Which verse says that Judas, the brother of James, is also called Lebbaeus?
Question: Regarding one of the names of the twelve disciples of Jesus: Which verse says that Judas the brother of James is called Lebbaeus? Which verse says they are the same person? Answer: Matthew 10:2-4 Mark 3:16-19 Luke 6:14-16 Acts 1:13 Peter, brother of Andrew Simon, nicknamed Peter Simon, nicknamed Peter, brother of Andrew Peter…
Read MoreEmotional Decision Making
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/EmotionalDecisionMaking.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 37:32-35 I. Repeatedly I find people making decisions based on their feelings. A. Usually I get contacted because those choices have gone wrong and the person wants to know why. B. But I can’t help but notice that this isn’t just a problem in moral choices. The news is filled with…
Read MoreHow do I help a friend away from homosexuality?
Question: I need to help someone! A friend of mine is saying that he’s gay. He says he likes another friend of mine (who doesn’t like him, but sometimes they get too intimate, like extended hugs and caresses). I got curious and kept asking him until I got to the origins of his problems, I…
Read MoreIs it reasonable to ask the church to fund projects that are not sustainable?
Question: Good afternoon, Brother Hamilton: You were very kind to answer a question for me a few years back, and your answer gave me such clarity. I’ll be ever-grateful for your guidance. I have another question with which I’m struggling. It regards funding for church-related projects. Our elders have established a pledge drive for a…
Read MoreIs Paul talking about physical circumcision or something else in Galatians 5:3-4?
Question: Hi. I’ve read some of your articles and they’ve been helpful. Thanks. I’m a kind of confused about what is written in Galatians 5:3-4 “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the…
Read MoreWhy Churches Should Rethink Their Preacher’s Salary
by Wes McAdams via Radically Christian The job a preacher does, and the money he takes home seems pretty cut-and-dry to most church members, “Our preacher ‘ministers’ to this congregation – he visits the sick, he counsels, he evangelizes, he preaches, he teaches, he writes bulletin articles, and does whatever else we ask of him –…
Read MoreWhy did you misquote II Samuel 12:8?
Question: Hi, I just read through some of your pages. This one I found particularly interesting: Didn’t God support polygamy by offering David more wives? Did you or whoever wrote this “answer” deliberately misquote this passage of the Bible to support a thesis? Every version of the Bible including the NKJV says “into your arms” or…
Read MoreDo you think earthquakes are from God?
Question: Do you think earthquakes are from God? I’m so hurt to see so many lives lost due to this earthquake in Mexico, and I question whether this is the wrath of God. Answer: Without God telling us, it is impossible for mankind to determine if any natural disaster was triggered by God or naturally…
Read MoreDo we allow our child to visit his grandparents who have left the church?
Question: My wife and I have a child that we want to grow to be a faithful member of the Lord’s church. His grandparents were once in the Lord’s church but left and now attend a Pentecostal church. Is it wrong for us to keep him from his grandparents because of their religious beliefs? Answer:…
Read MoreHow could Jesus die on the cross if he had no sin?
Question: Good day, Jesus did not have any sin, and it is sin that causes death — spiritually and physically. So how is it that Jesus died on the cross? Answer: It was Adam and Eve’s sin that brought death into the world (Genesis 3:19), but a person does not have to sin in order…
Read MoreMy parents don’t want me to be a Christian
Question: I believe in God, but my parents don’t. They don’t want me to be a Christian, but I do. I don’t know what to do. Please help. Answer: It is a tough situation when a young teen realizes the truth, but his parents reject it. Most countries have laws that state that parents can…
Read MoreHow should the problem of child abuse be handled?
Question: There exist two families: A and B. Family A could not conceive a child, so the wife of Mr. A adopted two daughters of Mrs. B, who happened to be her younger sister. Mr. B, the father of the adopted daughters, isn’t responsible at all. He neglected all his children whom he had with…
Read MoreWhy did the perfect God give an imperfect law?
Question: Why did God give men an imperfect law as stated in Hebrews, that is, the Old Law, when God is all perfect? Answer: The Law given to Moses was a good law. “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). But there was a flaw…
Read MoreContradictions in Mormon Documents
by Dudley Ross Spears There are very obvious contradictions in the documents Mormons must hold to be divinely inspired by their god. These documents include The Book of Mormon, proposing to be “Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” Doctrine and Covenants, proposing to be “a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and…
Read MoreLearning from Ezekiel
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/LearningFromEzekiel.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreWhen a Christian dies due to an overdose of drugs, do they enter heaven?
Question: When a Christian dies due to an overdose of drugs, do they enter heaven? Answer: That would be a judgment that God makes. We know that using drugs recreationally is wrong because it clouds our thinking. “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you…
Read MoreFaithfulness (Warfel)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Faithfulness.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreBlasphemy Against the Holy Ghost
by Charles G. Caldwell, Jr. Via Truth Magazine XXI: 49, pp. 781-782, December 15, 1977 In Matthew 12:31-32, Jesus said, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son…
Read MoreCan a Christian Lose Salvation?
by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, a brother sent me this link (Can a Christian lose salvation?) and asked if I had ever before addressed the topic in a blog post. I replied that I hadn’t (at least so far as I can remember), but this seemed like a wonderful opportunity to do so!…
Read MoreDoes I Timothy 3:11 refer to both elders and deacons’ wives?
