Southwest Christian Church

04/26/2026

Today we conclude our journey through Joshua. In his final speech, Joshua reminds the people of all that God has done in and through them and asks a question; Who will you serve? Today we ask that same question of ourselves.

04/19/2026

We are happy to announce that we raised more than $8000 for our youth and preteens to go to camp! Thank you everyone who contributed!

04/19/2026

Thank you for joining us today! We're glad you chose to share this time in worship with us. Today we land in Joshua 22 as the last of the lands are divided.

04/12/2026

Today we pause and look at the life of Caleb. By the time we get to chapter 14, he's an old man, but still full of vigor. In his story we get a model of what it means to be a person of faith.

04/06/2026

04/04/2026

Join us tomorrow for worship @10:30 as we celebrate Jesus’ defeat of sin and death!

04/04/2026

Saturday - Resting and Waiting

Matthew 27:57-66, Luke 23:50-56

It was the end of a brutal day. A day that had been full of beatings and ridicule, of betrayal and heartbreak, of angry crowds and demands for death was finally over. The crowds had gone home. It was quiet. The body of the savior of the world still hung on the cross that he had willfully climbed onto. The Romans were more than content to let bodies hang on crosses indefinitely as a warning to everyone who might see it, but Jewish law was more humane. The couldn't hang over night. They had to come down, time was of the essence, and sunset was their deadline. The Sabbath was coming with its mandated rest. For the first time in this whole ordeal Jesus is treated with dignity and respect, his body honorably prepared, wrapped and treated before it is laid to rest.

Then comes the Sabbath. I imagine those who loved Jesus were heartbroken. They were scared. They were exhausted, the events of the day too much for anyone to hold for very long. It's fitting that rest followed Jesus' death. On the cross a system of faith that had been based on work, on what I can bring to the table, on how closely I can follow the law was turned upside down and replaced with forgiveness and grace. Salvation wasn't going to be found in toiling away, but rather in resting in the truth of who Jesus is and what he accomplished on the cross. The payment for sin had been settled. Creation was finally reconciled back to its creator. So, they rested, maybe more completely than anyone had rested since sin entered the world.

They rested and they waited. Jesus had told them this day would come and that he'd rise again. They'd seen him die, but would they get to see him rise again? They'd prepared his body the best they could, and now there was nothing else for them to do. The rest was all squarely in the hands of God and whether they understood it or not, God was at work.

Resting and waiting. How can two words that seem so passive be so hard to actually do? I'm sure the difficulty is rooted somewhere in our desire to control or feel justified, but it's in those times that we are waiting on a miracle that we are reminded of the truth that God can accomplish his will without us. He doesn't need our help. The miracle of the resurrection was coming. They just needed to wait for God to do his thing.

How often do we become impatient with God? How often do we get frustrated with his timing, take back over, and start working things out on our own? Maybe you're waiting on a miracle right now, praying that God will come through in a way that only he can. Allow today to be a practice in resting in God, in trusting that even when things seem the darkest, God is still working to redeem and restore.

04/03/2026

Famous Last words
Good Friday
Luke 23:26-48

Roughly two hundred years before Jesus hung dying on a cross, the righteous man Mattathias lay on his deathbed. His dying words were "avenge the wrong done to your people. Pay back the Gentiles in full" (1 Maccabees 2:67-68). These famous last words inspired his son Judas, also known as Maccabeus which means "the hammer", to take up arms and launch a revolution. This is what many of the people had in mind when they welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem as their king. They wanted Jesus to bring the hammer crashing down on the evil empire once again. But Jesus proved himself to be a very different kind of king. So different that the people turned on him, and soon the hammer would be brought down on Jesus as he was crucified. In his final agonizing moments Jesus also offers up some famous last words that will spark a wholly different revolution.

Romans crucifixion was meant to inflict not just death, but public humiliation and excruciating pain (you can hear from the word "excruciating" that it derives from the practice of Roman crucifixion). If I was suffering that terrible ordeal, it's easy for me to imagine responding with curses, or pleading my innocence; or just crying out in feelings of anger, agony, and abandonment. But how Jesus conducts himself throughout the crucifixion both astonishes and inspires me. In today's Good Friday devotional we will reflect on the final words that were said to Jesus and said by Jesus on the day of his crucifixion.

