New Churches
by Gilbert Alexander The number of new churches started by men and based upon a human standard has grown rapidly over the past century in this country. Their creation and continued existence reflect the unbelief and arrogant self-will of their builders, and the gullibility of those who have joined them. Apparently, the church of Jesus…
Read MoreI think spanking leads to more aggression
Question: I think spanking a 14-year-old young man is unreasonable and will lead to more aggression. My parents spanked me with the belt and left bruises. It left scars on my soul and was not focused on loving correction. I am very conservative in my theology and think this Scripture did mean spanking when younger…
Read MoreThank for the refutation on Dan Billingsly’s teachings and the information on the historical accuracy of the Bible
Question: I came across your site twice in two days. Once when I was looking for refutations to the teachings by Dan Billingsly and now when I was looking for information on the historical accuracy of the Bible. Thanks for the help. I also came across a reference to the Mesha Stele in Wikipedia that supports the reference in II…
Read MoreThank you. I found pictures for my preschool class on your site
Question: I have been working on a lesson for 2 to 3-year-olds and needed some pictures. I have been searching for a long time. I found your web site and pictures. I have used a couple of pictures that I think are appropriate for this age. I just wanted to thank you. Answer: You’re welcome.…
Read MoreThe Christian’s Reign
Text: Psalm 2 I. Paul makes an interesting statement – II Timothy 2:11-12 A. We often talk about being with Christ after our death, but Paul talks about our reigning with Christ. B. He’s not the only one to make this point. John also mentions it – Revelation 3:21 C. It is a reign that will last through all…
Read MoreHow do you keep doing right when others react badly?
Question: I feel like I need some words of encouragement and counsel on a personal issue. Thank you in advance for taking the time to give me a scriptural response that I can apply to my personal life. May God bless you in your efforts. What I’m trying to do is conform my life to…
Read MoreI just found out my husband had an affair eight years ago. Am I free to leave this marriage?
Question: I would like some more information on fornication. My husband confessed to me this morning that he had a physical affair with a co-worker eight years ago. He said it just happened once and he has hated himself for it ever since. His behavior so long ago explains a lot of the way he…
Read MoreMy pastor smokes and teaches falsely, and I don’t know what to do
Question: Do you think a pastor’s smoking is a sin? My pastor smokes and I went to him in love; sharing with him that his smoking hurts his testimony as a believer. He preaches on bondage yet he smokes a pack or more a day. He has preached many things in the pulpit that were…
Read MoreSince I’ve had sex before, so that means I joined with those prior girls and I can’t marry?
Question: I was checking out your web site, and La Vista Church of Christ seems like a legitimate, non-liberal church of Christ. I am a 20-year-old Christian. I know it may seem strange to get an email from a random individual, but I had a question regarding pre-marital sex that I guess I’m embarrassed to…
Read MoreWill the world end on December 21, 2012?
Question: I have heard from several predictions that the world is coming to an end on 12/21/2012. These predictions were made hundreds of years ago. These people who had calendars stop in 2012. Is it true or not that the end of the world is coming? Answer: I have no idea when the world will…
Read MoreIs it a sin to divorce someone because they were violent?
Question: Today I was researching on why people divorce each other and found your web site giving sound counsel to many. I do also have a question regarding marriage violence. I have a friend who had to flee home because her husband was violent, he had beaten her in front of her daughters. He had…
Read MoreThe Necessity of Fidelity in Marriage
by Don Alexander via Truth Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 9, September 2008. Behaviors reflect one’s values and priorities. Our most important live relationships suffer when our behaviors and words do not arise from a sense of fidelity and trustworthiness. The Psalmist cried out, “Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from…
Read MoreThe Myth
by Shane Williams via The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 9, Nos. 4,5, Aug/Sept. 2008. Once we decide to obey God completely, it’s easy to assume that the rest of our life will run smoothly. If it does, we think this proves that we’re doing God’s Will. If we run into obstacles, however, we’re quick to conclude…
Read MoreMormons Are Not to Listen to Critical Reviews
by Terry W. Benton It is part of the program in Mormonism to believe that all negative statements opposing Mormonism be immediately dismissed as something from the devil. This brainwashing tactic is common. Keep telling the student to never listen to anything else and you have controlled the student. Consider the following: As a Mormon:…
Read MoreWill Christians go to heaven after killing other Christians?
