If eating meat is right, then why did Paul say he would never again eat meat?
Question: This may be an old issue, but doesn’t Paul also say that if someone is offended he would ‘never again eat meat’? Also, I wonder how you could write that God would consider killing animals lightly because that is not the impression I get from Isaiah. Answer: I always wonder about people who make…
Read MoreCarey Scott’s article was very interesting and informative
Question: Shalom, Just wanted to say I found the writing about Exodus 4:25-26 by Carey Scott very interesting and informative. Thank you. Answer: Happy to be of service.
Read MoreHow do I stay out of the trap of pornography?
Question: Dear sir, I need your help. I’m fighting hard to remain sexually pure. At one time I was trapped by pornography, but I want to remain pure until marriage. It’s really hard for a twenty-seven year old. I have such a burning desire. Answer: It depends on how you look at the situation. You…
Read MoreHow do I get out of a forced marriage?
Question: I was forcefully married; there was no court wedding. Now, I no longer want the marriage. What do I do? Answer: A statement doesn’t establish the truth. You said you were forced into marriage, but you didn’t say how this oddity happened. You even imply that you had in the past accepted the marriage,…
Read MoreWould it be wrong to make up a mythology for a fantasy story?
Question: Would it be bad to make up a mythology for a fantasy story? I have thought hard about it, and realize that I could try and make the story cleaner (no pre-marital sex, no details of sex, no extreme violence, no profanity), but because it is a different universe, it will have a set…
Read MoreAre all violent video games wrong?
Question: A while back we discussed video games and movies, and I mentioned that my husband is an avid video game player. Anyway, I know the violence is wrong in games, but what if the characters that you are fighting in a game look more like animals or impossible-looking monsters, then is it still bad? It’s…
Read MoreDoes a wife have to stay with a hurtful and abusive husband?
Question: I don’t know what to do. I am a member of the church and I know that I have to be submissive to my husband, but he does some things that aren’t very nice. He only wants oral and anal sex. He says that I have to do it because the Bible commands it.…
Read MoreWhat does it mean to love the world?
Question: What does it mean to love the world? Answer: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of…
Read MoreHow do you quit drinking and smoking?
Question: How do you quit drinking and smoking? Answer: There is no magic involved. It really depends on your determination on what you want controlling your life, a box of leaves rolled up in paper, a bottle of liquid, or you. It won’t be easy because tobacco alters the chemistry in your body and alcohol…
Read MoreAre women less than men?
Question: Are women less than men? Because the Bible says it’s disgraceful for a woman to talk in the church. Seems like she’s something dirty. Answer: I wonder about the question because I don’t believe you think your mother or any other woman is inferior. It leaves me with the conclusion that you don’t want…
Read MoreLiving for God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/LivingForGod.mp3 by PJ Anderson
Read MoreHow can the prodigal son come back when it is supposed to be impossible for the fallen to come back?
Question: Doesn’t the prodigal son passage contradict the part in the Bible where it says that those who’ve fallen cannot be brought back? It’s confusing me. Answer: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the…
Read MoreDoes faith mean you never doubt?
Question: Does faith mean that you’ll never ever doubt something? I’ve been sad lately because there are things in the Bible that I don’t understand and these things have caused me to doubt Jesus. But when I doubted, I get sad because I think, “I’m not saved because I’m not believing in Jesus.” But then…
Read MoreIs it bad to kill bugs?
Question: This is probably going to sound like a very strange question, but is it a sin to kill bugs? Normally I try to save all the bugs that I can, even the spiders and transport them outside so they’ll be nice and safe and happy. My parents laugh at me because I try so…
Read MoreHow could the spirit Paul cast out be not from God when it told the truth?
Question: The Bible teaches how to recognize the spirits. It says that every spirit who denies Jesus Christ isn’t from God. But what about Acts 16:16-18? The spirit in this girl wasn’t from God, and it still said that Paul was saying the truth about salvation. Answer: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test…
Read MoreDo I let my son and his live-in girlfriend come for Thanksgiving?
Question: My son is in his late twenties, a college graduate, and in the military. He is very responsible and has had a Christian upbringing. He has just returned from deployment, and his wife has left him. He is now “serious” about someone else and living with her. Now says that he believes this is all…
Read MoreI don’t think I had that great of a need for baptism when I was 13. Should I get baptized again?
Question: Is it a biblical fact that those in the Bible recorded as being baptized are all in the context of being fully matured adults? If yes, is there any significance to this in regards to baptism? I was baptized at the early age of 13. I understood why, so thus I believe all was…
Read MoreThe Bible Alone Is the Standard
by David J. Riggs from Catholic Teaching Examined The apostle Paul said, “…How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of…
Read MoreWhy do you feel the need to say that other religions are wrong?
Question: Hi, I’m just wondering why do you feel the need to tell everyone else that their religions are wrong? How are you so sure yours is right? You don’t have any more proof then other religions do. I just think it’s ridiculous that you and other people feel it’s up to them to change…
Read MoreI don’t think I’ve said “thank you” enough
Question: I just wanted to drop a note about how much I appreciate the work you’ve done on the La Vista web site. I’ve taken advantage of it many times, but I don’t think I’ve often enough said, “thank you.” I don’t feel like I’ve ever had a moment wasted when I come here for…
Read MoreWho are the daughters of Jerusalem?
