Your notes on Matthew 24 really help
Question: I am a student of Theology. I love your website. I stumbled on it through Google’s search engine while trying to research the events in Matthew 24. I appreciate your explanatory notes on the subject because it proffers a solution to the assignment given to me from school. I pray that Jesus Christ will continue to…
Read MoreMy wife continued to see another man while we were supposedly working on rebuilding our marriage. What do I do?
Question: I wish I had better news for you. After nearly a year of counseling, talking, and working on our marriage (so I thought), I have discovered that my wife never really gave up the other man. They began communicating only two months after the last attempt at reconciliation. Just as last time, she is…
Read MoreDo passages proving the authority of the Lord’s Supper have to be read before partaking of it?
Question: Concerning the Lord’s Supper, what if during worship there is neglect in having someone read out loud, to the congregation, any passages that explain what they are doing, why they are doing it, and the manner in which it is to be done in the first place? Maybe I’m mistaken, but isn’t it necessary…
Read MoreWill God cure us of herpes?
Question: Hi, I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and just one time in my life I felt like killing myself. I knew God existed all the while, but I never obeyed him. I have this long-distance boyfriend, and I visit him on vacation. The first time we had sex it was…
Read MoreShould I divorce my husband who goes off to live with other women?
Question: Hello, I am a member of the church of Christ. I had, before getting married, struggled with understanding the gospel, the church and mainly just had sin blocking my way for a long time. I began dating early and at 15 became promiscuous. Shortly after flunking out of college, I started dating a guy…
Read MoreDoes a long service affect one’s relationship with God?
Question: Does long Christian liturgy affect one’s relationship with God? Are they good or is it a sin? Answer: “Liturgy” is just a fancy word for the public worship service. There is no fixed length for how long a worship service is to be. The usual teasing reminder that preachers point out is that Paul…
Read MoreWhat Is the Gospel About?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/WhatIsTheGospelAbout.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 49:1-13 I. There is no end to the people who like to tell preachers how to do their job and what they are allowed to say or not say A. For many, they don’t want to hear about things like sin and its consequences, they don’t want to be…
Read MoreWhat do you think of the President supporting gay marriage?
Question: I know you’re aware of the Obama situation about passing the gay marriage bill. I had a conversation on Facebook about it and everyone — the majority are Christian — agree. They say he’s doing his job, people have the right to be happy, gay people are hurting no one, so why are you…
Read MoreShould only Christians be blessed?
Question: When you ask God to bless someone, do they have to be a Christian? I doubt it, but I still want to ask. When someone says may God bless you, does He actually do it? Also, what do you think of Mother Teresa since she was a Catholic? Do you agree with her mission?…
Read MoreCould I have gotten my girlfriend pregnant?
Question: Hi. I want to ask you an urgent question. I’ll get straight to the point: today my girlfriend and I had sex. I didn’t put my penis in her vagina, but I ejaculated in my pants and some sperm got into my finger. I wiped it with a cloth, but I didn’t wash with…
Read MoreWhy do you have a double standard in regards to divorce and remarriage?
Question: I notice that members of the churches of Christ, who have been divorced and remarried, say they have a biblical divorce caused by fornication, no questions asked, but you all judge others in different churches as having an unbiblical divorce and marriage. Why the double standard? Please don’t insult me by saying you don’t…
Read MoreI just don’t know whether to leave my boyfriend or stay
Question: I am so pleased to see that there is a question section here! I am so lost and stuck in a rut and need nothing but the word of God with proper direction. My boyfriend and I have been together for a few years. We are in our early twenties. We are having premarital…
Read MoreDoes Jesus hear our prayers before God hears them?
Question: How does Jesus send our prayers to God? Does he hear them before God hears them? How exactly does it work? Does Jesus listen, and then verbally repeat your prayers to God? Answer: Speaking of Jesus, the writer of Hebrews said, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come…
Read MoreHow do I help a friend who has gotten involved in fornication and drugs?
