Should children be allowed to eat the leftovers from the Lord’s Supper?
Question: I hope you will answer this: Following the last service on Sunday we clean up the communion service plates for the fruit of the vine and the “loaf” in a small room within the building. In the past, the children have been allowed to drink the grape juice remaining in the cups, and some…
Read MoreCan non-believers and children partake of the Lord’s Supper?
Question: l want to know if we have a scriptural authority that forbids children and non-believers to partake of the Lord’s Supper? Answer: I know of no passage that places a requirement on who may partake of the Lord’s Supper. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper is commanded of Christians (I Corinthians 10:16-17). It has meaning…
Read MoreGreat article on how Jesus could be in the grave three days and three nights
Question: Great article, “How could Jesus be in the grave three days and three nights?” Thank you very much. Answer: You’re welcome.
Read MoreProfessional Preachers
by Edward O. Bragwell via Biblical Insights, Vol. 13, No. 1, January 2013 The trend toward developing a “professional clergy” among churches of Christ has been in the making for some time now. More and more, both churches and preachers, have come to view gospel preachers as professionals much like the professions of this world. Churches…
Read MoreThat answer about an adult stealing from his parents was the worse answer I’ve ever seen
Question: In regards to your answer to the person that asked about their adult child stealing from them. You gave no New Testament verse for your answer. If you are going to give answers to people, especially those who ask questions regarding their families, you should give biblical answers — New Testament biblical answers. I have…
Read MoreI just can’t understand why my husband had an affair and a child as a result
Question: My husband confessed to me a couple of months ago that he had a one-night stand while overseas. Even then I knew that couldn’t have been all to the story. With the help of members from our congregation, last week he was able to confess it all to me. He stated that he and…
Read MoreMy daughter has taken a dislike to my boyfriend and her grades are dropping. What can I do?
Question: I have two questions concerning my 14-year-old daughter: Question 1: She had her yearly adolescent check-up. She and the doctor talked alone for a few minutes, and then I was asked to come back into the room. The doctor talked about the stress of school and “other things.” She suggested my daughter see a…
Read MoreDo you need her parent’s blessing before marrying?
Question: Hi, I am 22, Christian, (raised and worshiping in a non-denominational church of Christ, actually), and have a bit of a conundrum. I apologize for the lengthy staging here. I met the girl I want to marry. She is a baptized Christian, also 22, but was raised in a stricter sect of the Mennonites.…
Read MoreParenting Grade-School Children — Responsibility Training
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ParentingGradeSchoolChildrenResponsibilityTraining.mp3 by Jeffrey W Hamilton Text: Lamentations 3:25-36 I. How quickly our children grow A. The years between five and nine seem to quickly fly by B. The children enter school. C. Relationships with people outside family develops 1. Teachers 2. Friends – usually strongly attached to same sex D. Sibling rivalry common especially with those of the opposite sex E. Growth…
Read MoreHow did Joseph prove who he was to his brothers?
Question: How did Joseph prove to his brothers that he was Joseph and not an Egyptian? Answer: He had knowledge that only a brother could possibly have. He knew the birth order of the adult brothers. “And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and…
Read MoreCan a man remarry after divorcing his wife for her admitted adultery only to find out decades later that she lied to him?
Question: I am a member of the Lord’s church, he is not (although he has been studying and attending services with me). I was engaged to him until I contacted his ex-wife to inquire about what ended their marriage. I wanted to make sure his claim that she committed adultery was correct. She wrote me…
Read MoreGod wanted instrumental music before, so why not now?
Question: I am a member of the Church of Christ and have been for over 20 years. As I have read your article on ‘Can Musical Instruments be Used to Worship God?’ with an open mind I hope you will do me the same honor of reading mine. I take it (although not stated in your…
Read MoreIs divorce only allowed during the engagement?