Question: Who are the daughters of Jerusalem? Answer: The phrase “daughters of Jerusalem” was first used in the Song of Solomon. These are the ladies of the court, the wives of Solomon’s political marriages, potential brides for future arrangements, as well as the wives of Solomon’s noblemen who attended him at court. Being leading ladies,…
Read MoreBaptized for the Dead
“Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” (I Corinthians 15:29 ASV). From Queries and Answers by David Lipscomb, pages 49-50. To determine the meaning of a sentence, we must look at its connection, purpose, and scope. This…
Read MoreAre temporary meetings, such as at a remote military base, really a church?
Question: I have a question about a certain type of assembly that I am not sure is scriptural. During the invitation at the church building tonight, the speaker used Matthew 18:15-20 to distinguish between individual, group, and church. I agreed with the points he made. After the lesson, there was some lively discussion between the…
Read MoreDaniel’s Seventy Weeks (Sermon)
Seventy WeeksSeventy Weeks Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Daniel 9:20-27 A. Many ideas have been attributed to what was predicted by Gabriel in this prophecy and when these things would take place. B. I will not claim to be an expert on these matters, but I would like to examine this prophecy in detail so that…
Read MoreBack to Basics: The Kingdom
by Frank Jamerson Some who are teaching that there is no distinction between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant are teaching an absolute distinction between the kingdom and the church. When those who profess to be teachers of God’s word say “the kingdom of God is not the ekklesia, the church,” it is time…
Read MoreBack To Basics: Covenants
by Frank Jamerson When brethren make such statements as: “Jesus did not come to establish a covenant which was different from any previous arrangements,” and “Jesus is the covenant victim, not a covenant maker or law-maker,” it indicates a dire need to get back to basics. When men are confused about the difference between the…
Read MoreI don’t think a preacher caught in adultery should continue without some disciplinary action
Question: I have been reading your many posts on marriage and relationships. I am somewhat confused in regards to your reply to “If a minister has committed adultery, should he step down even though he has repented of his sin.” It seems that you say that the preacher can continue in his ministerial service without…
Read MoreIf a minister has committed adultery, should he step down even though he has repented of his sin?
Question: What should happen to a minister who has committed adultery for almost a decade with a woman of another congregation who has made their relationship known to the leadership and other members? Hence, the minister has confessed before the congregation that he has sinned and that he repented of his sins and that his…
Read MoreWhy were the laws regarding food changed?
Question: I’m not sure why Jesus changed the law about what is OK to eat. Why did he allow us to eat pork? Answer: To understand why the law changed, you first need to understand why those laws were there in the first place. I would like you to read an article that I wrote…
Read MoreHow do I turn myself around?
Question: I am a 30-year-old single man. I lost my virginity about the age of 15, but the girl couldn’t stay with me as she was a foreigner and had to return home. Having sex with women became a priority in life for me, but I have been single for most of my life and…
Read MoreAssurance of Our Salvation
by Bryan Sharp “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that…
Read MoreAre You Teachable?
by Larry W. Rouse When I first became a Christian I thought that the key to bringing others to obedience to Christ was to have clearly reasoned evidence based on the Word of God. I thought “if others could just hear the truth taught simply and plainly then they too would want to follow our…
Read MoreIt isn’t Christian-like to publish negative things about the Coptic church
Question: A question on the Coptic church has your response being negative of the Coptic church and using Bible verses in the wrong context. That is not Christian-like at all. That verse in Peter stating everyone is a priest was only for the twelve disciples as they were the first twelve priests. Answer: “But you are…
Read MoreHow do I deal with an arrogant leader?
Question: I have a “leader” in our church who always explains that he is not arrogant because he does not hold himself in a higher value than others; however, his actions say otherwise. He will take any chance he gets to show off his biblical knowledge, he will constantly tell people they are wrong, he…
Read MoreMy parents reject religion. How can I become a Christian?
Question: My family wants to stay away from religion, but I want to go toward it. I want to embrace God’s love. I would go to church, but I am too young to drive or walk there. I have asked my parents to go to church, but they said “no.” So I have been secretly…
Read MoreI enjoyed the songbook review, even though I didn’t agree with all of it
Question: Having just read your review of Jeffcoat’s new songbook, I just thought I would drop you a note to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the review. I didn’t agree with all your comments, but I enjoyed them. Answer: I’m glad you found it useful.
Read MoreAbiding in the Doctrine
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952. Some who have had a great deal to say about “fellowship” have sought to lessen the force of II John 9-11 by giving it a meaning out of harmony both with its context and other plain Bible teaching. The passage reads: “Whosoever…
Read MoreHow can you forgive someone if you don’t trust them?
Question: I’m really having a hard time with Christianity right now. Things keep getting more confusing to me, which makes me want to give up. We were discussing forgiveness in class Sunday and scenarios we brought up stating how hard it would be to forgive someone and how the relationship may not be the same…
Read MoreDid I mess myself up with gay pornography?
Question: I’m a 27-year-old male. I never kissed or made out with a woman because: I’m scared of rejection, I went to a boys’ school, I went to varsity, until last year, that had mostly black people, and I’m only attracted to white women, I realized during puberty that I’m attracted to men also and…
Read MoreWhy do guys keep leaving me?
Question: If a person walks away from you, and you haven’t done anything wrong in the relationship, should you let them walk away? My reasoning behind this question is that the men I meet keeping walking away from me. This was before I was saved and it is still happening now after I was saved.…
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