Overcoming Fear
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Reading: II Kings 6:8-23 It seems wherever we turn, there is something to fear. Some people are afraid of snakes or spiders. Others fear what will happen to the stock market. Instead of being debilitated by our fears, we need to learn how to continue to function despite our fears. Finances Many…
Read MoreThe Nature of Sin, Temptation, and Lust
I. The pathway to death – James 1:13-16 (handout) A. Desire 1. Each of us is born with a normal, natural set of desires. 2. Those desires are the consequences of the operation of our bodies. a. What is the purpose of thirst? Hunger? b. Does sexual desire have a purpose? B. Temptation 1. Satan tries to place us in situations where it…
Read MoreDoes my divorce mean I failed as a wife?
Question: Thank you, for your response. My pastor did not support my decision to divorce my husband. I was very active and have a deep spiritual conviction, but have felt like I am being condemned and told I am a hypocrite for deciding it was best for my family to leave my marriage. My ex-husband is…
Read MoreI want to sing, but I’m afraid of being in front of others. What do I do?
Question: I have a feeling that I really need to sing, but I just can’t get the nerve to get up in front of everybody. Is this a sin? I’m a shy person and I’ve been getting feelings that God wants me to sing in church, but I just can’t get the nerve to go…
Read MoreWhy Four Gospels?
by Shane Carrington “Take your child to work day.” What a great idea! How many young people see Dad as a father, yard-mower, car-washer, and neighbor, but never see him in his role as employee? Truthfully, we all take on different jobs that say many things about who we are. Just viewing one facet of…
Read MoreWhy Are So Many Afraid to Call a Dog – “A DOG”?
by Brian A. Yeager When one reads of false brethren and those teaching errors (false teachers/prophets) throughout the word of God you find that they were labeled, at times, in colorful ways. Of the watchman in Israel, Isaiah penned the following: “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they…
Read MoreWhere Are the Atheists?
by Billy Norris via Gospel Guide; Nov. 1995; Vol. 27, No. 10. An atheist is one who believes that there is no God. This is strange because there is so much evidence of the existence of God. One who denies the existence of God cannot deny the existence of the physical universe. Is it a product…
Read MoreAt What Point Does Faith Save?
by Richie Thetford Many denominations will have us believe that we are saved by faith before we do the action in accordance with God’s command. No doubt you have seen those on television attending a huge denominational service who are invited to come forward at the conclusion of the service and simply say that they believe…
Read MoreWhat’s the Weather? Should We Observe Lent?
by Steve A. Hamilton The television weatherman was forecasting a big snow. I happen to like snow. The news of snow was exciting to me. I turned the television station to another network to see what they were forecasting. That station was forecasting a small amount of snow. That wasn’t what I wanted to hear.…
Read MoreWhat Makes the Difference?
by Bill Crews [edited] If a man has money and is not willing to have it examined, people think it is counterfeit. If a man is afraid to take a lie detector test, people think he is guilty of a crime. If a man conducts a business and is unwilling to let anyone investigate it,…
Read MoreIsn’t a kitchen just a way to reach people with the gospel?
Question: I currently stand in the position that it is a matter of opinion concerning a kitchen or fellowship hall. Again, that is where I currently stand. Here where I preach, we do not have a kitchen per se. A majority of the brethren here would like to have one so that it would accommodate…
Read MorePre-Campbell Christianity
by Ken Chumbley via Gospel Gazette, Vol. 2, No. 8, p. 18, August 2000 The following is an excerpt from an article by Carroll Sites that has been found in a number of bulletins over the last few years: Many people identify churches of Christ as owing their roots to Alexander Campbell in 1813. This is…
Read MoreThe Lord’s Supper
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Cor. 11:17-34 I. It is a covenant meal A. Luke 22:19-20 – The cup is the new covenant B. A covenant that is taken with us in the kingdom – Matt 26:28-29 C. Covenants were often sealed with a meal shared between the two parties. 1. Jacob and Laban’s covenant – Gen 31:46,54…
Read MoreShould a wife leave because of sexual assault?
