How to Grow as a Local Congregation
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-Grow-as-a-Local-Church.mp3 by Wayne Fancher I. Teach The Next Generations Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Joel 1:3 Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation. Acts 20:32 “So now,…
Read MoreHow do I deal with my parents’ drinking?
Question: I moved to another city in order to finish the last phase of my graduate studies. My parents are still supporting me financially. My older colleagues said that I will receive a scholarship, but nowhere near enough to make a living, especially in this city. Thus, I will depend on my parents for at…
Read MoreWhat do we do? Our wedding was delayed
Question: I have a question about getting married. My fiancé and I have been engaged for two years now. We have finally gone down to the courthouse, have filled out an application, and have obtained our marriage license. We had an appointment with the Justice of the Peace today. I have sinned with her and…
Read MoreSoldiers of Christ Arise and Put Your Armor On
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Soldiers-of-Christ-Arise-and-Put-Your-Armor-On.mp3 by Wayne Fancher Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,…
Read MoreSpiritual Collateral Damage and Blessings
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Spiritual-Collateral-Damage-and-Blessings.mp3 by Wayne Fancher Spiritual Collateral Damage Ecclesiastes 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.” Collateral Damage – Is a general term for deaths, injuries, or other damage on an unintended target. I. Those Closest To You Get Hurt First By Spiritual Collateral Damage Exodus 20:5 you shall…
Read MoreWhat if the church is told not to meet?
Question: If a law is passed that it is unlawful for the church to meet due to this coronavirus problem, would you obey it? Answer: We need to keep in mind that everything currently being discussed are temporary measures enacted in the hopes of keeping our healthcare system from being overloaded. We can’t stop the…
Read MoreA Present Distress
by Doy Moyer “I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is” (I Corinthians 7:26). Christians faced struggles and persecutions peculiar to their profession as Christians. Paul was dealing with a situation in which there was a “present distress.” We don’t know exactly what…
Read MoreGod Who Makes the Broken Beautiful
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/God-Who-Makes-the-Broken-Beautiful.mp3 by Wayne Fancher I. The Earth from Without Form and Void to Beautiful Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made,…
Read MoreThe Parable of the Prodigal Son
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-Parable-of-the-Prodigal-Son.mp3 by Wayne Fancher I. The Prodigal Son Leaving Was His Fault Alone Luke 15:20-21 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to…
Read MoreLittle by Little
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Little-by-Litte.mp3 by Wayne Fancher Exodus 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. I. Spiritual Growth Little By Little Ephesians 4:13 till we all come…
Read MoreA Godly Man in Wicked Surroundings
by Bill Hall Elijah fed by the ravens I Kings 17:6 Elijah was a man who reached true greatness in the Lord’s service. He was always ready to go where God would send him (I Kings 18:1; 19:15); to pray whenever prayer was needed (I Kings 17:20, 21; 18:36, 37), and to confront evil whenever…
Read MoreLove in the Time of an Epidemic
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton A friend of mine recently posted a passage written by Eusebius, an early historian of the church, which I wish to share with you. At the peak of the Cyprian Plague, which ran from about A.D. 249 to 262, there were as many as 5,000 deaths per day throughout the Roman…
Read MoreI accidentally fell in love with a married man
Question: Hello, I just want to ask for some advice because I am struggling right now. I am a woman who is single. And I met a married man. We accidentally fell in love with each other. I tried everything to avoid him because I know he is married. But even as hard as I…
Read MoreIs it wrong to be a Christian and still fear death?
Question: Is it wrong to be a Christian and still fear death? I truly feel like I live my life fully for the Lord, but I think about death often and it scares me. I try to think of how beautiful and wonderful heaven will be, but I still find myself struggling to grasp it…
Read MoreThe Adulterous Woman
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/AdulterousWoman.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 8:2-11 I. People rarely want their sins pointed out. A. It should be understandable. We want to think well of ourselves and have others think well of us also. B. The common response to rebuke is to attack the messenger – Proverbs 15:32 C. You’ll hear people inappropriately quote, “Judge not…
Read MoreThree Philosophies of Life
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Three-Philosophies-of-Life.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 10:25-37 I. Luke 10:25-37 A. A lawyer, trying to test Jesus, asked him how to gain eternal life. B. Jesus, as was his want, turned the question around and asked for his opinion first. C. The response was to love God and to love his neighbor. To which Jesus agreed. D. The…
Read MoreAre you telling me I won’t make it to heaven because I have to work?
Question: I have been struggling with this question, and I’m constantly being made to feel guilty for not making Wednesday evening services. I used to go to every service that I could until I got my current job where I work at least ten-hour days and I am on call once or twice a month.…
Read MoreWill I still be a mother in heaven?
Question: Will I still be a mother in heaven? I know that we won’t be married in heaven and that we will have some recognition of others that are there with us, but if I am in heaven and so is my daughter will we still be mother and daughter? Answer: To be a mother…
Read MoreDo all Christians become saints in the same way?
Question: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (I Corinthians 1:2). Could you use this verse to explain to someone that all…
Read MoreWhat are the consequences of breaking a vow?
Question: I made a vow to the Lord that I should die a painful death any day I do a certain thing. I have the urge to break the vow. What are the consequences of breaking such a vow? Will I be forgiven for breaking the vow? After seeking for forgiveness if the vow is…
Read MoreWhy did you put a picture of a deer on your website?
Question: Why did you put a picture of a deer on your website? That is all I want to know if you can help me with this answer would be greatly appreciated. Answer: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for…
Read MoreFatherhood
by Alex Krutov Becoming a Father This is something, I wanted to write for our son’s 1-month birthday. It is hard to believe that Levi is going to turn 1 month old in a few days. Where did the time go? Yes, many people told us, do not rush the time and enjoy every moment…
Read MoreShould there be only one eldership per country?
Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton, greetings. Please, I need your views on this idea that is being taught by a very influential brother in Ghana. According to the brother, all the churches in one country were under just one eldership. His argument is that the churches in the apostolic age were persecuted churches, which met in…
Read MoreMust one go to school to be an evangelist?
Question: Good day, Must one go to school to become an evangelist? I ask because these guys coming from schools taught you just have to listen to them and that their take on the Scripture is final. I spoke on Ephesians 1:5 at a study that it doesn’t teach about personal elections as in Calvinism,…
Read MoreWho selects elders?
Question: We are stuck in the selection of elders for our church, Only one brother qualifies to be an elder. In the absence of a church eldership, who does the selecting of a faithful brother to lead the church? Please help. We very urgently need the answer. Answer: The design of the local church is…
Read MoreDoes God accept wrongly done worship if the heart is right?
Question: Hello, I understand that God does not accept vain worship (Matthew 15:8-9), that we are to worship the way the Bible teaches (John 4:23-24), and that God punishes those who worship in their own way (Leviticus 10:1-2). But does II Chronicles 30, where the Passover was held not in accordance with the Law of…
Read MoreMen and Women Cannot Change Genders
Source: “New Israeli Research Reveals that Men Are Men and Women Are Women,” CBNNews.com, 13 May 2017. “… researchers found that a man cannot become a woman by simply “identifying” as one and vice versa.” “Geneticists from Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science discovered certain genes that are only expressed in women, while others are only…
Read MoreFrequency of the Lord’s Supper
by Billy Moore As to the frequency of eating the Lord’s Supper, many have wrestled with this question. Since Acts 20:7 is the only reference of disciples coming together to eat the Lord’s Supper, it is the only reference to which we can appeal to establish frequency. We learn “what to eat” and “what to…
Read MoreA Steward of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/A-Steward-of-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 25:14-30 I. Consider Psalm 24:1-2 A. What does it mean that everything belongs to God? 1. God made it, so therefore He has the right of ownership – Deuteronomy 10:14 2. Even we belong to God – Ezekiel 18:4 3. God doesn’t owe anyone because He pre-existed all things – Job 41:11…
Read MoreI Quit!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/I-Quit.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Mark 10:35-45 I. We’ve all seen people frustrated with a task. “I quit!” they yell as they storm off. A. Funny thing … Do you remember who it was? Neither does anyone else. B. However, there are times I ought to quit. 1. I can allow myself to get into a rut.…
Read MoreIsn’t Acts 2:38 under the Old Covenant?
Question: Hello, I have a question for you. Isn’t Acts 2:38 still under the Old Covenant? I notice that everyone saved after Acts 2:38 was told to just believe. Acts 2:38 was intended for those Jews who were under the Old Covenant and it is the last we see of water baptism until the New…
Read MoreInconsistent Treatment of Transgenderism
Source: Michelle Cretella, “I’m a Pediatrician. Here’s What I Did When a Little Boy Patient Said He Was a Girl.” The Daily Signal, 11 December 2017. “Biological sex is not assigned. Sex is determined at conception by our DNA and is stamped into every cell of our bodies. Human sexuality is binary. You either have a…
Read MoreLife Before Birth
Source: Janelle Weaver, “Social before Birth: Twins First Interact with Each Other as Fetuses,” Scientific American, 1 January 2011. “… scientists found that fetuses begin reaching toward their neighbors by the 14th week of gestation. Over the following weeks they reduced the number of movements toward themselves and instead reached more frequently toward their counterparts.…
Read MoreA Great Evangelistic Tool
by Scott Smelser I think it works better than radio, better than autodialers, better than showings of Jule Miller videos, better than mailing out a bulletin, better than Dial-a-Bible-Reading, better than debates, better than cable TV. What is it? It’s brethren not being conformed to the world. Photo by Ben White on Unsplash If a…
Read MoreHow do I leave my wrongful marriage?
Question: I have been married for fifteen years and I realize that God says if I remarry, we would both be committing adultery. Since my first husband is still alive, I am willing and want to turn from an adulterous life. I was wondering, how does someone leave a marriage when everything is in both…
Read MoreQuestions and Motivations
by Matthew W. Bassford We often don’t realize it, but one of the main themes of the gospels is the interaction between Jesus and people who ask Him questions. If we considered Jesus’ replies to those questions in isolation, His replies would seem so divergent as to be irrational. In Matthew 13:16, He calls one…
Read MoreTeaching Love
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Teaching-Love.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 13:11-14 I. I received a complaint several years ago. After reading an article on why sex outside of marriage is sin, the reader complained, “I wish you guys would pay more attention to the golden rule, ‘love thy neighbor,’ than all the homophobic and ‘sex is sin’ stuff.”…
Read MoreWhat does “unequally yoked” mean?
Question: Hello, I was reading over some of your questions and answers on marriage. I came across Is it wrong for a Christian to marry a non-believer? and I found it a little confusing. Could you explain how being unequally yoked only applies to situations where the unbeliever has power over the believer? Answer: “Do…
Read MoreWill I be judged for not being as smart as another person?
Question: Good evening. I am having trouble understanding intellect. Is intellect a worldly thing or does it come from above? I understand Colossians 3 and how it identifies the things we should be thinking about and the things we need to mortify. It didn’t mention intellect precisely, but I do believe it takes intellect to…
Read MoreIs the Father the only true God?
Question: In Do You Believe in Three Gods or One? it is stated: We believe in the one true and living God because the Bible teaches it. Jesus identifies who the “one true and living God” is in John 17:3 which states in the King James Version: “And this is life eternal, that they might…
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