In Word and Deed
In Word and Deed – Part 1In Word and Deed – Part 2 Text: Colossians 3:12-17 I. There needs to be a consistency between the things we say and the things we do A. “You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?” 1. People understand that it is one thing to talk about something,…
Read MoreI want to be baptized, but how can I find a true believer to do it?
Question: I recently came across the fact that baptism is a necessary step for the forgiveness of sins. If this interpretation is true, it means that I’ve never met a Christian in my whole life. Most people I know who are or claim to be a Christian were baptized because they knew God commanded it.…
Read MoreIs there a point when it is too late to leave sin and be forgiven?
Question: I grew up in a church of Christ. I was baptized in middle school. I have struggled with sexual immorality beginning from a young age for a long time, along with other sins including taking plan B. I think as a teenager I did not take sin as seriously as I should. I have…
Read MoreThank you for your head covering article
Question: Sir, I came across your article on a head-covering website and wanted to thank you. We attend a very small church of Christ in an equally small town. My two adult daughters and I headcover, as does my granddaughter, who is a baptized believer. We have found that God is blessing us for being in obedience…
Read MoreHow could Jesus be taught of God if he is all-knowing?
Question: Hey brother, Jesus says He was taught by God. I always found that interesting and intriguing. If Jesus is all knowing, can you help me understand how he was taught by God? Answer: “So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from…
Read MoreA post on your website brought me clarity and peace
Question: I’ve been a Christian for many decades. In the most recent decades, PTSD and other events really messed up my mind. Age took its toll too. The last month has been particularly tough. A single post on your website brought clarity again … and peace. Thanks for taking the time to develop your website.…
Read MoreHow could Satan be in heaven?
Question: I know you get a lot of questions, but I’m hung up on this one. In your answer about Satan’s fall from grace, you conclude that Satan was in heaven: “Satan could at one time appear before God (Job 1:6; 2:1; I Kings 22:19-22); thus, he was in heaven.” Couldn’t he have appeared before God without…
Read MoreIs it scriptural to “join” a church?
Question: I have a question about joining a church. I’m a bit at a loss to know how to go forward. This is all rather new to me as my family left “going to church” decades ago and have since worshiped with other Christians in homes or fellowships. One of the church leaders asked me…
Read MoreCan I pursue a career singing pop music?
Question: Can I pursue a singing career in pop music? I have an opportunity to get myself out there, but I would like to know if it is OK to pursue a career in entertainment because I don’t want to lose my soul. Please, I would love an answer. I’m very conflicted at the moment.…
Read MoreCan she leave me after being committed to each other for three years?
Question: I am in a relationship with a girl for the past three years. I am a firm believer and was baptized in water nearly 15 years ago. The girl is also a firm believer. In the past three years, we have had sex countless times. We are committed to each other. Our parents know…
Read MoreMarijuana and Mental Illness
Source: Alex Berenson, “Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence,” Imprimis, vol. 48, no. 1, Jan 2019 “They’ve told you marijuana has many different medical uses. In reality marijuana and THC, its active ingredient, have been shown to work only in a few narrow conditions. They are most commonly prescribed for pain relief. But they are rarely tested…
Read MoreToo Busy Doing the Wrong Things
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/TooBusyDoingTheWrongThings.mp3 I. Some of us are careful shoppers. Especially when it comes to expensive items, such as our cars A. You could buy the cheapest thing on the lot. It will run, but we understand that it won’t last long. It is not worth the investment. B. Rather, most of us understand that it is better to save…
Read MoreAre many prophecies being fulfilled in recent years?
Question: Good Evening, I have been reading a lot on prophecies that have supposedly been fulfilled in recent years or months. I am not entirely sure how to handle this information. Much of it seems like grasping at straws, while some of it seems startlingly clear. I would like your thoughts on this. I have…
Read MoreWhen I confess and repent, will my relationship with God be restored?
Question: If I pray to God and tell Him I know what I did was wrong, and I know I did it a few times, but I will never do it again, then will my relationship with God be good as long as I repent? Answer: When you accept that you are no longer that…
Read MoreDid Adam and Eve not know they were naked?