Question: Regarding How could a woman in an adulterous marriage have the right to remarry after a divorce? I believe there is something very important you are missing. Matthew was written to a Jewish readership, Mark and Luke were written for a Gentile readership. As you know from the nativity story, Joseph was betrothed to Mary. Their marriage had not…
Read MoreJamaica Patois Wisdom – Temptation
by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…
Read MoreI divorced my husband because of his drug use. How will I know if he has died? Even his family has lost track of him
Question: OK, so my first marriage ended in divorce because of my husband’s adultery. Then my second marriage ended in a divorce, the reason for this was because of my husband’s drug use, alcohol addiction, stealing, and pawning everything we owned. I really tried to help him, but he refused to get help or to…
Read MoreIs it sinful to not want to have children?
Question: I was wondering if it’s sinful for a woman not to ever want to have children? Answer: A person has the right to choose to get married or not. That choice comes with consequences since sex is only allowed within a marriage. “But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is…
Read MoreWhat do you think about a congregation using a “praise team” to lead singing?
Question: Good morning!! I recently visited a congregation that had a “Praise Team”. There were 8 adults in front of the congregation (4 males and 4 females). Each one facing the congregation holding a microphone. They were singing a song (acapella), with the words appearing on a giant screen up in the front (no song…
Read MoreI’m heartbroken that I have to end my marriage
Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, I wrote to you a month or so ago and you were very helpful. I wanted to thank you again. Just a refresher. I found out after my husband and I were married for less than six months that he was viewing pornography. Of course, like the world seems to view, he…
Read MoreMy husband has gotten involved in drugs and gambling. What do I do?
Question: My husband and I have been married for twenty years. We have four children together. Two of them are grown with their own families now, but two of them are still at home. During the first part of our marriage, my husband was a wonderful father and husband but for the past seven years,…
Read MoreWhat would be an example of a sin not to pray for?
Question: Your article “A Sin Leading to Death” reminded me of a question I have struggled with. The lead-in verse I John 5:16-17, if I may paraphrase simply says there is a sin to pray for and not to pray for. What would be an example of a sin not to pray for? Answer: Sins…
Read MoreWe say a creed at every service. Is this vain repetition?
Question: Hello, My question to you today is concerning a creed that a church I’ve been attending quotes during every service, and I would like to know your thoughts on it. I have recently come to terms with my abusive use of alcohol and the demeaning and shameful things I allowed myself to do under…
Read MoreWe want to marry, but we can’t afford to lose benefits
Question: What does a very obedient Christian couple do when they are living together and willfully obeying God and not having sex, who desperately want to be married but cannot due to one of them being on SSI? The other person cannot support the other person and that money that is given every month, even…
Read MoreI left my husband after only six months. I realize I was wrong, but he won’t consider my returning.
Question: Of late, I have started following Jesus Christ, although I am not a Christian, and reading Bible has helped me overcome a lot of stress and depression. I need your help on my life’s greatest issue. I fell in love with a guy when I was 17. We were in a relationship for almost…
Read MoreCan a Christian believe in God and not believe in prayer?
Question: Can a Christian believe in God but not believe in prayer? I’m a member of the church but I don’t believe in prayer? How do I overcome that? Answer: Let’s work backward. You say you don’t believe in prayer, yet the Bible says that Jesus taught, “Then He spoke a parable to them, that…
Read MoreIf someone wasn’t in a good mental state when getting married, is the marriage still valid?
Question: If someone was diagnosed with depression, and post-traumatic stress, and were put on meds like Zoloft and Lyrica for chronic pain, and the meds made them crazy, are they really responsible for their actions? If someone got married in that kind of mental state is that marriage still valid in the eyes of God?…
Read MoreHow do I deal with my boyfriend’s parents if we get married?
Question: Good morning, I have a question regarding my boyfriend and me and his parents. Both his parents have gotten divorced and remarried. His mother and her husband still attend worship. I don’t think his father does. We are a part of the Lord’s church. How is he supposed to interact with his parents (socially…
Read MoreMy husband was into pornography. He’s stopped, but I have no respect for him. What do I do?