Question: My husband abused me sexually. I was willing to have intercourse with him, but he couldn’t become fulfilled unless he was hurting me. According to the Scriptures, I was to fulfill him, but was I to fulfill him when he was hurting me, both mentally and physically? I felt this was wrong in God’s…
Read MoreWhat are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Question: What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Answer: When used in the plural (more than one gift), the gifts of the Holy Spirit refer to the miraculous gifts that Holy Spirit gave the early Christians. “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.…
Read MoreHow do we know how to pronounce Hebrew?
Question: I was wondering if we can actually “know” the true pronunciation of any Hebrew name. For instance, is it like today someone names their child “lemonjello” (pronounced “lay mun cha loo” not like “lemon jello”)? I was wondering since I understand there were no vowels in Hebrew like in modern English. Is this correct?…
Read MoreCan the church use its funds to send flowers?
Question: In an attempt to justify the church using money out of its treasury to send flowers to sick or bereaved members, an argument has been made that it is a “gift” meant to encourage, like the gifts sent to Paul in Philippians 4:15-19. In comments I have read in discussions and debates, it seems as…
Read MoreIs there truth behind “The Da Vinci Code”?
Question: Have you heard of The Da Vinci Code? It’s a book written about Leonardo da Vinci, Opus Dei, and stuff like that? I’ve read the story and it was about hidden truths in Christianity: Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene, the Bible as a product of men, the books of the Bible are incomplete, the…
Read MoreYou don’t know what rape is
Question: I have been looking for scriptural advice when I came across your article on “Spousal Rape”. It is plain to see you don’t know what rape is. My daughter married, with our joyful blessing, a young man who asked to court her, obeyed all our requests, and honored our daughter’s desire to marry pure. …
Read MoreWhat does a preacher’s wife do?
Question: I am getting married soon and my future husband will be looking for a church at which to preach. While I’ve grown up in the church, I’ve never really been around for the “behind the scenes” look at what a preacher’s wife does and what position she holds. Any information you could give me…
Read MoreWhen you die, do you go straight to heaven or hell?
Question: When you die, do you go straight to heaven or hell, or do you remain on earth until Judgment Day? Answer: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him…
Read MoreDid Lot’s wife go to heaven or hell?
Question: Did Lot’s wife go to heaven or hell for her sin of looking back? Answer: “When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” And while he lingered, the men took…
Read MoreIs Jesus God?
Question: Is Jesus God? Answer: Many religions cast doubts on the deity of Jesus. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that Jesus is the first creation of God. Muslims see Jesus as nothing more than a significant prophet, much like Moses. To answer this question, let us turn to the book of John which deals with…
Read MoreWhat About Church Socials?
by Leslie Diestelkamp Two questions have been asked: Why doesn’t the church have more socials? and Why can’t we have parties in the basement of the church building? The New Testament authorizes every act and activity of the church. It provides us with all that pertains to life and godliness (II Peter 1:3). It completely…
Read MoreWarning Against “That First Instinct”
by Warren E. Berkley “Check your moral compass frequently. I have seen it both in combat and in peace. If you do not know who you are walking into a situation, you may not like who you are when you’re done. When I was a lieutenant in Vietnam, I lost Lance Corporal Guido Ferranaro from Bethpage, New York, a…
Read MoreVoices from the Past
by Keith Sharp Mainstream Churches of Christ are far along in a falling away that began around the time I was born, and I’ll soon be eligible for Medicare! The drift has taken place so slowly that most brethren think the modern innovations from the divine pattern for the church have always been practiced. You…
Read MoreIs married love different from Christian love?
Question: Is the love between husbands and wives any different from the love fellow Christians have for each other or for non-believers? Answer: Greek has three basic words for love, two of which are used in the Bible: Agape is a devoted love. It gives even when it is not returned. Agape is a love done on purpose;…
Read MoreHow did David and Jonathan show their love for each other?
