A Talk About Faith
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/A-Talk-About-Faith.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreI still struggle with sin
Question: Hi, I came to your website to get answers to hard questions in life, and it is a blessing that you are willing to address the questions of people no matter their background. I have been baptized in the church of Christ so please don’t be so hard on me because I should know…
Read MoreThe Embarrassment of Sin
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-Embarrassment-of-Sin.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreCan a woman teach Scriptures through writing?
Question: I’m a Christian woman who writes Christian fiction novels meant solely for other women. I frequently include biblical truths. Is this form of teaching okay because it’s directed only to other women? Do I need to make sure I’m not too authoritative in what I say? Thanks! Answer: “Older women likewise are to be…
Read MorePress On! Press On!
by George Slover “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:35-36). During my boyhood days, we spent many hours on a lake enjoying the outdoors with boating, camping, swimming,…
Read MoreMan as the Head
by Doy Moyer Let’s start with this well-known statement: “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:23). The immediate thought seems to be that the man is where “the buck stops” in the home. This…
Read MoreI’m confused by the names of Esau’s wives
Question: Hi, I have a question regarding the question asked to you: “Was Mahaleth a Canaanite and did Esau marry her to get back at his father Isaac?” Part of your reply mentioned Genesis 28:9, “so Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael.” In my Bible, it says that Esau took…
Read MoreThank you for your well-done reply to “The New Testament was written in Hebrew, not Greek”
Question: Thank you for your biblical reply on your website in “The New Testament was written in Hebrew, not Greek!”. Well done! It’s encouraging that your church focuses on feeding the spiritually malnourished American flock. Answer: We’re glad to be of service to others.
Read MoreTruth about Submission
by Doy Moyer Submission has taken a bad rap in today’s world. It is seen as terrible and abusive, and, sadly, that portrayal has often been justified by how people treat one another. The lack of kindness in today’s world is disturbing. People have misused submission through selfish applications that do not glorify God or…
Read MoreWhat do you think about accepting donations for teaching on the Internet?
Question: Hi, I’m a student and also preach the gospel when given the opportunity. I read your site often and I trust you to give the truth in a time when I sometimes feel that many congregations are straying from the original New Testament form. That is why I am contacting you. I graduated with…
Read MoreTo Live Is Christ; to Die Is Gain
by Matthew W. Bassford Among its other effects, a terminal diagnosis will lead you to read the Scriptures with very different eyes. All sorts of passages that you thought you understood take on new depth and meaning. For me, the chief of these is Philippians 1:21-24. Years ago, I read this passage as Paul being…
Read MoreHow do I give if I’m a student and not making any money?
Question: Good evening, I attend graduate school. I just came across your website when I did a Google search about the collection if you’re unemployed. I wanted to ask a question based on the response that was given. I used to be employed last year, but now I am not. Because of my previous employment,…
Read MoreIs reporting a possible theft gossiping?
Question: This is complicated so I’ll sum it up for you: I play a sport and there is a guy who runs the state championship tournament. Our team and a few local teams in the area think he’s been possibly pocketing money from us because of recent events that have gone down. Anyway, we don’t…
Read MoreDid I sin by not talking to my stepfather?
Question: Hi, My stepfather passed away unexpectedly and I feel extremely guilty for not reaching out beforehand and trying to save his soul. He “raised” me, but love from my stepfather was never shown. I don’t remember him ever telling me he loved me and only twice telling me he was proud of me. I…
Read MoreMan Up
by Doy Moyer I’d like to talk again with the men here. Men blaming women for their own sins is as old as Adam and Eve. Literally. You remember what Adam did when confronted by the Lord: “the woman you gave me…” It didn’t work then and it doesn’t work now. That blame game gets…
Read MoreYet Not with a Whole Heart
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Yet-Not-with-a-Whole-Heart.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Chronicles 25:1-16 I. Amaziah was the son of Joash. A. His father started reigning at an extremely young age because his grandmother had killed all the heirs to the throne of David, except him. – II Chronicle 22:10-12 1. She was eventually killed and Joash was placed on the throne.…
Read MoreIs it wrong to wear a cross as jewelry?
Question: Thank you for the information you present on your site. My question is: Is it sinful or unwise to wear a necklace with a small cross (nothing flashy)? I Peter 3:3-4 and Matthew 23:5 are two verses that may shed some light on it, but I am still not clear. Thank you. Answer: Our…
Read MoreIs it a sin to be overweight?
Question: Jeffrey, I have a couple of questions on things I’ve been having personal struggles with. We know that gluttony is sinful. I know, or at least believe, that means in all things, not just foods. However, there are so many of us who are overweight. I recently have let myself gain a substantial amount…
Read MoreWhy was there a need for the interpretation of tongues?
Question: Greetings Brother, Thank you in advance for answering my question, which is: Why did the disciples, who received the Spiritual gift of speaking in tongues by the laying on of the hands of the apostles, need interpreters when employing that gift and the apostles did not? Thank you so much for your help. Answer:…
Read MoreOur Sin
by Ethan R. Longhenry “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him…
Read MoreFruitful Christians
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Fruitful-Christians.mp3 by Jeffery W. Hamilton Text John 15:1-8 I. We know that Jesus’ words in John 15 concerning the vine and branches are dealing with individual Christians and not denominations. A. Jesus is the vine, each one of us are branches off that vine, and God is the vinedresser. B. But don’t get so caught up in…
Read MoreInstrumental music was not replaced, so it must continue
Question: I came across your answer to instrumental music quite by accident and I found it revealing. I wouldn’t call blunt rude, but it was near the line. I hope to be treated in your response less close to the line, but I have a different take on this issue and wish to explore your…
Read MoreWho gives permission to marry if your father isn’t around?
