I learned a lot about marriage from your site
Question: Good day, I just want to thank God for such great revelations and teachings about marriage, I learned a lot from this site. May the good God you serve bless you. Answer: It is good to hear that the information was useful to you.
Read MoreThe Handwriting of Requirements Was the Law of Moses
by Terry Wane Benton Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash Paul said the “handwriting of requirements” was “against us” and “was contrary to us” and “He (Jesus) has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). As a result of this, no one could judge you in food or…
Read MoreLearning the Secret of Contentment
by Ken Green “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11, ESV). Do you find contentment to be elusive? Be encouraged. Even the apostle Paul realized being content was something he had to learn. If Paul had to pursue contentment,…
Read MoreCan marijuana be used for legitimate medical purposes?
Question: Is using marijuana or components of marijuana for legitimate medical diagnoses biblical? Answer: While it is popular for promoters of marijuana to talk about “medical marijuana,” there currently does not exist any known medical uses for marijuana that there isn’t a superior drug already on the market that doesn’t have marijuana’s dangerous effects. CBD…
Read MoreSins I Do Not See
by Whit Sasser A line of a Christian hymn reads… “Forgive the secret sins I do not see.” The mercy of our God is so great in the forgiveness He grants for sins we are unaware of…the sins we do not even see. Wow! There are sins I do not see due to ignorance…I didn’t…
Read MoreSurvival
March 15-20, 2020 presented by Wayne Fancher of Searcy, Arkansas Click on the lesson titles to listen to each message. Little by Little Lessons from the Prodigal Son God Who Makes the Broken Beautiful Spiritual Collateral Damage and Blessings Soldiers of Christ Arise and Put Your Armor On How to Grow as a Local Congregation…
Read MoreDo you believe all commentaries on the Bible?
Question: Do you believe all commentaries on the bible? Can the persons who write the commentaries be wrong with their interpretations of the text? Answer: Commentaries are written by men without the inspiration of God. Men make mistakes and it is not hard to find two commentaries in disagreement with each other on a particular…
Read MoreIs “drive them out” or “cast out” the same as “utterly destroy them”?
Question: Hello, When you read about the second generation (Israelites) possessing Canaan. In Exodus 23:27-31 and Deuteronomy 7:1, 16-23, the language used is “drive them out,” “cast out,” and “utterly destroy them” when speaking of the seven detestable nations who inhabited the land at the time. I question is: is “drive them out” or “cast…
Read MoreIf you work to become more righteous, is it true you are not accepting God’s righteousness?
Question: Mr. Jeff, A friend posted this on Facebook. I’ve read it over and over, and I just can’t grasp what is being said. I’m always skeptical when a writer only quotes one Bible verse when he has so much to say. Sounds to me like a false doctrine or some of it does anyway.…
Read MoreLooking for God in All the Wrong Places
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Looking-for-God-in-All-the-Wrong-Places.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Amos 5:4-9 I. God wants us to seek Him A. It is not that God is hiding or “playing hard to get.” 1. God is not found unless we are looking. 2. Example: the child who cannot find his shoes. a. He has looked “everywhere,” but he is standing in the middle of…
Read MoreDoes a Christian have to be at his home congregation every Sunday?
Question: Dear brother in Christ: I greet you cordially. Thanks for the studies I have found on your website, I have been able to translate them into Spanish and they have served both me and the churches that I visit in my area. I have served as a preacher of the gospel for a few years,…
Read MoreThere Are Only Two Sexes
Source: Michael W. Chapman, “Biologists in WSJ: Only Two Sexes, Male and Female, There is No Sex ‘Spectrum'”, CNS News, 14 February 2020. Source: Colin M. Wright and Emma N. Hilton, “The Dangerous Denial of Sex,” Wall Street Journal, Opinion, 13 February 2020. Colin Wright is an evolutionary biologist at Penn State. Emma Hilton is a developmental biologist at…
Read MoreIt’s About Sex, Actually
by Matthew W. Bassford Without a doubt, the greatest marketing campaign of the modern era was (and continues to be) staged by the gay-rights movement. The recent sea change in the national attitude toward same-sex relationships is the result of a brilliant, decades-long initiative in framing and public relations. Though I don’t approve of the…
Read MoreWhat is meant by “redeeming the time”?
