Can porneia only refer to sex with someone you have no emotional connection with?
Question: I was reading your page about the Greek “porneia” and I was wondering if this meant prostitution and sexual intercourse with those to whom you have no emotional connection. More specifically, is sex with someone you love, like a boyfriend or girlfriend, specifically deemed immoral in the Bible, or is this another misrepresented sin lumped…
Read MoreO for a Faith Such as This!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/OForAFaithSuchAsThis.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 56 I. Read the song “O for a Faith That Will Not Shrink” by W. H. Bathhurst (#462) II. A faith without fear A. Most of our fears of our own imagination – Psalm 53:5 1. When our dreads are elusive, we make things up, and what we imagine is almost always…
Read MoreWhy doesn’t God give me my sanity back?
Question: I became a member of the Lord’s church back when I was 14, and I was faithful until mental illness struck me when I was 16. I tried to live faithfully, but I started feeling that I was never good enough for God. At times I would purposefully do the wrong things because I…
Read MoreJesus versus Muhammad
by Terry Wane Benton Due to sin, there was a need for Jesus. He came to deal with the inward issue of sin. He was prophesied to come to deal with sin (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53). Muhammad only made sin worse as he was a sinner. Jesus worked miracles to prove His words were from…
Read MoreJesus and the Passover
by Alan Feaster “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Jesus, we know without a doubt was in the grave for three days, it was prophesied many times. When we say three days,…
Read MoreYou Can Be Loved But Not Yet Accepted
by Terry Wane Benton God loves the lost and seeks to save them. They are not saved and accepted just because God loves them. Love longs for reconciliation, but just because God loves us it does not mean we are reconciled to God. God demonstrated His love by giving His only Son for us (John…
Read MoreGive of Your Best to the Master
Give of Your Best to the Master – Part 1Give of Your Best to the Master – Part 2 by Garry Floyd
Read MoreYour sermon shed light on an issue we were facing
Question: Good day brother Jeffrey, Thank you for helping me clarify some issues which I faced. I read the sermon, Who Is Responsible? It shed some light for us here, together with an explanation of the Individual-Group distinction. I thank our God Almighty for your website. It helps so many people and Christians who need some…
Read MoreWhat if someone wanted to bring a bottle of wine to the church’s Christmas luncheon?
Question: Hello Minister, I have a hypothetical question. A member of your church of Christ brings a container of fermented fruit juice (grape?) to the annual Christmas lunch in your auditorium. He wants to have it with the meal. What if any is your response to him? Answer: I had to chuckle because your question…
Read MoreAged Preachers – “Seeking an Answer”
by Travis Main via Church of Christ Articles Baptisms and burials: over a lifetime, the preacher performed a great number of these. From Genesis to Revelation, his words carefully uttered the precepts of God. His hair was once full, and his face youthfully smooth. Now his hair sports only grey, and wrinkles outline his face. God…
Read MoreThe Rationale of the Tolerant
by Warren Berkley via Truth Magazine – May 16, 1974 The idea of sinking all our differences into a sea of “love” and sweet tolerance and uniting in division seems to be rapidly reaching every part of the religious world. Denominational bodies who have formerly harbored revenge are now skillfully defending latitudinarianism and independence of…
Read MoreA Godly View of Sin
by Sewell Hall “What happened to sin?” This question, occasionally asked these days, can be answered with another question: “Whatever happened to God?” When people lose sight of God, sin cannot be far behind. The World’s View of Sin Worldly people usually have in mind some vague definition of sin. In their view murder is…
Read MoreVerdict on the Resurrection
by Ray Madrigal via Guardian of Truth – April 4, 1991 Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict? In these closing statements, I will briefly summarize the evidence that you are asked to weigh. Since this case is one of history, I shall appeal t Verdict on the Resurrection o the…
Read MoreDoes Christianity promote inequality?
