I … Have Need of Nothing
by L. A. Stauffer via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 Life was great for the Laodiceans. Business was wonderful, prosperity was abounding, and they flourished with riches. They had the best chariots, top-of-the-line clothing, the finest food from the markets, and palatial homes with plenty of acreage. What else could they possibly…
Read MoreUnity Among Brethren
by Sewell Hall via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 Jesus prayed, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:21). This prayer was not for unity among denominations, nor even for goodwill among congregations. It was…
Read MoreWithout Respect of Persons
by Kyle Pope via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 James 2:1 declares, “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality” (NKJV). The King James Version and the American Standard Version use the phrase “with respect of persons” rather than “partiality.” In the original text,…
Read MoreWhy Israel Fell
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Why-Israel-Fell.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Isaiah 9:1-7 I. The prophet Isaiah told the people that the Messiah was coming. A. He would bring righteousness to all the nations and remove the burdens of sin B. He would establish a new government, one that would last forever C. The people of Israel foolishly thought that the…
Read MoreWhich came first, Leviticus 12:3 or Exodus 4?
Question: Hi, I read your article “Did God give Moses the commandment to circumcise?” You point out that in Leviticus 12:3, God instructs Moses that boys must be circumcised on the 8th day. In Exodus 4, we have the situation where God is preparing to kill Moses because he has not circumcised his son. Since…
Read MoreWhy was one woman called “daughter” instead of “woman”?
Question: Good morning, brother. I have been reading Luke 7 about the woman who was a sinner and brought an alabaster flask of fragment oil. She stood at Jesus’ feet, washed His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. Jesus refers to her in Luke 7:44 as “woman.” In…
Read MoreHow would the Jews know that Psalms 110 is talking about the Messiah?
Question: Hello Jeffrey, I hope you’re doing well by the grace of God. I have a question about Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” When Jesus quoted this in Matthew 22:45, he pointed out that David called the Messiah Lord. Please…
Read MoreQuick to Forget
by Zeke Flores How many times have you heard a thing, yet forget what you heard in a matter of minutes? The older we get, the more we are “quick to hear, fast to forget.” Or, as we’ve all heard it, it’s in one ear and out the other. But the malady isn’t merely age-related.…
Read MoreLeaving the Church
by Perry Hall Meditate on this thought: “What I believe about God’s word is more important than how people treat me.” Many people will leave churches where they are mistreated and start worshiping with a friendly church that practices and teaches things contrary to what they believe. Whether they want to admit it or not,…
Read MoreHow to Keep Our Children Spiritually Safe
by Perry Hall How do we keep our children from leaving faithful churches to go to those not following the faith? How do we help our children follow after faithful saints regardless of age instead of leaving to follow after their friends? This is an anecdotal tale. From 6th grade to 12th grade, I worshiped…
Read MoreDoes Going to Church Still Matter?
by Clay Stauffer Adapted Pew Research has been tracking trends in America for many decades. Some of the most recent data is very eye-opening, if not alarming. In 2024, roughly 30% of Americans say they attend church regularly, loosely defined as once a month. Less than 50% of Americans now claim membership to any given…
Read MoreThe Dead Sea Scrolls
by Terry Wane Benton Dead Sea Scrolls – 250BC to AD70 Photo by Lux Moundi. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanjj/8246948498 The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 980 Hebrew documents found in the Qumran limestone caves between 1947 and 2017. Most of the texts are written on parchment. About 40% were copies from the Old Testament. Before the…
Read MoreIs it wrong to get advice from non-Christians?
Question: Good morning, Brother Hamilton, I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to express my gratitude for the valuable resources on your website, which have been a blessing to me over the years. I have a question regarding scriptural authority for seeking counseling outside the church. Specifically, is there scriptural support for advocating…
Read MoreWhat If I Can’t Attend Due to Failing Health?
Question: I have been a faithful member of the Lord’s Church for many years. I have been very concerned about something lately and wonder if you could assist me. In Hebrews 10:25, the Bible says that we are not to forsake the assembly of the saints. I despise not going to church, but I have…
Read MoreRoom for All
by Allen Dvorak via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15, No. 1, January 2015 “Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: 2 “I will go before you and…
Read MoreEarly House of Worship
Source: “Christians didn’t worship in houses? New study drops bombshell on religious archaeology,” StudyFinds.org, 30 August 2024. Early Christians “may have been more intentional in creating distinct sacred spaces than previously thought.” “One of the most striking findings was the removal of key features that defined Durene houses, such as the building’s cistern and food…
Read MoreHow Do You Take Correction?
by Jefferson David Tant Taking correction is a part of living. It begins when we are children and are rebuked for doing something wrong or for not doing something right, like cleaning up our room. It continues through our teen and adult years. Even Jesus Christ was criticized time and again by his enemies. Preachers…
Read MoreRoles in Salvation
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2003/10/Roles-in-Salvation.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Ephesians 2:1-10 I. There are many misleading claims in the denominations regarding salvation A. Most of the misconceptions come because people only look at some of the verses regarding salvation. B. They find verses which says we are saved by God’s grace and then trumpet that salvation is solely…
Read MoreUncompromising
by Sewell Hall Generally speaking, our generation has an aversion to authority, yet those who heard the Lord’s great sermon observed that “He taught them as one having authority.” We prefer sermons that deal in generalities; Jesus dealt with specifics. We prefer preachers who praise rather than condemn; Jesus condemned not only wrong conduct but…
Read MoreChurch and State: Rituals
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Church-and-State-Rituals.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Mark 7:1-8 I. In a world where being born in a region determined your religious faith, the Christian approach was novel A. Christians taught a message from God to bring people into the church – Mark 16:20 1. It wasn’t just taking people at their word. It was confirmed…
Read MoreAids versus Additions
by Perry Hall Years ago, it was common to hear arguments concerning the difference between aids and additions in worshiping God. This involved hermeneutics. Let’s presume we all agree that adding to the word is unscriptural. How do we know when we are simply using an aid? Where does the Bible authorize aids? If additions…
Read MoreWas there a significant age difference between Jonathan and David?
