And Man Created God in His Own Image
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 Yes, we are well aware that the Bible states that God created humans in His own image (Genesis 1:27), but there is something to be said for the title of this piece. You see, “every way of a man is right in his…
Read MoreIdle Words
by Morris Norman via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 “And I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36). Jesus emphatically…
Read MoreWill We Save This Marriage?
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 About a third of the marriages contracted in the United States of America end in divorce. People seem to be unmindful of the fact that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) or, if mindful of the fact, unconcerned about it. Although the divorce rate…
Read MoreWhy I Left the Catholic Church
by David Weaks Twenty-One Years a Catholic I grew up a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Most of my mother’s side of the family had been Catholic for generations. However, in February of 1985, I found I was no longer content to be part of the Catholic Church just because it was good enough…
Read MoreIt Took a Lot of Love
by Terry Wane Benton Stephen was misrepresented and falsely charged by his Jewish brethren (Acts 6:11-15). When the court allowed him to speak, he gave a concise summary of Israel’s history (Acts 7). They had a bad history. The brothers of Joseph hated him and sold him to Egypt, but Joseph was God’s planned savior.…
Read MoreWhat Am I Worth to the Church?
Author Unknown Many passages of Scripture discuss the quality of character that is supposed to be possessed by those who follow Christ. Most of the epistles of the New Testament are directed to that end. While there is a desire among brethren to enlarge the numbers of people who profess to be members of the…
Read MoreIs this a good way to do a word study?
Question: I’ve been working on a personal Greek word study structure because I want to gain a deeper understanding of the original meanings of biblical words. I’ve created a layout for how I approach these studies, and I’d appreciate your feedback. This is what I have so far, and I’d love to get your advice on…
Read MoreWas “hell” changed to “hades” to support the idea of purgatory?
Question: Good day, I received the following letter: You’re wrong, brother. The word was changed from “hell” to “Hades” as a way for the church to support purgatory, which is not true. There is no purgatory for sanctification, as sanctification is done here on Earth through the Holy Spirit who dwells within true believers. To…
Read MoreBlueprint of a Biblical Church
by Gregory Alan Tidwell It’s a warm Sunday evening, and a few guys are gathered on a friend’s back porch, talking about church. One friend admits, “Sometimes I wonder if church even matters. Can’t I just follow Jesus on my own?” Heads nod quietly. Many young Christians have felt this. Burned by hypocrisy or bored…
Read MoreI am with You Always
by Terry Wane Benton Perhaps no promise is more empowering than the assurance that we can handle anything because God promises to be with us. When the apostles, a rag-tag looking bunch of common men, were told to preach to all the world and start at Jerusalem, it had to be an intimidating sight for…
Read MoreThe Last Days
by Terry Wane Benton Did you know that the “last days” can mean the last phase of earth-life that can itself involve “ages” of time? Peter said that what happened on Pentecost was part of the “last days” predicted by Joel (Acts 2:16,17), and then Paul said Jesus had spoken in “these last days” (Hebrews…
Read MoreBecoming Fools
by Chadwick Brewer “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise” (I Corinthians 3:18). There is a huge stumbling block that we place before our children and ourselves. We praise one another for their intelligence and…
Read MoreThe Logos of Life
by Dudley Ross Spears via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 The “Logos” is the Christ, the Son of the Most High God. John uses a term ordinarily meaning” a word” and applies it to the timeless and changeless Christ. There are a few cases where “logos” is used to express reason, account,…
Read MoreRefutation by Ridicule
by R. Andrew Parker via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (II Peter 2:1). I…
Read MoreWhy do people change the teachings of Christ?
Question: Hello there! My primary question is this: How can “Christians” claim to love the Lord and accept the Bible as truth, block out, look over, or misconceptualize truths in the Bible that cover their salvation and how to worship? The best thing I can think of is: It’s so traditional that their hearts are…
Read MoreIs baptism by immersion valid?
Question: Is baptism by immersion valid? Ezekiel prophesied, “I will sprinkle clean water upon you.” Doesn’t that verse mean baptism is to be done by sprinkling and not immersion? Peter said we are “sprinkled with the blood of Christ.” Also, Peter baptized in Jerusalem on Pentecost, where there wouldn’t have been deep enough water to…
Read MoreTossed To and Fro
by Gary Colley When Paul penned the letter to the church of Christ in Ephesus, he gave a very serious warning about what was facing them from the devil. It would seriously affect the future of the church Jesus built and purchased with His blood, over which He is the only head (Matthew 16:18; Luke…
Read MoreWhy Perseverance Is so Important
While searching for inspirational YouTube videos, I was impressed by how many of them encourage viewers to persevere despite major obstacles, failures, and disappointments. Perseverance means persistence, steadfastness, endurance, holding on, standing firm, tenacity, stick-to-it-iveness, keeping on keeping on, stamina, grit, hoeing your row to the end, staying the course, crossing the finish line. What is…
Read MoreAre all denominations false?
