Do I tell my girlfriend that I slept with her sister?
Question: Please sir, I strongly believe that it is not good to fornicate, but I did this some days ago. I’ve regretted what I’ve done. I want to start dating a woman whom I would like to marry, but the fact is that she is the sister of the girl with whom I had sex.…
Read MoreHow do I decide between two girls whom I like?
Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton, It’s always a pleasure writing to you. I’m currently in my late twenties. I had quite a number of heartbreaks, so I’d taken a break. I was just being friendly to the girls and in doing so I happened to like two of them. Surprisingly both of them happen to share…
Read MoreWho Started The Argument From Silence?
by Paul Earnhart The students of John L. Girardeau, professor at Columbia Seminary, South Carolina in the 1880s, asked him to explain to them why he opposed the use of instrumental music in the worship of the Presbyterian churches. In response, he wrote a book that was published in Richmond, Virginia in 1888. It was…
Read MoreMy wife is always complaining. How can I help her?
Question: Hello! I am coming here with a question in regards to my marriage. My wife and I are newlyweds, just a few months into our marriage. However, at the moment things seem to be flipping upside down! My wife is a severely depressed person, and, as a result, we are fighting a lot. I…
Read MoreJesus Loves Me
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/JesusLovesMe.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Mark 10:13-16 I. “Jesus Loves Me” is a tune known the world over A. It was written in 1860 by Anna Bartlett Warner as a poem for her sister’s book, Say and Seal. In the story the poem is recited by Mr. Linden, one of the characters, as he comforts…
Read MoreI don’t think I can wait to get married
Question: My boyfriend and I have been dating for more than three years. Purity is draining me and I’ve suggested we get married as soon as possible. You said this in an answer to a question: “One of the interesting things I’ve learned in life is that if you look at the hard numbers, no one…
Read MoreServe to Be Great
by Dennis Stackhouse Notice the statement made by Paul in I Corinthians 4:1: “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” Be especially careful to recognize that Paul identifies himself and his fellow workers as “servants of Christ.” Does that seem a bit strange? Is…
Read MoreChoosing a Church
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. The New Testament teaches that there is but one church and also that there are many churches. Paul said he persecuted “the church (singular) of God” (I Corinthians 15:9). The record shows that he persecuted Christians in various places. In the same epistle, he spoke of “the churches (plural) of God.” (I Corinthians 11:16).…
Read MoreWhy does my source say teknon instead of tekna in I Timothy 3:4?
Question: Good afternoon, Thank you for your labor and articles. Recently my brother sent me this article: Must elders have more than one child? In this article, you state: “The Greek word in both I Timothy 3:4 and in Titus 1:6 is tekna.” I follow the logic, but when I checked (according to my software), the Greek…
Read MoreDoes fornication not include sex before marriage?
Question: I would like to address a post on your site: Does God forgive Christians who commit fornication and sexual immorality? Your reply to this woman is typical of every misguided Christian when it comes to the question of “fornication.” You brought down the hammer on this girl quoting from I Corinthians 6:9 in one translation. I looked…
Read MoreCan I be forgiven of purposeful adultery?
Question: Hi, I am in need of answers and guidance. I much appreciate it. I was in a relationship for five years and had a child. We were married. My former husband cheated and I forgave him but things didn’t work out. I cannot pay for a divorce and he refused to help me with…
Read MoreCan I use quotes from your answer on why God doesn’t prevent harm?
Question: Hello, I am in the midst of a time of pain and tragedy for my family having two terminally ill, close family members. I am nursing one and cannot see much of the other terminally ill one. While reading on the Internet someone’s question about ”Why doesn’t God prevent innocent children from being harmed?”…
Read MoreThe Heavenly Mindset
by Dennis Stackhouse In writing the church at Colossae, Paul said this in Colossians 3:1: “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” We know the apostle is addressing baptized believers, as these people had been raised up with Christ,…
Read MoreSalvation
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Salvation.mp3 Text: Romans 2:1-11 I. A classic comic skit is to have two people engaged in a conversation. He thinks he is talking about one topic. She thinks the conversation is about an entirely different matter. Yet, the statements said make perfectly good sense to both parties. A. I realized I was having one of those…
Read MoreIs it a sin to flog yourself?
Question: Is it a sin to flog yourself? Answer: “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church” (Ephesians 5:28-29). Paul’s advice to husbands is…
Read MoreMy boyfriend left me and his child. Any advice?
Question: I have been in a relationship for 11 years. We have a child and used to get into it about my other kids sometimes. He’s been cheating on me for over a year. I found out earlier this year, but he said he was sorry and I was the one he wanted to marry.…
Read MoreIs giving a gift to a well-placed friend wrong?
Question: I want to know more about bribes, If we know some people in control, like a chief or head of a department, and we are friendly with them, perhaps sometimes giving a gift or support at a time of need, such as a sick family member, and that person favors us, not to pervert…
Read MoreDo you think God brought us together so we can live together?
Question: I have a lot of unanswered questions. I am not at peace in my current living situation. Recently I agreed to live with a Christian man whom I’ve known for a long time, and I’ve grown very uncomfortable with the arrangements. Let me start by saying that my ex-husband and I were friends with…
Read MoreOpen My Eyes That I Might See
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/OpenMyEyesThatIMightSee.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 5:11-14 I. Discerning good – Hebrews 5:11-14 A. I can understand a person not recognizing evil, but how does a person miss good? B. The topic under discussion was seeing that Jesus was like Melchizedek 1. This was something needful and good 2. But the audience could not see it because their…
Read MoreFigures of Speech – Sudden Silence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/FiguresOfSpeechSuddenSilence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Exodus 32:15-35 I. The purpose of figurative speech is to add emphasis to what is being spoken or written. A. It might make something more memorial, such as a parable giving a story to hang a teaching upon. B. It might puzzle you or even startle you with an apparent breaking…
Read MoreGod’s Amazing Love
by Dennis Stackhouse God’s love for mankind; what does that mean to you? How has God’s love for you affected the choices you have made and the way you have chosen to live your life? Many will respond in obedient faithfulness as they seek to please God in all they do. For others, God’s love…
Read MoreWhere does it say the Lord will have His share, even if He has to take the young ones?
