Sexting Is Now Called “Normal Dating Behavior”
Source: Matt Roush, “UM Study: Sexting May Be Normal Dating Behavior For Internet Generation,” CBS Detroit, 24 July 2012. Source: Deborah Gordon-Messer, et al, “Sexting Among Young Adults,” Journal of Adolescent Health, 24 July 2012. “For young adults today who were weaned on iPods and the Internet, the practice of “sexting,” or sending sexually explicit photos or messages…
Read MoreI’m concerned that my 15-year-old still doesn’t want to be baptized
Question: My husband and I both attended Christian colleges and are life-long members of the church of Christ. We have two children, ages 12 and 15, who we have faithfully taken to church since they were babies. They are now both very involved in the church youth group. I am concerned about my 15-year-old…
Read MoreShould becoming a Christian and getting married be postponed until people are at least 20?
Question: Hello, I looked at a page dedicated to questions and answers about baptism. Could you read these two verses please, Numbers 32:11 and Deuteronomy 1:39, and tell me what is your understanding? Did you know them before? It seems that 20 years old was considered by God the age to know what is good…
Read MoreIs it OK to use online dating?
Question: Do you believe that it is OK for a Christian to use online dating if he does not currently have any options where he goes to church or where he works? The few whom I would be interested in at church are simply not interested in me. (I understand that I’m not everyone’s “type”)…
Read MoreI proposed to marry my girlfriend in two years, but she wants to wait four years. I don’t know if I want to wait that long
Question: Hi. I’m a male in my mid-twenties who has been dating a woman in her early twenties for over two years. I completed my degree last year, but she is still in school. She will complete her degree in four more years. I love her very much and proposed we marry in two years,…
Read MoreHow do I stop putting so much emphasis on physical beauty?
Question: How can a person stop putting too much emphasis on physical beauty, especially when it’s given so much priority in society? I want to stop getting so disheartened when I look into the mirror and start focusing on how God sees me. I want to stop judging myself and others beyond what is written…
Read MoreWhen the Good Die Young
Text: I Kings 14:1-18 I. It is a sad occasion when a young person meets with death A. We think about the potential that was suddenly cut short. B. The older people think about the experiences they enjoyed that this person didn’t have an opportunity to experience first hand C. We realize we will miss their companionship, especially…
Read MoreFinding Liberty in Silence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/FindingLibertyInSilence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. It was one of those interesting coincidences. I received two correspondences dealing with separate issues, but both seeking justification in the same manner. A. In attempting to justify the use of instrumental music, Gary Mattingly, a preacher for the Christian Church wrote: “First and foremost, we must see that there…
Read MoreIn England, Christians Cannot be Foster Parents
Source: Michael Brown, “The Precipitous Decline Of Christian England,” TownHall.com, 22 July 2012 “And then there was the case of Eunice and Owen Johns, a Christian couple in their 60’s who had cared for 15 foster children in the past. Last year, England’s High Court ruled that they could no longer take in children after a gay activist organization…
Read MoreCan I divorce my husband of 30 years for his fornications that took place before our marriage?
Question: Can I divorce my spouse because of his fornication with other women before our marriage? I was not guilty of the same. It bothers me after all these years and I find it hard to forgive. He says it was not a sin against me, but I feel the pain. And even though we…
Read MoreI don’t have much, so what do I do with my money?
Question: Hello, I have very little money and this is a rare opportunity to spend it on much-needed personal items. Or should I spend my money on a poor person, giving them all of it? Or should I pay my sister all of it because I owe her quite a bit of money? Answer: “Let…
Read MoreHow should prayer be done at a wedding when the in-laws are Muslims?
Question: Hello, I have a friend in our Bible study group whose son is getting married to a gal who converted to the Christian faith a couple of years ago and has been immersed, but her family is Muslim (except one brother). The couple, both in their early 30s, chose to have a garden wedding…
Read MoreAll the Members Do Not Have the Same Function
by Bryan Matthew Dockens King David was told by the Almighty, “Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for…
Read MoreThank you for your excellent website
Question: Brethren, I worship with the church of Christ. We are a non-institutional congregation of 35-40 members. Just a quick note of “Thanks” for your excellent website. I have used your site for 2-3 years or so. When I am called on to preach, I sometimes use the sermon outlines on your site as a…
Read MoreWhy wasn’t Judah punished for seeing a prostitute?
