Southern Ridge Church of Christ

Southern Ridge Church of Christ A group of New Testament Christians longing to share the joy of Christ with the world.

We are a congregation of Christ’s church striving to be the pillar and support of the truth in our community. We are dedicated to following the patterns of the New Testament, reflecting the practices of the early church established by Jesus. This commitment includes the following:

• Spreading the Gospel:
We aim to take the gospel to our community and beyond. As a loving congregation, we care dee

ply about people and about fulfilling the Great Commission as commanded by Jesus (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16). Through regular Bible studies, we seek to share God’s Word and grow the number of souls in heaven.

• Assembling for Worship:
We come together to worship on the first day of the week, as the early church practiced (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:17-18, 20, 33-34; 1 Cor. 14:26).

• Partaking of the Lord’s Supper:
We observe the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week when we come together as instituted by Jesus (Matt. 26:26-29; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:26, 28).

• Teaching and Preaching:
We are committed to teaching and preaching the Word, equipping the saints for ministry, building up the body of Christ and spiritual growth (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Tim. 6:2; 2 Tim. 4:2).

• A Ca****la Singing in worship:
Following the New Testament pattern, when we come together for worship, we sing our praises with our minds, hearts, and mouths. While the Old Testament authorized instrumental worship, Christ made the old covenant obsolete (Heb. 8:13). Under the new covenant, we see no mention or example of instruments being used when they came together for worship. Instead, Christians are instructed to “sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:15, 26; Eph. 5:18-19; Col. 3:16-17; Heb. 13:15). Therefore, we honor what Scripture prescribes by singing with our voices and hearts.

• Baptism for Salvation:
Jesus commanded, and the early church practiced, immersion baptism for the forgiveness of sins, for salvation, and to become a Christian (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:36-38; 9:18; 16:33; 22:16). Baptism symbolizes the gospel—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Through baptism, one dies to sin, buries the old self in the water, and is raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4). It is the moment of union with Christ (Rom. 6:5).

• Biblical Church Leadership:
The church is to be led by biblically qualified elders and deacons that have the characteristics and qualities laid out in (1 Tim. 3) and (Titus 1). We follow this biblical pattern by having elders who shepherd the flock and oversee the spiritual well-being of the congregation (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2-3), while deacons assist in the work and service of the church (Acts 6:2-3; 1 Tim. 3:10).

• Roles in Leadership:
We hold to the biblical teaching that leadership roles such as preaching, teaching, and shepherding are designated for men (1 Cor. 14:34-35; 1 Tim. 2:8, 11-14). These instructions were first commanded by the Lord to Paul (Gal. 1:11-12; 1 Cor. 14:37) and were then taught to the early church by Paul.

• The Deity of Christ:
We affirm that Jesus is the Son of God and is God (Matt. 16:16-17; John 1:1-2; John 8:58). These practices and teachings are foundational to the doctrine of Christ and we strive to follow and uphold these truths revealed in Scripture. Above all, we aim to be a people who please God and strive together as one in the work of the gospel and glorify Him in all we do.

☀️ One Day. Big Fun. Meaningful Moments. ☀️Join us for a special one-day VBS your kids will love! We’re packing all the ...
04/26/2026

☀️ One Day. Big Fun. Meaningful Moments. ☀️
Join us for a special one-day VBS your kids will love! We’re packing all the excitement into a single day—games, music, hands-on activities, and Bible stories.
📅 Saturday June 13th, 2026
📍Southern Ridge Church of Christ
2 year olds - 6th grade
Whether it’s their first time or they’ve been before, this is a great way for kids to connect, learn, and have a blast!
Register today 👉 https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/wDke7PhEG1
The last day to register online will be June 10th by 8:00 P.M.!

04/10/2026

A Baseless Conviction?
In our world today, there live many skeptical people regarding Christianity. For some, they think it’s even foolish to believe in such things that have to do with it. This includes beliefs such as the existence of God, the reality of Jesus, or believing in the words of the Bible. Some believe there is no evidence for God, they don’t believe in the historical Jesus, and others don’t understand how people could believe and trust the words in the Bible. Christians have even been called out for having a “blind faith” or “believing blindly” in a God that, allegedly, doesn’t even exist.

But is that true? Is it true that there is no evidence? Is it true that there was no historical Jesus, or if there was, that He never claimed to be God? Is it true that we really cannot trust the words of the Bible and its claims? Do Christians really have a baseless conviction? Have they anchored and attached themselves to mere myths without any convincing proofs whatsoever? Are they moving along in this life in vain? Should they, of all people, be pitied the most for believing a lie?

