Is the Christian Obligated to Forgive the Sinner Who Will Not Repent?
by Curtis A. Cates The above question has often been asked of this scribe. Every accountable being at times sins against others; some sin publicly, even against the church. Clearly, those who repent and ask for forgiveness are to be fully forgiven. But, not everyone repents and asks for forgiveness. Does God require us to…
Read MoreCan We Know the Truth?
by Ward Hogland Not too long ago I received a phone call from a young preacher in Tennessee. He said, “Brother Hogland, I am in a quandary. My elders called me in on the carpet and told me to stop saying that I preach the truth. They advised me to start saying, I preach what…
Read MoreHas the Salt Lost Its Savor?
by Bubba Garner Biblical Insights, July 2007 Evil is everywhere. It is all around us. It’s in the workplace and in the schoolhouse. It’s in the neighborhoods and in the media. It’s even in the church and in the home. It is, indeed, a very clear and present danger. But ours is not the first generation to…
Read MoreFive Imperatives in Evangelism
by Royce Bell Trust God’s Power Ever remember: For all we do, at whatever cost and in whatever numbers, the positive results of any effort are attributable to God and Him, Alone. For example, note the words of Paul, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (I Corinthians 3:6). Set Your Heart…
Read MoreWhat About the Thief on the Cross? (Bassford)
by Matthew W. Bassford When it comes to discussion about baptism for the forgiveness of sins, most Christians know all the steps of the dance. If we’re studying with a non-Christian and we show them passages like Acts 2:38 and I Peter 3:21, one of two things is going to happen. Either they are going…
Read MoreCan a Christian take vaccines that contain aborted fetal cells?
Question: Can a Christian take vaccines that contain aborted fetal cells? Answer: No vaccine contains fetal cells. Viral vaccines require cells to replicate viral information. There are three types being used today: egg-based, cell-based, and recombinant. In the first two methods, actual natural viruses are used. In recombinant, a synthetic virus created and then introduced into…
Read MoreAn Asterisk
by Jefferson David Tant You recognize that, don’t you? It’s an asterisk. It is pretty small and may feel insignificant. In fact, many people look right over it when they see it in print. It refers to something at the bottom of the page. I wonder if it ever gets discouraged, thinking no one pays…
Read MoreThe Threat of Militant Islam
by Andrew Roberts Biblical Insights, July 2007 Islam has been hijacked! We have heard that catchphrase often since 9/11. From politicians to reporters to daytime talk show hosts, we have heard that a quiet, peace-loving, Middle Eastern religion has been kidnapped and corrupted by radicals who hate freedom. President George W. Bush said in 2002,…
Read MoreThe Problem with Gambling
by Matthew W. Bassford In April of last year, the state legislature of Tennessee legalized online betting on sports. In November of this year, four online sportsbooks were approved to operate in Tennessee for the first time. Not surprisingly, since that time, we’ve been bombarded with ads trying to entice us to gamble on sports.…
Read MoreRepentance (McGarvey)
by J. W. McGarvey (1828-1911) There are certain considerations in regard to repentance, which is exceedingly important for us to keep in mind. Among all the conditions of pardon and eternal life, it is the most difficult to bring about. When you look through the record of the Savior’s earthly ministry, you find that he…
Read MoreHow did the Presbyterians and the Episcopals come by their names?
Question: Recently we studied the qualifications of elders and I mentioned the Greek words, Presbuterous (elder, presbyter) and Episkopos (bishop, overseer), and one of the members here asked if this is how the Presbyterian and Episcopal churches came up with their names for identifying their churches. I did some research and have been unsuccessful in…
Read MoreI’m All Petered Out
by Jefferson David Tant The sun was sinking, and the day’s work was done. The farmer shut off his tractor, walked to the house, and into the kitchen where his wife had his coffee waiting for him. As he sat, he wiped the sweat off his brow and said, “I’m all petered out.” Niels Frederik…
Read MoreExcellent article on why premarital sex is wrong
Question: Re: Why Sex Outside of Marriage Is Wrong Excellent, excellent, excellent article! I was feeling a little doubtful, (doubting Thomas mode), about why God had said, “No,” to premarital sex. I’d like to thank you for such a dead-on and solidly-backed explanation as to why it is wrong. Not only were you throwing out references…
Read MoreI Believe in God
by Jefferson David Tant Although our nation is declining in its religious values, many still believe in God. And if you ask the average person if they believe in God, they will probably give you an affirmative answer. In fact, in a pleasant conversation I was having with a woman who was serving me some…
Read MoreCan I still marry my girlfriend after my dad slept with her?
