God Is One
by Doy Moyer God is one, united in triune nature, and never broken. From the Father eternally proceeds the Son and Spirit, co-equally divine, perfect, and committed in love and faithfulness. Because of who God is, we can trust that He will always act in our best interest, treat us with true justice, and invite…
Read MoreWhat does “counted” mean in Romans 4:5?
Question: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5 KJV). I’m trying to figure out what the word “counted” means. Does the word “counted” mean “considered?” When it says “his faith is counted for righteousness,” does that mean his faith is…
Read MoreWhy are “be baptized” in different voices in Acts 2:38 and Acts 22:16?
Question: I would love your thoughts on this. In Acts 2:38, “be baptized” is a third-person verb in the passive voice, unlike the second-person verbs of “repent” and “hear” (Acts 2:22). This confirms that baptism is less of a work for the sinner to perform and more a work for the sinner to submit to.…
Read MoreTransition Jacob?
by Dale Smelser Jacob did not begin life with the character he possessed later in life. Jacob is first described as a “quiet man, dwelling in tents” (Genesis 25:27 ASV). The ASV footnote says for quiet, “harmless.” So the Pulpit Commentary adds, “harmless…of mild and gentle manners (activity).” “Dwelling in tents” meant “loving to stay…
Read MoreI Love Having Hope
by Terry Wane Benton Many people only see the present circumstances, dislike them, and despair of life. They wish things were better and different, but don’t expect them to improve. I love having hope and confident expectations, because I know that circumstances change or they change us. With a fellowship with Christ, “we” are in…
Read MoreBeing a Living Sacrifice
by Zeke Flores Being a “living sacrifice” sounds hard. Few people like the word “sacrifice,” it sounds too much like giving something up that you’d rather not. And a 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 sacrifice? Well, that sounds even harder. But the more you become one, the less of a sacrifice it seems. What once felt like loss becomes…
Read MoreLucky You?
by David Gibson “You can thank your lucky stars you didn’t get hurt!” “With luck like mine, there won’t be a parking place, and I’m late already!” Imagine this from Paul: “If my luck changes, I’ll be out of jail by next spring.” Instead, he said, “… for I know that through your prayers and…
Read MoreNo Titles, Please
by Joe Slater One of the minor annoyances of being a preacher is that well-meaning people frequently put some title before your name. It may be Reverend, Pastor, Father, or some other title. They are trying to be respectful, which I appreciate even though I repudiate the titles. I tell them that my mom named…
Read MoreTwo Reasons to Tell Someone You Are Praying for Them
by Clay Gentry How often have you heard “I’ll pray for you,” only for the sentiment to feel as fleeting as a quick hello in a crowded foyer? Or perhaps you’ve offered the phrase yourself, a well-intentioned conversational reflex that sometimes gets lost in the everyday shuffle of life. While “I’ll pray for you” has…
Read MoreShiphrah and Puah
by Jason Hardin Their names were Shiphrah and Puah. They were Hebrew midwives, living in ancient Egypt during an era when a new Pharaoh was determined to slow the numerical growth of the descendants of Abraham. By any means necessary. Indeed, so intense was his determination to curb the Hebrew population explosion that he ruthlessly…
Read MoreBut You Mix Your Fabrics
by Terry Wane Benton Often, those who want to justify their ignoring the Bible on sexual sins will retort with how silly the Bible is and how inconsistent we are since the same book said not to mix your fabrics or not to eat lobster or pork! So, if you can justify ignoring these laws,…
Read MoreUncharted Territory
by Zeke Flores Christianity, for most, is a venture into uncharted territory. It’s easier to shrink back into familiar practices than it is to change mindsets and behaviors. So, far too many people do just that; instead of delving into the unknown, which promises to make them better, they cling to the comfort of the…
Read MoreBring Back Wisdom
by Chadwick Brewer “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks” (Proverbs 1:20-21). It was once considered that wisdom was honored and valued. There were seats at the gates of every…
Read MoreThe Rapture
by Mark Bass In the last twenty to twenty-five years, we have heard a great deal about the rapture. In the de-nominational world, book after book has been printed dealing with this mysterious subject. Denominational preachers spend a lot of their pulpit time addressing this topic. Granted, such topics make for interesting sermons and books, but…
Read MoreFive Dangers when Preaching on Homosexuality
by Perry Hall One danger is to ignore this sin. If we preach on Christ’s birth in December and Christ’s resurrection in the Spring “because it is on people’s minds”, then we should be willing to preach against homosexuality during “Pride Month” since it is on people’s minds. Another danger is to use a partial…
Read MoreThe Process of Sin
by Dennis Strickland We all have faced “iniquity” in our lives because the Bible clearly states it in Romans 3:23. The Spirit had Paul remind them: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Iniquity and sin are one and the same, but many are confused as to how these occur.…
Read MoreWhat happens to the Neanderthals in the resurrection?
Question: Hello Brother, This is a question received from an atheist. Your reply with biblical evidence will help me study this subject further. “Homo sapiens appeared on earth about two million years ago. In the Bible, there is a brief history of a tribe for around six thousand years. It doesn’t record anything about our…
Read MoreLove Is Love?
