Archive for 2019
How did prophets know what God wanted them to say?
Question: So you know that Moses who wrote some of the books of the Bible and other people also wrote books. How did they know what God wanted and what He didn’t want? Or did God really have a voice that reached from the heavens to earth and told them what to write back then?…
Read MoreA Soul Set Free
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/A-Soul-Set-Free.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 32 I. Every person is guilty of sin – Romans 3:10-23 A. Therefore, we all need forgiveness from God 1. It is found in Jesus Christ – I John 2:1; Ephesians 1:7 B. Only with forgiveness can we enter into God’s presence – Revelation 21:27 II. How blessed is a forgiven man…
Read MoreHow do we know if God is giving us a disease because of our sins?
Question: In Psalms 38, David tells of his physical pains produced by sin and highly suggests that God is behind his sickness due to his sin. Do we really know when and if God gives us a disease because of our sin? Do we really know how He works regarding disease and sin? Answer: One of…
Read MoreIs it wrong to say something that is not true when joking?
Question: Sometimes when I’m joking, I will mostly say jokes like “There’s a cockroach on your shoulder!” when there isn’t. I like to use sarcasm too. Are these jokes counted as sin? Is sarcasm bad? Answer: Lying is always wrong. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers…
Read MoreHow do I know what or when to compromise to advance the cause of Christ?
Question: How do I know what or when to compromise to advance the cause of Christ? Answer: The cause of God is not advanced by sin. “And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just” (Romans…
Read MoreAn Example of Values Clarification
by Wayne S. Walker Back in 1985, a Trans-World flight from Athens, Greece, to Beirut, Lebanon was hijacked by a group of radical Muslims occurred. This event remained on the minds of many people for quite some time afterward. The majority of United States citizens, as well as those of all civilized, freedom-loving nations, denounce…
Read MoreEnjoy What God Has Given You
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Enjoy-What-God-Has-Given-You.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 50 I. Have you given a gift that wasn’t appreciated? A. “That’s nice, but it wasn’t what I hoped to receive.” B. “Thanks, but it would have been better if you also included …” C. Or worse, it just sits there, not being used D. It’s frustrating to the giver. E. But consider…
Read MoreAre pierced earrings sinful?
Question: During a home Bible study regarding our bodies are a temple, a side comment was made about body piercings, which prompted me (a female) to say: “I have pierced ears and wear pierced earrings. Is that wrong?” The host of the Bible study and his wife said, yes, and for me to consider to…
Read MoreShould we break up because of our lack of self-control?
Question: Hi, I’m 25 years old. I have a boyfriend who is a Christian too. We have been together for less than 9 months. We set boundaries. and we know that we should abstain from sex before marriage. At first, it was okay. There are no kissing or hugs. We just held hands. After a…
Read MoreWhy don’t the wicked all suffer?
Question: Hi, Why does God bless some and not others if we are all sinners and deserve nothing at all? How does He pick them out? Why does He not make everyone suffer? Some of us have much more severe issues that last for years and then others get a little slap on the wrist…
Read MoreDid God know before He created the world that His Son would be sacrificed?
Question: Greetings and God bless, I just read your answer: Could you explain “foreknew” and “predestined” to me? Concluding the article, you said: “The idea of predestination in the scripture can be summarized bysaying that God predetermined (or predestined) before the beginning of the world to set up a church through his Son’s sacrifice…” My…
Read MoreJesus, the Bible, and History
by Edwin Crozier As Luke digs into the story of who Jesus is, he doesn’t say, “Long ago, in a land far, far away.” He doesn’t say, “Once upon a time.” He gets specific. It was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea. Herod was the…
Read MoreWho created God?
Question: If God created the universe, then who created God? And who created that person who created God? Answer: There is a law that says for every effect there is a cause. Thus, there is a chain of causes leads up to a particular effect. But what most people don’t consider is that this same…
Read MoreIs dark humor sinful?