Question: Hello I’ve been having problems with what to do when it comes to my wedding next year. My parents and my fiancé’s parents have separated. According to our African customs, the father should be the one to give permission on whether we get married or not. He is also the one to receive the dowry.…
Read MoreThe Mire of Mediocrity
by Jefferson David Tant The dictionary defines “mediocrity” as “1. Commonplace ability or condition. 2. A commonplace person.” We often use the word to describe that which is average — neither good nor bad, but “in the middle,” a person who is “mired,” is “fixed, stalled, or sunk in the mud.” By putting the words…
Read MoreHow should we treat a homosexual?
Question: Hello Mr. Jeffrey, I have this question that has been bugging me for a while. The Bible says homosexuals are bad. Now how should we treat if we meet someone like that? Is it rude to ignore them? What if a close friend or a family member comes out as one and they don’t…
Read MoreWhen is judging a sin?
Question: I have a question about when judging people becomes a sin. I was thinking about how my friends take the Lord’s name in vain sometimes. And I was thinking to myself well if they don’t confess then they might not end up where they expect (when they die). Then I thought well they might…
Read MoreI’ll lose my health insurance if we get married
Question: Hello, My partner and I had planned on getting married soon, but due to insurance reasons, we may have to wait. We live together, have kids, and know it isn’t right. I have recent health issues that are covered by Medicaid but I will lose my benefits and the children’s benefits when we marry.…
Read MoreElders, Deacons, Timothy, and Wine
by Dave Miller, Ph.D. via Apologetics Press Paul’s instructions pertaining to the qualifications of elders and deacons have created misunderstandings regarding the use of alcoholic beverages. Elders are not to be “given to wine” (I Timothy 3:3), while deacons are not to be “given to much wine” (I Timothy 3:8). Translations further obscure the matter…
Read MoreGod’s Whole Armor
by Matthew W. Bassford Ephesians 6:13-17 is perhaps the most familiar passage in the entire epistle. Most Christians have heard at least one sermon about the whole armor of God, complete with a helpfully labeled illustration of a Roman soldier. Certainly, there is much to be gained from considering the importance of salvation, righteousness, and…
Read MoreI Thought About Quitting
by Terry Wane Benton I was feeling discouraged and beat down. I was losing heart, but I turned to John 6:68 and asked, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Suddenly my mind shifted into serious reflection about what would abandoning my faith in Jesus do for me? Would…
Read MoreWilling to Suffer
by Doy Moyer The willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ is not a bug, but a feature of the Christian’s worldview. We realize that this is not, in itself, a selling point that would immediately cause people to flock to Jesus Christ. No one likes to suffer, and most are not willing to…
Read MoreWhy was flour allowed as a substitute for a sin offering?
Question: Dear brother in Christ, I am seeking your kind guidance for the following: When blood was required to be shed for sin as an atonement, how is it that a flour offering can be considered where there is no blood present in it? Can you please kindly clarify? Answer: For a sin offering, a person…
Read MoreDeath
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Death.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 14:1-15 I. Death is first mentioned in Genesis 2:17 as a consequence for partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil A. In the punishment of Adam, death is mentioned – Genesis 3:19 B. Yet, Adam lived 930 years before dying – Genesis 5:5…
Read MoreOur Home
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Our-Home.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 5:1-9 I. God has promised us a place of rest – Hebrews 4:1-3 A. There are days when I turn over in bed and start to think about all the things I need to get done today. 1. Even though it is earlier than I need to get up,…
Read MoreDealing with Diotrephes
by Jefferson David Tant If you have read III John, you are aware that the author, very likely the apostle John, mentioned a troublemaker in the church. “I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I…
Read MoreIs Hell a Real Place?
by Jefferson David Tant In the Bible, Matthew 25 gives us a picture of the Day of Judgment, where the righteous enter into everlasting joy and peace, while the unrighteous enter into hell, an everlasting torment of fire. Some reject this as repulsive, claiming that the unrighteous will simply cease to exist, while others who…
Read MoreCan my former fiancè and I be friends after committing fornication?
Question: Hello, I am a young woman in my early twenties who has been on and off in my relationship with God. I have grown, in a sense. I’ve memorized several Scriptures, read my Bible, and involved myself in a girl’s Bible study. I’ve struggled with sexual sin most of my life. When I started…
Read MoreDoes God only care about our salvation?
Question: Hi, I am struggling with my faith. It is hard for me to trust God to answer my prayers for friendship and marriage because I think God only cares about my eternal destination and not about my life here on earth. God has given me everything I need like food and clothing but He…
Read MoreThe Devil’s Inoculation
by Dee Bowman I was watching a ball game the other night. Between innings, a commercial came on in which a man was asked by his wife, “Do I look fat in this dress?” He replied, “Yes, you do.” The answer had a catastrophic effect. She bawled — and I don’t men she cried —…
Read MoreI decided to change my wardrobe
Question: Hello, I’m really grateful for the advice you gave to a lady battling with guilt and issues about whether to break up with her fiancé. I had the same thoughts today, even though we have been trusting God for our wedding next year. I felt the standards I had at first have diminished and from the…
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