Treating Vulnerable Workers Fairly
by Zeke Flores “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy” (Deuteronomy 24:14). This command addresses economic vulnerability. Israel was expected to treat workers fairly, especially those who had little leverage. Oppression wasn’t always loud; sometimes it was delayed wages, unfair treatment, or exploiting someone’s situation. Moses is teaching that righteousness…
Read MoreTurn Away from Them
by Bill Robinson Understanding Paul’s Command The sharpest warning Paul ever wrote sits in the middle of a thank-you list. Romans 16 is the warmest chapter he ever put on paper. He names close to thirty people. Phoebe, who carried the letter. Prisca and Aquila, who risked their necks for him. Mary, who worked hard.…
Read MoreHow do I avoid problems with a sudden increase in income?
Question: Hello Brother Jeff, Your work on the La Vista site continues to be a blessing. God has blessed me with a new job that will just about double my income. I’m wondering, in your experience as a preacher and elder, if you’ve seen people go wrong spiritually with such a big income change, and…
Read MoreWhy is God allowing me to endure this?
Question: Dear Pastor, I hope you are doing well. I am suffering from an illness and feel utterly exhausted; I have lost all hope for life. I often ask God why I have to go through this and why things aren’t happening the way I want them to. I simply do not understand why God…
Read MoreWhat do I tell someone who desires to date a weak Christian?
Question: Hi Mr. Jeff, I emailed you several years ago. I wonder if you still answer emails. A lot has happened in my walk as a Christian, and I am very thankful that I’ve seen Christ’s faithfulness more and more. May He be glorified in everything and in all things. I want to ask a…
Read MoreAre Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7 referring to the same event?
Question: “This generation” in Matthew 24 makes it clear that the signs were not about the end of the world. But the phrase “all tribes on the earth shall mourn” is hard to understand. The phrase was used in Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:30. If it meant the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew, then it must also…
Read MoreYour Camp Must Be Holy
by Zeke Flores “Since Yahweh your God walks in the midst of your camp … your camp must be holy” (Deuteronomy 23:13). Israel’s camp wasn’t just a living space; God was there too. That meant their environment needed to reflect order, respect, and intentionality. Holiness wasn’t abstract; it affected daily life. Moses is teaching Israel…
Read MoreIdolatry and Corinth
by Hugh DeLong The city of Corinth was a beehive of religious ideas and practices. This included the traditional Greek gods, the Roman gods and civic religion, the worship of the Emperor and imperial family, and the many differing religious practices brought by travelers and immigrants. As a result, there were many temples, shrines, altars,…
Read MoreJehovah’s Witnesses Beliefs
by Jefferson David Tant Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe Jesus Is Michael the Archangel. The Bible teaches that God has never said to any of his angels, “You Are My Son… today have I begotten Thee.” The Bible teaches that Jesus is not an angel. Hebrews 1:5 and 2:5 state, “For to which of the angels did…
Read MoreWho Is Responsible?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Who-Is-Responsible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Galatians 6:1-10 I. One of the issues that has divided brethren is that of doing good. A. The question is who is responsible? B. One side argues that it doesn’t matter, so long as the good is done. The other side argues that you cannot give away a responsibility…
Read MoreWhat Can Youth Do?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2003/10/What-Can-Youth-Do.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: I Timothy 4:6-16 I. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the Lord’s work is done entirely by grownups A. Sure, the boys help with the scripture reading and wait on the Lord’s Table. B. But what is there really for a person to do…
Read MoreDid God command worship in the Temple every Sabbath?
Question: Was worship in the temple on every Sabbath day each week a tradition that got started somewhere along the way? I ask because I can’t find anywhere in Scripture that God established weekly worship on Saturday. The sabbath was simply a day of rest. Thank you. Answer: “Speak to the sons of Israel and say…
Read MoreDoes Acts 2:42 show that only Christians may partake of the Lord’s Supper?
