Prayer and Devotion
by Larry White via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 We pray little because we desire little. A full soul, full of the world and fat on the plenty and pride of this world, will not be a praying soul. He requires nothing. The hungry soul longs for God, never resting, ardently…
Read MoreHonoring Men and Honoring God
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 We do not honor these men by merely naming a “holiday” after them. On the contrary, we honor them by incorporating into our daily lives the good principles for which they stood. We practice the things they taught us to practice. At…
Read MoreWomen, the Bible, and Necessary Inference
by Perry Hall When it comes to religion, people throw out common sense. That is one of my observations regarding hermeneutics, the way we interpret Scripture. For example, women use necessary inference as one of their main methods of communication. And yet, when interpreting the Bible – and someone mentions necessary inference – a common…
Read MoreFacts Are Stubborn Things
by David Gibson A Miracle No One Could Question It was a double miracle: a man lame from birth was healed instantly and could immediately walk without having to learn to walk. No lengthy rehabilitation. It was as if he’d never been lame a day in his life. Naturally, the crowds “were filled with amazement”…
Read MoreHas the Lord Given Enough Evidence?
by Terry Wane Benton The heavens declaring His glory (Psalms 8; 19; Romans 1:20), leaving us “without excuse,” along with our eyes, brains, hearing, being “wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:13-14), the seasons, rain, and food give testimony (Acts 14:17), and the prophetic word is made more sure in amazing predictions and fulfillment (II Peter 1:16-22), and…
Read MoreWhere Is Your Heart Set?
by David Gibson In the Bible, “heart” almost always refers to the inner person where we make choices, good or bad (Matthew 15:15:19; I Peter 3:4). D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones defines the heart as “the centre of man’s being and personality; it is the fount out of what everything else comes” [Studies in the Sermon on…
Read MoreHonoring Your Parents
by Perry Hall I have two adopted children whom we taught to honor their biological parents by praying for them. The greatest self-respect comes from my character, not theirs. I understand the difficulty of honoring parents who are unworthy. I am also called to love my enemies, and sometimes, that might include parents who deserve…
Read MoreHow do I forgive myself?
Question: Brother, I am in my later years and obeyed the gospel nearly forty years ago. I have been in the church of Christ all this time. I have filled in preaching and teaching in my local congregation at many levels. I have been going to other countries for about fifteen years to preach, teach,…
Read MoreYour lesson on wine was excellent
Question: Hello, I came across your website while preparing some lessons on alcohol and the Bible. I wanted to say your lesson on wine was excellent and very detailed. Thank you for your research. Answer: I’m not certain which lesson you are referring to as the site contains several, but I’m glad you found the…
Read MoreSongs of the Saints: Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell
by Wayne S. Walker Anyone who has studied and is familiar with the history of the call for religious reformation and restoration in the early 1800s of this nation will certainly recognize these two names. Barton Warren Stone was born on December 24, 1772, near Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland. The preaching of James…
Read MoreAre interracial marriages wrong?
Question: Hello Jeff, I have been a bit worried lately, and I needed your guidance. I am currently dating someone of a different race. We love and respect each other, but like any other relationship, it has ups and downs. We also do our best to follow Christ’s teachings. Lately, I have heard people’s views…
Read MoreWork
by Mark A. Turner As a pre-teen and a teenager, I had one way to get in shape each year. It would take one week. One week of walking up and down watermelon rows. Turning them over, picking them up, tossing them to the next guy, tossing them on a truck, or catching them from…
Read MoreThe Head of the Church
by Terry Wane Benton The church is described as the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head of that body. Thus, the church is a group of people so connected to Christ that the body does not act without a proper signal (authority) from the head. If the church acts without authority, the church…
Read MoreForgiveness in the Old Testament
by Tommy Peeler Were God’s people forgiven of their sins in Old Testament times, or were their sins simply “rolled forward”? Examining this question must begin with the Old Testament, not the New Testament Scriptures. I believe the Old Testament teaches that God forgave His people in the Old Testament. First, the Old Testament pictures…
Read MoreAudits
by Mark A. Turner In the program I am in, the agency decided to audit us. More than half a dozen to a dozen or more decided to retire. I remembered that over this past week. When people are audited and retire immediately, it’s interesting. I was the alternate representative in my district. My district representative…
Read MoreWhy are all nations judged when all were not involved in the oppression?
Question: Greetings! In Joel 3:2, why are “all nations” judged when not all nations participated in the oppressions? Or is this eschatological? Thanks. Answer: “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley…
Read MoreDid Jesus pay a ransom to Satan to free us from his domain?
Question: Did Jesus pay a ransom to Satan to free us from his domain? Answer: “No man can by any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him– for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever– … But God will redeem my soul from the…
Read MoreHow much do our genes influence our behavior?
Question: I have a question that has baffled me. How much of our behavior is genetic, and how do we understand this in light of free will? My family has a history of adultery, alcoholism, and abuse on both sides. I was told by someone that genetics may explain this. How do we understand this?…
Read MoreAm I binding too much on myself?
Question: Hello brother, I’ve read many of your articles relating to Religious OCD. After reading your articles, I feel convinced I have suffered a bit of this. I’ve been baptized three different times. For some reason, my mind wonders and thinks I didn’t do something right or that my heart wasn’t in it like it…
Read MoreWhy don’t I feel faith?
