Can Pets Become Idols?
by Terry Wane Benton I think we can see an unhealthy attachment to anything becomes a form of idolatry, the same as covetousness for money becomes a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5). When our love for animals gets in the way of doing what God says, it can become a form of idolatry. We hear…
Read MoreThe Judge Is Standing at the Door
by Terry Wane Benton “Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door” (James 5:9). Don’t forget that the Judge is not off in some distant land attending to more important matters than our words and attitudes. He is standing…
Read MoreMy sister is too tired to attend worship
Question: Hello Minister, My question is, what should I do about my younger sister, who came to me in private about her walk? She is a young single mother who is getting by in life. She works all the time and is very tired on Sunday mornings. She only goes to church once every couple…
Read MoreDoes Love Sanctify?
by Adam Litmer The following question was submitted for consideration. “I was recently in a conversation where someone claimed that genuine love sanctifies homosexual relationships. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that in the moment. Would you mind offering some thoughts?” I’m happy to offer a few thoughts. The statement about genuine love “sanctifying”…
Read MoreThe Church: God’s Protection
The Church: God’s Protection (Part 1)The Church: God’s Protection (Part 2) by Garry Floyd
Read MoreReasons for Being a Member of the Church
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Reasons-for-Being-a-Member-of-the-Church.mp3 Download Audio by Garry Floyd
Read MoreGod’s Mercy
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Gods-Mercy.mp3 Download Audio by Austin Hausner
Read MoreWhat does Calebite refer to?
Question: Could the term ‘Calebite’ in I Samuel 25, which refers to Nabal, refer to those descended from the Caleb in Joshua? Answer: “Now the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and…
Read MoreWhy aren’t the elders helping me to learn to preach?
Question: I hope this email finds you doing well. I have a question. I finally got to preach and teach for a month in another congregation. I asked the elders in my church to attend one day and give me pointers. One finally attended, but all the elders said that they should or would not…
Read MoreWhat about affirmations?
Question: Hello Minister, I hope you are well! My question is about saying “I am” affirmations. I know that many people in the new age spirituality movement say a lot of affirmations regarding love, beauty, prosperity, etc. However, I am wondering if it is okay for us as Christians to say them as long as…
Read MoreIs there no proof of Christianity’s truth?
Question: My sister told me to grow up. She said, “I feel like I’m talking to a younger me,” and told me that I’d understand what she spoke of when I was older. What did she speak of? She denied Christ and said, “I am sure Christ made mistakes.” When I told her the reason…
Read MoreDoes the CIA Gateway Process interfere with Christianity?
Question: Does the CIA Gateway process interfere with Christianity? Answer: I had no idea what this was, so I glanced through a few sources. In 1983, Wayne M. McDonnell, a Lieutenant Cornel in the U.S. Army, gave the CIA a paper claiming to have a procedure “to help people access the intuitive knowledge of the…
Read MoreJamaica Patois Wisdom – Help
by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…
Read MoreDo you tell others about your sins they know nothing about?
Question: Hello! I have a question, and it’s kind of been bothering me for a while. When the Bible mentions Matthew 5:23-24, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your…
Read MoreThis Will Turn Out
by Terry Wane Benton “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:19). He had a mob of angry Jews trying to kill him in Jerusalem and in route to Caesarea, was kept in prison at Caesarea for two…
Read MoreIs my boyfriend using me because he doesn’t want to get married?
Question: Good Evening! My boyfriend and I have been in a relationship for four years now. I have visited this other church, and they told me I should leave my fiancé because he doesn’t want to marry and is just using me. I love him so much, and he has told me so many times.…
Read MoreHow do I deal with a person with strange beliefs?
Question: I had a conversation with a person of interesting beliefs. Their beliefs were: The Holy Spirit gave us the name “God” to comprehend him. Aliens and other life forms have different religions, like having a different Christ, as we have. The Holy Spirit didn’t mean everything literally, like in Genesis. I go with whatever…
Read MoreWhen am I acting as the Judge?
Question: Hello Brother, I hope you’re doing well by God’s grace. Thank you so much for your time. Please, I have a question. On one of the web pages of a church of Christ, the question is asked, “Are my parents lost because they did not practice the things you teach?” The answer given by the writer…
Read MoreShould VBS material be used that help support Baptist Missions?
Question: The elders at the church where I worship are asking us to do something that I have never been asked to do in the church. They have bought Southern Baptist VBS material. The proceeds from the sale of this material go to Baptist missionary work. Please give me some direction on how to approach…
Read MoreAm I wrong to associate with someone who steals?
Question: I have some friends who live in a senior retirement home. I met one of them about a year ago and was introduced to some more of his friends. I also live in the same retirement home. I am the only one who is a member of the church of Christ. Hearing them talk, I…
Read MoreAre Translations Authorized?
by Doy Moyer Perhaps this seems like an odd question, but it is good to think about this. Since most people are not going to learn Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the only way they are going to hear God’s word at all will be through translations. But how do we show that translations can still…
Read MoreAre fellowship halls optional?