As Jesus is being led to where he will be crucified, there are a number of sympathetic women following along who are opening mourning for him. Remarkably, in his most difficult hours, Jesus tells these women not to cry for him but to save their tears to themselves. How selfless and how prophetic! Jesus himself has wept for those in Jerusalem as they have misunderstood the kind of peace that he brings, and he prophetically predicts the bitter fruits they are sowing (Luke 19:41-44). It also makes sense why Jesus would tell the women not to weep for him, as he has also predicted his own death and how it will actually bring glorification (John 12:23-28).

Jesus has been speaking prophetically about things that will come to pass throughout his passion week and yet he is met with ridicule and violence. When Jesus was arrested, the guards blindfolded and struck him, and then mock him by demanding that he prophesy about who hit him (Matthew 26:67-68, Luke 22:63-65). This scene drips with irony because as they mock him for being a false prophet, Jesus' prophetic prediction of Peter's denial comes to pass.

Jesus' concern for others, even in the midst of his own acute suffering, is displayed in his words of comfort to the criminal on the cross. Here Jesus is proving himself not only to be innocent but astonishingly righteous and wholly worthy of being glorified. Jesus' immaculate character is brought into even sharper focus by the contrast of those transgressors who he is identified with and crucified alongside of (Luke 22:37, Mark 15:28). One of those criminals crucified beside Jesus recognizes that while their own punishment may be deserved, Jesus is innocent (Luke 23:41) something that even one of his ex*****oners came to recognize: "Surely this was a righteous man!" (Luke 23:47). Even though Jesus did not deserve this death and that criminal did, and the criminal did not earn glory but Jesus did; even still Jesus there on the cross extends to him the same trust in God and promise of glorious reward: "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)

Perhaps the most iconic mockery and violence done to Jesus is the crown of thorns thrust onto his head (John 19:2-5). Matthew and Mark observe the terrible detail that the soldiers used a staff to hammer this crown of thorns into Jesus' head (Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20). Later that day they would hammer nails into Jesus's body to fasten him to the cross. In Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ when we see the nail about to be driven into Jesus' palm, the hand holding that nail is actually the hand of Gibson himself. What the film is trying to convey here, is that we are all culpable for Jesus' crucifixion as he is dying for our transgression. We wanted Jesus to be another hammer to smash our enemies, but instead Jesus allows us to bring the hammer crashing down on him. And yet here are perhaps the most famous last words Jesus says for all of us at this world-shattering moment: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). The world will never be the same ever since these words were spoken.

It's hard not to be moved by each of these sayings, but it would be easy to dismiss them with the thought: "I could never do such a thing" or "that's something only Jesus can do." But remember, by the grace of God, we too can be clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Colossians 3:7-14, Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27, 2 Corinthians 5:21). We see Christ's righteousness echoed in Stephen's last words: "While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:59-60)

And this righteousness is not just reserved for Bible stories. When I was working as a hospital chaplain I sat with many people as they died. Knowing their life was coming to an end they would muster the strength for some intentional final words. It doesn't always happen like this, but I have personally witnessed how powerful the last words of some Spirit-filled Jesus followers can be. I was so often amazed by the profound peace they had, their deep trust in soon being received by their Lord in paradise, and yes even the radical forgiveness for those who had wronged them. That's the righteousness of Christ at work in us.

04/02/2026

Maundy Thursday: Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet and Last Supper

John 13: 1-17

Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, is most notable because Jesus spent this day washing the feet of the disciples and sharing the last supper with them. There are two truths that we must acknowledge today in our Holy Week preparation for Easter; namely, that the pattern of Jesus' leadership stands in stark contrast to what we think of as "traditional" leadership and that we have been given a seat at the table of God in spite of our own failings.

Jesus washing the disciples feet is so shocking to us as readers of John 13 and it seems perhaps even more shocking to the disciples who were having their nasty feet washed by their Lord. Peter, always the first to speak up (13:8), at first refuses to have his feet washed by Jesus. This shows us how counter-cultural it was for a revered leader, much less the Son of God, to do the dirty and humble work of washing feet. So we find ourselves faced with the same jaw-dropping question that must have been on the minds of the disciples as Jesus explained why he washed their feet (13:12-17): Have we really been so wrong all this time about what it means to lead? The answer is a resounding yes. In Christ, we discover that God defines the quality of leadership is found in humility and service. We so often mistakenly define leadership as ability, decisiveness, intelligence, and skills, but when we actually encounter meaningful leadership, we find that its greatest strength is in building up the ones being led. This is an important truth that we can all take into our lives, because we all lead in some capacity. Be it in our home, at the office, in our church community, or with our friends people look to us for leadership and we have the perfect model to show us how to lead in Christ.

