The Judgment of Babylon
by Matthew W. Bassford It seems like the farther we get into the book of Revelation, the more contentious it gets. Our reading concerns chapters 16 through 18, and the main character in this section is the wicked city of Babylon, personified as a prostitute. To say that the identity of Babylon is under dispute…
Read MoreAre You Too Busy?
by Roger Shouse We live in busy times. Most of us with children at home find ourselves coming and going all the time. The calendar is full of activities. There is very little downtime or quiet time. Our busy schedules often keep some of us from helping out in the kingdom of God. For instance,…
Read MoreI don’t think I am worthy of getting married
Question: Greetings to my brother in Christ, I am grateful for the many lessons available on your website and have found guidance in many of the points and critical illumination of God’s word. I have been a member of the body of Christ from a young age. The men in my extended family for generations…
Read MoreNo Apologies Needed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/No-Apologies-Needed.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MorePreterism: The Eternal Kingdom
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Preterism-The-Eternal-Kingdom.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreNon-Sequitur
by Gardner Hall True, but careful with “therefore” True statement: “We don’t know how far God is going to extend His mercy.” “Therefore”… (fallacies often follow..) “It is not important to be concerned with having scriptural precedent for our spiritual practices.” “We can judge that others who have serious spiritual transgressions are still going to…
Read MoreI’m struggling with the ideas of foreknowledge and free will
Question: Thank you for all your articles and answers. They are beneficial. I have recently been struggling very much with the idea of foreknowledge and free will. I have always believed that we have free will and that God can simply use whatever our decisions are to accomplish his will. However, there are a few…
Read MoreA breath of fresh air
Question: Dear Brother / Minister / Elder / as you prefer, I found this by accident (providence) during an online search. At 84 to read this site was a breath of fresh air and encouragement. Bible-based practice like this has become a rarity in the UK. How I miss the wonder, encouragement, correction, praise, and…
Read MoreHave You Forgotten Who You Are?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Have-You-Forgotten-Who-You-Are.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MorePreterism: Jews and Gentiles
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Preterism-Jews-and-Gentiles.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreThe Danger of Doubt
by Larry Rouse “If you were to die today, do you know where you will spend eternity?” This is a question that others have asked me and one that I have asked others. John wrote so that “you may know that you have eternal life” (I John 5:13). Men today fight this truth for various…
Read MorePeople Are Just Like Me
by Doy Moyer People often assume that others will act, react, and operate on the same basis that they do. If some are liars, they will assume the same of everyone else. If they operate “in the shadows,” they will assume the same of others. If they are the envious type, they will assume that…
Read MoreAm I really saved if I didn’t understand Jesus’ resurrection?
Question: Lately, I’ve been struggling with wondering how long I’ve been saved. For a while, I think that I might’ve been under the impression that Jesus’ resurrection was just spiritual rather than both physical and spiritual. I don’t really know why I assumed that for a period of time, but I did. I was later…
Read MoreIf babies are not sinners, then why do some babies die?
Question: Hello, The Bible says for the wages of sin is death. If you claim that babies are not born sinners why do babies die? Thanks Answer: “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting…
Read MoreAm I able to remarry?
Question: Hi, I came across your church page while looking for an answer to a difficult question. I have found many different answers but as a member of the Church of Christ, I wanted to try to get a response that aligned with my religious beliefs. I read through quite a bit of the Q&A…
Read MoreWhy Did Paul Appeal to His Roman Citizenship?
by Doy Moyer Acts 16 tells us the story of Paul and Silas being arrested and imprisoned in Philippi. They sang praises while bound, others listened, and then an earthquake shaking the foundations set them free. Instead of running, Paul told the jailer, who was about to commit suicide, not to harm himself. We then…
Read MoreHow should the adultery of a minister be handled?
Question: My Dear Brother, I would like to express my deep grief because of what’s happening in our local congregation. I am in desperate need of guidance as my heart is so much troubled. We found out that our minister of many years has been hiding a horrible sin of adultery where a child has been…
Read MoreGod Has an Answer
by Matthew W. Bassford The contrast between Revelation 13 and Revelation 14 is one of the most striking between any two chapters in the Bible. In Revelation 13, all the news is bad. Even though the dragon has been defeated in heaven, a new ally for him, the beast, emerges from the sea. Another evil…
Read MoreMetaphors for God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Metaphors-for-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 18:1-19 I. Figures of speech have long been used in communicating ideas. A. Prior to the modern usage of font styles, the content of the text itself called the reader’s attention to what was important. B. Figures of speech grabs your attention because they depart from the usual rules of…
Read MoreIn the Midst of Evil
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/In-The-Midst-Of-Evil.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:3-9 I. Abraham was told that his descendants would be strangers and slaves in a land before being brought back out 400 years later – Genesis 15:13 A. That nation, Egypt, was one of the more wicked places on earth, totally given over to idolatry 1. It became one…
Read MoreDid God cause our break-up because of our sins?
Question: My girlfriend and I were together for just over a year. After two months of being together, we, unfortunately, committed fornication. We both know that it is wrong but we fell into the temptation countless times. There would be times that we would stop because it was bad, but we would just do it…
Read MoreYour commentary on the Song of Solomon has been a blessing to me
Question: Your commentary on the Song of Solomon has been a tremendous blessing to me. I hope to be married soon, and I intend to practice all that the Lord has commanded through this beautiful love story. God bless you. Answer: I am happy to hear that the study was a benefit to you.