My answer is no. They are not believing a lie. It is not in vain. They have not grounded themselves to proofs that cannot be confirmed or believed mere myths. They do not put their faith in a book that cannot be tested and proven true. They have not placed themselves under a Man that never lived; obeying a God that doesn’t exist. Christians do not believe blindly. Christians believe because of the evidence that they see, whether it be the overwhelming amount of ancient manuscripts found, non-biblical sources that speak about Jesus, or archaeological digs that reveal what the Bible has said all along.

They believe because of the evidence for God, the evidence that points to Jesus, the evidence for the validity of the Bible, and the legitimacy of Christianity. All of it the true Christian stands on; all of it, the true Christian will defend. It is not, nor will it ever be, a baseless conviction. It’s a logical conclusion that stems from the evidence we see. Perhaps you’re not convinced, and if not, your questions are not wrong or illegitimate, but hopefully you will seek out answers and be convinced that it’s at least reasonable—and maybe even worth reconsidering, because there’s a lot riding on your conclusion.
- D. Proctor 4.9.26

03/27/2026

Exegetical Thoughts
In Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays state, “If you want to hear and understand some of the deep and wonderful truths that God has placed in Scripture for you—if you desire to pull out of God’s Word some of the serious “meat” that He has placed there for us to sink our teeth into—you will have to exert considerable effort. It takes work—hard work! And you, the reader, have to decide whether you are content with shallow “baby food” that comes from casual reading or whether you want to work for the “mature food” that comes from serious reading.“

Over this past quarter, I’ve taught through some New Testament exegesis (a study method in which you work to pull things out of the text itself to determine its meaning), and one of the things I kept reiterating is this point: if you want to understand what is in the text, it takes work. You cannot be lazy with exegesis. If you want to do it well, and if you really want to understand what the text is trying to say, it’s going to take more than just casually reading over a passage. For the Bible student that seeks to understand more, you need to not only read the passage you’re dealing with, but read the entire chapter—read the entire book. Read it through once, and even twice if you have to, so you can gather context.

Make observations. Look for keywords, prevalent words, phrases, petitions, etc. Dig, dig, and dig some more. You’ll be amazed at what you can pull out and find when you put in a little extra work and slow down a little bit with your Bible study. And, of course, don’t ever walk away from it without it affecting you. The Bible isn’t meant to just be exegeted and picked apart; it’s meant to change your life and help you grow closer to God. May we all be students of the Word and be blessed by what we find!
- D. Proctor 3.27.26

03/20/2026

Shining Light
In a number of different ways, this verse has popped up in sermons that I’ve listened to recently and in thoughts that I’ve had. It’s (Matt. 5:16), where Jesus says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Dan Chambers, one of the speakers for the “Affirming the Faith” seminar that was recently held in Oklahoma City, had some good thoughts on this in his “Building Bridges” sermon. Some of the things he said resonated with me, because this was one of his points in talking about how we build a bridge with people.

He had talked about how people are watching. They see how we live. They see the things that we do. They hear how we speak, etc. So the idea is, if they can see how kind we are, if they can see how respectful we are, how fair we are, forgiving, compassionate, honest, generous, just go down the list; if people can see those qualities in us, that’s what can help open the doors. That’s what might help build a bridge from them to us, and ultimately to Jesus.

That’s what might can get people thinking about why you’re like that and what might be behind you that compels you to be the way you are. It can lead them to think differently about you. It creates interest in people. And when that interest is created, they might start thinking about their own lives—what they could change about themselves because of what they see in you. Then maybe that can spark up a conversation that leads to you being able to tell them why you are the way that you are.

We should never underestimate the power of our behavior and what it could do for someone. We should never underestimate the power of God’s light shining through the Christian. Let your light shine. Let them see God’s imprint all over you. Let them glorify your Father. - D. Proctor 3.20.26

03/13/2026

Authenticity, Not Hypocrisy
Authenticity. This word can be defined as the quality of being genuine, real, or true to one’s own nature, character, or origins. It describes something that is not fake, artificial, or merely an imitation. There have been studies done over the years that sought to look into people who were turned off from Christianity, or why people had doubts about their religious beliefs. One article from the “Barna” group entitled Doubt & Faith: Top Reasons People Question Christianity was based on a survey of 2,005 U.S. adults and teenagers (ages 13-17), as well as a separate survey among 511 U.S. Protestant senior pastors.

Among the 2,005 surveyed were those identified as “no faith,” “other faith,” “non-practicing Christians,” “practicing Christians,” “all Christians,” and “pastors,” or preachers, rather. In the “Causes for Doubt” section of the survey, 42% of those who were in the “no faith” category marked “the hypocrisy of religious people.” On the other end of the spectrum were the “pastors,” and out of that group, 80% of them had marked “the hypocrisy of religious people.” I think it is safe to say that, out of the sub-group of “no faith,” and given the rise of religiously unaffiliated people in the U.S., that 42% could represent a couple hundred people.