There is much intrigue and tension at the last supper. After all, the revelation that one of the disciples has betrayed Jesus shook the small group of Jesus' followers to their core. Judas' betrayal is not, however, the focal point of the supper. The reason that the last supper is such a powerful moment in the life of Jesus and all of our lives is because Jesus invites us to the table!! Much of Jesus' ministry has been accomplished through table fellowship. Why is that you may ask? That is because when we share a meal together we discover the most intimate and praiseworthy setting for community and communion with God. At the last supper in Matthew 26:26, Christ blesses the bread, breaks it and gives it to His disciples. This pattern of blessing, breaking, and giving is seen in many of Jesus' miracles, and it is here that we find the symbolic heart of being invited to the table of God.

The table is, first, a place of great blessings; we are sustained and nurtured at the table, not just physically but spiritually and emotionally. The table is the place where we receive God's goodness and mercy. At the table, we find our constant journey for more, surprisingly satiated. At the table where we receive our blessings from God we are finally full. The table is, second, a place of brokenness. At the table of God, when we are closest to Him we view His Holiness in all its splendor and we discover that His holiness is wholly other than ourselves. Initially the realization that we are not like God is difficult for us, but as any meal progresses we find comfort, even in proximity to the Almighty. With the intimacy that table fellowship with God brings, we discover that even in our brokenness we can find rest for our souls because He holds us close. The table is, lastly, a place for giving. When we sit at a table with others we cannot avoid offering much of ourselves. Around the table we give two things to our neighbors: our best flavors and our best stories. Both reflect, in an easily palatable way, all of life's sweetness, bitterness, joy, and sorrow. We give all of ourselves at the table, and that is exactly what Christ did at the Last Supper. When He offers us the bread and the wine, He is offering us all of Himself! We can receive that generous gift together.

04/01/2026

Spy Wednesday: Jesus is betrayed and Prepares for death

Matthew 26:1-16

Spy Wednesday gets its name from the spy, Judas, among the disciples; and indeed it is the betrayal of Jesus by Judas that sets the events of the Passion into motion and leaves us to ponder what could be motivating the spy to betray the Son of God. Our reading for today gives us some indication on how Jesus' betrayal came about and what we may meditate on as we, ourselves, prepare for Easter.

Chapter 26 of Matthews Gospel begins with Jesus once again (16:21; 17:12, 22-23; 20:18-19) predicting his arrest and crucifixion, yet this time his prediction is that it will be soon. We know from Mark's gospel that the disciples had difficulty wrapping their heads around Jesus' fate, with Peter in Mark 8 going so far as to rebuke Jesus for saying such a thing. And here we must recognize the shame and fear that crucifixion carried with it for Jews in the Roman world.

Crucifixion was a method of ex*****on that was reserved for those considered lesser-than in Roman society; political dissidents, slaves, rebels, and disloyal soldiers. The men that surrounded Jesus were also introduced to the torturous spectacle of crucifixion at a young age. Assuming that they were all generally around the age of Jesus, they would have witnessed the aftermath of a Jewish rebellion in the year 6 AD lead by a Galilean messianic figure (ironically) named Judas. The outcome of that revolt was that Publius Qunictilius Varus, had 2000 Jews crucified in and around Jerusalem. The trauma from that event still clearly lingered in the collective imaginations of the people that lived in Judea at the time that Jesus was speaking to his disciples. In fact, we are even told that the Jewish Chief Priests and Elders, who were conspiring to kill Jesus, were reluctant to kill Him during Passover because it could cause a riot in Jerusalem, and that would in-turn be used to justify a harsh response from Pilate and the Roman authorities.

With that in mind, we can deduce that Judas, and likely the other disciples, would have considerable cause to fear Jesus' proclamation that he would be crucified. Not only because their beloved Messiah would endure a terribly painful and shameful death, but also because they may receive the same death sentence.

Our reading today also includes the story of Jesus' anointing by the worshipful woman in Simon the Leper's house (26:6-13). In this event, there was costly perfume poured out onto Jesus' head in the fashion of funeral preparations. The disciples reaction was negative, wondering why such costly perfume would be used instead of sold to give the proceeds to the poor. When Jesus tells them that He is, Himself, worthy of the expense of the perfume, we find that soon after Judas is making a bargain to betray his master to the authorities for money.

