Did Jesus mention fornication?
Question: Hello, I know the Bible talks about how fornicators won’t inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9). But my question is: what does Jesus specifically say about fornication? I believe in the Bible, but I wonder if he mentioned it. I see a lot of people nowadays trying to justify fornication and saying…
Read MoreWhat should we do about someone who refuses to attend services?
Question: Greetings Brother Hamilton. I trust your family has been in good health. I have this concern. I have a member who is new to the faith. She was baptized roughly 3 years ago. She started well and then became less punctual. Now, she has stopped worshiping altogether. Efforts have been made by individual members,…
Read MoreHonor the Emperor
by Chadwick Brewer “…living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (I Peter 2:16-17). Often in Scripture, within a list of commands, one command or concept seems dissimilar to the others. I believe this serves to throw its importance into sharp relief. It is meant to be very…
Read MoreWell, Nobody’s Perfect
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Well-Nobodys-Perfect.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: I John 2:1-6 I. At times a person sins and is caught. He has no regrets about his particular sin, except the embarrassment of being caught. He offers the illogical argument, “Well, nobody’s perfect.” A. It is illogical because it insists that sinning can be acceptable since everyone…
Read MoreShould I separate from my lying husband?
Question: My marriage with my husband is troubling. He has a pattern of habitually lying about minor things, and it hurts. I want to figure out my options righteously in this marriage as it is hard to think. I can go days or months thinking something was true, only to find out it wasn’t. Is…
Read MoreWhat if I watch a worship service that is taking place on a different day than where I live?
Question: If I am from the Philippines and I go to another country with a 12-hour time difference. Here in the Philippines, we have worship on Sundays at eight in the morning. Can I make a video call to join in worship and take the Lord’s Supper even though it is only eight in the…
Read MoreThe Riches of His Grace
by Terry Wane Benton It is exciting to go through Romans, Hebrews, Ephesians, and II Corinthians and note how many times and ways Paul mentioned or described “the riches of His grace” and how “unsearchable” these riches are. It’s like finding an endless supply of gold coins, pearls, precious stones, and other things that would…
Read MoreWhy wasn’t the child rescued?
Question: Hi, First, thank you for your ministry and for sharing. I came across your site and read the timeline for when Jesus was raised in three days. I have a follow up question on this post: “Why didn’t God rescue my friend?” The reader asked why God didn’t rescue her friend. I didn’t think…
Read MoreThe Goodness and Severity of God
by Jim Mickells via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22). It seems that many, if not most, in the religious world today only…
Read MoreA Siege Ramp Against Our Faith
by Lee Wildman via Biblical Insights, Vol 14, No. 9, September 2014 Masada was a fortress on a plateau overlooking the Dead Sea where Herod the Great built a palace over 30 years before Jesus was born. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, they were determined to take this fortress from the Jews who had…
Read MoreThe Body Is for the Lord
by Bob Hutto via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 It appears that some Christians in Corinth were trying to justify their immoral behavior. Whether their arguments stemmed from former pagan practices, were the result of bad theology, or were simply an excuse to do what they wanted, Paul knew he had to deal…
Read MoreThe Flood
by Terry Wane Benton “By which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water” (II Peter 3:6). The “world” Peter is discussing is not the world of Judaism. He is not speaking metaphorically of Judaism. That is sometimes read into the passage. It is not the matter under discussion here. What world are…
Read MoreMinistration of Life
by Terry Wane Benton An interesting contrast between the Old and New Testaments, according to II Corinthians 3, is that the Old is a ministration of death, while the New is a ministration of life. The old prepared the way for Jesus by pointing out sin and displaying a sentence of death, thus our need…
Read MoreWas fornication condemned in the Old Testament?
Question: Is it true that fornication with a prostitute/pagan was permitted in the Old Testament, while with a believer, one had to marry her, and that this was only forbidden in the New Testament? A commenter on YouTube said that God permitted it in the Old Testament for the hardness of hearts, just like divorce…
Read MoreAssurance of Salvation
by Terry Wane Benton “So, any Christian who keeps the faith never has to be worried about their salvation. Once Saved, Always Saved is not in the Bible. Assurance of salvation is. We can know that we have eternal life” [from a comment received]. The key here is “keeping the faith.” If you keep the…
Read MoreThe Joys of Involvement
by David Gibson Have you noticed? The happiest Christians are highly involved in the Lord’s work. Why is this so? There is joy in using our God-given talents as He intended for the good of others. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…
Read MoreThank you for your posts regarding sex within a Christian marriage
Question: I just wanted to message you and thank you for the posts on your website. I had questions concerning intercourse in Christian marriage and was grateful to read your biblical perspective. Thank you again, and God richly bless you and the ministry, Answer: You’re welcome.
