Learning to be Satisfied
What Do I Require to be Happy? https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2009Fall2LearningToBeSatisfied.mp3 by Oscar Miles The Pursuit of Happiness
Read MoreThe Pursuit of Happiness
What Does Happiness Look Like? https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2009Fall-PursuitOfHappiness.mp3 by Oscar Miles The Pursuit of Happiness (Series)
Read MoreWhy do I get so angry at my boyfriend all the time?
Question: Why do I get so angry at my boyfriend all the time, he doesn’t do anything negative? I feel as if I should control him. I can’t stand him not listening to me. I know this is wrong. How can I change? Answer: There isn’t enough to go on, but it appears you see your…
Read MoreIs it wrong to deny service to someone who is obviously in sin?
Question: I want to start a small photography business but I’m worried about ‘clients’. What if a homosexual couple wants me to photograph a ‘couple’s shoot’ for them? I believe that I would have to decline. However, a photographer in New Mexico was sued for discrimination against a lesbian couple. They wanted the photographer to…
Read MoreCan Christians practice birth control?
Question: I am pleased with the quality of the material I read here. I worship with a church of Christ. I have a question: Can Christians practice birth control? Which method do you recommend? I need urgent answers. Answer: I’m assuming you are married. If you are not the only acceptable practice is to abstain…
Read MoreAge of Accountability
by Morris D. Norman via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 42, Oct. 19, 2008. It has long been a question as to what age our young people ought to become Christians. Should it be as they enter their teens and begin at that early age in their service to Christ, or should they wait until…
Read MoreAn Astonishing and Horrible Thing
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. “An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?” (Jeremiah 5:30-31) God’s people were on the brink of a “great…
Read MoreAscetic Vows vs. Scriptural Liberties
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Members of religious orders of the Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches, most prominently priests and nuns, commit themselves to particular ascetic vows. Asceticism, by definition, is extreme self-denial. Self-denial, of course, is enjoined upon all those who would follow Christ (Luke 9:23-24). However, the Lord never placed such restrictions as…
Read MoreIs there any reference to Jesus having drunk to excess at any time?
Question: Is there any reference to Jesus having drunk to excess at any time? Answer: To drink an alcoholic beverage would be drunkenness, which is a sin. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor…
Read MoreWhy do bad things sometimes happen to good people?
Question: Hello, I stumbled upon your site on accident (or by fate) who knows, but it has been a useful tool for me. I’d just like to thank you! Also, my question is that why do bad things sometimes happen to good, wholesome people? People who go out of their ways to open doors for…
Read MoreI caught my wife being intimate with another man. Can I divorce her?
Question: I caught my wife being intimate with another man. Can I divorce her? Answer: “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” (Matthew 19:6). If you decide that this marriage cannot work because of her on-going adulterous relationships, then you are permitted to divorce…
Read MoreAnother ‘Missing Link’ Debunked
by Greg Gwin Many will remember the big ‘splash’ that was made in the news just a few months ago. The media seemed thrilled to announce that the ‘missing link’ had been discovered which proved humans evolved from the apes. A nearly intact fossil dubbed ‘Ida’ had surfaced which, it was confidently affirmed, definitely confirmed…
Read MoreDoes holding sperm for a long time cause cancer?
Question: I have heard about this site and how it helped people. So I am looking forward in hope. I was leading the life of an ordinary man with a good job, but I wasn’t able to find peace. Recently I got into religion and I am interested in this new life. I wanted to…
Read MoreHow do I reach my Pentecostal girlfriend with the truth?
Question: I have been dating my girlfriend for quite some time now. We are very much in love and care very deeply for each other. We’re both Christians, although I attend a non-denominational church of Christ congregation and she attends a Pentecostal-ish congregation. I tried my best to show her what I know as the…
Read MoreIs It Time?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2003/09/IsItTime.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Haggai 1:2-11 While cleaning out his desk, a man found a shoe-repair ticket that was ten years old. Figuring that he had nothing to lose, he went to the shop and gave the ticket to the repairman, who began to search the back room for the unclaimed shoes.…
Read MoreHow can you beautifully write about the law being nailed to the cross and insist that salvation comes through obedience?