Question: My wife and I had a discussion about Christians who participate in a war against another country that may have Christians in their army. The question is, will Christians go to heaven after killing other Christians? My wife asked me this many years ago, and I still don’t have an answer for her. Answer:…
Read MoreHow do you not doubt that God exists?
Question: I do not mean this in any sort of sacrilegious way, but – here it is – how do you know God exists? Maybe this life is all there is. How do you know otherwise? Now, let me say I am not a stranger to Christianity. When I was in college, I used to hang out…
Read MoreMaturity and Marriage
by Bill Walton When we talk about “maturity” there are different ways in which people can be mature and different ways in which they can be immature. It is possible for a physical giant to be an emotional dwarf. It is possible for a grown man to be as immature as a 13-year-old boy. It…
Read MoreMary Magdalene Much Maligned
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Relying on the scriptures exclusively, one can correctly conclude that Mary Magdalene was an upstanding and outstanding woman of faith. Seven demons were cast out of her, and she became a benefactress of the Lord during His ministry, contributing to His livelihood from her personal means while accompanying Him and His…
Read MoreShould I use steroids to give me an edge in making the team?
Question: Hey Mr. Hamilton, I hope you are well. In the past, I told you how I would like to walk on at the state university for basketball. I decided that I am going to give it a shot, it has basically become my obsession, all I can think about. One thing that I have…
Read MoreThe Sufficiency of the Bible
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/SufficiencyOfTheBible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 3:1-12 I. Do we need anything beyond the Bible to know God’s will for us? A. If the Bible is all sufficient, then we would not need any church, priest, or religious leader. B. If the Bible is sufficient then we would be responsible to find the truth for ourselves…
Read MoreIsn’t eternal life guaranteed? So how can we talk of hope?
Question: We speak of “hope” a lot. Hope in eternal life is great, but the idea of hoping doesn’t mean a guarantee. If I hope for something, then I am thinking it may happen. With the critical issue of eternal life, one does not want to rest in the idea that belief in Jesus’s sacrifice…
Read MoreI regret breaking up with my boyfriend. What should I do?
Question: Many thanks for the comprehensive answers that you give to our questions. I had been dating my boyfriend for some time, but then I ended the relationship for some reasons and I told him my reasons. The reasons were a bit petty, but I still ended the relationship. Now I feel like I made…
Read MoreSpeaking in Tongues
Text: Acts 2:1-11 I. I received several questions in recent days regarding speaking in tongues A. People wanting to know what it was, what is the heavenly language, what is the unknown tongue B. But probably more than anything else, they want to know if you must have the gift of tongues as evidence of having the…
Read MoreThe Problem of Private Lust
by Connie Adams Lust has gone public in America. No subject is too delicate for a television or movie script. Pornography is big business. Absolutely nothing is left to the imagination. Yet, this business would utterly fail were it not for the fact that it feeds the private yearnings of corrupted hearts. It is from…
Read MoreWhy Be a Christian?
by David Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 3, Jan. 16, 2009. We have to admit that there are a lot of religions in the world today. We hear a lot more about Islam than we ever have before. We see people seeking new-age solutions to their spiritual needs. We see many people simply…
Read MoreI feel someone has put a spell on me
Question: My question was “Is witchcraft real?” and your sermon outline says “no.” But I believe there is evil out there. I feel someone has put a spell on me, but at the same time, when I visited this person who read the tarot cards for me I feel it’s all fake and I get angry…
Read MoreIf Jesus was crucified to pay for our sins, who was the payment made to?
