The Way to Live
by Fanning Yater Tant (1908-1997) (The following is from a notebook of my father when he was a student at David Lipscomb College, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1927. He was 18 years old at the time.) The finest thing that a man can give to this old world as he journeys through, Is to live each…
Read MoreHow do you deal with a fear of missing out?
Question: Dear sir, I trust this email finds you well. I’m writing to seek more knowledge. Are there biblical passages that speak of the fear of missing out? As humans and most especially Gen Z, we often bow to peer pressure and the fear of missing out on godly things. Is there any biblical passage…
Read MoreGod Wants Me to Be Happy (Flores)
by Zeke Flores “God wants me to be happy!” How many times have you heard that from someone? How often might you have said it yourself? Interestingly, the Bible says nothing like that. It does say that God wants you to be holy (I Peter 1:14-16), which is much deeper and far more significant than…
Read MoreA Father’s Helpful Words to His Son
by Gregory Roark “Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: ‘I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes,…
Read MoreSome Thoughts About Dad’s Day
by Max Dawson A man’s first priority should be to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). The meaning of that text is to let God reign in your life. Set Him as king in your heart. Seek His plan for making you the righteous person He wants you to be.…
Read MoreWhat Is Being Neglected or Forsaken?
by Adam Litmer The following question was recently asked: “What specifically is meant in Hebrews 10:25 by ‘neglecting’ or ‘forsaking’? Is it inferring a requirement of attendance, or is it addressing an attitude towards worship? If it is a requirement, wouldn’t that infer all opportunities (Wednesday night, etc.) set up by local elders or congregation?”…
Read MoreBelieving the Best About Other Christians
by Matthew W. Bassford I’ve stayed out of the online debate about how churches should respond to the coronavirus and whether churches that assemble are more righteous than churches that don’t (or vice versa). As far as I am concerned, this is a marvelous opportunity to honor the great Scriptural principle of congregational autonomy. If…
Read MorePut Jesus on Trial
by Perry Hall When talking with atheists, I like to tell them to put Jesus on trial. How do we do this? Practical: Examine Jesus’s Teachings: What do you think of Jesus’s teachings? Are Jesus’s teachings indicative of a wise man, a conniver, or a lunatic? How do Jesus’s teachings compare to others? Is Jesus…
Read MoreShould the Elders know what each person gives?
Question: We have three elders at our local congregation, and one of them handles the banking, pays the bills, etc. Is it wrong for the other two elders to want to know more about the congregation’s financial situation and individual members’ contributions? We are expected to give of our means or first fruits. I’m not…
Read MoreDid the Catholic Church edit Matthew 28:19?
Question: What baptismal proclamation was used in your baptism? Probably you were baptized, “In the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Do you know that this Baptismal Proclamation is not the original text commanded by Jesus Christ as in Matthew 28:19? The Roman Catholic Church has edited and replaced…
Read MoreIs vaping wrong?
Question: Hello minister, My question concerns non-nicotine herbal diffuser smoking pens and an e vitamin bar smoking pens. If these pens (typically used to wane people off of smoking) are without harsh toxic chemicals or don’t contain marijuana, are they safe to smoke? Answer: E-cigarettes or vaping pens are typically used to vaporize nicotine (the…
Read MoreAd Hominem Arguments
by Doy Moyer One of the most common logical fallacies is the ad hominem. It occurs when a person attacks the character of another rather than addressing the argument. There are many ways this happens, but one that I have seen several times is in questioning the honesty of one who differs. You don’t agree…
Read MoreWrong Concepts of the Church
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Wrong-Concepts-of-the-Church.mp3 Download Audio by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreThe Importance of Fathers
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/The-Importance-of-Fathers.mp3 Download Audio by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreFather’s Day
by Ray Warfel, Jr. Today is Father’s Day, so naturally, I’ll start by mentioning Mother’s Day. Last month, on Mother’s Day, in my Sunday sermon, I highlighted various moms. Moms from long ago, moms who are a blessing, moms who never had children, moms to children who are not their own, and moms who were…
Read MoreWhen the Guests are Drunk?
by Terry Wane Benton Does John 2:10 say and mean “when the guests are drunk” as the NET so renders, or does the verse have a different connotation? My Interlinear renders this “have well drunk,” which is a far different meaning than “are drunk.” The interlinear rendering means only that they had a lot of…
Read MoreIt annoys me that people act differently when they find out I’m a preacher
Question: Sorry to bother you, but I have a question for you. Sometimes, when people want to talk to me and find out that I am a minister or preacher, I realize that almost all of them say basically the same thing: “You know, I go to church too,” “You know, I am thinking of…
Read MoreThank you for the insight your website brings
Question: Hi Jeff, I have been teaching a course on the prison epistles in a Bible college to student preachers and leaders. I am emphasizing the need for the church of Christ to focus on its core purpose, which is the proclamation of the manifold wisdom of God to the powers and authorities in the…
Read MoreJesus, the Great Redeemer
by Doy Moyer To be redeemed is to be set free from an oppressive circumstance, generally by payment of a ransom price. Scripture tells a story of redemption, where people are set free from sin, purchased by the blood of Christ, and made again into a new creation fit for God’s service. Many passages claim…
Read MoreJust What Exactly Are the Standards?
by Terry Wane Benton I got a notice from the powers that be that I would not be able to do anything for one hour because I did something (like publish a good post with biblical and godly standards) that did not comport with their “community standards.” They didn’t say exactly what I did wrong,…
Read MoreA Living Hope
by Terry Wane Benton What is a “living hope?” Peter says we have this living hope “through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead” (I Peter 1:3). Thus, the resurrection of Jesus forms the basis of hope. When Jesus returned from the grave, it brought a dead hope to life and made it a “living”…
Read MoreCan 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…
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