Question: In I Timothy 3:11, where it says “Likewise their wives,” do you think the word “their” means both elder and deacons wives? Or is this word a specific reference to deacons’ wives? I ask this because in context this verse falls under the qualification of a deacon. Answer: Actually, in Greek, it just says…
Read MoreThe Value of Taking a Drink
by Kent Heaton Alcohol has always been a demon that plagues man with its sparkle and alluring appeal to the desires of the flesh. Noah planted a vineyard and “drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent” (Genesis 9:21). The children of Israel did not take long to fall head-long…
Read MoreWhere should I go from here? I’m an alcoholic, my wife has left me, and I doubt my baptism
Question: To start off, I was baptized at the church of Christ I attended. Before that time I was getting really bad into drugs, and my drinking was off the charts. I don’t remember what I knew of Christ, just that I needed to be baptized to enter Heaven. I managed to give up drugs…
Read MoreWhy does the New Testament talk about Jesus returning soon?
Question: Hello, I just had an interesting thought that I’m confused about. This is in no way a lack of faith on my part but something I do not understand. Why in the Bible, specifically in the New Testament, do the apostles write about Jesus’ return being soon? I can find over 20 places that…
Read MoreDo I need to walk away from this relationship?
Question: Good afternoon, I feel like I have backed myself into a corner and am not sure what I should do. About 15 years ago, I got involved with a married woman. As a result, she left her husband, and we have been living together (not married) ever since. A few years ago, she and…
Read MoreI love the wealth of info on your website
Question: I love the wealth of info on your website and tell others about it all the time. I’m currently teaching a class on evangelism and use some of the articles to help and encourage them as they have encouraged me. Answer: I’m glad to hear that the website is being well used.
Read MoreDoes a lack of unity and integrity affect the preaching of the gospel?
Question: Does the lack of unity and integrity in the ministry affect the people to whom we are reaching out? Is this a problem only due to egos or is there some other reason for this? Answer: “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for battle?” (I Corinthians 14:8). In…
Read MoreWhat Will It be Like in Heaven?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017Fall6WhatWillItBeLikeInHeaven.mp3 by Christopher Scott Wyatt Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 15:50-57 In tonight’s lesson, we take a look at Heaven, the final destination of the faithful. The place everyone in this room wants to go! Our eternal home, the very Kingdom of GOD! To a Christian, Heaven must be as important as the Super Bowl is…
Read MoreWhat Will It be Like in Hell?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017Fall5WhatWillItBeLikeInHell.mp3 by Christopher Scott Wyatt Praise to Our God
Read MoreMust an elder’s wife be a Christian?
Question: I need some advice, sir. Can a man, who meets all qualifications to be an elder, serve as an elder if his wife isn’t a Christian? If you don’t care, please explain your thoughts and the biblical standpoint. Any advice would be appreciated. Answer: In looking for qualified men to be elders, we put…
Read MoreWhat Happens When We Die?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017Fall4WhatHappensWhenWeDie.mp3 by Christopher Scott Wyatt Praise to Our God
Read MoreThe Loss of a Loved One
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017Fall3TheLossOfALovedOne.mp3 by Christopher Scott Wyatt Praise to Our God
Read MoreWhat about other cultures that have different creation and flood accounts?
Question: Hey Jeffrey, I have a question: I just started a daily Bible reading program and went back over the history of mankind, creation, and the generations. I am wondering: Are these the only people who were living on the Earth at this time? How would you compare Genesis with other ancient civilizations’ generations or…
Read MoreThe Suffering Savior
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017Fall2TheSufferingSavior.mp3 by Christopher Scott Wyatt Praise to Our God
Read MorePraise to Our God
by Christopher Scott Wyatt The Power of Music The Suffering Savior The Loss of a Loved One What Happens When We Die? What Will It be Like in Hell? What Will It be Like in Heaven?
Read MoreThe Power of Music
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017Fall1ThePowerOfMusic.mp3 by Christopher Scott Wyatt Music’s Influence Musical Experiment on Teens Think about all the different moods, feelings, and even actions that music inspires in us! Music can turn a stressful job or situation into a fun one! Music can turn jesters and revel rousers sober for a time! Think about what music does to…
Read MoreHow does a former drug dealer become a Christian?
Question: Hello Jeff, I had an awesome meeting with a guy who’s a little older than I am. He came to services on Sunday, and I talked briefly with him. He said that the class and sermon really spoke to him. We met tonight for dinner, and he revealed that he just quit his side…
Read MoreDo I need to tell my fiancée that I’ve been having sex with other women during our engagement?
Question: I have been into several relationships in the past, but none is as great as the one I am currently in. The problem is that I have not been able to maintain sexual purity for the past several years after I became sexually active. Currently, I am nearly 30 years old. I plan on…
Read MoreDo I have to be nice to liars and the profane?
Question: Hey Jeffrey, I have a question: I try to be a friendly person all the time, but some people’s personalities I don’t mesh with, or I’m not a big fan of how they do things or treat people. Some people lie all the time and make light of it and one guy constantly curses…
Read MoreHow do I nicely tell a guy that I’m not interested in him?
Question: I saw this website and saw people asking questions and I have one. There’s a brother in Christ, who seems like a good Christian guy. It seems like he has a relationship with God. This same guy has been telling me that he likes me. I told him I had no romantic feelings other…
Read MoreI’ve had sex twice with a co-worker. How do I stop this?
Question: Hello, I am in deep need of your advice. I am in my early twenties. I’ve been seeing a lady in my department, and we’ve been having a secret affair both outside and sometimes at work when we are alone. Over these last few months we’ve had sex — today makes the second time.…
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