Question: Is it true that Adam and his wife did not know that they were physically naked before sin? I.e. the terms ‘naked’ and ‘clothed’ did not exist unto then. Answer: “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25). Adam and Eve were like little children in this…
Read MoreWhen Life Has No Value
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/WhenLifeHasNoValue.mp3 Text: Psalms 139 I. To watch as a child grows in a mother’s womb is a thing of wonder. A. People refer to the “miracle of birth,” though it is not truly a miracle – this is the way God made the process of life to happen. B. Still, it doesn’t make it any less awesome…
Read MoreExpository Teaching
by Joanne Beckley I find that expository preachers often do not really ask, What’s the purpose of this sermon? What should it do in people’s lives? If you say, “Why are you preaching on Romans 5?” some preachers answer, “Well, because last week I was in Romans 4. Next week I’ll be in Romans 6.”…
Read MoreThe Unwanted
Text: Psalms 10 I. How do we deal with those whom others don’t want? A. Terri Shiavo made the news and was the focus of attention for numerous months. 1. Her husband no longer wanted to keep her alive. He claimed that she wouldn’t want to remain in this state. 2. What I don’t often hear is that Terri…
Read MoreHow to Misunderstand the Bible
I. Yet another book appears on the bookshelves claiming to help the casual reader to better understand the teachings found in the Bible. A. “The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart” by Peter J. Gomes. B. The author claims that contents of the best selling book in the world is mostly unknown and misunderstood. C. In…
Read MoreWhat if a person does not go completely under the water at the same time? Is it still a baptism?
Question: What are your thoughts concerning baptism when a finger or knuckle or possibly someone with long hair doesn’t all get under at the same time or under at all? It seems like that could happen accidentally with no knowledge of it or could also be noticed by the baptizer. It seems like it’s still…
Read MorePsalms 22
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Psalms22.mp3 Text: Psalms 22 I. Life can get very difficult at times and we can easily get overwhelmed by the struggle. What do we do? II. Why doesn’t God do something? – Psalms 22:1-5 A. We not only want a solution, we also have a time in mind that we want it solved by. B. It might appear…
Read MoreCan God be proven scientifically?
Question: Your email address was given to me by a friend of mine recently. He said that you’d be willing to respond to questions. I have regarding faith in God and creationism. I am sending this message in hopes that this could be the case. I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of…
Read MoreThe original Lord’s Supper was observed at night and it wasn’t on Sunday
Question: The original Lord’s Supper was observed at nighttime (Matthew 26:31), and it was not observed on the first day of the week (Sunday), The practice of breaking bread was done on a daily basis from house to house, not on a weekly basis as in the churches of Christ. You find this information in Acts 2:46. And you’ll also…
Read MoreWhy do the churches of Christ insist that their name is scriptural?
Question: Why does the “Church of Christ” insist that their name is scriptural when it cannot be found anywhere in the Bible? The church is referred to as the “church of God” eight times in the Bible, but never is it called the “church of Christ.” The verse they use is Romans 16:16, but it doesn’t…
Read MoreDoes the Holy Spirit only work through the Word?
Question: Hey brother, I know God and Christ work today, I read an article from Truth Magazine in regards to the Spirit. They used scripture to defend the Spirit only works by the word. Does the Spirit only work by the Word? Is He active in regeneration, renewing, and divine intervention? I realize He does…
Read MoreShould we be worried about advances in Artificial Intelligence?