Read MoreHow to Differ!
Robert F. Turner Plain Talk, July 1974 Brethren frequently differ with one another, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. It may indicate conviction and our concern that others share our understanding of God’s word. Differences spring from various degrees of learning or experience, or from opinions expressed on moot questions. They may be…
Read MoreWhen Jeremiah Said “New” – (Hebrews 8:7-13)
by Terry Wane Benton The moment Jeremiah used the word “new” in speaking of a coming “new covenant,” there was the immediate implication that the Sinai covenant, then in place, was becoming obsolete and ready to vanish away. The idea of “vanishing away” (Hebrews 8:13) is not that you would be unable to read that…
Read MoreWho are the “them” in Acts 2:41?
Question: Since John’s baptism did not give people the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise that we read about in Acts 2:38-39, did the ones who received his baptism receive the gift and the promise if they lived into the New Testament? Some in the church believe the “them” in Acts 2:41 includes…
Read MoreCookie Cutter Evangelism
by David Weaks I often find myself wondering: “Why are brethren not baptizing more people? Why aren’t the numbers of people requesting baptism (Acts 8:36) commensurate with the amount of labor that Christians spend in soul-winning?” I have found that most preachers confess the same nagging concerns. Is successful evangelism a question of method only,…
Read MoreGod’s Promises to the Faithful
by Matthew W. Bassford No matter how many times I read the Bible, I always find something new in it. Nor are these discoveries subtle or inconsequential. Often, they are magnificent! So it was with this week’s Bible reading. I’m familiar with Revelation. I’ve taught it several times and read it many more. However, never…
Read MoreI want to date a Christian boy but I’m suspect that I’m pregnant by my former boyfriend
Question: I am 24 years old, I’ve slept with ten men already since I turned 20. I’ve never wanted to live such a life but I have let my emotions take control of me. Presently, I’m in a critical condition. I suspect that I’m pregnant by a guy I recently met. I ended the relationship…
Read MoreIs it wrong to cut ties with my father?
Question: My father is an evil narcissist. I feel my life is in danger if I show up at his home unannounced because he has threatened me and then he apologizes when he feels good and ready. His words are routinely evil, piercing, and hurtful. He has said he doesn’t need a daughter like me.…
Read MorePreterism: Were the Jews to Keep the Law?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Preterism-Were-the-Jews-to-keep-the-Law.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreWhy are the Resurrection Accounts so Different?
by Edwin Crozier If skeptics jump on anything about the gospel records of Jesus Christ, it is the differences between the four authors’ accounts of the resurrection events and appearances. For example, Matthew mentions an angel who met the women at the tomb sitting on the rolled-away stone (Matthew 28:2). Mark mentions the women meeting…
Read MorePraying for the Dead
by Wayne Jackson via The Christian Courier Whenever someone we love dies — in old age or tragically before their prime — our hearts cannot help but anguish with those who are suffering soul-tearing losses. Some children have lost one or both parents. Husbands and wives have been robbed of loving mates. Others will never…
Read MoreThe Charges Against Paul
by Doy Moyer Paul was charged with four things in Acts 24:4-7 Being a pest (a plague). Stirring up riots. Being a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Trying to profane the temple. Paul’s answer to 1 and 2 was that he had not stirred up any crowds in the synagogue or temple and…
Read MoreHow Satan Divides Brethren
by Larry Rouse The Three Pillars of False Movements I. We should not be surprised at the tactics of Satan. A. When working with other men we must constantly be humbled and because of that be willing to follow the wisdom of God. (James 4:13-18) 1. When we trust God it becomes all about Him and we…
Read MoreDevoted to the Word
by Doy Moyer When the problem of neglected widows came up in Acts 6, the apostles told the church to choose seven men of special quality to take care of it so that they would be able to “devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). What does it mean…
Read MoreMarijuana’s Effects on the Brain
Source: “How Cannabis Affects Our Cognition and Psychology,” Neuroscience News, 13 May 2022. “… the main users are adolescents and young adults, whose brains are still in development. They may therefore be particularly vulnerable to the effects of cannabis use on the brain in the longer term.” “We showed that participants with the condition had significantly worse…
Read MoreHow do I attend services when my atheist father threatens to kick me out of the house?
Question: Hello, I became a Christian a year and a half ago. I am an 18-year-old male high school senior. I have a father who is an extremely stubborn atheist. He lived most of his life in Iran (and so did I) which is an Islamic theocracy and my father has come to hate all…
Read MoreAngry Words
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Angry-Words.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 I. The Bible speaks of two types of anger A. The quick, fly-off-the handle, hot tempered anger B. The slow, methodical, vengeful anger C. Both are dangerous for different reasons D. Colossians 3:8 1. Orge (anger) is the slow building type of anger 2. Thumos (wrath) is the passionate hot-tempered type of anger…
Read MoreGod Revealed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/God-Revealed.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 15:1-6 I. In the beginning, Adam and Eve had fellowship with God A. God directly interacted with His creation – Genesis 2:15-22 B. He walked in the garden – Genesis 3:8 C. But they had sinned and that sin – separated them from God – Genesis 3:22-24 D. That has remained true…
Read MoreWhat About the Next Sunday?
by Terry Wane Benton Some people meet with the church on “Easter Sunday” and hardly ever anytime else. That is out of tradition, not out of thinking seriously about doing the will of God. Tradition has been in the family to at least go to church one time a year, maybe two. But what about…
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