I grew up in a family that didn’t love or want me. How do I learn to love?
Question: I was born into a family that didn’t love me because I’m black and Mexican mixed with heart disease. My mother left me in the hospital for a week when I was born because she didn’t want me, and neither did her mother and her family. When she got me back, I was torched…
Read MoreHow do I get my boyfriend to be a better Christian?
Question: My boyfriend and I have been together for two years; and, yup, you guessed it, we fell into sexual sin within a year into our relationship. I want to stop. I know I can make it happen with the help of Christ. How else can I make this possible? Also, I have another issue:…
Read MoreWe have concerns about the local church and there are no other churches nearby. Is it biblical to study at home?
Question: There is one local church of Christ where I live. My family has been a part of this church in the past; however, due to great conflict and many issues surrounding this one church, my family decided that we were best not to attend there. No, we did not vocalize our concerns to anyone…
Read MoreHow do I treat my husband who has left God and the church?
Question: My husband has recently decided he no longer believes in a God. He has stopped going to services or anything to do with God. We have young children we homeschool and most of our work centers around God and His word. How do I parent and teach our children, whose father has fallen? How am…
Read MoreHow did Jacob know he was wrestling with God?
Question: Please, how did Jacob know he was wrestling with God, saying that “I won’t let you go until you bless me?” Answer: “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of…
Read MoreDoes the Didache prove that pouring was an acceptable substitute for baptism in the early church?
Question: Does the Didache reflect that the early church allowed the pouring of water over the head three times as a legitimate alternative when immersion wasn’t possible? I’m certain that many people will try to use this as an argument that sprinkling is an acceptable form of baptism, but it seems pretty clear that it was…
Read MoreIf I put my fingers in her private area, is that fornication?
Question: Hey, God bless. I have a question: My girl and I converted several weeks ago. Ever since then, we haven’t had sexual intercourse, but last night we started kissing and it go to a point where I had my hand on her private part. I sort of rubbed her for like 30 seconds and…
Read MoreCan someone live a holy life without undergoing baptism?
Question: I kindly wanted to ask: Can someone live a holy life without undergoing baptism? Answer: Can someone claim to be holy while disobeying God’s command? “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,…
Read MoreTwo Trips and Suffering
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TwoTripsAndSufferings.mp3 by Scott Smelser
Read MoreIs it wrong to tell jokes?
Question: Please, I want to know the difference between jesting and comedy. Is being a comedian godly? Answer: Humor is an important part of communication. There is nothing wrong with telling jokes, so long as they are appropriate. You would not make a joke that implied you would (or did) commit a sin. You would…
Read MoreWhen Strength Is a Disadvantage
by Gary Henry “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses,…
Read MoreWhy do whites and blacks worship separately in South Africa?
Question: Who was the first black person in the world? Why did God choose to make people of different races? Is a black person a product of a curse? You can give verses to refer to, I would appreciate it. I’m sorry to ask this type of question. Answer: See: How did the different races come…
Read MoreNoah, You Have Got to be Kidding!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/NoahYouHaveToBeKidding.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Most are familiar with the story of Noah, the great flood, and the ark Noah had to build A. However, Noah was also a preacher of righteousness – II Peter 2:5 B. The world Noah lived in was a moral cesspool. 1. Some scholars estimate that the world’s population at that time equal…
Read MoreAre We All Right?
by Irven Lee via Truth Magazine, March 29, 1973 One of the most popular doctrines taught in the name of religion in America today is that we are all right. One faith is as good as another, we are told. It is admitted that there are some differences, but the idea is that we differ only…
Read MoreIs it proper to rent out the church building?
Question: Here is my question. Is it right scripturally to rent out the church building to non-Christians for business or charitable purposes? I feel uncomfortable about a congregation that does this. Answer: The only authorized means for a church to collect funds is by voluntary contributions of its members (I Corinthians 16:1-2). The Lord did…
Read MoreAm I guilty because I left my wife?
Question: Please l need your advice on a matter. l have been married with a wonderful son, but two years into my marriage my wife started behaving as if she doesn’t care. She didn’t want to share anything with me, despite the fact that my business was not doing well. In fact, it got to…
Read MoreWhy does Jesus say the Father is greater than him if they are equal and Jesus is God?
Question: Why does Jesus say in John 14:28 the Father is greater than him if they are equal and Jesus is God? Answer: That Jesus is God is clearly declared by John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with…
Read MoreShould a Christian shave his head for a dead relative?
Question: Should a Christian shave his head for a dead relative? Despite the fact that shaving the heads for the dead is forbidden in the Old Testament, should a Christian have anything to do with such practices? Thank you for your time. Answer: “You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall…
Read MoreCan a Christian’s worship be hindered if he is in sin?
Question: Good morning, Can a Christian’s worship be hindered if they are in sin? Does God expect Christians to be completely holy when we worship Him? Answer: “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that…
Read MoreHow do I teach my boy self-control and to resist temptation?
Question: Hello, here is my question: I have a young son. We take him to church and talk about the Bible with him. I don’t let him watch television, except for videos like Barney, Sesame Street, and the like. As he gets older, I know he will be influenced by his friends, media that is…
Read MoreIs being gay a sin, or is the act of having relations with the same sex a sin?
Question: I’m going to be blunt with my question seeing that there is no way to sugar coat it: Is being gay a sin or is the act of having relations with the same sex a sin? I’m just curious because I’ve read a lot of verses on homosexuality and it sounds like another form…
Read MoreCan’t I have sex only with the girl I intend to marry?
