My girlfriend wants me in her bed, but I know it is wrong. What do I do?
Question: I am troubled by certain things in my life. As a young man, it is a challenge to deal with young women because I am in somewhat of a relationship (although we are not physically active) it is still a struggle. Even though I am not active physically, I am tempted daily. I desire…
Read MoreMust the duties of preaching be evenly distributed among able and qualified men?
Question: It appears that you have an extremely negative view on either the practice of mutual edification, the brethren who follow it, or both. If this is the situation, I pray you will give me the opportunity to stand on my own without making too many assumptions regarding my motivations or additional beliefs. For example, I…
Read MoreIs Rephidim and Kadesh Barnea the same place?
Question: Dear Sir, Please find enclosed a short attachment concerning a crucial aspect of the exodus that seems to have been overlooked. Please read it and any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. [I won’t bother copying the extensive article here, but the primary thrust is to argue that Kadesh Barnea and Rephidim were the…
Read MoreWhat do you think about people wearing shorts to church?
Question: I was brought up in a church that has taught us to be modest and when we come to church we should dress appropriately. I have moved out of state and attend a church where people wear shorts in the congregation and on the platform and I am grieved. Do you think this is…
Read MoreWould it be proper for a Christian to do Qigong?
Question: I enjoyed your response from a previous email, recently I’ve come across a form of exercise or martial art or a movement called QiGong which is very similar to a relatively popular one called Tai Chi. I’ve tried one style of QiGong after much reading about it and hearing good things of its increase…
Read MoreI have my doubts about Catholicism, but where do I go for the truth?
Question: Your answer is what is getting to me the most. I pray day and night about it, and maybe this is one of my answers. I noticed Mary is more worshiped in South America than what she might be here. I have always felt funny about it. I was reading over some prayers to…
Read MoreHow do I punish my teenage son for lying about his grades?
Question: I have a serious problem with my oldest son who is 17. My wife and I have raised him in church, and he attends a Christian school. This past semester, he led us to believe he was doing all right in school. I received his report card and he has two failing grades. My…
Read MoreAn objection to the claim that Catholics worship Mary
Question: I was reading over your web site about Catholicism. I have had doubts about the Catholic Church before, and the one thing I knew to do was to pray. So I prayed and the next day God led me to a website. Since I read your web site, I ask that you may read…
Read MoreWhere is the line drawn between false teachings and matters of conscience?
Question: I’ve read your articles on false teaching and head coverings. My question is: How do we know if someone is engaging in false teaching? More specifically, where do we draw the line between false teaching and matters of conscience (Romans 14)? For example head coverings. There are a lot of different points of view…
Read MoreWhy did Jesus say not to forbid the non-follower from casting out demons?
Question: I was wondering what Jesus meant in Mark 9:38-40 where John told Him of a man who was casting out devils in Jesus’ name but forbade the man from doing so because he didn’t follow with them. How does the verse “For he that is not against us is on our part” apply today?…
Read MoreWhich Christian denomination is the right one?
Question: Which Christian denomination is the right one? How can you tell? Answer: Jesus told Peter he would build his church (Matthew 16:18). The word “church” is singular; Jesus built only one church. Unfortunately, even in the early days of the church, men could not leave the perfection created by God alone. They started making…
Read MoreCan you have an out of body experience or be reincarnated?
Question: How can I, or is there a way to, have some kind of contact with a loved one. I hear many things about out of body practices. Is this true? Is there a way where I can leave my body for a while to seek my loved family member? I once asked you a…
Read MoreHow do you punish a boy caught masturbating?
Question: I have a problem. Yesterday, I sent my son to his room because he had misbehaved. About 15 minutes later I decided to check on him to make sure he wasn’t sulking. I normally knock before opening the door, but this time I just opened it. I was appalled to see him masturbating. He quickly…
Read MoreWhat does it mean, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop?”
Question: What does it mean, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop?” Answer: There is a set of English proverbs that are worded similarly: Idle hands are the devil’s workshop Idle hands are the devil’s tools (“Collections” 1808) Idle brains are the devil’s workhouses (T. Fuller 1732) An idle brain is the devil’s workshop (H.…
Read MoreIs there a passage similar to “an idle mind is the devil’s workplace?”
Question: I am looking for a phrase in the Bible that is similar to the saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s workplace.” Answer: In warning churches not to support young widows, Paul stated, “And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and…
Read MoreWorship the King (Song)
Midi Tune: https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Worship-The-King-Music.mid Sheet Music: Loading… Taking too long? Reload document | Open in new tab Download [1.08 MB]
Read MoreIf a psychic helps the police, does this make it good?
Question: I have a new friend who asks me if a person is able to help the police with an investigation by some kind of knowledge that will help save a person’s life, can that be evil? She argues that it saves people’s lives. She says it is dreams or some kind of ESP she…
Read MoreJustifying Divorce and Remarriage by Claiming Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are Old Testament Books
Question: What a tragedy! There are actually some members in the church that teach that Christians need to divorce their present mate because of having been previously involved in a divorce. Wow! This is an absolutely and pitifully deceptive teaching! And these sorts of doctrines need to be settled and denounced immediately, once and for…
Read MoreHow do you keep focused in life?
Question: The advice you give is very encouraging and as a young man, it is helpful. My question is that being a young Christian man, it is very challenging to walk the Christian life. Having friends in the world and being associated with a female in a denomination, it is difficult to keep focused. I…
Read MoreWhat is our responsibility or accountability to God and ourselves?
Question: What is our responsibility or accountability to God and ourselves? Answer: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Read MoreWhat is the best way to study the Bible?
