Prophetic Proof
Prophetic Proof – Part 1Prophetic Proof Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Deuteronomy 18:18-22 I. Throughout history there have been people claiming to know what others do not A. They claim to know mind of God and the future B. If you hint at questioning the truth of their claim, they get upset. C. Yet, Moses told…
Read MoreIslamists Stone a Couple Engaged in Fornication
Source: “Islamists in Mali stone young couple to death,” The New York Times, 31 July 2012 “Islamists stoned a young couple to death after accusing them of having children outside of marriage, said a local official who was one of several hundred witnesses. … They were forced into holes about 4 feet deep, with their heads…
Read MoreShould some songs not be sung?
Question: I read your review of Jeffcoat’s songbook and have some questions about certain songs in general. What are your thoughts on the following songs: My God and I Jesus hold my hand I come to the garden There’s a royal banner (vs. 3 from Praise for the Lord). These are songs I struggle with. The first…
Read MoreMarijuana Permanently Lowers IQ
Source: Stephen Adams, “Cannabis smoking ‘permanently lowers IQ’,” The Telegraph, 27 July 2012. Source: Madeline Meier, et al, “Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 30 July 2012. “Researchers found persistent users of the drug, [marijuana], who started smoking it at school, had lower IQ scores…
Read MoreHow do I get my daughter to obey the first time?
Question: I am having an issue with my eight-year-old. I can ask, or tell, her to clean her room, do her homework, take a shower, or anything for that matter and it takes me being right on top of her and hounding her to do it, and when it does finally get done (if it…
Read MoreGod’s Peace
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/GodsPeace.mp3 by Andrew Long
Read MoreMy girlfriend committed suicide when I told her I would be marrying the girl my family chose for me. I feel so empty
Question: Dear sir, My girlfriend committed suicide one and a half years back. We had a relationship of five years. Both of us loved each other badly, and she got pregnant twice and had an abortion as I told her to do this. Due to my family pressure, I refused to marry her and got…
Read MoreMy 30-year-old son moved back home and won’t leave
Question: I’ve been a Christian for over 30 years. We took our kids to church until they grew up and got married. One got divorced. Because of that he started going to church and got saved. He moved in with me and my wife. Now I’m having problems with him. He’s trying to change me…
Read MoreProfanity Is Unprofessional
Source: David Mielach, “How Swearing at Work Could Ruin Your Career,” Business News Daily, 26 July 2012 “New research has found that 64 percent of employers think less of employees who swear at work and 57 percent said they would be less likely to promote a worker who swears in the office. A majority of bosses said…
Read MoreDid God in Bible days not let disease and disability affect people in His church?
Question: Did God in Bible days not let disease and disability affect people in His church? Answer: I believe you are referring to: “And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all…
Read MoreOur 18-year-old step-daughter is into sex and alcohol. What do we do?
Question: Hello, I have a stepchild who was living with her mother’s side of the family until age 13 until we got full custody of her. She is now 18. She has been exposed to seeing her mother (my husband’s ex-wife) doing drugs and seeing her mother having sex with multiple guys at once. She…
Read MoreThanks for the thoughtful, scripture-based article on gluttony
Question: Thanks for the thoughtful, scripture-based article on gluttony. It was helpful in my study of this topic. Answer: I’m glad to have been of service.
Read MoreDid people really do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth to people?
Question: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” — does that really mean that? Did they really do that in the Bible days? Answer: The phrase “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” is a part of the law that was given to judges who were deciding…
Read MoreI’ve made a mess out of my life. Can you give me some insight into straightening it out?
Question: I became a member of the church about ten years ago. I later married someone I was unequally yoked with. She had a daughter from a previous relationship. In less than six months, it became an abusive situation for me. It came to the point where I felt disgusted to lay next to her.…
Read MoreSexting 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 (Sermon)
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…
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