Question: Good day, I would like to ask a question about gender equality or inequality. Does the Bible teach about inequality or equality? Does it and Christianity promote inequality? I’m thinking about verses like I Timothy 2 that says women shouldn’t take authority from men or place men as head of the family. Are men…
Read MoreWas David’s “trick” on Ahimelech a sin?
Question: Hi Jeff, Is a trick a sin? When reading I Samuel 21:1-9, can we say that David lied to Ahimelech or tricked him? In many cases in the book of First Samuel David used a trick to get himself out of trouble. Answer: “David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commissioned me…
Read MoreFor Those Who Love God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ForThoseWhoLoveGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 8:28-30 I. Jesus said that the greatest command is to love God – Matthew 22:37-38 A. It is the greatest command because it is the foundation for all other commands 1. It opposes all idolatry, the complete rejection of God (atheism), and sins directly against God 2. But it also demands…
Read MoreArchaeology and the New Testament
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ArchaeologyAndTheNewTestament.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 1:1-4 I. The Bible is a historical book that contains many historical references, but it is not a book of mankind’s history. A. But where it mentions historical facts, it has always been proven to be true. 1. Arguments against the Bible are based on the lack of supporting evidence…
Read MoreCan you explain whether people are saved in these four scenarios?
Question: The gospel was preached to four people who accepted the Word and wanted to be baptized. The first person confessed his drinking habit and asked to be baptized but will gradually stop the drinking later. Can he be baptized to become a Christian? Why or why not? The second person hides his sin with…
Read MoreCan Christians eat animals caught in a trap?
Question: Please, sir, can Christians eat animals caught with a trap? Answer: There are no rules about how an animal is obtained. What is required is that the meat is processed such that blood is drained from the meat. “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no…
Read MoreI have shared some of your postings with viewers of our television program
Question: Not a question but an appreciation. Just a line to say thank you for the website and the sound information you have made available, not only to the brotherhood but to all in general. I am currently doing a local television program for the church. From time to time I have shared your postings…
Read MoreFalse Dichotomies
by Gardner Hall A false dichotomy is treating two different principles or ideas as mutually exclusive when they are not, or an issue or group of issues as the only options when there are others. In a controversy, the use of false dichotomies often involves a demand to choose one principle or the other when…
Read MoreIgnoring Shemaiah
by Matthew W. Bassford Of all the leaders in the Bible, Nehemiah is one of my favorites. He confronts a wide variety of problems, but through them all, he remains steadfast in his purpose, trusts God, and eventually achieves success. One of Nehemiah’s most revealing actions, though, is something that he does not do. Nehemiah…
Read MoreI stopped eating meat after watching a documentary
Question: Hello, I am a vegetarian and I have been one for over a year now. The reason I decided to not eat meat anymore is that I watched a documentary that showed me how meat was processed and injected with steroids and different chemicals. Ever since then, I haven’t eaten any meat, but my…
Read MoreMust the bread be broken by the one presiding at the Lord’s Supper?
Question: I looked at your Q&A about the Lord’s supper, but could not find an answer to my question. Is there any Bible teaching that the man who is “presiding” at the serving of the Lord’s Supper needs to break the bread in two before serving it to the congregation? Thank you for your consideration.…
Read MoreFaithfulness, Not Perfection
by Matthew W. Bassford Over the past few weeks, Shawn and I have spent Sunday mornings explaining how it is that we can know that we are heaven-bound for certain. We’ve seen that we can put our confidence in the powerful sacrifice of Jesus and in the perfect forgiveness of God. However, that doesn’t quiet the…
Read MoreI think I’ve been under a spell
Question: Greetings, I am 26 years old. I am a Christian, but I backslid. It all began a long time ago. I think when I was even less than 7 years when I started masturbating. A few years ago, I met some guy and we committed fornication. I knew I was sinning. Since then I…
Read MoreRespecting Silence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/RespectingSilence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Mark 10:46-52 I. What do you do when witnesses to an event give two different sets of details? A. Matthew 28:1-7 mentions an angel rolling away the stone blocking the entrance and sitting upon the stone. The angel talks to the women when they get to the tomb. B. Mark 16:1-7…
Read MoreHearing the Spirit
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/HearingTheSpirit.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 30:5-6 I. Many people are convinced that the Holy Spirit directly speaks to them A. Yet, these same people will claim things contrary to the teachings of the Bible B. And they rarely agree with each other II. The Bible is the product of the Spirit A. It is not a product…
Read MoreWho appoints men to be preachers?
