Naturalism Is an Illogical Faith
by Terry Wane Benton Although naturalists claim to base their naturalist worldview on science, they actually do not and cannot do so. This is so because science is limited to the study of the natural world. Science tells us what the world is made of and how and why it functions. Naturalism, on the other…
Read MoreBe Careful Who You Allow to Influence You
by Hugh DeLong When Paul wrote to the brethren in Corinth about the resurrection, he told them it was a matter “of first importance” (I Corinthians 15:3). Without the resurrection, their faith was “worthless” (I Corinthians 15:17) and they were “most to be pitied” (I Corinthians 15:19). However, some were saying “there is no resurrection…
Read MoreOvercoming Emotional Problems
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Overcoming-Emotional-Problems.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Philippians 4:4-9 I. It is a simple idea; so simple, you probably think it is obvious. Yet, the ramifications are far reaching. A. How we think influences our emotions 1. It is profound because the world sees it the other way around. 2. In the world emotions dictates behavior and…
Read MoreUnited in Christ
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/United-in-Christ.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Acts 10:34-43 I. Our Lord and Savior prayed before his death – John 17:13-26 A. It was his desire that we would share the same oneness that he and the Father shared. B. It is a oneness based in love C. If we are committed to Christ’s idea then the…
Read MoreHow come the Ethiopians and the Canaanites speak Semitic languages
Question: How come the Ethiopians (Cush) and the Canaanites both descend from Ham, yet speak a Semitic language? Thank you. Answer: When God divided mankind’s language, nothing is stated about how that division took place. Nothing says all of Ham’s descendants spoke related languages. Linguists group similar languages. Thus, Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Amharic, and many…
Read MoreQuit Your Whining
by Paul Sheehan One of the most popular books in the New Testament is the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians. It seems to be so well-liked because Paul has so many positive things to say about serving the Lord. The words joy and rejoicing are mentioned over 16 times. What is so unusual about…
Read MoreRemembering Rightly: A Christian Response to Suicide Memorials
by Joe Hamm If you’ve driven past Hamilton City Hall this week, you’ve likely noticed the rows of American flags planted in the lawn. Each flag represents a veteran from Alabama who died by suicide. It’s part of a statewide campaign called Operation We Remember, intended to raise awareness and show honor to those who…
Read MoreWhen was Jesus first referred to as the Son of God in the Old Testament?
Question: When was Jesus first referred to as the Son of God in the Old Testament? Answer: “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the…
Read MoreMy husband has been drinking and cheating, and I don’t know what to do
Question: Good morning, sir, I hope you are well. Please be patient with me. Life turns on me, and I end up not knowing even that which I thought I knew. I am crying as I type this. I am caring for my youngest child while I work a full-time job from home. I’m also…
Read MoreShould we merge with a nearby congregation?
Question: Hi, I have a few questions about two churches of Christ merging. I’m a member of a church of Christ. Around five years ago, we had around 50 members, including two elders and three deacons. I was one of the deacons. Things changed a few years ago. The two elders moved outside of the…
Read MoreIf a pastor sins, is he still qualified to be a pastor?
Question: If a pastor sins and then repents, is he still qualified to be a pastor? I don’t know the Bible from cover to cover, but I’ve heard some Christians say that a pastor can no longer preach if he has sinned. I’m wondering if a pastor who has truly repented of his sin can…
Read MoreIs it wrong to marry the person you love?
Question: Hi, I came to your website and followed it for a couple of days. I’m glad that you are helping people with your answers. I want to know if Christians can have a love marriage? Is it against God’s word or is it against God’s will? If two people, who believe in Christ, are…
Read MoreThe Myth of Inclusion
by Tommy Peeler The message that our culture likes to promote is that of inclusion. Don’t be fooled. Inclusion, as culturally preached, is a myth. This should be obvious enough; that mask has fallen off and broken into pieces. When someone who promotes inclusion is somehow satisfied with the murder of someone whose views differ,…
Read MoreWhat does “isles of the Gentiles” refer to?
Question: What do “Isle” and “Gentile” mean in the verse: “By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations” (Genesis 10:5 KJV). Answer: “Gentile” refers to nations, specifically nations other than Israel. “Isles” is an older way of saying “islands.” Newer…
Read MoreThe Restrictive Nature of Submission
by Zeke Flores Submitting to the authority of God’s will is not only serious business, it’s also very restrictive. Because of its very nature, those who submit to authority can only operate within its bounds. What passes for Christianity in America, and across the world, really isn’t because it goes beyond the authority of Scripture. The…
Read MoreThey Answered Their Own Question
by David Gibson Two incidents involving Jesus and His disciples on the Sea of Galilee during rough weather are illustrative of how faith can be reinforced. Stilling the storm The disciples were scared out of their wits by the violence of the storm that appeared to threaten their boat—and their lives. But it only appeared…
Read MoreTongues Without an Interpreter
by Hugh DeLong The gift of being able to speak in languages that one had not previously known is called the gift of tongues. There are only five references to this: Mark 16:16-20; Acts 2; Acts 10; Acts 19; and the longest one in I Corinthians 12-14. That such was a language is seen in…
Read MoreI Do, but I Don’t
by Jim Sasser I believe in proper methods, but I don’t wear the name “Methodist.” I believe in baptism, but I don’t wear the name “Baptist.” I believe presbyters (or elders) should oversee the local church, but I don’t wear the name “Presbyterian.” I believe one should be holy, but I am not a “Holiness.”…
Read MorePriests
by Terry Wane Benton In the Old Testament, only Levites of the family of Aaron could be priests in Israel. They served in duties pertaining to the tabernacle service in the midst of the camp. But that was all symbolic, pointing forward to what God really wanted in Christ. As His plan unfolded and we…
Read MoreCountering the Culture
by David Gibson What William J. Bennett wrote years ago has even more relevance today: “There is a coarseness, a callousness and a cynicism to our era. The worst of it has to do with our children. Our culture seems almost dedicated to the corruption of the young” (Reader’s Digest, August 1995, 37). Examples could…
Read MoreHow Long, O Lord?