Question: What does God mean when He said, ‘’Do not waste your time, because the days are evil”? Does this mean saving your homework for another day when you are tired is a sin? Answer: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between coveting and stealing?
Question: What is the difference between coveting and stealing? Answer: Coveting is wanting to possess what another person has. A similar word to “coveting” is “greed.” “For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD” (Psalms 10:3). In other words, a covetous man is selfish. Other people…
Read MoreWhy do I still miss my friend who died?
Question: Hello sir, I hope, by the grace of God, you’re well. I lost a very good friend of mine last year He was a Christian and also a classmate at the university. Everyone who came in contact with him was surprised and impressed by his level of faith at a time when he was…
Read MoreWithout a doubt some of the best and most studied material I have ever read!
Question: Hi, I just wanted to send a quick email of appreciation. For years I have read articles on your website. Without a doubt some of the best and most studied material I have ever read! What a great treasure for the honest-heart searching for pure unbiased truth. The articles posted on your website have…
Read MoreIf HOW We Worship Doesn’t Matter …
by Terry Wane Benton Then it should not have mattered that Cain brought a different offering from Abel as long as he brought something (See Genesis 4). Then it should not have mattered what source of fire that Nadab and Abihu used as long as it was in their heart to offer God something (See…
Read MoreFor God so Loved the World
by Matthew W. Bassford John 3:16 is surely the most well-known verse in the Bible, with even Matthew 7:1 running a close second. Most Christians are aware that the world’s understanding of the latter is dramatically off-base, but I think that even when it comes to the former, we miss the point a little bit.…
Read MoreAre there Contradictions about Jesus’ Burial?
by Edwin Crozier At the end of Luke 23, we learned some women, having seen where Jesus was buried, prepared spices and ointments for His burial. Then in Luke 24:1, they were coming to the tomb early on the first day of the week with those prepared spices, presumably to perform the Jewish burial customs…
Read MoreLoving Enemies
by Doy Moyer The world can see whether or not we love one another (John 13:34-35). The world can see whether or not we are committed to unity (John 17:20-21). The world can also see whether or not we love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Photo by Chang Duong on Unsplash Loving enemies is one of…
Read MoreLove Is … (Sermon)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Love-Is.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 13:1-8 I. Many passages are used for needlepoint samplers. A popular choice is I Corinthians 13:1-8 A. Have you considered the meaning of the many phrases? B. We often associate this passage with weddings, but Paul was writing about what love between brethren is like C. However, it can be applied to…
Read MoreGiving Respect
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Giving-Respect.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Malachi 1:6-14 I. The word translated as “respect” in our Bibles comes from an interesting Greek word, entrepo. A. The word has two, seemingly conflicting, definitions. 1. It can mean showing respect or honor – Hebrews 12:9 2. It can mean having shame – Titus 2:6-8 B. Even our English word “respect” as…
Read MoreThe Boy Who Didn’t Come Back from Heaven
by Wayne Greeson The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven came out in 2010 and sold more than 1 million copies and spent months on the New York Times’ bestseller list. Kevin Malarkey and his six-year-old son Alex were driving home from church in Huntsville, Ohio, on a Sunday morning in November 2004, when they…
Read MoreCan a church pay school fees as an act of benevolence if the student has no family?