Question: I want to know if I can get married to my girlfriend. My dad slept with her. Is it possible for both of us to still marry? Answer: The Law of Moses, which does not apply today, stated a son could not behave sexually with his father’s wife (Leviticus 18:7) nor could a father…
Read MoreWhat happened to the tribe of Levi during the captivity?
Question: When the northern kingdom went into Assyrian captivity, that left the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. What happened to the tribe of Levi? Did they go into captivity as well? Answer: The tribe of Levi’s inheritance was scattered among the other tribes. Thus, you would expect the Levites to be taken into captivity along…
Read MoreAn Ordinary Christian
by Jefferson David Tant Do you know any “ordinary” Christians? Let’s define the word before you answer. As an adjective — “With no special or distinctive features; normal.” As a noun — “What is commonplace or standard.” Synonyms include — “common, usual, regular, normal, habitual, customary.” One man was told his name had been mentioned…
Read MoreThe Seasons of Life
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Seasons-of-Life.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 I. Solomon said, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 A. Each moment in time, each phase of life, must be treated in a manner appropriate to the events – Ecclesiastes 3:11 B. So many people create problems for themselves…
Read MoreI think my husband is having a secret affair and I don’t know how to deal with it
Question: Good Day, I have been married to my husband for less than ten years. We have several children together. My husband also has even more children from before we met. I chose to forgive and accept him as he indicated that he had grown from those mistakes and wanted to start a committed life…
Read MoreObscenity and Profanity
by Marc Hinds I was ten years old in 1982 when I went and saw Steven Spielberg’s science-fiction blockbuster, E. T. It was the first time I remember hearing foul language. To make matters worse, it was a teenager in the movie who said it. While I was shocked, my parents were horrified. Over the…
Read MoreWho is the prince in Ezekiel’s vision?
Question: Who is the prince that is mentioned in Ezekiel 45-47? Answer: The interpretation of the last chapters of Ezekiel is strongly debated. Obviously, how a person views what these chapters envision will impact the interpretation of the various elements, such as the prince. First, we must note that this vision does not deal with…
Read MoreChoices (Weliever)
by Ken Weliever The other day Norma Jean and I discovered a quaint little breakfast spot on North Redington Beach, The Sweet Sage Café. It’s a combination café, gift shop, and boutique with a beautiful outdoor garden. After a delicious breakfast, we began browsing through the gift shop reading some of the clever plaques. Many…
Read MoreDo I have a reprobate mind?
Question: Hi, I have a few questions I hope you can answer. I will give you some background information first. My family went to a Nazarene church where I was saved and baptized around age 11 along with my sister. My parents left that church after my sister was removed from our home due to…
Read MorePerfection or Perseverance?
by Ken Green “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy…
Read MoreGod’s Mornin’
by Whit Sasser Cameron S. Smith tells a wonderful story. It is about the only white person in the state of Georgia buried in a cemetery reserved exclusively for African-Americans. This man had lost his mother when he was just a baby. His father, who never married again, hired a black woman named Mandy to…
Read MoreThe Epidemic of Internet Pornography
by Art Adams Biblical Insights, July 2007 Cyberspace has opened an exciting world of enjoyment, business, educational, and networking opportunities. However, what exists in cyberspace via the Internet is merely a clone of the real world and real-time. The Internet can be used as a tool for growth or a weapon for destruction. The choice…
Read MoreThe Meaning of Life: Where Did You Come From?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Meaning-of-Life-Where-Did-You-Come-From.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 11:25-36 I. The age-old question: Why are we here? A. To answer the question well, we first need to consider how did we get to “here.” B. To do so begins to answer why we are “here.” II. The prevalent answer today is to claim that it just happened A. Life is…
Read MoreHas the Media Desensitized Us to Sin?