Question: Good morning, brother Jeffrey: I have had several discussions with an elder of a church of Christ. First, the issue of fellowship halls. I sent him the article entitled “Kitchens and Fellowship Halls, What Was the Issue?” His response was because the early church met in homes for worship and fellowship, there was a…
Read MoreLiteral or Dynamic Translations
by Doy Moyer It should go without saying that we want to have accurate Scripture translations. For many, that means wanting a “word for word” (aka literal) translation instead of a more “thought for thought” (aka dynamic) translation. While some translations get closer to doing that than others (e.g., NASB vs NIV), the truth is…
Read MoreAre Preachers Ministers?
by Terry Wane Benton Yes! They are not the only ministers in the church, but they minister in a certain way; they serve in teaching and edifying the church’s role. They minister the gospel to the lost and the saved. That is a certain way of ministering, but the average church member is a minister…
Read MoreThe King James Translators’ Thoughts on Bible Translations
by Doy Moyer I recommend reading the translators’ preface to the King James Version of 1611. It’s easily found online, and some older King James Bibles may contain it. It helps provide some context when trying to see the value in various translations. People today make claims about KJV that the translators did not make.…
Read MoreDo Newer Translations Leave Out Verses?
A meme has been passed around a good bit, usually with a warning that these newer versions, like the NIV, have removed certain phrases and verses. This is quite misleading and does not comport with how translations work and why certain phrases and passages are “missing.” The truth is, one could just as well argue…
Read MoreLaw of God and Law of Moses: Are They the Same?
by Terry Wane Benton Seventh-Day Adventists have long made the claim that the “law of God” is the moral and permanently binding “Ten Commandments” that were kept inside the ark of the covenant, while claiming that the “law of Moses” was different. They claim it was “ceremonial” law and placed “in the side of the…
Read MoreIf I don’t see it as sexual in any way, is it a sin?
Question: Hello. I have a few questions about things that I have committed with my partner. I am Catholic. He and I had sex, and now, officially, I failed to complete one of the commandments. Now, along the way, we have done some things like blow jobs and everything. My first question is if my…
Read MoreDon’t Be a Peninnah
by Terry Wane Benton Peninnah provoked Hannah severely to “make her miserable” (1 Sam.1:6). If you don’t have anything better in life to do than to make someone miserable, you have made yourself pretty worthless. The story shows a serious flaw in the arrangement of polygamy, but it also shows a flaw in personal character.…
Read MoreWe were pleased to visit your congregation
Question: Yesterday, we visited your church, and we were so pleased we did! The Bible study was informative and thought-provoking. We definitely enjoyed all the fresh perspectives voiced during the discussion! The members are so genuinely friendly and welcoming. We loved the acapella songs. I found your church while doing some research online. I have…
Read MoreIf Baptism Was a Work
by Terry Wane Benton The claim is made that baptism cannot be part of the salvation process (the process from lost sinner to saved and justified in Christ) because it is claimed that “baptism is a work” and “we are saved through faith and not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, this claim is very faulty…
Read MoreReceiving the Grace of God in Vain
by Terry Wane Benton Have you thought about the fact that you could have received the grace of God in vain? That is a very real possibility. How can we receive it in vain? “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (II…
Read MoreDo I go to Bible study and worship?
Question: Good morning, sir, I am writing from Nigeria in Western Africa. One day, in the village where I visited a brother, the King sent his town crier (messenger) to announce that the weekend would be used to perform some ritual rites from Saturday morning to Sunday night. They warned that no human must be…
Read MoreMy parents think it is OK to have sex outside of marriage if you are in love
Question: What should I do about my parents if they won’t admit that they sinned by having sex outside of marriage? I consistently tell them that what they did was wrong, but they just admit it reluctantly. My Dad also told me that he thinks that God said that because he and my Mom were…
Read MoreI think one of your tags was misspelled
Question: Hello, I found your church’s website via my Google search for “responsive reading of scripture in the early church.” I found several articles, mostly answers to questions where the responses were based on scripture and the writings of early church fathers, as well as written observations from early-century historians. I have been approached directly…
Read MoreJesus, Our Mediator and Intercessor
by Doy Moyer When we consider what Jesus does for us as His people, two terms are used to help us understand why it is so important to trust Him. Scripture teaches that Jesus is both our Mediator and our Intercessor. Let’s consider these terms. Jesus Is Our Mediator “For there is one God, and…
Read MoreDoes God honor all marriages?
Question: Good morning, I would like to know if God honors all marriages. I was recently in a study and they brought up Hebrews 13:4. I was told this verse God applies to Christians who are in the church. God does not honor marriages outside of Christ. For example, if I am a Baptist and…
Read MoreShould a couple marry because they will be having a child?
Question: Hello, What do you think about a couple who have been dating for five months, argue often for various reasons, and she gets pregnant? The guy is not sure she could be a good wife because he doesn’t like things about her. Do you think they should get married just because they’re having a…
Read MoreIf We Taught More About Grace
by Terry Wane Benton If we taught more about grace, we would teach people to deny ungodliness and worldly lust. Paul told Titus that the grace of God had already appeared to all men. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). Now, what does grace teaching look…
Read MoreHow Do I Choose a Church?
by Johnny O. Trail One radio station in Nashville does nothing but talk radio. As an avid talk radio listener, I am always interested in the questions and comments of those who call in. On one show, the host deals exclusively with emails that listeners have sent in. The other day, one that caught my…
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