Question: Hi, There is something that has been nagging me for a long time. I am a young Christian man, and I have this question about the story of Judah and Tamar. As you know, Tamar tricked Judah into fathering a child with her by disguising herself as a prostitute. In the narrative, at least…
Read MoreWhy didn’t my old girlfriend want me?
Question: Hello, I was 15 years of age and a girl lived just in front of our house. She proposed to me one day. She was 16 years of age at the time. She said to me that she loved me a lot. We exchanged flying kisses and smiles. This went on for three years.…
Read MoreWhat do Primitive Baptists believe?
Question: To start with, I want to thank you for your website, particularly the questions and answers section. It is well organized and presents a strong knowledge base, which I am now wanting to draw from. I am a member of the church of Christ and have been using your information on denominations to help…
Read MoreI’m in love with a man who has a girlfriend whom he got pregnant. Should I marry him?
Question: Hi, I am 30 years of age, born again, having a boyfriend near my age also born again. We are related according to our culture as our mothers share the same clan name. We deeply love each other and all our conversations are always about God. We help each other to understand the word…
Read MoreHow do I bring an agnostic friend to Christ?
Question: Hello. I thank you again for the opportunity to ask questions and get them answered so promptly! I am debating with my close friends, so my question is how do I bring my agnostic friend to Christ? Here is a discussion we are having at the moment and please let me know if my…
Read MoreHow do you get added to Jesus Christ’s church?
Question: How do you get added to Jesus Christ’s church? Answer: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. … So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and…
Read MoreThe Boy Scouts Continue Their Ban on Homosexuals
Source: “Boy Scouts reaffirm ban on gays,” The Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2012. After a two-year review by a special committee, they “came to the conclusion that this policy is absolutely the best policy for the Boy Scouts.” The policy is to exclude homosexuals from the organization. “The Boy Scouts have faced repeated protests concerning…
Read MoreDoes the fact that God’s will is not being done on earth mean the kingdom isn’t here?
Question: I was stopped by two Jehovah’s Witnesses and was very thankful that I had the scriptural knowledge and the courage to dispute some of the things they said. As a member of the church, I fully understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom and provided scriptural evidence for its current presence on earth. They posed…
Read MoreDo I have to break off my engagement because we committed fornication?
Question: Hi, I need advice, please. I had been living as a born-again Christian for over a year before I fell into sin and committed fornication. I met the guy a year after my baptism and we were engaged a few months later; we are both in our thirties. He is not baptized and belongs…
Read MoreConfidence in Religious Institutions at a 39-Year Low
Source: Christopher Burbach, “Are We Losing Faith in Religion?,” Omaha World-Herald, 18 July 2012. Gallup does a yearly survey called “Confidence in Institutions” since 1973. One question is whether those surveyed had confidence in the church or organized religion. What exactly constitutes a church or an organized religion is not defined. The peak response was back…
Read MoreWe never had sex in our marriage and I’m about to call it quits
Question: I need some advice. My husband and I have been married for three years. We have not had sex within our marriage. I am angry. I beg for him to love me but he won’t. He will find time to do everything under the sun but to make time for us in that way.…
Read MoreYour explanation of what the church is or is not is well written
Question: Just wanted to say that your explanation of what the church is and is not is very well written, and I am in total agreement. Thank you for expressing it so well. Answer: I can’t take total credit for the description. It is a mash-up of three other descriptions that I had in my files combined…
Read MoreMy family doesn’t like my girlfriend and her family doesn’t like me. Should I marry her or the woman my father wants me to marry?
Question: I love a girl. My dad does not like her because she is Russian and I am Indian. We both are Christians. Her father does not like me because I am an Indian. Should I marry her or marry the girl that my dad wants me to marry? At the same time, she is…
Read MoreI just realized that the church I grew up in is getting old. Is there something I can do?
