Notes on Finances
Proverbs 11:28 Proverbs 13:11 Ecclesiastes 5:10 Matthew 6:31-33
Read MoreNotes on Doubts
Psalms 14 Psalms 46:1-3 Proverbs 3:5-6 Isaiah 26:3 Romans 10:17
Read MoreNotes on Discouragement
Isaiah 40:31 Matthew 11:28-30 Philippians 4:13
Read MoreNotes on Disappointment
Psalms 34:18 Psalms 41:9 Proverbs 10:1 Isaiah 40:28-31 Jeremiah 29:11 Jonah 4:1-3 Matthew 8:23-26 Matthew 14:28-31 Matthew 16:5-11 Luke 22:59-62 Romans 8:28 Romans 8:38-39
Read MoreNotes on Depression
Psalms 27:5 Psalms 42:11 Lamentations 3:22-23
Read MoreNotes on Betrayal
Psalms 27:10 Matthew 26:47-50 I Peter 2:21-23
Read MoreNotes on Grief
Psalms 34:18 Psalms 42:11 Psalms 147:3 Matthew 5:4 John 16:22 Romans 8:38-39 James 1:2-4
Read MoreIs it proper for a Christian to be sexy?
Question: Is it okay for a Christian to be sexy (both male and female)? How do you define the word “sexy”? Answer: The Oxford Dictionary defines “sexy” as “sexually attractive or exciting” when applied to others or “sexually aroused” when applied to yourself. Therefore, by definition, “sexy” is referring to sexual lust. “Likewise, I want…
Read MoreCan an elder step down from the position?
Question: A thing of concern is that elders are not allowed to step down from their positions. The only time an elder can step down is when his wife passes away. What if the elder and his family relocate to a different area or country, or when that elder goes to preach the gospel in…
Read MoreOn the First Day of the Week
by Terry Wane Benton Acts 20:7 lets us know when the disciples of Jesus came together to break bread. It was the first day of the week. Paul had been there almost a week waiting to get with the brethren. On the first day of the week, the disciples came together to take the bread…
Read MoreAre elders called by God?
Question: Hello Brother, I hope you are well. I am a member of the Lord’s church. I have a question: Are Elders called by God to serve as Elders? If so, why did God give us the qualifications in scripture? I don’t believe this is true, but some congregations teach this in their pulpits. I…
Read MoreAm I appropriately spending time with God?
Question: Good day, sir! I have a question about whether I am appropriately spending time with God. Every morning, I set my alarm to 5 a.m. to wake up and spend time with God before doing anything else. I wake up, turn off my alarm, turn my phone over to avoid being distracted, grab a…
Read MoreCults
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cults.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Timothy 3:1-9 I. Cults periodically make the news. A. It is unfortunate that gullible people exist, willing to believe anything that will bring them contentment within themselves. Some people are willing to suspend all reason to have some hope. 1. John 8:44 – Satan leads many away with…
Read MoreDo I leave my alcoholic husband?
Question: Hello, I have been reading and following your website for several years and found it very helpful and edifying. I am writing to you for some scriptural guidance on my marriage. I have been married to my husband for many years. I am a member of the church, but he is not. As with…
Read MoreI think I might have read something inappropriate in church
Question: Back a few months ago, I think I read something sexual while in church, maybe a fanfic? I don’t really quite remember. I don’t know if I continued reading it or not. The memory has been completely wiped off my head. I don’t know if I read it at church or if I even…
Read MoreWe took a break in our relationship, but I don’t know if I want to get back together
Question: Dear Mr Hamilton, I hope this finds you well. I read an article from your website titled “Can a couple who committed fornication manage to have a good marriage?” It was wonderful and answered many of my questions because my scenario is similar to the one narrated in the article. The difference is in…
Read MoreJeremiah’s Ending Doesn’t Fit
by Perry Hall If you read the ending of Jeremiah, it doesn’t fit. The actual ending should be Jeremiah 52:30, which fittingly records how many Jews were taken into captivity. That verse completes a beginning where Jeremiah is called to prophesy the coming doom and closes a section describing Nebuchadezzar’s conquering, destruction, exportation, and vicarious…
Read MoreEternal Life
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus is the truth, and Jesus affirms that eternal life is real and the most special thing any of us could have in our possession. However, notice that it is not merely about possessing and claiming to believe the scriptures. The Jews possessed the scriptures of the Old Testament and claimed…
Read MoreDo I have enough faith?
Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, I am writing to you because I have been researching OCD a lot, and I see that you address a lot of OCD-related issues. I know I have OCD, although I have never been formally diagnosed. I deal with unwanted thoughts, thoughts I feel like I want, urges, sensations, and feelings,…
Read MoreThings Foretold
by Terry Wane Benton Peter drove a point home to the Jews who did not believe in Jesus but gave lip service to believing their scriptures. It is impossible for them to actually believe the Old Testament scriptures, the scriptures the Jews claimed to believe because the Old Testament scriptures are “those things which God…
Read MoreHow Old Is the Earth?
by Perry Hall A recent conversation with an atheist who was honest enough to admit a point I had made was from a perspective she hadn’t heard before. May we all be as honest! The information below is more than what I discussed with the young lady: In doing campus evangelism, I asked a young…
Read MorePreaching to Be Paid or Being Paid So You Can Preach?
by Perry Hall Men should not preach to get paid; men should be paid so they can preach. There is a fundamental difference in that statement: If someone preaches to get paid, the emphasis is on the preacher wanting to receive money from the congregation for the time that he preached. If someone is paid…
Read MoreCan my father lay a curse on me?