Question: In the discussion “Should congregations practice closed communion?” you say that “No passage indicates that the Lord’s Supper must only be offered to Christians. It only has meaning for Christians, but we don’t add rules God didn’t give. If a non-Christian wishes to partake of the Lord’s Supper, it doesn’t change his status before…
Read MoreWas helping the tribe of Benjamin find wives wrong?
Question: I just finished the Book of Judges, and I have a question: Was helping Benjamin by sending wives to the remaining men wrong? Answer: During the days of the Judges, the tribe of Benjamin allowed homosexuality to exist within their borders. This upset the rest of Israel so greatly that they attacked Benjamin and…
Read MoreYou Are Only Young Once
by Jefferson David Tant Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it? I’ve never heard of anyone going through their youth twice. So, what are the implications? What is the importance of this fact? The reality is that in our young years, we set the course for our lives. We start on the course we will follow for…
Read MoreIs it wrong to partake of the Lord’s Supper when you can’t attend services at a church?
Question: A discussion recently came up along the lines of Brother Eubanks’ article on the Lord’s Supper. I agree that one should not purposefully forsake the assembly and take the Lord’s Supper at home or elsewhere when a congregation is available. We have met in small groups during ice storms or flooding when the congregation could…
Read MoreIs it wrong to attend football games where alcohol is served?
Question: I have a question about whether I should give up on something. Over the last 20 years or so, I’ve gone to college football games about once a year. A lot of nonsense takes place at those events (I’m sure you know). My primary concern has become all the alcohol consumption that is taking…
Read MoreLove Your Enemies
by Gary McDade The gentle Savior pled with the human family to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27). And in this, His teaching was, and still is, revolutionary today. Revolutionary: “involving or causing a complete or dramatic change.” Emerging from Old Testament teaching was the concept of being saved from your enemies, or delivered…
Read MoreHis Winnowing Fan Is in His Hand
by Terry Wane Benton Daily Points of Light from Heaven “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand,…
Read MoreAn Ancient Heresy Is Back
by Dr. Thaxter Dickey via InLight Media Some of today’s most popular spiritual ideas are actually just ancient ideas wearing new clothes. In this video, we explore the connection between ancient Gnosticism and modern spirituality—and why the New Testament warns Christians about ideas that elevate private spiritual experience, secret knowledge, intuition, and inner enlightenment above Scripture,…
Read MoreBy Degrees
by David Gibson When I started working in the college cafeteria, two things bothered me: the heat of the freshly washed dishes I stacked, and the high-decibel noise of the kitchen. Soon my hands adjusted to the heat, and my ears to the racket. I got used to it. Getting used to evil? As our…
Read MoreBring the Books
by Edwin Crozier Text: II Timothy 4 Paul concludes his letter with a series of requests connected with “Do your best to come to me soon.” Paul knows his time is limited, but he doesn’t know the exact day he will depart. “Come soon, Timothy,” Paul tells him, and he tells him about the other…
Read MoreI Hope to See You
by Warren E. Berkley Yes, I know. As I write and post this, I know mine is only one voice in a growing chorus. Still, putting these thoughts into words will help me—and perhaps encourage greater vigilance among those who read them. These concerns have deepened as I have studied and taught the book of…
Read MoreThe Danger of Overcorrecting
by Clay Gentry Imagine you’re driving down the highway and getting distracted for just a few seconds. Suddenly you hear and feel it – the noise of the rumble strip and the violent jolt as your right-side tires leave the asphalt. In that moment of sudden panic, human instinct takes over. You white-knuckle the wheel…
Read MoreFixing What Is Broken Around You
by Zeke Flores “So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh” (Deuteronomy 21:9). This verse comes from a section dealing with unsolved murder. Israel was responsible for maintaining justice even when the offender wasn’t known. The community had to take…
Read MorePeaceable Kingdom
by James W. Adams via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 3, September 1996 [The following article was recently written by an 81-year-old gospel preacher who has observed what others of us are observing. The Lord’s body is being destroyed by zealots who have no love for the truth or their brethren. Nothing in this article asks…
