new. It is as old as God’s dealing with man. The righteous have always and always will live by faith (Gal. 2:20). Therefore, it is important for us to understand faith, and how to develop a faith approach to living.…

Currently, evangelism is a hot topic for many congregations of the Lord’s church and rightly so. Today, many congregations close their doors each year. Therefore, this interest and desire for church growth is very encouraging. Certainly, we should like to see this hunger and thirst for evangelism, instead of apathy among our brethren. The House to House School of Evangelism is a great work that is designed to motivate congregations of the Lord’s body to seek and save the lost…

In Ephesians 1:1, the Apostle Paul writes to “the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.” This passage taches us that those in Christ are “saints” and “faithful.” When we understand these terms more completely, they will help us appreciate the value of being in Christ. First, we learn that Christians are a possessed people. The word, “saint,” is from a Greek word that means, “holy, consecrated, set apart.” It expresses our relationship to the world (called…

Just as an apple tree produces fruit that has the potential to grow another tree, so a righteous person can influence family and friends to follow them in the paths of righteousness. But what makes a faithful Christian able to win souls? Christians win souls because they are wise (Pro. 11:30; Matt. 7:24-27). Our godly wisdom is more precious to the future of the Lord’s church than we may realize. As we grow and mature in the gospel of Christ,…

As we begin the new year, I would like for us to consider a hymn we often sing, “Why Did My Savior Come to Earth?” Our Lord answered the question in Luke 19:10, “to seek and to save the lost.” In other words, to be a soul winner. As Christians, we cannot be a follower of His and refuse to keep His mission alive (Luke 6:40); The two are inseparable (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15- 16). Let’s consider how our Lord…

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…

In Philippians 2:12-13, we read something that should give Christians great confidence, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and do for His good pleasure.” We are not alone in our efforts to “work out [our] own salvation.” There is power from God. In Ephesians 1:15-23, this power is something Paul wanted Christians to know. This “power toward us” is “according to the working of His mighty…

In Philippians 2:12-16, the Apostle Paul commands the brethren in Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” This concept in connection with God is not popular today. People prefer to hear about God’s love and mercy. When we point out God’s righteous wrath, holiness, and justice, people reply, “My God is not like that!” Therefore, let’s consider what it means to serve God with fear and trembling. The word “fear” is often used to describe “respect…

In Philippians 2:12-16, the Apostle Paul commands the brethren in Philippi to “work out  your own salvation… in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” Yet, we should remember that we are “saved by grace through faith, not of works” (Eph. 2:8-9), but as those saved through  faith without meritorious works  on our part, we have been “created in Christ Jesus  for good works” (Eph. 2:10; Tit. 3:1-8). Therefore, how…

It has been said, “following the course of least resistance makes men, as well as rivers, crooked.” No doubt, always doing the easy thing is a dangerous way to live, because obeying God sometimes requires doing things that are not easy. In Hebrews 5:8, it is said of our Lord, “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Therefore, the test of true faith is whether we obey when it is hard. It…

Did you know that the tongue is more powerful than a gun? While a gun can only take physical life, the tongue influences eternal destinations. For this reason, God says in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” So, do we own our tongue or does our tongue own us? Yes, it is challenging to control the tongue, but God teaches that it can and should be done (James 3:8-12). Consider a few points on…

When Christ gave the great commission to the apostles, he placed upon every Christian the obligation of teaching the gospel to every person (Matt. 28:18-20). This cannot be done by pulpit preaching alone, nor by the preacher alone. This was never God’s intention. Each Christian must contribute (Phil. 2:15-16). Therefore, let’s consider some reasons for personal evangelism. First, every Christian must be a personal evangelist to be like Christ, just as He said, “the Son of Man has come to…