Question: Are all denominations false? Did Jesus ever command anyone to create denominations? To me, it seems that denominations are man-made religions, not something the Lord initiated. I don’t believe God leads people to follow a particular denomination or to find their identity in one. Many people proudly call themselves Pentecostal, Baptist, Methodist, and so…
Read MoreThe Romans Argument
by Doy Moyer Scripture shows that one of the earliest and potentially most devastating problems faced by God’s people in the first century concerns the question of how Jews and Gentiles should relate to one another. After Peter taught Cornelius and his household, some among the Jews demanded answers from Peter regarding why he would…
Read MoreI Used to Be Just Like You
by Gary W. Summers One of our members had a brief discussion with a man whom he seldom sees. In the course of the conversation, the man effusively praised “speaking in tongues.” When told that he did not practice such, the man told him, “I used to be just like you.” Of course, the obvious…
Read MoreShould You Believe Everything You Are Told?
by Marty Kessler We’ve been told repeatedly that the last living dinosaur lived millions of years ago. If that’s so, I have some questions. First, why are there accounts of human encounters with dragons (“dinosaur” was not coined until 1841) from nearly every ancient culture on the planet? England, Italy, France, Greece, Israel, Nepal, Russia,…
Read MoreRegrets of Unfulfilled Promises
by Zeke Flores Everyone has regrets about unfulfilled promises. I know I do. I made a promise many years ago that remains unkept to this day. It’s not that I was purposely trying to deceive those to whom I made the promise. It’s not that I didn’t have the time or the resources to fulfill…
Read MoreGrace and Obedience of Faith
by Steve Wolfgang The relationship between grace and the human response through the obedience of faith (see the bookended inclusio of Romans 1:5 and 16:25) has been true even in the Old Testament, often erroneously viewed as a primitive, works-based covenant. But, truly, even the Mosaic law itself, as well as the Abrahamic covenant, were…
Read MoreWhat Martin Luther Taught About Baptism
by Terry Wane Benton While Martin Luther may have taught the idea of salvation by “faith alone,” you might be surprised to learn that he did not think faith alone excluded baptism. It was an umbrella term that included repentance and baptism. So, he didn’t place baptism in the category of works of merit. Regarding…
Read MorePride Comes Before the Fall
by Orlando Gonzalez Out of all the characters in the Scriptures that have done foolish things, there is none, in my humble opinion, that has outdone what Satan did. Ironically enough, he started his life off splendidly! You may be right to say that he had much more than anything he would’ve ever needed in…
Read MoreAll We Need Is Love
by Terry Wane Benton Each person wants and needs it. It is a primary need. People want to feel at least worth acknowledging and at least worth treating with dignity and respect. Who enjoys being shunned, passed by, ignored, or treated as worthless? All we need is love, goodwill, and our world is better. Now,…
Read MoreCan a person have the gift of recognizing and casting out evil spirits today?
Question: I came across your website and have been encouraged by your biblical answers. Thank you for having it available. My friend professes to have the spiritual blessing of recognizing evil spirits in others and casting them out. He has mentioned examples of this. I was unsure about that, so it seems possible after searching…
Read MoreEvidence of a Creator
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Evidence-of-a-Creator.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Romans 1:18-22 I. There are so many hints present in this world that it is surprising that they are often overlooked. A. But people have this tendency to only see what they expect to see B. And we have a school system that pushes agendas instead of teaching students…
Read MoreLooking in All the Wrong Places
by Tommy Peeler During my growing-up years in Tennessee, there was the country song “Looking for love in all the wrong places.” The writer tells his story as one who desperately looked for romance, only to come up heartbroken. The song ends with the thought that the writer found love, and his search has ended.…
Read MoreTwo Different Trees
by Terry Wane Benton The Bible is basically the history of man and his relationship to two different trees. The tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden was death dressed up in appeal to the flesh, but the tree in the garden on which Jesus died was ugly, only appealing to the heart…
Read MoreShould someone work for a company that is involved in alcohol and gambling?
Question: Hi Jeffrey, I hope all is well with you. I would appreciate your thoughts about a company’s activities and the Bible’s guidance on working for that company. The company in question is a large retailer that does much good for society by providing food and other items at low prices. However, the retailer also…
Read MoreMy cousin left after announcing he was gay
Question: Hello pastor, My congregation is a close-knit congregation. The majority of us are family. My cousin, who was baptized in our church, has recently told the congregation that he is gay and that he does not want to be part of the church, he never believed in God, etc. This destroyed his family. He…
Read MoreThe Direction of Influence
by David Gibson The Peril of Proximity The cough and cold medicines on our closet shelf were stored in a box originally containing chocolate-covered peanuts. On the box was printed this warning: “Do not store near heat, soaps, perfumes, disinfectants, oil products, or other articles with strong odors.” Imagine eating candy with the scent of…
Read MoreBefore the Divorce
by Terry Wane Benton In all divorce cases, there is a long period in which peace, love, and communication slowly deteriorate, and each side becomes critical and hardened against the other side. There is a period in which hurt feelings build up into bitterness. Now, nothing the other side does is ever right. Much goes…
Read MoreMy cousin is upset that I didn’t invite her to my wedding
Question: Hello Pastor, I have a question that has been on my mind recently. I was reading in Matthew something like, “If your brother has something against you, leave your offering at the altar and reconcile.” I remembered a circumstance that happened a while ago, and it’s worrying me if I’m right with the Lord. I wonder…
Read MoreHow can I know that God has forgiven me?
Question: How can I know that God has truly forgiven me? And how can I be sure I’m now free to move forward without needing to return? Answer: Paul tells us that God cannot lie — not will not lie, or sometimes doesn’t lie, God is not capable of lying (Titus 1:2). It is God who…
Read MoreOutstanding article on the date of Revelation
Question: I came across Steve Hamilton’s articles on the date of the Revelation, and I just have to say: Outstanding! He writes like a true scholar, backing up every word with primary source references. Please forward this to him! I’ve added his articles to my library. Answer: I’m sure he will be happy to see your…
Read MoreIs it Your Faith?
by Terry Wane Benton It is one thing to try to fit in a circle of friends who profess faith, and so you jump on the bandwagon with them, but it is another thing to get to know Jesus and put your trust in Him when it may cost you friends. You see, it is…
Read MoreDon’t Tell Me
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, people just don’t want to hear it- the gospel, I mean. As persuasive a preacher as Paul was, he couldn’t convince everyone to repent and turn to Jesus. So, he moved on, but not before letting them know that it was their choice to make and the consequences were theirs to…
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