This is gay pride month to some people. But one should not celebrate sin. The word of God is very clear about this (Romans 1:24ff; I Corinthians 6:8-10). The message of God is that He loves you and wants you, but He gives you reasons to repent (change), and repentance leads to salvation (II Corinthians…
Read MorePaul and Jesus
by Zeke Flores In many ways, Galatians is about Paul and Jesus. One of the things I love about the short book of Galatians is how, although Paul writes on deep theological themes concerning the differentiation between the old and new covenants and their respective purposes, he often refers to how these themes relate to…
Read MoreHaving the Spirit by Measure
by Samuel Matthews “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him” (John 3:34 KJV). Loved ones, in our text, the apostle John said that the Father sent Jesus the Messiah with an “unlimited measure” of the Holy Spirit. What does John mean…
Read MoreNothing to Do?
by David Gibson Two university students were talking. One lamented that there wasn’t anything to do in our small town. The other said he had once been a student in a large city where there was so much to do that his grades suffered as a result. He felt it was to his advantage to…
Read MoreSodom Within
by Clay Gentry In our daily lives, especially this month, we’re immersed in a charged and polarizing cultural conversation over sexuality. We see headlines, scroll social media, and encounter perspectives that challenge, provoke, and sometimes anger us. It’s “Pride Month,” and for many Christians, this time often brings an understandable impulse: to declare biblical truths…
Read MoreAm I Jonah?
by Chadwick Brewer “And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,…
Read MoreEscape
by Zeke Flores Now there’s a word we think more of lately. Remember when many avenues of escapism – dining out, movie-going, etc. – were taken away from us in hopes of mitigating the virus? Our hopes for escape were higher than ever. One way to be transported to a better “place” is through music.…
Read MoreWhy Are We Losing Our Young People?
by James P. Needham via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 I’m sure you are aware of the tragic loss to the church of many of our young people. It has reached alarming proportions. Have you ever wondered why? It is high time we investigate the reasons and work to eliminate them. Otherwise,…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between “them” and “all others” in II Corinthians 9:13
Question: “By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others” (II Corinthians 9:13 ESV). Is there any difference between “for them” and “for all others”? Are they both needy…
Read MoreRemember Your Creator
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2003/10/Remember-Your-Creator.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:7 I. Have you made something? (No, no, besides that mess in your room.) Something that originated in your own mind and formed with your own hands. A. As creative as we are, man only takes existing things and joins them in new ways. B. The ancient language…
Read MoreEducation’s Stance Against Boys
Source: Brian Mark Weber, “Boys and Young Men Are Hurting,” The Patriot Post, 30 May 2025. “School has changed in ways that favor girls, and work has changed in ways that favor women. Boys are often seen as troublemakers, and men have heard that masculinity is ‘toxic.’” “Schools have become hostile to boys, forcing them…
Read MoreGod’s Proof of His Existence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Gods-Proof-of-His-Existence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Exodus 3:1-6 I. Perhaps you have heard statements to the effect that the Bible doesn’t try to prove that God exists. It simply assumes the existence of God. A. At the beginning of the Bible we read “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis…
Read MoreIs it repentance if I sin just this once and never do it again?
Question: There is an assignment that I was supposed to complete, and I had ample time to do it, but I didn’t, which I admit was wrong of me. I look to change this attitude in the future. The root cause is social media. I know I must repent of that and not spend too…
Read MoreAnd Man Created God in His Own Image
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 Yes, we are well aware that the Bible states that God created humans in His own image (Genesis 1:27), but there is something to be said for the title of this piece. You see, “every way of a man is right in his…
Read MoreIdle Words (Norman)
by Morris Norman via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 “And I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36). Jesus emphatically…
Read MoreWill We Save This Marriage?
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 About a third of the marriages contracted in the United States of America end in divorce. People seem to be unmindful of the fact that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) or, if mindful of the fact, unconcerned about it. Although the divorce rate…
Read MoreWhy I Left the Catholic Church
by David Weaks Twenty-One Years a Catholic I grew up a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Most of my mother’s side of the family had been Catholic for generations. However, in February of 1985, I found I was no longer content to be part of the Catholic Church just because it was good enough…
Read MoreIt Took a Lot of Love
by Terry Wane Benton Stephen was misrepresented and falsely charged by his Jewish brethren (Acts 6:11-15). When the court allowed him to speak, he gave a concise summary of Israel’s history (Acts 7). They had a bad history. The brothers of Joseph hated him and sold him to Egypt, but Joseph was God’s planned savior.…
Read MoreWhat Am I Worth to the Church?
Author Unknown Many passages of Scripture discuss the quality of character that is supposed to be possessed by those who follow Christ. Most of the epistles of the New Testament are directed to that end. While there is a desire among brethren to enlarge the numbers of people who profess to be members of the…
Read MoreIs this a good way to do a word study?
Question: I’ve been working on a personal Greek word study structure because I want to gain a deeper understanding of the original meanings of biblical words. I’ve created a layout for how I approach these studies, and I’d appreciate your feedback. This is what I have so far, and I’d love to get your advice on…
Read MoreWas “hell” changed to “hades” to support the idea of purgatory?
Question: Good day, I received the following letter: You’re wrong, brother. The word was changed from “hell” to “Hades” as a way for the church to support purgatory, which is not true. There is no purgatory for sanctification, as sanctification is done here on Earth through the Holy Spirit who dwells within true believers. To…
Read MoreBlueprint of a Biblical Church
by Gregory Alan Tidwell It’s a warm Sunday evening, and a few guys are gathered on a friend’s back porch, talking about church. One friend admits, “Sometimes I wonder if church even matters. Can’t I just follow Jesus on my own?” Heads nod quietly. Many young Christians have felt this. Burned by hypocrisy or bored…
Read MoreI am with You Always
by Terry Wane Benton Perhaps no promise is more empowering than the assurance that we can handle anything because God promises to be with us. When the apostles, a rag-tag looking bunch of common men, were told to preach to all the world and start at Jerusalem, it had to be an intimidating sight for…
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