Question: Where does it say the Lord will have His share, even if He has to take the young ones? Answer: This statement and the idea that it presents are not found in the Bible. I can’t even come up with a twisting of some passage to arrive at this idea. I also did an…
Read MorePearls from Proverbs: A Seemingly Right Course
by Irvin Himmel “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). So important is the thought of this verse that it is repeated in Proverbs 16:25. Things are not Always What They Seem To an infant, a pair of scissors may seem…
Read MoreMaking the Best of Bad Situations
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/MakingTheBestOfBadSituations.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 1:12-18 I. As much as we might wish it otherwise, we aren’t often in control A. Things aren’t always optimal B. Things don’t always go our way II. Better than you might think A. The Philippians had hear of Paul’s imprisonment – Philippians 4:14 1. Such would normally be a concern B. Yet Paul…
Read MoreWere Jesus and his family refugees?
Question: I’m wondering if Jesus and his family were refugees of political violence, or are these web posts lies? I’ve seen comparisons to the Syrian refugees on the web. A Google search brought me to your site. Did they flee Bethlehem to Nazareth to escape? What is the best answer to those posts? Answer: About…
Read MoreWas forgiveness required prior to healing?
Question: A question was raised in a Bible study this past Sunday with various opinions. Reading articles on your website leads me to believe you may be able to provide some additional insight, with Scriptures, into our discussion next Sunday. Studying Mark 2 Jesus forgives the paralytic and then heals him afterward. A comment was…
Read MoreI’ve been avoiding dating, but there’s this girl I like who is of a different religion
Question: I have been attending a church of Christ since I was born, and I made the decision to be baptized when I was in my teenage years. I’m now in my early twenties and in grad school. My faith and my beliefs are a major part of my life. As such, I shied away…
Read MoreHow is smoking weed any worse than drinking once in a while?
Question: Is smoking weed bad in God’s eyes? Yes, I know the horrible effects it can have on your health, but I’m talking from a Christian’s point of view. Some people get drunk and God will see them through, but when they smoke weed will God resent them? What if I want to try it?…
Read MorePrecious Memories
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/PreciousMemories.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 119:97-104 I. This lesson actually started out as a challenge to myself. I had read yet another article that talked about how “Precious Memories” was a poor song, lacking in scriptural foundation. A. But I could think of several applicable verses, so I decided to do a lesson based…
Read MoreFellowship Halls (Longhenry)
by Ethan R. Longhenry It has become popular among many religious organizations and denominational churches to build and maintain a facility as part of their property which is used to facilitate the sharing of meals. Sometimes such facilities are considered a “multipurpose area” that might be used for meals, meetings, or other purposes; sometimes such…
Read MoreHope
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Hope.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. What are the things that you hope for? A. In other words, what do you expect the future to hold for you? B. Hope is the upper limit on the things that we gain. You will not do much better than what you expect from yourself. C. The pessimist versus the optimist…
Read MoreGod’s Care
by Dennis Stackhouse How often have we wondered if God really cares for us, even those of us who are Christians? We may be in situations where we think that God has forgotten us, or even worse, that He has abandoned us. Countless Christians, through the years, have wondered this very thing. That being the…
Read MoreAre we already married because we committed fornication? What happens to the baby that was conceived?
Question: Praise the Lord! I have a fiancee. We were both born-again Christians, but we fell into the sin of sex. Due to that sin, my fiancee is now pregnant. Initially, some advised us to have an abortion, but we didn’t do that because we knew it was a sin. We asked for forgiveness from…
Read MoreIs it true that once you’ve accepted Christ you are not a sinner, even when you sin?
Question: First, I am a Christain. After accepting Christ, I tried running away from anything that could bring me down spiritually. I was told I was practicing self-righteousness. I lived my life and I fell into sin, but when I fall there are these feelings of guilt in me, and I go to God for…
Read MoreThe Origin of the King James Version
by Ethan R. Longhenry In my personal reading, I have just completed two books that discuss the origins of the King James Version: In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture, by Alister McGrath, and God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible,…
Read MoreWhat about Christian Reconstructionism?
Question: I am curious if “Christian Reconstructionism” is real and if so, a cult. Some people said that Christian Reconstructionism is the idea of some Christian trying to bring America back to its Christian roots, but they are trying to follow some Old Testament laws. In doing so, some of them will try to criminalize…
Read MoreWhat is the best way to lovingly tell someone they are wrong?
Question: In your opinion what is the best way to tell someone that they are wrong but loved? If someone is a homosexual, how can you tell them that their actions are wrong in a loving way? It seems like you need to strike a delicate balance there. Answer: “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes,…
Read MoreQuite an impressive list of topics
Question: Hi, I just came across your website, and I have to admit, I am impressed. I have bookmarked it so I can go back and read more of the articles that you have posted. That is quite an impressive list of topics and I can see that it would take some time to go…
Read MoreI continue to benefit from this site
Question: Hello Jeff, I continue to benefit from all the functions of your website. I appreciate the time and effort you give to make it what it is. May God bless you in your work there. Answer: I’m glad the work is useful to you.
Read MoreOffense
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Offense.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text Matthew 15:21-28 I. We live in a society with a chip on its shoulder A. People are looking for reasons to complain and to blame. B. Say the wrong word and you will find your job in jeopardy, close friends will split, or long standing members of the church will leave…
Read More