Should I just give up asking God for things?
Question: Hi. I hope things are well with you. I was thinking about something. I have been suffering from a chronic stomach illness since I was 16. I prayed endlessly for healing but never received any. Now I am 20, and in addition to my disease, I now have chronic back pain. Of course, I…
Read MoreIs avoiding getting your wife pregnant a sin?
Question: If I am married, and I am having sex with my wife, is pulling out a sin? Judah’s son pulled out when performing his brotherly duties and was struck dead by God. I know that it was because he robbed Tamar of her right to a child, but Deuteronomy and Leviticus speak of the…
Read MoreIs it all right to wear religious clothing, so long as we are not showing off?
Question: Luke 20:46 and Matthew 23:5 warns us about people wearing religious clothes just to show off. Yet, some groups claim a need to wear special clothing because they can’t be like the rest of the world. Are they okay as long as they don’t do it to show off as the Pharisees were doing?…
Read MoreConfirmation
by Jefferson David Tant “Confirmation” is an important factor in life. We want, and need, things to be confirmed, validated, or guaranteed. We want things “signed, sealed, and delivered,” as a popular song suggests. Statements in court are to be confirmed with an oath “to tell the truth…” Certain documents may be required to be…
Read MoreJesus is not going to give our sins back to us once they are taken away
Question: Good works are not part of the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9), they’re not requirements for salvation, rather they’re the fruits of salvation. Paul calls the Philippians to work out their salvation in Philippians 2:12. However, this is not a call to do works in order to be saved, rather it is a call for them…
Read MoreYou Don’t Deserve Mercy
by Doy Moyer Have you seen these scenes where someone is taking vengeance on another, and at the point at which the one is about to drop the hammer, the other cries out for some form of mercy? Then, the avenger says something like, “You don’t deserve mercy!” Boom. You don’t deserve mercy. Let that…
Read MoreDoes It Make a Difference?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DoesItMakeADifference.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreIs the word “church” pagan in origin?
Question: I recently read something saying that the word “church” is pagan in origin, and it gives honor to the daughter of some sun god. I was able to find basically two different ideas on where the word comes from. Some say from “circe” which would have meant circle or been the name of this…
Read MoreUnity Fulfilled
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/UnityFulfilled.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreHow could Israel worship idols shortly after agreeing to keep the covenant?
Question: In Exodus 19, everybody hears God telling about the covenant and they all agree. In Exodus 32 we read that when Moses is on the mountain (chapter 21-31) they let Aaron make a golden idol as in Egypt. How can they do that? Answer: I don’t know if you could have picked a better…
Read MoreIs a church right because it calls itself a church of Christ?
Question: How do you know if a church is the right church? Is it because they bear the name “church of Christ”? Isn’t it possible that a church might also be a Bible-believing church but might not have a “church of Christ” attached to their church? Or is the name “church of Christ” the only…
Read MoreAs an Ox Led to the Slaughter
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AsAnOxLedToTheSlaughter.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 7:6-23 I. When we describe the character of a person, we will sometimes compare them to an animal who exhibits similar traits. A. Boy who just had an encounter with a mud puddle will be greeted at the door with “You’re as dirty as a pig!” B. You might be…
Read MoreWhy did the Jews reject God?
Question: I have read what was written on the website about why the Jews rejected God, but I remain confused as to why this occurred. Are you able to make it clearer? Using passages from the Bible does not explain this, at least I have not read it. What I have gathered, by reading, is…
Read MoreIs there any difference between trials, temptations, and persecution?
Question: Hi Jeff, Is there any difference between trials, temptations, and persecution? Thanks. Answer: In English, a trial is any difficult situation, including temptations and persecution. Temptation is when you desire something but realize that to get what you want, you would have to break a law of God. Persecution is when others make life…
Read MoreWhat Is Idolatry?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WhatIsIdolatry.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 44:9-20 I. I got into a discussion with a teenager about what exactly is idolatry A. He had the impression that anything you really liked was an idol, whether it was sports, cars, or girls B. “What is an idol? Well, it is the thing. It is the thing loved…
Read MoreI got a girl pregnant twice and now I have no life
Question: I impregnated a girl over ten years ago. I told her that I couldn’t marry her. I went to university and tried to assist her to develop academically too, but all effort was abortive. I was taking care of the baby and paying all the bills. After some time, she has another baby with…
Read MoreAre we God’s puppets?
Question: About predestination and foreknowledge: God gave us a mind of our own, but He already knows what we will choose. Therefore, He can determine His plans without taking away our own responsibility. As a child, I learned that God predestined us to believe, so we don’t choose ourselves and that He predestined what happens…
Read MoreDo we feel guilty because God is disciplining us?
Question: How do we know if God is disciplining us? When we feel guilty after sinning, is that discipline? The Bible says that God disciplines those He loves. I sometimes wonder if God disciplines me, and I find it comforting to imagine that He does because it reminds me He loves me. Answer: “You have…
Read MoreHow do you do good when you live in a dangerous country?
Question: Hello, I am a member of a church of Christ and have been continuously blessed by the spiritual resources on your website. May God continue to provide you with the effort to keep this work going. Amen. You will be surprised how many people around the globe with good heart comes to your website…
Read MoreIs it proper to get mad at my parents because they are putting me in the middle of their arguments?