Question: Hello, I have a question that I really have not been able to find answers to, and I do not dare to talk to anyone about it. Several years ago, I started going to a church because I was really convinced that God was sending me to do it. I had a lot of…
Read MoreDo you have to say amen at the end of a prayer?
Question: Does the Bible say you must say amen at the end of a prayer? Answer: Many prayers are recorded in the Bible, but not all end with “Amen.” Hannah’s prayer in I Samuel 2:1-10 Solomon’s prayer in I Kings 8:23-53 Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:4-19 Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1-26 Thus, it is not…
Read MoreRational Faith?
by Terry Wane Benton The faith we are to have in Jesus is based on testimonial evidence that has stood the test of time since it was first scrutinized in the first century. Each gospel writer (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) was quite aware of the scrutiny they were under when they wrote. John starts…
Read MoreMatthew, Mark, Luke, and John: Old Testament or New Testament? (Robinson)
by Garland M. Robinson If you reject the Gospel records of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (including Acts 1) being any part of the Lord’s New Testament, then you have to accept the conclusion that nothing the Lord said or taught while on earth is valid for the church today. That makes everything the Lord…
Read MoreNarrow-Minded Beliefs
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Narrow-Minded-Beliefs.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Micah 6:1-8 I. At times when I study with someone, I’m told that taking a firm stance on certain matters is legalism. People believe that religion is supposed to be about accepting other people, no matter what they believe (well, within reason). A. When you insist that only one way…
Read MoreTake Heed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Take-Heed.mp3 by Jeffey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 4:6-16 I. The books of I and II Timothy and Titus are instruction manuals for preachers A. If you think a moment, there isn’t another role in the church that is discussed at such length 1. And this is besides the numerous comments regarding preaching that appears in the…
Read MoreStandards (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer Standards are common. The term can refer to a commonly accepted value, a recognized authoritative model, or something acceptable though not top quality (dictionary). In all these cases, there is a recognition that expectations of some kind are to be met and accepted by more than just an individual who might arbitrarily…
Read MoreHeaven
by Mark Chatfield via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 Several years ago, I saw a show on TV; it may have been Twilight Zone or something similar. A man died, and the show was about his afterlife. The program caused a good deal of thought about what heaven might really be…
Read MoreMay Women Serve as Priests?
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 The priesthood of the Mosaical dispensation was a special priesthood limited by the Law to certain males of the tribe of Levi. These ordained representatives of God had the exclusive right to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. Today, no such…
Read MoreThey Wish You Would Help
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all” (I Thessalonians 5:14). In so doing, the church of our Lord is the finest “support group” on the face of the earth!…
Read MoreWe’re Having So Much Fun … There’s No Reason to Be Religious!
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 Have you attended a religious service lately? Was it a service dedicated to preaching the gospel and edifying the saints, or did it more closely resemble a rock concert? Modern church services often appear to constitute little more than carnal entertainment. Can…
Read MoreTwo Essentials for Assurance
by Mark Nitz via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 4, December 31, 1987 One of our greatest needs in serving God is a feeling of confidence regarding our present acceptance by God and future home in heaven. Unfortunately, this assurance is sadly lacking among many of God’s people. Extremes are taken in both directions (“once…
Read MoreThere are some translation errors
Question: Dear friends! As I was researching the book of Ruth on your church’s website, I noticed a reference in the text to verse 14 of the first chapter of the book: “Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and Ruth clung to her (Ruth 1:14).” This is…
Read MoreDo churches decide where preachers should teach?
Question: Do preachers have to be sent out by churches according to Romans 10:15? Answer: “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How…
Read MoreYour Preaching Is Offensive to Me
by Tom M. Roberts via Truth Magazine, Vol 43, 1999 “Then His disciples came and said to Him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’” (Matthew 15:12). The history of speaking “the oracles of God” (I Peter 4:11) is a history of controversy. There is an inimical and hostile…
Read More“How Beautiful Are the Feet” (Romans 10:15)
by Tom M. Roberts via Truth Magazine, Vol. 43, 1999 God did not entrust the gospel to angels, to supernatural beings, to higher life forms without foibles and feet of clay. Indeed, he entrusted the gospel to men. As an objective fact, this is rather astounding. The message of salvation is in feeble human hands!…
Read MoreA Work in Progress
by David Gibson “And I am sure of this,” Paul wrote, “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). If we belong to Christ and grow in him, each of us is a work in progress. God is currently at work…
Read MoreWhy Not Use Both?
by Matthew W. Bassford Several weeks ago, I encountered an article called “The Devolution of Christian Congregational Worship.” [https://www.patheos.com/…/the-devolution-of-christian…/] Judging from the title, I predicted that it would be another grumpy get-off-my-lawn rant about contemporary praise songs and the damage that they are doing to Christianity. I was not wrong. As always, I am struck…
Read MoreGod’s Plan for Our Salvation
by Stephen Harper God, “according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (II Timothy 1:9), had a plan for our salvation, and Jesus Christ “was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (I Peter 1:20) as the sacrifice for our sins. This plan, though, was…
Read MoreShould baptism be refused?
Question: Hi Jeff, Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would need your insights on two questions. We are currently studying baptism, which may seem an unlikely topic for members of the Church of Christ. However, we aim to target some young people who may have lost interest in becoming…
Read MoreChanging Clothes
by Perry Hall Notice how Colossians 2-4 has many parallel thoughts to Zechariah 3. Satan Accuses Joshua “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahweh, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him” (Zechariah 3:1). Colossians 2:14 mentions a certificate of debt caused by our failure to…
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