What do you know about the Prophecy of the Popes?
Question: Do you know about the prophecy of the popes? I don’t agree with the approach the Catholics use because they’ve strayed far from the biblical teaching that the New Testament has for us. There has been considerable uproar about this since the passing of Pope Francis. People seem to think that this pope’s passing…
Read MoreWhat Will You Do With the Truth?
by Dennis Strickland Down through the years, there has been a lot of discussion regarding truth. Some have questioned what truth is, as Pilate did in John 18:38. In Mark 12:32, the scribe stated the truth, yet we have no record that this man ever obeyed the gospel. He believed, as did the devils in…
Read MoreTake Your Only Son
by Terry Wane Benton The test for Abraham was a type of the test that God Himself would undergo. In Abraham’s case, offering his only son, Isaac, was a test of his love for God. Would he trust and love God above his emotional attachment to his only son? Even though the command made no…
Read MoreA “Show Me” World
by Zeke Flores We live in a “show me” world. Most of the time, we demand evidence to verify a claim—most of the time. And the more fantastic the claim, the more we want proof. “Show me!” we demand. That’s why I think “doubting” Thomas gets a bad rap. Yes, he had his doubts, but…
Read MoreWhy Study the Old Testament?
by Naomi Works “What is the point of studying the Old Testament? We’re not under that covenant, Jesus only appears in the New Testament, and Leviticus-Deuteronomy is just plain boring!” I feel so sorry for people who think that way. They’re missing out on so many incredible lessons that will strengthen your faith and make…
Read MoreSincere Obedience
by Doy Moyer Obedience is not merely an outward act that conforms to a command. It is a bending of the heart, a surrender of the will, to the mind of God. If I regularly ran red lights because I didn’t want to stop, then I am a lawbreaker at heart. If I stopped at…
Read MoreFuneral Service for Donald Wayne Hamilton
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton We gather here today to remember the life of Donald Hamilton. Donald Wayne Hamilton, 91, passed away in Shady Shores, Texas on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Donald was born on October 11, 1933, to Evard and Dora Hopkins Hamilton. He graduated from Reavis High School in Burbank, Illinois, in 1952. He…
Read MoreIt is unfair that I can’t marry again
Question: Dear Sir: Along with greeting you, I would appreciate an answer to my following question from a biblical perspective. My first marriage lasted six years, and despite having certain doubts before getting married, I chose to do so to avoid fornication and because I wanted to start my own family. The truth is, I…
Read More“Fulfill” doesn’t imply ended
Question: “Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18). You…
Read MoreWhat should a husband do when his wife isn’t available for sex?
Question: Hello Jeffery, My wife and I have now been married for over a year, and it has been wonderful. We have, of course, already faced life’s challenges, but I genuinely feel that we have overcome them only by the grace of God and the strength that the Lord gives us through His Word. We…
Read MoreCoercive Christianity
by Doy Moyer Christians desire to see people do what is right. We look at a society that has lost its way and wonder, with echoes of Habakkuk, how long this will continue before God acts in righteous judgment. We want to see people come to Jesus and submit to His will. Yet if we…
Read MoreTrouble on the Farm and in the Church
by Leslie Diestelkamp When I was quite young, I learned some important lessons regarding farm work. Mules were my favorite beast of burden (those were the days when there were very few tractors on Missouri farms). But I immediately learned to regard with much awe the hind feet of a mule. Yet the lesson I…
Read MoreAll Things
by Terry Wane Benton “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to…
Read MoreA Long Way to Go
by Chadwick Brewer I have a long way to go. Often, I am tempted and lulled into thinking that I am doing well in my attempts to be like Jesus. I pat myself on the back and congratulate myself on how far I have come. Then someone comes along and highlights an aspect of Jesus’s…
Read MoreWhen Jeremiah Said “New”
by Terry Wane Benton Text: Hebrews 8:7-13 The moment Jeremiah used the word “new” in speaking of a coming “new covenant,” there is the immediate implication that the Sinai covenant then in place was becoming obsolete and ready to vanish away. The idea of “vanishing away” (Hebrews 8:13) is not that you would be unable…
Read MoreObserving the Sabbath
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Observing-the-Sabbath.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 3:1-11 I. A well-known, active group is the Seventh-Day Adventist A. They hold an odd mixture of beliefs: 1. They won’t accept medical treatment, relying solely on prayer instead; 2. They believe in modern-day prophecy, making many wild claims that never seem to come true; 3. And they hold to the…
Read MoreHope in the Place of Despair
by David Gibson “For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like…
Read MoreSongs of the Saints: Ellis J. Crum
by Wayne S. Walker Ellis J. Crum was born on April 11, 1928, in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of Ellis J. and Marion Lucille Rice Crum. Even at the age of five, he was telling Bible stories to large crowds. From the ages of eight to twelve, he spoke on subjects such as “Fighting the…
Read MoreThe Spirit Bears Witness
by Terry Wane Benton Whenever we listen to the Scriptures, we are hearing what the Spirit says to us (Hebrews 3:7-11). Through the Scriptures, we hear the Spirit bear witness to us (Hebrews 10:15-17). When we resist what the Scriptures say, we are resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:48-51). Thus, to neglect the Bible is…
Read MoreOn Rebukes
by Doy Moyer “Better is open rebuke than hidden love” (Proverbs 27:5). The best way to avoid rebuke is to refrain from the activities and attitudes that provoke rebuke in the first place. Yet when rebuked, give it thought as to whether there is something of which to repent. If so, then repent and be…
Read MoreRebuke Them Sharply?
by Terry Wane Benton “Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13). I wonder sometimes how this would work in today’s highly sensitive society and church. Paul is surely not advocating a regular feature of Titus’ preaching, but it is a feature that needs to be used at times, without thinking…
Read MoreIs it proper to take pleasure in the death of the wicked?