Question: How can someone write a beautiful article like “What Was Nailed to the Cross?” and then insist that salvation comes through obedience to a new set of commands? Answer: Because it is what God stated. See “Doing Our Duty” and “In Word and Deed.” “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but…
Read MoreIs it realistic to pray that the man I want to be the father of my child had actually gotten me pregnant?
Question: My boyfriend and I have been on and off. We both were having sex with other people, but we decided to stop and be together. We asked God to forgive us and we moved on. A few days before we got back together I had sex with someone else and I got pregnant. I…
Read MoreIf Priscilla can be used as an example of head covering, why not of women serving communion?
Question: I was reviewing your article on “Head Coverings” from your web site. I thought the article was very well presented! I was wondering though why the article used a picture from the Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome (under Early Christian Worship), the same catacomb that elsewhere shows Priscilla serving communion, and yet does not…
Read MoreCould Jesus have cured people through the placebo effect?
Question: Recently I have been reading a book that discusses something called “mind-body medicine” where it emphasizes examples in past history where people were cured of their health-related illnesses by having faith in themselves to heal. They simply hoped in their mind that they can heal and they healed. The book also cites how a…
Read MoreDid Ahaziah begin to reign in the eleventh or twelfth year of Joram’s reign?
Question: I have another question regarding a couple of passages in II Kings. II Kings 8:25 and II Kings 9:29 concerning when Ahaziah began to reign as king. One passage says in the twelfth year of Joram and the other passage says in the eleventh year of Joram. This was brought up in our class…
Read MoreHow much should I push to stay in contact with people I have met?
Question: A few months ago, a sister in Christ of 18 years ran away from her home, allegedly with an ex-boyfriend. It is unknown where she is now. She, and her family, had been recent converts of some few years. And she had been interested in me. She seemed so innocent about things and so…
Read MoreWhat do you think about the 2011 version of the New International Version?
Question: USA Today, Wednesday, September 2, ran an article about the New International Bible. An updated version is coming out in 2011. Do you have an opinion about this Bible? What version do you use? Answer: The New International Version, while easy to read is a flawed translation. See “The New International Version” for details. The…
Read MoreIsn’t divorce a sin? So how can a preacher insist that two people, who had divorced and remarried, to get divorced before they can be baptized?
Question: This one is about marriage and divorce: Everyone is confused about this. The problem is a few people have been baptized and before they were baptized they had been divorced and remarried again. I have heard preachers telling them to get divorced. I personally do not see how that would be right because making them get…
Read MoreAre the problems in Israel and wars in Iraq what Revelation talks about?
Question: I have had a ton of friends who are part of denominations, mostly Pentecostals. Obviously the first problem is the fact that they are part of a denomination. They have this idea that what is going on in Israel and the war in Iraq and around the world is what is talked about in Revelation. …
Read MoreHow do you deal with stress?
Question: Would you mind giving me some ideas about methods for dealing with stress? Answer: This would be a good topic to dig deeper into, but I don’t want you to wait for me to get something done. I have a good friend, Pat Gates, who has written a good bit about this. She has an…
Read MoreShould I let a congregation know that the preacher’s son is homosexual?
Question: I know of a preacher in a Church of Christ, whose son is living a homosexual lifestyle. No one in the church knows this. (By the way, I do not belong to this church, I live in a different state.) I am aware that the preacher and his family want to continue keeping this a…
Read MoreThough my husband is divorcing me in order to marry another woman, he is telling everyone that I’m the one who committed adultery. How can I defend myself?
Question: My husband of 25 years has recently left me for another woman. He admits, to me, that he committed adultery with this woman and wants to marry her. OK, I’ll have to work through that. The problem is that he has told all of our extended family, none of whom live in this state,…
Read MoreWhat can be done about a preacher who puts more effort into delivery than into content?