Question: When studying the Bible or a topic, such as baptism, what is the best way? Is it with a particular Bible version, such as the King James, New King James, or the New International Version, with no commentary and a concordance as a Bible aid? My church has recently gone through an exercise like…
Read MoreHow do I keep focused and not be tempted and fall?
Question: I realize that this world is not for us. What advice could you give to help me to be focused and not allow the things of this world to tempt me and cause me to fall? Question: This is a vast topic that is explored in many aspects within the Bible. I won’t be…
Read MoreMary Magdalene and the Da Vinci Code
by Don Martin It appears that the time is ripe today in America for the further degradation of basic morality and to the introduction of all manner of false doctrines and cults. It is evident that there is presently an obsession with Mary Magdalene. Much of this focus has been gendered by Dan Brown’s bestseller,…
Read MoreCan a preacher kick members out of a church?
Question: Can a preacher kick members out of the church? Answer: The primary job of a preacher, as described in the Bible, is to be a herald of God’s good news. He teaches those outside the church how to become a part of the church. He teaches those inside and outside the church how to…
Read MoreHow do you handle a problem with the neighbor’s dogs?
Question: As I went to mail at the mailbox today, I noticed a spot where a large dog fertilized our front yard. The owner of most of this subdivision is living temporarily in one of the homes a few doors up from us until his home in the country is completed. He has two dogs,…
Read MoreCovenants
I. Covenants play a major role throughout the Scriptures. A. We see covenants between people 1. Jacob and Laban (enemies) – Gen 31:44-54 2. David and Jonathan (friends) – I Sam 18:1-4 B. We see covenants between nations, such as between Israel and Gibeon – Josh 9:3-27 C. We see covenants between God and various people of the world II. What are…
Read MoreShould I lie for my daughter?
Question: Should I lie for my 11-year-old daughter? She was spanked and sent to bed at 4 pm. When her friends came to the door my I told them she was sick. I didn’t tell them she was being punished. Answer: Let’s see: By your example then, when your daughter doesn’t want you to know…
Read MoreWhat Homosexuals Want
by Joe R. Price December 1992 The Bible unequivocally describes homosexuality as a sin. It is a sin against God (Jude 7), the home (Genesis 2:18-25), self (I Timothy 1:10) and society (Romans 1:18-32, esp. vss. 26-27). The reality of this truth to every Bible-believing person is too obvious to belabor. Homosexuals, unless they repent,…
Read MoreWhy Go to Class?
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Besides assembling for worship on the first day of the week, this church meets regularly to study the scriptures in class settings. Some may ignore these opportunities and others may simply take them for granted, so it is worth inquiring: Why go to class? We go to class because “He gave…
Read MoreWho Would You Blame?
by Dudley Ross Spears Read this little bit of fiction (or is it?) When he was a baby, they were so proud to take him to worship. Everyone “oohed and aahed” and played “kitcky-koo.” They never missed a service at church. As a little boy, they taught him to behave during worship. They helped him regularly…
Read MoreWho Put Christ in Christmas?
by Larry Ray Hafley During December we are reminded to, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Who, though, put Him there in the first place? Did God? We know “the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (I John 4:14). Jesus said that He neither acted nor spoke of his own will, but…
Read MoreWho Are We?
by Jefferson David Tant From to time, in talking with people about churches of Christ, people ask “Who are you?” “What are your beliefs?” We are “one” in Christ. One of our nation’s mottos is “E Pluribus Unum”—”Out of many, one.” In one way, that well describes us. As to what we believe, the simple…
Read MoreWhere Is the Kiss?
by Greg Gwin Someone has written to ask: “Where is the kiss?” Our correspondent lists five passages that refer to the greeting of a “holy kiss” (Romans 16:16; I Corinthians 16:20; II Corinthians 13:12; I Thessalonians 5:26; I Peter 5:14). He goes on to say, “I remember once being told that in the place of…
Read MoreWhen We Are Provoked
by Sam Stinson “But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39). The following was posted online some time ago: “An atheist group has unveiled a sign in the Washington state capital next to…
Read More“When the Lord Opens the Door You Have to Seize the Opportunity…”
by Bob Lovelace For some reason. perhaps because it is beneficial to be reminded how apostasy works, or better yet because apostasy does indeed “work” and presents itself in order to perpetuate its working of error, I keep meeting those who say they really do not see anything wrong with instrumental music in worship. Conversation…
Read MoreWhere were the apostles from?
Question: Where were Jesus’ apostles from? Were they Jewish before the Jesus met them? Answer: Judaism is both a religion and a nationality. All twelve of the apostles were born in Israel and were Jewish by both descent and by religious practice. All twelve ate the Passover meal with Jesus at the last supper (Luke…
Read MoreWere the apostles educated?
Question: I know that apostle Paul was educated. What about the other apostles. Where they educated? Answer: Of Peter and John we are specifically told, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus”…
Read MoreWhen Do the Tears Stop?
by Jefferson David Tant via Guardian of Truth, December 18, 1997 The day began a little earlier than usual. I woke soon after five, and since sleep had fled, I got up and accomplished a few things in preparation for my trip to Birmingham. There were many things to gather — checkbook, will, deed, title, burial…
Read MoreWhat’s in Your Bucket?
by Wendi L. Capehart When I was a young mother of two children in diapers an older lady at church shared the bucket parable with me. The basic idea is that as you go through life, you are carrying a full bucket. And sometimes in your day-to-day life, you get bumped or jostled and this…
Read MoreWhat Shall We Do Then?
by Kent Heaton John the Baptist was a fire and brimstone preacher. His appearance alone would strike fear into most hearts. “Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4). His sermons were direct and not very commending…
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