These numbers are something to think about when it comes to the way that we live our Christian lives. Some of the very people that we want to reach with the gospel, the people that we want to help build a relationship with Jesus and bring into fellowship with Jesus, are the ones who are saying they don’t want to because they see hypocrisy in the way that some Christians live. They see Christians preaching one thing but living another. They feel like some Christians are dishonest when they condemn something, yet see them doing the very thing they condemn. Above all, they just don’t see Christians living as authentically as they should, and so they don’t want to be a part of it.

Please remember that the way you live your life as a Christian speaks volumes. May it never be the case that we hurt someone’s interest in Jesus because of the way we live. What people will appreciate is honesty, genuineness; you being real and not fake. What they appreciate is authenticity, not hypocrisy. - D. Proctor 3.13.26

03/06/2026

Not The-End-All-Be-All
Every so often, I will have someone reach out to me seeking help with religious or spiritual conversations they may be having with a friend of theirs, or maybe among their colleagues at work. Sometimes the help they are seeking revolves around the topic of immersion baptism, whether it’s necessary or essential and the different conversations that go along with that. And so they may want a little assistance with Bible verses or where they might can go if this conversation comes up or this one. I certainly have no problem with that. After all, it is part of what I do for a living, and I enjoy it. But sometimes I have to stop myself, and even remind the person reaching out to me, that these conversations have to be more than just about baptism.

Baptism is simply one part in the overall faith response to the gospel. Necessary? Yes. Essential? Yes. But the conversation should never just stop with a few passages that speak about it. Yes, I believe people need to understand it, but what they need to understand more before that is their need for it. You see, people aren’t lost because they haven’t been baptized; they’re lost because of their sin. Their sin has separated them from God (Isaiah 59:2). And so it’s not just baptism that people need to understand, it’s the gospel and their desperate need for Jesus.

I think there have been times where, unfortunately, Christians, and even myself, have been guilty of flooding the conversation with verse after verse about baptism, and never once mention the gospel, or never once teaching about sin and why Christ had to die. I love the fact that there are people out there still having discussions that have to do with people’s eternity, but we must understand that baptism, being immersed into Christ, is a response to the gospel. It is what unites you to Jesus (Rom. 6:5); it does not stand on its own. Remember that it is not the end-all-be-all. - D. Proctor 3.6.26

02/28/2026

Quick To Thank
"praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints," (Eph. 6:18).

"pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17).

There are plenty of passages in the Bible dealing with prayer; a couple of them in the New Testament are directed to Christians to pray at all times, and of course there is the famous wall decoration: "pray without ceasing." No doubt, the Christian should follow this command to pray and to pray for many things. However, sometimes what may be absent from the Christians prayer life, after the petitions, prayers, and requests, are the "thanksgivings." Sometimes we get so focused on the initial prayer; we concentrate so much on what we are praying for that, if the prayer is granted, if we see our prayer being answered, we forget the prayer of thanksgiving.

Paul did write to pray at all times and without ceasing, but often in the same breath, prayers of thanks and thanksgivings follow. In 1 Timothy 2:1 he says, "First of all, then, I exhort that petitions, and prayers, requests and thanksgivings, be made for all men.” To the Colossians he writes, "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you," (Col. 1:3). And right after the command to "pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, there is the command in verse 18: "in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:18).

We tend to be good at remembering to pray, but we need to make sure we remember that extra step, too–thanking God for answered prayers and acknowledging Him when we recognize that what we earnestly prayed for was granted. As you remember to be quick to pray, remember also to be quick to thank.
- D. Proctor 2.27.26

02/20/2026

The Power of Influence
I’m listing to a spiritual podcast right now that follows Jesus and the lessons we can learn from Him and invite into our lives. There was something that was said in the most recent one I listened to about “influence” that is so powerful to think about. The man said he had heard about an epitaph on a child’s gravestone that was written by the parents. On it, it read: “It was easier to be good when she was around.” To which he said, “That’s influence.” What an idea to consider when we think about the lives that we live and others around us.

I don’t know that most people think about the influence they have on others. Most people tend to forget that others are watching. But everywhere you go, and with the people that you’re around, there is an opportunity for influence, either for good or for bad. How great would it be if one of the things people always thought when you were around them was how much better they were because of you?

Think about it. If your mentality was, “I want people to remember me because of the positive influence I made on them,” how do you think your life would change? How do you think that would affect the decisions you make or the words that you say? How do you think you would carry yourself? Would that change how you speak? Would that change how you interact with people? If that was the mentality, it would certainly make a difference in every part of your life—in the home, in your marriage, at your work, and around your friends. Never forget the power of influence and the impact you can have in the lives of people, for better or for worse.
- D. Proctor 2.20.26

Address

2237 SW 134th Street
Oklahoma City, OK
73170

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
7pm - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 11am
5pm - 6pm

Telephone

+14053780701

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