Question: Thank you very much for helping not just me but also the churches where there is a slight misunderstanding on this Evangelist subject. Please bear with me in coming to you again, for I want to understand clearly. You said in Preachers: Ordination The idea of ordination is to choose or appoint a man for…
Read MoreShould I have said something when I saw my sister and her boyfriend laying on her bed?
Question: My sister was in her room with her boyfriend, laying on her bed. I accidentally saw them when I let the dog into the room. I think I made a mistake by closing the door again. Should I say something, or is this okay? I feel like even though nothing might happen, it could…
Read MoreCan I treat promises I fear as void and non-binding?
Question: Hello again! I’ve been wondering: since I suffer from OCD, then are all my promises, which I’m struggling to avoid, nullified the very moment I make them? The problem is that I’m having trouble knowing when my OCD mind is playing games with me or when it’s really me making these promises. I’ve read…
Read MoreShould my friend leave her husband so she can worship the Christ?
Question: Dear Brother, Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. This question is regarding my colleague. She was born in a Hindu family but accepted Jesus in her youth. Her parents did not allow her to marry a Christian, so she married a Hindu, concealing the fact that she was a Christian. Her husband did…
Read MoreThank you for reaching out to guide me when I needed it
Question: Dear sir, It’s me again. I know you won’t remember me, as you probably get hundreds of emails from all over the world. But I still remember you. Around three years back, I reached out to you for help regarding my relationship with an unbeliever. They say love is blind. But sometimes love chooses…
Read MoreThe Spirit Speaks
by Terry W. Benton The Spirit speaks completely through the scriptures. The Spirit gave the Scriptures so that we would know what the apostles knew (Ephesians 3:3-5). We can know all that the Spirit revealed to Paul, read it, and then know all he knew. That is no small matter because the Word of God…
Read MoreDoes Jesus forgive all our sins: past, present, and future?
Question: Dear Brother in Christ, Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I went through your website and especially the questions and answers, I want to say that by God’s grace and His enabling you have done a good job. The answers to most of the questions are apt and scripture based. …
Read MoreWhat is Malachi 3:16-18 saying?
Question: Hey Jeffrey, Can you please help me understand what’s going on in Malachi 3:16-18? Is this text saying God is pleased with those who think about Him and meditate about Him? Is it saying He rewards those who do so and fear Him? Answer: “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another,…
Read MoreIs it a lie to click the “I have read and accept the terms of agreement” boxes when you haven’t really read it?
Question: When installing something online, is it a lie to check off the “I have read and accepted the terms of agreement” boxes when you haven’t really read through them because they are usually pages long? Answer: By clicking the box, regardless if you read it or not, you automatically agree to the terms of…
Read MoreCan you speak something into existence?
Question: I heard someone use the figure of speech that negative thinking “speaks it into existence.” In other words, when you verbalize negativity that person’s reality becomes negative. The Bible tells us God spoke the worlds into existence. Man has the ability to speak something. For example, at some point man said I’m going to…
Read MoreDo I have to support my father, who refuses to work and smokes marijuana?
Question: Hello, First of all, I love your site. I have spent many hours happily reading the archives of the questions asked, which has helped me. That’s why I’m coming to you with this. Because he doesn’t “feel like it,” my father has not worked for fifteen years; instead, relying on my mother to support…
Read MoreNotes on the Wilderness Camp of Israel
by Allen Feaster
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