Question: My parents are Christians; however, lately, my parents have had relational issues that disrupt our family. Many times I’m pulled into the middle between them, and it feels as if I’m the parent trying to keep them decent so that my younger siblings won’t feel like they’re walking on eggshells. Lately, they’ve had a…
Read MoreFellowship
I. As hard as we try to keep terms pure and free from the influence of denominations, we still sometimes find things creeping into our language. A. People wanting to call the minister, “pastor” even though it properly belongs to those who oversee the congregation – the elders. B. Similarly, the desire to call ministers by titles, such…
Read MoreI have been so blessed by the quality and quantity of the work posted on your website
Question: Good evening, I have been so blessed by the quality and quantity of the work posted on your website. It is truly a blessing to me and I pray that Jesus, the Spirit of truth, and God the Father continue to abide with your church. This good work you are doing is meticulous, full…
Read MoreIt is hard for me to trust a religion because I was fooled before
Question: Hello, I have read the website where I found this email. Honestly, I am not good at writing, but I just want to say that I am at a difficult time in my life that I must overcome. First of all, thank you for writing all that. I was raised by an Orthodox mother,…
Read MoreWhy did God deal with nations who did not know Him?
Question: Jonah, Nahum, and Obadiah prophesied against other nations. Why? Those people didn’t know God. This would be the same as if some Hindu would tell me that Shiva is angry with me. This would only make me laugh. And similarly, and maybe I understand it wrong but God uses foreign nations to punish His…
Read MoreIs it a sin for a woman to dye her hair colors such as red, blue, or green?
Question: Hi, Is it a sin for a woman to dye her hair from natural black to another color such as red, blue, green, etc? Answer: “Your adornment must not be merely external — braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart,…
Read MoreWill we see the Godhead as three beings or combined as Jesus?
Question: Will we see the Trinity as three distinct persons in Heaven or will they all be combined as one in Jesus Christ our Saviour? I know the Bible states that Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God but will we see God the Father and the Holy Spirit? Answer: In Revelation, there…
Read MoreThree Witnesses
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ThreeWitnesses.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 5:5-9 I. There are two readings for I John 5:7-8 A. ”For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and…
Read MorePerfected in Unity
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PerfectedInUnity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 17:13-26 I. In Jesus’ final prayer to the Father before his arrest, Jesus expressed his desire that his followers be united, just as he and the Father were one – John 17:22-23 A. That “one” is not numerical, but a unity in purpose and action. II. Through this unity we…
Read MoreHow does Satan tempt people?
Question: Dear sir, I believe I read where possibly you and many others say that Satan can’t get into our heads. OK, so while still under the Old Testament, he tempted Job. Then he, I’m assuming, physically tempted Christ. If he brought Jesus up to see the kingdoms of the world, then isn’t that physically tempting…
Read MoreWhat is the purpose of the new earth?
Question: I know God creates all things for a purpose. God created the earth to be inhabited. Isaiah 45:18. What is the purpose for the new earth if we are not going to inhabit it? Thank you. Answer: “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness…
Read MoreWow! What a site!
Question: Hi, I recently began going to a church of Christ. One of the brothers directed me to your site as a reference for a topic we were discussing. I wanted to say, “Wow, what a site!” It seems Jeff Hamilton is working hard. Perhaps this email has gone to Mr. Hamilton. Hopefully, I’ll get…
Read MoreWhy is the religious world so against baptism?
Question: I stumbled upon this Christian site, which I believe is owned by people who are Restored Church of God. I saw an article where they tell people how to be saved. A lot was actually good material. It talked about the necessity of repentance and believing, along with Scriptures, but when it came to…
Read MoreCan God tell you not to marry the person whom you are dating without a reason?
Question: Can God tell you not to marry the person whom you are dating without a reason? Answer: Underlying this question is an assumption that God directly communicates with people today. But that very assumption contradicts what God said He is doing. See: God is Speaking to You and Does God Speak Directly to Mankind Today? God has…
Read MoreI want you to know that your work is changing lives
Question: Morning, I came across your website years back and am happy to say that it is the best thing I have ever come across on the net. I wish I could download all these lessons and not have to read all the text because I feel like it is a lot to consume, yet…
Read MoreShould I ask God to give my daughter all my blessings?
Question: Good morning. I’m struggling with the thought of how to pray for a blessing. My daughter is in university, and she has for many years had a struggle with confidence. She is really smart but doesn’t believe in herself. In some of the classes, she is barely passing, though she has a B, which…
Read MoreI don’t know if these thoughts are God’s or not
Question: I need an answer. I’m bipolar, and I have all kinds of thoughts and feelings. I don’t know if it’s God or not. I argue with my husband a lot about this. Answer: “”For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8). Just because you…
Read MoreShould I give her another chance?
Question: Sir, I have written you before about my divorce and you responded, and I appreciate that. I am a member of the church of Christ and have been for many years. I listen to sermons on your website daily for at least 2-3 hours per day and really enjoy them. You are a very…
Read MoreIf God were interested in me, then maybe I would be motivated to change
Question: I just read an article about an unrepentant person – a person who just doesn’t feel like repenting but believed he is a Christian. You implied that He was going to Hell. Well, I’m a little stuck at the moment. When I was 12 I realized that the crucifixion was a great sacrifice – a…
Read MoreWhy Do We Church?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/WhyDoWeChurch.mp3 by Garry Floyd
Read MoreServants of the Church
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ServantsOfTheChurch1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 6:1-6 I. Early in the church’s history, the number of brethren increased dramatically. A. With that increase came “growing pains.” B. Circumstances caused the church in Jerusalem to have a large number of widows who needed care. 1. Some felt that preference was being given to native widows over those from…
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