Question: I am not sure who I am writing to here, but if there is anyone on that side please help me! I am married for almost ten years. I have kids. I am a stay-at-home wife and home school. My husband and I are both born-again Christians. My husband is gentle and kind, he…
Read MoreDo I keep going even though my heart isn’t in it?
Question: I found your website just a few weeks ago, and I can’t stop reading it. My husband left our children and me over a year ago. He was committing adultery with a woman at his workplace, I found out about it, and he left to be with this woman. They currently live together, exposing…
Read MoreChrist in Prophecy
by C.G. “Colly” Caldwell via The Preceptor, September 1988 One of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting the Bible is the fulfillment of prophecy by Jesus Christ. The Old Testament was completed in the fifth century B.C. Malachi is usually dated between 444 and 432 B.C., and it is the final message of God until…
Read MoreMetaphors of the Church
by Dennis C. Abernathy via Truth Magazine – January 3, 1980 In our age when the church is thought of as some unimportant, outdated, or take-it-or-leave-it institution, it becomes very important for us to investigate what the Scriptures have to say pertaining to it. It is so important that we stress the beauty of, the wisdom behind,…
Read MoreWhy do I no longer enjoy sex and hate men?
Question: To whom it may concern, I’m in my early 20’s, and the purpose of this email is to ask for some honest advice. I am aware that the Internet is not the most proper site to ask for help, but I really don’t have any source and I happened to see your site while…
Read MoreShould we trust the translation of the Bible since languages change?
Question: Hi, I was wondering, should we be so confident to trust the translation of the Bible, seeing that language changes and the Greek spoken back then is most likely not the current Greek. Also with English and any other language, Language changes through time, words and meanings sometimes change and get obscured. How can…
Read MoreThank you for the entry on birthrights and blessings
Question: Hello, I want to thank you for your website entry that answers the question, What is the difference between a birthright and a blessing as in the story of Esau and Jacob? Our BSF leader directed us to this to help us in our Genesis study, and I appreciate you and her. l browsed…
Read MoreHow can people say that baptism is unnecessary? Where did this idea come from?
Question: How can some people say it is unnecessary to be baptized in order to be saved? Where did this idea come from? Answer: I suspect the roots of this come from a desire to claim that loved ones were saved even though they did not obey Christ. Early on there were those who changed…
Read MoreWhat if you didn’t know something was sinful before you were baptized?
Question: Hello, I have been baptized recently and but my mom has not yet. I have been trying to encourage her to get baptized and she has said that she wants to be baptized soon. However, I recently read some things on your website about repenting before being baptized that make me wonder if this…
Read MoreI have schizophrenia and I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately
Question: Hello brother, I have written you on other occasions about dilemmas that I was facing. At that point, I was very new to discipleship. I had questions about a lot of things. I may have been overbearing on myself but I didn’t understand God’s expectations. I still don’t on many subjects, but I do…
Read MoreI am very impressed with your Question and Answer section
Question: Dear Minister, I came across your website. I am very impressed with your “Question and Answer” section. I truly appreciate the advice that you give! I hope to include the Q & A from your site as part of my daily mediation on the “Word.” I can only imagine how much time, effort, and resources…
Read MoreHow can we be given grace without repentance?
Question: What does this mean? Does this mean that we are giving grace without repentance? I’m looking at a church and I looked up their beliefs, this was one of them. “That God has given us all a measure of grace according to our gifts: Ephesians 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given…
Read MoreMy problem is that I grumble too much at work. What should I do?
Question: Sir, I have been looking through the previous answers on public sin. But I could not find anything that was quite like my question. This is the best website I have found and I think it has helped me a ton. I think my biggest problem is when at work, usually, I will talk…
Read MoreTerms of Membership
by Irven Lee Truth Magazine – January 3, 1980 The Lord built His church and paid for it with His blood. He is its head and has all authority in it. It is not my church, your church, or our church. It is not ours to plan its mission or work, nor do we enter it…
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