Posts by Southwest Church of Christ (Page 8)
Pandemic
We have heard the word pandemic a lot over the past several months. A pandemic condition exists when disease indiscriminately spreads over an entire country or the world. The word comes from the Greek, Pan meaning, “all”, and the word demos meaning, “people.” A pandemic is no respecter of persons. It can affect both young and old, male and female. Worth considering is the difference between a pandemic and the plagues that struck Egypt in the days of Moses. Consider,…
When Judgment Becomes Doctrine
The church of Christ is designed to be a united body (Eph. 2:14-16; 4:4-6). Unfortunately, the Devil has servants who try to disrupt that unity through false teaching and ungodly practices. In Romans 16:17-18 Paul provides instructions for dealing with such individuals. First, there is the command to “note,” or pay close attention, to those who cause division, and “avoid” them, which indicates purposefully keeping away from them. The rationale for this command is fleshed out in 3 points. First,…
Greater than Gold!
The 19th Psalm is one of the most memorable in the Psalter. The first 6 verses magnificently describe the general revelation of God in nature. It calls us to behold and stand in awe of the creative genius of Jehovah as we see His fingerprints all around us. But the God who created has also commanded, and this theme is taken up in the next portion of the Psalm (vss. 7-11). Note how God’s Word is described (vss. 7-9). The…
Southwest School of Bible Studies Graduation 2020
Sunday marked the end of another year of schooling at Southwest. The pandemic the world finds itself wrestling with did not pass us by. Though none of the students contracted the virus—that we know of—it still left its mark on our schedule. For several weeks, classes were conducted via the internet. We did not skip a beat thanks to the technology skills of brother Logan Summers. The annual year-end banquet held in honor of our supporters and graduates was canceled…
An Update About Our Graduation Dinner
Southwest Family and Friends: After much prayer, we have decided to not have a graduation dinner this year for the 2020 graduates. We appreciate your prayers for our graduates and will continue with the graduation after Sunday evening services 7-12-20 at 7 PM. We are also looking into live-streaming this special time for the students on this occasion. More details to come soon!
The Value of Human Life
Recent events once again bring the discussion of the value of human life to the forefront of society. The tragic death of George Floyd, the outcry for justice, and sadly, the anarchistic rioting that followed have captured the attention of millions in our country. These events force us to consider a fundamental question, “What is a life worth?” Humanity does not possess the right to define the value of life. Creation cannot set its own parameters (cf. Rom. 9:21). Further,…
How to be a Mentally Strong Christian
At times, anxiety can be overwhelming and if we are not careful if may consume us. This is why Solomon said, “keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Consider a few suggestions for developing the mental strength necessary to ensure we stay focused. Trust God. The key to being mentally strong is to realize that our strength does not come from within us, it comes from God. “The Lord is…
Full Atonement – Can It Be? – Kevin W. Rhodes
The Jews journeyed to Jerusalem for several feasts every year—each having a special significance. As they traveled and approached the city and especially the temple, their purpose in drawing near grew clearer and clearer. This developed not only from their proximity to their ancient capital but also due to their practice of singing psalms as they approached, songs designed to remind them of their identity, of their need, and of their purpose in coming to worship in the temple on…
Great Is God’s Glory! (Psalm 138) – Johnny Ramsey
Truly, the Bible often puts the spotlight on the praise and adoration we ought to manifest toward our Maker. In Psalm 138, we have a noble example of this marvelous expression of loyalty toward Jehovah: Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord. (Ps. 138:1) Ten sections later, in Psalm 148, we have the basis for the famous hymn we have known since childhood: Let them praise the name of…
Overcoming Discouragement: Part 2 – Ronnie Scherffius
Overcoming Discouragement (Part 2) One of the greatest and often kept hidden challenges that we have in this life is discouragement. Everyone faces discouraging circumstances in their lives. These circumstances vary from bad grades on a test, not making the team, or a relationship breakup for a youth to job loss, lengthy illness, or loss of a spouse for an adult. Among all of humanity and at every age everyone suffers from discouragement. This being the case we should direct…
Overcoming Discouragement: Part 1 – Ronnie Scherffius
There has never been a time more difficult than today. There has never been a society where men were more sinful and given to wickedness than our own. There has never been occasions where there was more reason for discouragement among God’s people than there is today. This may be the attitude of some—but it is wholly without merit (cf. Gen. 6; Acts 8). Though we may be disposed to believe that discouragement is unique to our time and perhaps…
It Doesn’t Count – Steve Higginbotham
On August 8, 1988, the Chicago Cubs played the first-ever night game at Wrigley Field. For nearly 60 years, other teams were playing at night and were seeing a huge increase in attendance and revenue. So on August 8, 1988, the Chicago Cubs finally hosted their first night game under the lights. However, if you look at the record books, you will see that the first night game at Wrigley Field was not played on August 8, 1988, but on…