Lifestyle Evangelism
by Terry Wane Benton A good way to live is by the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you. (Matthew 7:12) Would you want others to treat you as worthless? Don’t treat others as worthless. Would you want to be ignored and never included? Shunned? Of course not!…
Read MoreIt is Written
by David Gibson My dad kept a small notebook in his pocket for writing reminders of appointments and things to do. Why do we write notes to ourselves? Because we all know how fallible human memory is. When Israel was at Sinai, Moses would climb the mountain to receive God’s instructions, then come down and…
Read MoreFaith Alone in Ephesians 2:8?
by Terry Wane Benton Question: Many claim that Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches salvation by faith alone and that baptism is not necessary for salvation. Please respond. Answer: First, the word “alone” is not in Ephesians 2:8 but it is in James 2:14-24 and there it clearly says, “Not by faith alone.” So, we must not allow…
Read MoreGod’s Wisdom in Church Leadership
by David Gibson God always does it right the first time. Take, for example, church leadership. What church leaders are called in the New Testament What many people do not realize is that in the New Testament, there are at least three terms used synonymously: 1) pastors, 2) overseers (also called bishops), and 3) elders.…
Read MoreIs God a Narcissist?
by Richard Blackford I participate periodically in discussions on a website that atheists run. The accusation has been made frequently that God is a narcissist. He is depicted as a self-centered tyrant absorbed in himself who wants everyone groveling at His feet and needs constant attention. I believe this is a misunderstanding. Some fail to…
Read MoreIn Defense of a Jealous God
by Richard Blackford Several times, the Bible states that God is a jealous God. One of those is in the Ten Commandments: “Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image……Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:4-5). That conjures…
Read MoreMeme Makers Myth-informed
by Richard Blackford Meme makers are trying to discredit Jesus again. It’s difficult to find more falsehood in such a small space. This was making the rounds on social media during the holidays. One of the first things mentioned is Jesus’ “Birthday is celebrated on December 25th. ”But notice the title: “THE BIBLE. Not as…
Read MoreSin Is Always Wrong
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Sin-Is-Always-Wrong.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 28:13 I. Satan’s goal has been to lead God’s children away from him. A. So how do you accomplish this? How do you get people to do those things that are harmful to their souls? B. One way is to minimize the result of sin. To say it is not…
Read MoreEvolutionary Logic
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983
Read MoreThe Nature of the Church
by R. L. Whiteside via Gospel Advocate, December 3, 1942 From what reading I do, it seems to me that brethren are drifting away from a correct conception of what the church is. The church of God is the family of God, and all his children are in it. If one of his children wanders…
Read MoreDead Wood Among the Branches
by Jack Behle via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 The teacher tenure law in our state protects teachers against being dismissed arbitrarily after teaching in a district for five years. In fact, it is very difficult to fire a tenured teacher, no matter what the reason. The law was designed to…
Read MoreJacob and Esau
by David Lipscomb The treatment of Esau and Joseph was sinful. It was done in a wrong spirit and for a wicked purpose. Jacob and the brethren of Joseph all suffered intensely for the wrongs they did. Jacob suffered in the exile from his family and the fear and dread of meeting Esau, and the…
Read MoreThe Church in Two Senses of the Word
based on charts by Scott Mann via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 Universal Church The Relationship of Saints with God Members are enrolled in heaven (Hebrews 12:23; II Timothy 2:19) Consists of all saints, everywhere, living or dead (Ephesians 3:15; 5:27-29) Only the Lord adds to their number (Acts 2:47) Entrance…
Read MoreSpeaking in “Tongues”
by Jim Deason via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15, No. 1, January 2015 Anyone who has “surfed” the 666 channels on your cable network or has talked with your neighbor across your backyard fence has heard people claim the special and direct guidance of the Holy Spirit. Many of these people believe that the first evidence…
Read MoreDid the patriarchs know God by the name of YHWH?