Question: Hello, I was hoping you could help me with a problem I have been struggling with for a couple of weeks. I have a Christian friend who has become involved in a relationship where she has started having sex with her boyfriend and occasionally smoking and taking drugs because he does too. Since she started…
Read MoreWas my friend wrong to be baptized even though it was after curfew?
Question: My friend possibly had to break the town curfew to be baptized. Is this an Acts 5:29 issue or a Romans 3:8 issue? I have a feeling I’m taking that a bit too seriously, but the law is the law. Although I doubt that law was created to stop youths from going to a…
Read MoreWhy is there only one gospel when we have four gospels?
Question: I’m confused, if there is only one gospel why do so many people say the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Answer: The gospel is the good news preached concerning Jesus Christ and salvation. All of the New Testament is the gospel in this sense. See The Message Preached to see that the…
Read MoreCan you give some guidelines for how to behave in courtship?
Question: During our courtship, my girlfriend and I kept making small compromises that almost led to sex. We know we want to marry one another; in fact, it took us about four months to get to know each other because we wanted to make sure God is being glorified in the midst of our relationship.…
Read MoreShould I let my mom and her boyfriend stay at my house while they are visiting?
Question: Hello, My mom and her boyfriend are coming to see me for a few days for the first time, and, although my mom says she believes, prays every night for forgiveness, and goes to church she will not take what I say seriously about she is living in sin by sleeping and living with…
Read MoreWere the demons falling down before Jesus and his transfiguration among the miracles of Jesus?
Question: Question No.1 – Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God” (Mark 3:11). In this passage, is it right that the fallen down evil spirits are healed before Jesus? If so that, should this be counted as one of the miracles of…
Read MoreWhat should be done about a preacher whose wife no longer attends?
Question: We have a minister whose wife no longer attends church services. We have no elders. What should we do, or what should he do? (I Timothy 3:5). Answer: A preacher is not the same duty as an elder, nor does a preacher have the same requirements on him as an elder does. I Timothy…
Read MoreDo I need to confess a wrong I did in the past to someone who is not aware of it and wasn’t harmed by it?
Question: Hello Brother, I have a question that has been weighing on my mind. I have read some of your responses to confession. I believe that I have come to a correct conclusion but wanted to ask you to be sure. I did something that could have harmed a friend back in high school years ago. …
Read MoreI simply loved this message of video games and entertainment leading to sins
Question: I simply loved this message of video games and entertainment leading to sins and the cause of sins. Simply superb. I recently gave my life over to Christ and wasn’t sure if video games were wrong, even though I was being convicted in my spirit that it was. Also because I had such a vast collection.…
Read MoreAre Bondage/Discipline/Sadism/Masochism practices moral?
Question: My query pertains to the practice of “Bondage and Discipline”, “Dominance and Submission”, “Sadism and Masochism”, which collectively make up the acronym “BDSM”. Specifically, I am curious whether or not the Bible has anything to say on the morality of “Master/Slave (Dominant/Submissive)” relationships? Quite frequently, elements of pain are involved in these types of…
Read MoreDo we still need to redeem our firstborn?
Question: Does the Bible still expect us to redeem our firstborn with offering in the New Testament? Answer: Jesus is the one and only sacrifice in the New Testament. “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). There are no other sacrifices…
Read MoreWere Esau and Ishmael’s descendants considered Gentiles?
Question: We are studying Genesis 36 and the generations of Esau. Several questions arose that have generated some good discussion, but we are needing some help. The questions asked “Were Esau and Ishmael’s families considered Gentiles? Or were they Jews? We are a little confused about when the Jewish nation was established and when were…
Read MoreI’m committing adultery, but we are in love. I know it is wrong, but what do I do?
Question: I need your help urgently, please! I am a Christian in faith and believe and accepted the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I’m not actively serving God although I do pray from time to time and ask His forgiveness. My problem is this: I am dating a Muslim woman in secret. She is…
Read MoreHow can I support your work?