Read MoreTruth and Fellowship
by Terry Wane Benton Years ago, I heard a preacher encourage brethren not to worry so much about who to fellowship with as about what to preach and support from God’s word. He said, “Just focus on preaching the truth of God’s word, and fellowship issues will begin to take care of themselves.” What he…
Read MoreLovers of Darkness
by Zeke Flores Jesus said that men love darkness rather than light because their actions are evil (John 3:19). That makes sense since so many heinous deeds, from robbery to murder, take place under cover of darkness. But when light shines in darkness, it will have one of two effects: Either those who want light will…
Read MoreLove of the Truth
by Terry Wane Benton Everyone does not want to hear God’s word. Jesus lets each person determine their destiny and therefore lets each person pick his own interest in truth or error. He did not waste time “casting pearls before swine” (Matt.7:6). When a person reveals that they have no inclination to hear the truth…
Read MoreYour answer was not the best way to go about responding
Question: Good day, my brother, With reference to “God wanted instrumental music before, so why not now?” and the response you posted from a concerned member, I humbly suggest that this was not the best way to go about responding. Some of the things you said were rude and condescending and did not embody gentleness…
Read MoreOnce SAVED Always Saved?
by Terry Wane Benton Of course, those words are never seen in the Bible. They are not stated, and they are not even implied. In fact, to believe such a doctrine, you would have to work against many clear verses, either outright denying them or outright ignoring them. Not only does the Bible say you…
Read MoreOf Being an “Overcomer”
by Terry Wane Benton “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5). As mentioned repeatedly, the overcomers overcome apathy, indifference, and worldly priorities. They gain the…
Read MoreCan an eldership direct multiple congregations?
Question: We teach that elders are appointed in local congregations and that no congregation oversees another congregation. Neither does the elder of one congregation have overseeing power or responsibility over another congregation. In Acts 15, we know that there were Jewish Christians who insisted that Gentile Christians must circumcise and observe the law of Moses.…
Read MoreA Challenge
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/A-Challenge.mp3 by Raymond Wafel Download Audio
Read MoreDo the letters in Revelation support the idea of a leading elder?
Question: We believe in the plurality of elders in the church and that elders are equal in the sense that there is no senior or chairman elder. In Revelation chapters 2 & 3, the seven letters are addressed to “the angel of the church.” The angel refers to the elder of the respective church, and…
Read MoreThank you for “Is online services acceptable?”
Question: I thank your church for making “Is online worship acceptable?” available. I participate in debates, and this year, we are debating whether online worship is acceptable. Your fine church’s article helped me a lot, so once again, thank you. Answer: I’m glad it was of service to you.
Read MoreNo One Stands Alone
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/No-One-Stands-Alone.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreDeveloping Discernment at Every Age
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Developing-Discernment-at-Every-Age.mp3 by Garry Floyd Download Audio
Read MoreBoring?
by David Gibson A brother in Christ who taught 8th grade science told me that one day in class, he happened to mention that it was his 32nd wedding anniversary. At first, there was dead silence. Then they reacted, “Wouldn’t it be boring to be married to someone that long?” I suppose if all I…
Read MoreI believe your article on suicide is unfair
Question: Good afternoon. I read an article on your website under the title, “I find your article on why suicide is a sin to be completely unsympathetic and untrue.” It was published in 2018 by Alan Feaster. I am not going to debate your position that suicide is a sin. I am not stating that I…
Read MoreWorking Together
by Doy Moyer The people of God are characterized by work. This is not a drudgery but a blessing demonstrating God’s fellowship with His people and His people with one another. Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), yet God’s grace teaches us to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright,…
Read MorePagan Ways Transferred to Christians: Looking for Signs
by Terry Wane Benton On the Isle of Malta, Paul found some friendly natives. When a viper bit Paul, these people read that as a sign. They were wrong, and people who try to read events as signs today are borrowing from paganism. In Acts 28:1-4, the natives read the viper event as a sign…
Read MoreSex and Sanctification
by David Diestelkamp via Think on These Things, Vol. 56, No. 1, January-March 2025 Although it is hard to establish accurately, it appears that, of those marrying today for the first time, only between 3% and 10% are virgins. The vast majority of singles are sexually active. Christians are not immune to sexual temptation, but…
Read MoreHow do I not feel empty and missing my old life?
Question: Hello, I have been a Christian for a while, and I feel sad and depressed sometimes. All the things I used to enjoy doing I can no longer do anymore, like sex, porn, smoking, drinking, and even going out with some friends. I still desire to do these things and sometimes feel empty without…
Read MoreThanks for making such a positive impact on my life
Question: I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible website you’ve created, which has become a deeply enriching spiritual resource for me. The tools, teachings, and guidance offered on the site have been an immense blessing in my spiritual journey. The materials…
Read MoreI Don’t Want to Flaunt My Christianity
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, someone says, “I don’t want to flaunt my Christianity.” I get it, I think. They don’t want to seem “holier-than-thou.” I’d rather not believe they want to be closet Christians. But see, Christianity is obvious. There must be some plain evidence that Christ has improved your life, some manifestation of the gospel…
Read MoreThe Credibility of Jesus
by Terry Wane Benton Friends and enemies saw the miracles of Jesus. The enemies had to explain them. Their go-to argument was that He worked by the power of Satan. But the fact that they even had to explain them in such a way means that such testimony was credible from the start. Furthermore, the…
Read MoreDead in Trespasses
by Terry Wane Benton “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in…
Read MoreThank you for helping me teach a woman confused about the Sabbath
Question: In December 2020, you helped me teach a sweet lady who was confused about the Sabbath. She continued her studies and was baptized. Please know that your efforts are not wasted on many people across the internet, including myself. In heartfelt Christian love and appreciation, Answer: Thank you for sending me the wonderful news!…
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