by Doy Moyer After yesterday, here’s what I’m feeling… “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). We are a lost world. That’s not even up for debate. And “we” won’t fix it. We…
Read MoreEvangelism (Haley)
by Robin Haley via Matters of the Faith, Vol. 5 No. 3, October-December 1999, p. 11. I recently came across the acrostic for the word “evangelism.” I found it not only interesting and accurate, but also a good reminder. I added some Scripture references to the acrostic to help us consider the word “evangelism” and…
Read MoreThe Word
by Terry Wane Benton Why does John speak of Jesus as “the Word”? See John 1:1-14. Consider that Jesus is the fulfillment and substance of all that God had been promising and prophesying all through the years from the beginning of all communication. Jesus was who God had spoken about and was providing what God…
Read MoreDarkness
by Zeke Flores There’s something about it that’s foreboding, frightening, and … dark. Lying alone in the dark can be a dreadful thing. In the darkness, our insecurities find an outlet. We lie awake staring into the blackness, playing our failures in our minds over and over again like a newsreel stuck on repeat. We…
Read MoreHeartfelt Religion
by A. Adams Scripture can put you on the spot when it makes it obvious that your beliefs, actions, or choices are wrong. The simple solution to such conflict is to change and only believe what comes by “hearing…the word” (Romans 10:17); or, said another way, stop doing what you’ve been doing, and start being…
Read MoreRespect (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer Being made in God’s image requires that we respect (esteem) one another as fellow divine image-bearers. This stands under the “golden rule,” as stated by Jesus: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). The connection…
Read MoreI’m uncomfortable with changes made to the order of worship
Question: Hello! I attend a church where some changes have occurred recently. Although several in the congregation are unhappy about it, I still am not sure whether these are scriptural matters or personal preferences. Our order of worship since I have been there is two songs, prayer, scripture reading, song, Lord’s Supper, song, sermon, invitation…
Read MoreCan any Christian man baptize another person?
Question: Good day. I obeyed the gospel of Christ nearly ten years ago. My question to you is: Can I baptize someone? Let me give you the scenario. I go to worship service with my children, and my son wants to get baptized, but he is fearful of getting in front of the congregation to…
Read MoreSometimes It Is Not Enough!
by Aubrey Belue One of the earliest jobs my dad had was teaching school – he began while still in his teens, at a one-room school in upstate Mississippi. Some of his students in the higher grades were as old and as big as he was, and more than once, he maintained discipline with the…
Read MoreImitating Paul
by Hugh DeLong “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1). Jesus gave the great commission to “go into all the world and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever…
Read MoreGod and Good
by Terry Wane Benton Have you ever noticed how the book of Genesis begins and ends? It begins with God creating everything and “it was good” (Genesis 1). After man chose to let sin in the world, it was cursed (Genesis 3). But God wanted to get back to “blessed” with man and God back…
Read MoreIs It Possible to Identify the Church Found in the New Testament?
by Todd Clippard With so many forms of “Christianity” today, one may ask, “How can I know I’ve found the church of the New Testament?” With recent estimates showing over 2000 individual religious groups all claiming to be a form of Christianity, this is a valid question, and we can see why one would be…
Read MoreA Father Rejected, But Who Still Loves
by Steven Harper Consider the sad description of Israel’s unfaithfulness, as recorded by Hosea. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. As they called them, so they went from them; they sacrificed to the Baals, and burned incense to carved images” (Hosea 11:1-2). After hearing their…
Read MoreMy family says I can’t attend a church of Christ until after I get engaged
Question: I am currently attending a Baptist church with my family, but I am dating someone who attends a church of Christ. We have been dating for some time now, and we have studied together a lot. We agree on several things that we used not to, such as once saved always saved being false,…
Read MoreHow do I deal with people’s profanity?
Question: I have a question or concern tonight. I was talking to my next-door neighbor this evening. I was passing by while working in the yard and started a conversation with him. I asked him about some work he had been doing in his yard. He used some very bad language, expressing how difficult it…
Read MorePaul’s Fears (Sermon)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Pauls-Fears.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: II Corinthians 7:4-7 I. What causes you to be afraid? A. Most of us face fears at different points of our lives. B. Most of our fears come from things that we cannot control or things we cannot foresee. More fear is born of our imagination than is found…
Read MoreBravery
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bravery.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: I Samuel 14:6-14 I. When we were teenagers, my brother, after a history class, pointed out that wars are cyclic. They tend to break out once per generation. A. If a war appeared glamorous and popular, the next war would come sooner B. If a war was bitter and…
Read MoreDo These Passages Talk of Human Sacrifices?
Question: I have a question about human sacrifice in Scripture, please. I believe in the Bible and I am a Christian, of course. But the following verses do bother me, because they really do sound like human sacrifice: Isaiah 34:5–6 (about Edom): “The LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land…
Read MoreOn Identifying False Teachers
by Dub McClish As our Lord drew the Sermon on the Mount to a close, He gave the following warning: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-16). Do we still need this warning? It is presently easier…
Read MoreThis Is Marvelous in Our Eyes
by Terry Wane Benton “This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Mark 12:11 ESV). Watch closely what Jesus is saying and why. He is talking to the Jews who were rejecting Him and reminding them that they were fulfilling the scripture statement of Psalms 118:22 that said, “The stone which…
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