Question: I read a comment online that some scholars believe that there was a 20 – 30-year difference between Jonathan and David, that Jonathan was at least 20 years older than David. I have been searching but cannot find scripture that verifies that. Do you know of one? Answer: Jonathan participated in battles against the…
Read MoreWill Life Ever Be Good Again?
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, it may seem like nothing will ever be right in your life again. You might look back to happier times and wonder how things could so completely fall apart. Beaten down by circumstances, maybe even the consequences of your own bad decision, you become overwhelmed with despair. Will life ever be…
Read MoreThe Word of God and the Words of God
by Doy Moyer Jesus is identified as the Divine Word, the Logos, with all things made by Him and in whom is life and light (John 1:1-5). As the Word incarnate, Jesus is the ultimate communication of God to humanity. God has spoken through Him in these last days (Hebrews 1:1-3), and we need to…
Read MoreJesus’ and Daniel’s Amazing Prophecy
by Terry Wane Benton Consider one of the most amazing prophecies in all of Scripture. Jesus is leaving the temple when his disciples call his attention to its buildings. As they gaze upon the temple’s massive stone and magnificent buildings, Jesus utters the unthinkable: “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be…
Read MoreDoes morality change with age?
Question: I spent a lot of time looking at your answers to several sexual questions. I am fairly clear ( I think ) that intercourse is a grave sin outside of marriage. Anything that leads there is wrong. A few months ago, I reconnected with a childhood friend. I believe God set this in motion.…
Read MoreShould I take courses that teach evolution?
Question: Recently, I’ve been thinking about the future, how my life will be, and how my career affects me. I picked a job in botany. But after taking an online course, I feel utterly terrified. A lot of history is about the evolution of plants. I know this won’t affect me in the actual workforce,…
Read MoreThe Clock Is Winding Down
by Terry Wane Benton With each second, minute, and hour that passes, our time is winding down, and we are that much closer to death and facing eternity. We have never been this close, yet we keep inching closer as we live. God commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day…
Read MoreFinding the Words to Say
by Ross Ward, Jr. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). Have you spent time meditating on how to address a difficult situation? If you are considerate of the things you say and…
Read MoreMollycoddling
by Chadwick Brewer “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24). Here in Matthew, Jesus is telling his disciples that persecution will come. Followers of Jesus will be dragged into court, flogged, and even put to death by their own families. In this context, Jesus states that a…
Read MoreIs God All Loving?
Question: Is God all loving? This might be a strange question for a new Christian, but this is legitimately important. The reason I questioned this is because of God saying that these people are abominations, mainly (Leviticus 18:22) and (Deuteronomy 22:5). But as I wrote this, I realized the potential that maybe it was up…
Read MoreLiving with the Consequences of Bad Decisions
by Zeke Flores How terrible it is to live with the consequences of terrible decisions. Israel was having to do just that. Though God warned them about their idolatry, they didn’t listen. Though God told them that their exploitation of the poor and needy was evil, they didn’t listen. Though God said to them that…
Read MoreNotes on the Epistle of Barnabas
Dated to around 130 AD. Based on who cites the document Based on what is cited in the document. “Furthermore He saith again; Behold they that pulled down this temple themselves shall build it. So it cometh to pass; for because they went to war it was pulled down by their enemies. Now also the…
Read MoreFault Finding
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Fault-Finding.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 5:11-18 I. The golden rule – Romans 13:9-10 A. Much of our life is involved in relating to other people. 1. We need the cooperation of others in so many ways. 2. And so many people are just plain hard to get along with. B. God’s laws are easily summed up…
Read MoreI was ready to fight at first, but by the end, I agreed
Question: I just wanted to express my appreciation for your response to this question: Why doesn’t God prevent innocent children from being harmed? I’ll admit, I was ready to fight at first, but by the end of the entire response, I felt that you detailed and answered all of my grievances that not only that person…
Read MoreClapping as an Accompaniment to Singing in Worship
by Wayne Jackson Recently, it has been argued that clapping as a rhythmic accompaniment to singing in Christian worship is not an addition to the singing (as it is a mechanical instrument). It is merely an aid comparable to a songbook. In this article, we’ll discuss the nature of handclapping as a function of worship…
Read MoreExamine the Scriptures
by Doy Moyer We are familiar with the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11: “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” The primacy of Scripture is key to the noble-mindedness of the Bereans.…
Read MoreThe God of Happiness
by Chadwick Brewer “‘Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke’… so I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded” (Ezekiel 24:16,18). It has become common…
Read MoreA God of Patterns
by Doy Moyer God is a God of patterns. This means there is order, method, and sequence to His expression and will. To deny patterns is to deny order, to accept that God’s will is disorderly and not subject to method, arrangement, and sequence. Is God’s will so chaotic? When people deny that there are…
Read MoreAre the Same Roles Needed to Have the Same Value?
by Kyle Ellison Fox News reported this week that women are now the largest demographic that is abandoning the church in The United States. Honestly, when it vaguely asked me to guess who was leaving at the highest rates, this wasn’t the answer that came to my mind, but then I began to question why…
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