Question: I am a young man who has a great passion for the Lord Jesus, but my conscience is not serving me right. The reason is that I have proposed marriage to a beautiful young lady whom I love so much with all my life, but this sex and fornication is making me go crazy.…
Read MoreI was forced to start working evenings. Am I lost in this situation?
Question: I was forced to start working evenings at my job. It resulted in me losing my Wednesday night worship. I asked for a night shift and was rejected for it. I am currently looking for new employment. I want to keep the commands of Christ, but in my situation would I be lost? Answer:…
Read MoreRomans 14: “Follow After Things Which Make Peace”
by Melvin Curry Truth Magazine, January 4, 1979 When Paul affirmed that “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all” (Romans 10:12), he was fully aware of the problems posed by the fellowship of Christians with such different religious backgrounds. The Greeks were used to change, continually…
Read MoreDoes God hate me because I am bisexual?
Question: I’m positive I’m bisexual. I’m a virgin but I have a strong sexual attraction to both males and females. I just wanted to know. Does God hate me and am I going to hell for a feeling I was born with and a feeling I cannot change? Answer: To be bisexual means that you have sex…
Read MoreBecause I doubted, do I need to be baptized again?
Question: I’ve been having quite a lot of problems with doubt and worry lately. The other night I was in quite a doubt-filled, depressed mood, and I think I slipped into a period of not believing in Christ. Whether it was a minute, an hour, or five hours, I do not know for I soon…
Read MoreI was baptized, but I seem more lost than I was before
Question: Hello I read a post that a young boy was sad about sinning and kept returning to the sin that he hates doing. I was baptized as an adult several years ago, but after that, it seems that I’m lost even more than before being baptized. I would like to get up one day…
Read MoreEven though I am no longer a Catholic, my boyfriend’s mother insists that he cannot marry a Catholic or a former Catholic.
Question: Dear Minister, I have just read your page regarding the question, “Do you think a Protestant can marry a Catholic?” It answered some facets of my own question, but it is not exactly what I need to know. I was born and raised a Catholic, but never felt any deep and abiding spiritual nourishment…
Read MoreWe’ve been living together for years, how can we stop committing fornication?
Question: Hello, I got pregnant at the age of 17, I am now 21 and am still with the father of my baby. I’ve always gone to church since I was young but about a few months ago I realized that I needed to take my life more serious and also realized that I’m committing…
Read MoreWhat will the judgment be like?
Question: What will the judgment be like for everyone? Will it be just between God and the person or a public event where everyone will be able to see or hear the account of things the person did, every secret and sin in his or her life? What’s the difference between what the saved and…
Read MoreIs there anywhere I can find a list of everything in the Bible that is a sin?
Question: Is there anywhere I can find a list of everything in the Bible that is a sin? A list of all sins. Answer: Such a list cannot exist. God told us everything we need for life and godliness (II Peter 1:2-4). His word equips us for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17). However, while…
Read MoreMy girlfriend and I committed fornication. Can we still have a church wedding?
Question: Hi, I’m a nearly 30-year-old man. I want to pose a question which I feel embarrassed for doing an ungodly thing in my life. I have been in a relationship since the beginning of the year, and my girlfriend and I were having a physical relationship for more than a month. We are planning…
Read MoreI saw my son masturbating. How do I talk to him about it?
Question: Hello, I’m a nearly 40-year-old father of a teenage boy. I walked in at night to check on him, and he was masturbating. I watched until he ejaculated. He wasn’t using porn. I quietly exited, and I’m positive he doesn’t know I saw him. I do not know what to say to him. When…
Read MoreDoes the Church Produce the Bible or Does the Bible Produce the Church?
by Ryan Thomas Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions regarding the Bible is that it is a product of the church. Many reject the Bible as our sole source of religious authority and instruction and belittle us for believing in the “Bible alone theory.” Thus, there is a great need to discuss the relationship between…
Read MoreWho’s in Charge?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/WhosInCharge.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 21:23-27 I. Common sense ought to tell you that someone has to be in charge A. Imagine a society where there were no laws and no government. 1. What would we have? Chaos! 2. We even have a term for it – anarchy 3. The book of Judges documents the decay of…
Read MoreMust It Be Spelled Out?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/MustItBeSpelledOut.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 8:16-20 I. We know people want to live life as they please; yet, there’s this Bible that says the things they want to do are wrong. What’s a person to do to avoid guilt? A. For some it is finding shelter behind saying that their particular sin isn’t specifically…
Read MoreMy girlfriend has gotten caught up in Pentecostalism and I don’t know what to do
Question: Hello, I know you’ve received questions dealing with similar issues to this one, but I need some guidance. My girlfriend and I began dating a few months before the end of our senior year and we are now beginning college. We attend different colleges although they are close enough that we are able to…
Read MoreIs there such a thing as tainted money?
Question: Hi, I was reading one of your answers to the question Should I give up my job because I cheated some in college? about the tainted money thing. I just want to ask: what do you say to people when they use Proverbs 10:2 to support the idea that money can be tainted? Answer: “Treasures…
Read MoreIs repentance required before baptism?
Question: I do have a question: Acts 2:38 says repentance comes before baptism. So does that mean a baptism is invalid if there was no repenting prior to it? In my case, when I was baptized, I just believed what the preacher was saying about Jesus was true, and knew Jesus said we had to…
Read MoreAre the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God different?
Question: In the article entitled “The Church Is the Kingdom”, it is proposed that the kingdom and the Church are the same. I agree that the kingdom “of God” is the church, but I assume you would also assert that the Church and the kingdom “of Heaven” are the same thing also. If that is…
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