Question: I am a Christian visiting my Muslim family in Pakistan. My sister, who is a Muslim has asked me a question that I’m not sure of the best way to answer and I was wondering what you would say. The question is: If Jesus was crucified to pay for our sins, who was the…
Read MoreQuestions about miraculous gifts
Question: First off I would like to say that you have great knowledge of the Word of God. I’m on your web site constantly reading and taking notes and going back to the book to read. I have a few questions if you don’t mind breaking them down for me. What is the requirement to…
Read MoreHow can faith be combined with works?
Question: I have been reading articles on this web site, especially the one about how salvation comes both from believing and works. My question is this: Did Paul lie to the prison guard when he said: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”? I am having difficulty with the combination of…
Read MoreAre You a Christian?
by Allen Dvorak via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 40, Oct. 5, 2008. The word “Christian” is sometimes used rather freely and without regard to its New Testament usage. Some folks apply the term to practically anyone who has any connection to some religious group or embraces certain moral principles. Others use the word to…
Read MorePastors and Preachers
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 3, Jan. 1952. The word “pastors” occurs only one time in our English version of the New Testament. More often the original is rendered “shepherd” or “shepherds.” By implication, the pastoral work is identified with the office of bishops or elders. Since this office is…
Read MoreDo the Fittest Survive?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton A tenant of evolution is that creatures improve by the principle of the survival of the fittest. Creatures best able to survive and adapt to an environment live to produce offspring while the less fit tend to die off. Hence, as mutations occur, the belief is that the changes which enhance…
Read MoreI’m beginning to doubt my baptism, whether I really understood that I was to die to sin. Should I be rebaptized?
Question: I have heard of many people who have questioned their salvation because they didn’t know a particular scripture at the time. I have learned through the years that there will always be something you don’t know at the time of your baptism. A person does not need to know every single scripture in order…
Read MoreDo animals have a soul or spirit?
Question: I have a question regarding animals and souls. Does the Bible state definitively whether animals have a soul or a spirit? I was raised in the church of Christ and had always been told that animals (companion dogs specifically) do not have a soul. However, no one has been able to show me that…
Read MoreThank you for the information on the two lineages of Jesus
Question: Thank you. A friend of mine has lost all of his faith and is now picking on the Bible for all of its inconsistencies. He has brought up the two lineages of Jesus as proof, and thanks to your sermon notes, plus a few other sources, I believe I may finally have an answer he…
Read MoreDo people feel like they lived past lives because of demon possession?
Question: Is Matthew 12:43-45 a hint that we can have spirits enter in us and cause us to feel, think, believe or even do certain things that go against God? It’s not the same as possession is it? Also, Are the people who believe in reincarnation, and feel as if they remember having past lives,…
Read MoreBy One Spirit (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ByOneSpirit.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 12:1-13 I. How does one become a Christian? A. You’ll find a wide variety of answers in the world. You could even be left with the impression that there isn’t really a single way at all. B. John 14:6 – There is only one way to God the Father…
Read MoreWould you please tell me where I can find all the requirements of the new covenant?
Question: Would you please tell me where I can find all the requirements of the new covenant? Answer: It might seem overly simple, but the New Covenant is the New Testament. It is by reading it that you learn what you need to do. “How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery…
Read MoreI call upon you to obey Allah’s command and convert to Islam
Question: I am a former Christian who converted to Islam after reading the Qur’an with an open mind. I am now a devout Muslim. I write this letter to you so that you might consider converting to Islam and becoming a Muslim. Peace be upon he who follows the right path, to those obedient to…
Read MoreWould masturbation be unacceptable between a husband and wife as a part of sexual intercourse?
Question: Hi, My husband and I have been married for a year now and really love God. I just wanted to find out what type of sex is acceptable in a marriage? Would masturbation be unacceptable in God’s eyes even if it was done during sexual intercourse? Hope to hear from you soon! I want…
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