Question: How did David and Jonathan show their concern (love) for one another? Can we act like them too? Answer: “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (I Samuel 18:1). They made a covenant with each other “Then Jonathan and David made a…
Read MoreCould you explain what is true love?
Question: Could you explain I Corinthians 13:4-8 phrase by phrase to me? What is true love? What does it mean? Answer: See the article “Love is …” for a phrase-by-phrase explanation of I Corinthians 13:4-8. See “Dating and Courtship” in the study Growing Up in the Lord: A Study for Teenage Boys or “Dating and Courtship” in the study Growing…
Read MoreUnderstanding Prophecy
by Ethan R. Longhenry Prophecy is an important part of the message of God as understood in the Scriptures. Unfortunately, the nature of prophecy is often quite misunderstood. Many think that prophecy always involves things that will happen in the future. When the word “prophecy” is mentioned, many start thinking maybe of Elijah or Isaiah,…
Read MoreTypes Seen in the Tabernacle and Temple
by Michael Hatcher Taken from “John 9:31″ in Defender, November 2004 The physical structures of the Tabernacle and the Temple were typifying the spiritual aspects of the New Testament system (Hebrews 8-10). God gave specific instructions as to the making of these structures, and the Israelites were to follow the pattern God gave them (Exodus 25:40).…
Read MoreShould my attire match those around me?
Question: I have read the articles and sermon outlines you provide on modesty. I believe I am clear on how the Bible addresses modesty and feel secure in how I dress as being modest. The question I have is: if the standard of modesty for other Christians in the church is more conservative than mine,…
Read MoreTradition Versus Scripture
by Wayne Jackson When the report of the Savior’s miracles spread abroad, Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem made their way north to Gennesaret to confront Jesus. They charged that the Lord’s disciples neglected to keep the “traditions” of the elders because they did not ceremonially wash their hands (to purify themselves from Gentile contamination) before…
Read MoreIs it okay to wear animal skin or furs?
Question: Is it okay to wear animal skin or furs? Answer: Before sending Adam and Eve out of the garden because of their sin, God made them proper clothing to replace their inadequate clothing made from fig leaves. “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).…
Read MoreAre same-sex relationships wrong if they are non-sexual?
Question: Does it make any difference at all if the girl – girl or boy -boy relationships are not sexual? What I am trying to ask is would being infatuated or “falling in love” with someone of the same sex be a sin? Answer: Oh, the mess our over-sexualized world has made of relationships between…
Read MoreDoes “remember the Sabbath” imply prior observance?
Question: Does “remember the Sabbath day” imply that the Sabbath day was observed prior to the giving of the Ten Commandments? Answer: The Sabbath day was observed prior to the giving of the Law. When God gave the Israelites manna, He told them to gather the manna for six days, but not to gather on…
Read MoreIn whose name are we to be baptized?
Question: It appears to me that you missed the main point about the Jesus name baptism. Jesus commanded that his disciples be baptized in the “name” of someone. Who do you suppose he meant that name to be? He didn’t say (about Matthew 28:19) “repeat after me now”. Do you suppose that after hearing Matthew 28:19 they…
Read MoreIs the Holy Spirit Jesus?
Answer: “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory…
Read MoreMatthew 28:19 cannot refer to a Christian’s baptism because it was given in the wrong place and at the wrong time.
Question: Here is my proof for not baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Isaiah 2: 2-3, The word of the Lord that goeth forth from Jerusalem will build the house of the God of Jacob. I do not find Galilee as the city chosen of God for the building of…
Read MoreAre girl-girl relationships condemned?
Question: What can you say about girl/girl relationships? Is it a sin and an abomination to the Lord? Did the Bible say anything about it? Answer: God’s teaching clearly condemns girl-girl (lesbian) sexual relationships along with boy-boy (homosexual) relationships. “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the…
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