Question: Hey Mr. Jeffrey, Supposedly there is technology that can read thoughts. I didn’t think that was possible. What should be the Christian reaction to all this technology? Also, should all this crazy A.I. technology make a Christian nervous? Answer: The current state of technology is not nearly to the point of thought reading. It…
Read More“It Is Written”: Reflections on Authority, CENI and Grace
by Doy Moyer Those claiming to be Christians will make the claim on the basis of what they believe the Scriptures teach. This is so, regardless of how far right or left on the spectrum of thought they find themselves. This is not to say that all interpretations are correct or that as long as…
Read MoreI’m too impure and unworthy to come to God
Question: I’m truly scared about this, but I thought I would give it a go. I’m 15 years old and I’ve done stuff most adults haven’t dreamed of doing, such as smoking weed, giving hand jobs, and receiving masturbation. The problem is anytime I try to change and move forward something pulls me back. It’s…
Read MoreLying, Cheating, and Stealing
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/LyingCheatingAndStealing.mp3 Text: Revelation 21:1-8 I. What is it that we teach our children? A. What do tell them about lying, cheating, and stealing? B. Most of us would be confident that they understand these things are wrong. C. But are you certain? D. Far too often we send mixed messages. E. One very perceptive mother sent three examples from her…
Read MoreIt’s Not Fair!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ItsNotFair.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 I. Parents of school-age children soon hear the argument, “But everyone else gets to. It’s not fair that I’m the only one who can’t.” A. The topic varies with the age of the child, but it ranges from a purchase of an item that you can’t afford or…
Read MoreWhat Is Your Attitude Toward Brethren Whose Children Go Wrong?
by Peter J. Wilson via Truth Magazine, May 3, 2001 The rearing of children at any age is a fearful responsibility. God entrusts into our care a soul (worth more than the whole world) wrapped in a tiny body. While that child is a gift from God (Psalms 127:3; Genesis 33:5), we are really stewards of that…
Read MoreI too left the Nazarene church, but over legalism
Question: I was reading your letter online and, like your “I left the Nazarene church,” I left on the other hand because I found the practices to be legalistic. I find your letter to be greatly encouraging. Thank you and God bless you. Answer: I’m glad the article was of benefit to you. “Legalism” is…
Read MoreMy sister-in-law stopped talking to me and I don’t know why
Question: Hello sir, I have a question about family problems. I have a sister-in-law who cannot stand me for no other reason from what I can gather than jealousy. I’ll try to explain. She deleted me from social media recently and cut off communication between us. I noticed and right away I called her to…
Read MoreMerciless Progressivism
by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, I read a fascinating op-ed, “The Cruelty of Call-Out Culture” by David Brooks. It tells the story of a member of a punk-rock band who called out the band’s lead singer for sending an unwelcome, explicit photograph to a woman, leading to his banishment from the punk-rock scene.…
Read MoreShouldn’t we be skipping some verses in Ten Thousand Angels and Amazing Grace?
Question: In the song “Ten Thousand Angels,” the last words in the fourth verse states: “Salvation’s wondrous plan was done.” In the preceding words, He gave himself to die, followed by Salvation’s wondrous plan was done gives the idea that there was nothing left for Christ to do in order for salvation to be accomplished.…
Read MoreI found pornography on my fiance’s flash drives. What should I do?
Question: I found flash drives in my fiancé’s stuff: one had a hidden folder of photos of family, wallpapers, and a folder named “Girls” with half-naked pictures of women — both anime and movie star. Another flash drive had a New Folder with mixed pictures both half-naked anime photos plus photos of us. I confronted…
Read MoreA Song of Faith
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/SongOfFaith.mp3 Text: Psalm 23 I. The most famous psalm is a song about faith. A. It weaves in a few brief words the clear message of a special relationship between man and God B. It speaks of trust and security in good times and bad. II. Faith in Times of Quiet – Psalm 23:1-3 A. The Lord is my…
Read MoreWhat If the World Would End on Tuesday?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/WhatIfTheWorldWouldEndOnTuesday.mp3 by PJ Anderson
Read MoreCan we become perfect?
Question: What is perfection? Can we, as Christians, obtain perfection? If so, how do we obtain it? Answer: The Greek word translated as “perfect” is the word teleion. It means something that is complete, perfect, whole, full-grown, ripe, mature, or adult. Thus, becoming perfect is just another way of saying you have matured. In “Yet we…
Read MoreWhat does a wife do when she finds out her husband lied about committing adultery against his former wife?
Question: This question is in reference to a friend. She grew up in the church, and she was baptized. She entered into a marriage with someone, but her spouse committed adultery against her. My friend remarried sometime later and was under the assumption that she was entering into a scriptural marriage. Her new spouse had…
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