Question: Did the patriarchs know the proper name of God as “YHWH”? Or did He reveal Himself only to Moses and the Israelites? Answer: The name YHWH first appears in Genesis 2:4, so the name YHWH has been known since creation. Abram called on the name of the LORD (YHWH). “The LORD appeared to Abram…
Read MoreHastening the Day of the Lord (Benton)
by Terry Wane Benton “Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” (II Peter 3:12) What manner of person should you be in godliness, as you are “looking for and hastening the coming of…
Read MoreIncreasingly Angry
by Zeke Flores An interesting thing happened at a grocery store one morning. I was at the customer service desk and saw a man complaining very loudly to a store manager about the rude service he thought he had gotten from one of the store clerks. While the manager did her best to be sympathetic…
Read MoreThe Little Things
by Doy Moyer People often seem prone to wanting big things out of life. If we are going to accomplish anything, we want it to be big, fancy, and impressive. Culturally, we tend to think in terms of big names, sports, and movie stars, or heroic action. Famous people get our attention. Consequently, we might…
Read MoreEveryone Who Had Something to Give Contributed
by Zeke Flores There’s an interesting incident in Exodus 35: Everyone with something to contribute to the Tabernacle gave what they had. Whether it was cloth, wood, stone, spices, oil, or gold, Scripture repeatedly says, “They brought it.” In fact, they brought so much that they had more than enough to do God’s work, and…
Read MoreIn Their Hearts
by David Gibson In his address to the Sanhedrin, Stephen said, “Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him [Moses], but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt…” (Acts 7:39 NASB). “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks…
Read MoreNot Every One Should Be Baptized
by Terry Wane Benton Babies should not be baptized. They haven’t sinned, don’t disbelieve or believe, don’t know what repentance is about, and can’t confess Jesus. Dunking such persons in water only gets them wet. Calling it baptism does not make it “in the name of the Lord” (Acts 2:38). The Ethiopian Eunuch asked Philip,…
Read MoreWhen does Matthew 5:28 apply?
Question: Hello, I have a few questions about porn and lust. Jesus says, “Whoever looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). What does that mean if I’m unmarried? Am I a fornicator at heart? I saw the next question on social media: Do those…
Read MoreIs it right to say God has mercy on some?
Question: Best regards, A few days ago, I came across this article, “Are We Condemning Those Who Never Heard the Gospel?” and I have been meditating on it. My observation and comment are not because I do not believe in the perfect righteousness of God, since I am a Christian, a member of the church…
Read MoreJesus and Common Courtesy
by Joshua Welch via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 At the age of sixteen, George Washington hand-copied a document titled 101 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior. The document’s author was not inspired, but his rules are worth a read or two or three. This is especially true when so many in…
Read MoreJesus Loves the Little Children
by Kent Heaton via Biblical Insight, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 There are many scenes in which Jesus Christ is the imminent teacher of multitudes, advisor to noblemen, powerful Creator calming a storm, or the great physician healing and raising the dead. His wrath and fury are felt with a whip of cords driving…
Read MoreOur Choices and God’s Choices
by David Gibson Notably, the Prodigal Son makes two choices, and his father makes two choices (Luke 15:11-32). Return of the prodigal son Luke 15:20-24 First, the son decides to leave home and travel to a far country. At this stage in the story, he is driven by his headstrong, pleasure-seeking mentality. In time, circumstances…
Read MoreThanks for your excellent website and resources
Question: This note is written to thank you for your excellent website and resources. Full disclosure: You would probably consider me a neo-conservative follower of inappropriate or sinful kinds of cooperation (although we have not supported anything like that in years) and the “Social Gospel.” I have a very solid professional background in counseling. My…
Read MoreWhat kind of body will wicked people have in the resurrection?
Question: What kind of resurrected body will have wicked people when our Lord returns? Answer: “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed…
Read MoreIs Azazel a spiritual being?
Question: In the Holy Bible, is Azazel a spiritual being? Why is an animal given to him, which bears people’s sins, instead of being given to God? I’m confused. Thanks. Answer: “Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his…
Read MoreWhy do I find out I made a stupid mistake after the fact?
Question: I would like to ask for guidance, wisdom, and understanding. I have been a Christian for almost a year. Neither my mother nor my father are people you would think of as Christians or churchgoers. My mother was hurt and made it a point to estrange me from my family at a young age.…
Read MoreBut the Greatest of These Is Love
by Aaron Erhardt via Biblical Insight, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 Napoleon once declared, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself have founded empires, but upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love: and to this very day millions would die for Him.” Indeed, the “empire”…
Read MoreThe Triune Nature of God: God’s Divine Nature in Creation
by Ethan Longhenry via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 In Romans 1:18-20 Paul makes an important argument: everyone has been given a sufficient understanding of who God is based within His creation. We recognize how God’s eternal power is evident in the creation: from the fixed properties of the universe that facilitate…
Read MorePrayer and Fasting
by Edward Smith How many Christians do you know who practice fasting for religious reasons? The people who have a conviction to fast are often the very ones who also have a conviction not to do it to be seen by men – so their fasting goes unnoticed (Matthew 6:16-18). The perception, sadly, is that…
Read MoreSpiritual Israel
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Spiritual-Israel.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Galatians 6:12-18 I. I ran across someone claiming that there is no spiritual Israel, that all references to Israel are to the physical nation. A. From this position, he claimed that the kingdom was postponed because of Israel’s unbelief. B. He claims that physical Israel doesn’t exist today but…
Read MoreDid 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…
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