Question: Hi Brother Hamilton, I’ve been thinking a lot about moving back home to try to build my home congregation back up. I’m currently going to school, not in the area, and this summer break has really been a wake-up call. My congregation is scantly populated by mostly grey-haired people. I love everyone with grey…
Read MoreWhy doesn’t he write me back?
Question: Hello. I never thought I’d have to do this, I always had my friends or my parents to ask for advice. But now, at this point of my life, I’m completely alone, and I have no one to turn to because none of them will ever understand what I’m going through. You can’t understand…
Read MoreFuzzy Doctrine
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/FuzzyDoctrine.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 28:16-20 I. God did not author confusion – I Corinthians 14:33 A. But there are people running around today insisting that He did B. In July, 2012, the Episcopals approved transgender clergy and members, along with a service for blessing unions of homosexuals. 1. “We are entering into a time of…
Read MoreWhy won’t my drug-using cousin leave?
Question: Hello, I’ve been praying for a cousin of mine who lives with my family to leave this house or change. His mother has left with his sister to another state but he stayed behind. He uses drugs and steals from us. He causes my family and me anxiety and stress. I can’t sleep thinking…
Read MoreI was having an affair of the heart with a married woman. I broke it off, but later heard she committed adultery with another man. Am I guilty for causing her to sin?
Question: Hello, I had an affair with a married woman. Our affair went on for about a year. I liked her a lot. I kissed her but never had sex with her. Later I understood that I was wrong and must not do this as I knew her husband very well. So, I left the…
Read MoreWhat do I do? My girlfriend told me she’s not a virgin and doesn’t regret it.
Question: Hi. First of all, I would like to say this website rocks and it’s the best thing ever. The advice you give comes from your heart and I like it, but it also comes from the Bible and that’s just amazing how you use the scriptures to help us. May God bless you. OK,…
Read MoreShould it be “should bow” or “will bow” in Philippians 2:10?
Question: Philippians 2:10 says that every knee “should” bow. I have misquoted that several times and I have heard others do the same, by saying that every knee “will” bow. What, in your understanding, is the text teaching? Answer: It is rendered “will bow” in the NASB, but reading my Greek books it looks like…
Read MoreWhy don’t I feel guilty after committing fornication with my fiance?
Question: I became a true Christian about three years ago! I have Calvinist points of view, and I tried to be hyper-serious to keep a holy life. I’ve been raised in a Christian family, but I had committed fornication before Jesus touched my life. When I left my non-Christian boyfriend and I’ve been alone since.…
Read MoreBeware!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Beware.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Peter 2:1-3 I. As the children were growing up, I felt that I was constantly reminding them to watch where they were going. A. They just assumed that most things around them were safe and rarely gave thought to the fact that it was people around them who were…
Read MoreWhy the Episcopal Church Is Collapsing
Source: Rob Kerby, “Why is the Episcopal Church near collapse?” BeliefNet 12 July 2012. Losing Membership “Somehow slipping out of the headlines is a harsh reality that the denomination has been deserted in droves by an angry or ambivalent membership.” “Among the old mainstream denominations reporting to the National Council of Churches, the Episcopal Church suffered the worst loss…
Read MoreWe started to have sex but didn’t complete it. How do we go back to purity in our relationship?
Question: My boyfriend and I committed a sexual activity, we started sex but didn’t complete it. We just were involved in foreplay. Anyway, I’m 19 and he’s 22. We are in a serious relationship and have been for almost three years. We met in college while taking the same program. I would say that our…
Read MoreWhat does water do when getting baptized?
Question: I was asked a question, which is, “What does water do when getting baptized?” How can I answer this scripturally? Thank you. Answer: It gets you wet. “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through…
Read MoreDoes the Spirit indwell only through the word without any supernatural means?
Question: I have enjoyed several of the articles listed on your website. One I have a question about is regarding your article on the “Indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” Is your church one who believes that the Holy Spirit indwells a Christian by way of the “word only” and that there is no supernatural indwelling?…
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