Read MoreThe New Denominationalism
by Kenny Chumbley via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 3, September 1996 Apostasy is an ever-present threat to God’s people. The Spirit explicitly warned that some would depart from the faith (I Timothy 4:1). In his second letter to Timothy, Paul showed that apostasy elevates the things of man over the things of God (II Timothy…
Read MoreDo the Work of an Evangelist
by Edwin Crozier Timothy’s job is to preach the word. However, he needs to be prepared for folks not to listen. No doubt, there will always be the faithful. But Paul has already told him the difficult times are coming. Clearly, if there will be people who have the appearance of godliness but deny its…
Read MoreLove His Appearing
by Edwin Crozier This final push in II Timothy 4 comes because Paul knows this imprisonment will be his last. The time has come for him to give his life for his King. He faces it with dignity and honor. He’s fought the fight, finished the race, kept the faith. He knows His King will…
Read MoreMarriage Again and Again
by Hugh DeLong Clear back in the first century, people had marriage problems. Actually, from the beginning of humanity! My wife and I have been watching more British TV shows, and it seems like everyone is in an unhappy marriage. They are unhappy being married to the person they were head-over-heels in love with, the…
Read MoreGod Is with You
by Zeke Flores “Do not be afraid of them, for Yahweh your God is with you” (Deuteronomy 20:1). Deuteronomy 20 addresses warfare, but its principle appears in Deuteronomy 20:1. Israel faced real enemies, not theoretical ones. Fear was a natural response, but Moses tells them to evaluate the situation differently. Their confidence wasn’t based on…
Read MoreComplete in Christ
by Terry Wane Benton Daily Points of Light from Heaven A denominational preacher wrote: “Paul says: ‘And ye are complete in him…’ (Colossians 2:10). Think about that. Complete. Not almost complete. Not complete after water baptism. Complete in Christ.” His argument is flawed. We are complete in Christ, no doubt, but how do we get…
Read MoreA Call for Concern
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol 22 No. 3, September 1996 “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how…
Read MoreHe Who Has Ears, Let Him Hear!
by Sid Latham via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 Jesus uttered this proclamation on the heels of the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:9). It has been said to be an invitation to give special consideration to what has been said— to listen carefully and then respond. That is certainly true. However, this…
Read MoreWhat Is Lasciviousness?
by Wayne Jackson What is “lasciviousness,” as mentioned in Galatians 5:19? The Greek word behind the English term “lascivious” is aselgeia. It occurs nine times in the New Testament. Twice it is rendered as “wantonness” (Romans 13:13; II Peter 2:18), and once it appears as “filthy” (II Peter 2:7). The other six times it is…
Read MoreSlow-Paced Favors
by Mike Johnson via Seeking Things Above Proverbs 3:27-28 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you.” The…
Read MorePrecious Is the Death of a Saint
by Mike Johnson via Seeking Things Above Psalm 116:15 informs us, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” What does this mean? People think of death in many different ways. A loved one’s death is one of the greatest agonies people typically face in their lives. We think of…
Read MoreTrue Prophets
by Zeke Flores “I will put My words in his mouth” (Deuteronomy 18:18). Deuteronomy 18 introduces the promise of a prophet like Moses. Israel needed reliable guidance, not guesswork or superstition. This chapter contrasts true prophets with false ones. The difference isn’t style; it’s source. True prophets speak what God says while false prophets speak…
Read MoreReligion According to Man
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Religion-According-to-Man.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Galatians 1:6-10 I. What happens when man decides to worship God in his own way? A. We see among denominations thousands of varying beliefs, yet all claim to be worshiping God and using the Bible as their guide B. Some even abandon the Bible and use other books, such…
Read MoreThe Prodigal Daughter
by Rick Duggin vai Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 Though God wrote the Bible through human prophets, He wrote at least three times without human assistance. His finger carved the Law into stone on Mount Sinai (Exodus 31:18). The fingers of a man’s hand wrote judgment against Babylon on its palace wall (Daniel…
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