Question: Does the city in Proverbs 11:10 take pleasure in the death of the wicked? Answer: “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting” (Proverbs 11:10). Everyone is happy when things go well with the righteous because the righteous is generous with his blessings…
Read MoreDo Unto Others
by Doy Moyer “As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31). This does not mean: Do unto others as they have done to you. This is not revenge permission. It is acting contrary to revenge, as you would never wish for someone to take revenge on you. Do…
Read MoreLike a Child
by David Gibson A couple of 7-year-old girls were talking about parents’ rules. One said to the other, “If they didn’t care about you, they’d let you do anything.” Smart girl! She saw rules as evidence of love, and freedom to “do anything” as a disadvantage. A Healthy Perspective Like children, we grown-ups have Someone…
Read MoreTongues Shall Cease
by Terry Wane Benton Miraculous powers such as tongues, speaking languages one has not learned through study or education, are no longer available today. They were instrumental in the early days of the church in helping to reveal and confirm God’s message (Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:1-4). When “that which is perfect” (complete) came, then those…
Read MoreThe Original Recycler
by David Gibson Recycling is in vogue, but our generation can’t take credit for it. God is the Original Recycler. God uses evaporation and condensation to turn filthy water into fresh water. He created the decay process, utilizing microbes and vultures to manage the carrion. God made our bodies fully biodegradable. Some of us, I’m…
Read MoreThe Mountain
by Terry Wane Benton Christians have come “to the mountain that may not be touched” (Hebrews 12:18-25). It is a spiritual mountain. It is “in Christ” in “the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). Our mountain is “exalted above the hills” (Isaiah 2:1-4). Our mountain is Mount Zion, and it is “the city of the living God, the…
Read MoreIt Is Finished
by Chadwick Brewer “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30). The Greek word translated as “It is finished” is tetelestai. To our ears, it might sound like Jesus is simply saying, “My life is over.” However, Jesus uses…
Read MoreHunger for the Word
by Terry Wane Benton In China, Christians have to find secret ways to meet, and some travel two hours to get to a private home to meet with other Christians. One female disciple asked, “Why doesn’t everybody in America go to church?” She thought everyone who has such freedom to assemble, mostly conveniently, would take…
Read MoreThe Origin of the Devil
by Cleve Stafford A few days ago, someone asked me if I knew where the devil came from. I told her the easy answer is “From heaven,” but he is no longer there because of his disobedience. Of course, it is that simple, yet at the same time, it is much more complicated. The question…
Read MoreFrom the Inside Out
by David Gibson The stairway at a Burger King in Oxford, England had a low clearance above, and so this sign was posted: “Mind your head.” Aside from taking care to avoid getting a knot on the noggin, there is another good way to mind one’s head: by cultivating the habit of monitoring our thoughts.…
Read MoreWould There Be Evidence to Convict You?
by Terry Wane Benton What if you woke up and found that you were a Christian, but now you were in China or one of the Muslim countries, where the government was now arresting you for being a Christian, or they were burning and beheading Christians? Would there be evidence that you were a Christian?…
Read MoreSo You Are a King?
by Zeke Flores People accustomed to physical kingdoms often dislike it when a ruler’s authority extends beyond their superficial likes and dislikes or when it conflicts with their political leanings. But that’s exactly what Jesus promised He would do. To the outwardly religious people of His time, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within…
Read MoreWhat If This Was My Last Sermon?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/What-If-This-Was-My-Last-Sermon.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreJoy in Christ
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Joy-in-Christ.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreAre preachers prophets?
Question: Good afternoon. My family and I are members of the Church of Christ, and I have been reading your articles on your church website for several years now, learning a great deal. If you don’t mind responding to this email, I would greatly appreciate it. Recently, the preacher at our church mentioned that he…
Read MoreSongs of the Saints: Paul H. Epps
by Wayne S. Walker Paul H. Epps was born on Mar. 20, 1914, in Booneville, Arkansas. Living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, from 1923 to 1945, he attended West Texas University in Canyon, Texas. His interest in music goes back to his early life when he studied rudiments and harmony in summer singing schools. Also, he graduated…
Read MoreWhy didn’t Jesus know there were no figs on the tree?
Question: When our Lord cursed the fig tree, did He know that there was no fruit on it, or was knowledge withheld temporarily? Answer: The account is found in Matthew 21:18-19 and Mark 11:12-14. Early in the morning, Jesus left Bethany for Jerusalem. Seeing a leafy fig tree beside the road and being hungry, Jesus…
Read MoreEnough Is Enough!
by Steve Hardin “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in…lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries and drinking parties” (I Peter 4:2-3). What Peter’s really saying is: enough is enough! You have wasted too much time in sin. Some think there’s a need to live it up in sin when one turns 18 or 21.…
Read MoreWhy Jesus’ Death Stands Out
by Tommy Peeler In the first century, thousands were crucified. “During the last siege of Jerusalem, hundreds of crosses daily arose, till there seemed not sufficient room nor wood for them” (Alfred Edersheim). Of those thousands crucified, how many of the victims could you name? If crucifixion was such a common but horrible death, what…
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