Question: I worship at a church of Christ and have a concern about the preaching there. The sermons are really for show rather than substance. The preacher seems very pleased with his oratory style raising and lowering his voice and parading up and down in front of the congregation. I have mentioned this to one elder and had…
Read MoreHow can Jesus be coming quickly when it has been 2,000 years?
Question: Can you explain to me what this verse means? “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (Revelation 22:12). I was asked how this would be quick if the promise was made nearly 2,000 years ago. Answer: The Greek word tachu is…
Read MoreCan I arrange to give funds to a church from my life insurance?
Question: I have a question about giving. I have arranged to give funds to my church from my life insurance. I was wondering if this acceptable from a biblical standpoint. I understand, that God requires us to give as we have been blessed and since this is a special giving to the church I believe…
Read MoreHow do I talk to my Catholic girlfriend about Catholicism?
Question: I absolutely loved this page: “What is wrong with Catholicism?” I feel like there are much more political based things wrong with Catholicism, but I like how you kept it as “What is wrong with the teachings.” I loathe the Catholic church for the many reasons posted on your page. I am deeply saddened…
Read MoreSince I had sex with my girlfriend, does this mean I am married to her?
Question: Hello brother. Thank you for the good web site and for the questions and answers that you have posted. I have a question and a problem that I want you to help me to solve. I have been dating a girl for three years. She has been really close to me and I love…
Read MoreWas the famine mentioned in II Kings 8:1 the same famine mentioned in II Kings 6:24-31?
Question: Was the famine in II Kings 8:1 the same famine as in Samaria in II Kings 6:24-31? Did the famine in II Kings 8:1 include all the land of Israel? Answer: The first few chapters of II Kings are a bit difficult to place into a timeline because often the name of the current…
Read MoreI keep getting strong urges to cut myself. I know it is wrong, but am I lusting for what is wrong?
Question: I had read “I’m obsessing over my sinful thoughts. What can I do?” before, and it helped, but not completely. So I read it again last night, and still, it helped, but not completely. You see, I’m not just tempted to cut. When I get the urge to cut, I really want to. I…
Read MoreIs there a connection between the mark of the beast and the mark of Cain?
Question: I would like to ask you a question concerning the ‘mark’ of Cain. In Genesis 4:15, it talks about the ‘sign for Cain.’ I understand this was something God did. In Revelation 20:4, it talks about the ‘mark of the beast, on the forehead and hands’. My question is: Is there a connection or…
Read MoreWhat is God’s economy?
Question: Hi! I have a question concerning something I’ve seen in Ephesians and I Timothy. In Ephesians 1:10 it says, “Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him.” Ephesians 3:9 says, “And to enlighten…
Read MoreWhy is it wrong to pray to saints?
Question: Why is it wrong for Catholics to pray to saints? Answer: Well, first of all, prayers to someone dead is an exercise in futility. The dead cannot hear your prayers. They are no longer involved in life. “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more…
Read MoreWe’re using your Genesis workbook in our youth studies. Do you have other studies?
Question: I love your web site. It is so full of useful things to study. I am a young preacher for the church of Christ here in the Philippines. I am conducting a youth activity once a week, and I am using your study book of Genesis. Thank you so much brother. Hopefully, you could…
Read MoreWhere can I find the hymn, “Who Shall Stand Before the King”?
Question: Good evening. I found your website this evening while looking for a Christian hymn I heard at a church of Christ YouTube website in Alabama [no longer available], and I am wondering if you know the song, the writer, and possibly in what book it was published. The song was: The earth is the…
Read MoreWhy is the creation of man mentioned twice in Genesis?
Question: Can you shed some light on the account of the creation in the Book of Genesis? In Genesis 1 you have man being created and then in Genesis 2 you have man being created again. Answer: Though attributed to Moses, the Bible never states that Moses was the original author (unlike the other four…
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