Question: Please, brother, can a church pay school fees as an act of benevolence if the student has no family? Answer: “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). God charges…
Read MoreI want to marry this woman, but I don’t know if it is right
Question: I met a beautiful amazing woman, and I want to marry her and start a family with her. She is a Christian, and we make a great team. However, there are some hesitations on my part. She had sex when she was younger to an unbeliever, but she didn’t marry him. She left him.…
Read MoreBut Paul had long hair, at least for a time
Question: One thing I wonder at is that with as adamant as I Corinthians 11 appears to read, Paul actually chose not to cut his hair while at Corinth, but only after he had left. This means Paul was on some do-not-cut-hair vow while at Corinth. So we shouldn’t see a conflict between Paul’s words…
Read MoreSummary of Daniel 11
compiled by Raymond Warfel The Last Vision The Conflict Between Persia and Greece (Daniel 11:1-4) vs 1 – Who strengthened whom? Verse 1 is a continuation of chapter 10, so it is referring to the angel who brings Daniel the message. vs 2 – Three more kings are to come in Persia, then a fourth…
Read MoreIs an Advent prayer processional proper?
Question: I belong to my church women’s group. I want to add an Advent candle lighting prayer processional to begin the program. Is this Advent proper? Answer: Advent is a man-made event referring to the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, which is also a man-made holiday. You will find nothing about Advent, Christmas, or…
Read MoreI think Paul changed his mind as he got older
Question: I note that you comment a lot from Apostle Paul’s epistles, but the apostle Paul changes his mind on subjects as he ages. Food for one. I understand that he didn’t want to put a burden on the Gentiles, especially when literacy rates were probably so low in that era. Now, literacy is high…
Read MoreIs kissing wrong before marriage?
Question: Hello, I just read your answer to a question about if handjobs or fingering were a sin. I liked how you explained it, but I got confused towards the end. You explained it with an analogy that you wouldn’t want another man fingering your wife. This made me wonder about kissing. Should we wait…
Read MoreMy Personal Insult to God
by Pieter Yoshua Perhaps my understanding will change in the future or I could be wrong, but I want to write this criticism for myself and perhaps it will cause you to think as well. I thought that it is possible for me to be a Christian while living in a way that was insulting God.…
Read MoreWhat Is This Thing Called Love?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/What-Is-this-Thing-Called-Love.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Song of Solomon 8:6-7 I. We use the word “love” freely today. Perhaps too freely. A. I love to have another piece of cake. B. Mama loves her baby. C. He fell in love with her at first sight. D. He loved her through fifty yeas of marriage. E. I love my country. II. The…
Read MoreYou’re Judging Another Person’s Salvation
By Joe R. Price May we examine a person’s personal belief about their salvation without “judging” them? More specifically, is it possible to identify an unbiblical view a person has about their salvation? Can we use the Scriptures to explain to a lost person he or she is lost? Or, are we judging that person…
Read MoreIs Our Bible Text Reliable?
by Abraham Smith “The Judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalms 19:9-11). We all ought to place…
Read MoreAre there any women artisans in the Bible?
Questions: Hello, I am a woman and I have the ability to create artwork. I desire to help my husband financially. I’ve been selling various products with my artwork on it. I am concerned that I did not see God call any women in the Bible for the tabernacle, nor are there any examples of…
Read MoreWhy Congregations Dwindle
by Connie W. Adams “Empty Pews” by Carol Von Canon on Flickr It is not uncommon to see congregations that once were large and active in the Lord’s work gradually dwindling. The natural question is, “Why?” I believe the following reasons must be considered. People moving away Sometimes workers are transferred, or lose jobs and…
Read MoreWhen is a marriage covenant broken?
Question: When is the marriage covenant broken? When a married person actually commits the sexual act outside of marriage or when his spouse divorces him? Answer: Covenants are vows that last for the lifetime of the parties entering into the covenant. “For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is…
Read MoreShould a husband have a say in what his wife wears?
Question: I read your response to someone asking about unmarried people touching and getting involved in foreplay. The response was very good, I think. Is there any real biblical evidence for women to cover their chests as the average guy does? Women seem to have less and less clothing on. It makes it difficult for…
Read MoreThank you for your teaching on circumcision
Question: Thank you for your teaching on circumcision and your statement about why the church exists and how to exist in that state. Answer: You’re welcome.
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