Question: Good evening, sir, I have a question. I have obeyed my father, which is my responsibility as his son. He usually cared for the house, providing everything when my mum was alive. Now that my mum is dead, he no longer takes care of the family; two 17-year-old children are now far away from the…
Read MoreSince baptism is a burial, shouldn’t everything be under simultaneously?
Question: Dear Minister, I was recently baptized. The water was not very deep, but the baptizer said it was deep enough. It was deep enough to be immersed in, but still shallow enough to be risky to have part of the body not fully immersed at the same time. The photo of my baptism shows…
Read MoreJesus, the Rock
by Doy Moyer Rocks play an important role in Scripture. For example, when the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, God cared for their thirst by providing water from a rock (Exodus 17:1-7). Though they had tested God’s presence, God provided and demonstrated He was there. On the mountain, Moses asked to see God’s…
Read MoreIt Lives and Abides Forever
by Terry Wane Benton Some people who never read the Bible form a view of it anyway. They were told that the Bible is out of date, not up with modern culture, has lost its relevance to our times, and is just a mixture of myths and fables anyway. They did not get that view…
Read MoreSeeking a Church
by Jefferson David Tant So, you are moving to a new town, and you have various decisions to make. Where is a nice neighborhood? Are there any houses there that I can afford? Where is the nearest shopping center? How close to my job do I want to live? Is the traffic bad on the…
Read MoreShame on you for telling a man to leave his woman!
Question: Shame on you for telling a man to leave his woman and that he has no responsibility to her. Have you no knowledge of grace and forgiveness? We all sin and have consequences for God to judge and decide. God also forgives those who ask. It sounds like they understand what they did. Who…
Read MoreYou Legalist!
by Dave Hart “You…you… legalist!!” I remember the first time I was called a legalist. It was not a compliment. The response was given after I had shown what the Bible commands on a particular subject. The exact words were, “I think it’s sad that you’re such a legalist.” Since then, there have been many…
Read MoreHow can I listen better during a long prayer?
Question: Hello Jeffrey, I hope you’re doing well by the grace of God. I need your help with a challenge I face during worship. I find it hard to focus when someone called to lead the congregation in prayer gives a relatively long prayer. Can you please share any helpful tips you know that can help…
Read MoreBroken Jars, Broken Lives
by Zeke Flores Jeremiah had been to the potter’s house. In Jeremiah 18, he saw the craftsmanship the potter exercised in creating and then reshaping his work. I’m sure he saw the pleasure in the artisan’s face as the vessel took the shape he intended. In chapter 19, the persecuted prophet is told to buy…
Read MorePlease continue your work
Question: My Dear Beloved Brother, I give greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am from India. Your site provides good sermons and gives me more information. I am learning and also teaching in our congregation. The information you provide is very useful in our spiritual life.…
Read MoreDo I tell my husband that I had an affair before we married?
Question: Hi, and good day, I don’t know if you can read this email or answer it, but I still want to confess my sins to someone. I stumbled upon your post online about adultery and fornication. Here is my story and question: I have been a woman who believes in Jesus Christ ever since I…
Read MoreThe Purpose of the Church
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/The-Purpose-of-the-Church.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 3:14-16 I. Have you paused to consider why the church exists? A. It appears to me that many of the problems faced by congregations stem from a lack of understanding the purpose of the church B. I looked at material from various denominations. 1. One, after getting a…
Read MoreHow should a church handle a significant event?
Question: Greetings Brother Hamilton, I trust your worship service went well today. Please, I need your guidance on these matters: What can the church do when someone in the church dies? How should the church go about it? I need a procedure. In other words, how can the church take responsibility? Child Birth: How can…
Read MoreNames for God’s People
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Names-for-Gods-People.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 62:1-5 I. Names hold a particular significance in the Bible A. When a child is born in this country, parents agonize on picking out just the right name. 1. Often the name is selected because it has a nice “ring” to it 2. Because a favorite relative has the…
Read MoreI don’t think I’m ready to get married
Question: Good afternoon, sir, I have a question. Please help me. I have a girlfriend I dated for three years, and she wants me to marry her. Honestly, I love her, but I have not yet reached the decision to marry her. Somehow, I feel like I am being pushed by her into marriage because…
Read MoreShould I marry this woman?
Question: Hi, I’m a male in my late twenties. I’ve been dating my girlfriend, who is a few years older, for several years. It’s been rocky because we didn’t have God as the center of our relationship until the last few months. To make a super long story a lot shorter, there have been many…
Read MoreThe Self Examination Required During the Lord’s Supper
by Terry Wane Benton “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For…
Read MoreJesus, the Bridegroom
by Doy Moyer God created Adam and Eve to be husband and wife, cleaving to each other in faithfulness (Genesis 2:24). Here is the beginning of marriage, but marriage was not meant to be an end in itself. Marriage is intended to point to something even greater: God and His people in a covenant relationship…
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