Question: Is all dark humor a sin? Answer: Dark humor refers to making something that is shocking, morbid, or disgusting into a joke. A part of its appeal is the strength of the conflicting emotions that it brings about. The problem is that it treats serious subjects as if they were not serious. This would…
Read MoreWhat does the Bible mean by “My sons, think only of what is holy, what is honorable” etc.?
Question: What does the Bible mean by “My sons, think only of what is holy, what is honorable,” etc.? Answer: Jesus taught, “The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness”…
Read MoreHas God ever accepted a defective sacrifice?
Question: Has God ever accepted a spotted, unclean, defiled, blemished, blind, lame, or sick sacrifice? Answer: “Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it will not be accepted for you” (Leviticus 22:20). “But if it has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to…
Read MoreShould it be “for a veil” or “instead of a veil” in I Corinthians 11:15?
Question: Thank you for all of your bible study lessons and for all of the hard work you do! Someone told me about the Greek Word: G473 Anti from I Corinthians 11:15 and said that the hair was given to a woman instead of the veil. Can you please explain to me if G473 anti means instead of or…
Read MoreAre we sinning by using vulgar words?
Question: If a word has a vulgar meaning and an informative normal meaning, is it wrong to use? For example, “boi” is a funny way to pronounce “boy,” but it can refer to a boyish lesbian or a bisexual with effeminate traits according to Wikipedia. I want to say it as just a funny way…
Read MoreAre we only judged by the things we know?
Question: Good afternoon, Brother Hamilton: I hope this message finds you well. I am looking at your site for information about accountability for the Christian, and I am having trouble wording what I’m looking for to find resources. Maybe you can help. I was at a small study with one of the wives of our…
Read MoreShouldn’t we live by faith and not law?
Question: You said in one of your articles, “He offers forgiveness of sins if a person submits to God’s laws.” What about faith? Shouldn’t we live by faith and not law (Galatians 3:12)? Also, what about Romans 7:1-6? Answer: The requirement for faith is a part of God’s law. “And without faith it is impossible to…
Read MoreWhat do you think about rugged prayers?
Question: What do you think about aggressive prayers or rugged type of prayers? Someone told me that there are situations that demand ruggedness, such as shouting, screaming, and crying unto God in prayer and not being silent. That this is the only way to shake heaven. That your silent prayers will do not much. What…
Read MoreIf You Only Received Today What You Thanked God for Yesterday, What Would You Have?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/If-You-Only-Received-Today-What-You-Thanked-God-for-Yesterday-What-Would-You-Have.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreFirst the Book, Chapter, and Then Verse
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/First-the-Book-Chapter-and-then-Verse.mp3 by Alan Feaster
Read MoreHow could Adam and Eve not know of good and evil until they ate a fruit?
Question: Hi, How does one respond to someone who mocks the Christian faith by saying, “The first human did not have knowledge of right or wrong and only got such ability after eating a fruit.” He says that sounds like a far-fetched fairy tale. Answer: What changes between childhood and adulthood? Children do things that…
Read MoreFoundations of Apologetics
by Doy Moyer I have tried, for better or worse, to dedicate myself over the years to the foundations of what it means to defend the reason for our hope (I Peter 3:15). While the study of apologetics (the defense of the faith) has many layers and even more topics, here is, in my experience,…
Read MoreCould God have sent me the man I rejected?
Question: Hello, Years ago when I was nearing 20, I dated a man who was several years older than me. I was barely out of high school. I had no idea what I wanted for a job or even what I wanted out of life. That man had a career and had started the process…
Read MoreHow do I fight the temptation to commit fornication?
Question: I always told myself as I grew up that sexual immorality would never be a problem for me because the consequences scared me too much, but in recent years, the constant exposure to sex being “normal” and “acceptable” I guess have overcome me. I see so many sites that push for birth control and…
Read MoreWhy didn’t God destroy Satan earlier?