On this Spy Wednesday we grapple with the hard truth that the pearl of creation, Jesus Christ, was betrayed by one of his friends and executed by the "religious leaders" who should have known Him and praised Him. That both of the betrayers, Judas and the high priests, were likely motivated by greed and fear is a truth that convicts. Judas' greed for wealth and fear of crucifixion, and the high priests and elders greed for power and fear of a Messiah who did not operate on their terms, is a reminder of what we are susceptible to. As Christians we must contend with the fact that we will not be given all that we want and our Messiah does not operate on our terms. What we have been given, however, is a hope that transcends all of our wants and desires. We are loved by God to such an extent that our wants and our fears cannot stand up to the power of His love. We are all susceptible to a desire for power and wealth, we are also presented with many circumstances that can inspire fear; yet, the our fear of death has been overcome by our hope in life everlasting in Christ and our desires for wealth and power are satiated in the abundance of love that we have with the most powerful being in existence! Truly, no eye has seen and no ear has heard (1 Corinthians 2:9) what God has prepared for us in glory, and that is a reminder that we can take into this week! Praise God!

03/31/2026

Holy Tuesday: Jesus Proves His Authority

Matthew 21:23-32, 42-46

Holy Tuesday is perhaps the least recognizable day of Passion week. Whereas the other days we see Jesus taking memorable actions: riding a donkey, turning over tables, or washing feet; Jesus seems to spend most of Tuesday just talking. For example in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says more during this Tuesday than he does for the sermon on the mount. Some of the talk is Jesus responding to questions, some is Jesus offering teaching of his own initiative, but the common effect is Jesus proving Himself to be an authoritative voice on the Kingdom of God.

In some subtle ways Jesus' actions on the previous two days, Sunday and Monday, hint towards Jesus being the ultimate passover sacrifice. On the one hand Jesus shuts down the sacrificial system by driving out the animals from the temple, but on the other hand Jesus is providing Himself as a paschal lamb. Jesus also deliberately makes his entrance into Jerusalem from the northeast, likely entering through the sheep gate, so called because this is where sheep would enter the city to supply pilgrims with passover lambs. Curiously, some readers of the mishnah (a collection of rabbinic teaching) speculate that many of these lambs might have been born in pastures of the not too distant town of Bethlehem. The day Jesus enters Jerusalem was also the day that families were to select their passover lamb, but before this lamb was to be killed each family must ensure their chosen lamb was without blemish (Exodus 12:3-6). Perhaps it is no coincidence that Jesus spends much of Passion week deliberately in the public eye displaying his integrity and proving his authority.

Why would Jesus need to prove his authority? As we have seen Jesus made an incredible impact during the first two days he was in Jerusalem. Not only did he make a dramatic entrance that stirred up the city, but he subverted the sacrificial system and opened the temple up to those that had previously been excluded from it. This engendered both great interest and enthusiasm from those whom Jesus was uplifting, but also concerted opposition from those Jesus was criticizing.

As Jesus continued to teach in the temple courts he proved to be so popular with the masses that in effect he was shielded from the temple authorities directly deposing him. Though the leaders had already resolved to kill Jesus (Luke 19:47) they couldn't stage a direct counter offensive for fear the crowds would kill them (Luke 20:6). So the temple leaders pursued a subtler approach to discredit Jesus: by pretending to approach him with genuine questions that were in fact meant to trap Jesus in an unpopular position (Luke 20:20). The leaders already understood that for them to kill Jesus they would have to turn the crowd against him. They would eventually succeed with this subterfuge, but not before Jesus proved Himself to be infallible when faced with their questions (Matthew 22:46).

This is the time and place that Jesus delivered some of His most famous teaching such as the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-34, Matthew 22:34-40). For today's reflection we'll only briefly examine a lesser known teaching that is unique to Matthew's gospel: the parable of two sons (not to be confused with the prodigal son story). Unlike some of Jesus more difficult parables, Matthew 21:28-32 may be one of the most forcefully clear illustrations that Jesus ever employed: which son actually did what the father desired? The son who said he would, but actually didn't; or the son who said he wouldn't, but actually did? The choice is painfully clear, and it's not a trick question. Even though they were trying to trap Jesus in his words, they found themselves rhetorically cornered. This parable has truth in it that is still encapsulated in a number of our own pithy truisms: talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words, put up or shut up.

With this kind of airtight argumentation, Jesus uplifts the faithful repentance of the people labeled as "sinners" while subverting the prestige of those who claim to be "righteous." John the Baptizer may have been martyred but the truth of his teaching cannot be killed. Death will also be insufficient to diminish the authority and power of what Jesus is saying (Luke 21:33). If we can accept the truth that Jesus is teaching, we will produce fruit and enter into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:17-20, 7:24-29). We can trust Jesus' word on this, he has it on good authority.