Question: I am a fellow Christian myself and a casual reader of your website. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for the wonderful ministry (website), especially the Q&A section. The sound doctrine has helped me build up some basic theology foundation, as well as learning more about God. I am really interested in…
Read MoreA History of Our Hymnbooks
by Wayne S. Walker originally published in Faith and Facts, October 1999 Back in the very late 1700s and early 1800s, the conditions in this new nation appeared just right for a number of different men from different denominational backgrounds in different parts of the country to begin calling for a return to New Testament…
Read MoreYou should be offering a forgiving hand to sinners instead of just throwing Scripture at them
Question: Regarding your website, especially your article, really upset me. You are no greater than I. I am not greater than you. We are both servants who should be humbled by the grace of God not acting like the mighty priests who exalt themselves in the Old Testament. You should be offering a forgiving hand…
Read MoreWhere does God say a man and woman have to be married?
Question: Where in the Bible does it say or indicate that a man and a woman have to be married? Adam and Eve coexisted there was no ceremony. Answer: One does not have to marry, but if one wants to have sex, then he must marry. “But I say to the unmarried and to the…
Read MoreWhat Will Happen on Judgment Day?
by Ricky Jenkins via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 7, Feb. 15, 2009. “The deeds we do, the words we say, into the still air they seem too fleet, we count them ever past; but they shall last, in the dread judgment they and we shall meet” (John Keeble). On judgment day the Lord shall…
Read MoreA Common Problem
by Steve Klein Do you tend to have problems that no one else has? If so, this article is for you. And it might surprise you to learn that I know what your problem is. Your problem is that you think your problems are unique, and your perspective is preventing you from getting the help…
Read MoreYour Parents Can’t Make You Go to Heaven!
by Ted J. Clarke One of the greatest miseries of being a child is being made to do things that a child does not want to do. Eating vegetables, brushing teeth, taking a bath, cleaning one’s room, going to Aunt June’s, going to school, attending worship and Bible study — these all rate high on…
Read MoreEstablishing Good Habits
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EstablishingGoodHabits.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Peter 1:2-12 I. We spend a lot of time and money on education A. We learn fundamental skills and search for information that makes us stand out in the job market B. We teach our children, even when they whine and moan about school work, so that they are prepared…
Read MoreAre we approaching the end times?
Question: II Tim 3:1-4; Matthew 24:12; I Corinthians 7:26-27. Are we approaching the end times? Between now and then, can we expect things to get worse and not better? e.g. sins like greed, immorality, suffering, etc. Is it better and safer to be unmarried and childless in current times if things are going to be…
Read MoreWhy is it so confusing to know whether I should return to my first or second husband?
Question: Hello, I am in my thirties and a mother with children. I am in my second marriage for several years. Long story short, the father of my kids and I met when I was a teenager. We started dating and I several children by the time I was in my twenties. When I was…
Read MoreA Review of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
by Wayne Walker Wolfgang, Steve, general editor. Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs (published in 2012 by Sumphonia Productions LLC, 41601 Epping Green Sq., Aldie, VA 20105). A new hymnbook has been published this year. It is intended primarily for use in Churches of Christ but could be used by anyone, primarily those who still prefer…
Read MoreCould you explain Romans 11:25-27?
Question: I found your website online trying to do some research. Can you please tell me your perspective on Romans 11:25-27 and to whom Paul is referring? Answer: “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part…
Read MoreWas baptism nailed to the cross?
Question: I’ve been discussing baptism with someone and the essentiality of water but the person was saying to me something about progressive gospel and how baptism was a ritual and all rituals and things of that nature have been nailed to the cross and such we don’t have to do them including baptism, so could…
Read MoreHow can the Book of Jasher be written in 1625 when it is mentioned in Joshua and II Samuel?
Question: Being a member of the Body of Christ, I have found your answers to those seeking, sound and exact, always using the Word of God. In your response on the Book of Jasher, you chose to focus on what the scholars believe was written in 1625; I am basing my question on the mention of the Book…
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