Question: Dear Brother, I tried searching for an answer from your questions collection for the question: Why God did not destroy Satan and allowed him to live to this date? Can you please clarify? Thank you. Answer: “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the…
Read MoreIs the Holy Spirit telling not to write about magic?
Question: Hi. So I have been struggling whether the Holy Spirit has been telling me to stop doing this or if it is my feelings playing tricks on me. There is this verse that said, “Do not practice magic.” I have you know, I love magic in literature and that I see nothing wrong with…
Read MoreSexual Orientation Can Change Even Into Adulthood
Source: Christine E. Kaestle, “Sexual Orientation Trajectories Based on Sexual Attractions, Partners, and Identity: A Longitudinal Investigation From Adolescence Through Young Adulthood Using a U.S. Representative Sample,” The Journal of Sex Research, p. 811-826, 8 April 2019. “Substantial changes were common not only from late adolescence to the early 20s but also from the early 20s…
Read MoreI want to move out but I’m scared to tell my parents
Question: My parents are Christians and refuse to accept that drinking is wrong. I live with them and I want to leave because of this, but I’m terrified to tell them. I’m more than old enough, but they’re my parents and I’m afraid they’ll make me lose my nerve and I’ll stay. I’m sick to…
Read MoreSquirrels and Ostriches
by Doy Moyer We were casually on our way to the meeting house on Sunday morning. As far as I could see, we were the only vehicle on the road, at least for a few turns. Suddenly a squirrel came running out from the left side right toward us, and … well, he didn’t make…
Read MoreWas James written before Acts?
Question: Was James written before Acts? Answer: In order to date any book, we must consider what we know about the author and the clues that might date the book. Author The author of the book of James is debated as there are several James in the Bible. The name “James” derived from the Greek…
Read MoreWho Put You in Charge?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Who-Put-You-in-Charge.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 7:20-39 I. David had asked for some provisions for his men after having protected Nabal’s herds – I Samuel 25:5-8 A. But Nabal’s response was “Who is David?” – I Samuel 25:10-11 B. Nabal shows he did know who David was, but he thought he wasn’t worth recognizing. C. But it…
Read MoreWhy Do They Not Repent?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Why-Do-They-Not-Repent.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 8:4-22 I. Israel was in deep trouble because of her sins. Despite repeated warnings, she did not change. A. Punishment would come so severely that people would prefer to die – Jeremiah 8:3 B. But what God asks is: Why don’t the fallen get back up? – Jeremiah 8:4 1. After…
Read MoreMy husband committed adultery and had a child. What do I do?
Question: Good Day, Please, can you help me? My husband had an affair and a child was conceived. He first lied to me, saying it was a one night standing due to issues he had with his mother. But that was a lie. He was in a full relationship with the lady. He has asked…
Read MoreMy husband was previously involved in a marriage scam. Is my marriage legitimate?
Question: Thank you for reading and responding. I have found your articles and answers to be very helpful and I’m happy a platform as such exists. I met my husband the same day he filed for divorce and things between us moved fast. We were married in less than a year of meeting. We have…
Read MoreWho Is Jesus to You and What Are You Doing About It?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2019Fall7Who-Is-Jesus-to-You-and-What-Are-You-Doing-About-It.mp3 by Andy Cantrell Finding Our Purpose from the Past
Read MoreThe Point of the Prodigal Son
by Matthew W. Bassford I know that one should not have high expectations of religious memes, but the one below grinds my gears. Every time I saw it, I rolled my eyes a little bit harder, until I knew that either I’d have to write about it, or my eyes would get stuck that way…
Read MoreShould I go where I can’t worship for several months?
Question: Hello! I was curious about your thoughts regarding worship while traveling abroad. I was accepted to study abroad in Valencia, Spain, for one semester (four months). But I can’t find a congregation near Valencia. The one I contacted in the city only has services in Tagalog and the nearest church that uses English according…
Read More