03/30/2026

As we prepare our hearts for Easter, we'll be sending out daily readings. Join us in Monday's devotional.

Holy Monday: Temple Tantrum

Mark 11:12-26

Have you ever been fooled by some false advertising? Have you ever been indignant at the unfair treatment of others? You are in good company.

The Gospel of Mark tells us that on the Monday of what we call Passion Week, Jesus began the day hungry. He then spots a fig tree that is some distance away, but after crossing that distance, he finds it only has pretty leaves but no fruit. Jesus then acts decisively, by cursing the tree. Curiously, Mark also notes that it was not the season for figs. So you might wonder: what did you expect to find, Jesus?

Next, Jesus enters the temple and finds there money changers and animal merchants. Then Jesus completely shuts down this exchange of animals. Mark is the only gospel that has the line where Jesus “would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts” (Mark 12:16). Again we could ask: what did you expect to find Jesus? Keep in mind that the whole temple system required animal sacrifices. Many visitors would purchase animals on site, either out of preference or necessity, as there was always the possibility that if you had journeyed with your own sacrificial animal it could get lost, stolen, or “blemished” in transit.

Was Jesus just having a bad day? Maybe he’s still hangry? Let’s look closer, there’s a powerful lesson here. The Gospel of Mark often sandwiches one story in between two halves of another story. And Mark tells us just a few lines after the “temple tantrum” that the disciples see that the fig tree is now withered, and Jesus uses it to teach on the power of prayer. But there’s one other place in Mark where the fig tree is used as an object lesson and it is also connected to the temple.

Mark 13:1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” 5 Jesus said to them…28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.

Jesus says when you see leaves on the fig tree, it tells you something. Point of order: fig trees usually produce fruit and leaves at the same time, so it’s reasonable to assume a leafy tree would have figs on its branches too. The fig tree Jesus sees on the way to the temple shows itself to be an early bloomer but a false advertiser. And there are more productive fig trees-some trees in Israel are known to produce fruit early, and again several times throughout most of the year. Notably, Israel is described in the Old Testament as good fruit found in unlikely times and places. “When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.” (Hosea 9:10) and God expresses sadness when Israel is unfruitful “What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains.” (Micah 7:1-2).

God seems to have bigger hopes for what a fig tree is capable of “out of season” and Jesus has bigger ideas for what the temple is supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be a “marketplace” (John 2:16) or a “den of robbers” (Jeremiah 7:11) but rather a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). But it seems those coming to temple to worship would be subjected to price-gouging and gate-keeping.

A few decades after Jesus there is a story of Simeon son of Gamaliel (Yes that Gamaliel in Acts 5:34-39, 22:3) who is shocked when he learns the expensive going rate for doves which were the staple sacrificial animal for poor worshipers. Like Jesus, Simeon makes a grand protest in the temple court and the price of doves is reduced to one hundredth of its exploitative price. If the poorest worshipers were paying about a hundred times what a dove should be sold for, it’s no wonder Jesus would frame the temple as a place of robbers.

Also in Jesus’ time the temple was segregated with a specific courtyard for gentiles, complete with signs that threatened foreigners with death if they went beyond these boundaries. Adding insult to injury, the temple courtyard that was crammed with the smelly animals and noisy exchange tables was, you guessed it, the gentile courtyard where Jesus clears out all the merchandise. What is shocking is not just what Jesus clears out of the temple but who Jesus lets in: the blind, lame, and children all of whom were traditionally excluded from the temple (Leviticus 21:16-21, 2 Samuel 5:8) and yet Jesus heals, teaches, and says the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the likes of them (Matthew 21:14-15, Luke 18:15-17).

Even more shocking is how Jesus prophetically speaks about the temple being leveled which did come to pass about 40 year later. And yet Jesus remained steadfast in something “greater than the temple” (Matthew 12:6) in God’s resurrection power. “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body.” (John 2:19-21). Jesus can drive out all the animals because he is offering his own body as the perfect sacrifice which makes all animal sacrifice obsolete.

Jesus helps us not to be so easily fooled or taken advantage of. I can understand how one could get caught up in the sight of a great temple, enticed by a leafy fig tree, or swindled by very convincing merchants. But Jesus has our back. Jesus spent his final days in Jerusalem breaking down barriers, dismantling injustice, and also pointing to the greater things that God wants for us. Jesus not only makes a new way into the sacred temple for us, He makes us into a new sacred temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). We pray we will not participate in false promises, but that we would confront injustice and bear good fruit.