Posts by Southwest Church of Christ (Page 3)

Posts by Southwest Church of Christ (Page 3)

Can the Bible Be Trusted? – Rob Whitacre

The authenticity of Scripture is one of the three pillars of faith: God, the Bible, and Christ. If any of these fail, the entire Christian system falls. We are living in a growing culture of skepticism and unbelief. Believers in Scripture no longer represent the vast majority; at best, it is 50-50. If we are going to change these numbers, we need to go on the offense. An offensive Christian is an evangelistic Christian. The purpose of this article is…

Did Miracles Really Happen? – Kevin Cauley

Christianity is a religion of miracles, and the Bible records the historical fact of them. Passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 declare this. The truthfulness of the Bible’s message rests squarely upon miracles (John 20:30-31). Christianity is a historical religion with historical evidence for its truthfulness, and miracles are the key witness. Many have challenged the Bible’s claims of miracles. The philosopher David Hume wrote, “A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and…

Does God Exist? – Branyon May

Often the answers to the simplest of observations can yield the greatest insight. Consider the following questions. Where did all the stuff in our Universe come from? Who or what put order and design in nature? How did we end up on a life-bearing planet? By answering these questions, we can form a reasoned argument that our Universe is not an accident but a purposed result (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20). Natural Existence Demonstrates the Need for Supernatural The simple old…

Personal Evangelism

What is your understanding of personal evangelism? When we consider this topic, we are dealing with a subject absolutely essential to the health and growth of the Lord’s church in every community. So, what is it? Simply put, personal evangelism is taking the work of sowing and watering the seed of the kingdom personally, so that God may give the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). It is a command that every Christian should be doing (Mark 16:15). Therefore, let’s consider some…

What is the Gospel?

If someone were to ask you, “What is the gospel?” Would you be able to give them a scriptural answer? If this question was placed before a denominational preacher, the response will most likely be 1 Corinthians 15:1-9, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, but these statements are simply facts about the gospel. They are only part of the gospel, the part to be believed. So then, what is the gospel? First, the word “gospel” means “glad tidings or…

Jesus, Our Way Out of Religious Confusion

Many people who genuinely desire to follow Jesus are sick and tired of the many denominations and conflicting teachings. Is it possible for people today to simply be Christians and not a part of denominational division of today? Absolutely! Jesus shows us the way out of religious confusion! For a moment, let’s consider Jesus’ own example in the religious atmosphere of His day. When Jesus came to this earth, the Israelites were living under the Mosaic Law. In that law,…

Jesus, Our Way to God

By His death on the cross, Jesus made possible the forgiveness of sins, and consequently, we are no longer the objects of God’s wrath (Rom. 5:9). Yet, as wonderful as being justified by the blood of Jesus may be, we need more than this. We need the kind of close relationship that existed between God and Adam before the fall, but if a close relationship is to exist between God and ourselves, we must understand who God is and feel…

Our Father Knows Best

To what extent are we willing to trust God? Are we willing to trust His plan for evangelism? As God’s people, we need to be assured of God’s wisdom for church growth because our Father knows best. Our Father knows the best mission, the salvation of souls. No doubt, it is that the highest calling because the soul is our most precious possession. This why Jesus once asked, “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole…

What the Church Needs Today!

As Christians, we understand that the world needs God’s love, and if they are to truly receive God’s love, they must obey His word (Acts 2:38-41; 8:12-14). This being true, what the world needs now is for us to fulfill our sacred responsibility of convincing them of the need to obey God (2 Cor. 5:11), which means we must be willing and ready to share the gospel of Christ. Yet, for that to happen, what does the church need today?…

Work Out Your Own Salvation

To the church in Philippi, Paul wrote, “… work out your own salvation…” (Phil. 2:12). Furthermore, Paul wrote that we are to be ready for every good work and be careful to maintain them (Tit 2:3:1-8). Why the need to be careful? Because though we were not saved by good works, we can lose our salvation if we do not produce them! So, how should we practice working out our own salvation? First, develop Christ-like character. We do this by…

A New Command

Just before His crucifixion, Jesus identified a key mark of discipleship. He gave what He called, “a new commandment” (John 13:34). It is a command to “love one another”, and He expressed, “by this all will know” who are His disciples (John 13:34-35). However, do we know what kind of love that is and do we demonstrate it? Even though the Old Testament Scriptures required a love for one’s neighbor as self- (Lev. 19:13,18), this new command is a call…

Thinking in Evangelism

In telling me about his conversion, our brother, Alan Putnam, told me some words that were spoken to him before committing His life to Christ. He was told, “Christianity is a THINKING religion.” Ever since I heard these words, I have been greatly impacted by them. I remember them almost daily, and here is why. As Christians, we are to THINK about what the Word is saying. We have to THINK about whether or not our actions are consistent with…