Posts by Southwest Church of Christ (Page 4)
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…
My Favorite Bible Character: Joseph—Son of Jacob: Scout Betz
He was favored by his father and shunned by his siblings. He was thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery. While a slave he found favor in his masters house, enough favor so as to say “There is no one greater in this house than I…”(Gen. 39:9). Through false accusations he found himself in prison and yet again had “authority because the Lord was with him” (Gen. 39:23). His ability to interpret dreams to the baker and butler…
Developing the Mind of Christ
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). How Paul describes his identity in this passage is to be true of all Christians. Christ is “our life” just as he was Paul’s (Col. 3:4). Such a life involves taking on the mind of Christ–learning to think like Him. That is why Paul commands in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” How can we develop His mind?…
Jesus, Our Way to Forgiveness
In Romans 6:23, the Apostle Paul wrote, “the wages [the payment] of sin is death…”, and he is not simply talking about physical death. This “death” is ultimately the “second death”, which involves eternal torment for those who die in their sins (Rev. 21:8). So why is sin considered so bad that the un-forgiven sinners must experience torment? To understand, we must appreciate the nature of God and the problem of sin. God’s nature is such that it is impossible…
Jesus, the Old Testament, and Obedience!
Beginning in Matthew 5:17, Jesus begins teaching against the religious leaders who were guilty of perverting Old Testament teaching. They were accusing Jesus of speaking evil of the Law of Moses, and that He came to destroy the law, but Jesus did not come to minimize or ridicule the law because He knew that the law was holy, just, and good (Ps. 119:105). These Jews had a misconception concerning the law, which led to their false accusations. Therefore, Jesus in…
How Shall We Increase?
Church growth is a spiritual blessing given by Almighty God. Yet, His spiritual blessings are conditioned upon our obedience to Christ (Eph. 1:3), and He has given two conditions for church growth: sowing and watering (1 Cor. 3:6; Matt. 13:19). If we execute these conditions, God will give the increase. What is involved in sowing the seed of the kingdom? We must have the right seed, God’s word (Lk. 8:11; Matt. 13:19) because it is incorruptible, endures forever (1 Pet.…
Confess Your Faults One To Another – Johnie Scaggs, Jr.
James said, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (Jas 5:16). What does it mean to “confess your faults (sin)?” And to whom should we confess our sins? These are questions that have a biblical answer. It is becoming a trend among those who use Facebook and other media outlets to lay out one’s whole life history for the world to…
What is Church Growth?
Currently, church growth is a hot topic for many congregations of the Lord’s church and rightly so. First, because it was the desire of the first century church, and second, because today, many congregations close their doors each year. Therefore, this interest and desire for growth is very encouraging. Certainly, we should like to see this hunger and thirst for evangelism, instead of apathy among our brethren. Yet, the question must be asked, what is growth? The Scriptures teach church…
What Does the Lord Require of You?
In a passage considered to be one of the most comprehensive statements in the Old Testament, Micah raises the question, “What does the Lord require of you?” (Micah 6:6-8). He supplies the answer and makes important points of application, not only for the sake of Israel in his day, but for the benefit of the Lord’s church in ours. As with all of the Old Testament, it was written for our learning (Rom. 15:4). Israel’s attitude was, “God’s demands are…
Crucify the Flesh!
In Galatians 5:24, Paul wrote, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Have you ever considered the intensity of what he wrote? We are to “crucify” the flesh. Not pound, beat, or smash, but CRUCIFY! Why did Paul use this language? Paul said “crucify” because we must think about the cross. The crucifixion was a strategic effort to silence, discredit and eradicate Jesus. He was nailed to a cross and left to writhe…
Jesus, Our Way to a Better Life
The goal of our generation is to live “the good life.” This dream is not new, it has been the desire of every age and every walk of life. People search all over for what is good, but we must realize that Jesus is the only way to a good life (John 14:6). Jesus Corrects Our Misconceptions: Most people think of the “good life” in terms of material prosperity, physical pleasure, and popularity. They believe that these things will bring…