by Jason Moore Biblical Insights, July 2007 Yes … and no. It is so that the media fills the airwaves with programs, movies, music, ads, games, and even news reports of sexual indulgence, sexual perversion, sexual innuendo, violence, irreverence, godlessness, shamelessness, and other deviant and damnable behaviors. It is true that every form of human…
Read MoreThe Authority of the Apostles (Johnson)
by Mike Johnson Many acknowledge the authority of God and Christ but do not accept or understand the authority of the Apostles. Some people today say we only need the words of Jesus to guide us. Some who take this position place a great deal of emphasis on the red-letter edition of the Bible —…
Read MoreThe Value of Positive “Peer Pressure”
by Greg Gwin I wasn’t ready to do it yet. I really didn’t want to get started at it. But, my neighbor had already mowed his grass two times, and my yard was looking pretty shabby. I figured if he mowed a third time before I mowed the first time, it would really make me look bad. So, even…
Read MoreThe Homosexual Agenda
by Jim Deason Biblical Insights, July 2007 I have heard it said that you can cook a live frog by placing him in a pan of water at room temperature then slowly but steadily increase the heat until the deed is done. I have always been skeptical of that tale (and have never been so…
Read MoreWhat Is Your Life?
by Fanning Yater Tant (1908-1997), 1955 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). “What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appears for…
Read MoreWhy Jesus Died
by Matthew W. Bassford How do you convict a sinless man of a crime serious enough to warrant His execution? It might sound like a logic puzzle to us, but for the chief priests, it was a serious problem. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they determined that He had to die. However, they…
Read MoreHiram Hutto’s article on the head covering makes a difficult subject easier to understand
Question: Good day brethren, I take this time only to congratulate you, especially brother Hiram O. Hutto, for the head-covering subject that is titled “Command or Custom?” That is a subject I always have difficulty with because of the different views and comments about it, but here, it is very well detailed. I hope that…
Read MoreWhat Are Shepherds For?
by Jefferson David Tant We might assume that a 1st grader could answer that question. “Well, Duh, shepherds are supposed to take care of the sheep.” And that’s the correct answer. And how can one be a shepherd if there are no sheep? But just how do shepherds take care of their sheep? The Bible…
Read MoreThe Better Way
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-Better-Way.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 4:1-6 I. What is accepted and praised in the world isn’t always what is best for people A. Jesus’s sermon on the mount began with startling facts – Matthew 5:3-12 1. When you take the opposites of what Jesus states brings true happiness, you find a list of things…
Read MoreThe Abortion Debate
by David Lanphear Biblical Insights, July 2007 Public debate about abortion has raged for decades. When Roe v. Wade altered the legal landscape for the unborn in 1973, the issue moved to the forefront of political discussion and activism and has not yielded its position. Abortion is a hot button topic for Presidential candidates and…
Read MoreThe Source of Morality
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-Source-of-Morality.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 2:12-16 I. Where does the concept of right and wrong come from? A. Why are some things “right” and other things “wrong?” B. Paul points out that the Gentiles were able by nature to know right from wrong – Romans 2:14-15 II. Where morality doesn’t come from A. Some people want to…
Read MoreDoes God knit each one of us together?
Question: Good day, I have heard preachers say that God has knitted us together in our mothers’ wombs. Surely this is a general statement to mean God is the designer and sustainer of our lives, not that He has physically and individually put us together? I would like to hear your thoughts on this. Answer:…
Read MoreI stopped attending church because I committed sexual sins
Question: Please, I am a baptized Christian who is a member of a denomination. I am in need of your advice. I am 26 years of age. I have engaged in sinful sex with a cousin on several occasions, for which I felt ashamed after the acts. I stopped going for the Lord’s Supper and…
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