Forgive and Forget
by Luther Blackmon An old slave had defied his master’s order not to read the Bible and was being flogged for it. As the whip cut into his flesh, his owner taunted him with: “What can your Bible do for you now, boy?” “It can teach me to forgive master,” he replied. It is sometimes…
Read MoreThe Direction of This Country
by Andy Diestelkamp “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” [John Adams, October 11, 1798]. Are you concerned about the direction of this country? Then, be concerned about the direction of your family. Too many patriots are more concerned about their…
Read MoreJesus, the Great High Priest
by Doy Moyer When God brought Israel out of Egypt and established a covenant, He also established a priesthood through the levitical family of Aaron. Aaron and his sons were anointed and consecrated through sacrifice, with Aaron as the first High Priest. The tent of meeting was made so that God would meet with the…
Read MoreShould We Follow the Majority?
by Jefferson David Tant The title presents an interesting question. Following the majority is a common practice in our everyday lives. When elections are held, whether for the President of the United States or for our High School Student Body President, the “majority” always wins. In a presidential election, I may vote for the losing…
Read MoreLessons from Saul’s Conversion
by Terry Wane Benton Saul would become the saved apostle Paul, and his conversion from being totally against Jesus and his disciples to becoming a disciple of Jesus, from being a persecutor to being persecuted, is a remarkable account of what is involved in the process of conversion to Christ. Read Acts 9 and then…
Read MoreYou Make This People Trust in a Lie
by Terry Wane Benton Text: Jeremiah 28:15 Jeremiah confronted some popular teachers of his time and rebuked them for getting people to trust in lies. It has happened since the Garden of Eden that people trust in lies. There are plenty of preachers willing to give false assurances. Religious leaders can be bought, or they…
Read MoreDoes Foot Washing Indicate Acceptance?
by Doy Moyer Much has been made over the recent “He gets us” ads depicting various scenes of different kinds of people washing their feet and having their feet washed. The debate is over what this means. Is it a good illustration of what Jesus would do? Does it accurately convey who Jesus is or…
Read MoreWasn’t Babel the city of Eridu
Question: Hi there. I used to be a member of the Church and a devout Christian. I recently found something on your website that deeply disappointed me. I am specifically referring to the following answer you gave to “Where is the Tower of Babel?” In that answer, you state that Babel is most likely Babylon,…
Read MoreReading Past John 3:16
by Perry Hall Do we sometimes miss a powerful point because we stop reading? John 3:16 is so well-known that people stop reading. What happens if we keep reading? Notice these contrasts: “For God loved the world” (John 3:16) vs. “People loved the darkness” (John 3:19). “He gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16)…
Read MoreJesus Believed in Necessary Inferences
by Terry Wane Benton He said, “Moses wrote about Me” (John 5:46). Still, since Moses never used the name “Jesus,” it would have to be a necessary implication of Moses and a necessary inference on our end to conclude that Moses wrote about Jesus. The evidence of reason is strong; in fact, it is as…
Read MoreIndependent Thinking versus Presumptuous Thinking
by Gardner Hall Independent thinking about the Scriptures is good! The Jews in Berea weren’t satisfied with blindly accepting traditional Jewish interpretations of Scripture. Still, they listened to Paul with an open mind, searching the scriptures daily to see if his teaching was true. Those who are presumptuous in their thinking often assume the label…
Read MoreA Tender Heart
A Tender Heart (Part 1)A Tender Heart (Part 2) by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 22:14-20 I. The heart of Josiah A. Those were dark days in the kingdom. For 55 years his grandfather had harshly ruled over Judah – a reign of evil and terror – II Kings 21:1-2, 6 1. So terrible were his…
Read MoreAlexander the (not-so) Great
by Jefferson David Tant If you have ever studied world history, you have probably become acquainted with the world conqueror named Alexander the Great. Alexander was born in Pella, Macedon in 356 B.C. His parents were King Philip II and Queen Olympias. He was well educated under the tutelage of one of the best-known philosophers…
Read MoreWhat is “federal headship”?
Question: I really enjoy the content you put out. Very straight and to the point. What do Calvinists mean when they talk about “federal headship?” I’ve heard someone mention this in a podcast in an episode on Calvinism. I had not heard the expression until listening to the podcast. Answer: Calvinists believe that Adam’s sin…
Read MoreI need some advice on my position with Christ
Question: I have some questions about marriage and my position in Christ that I would like you to help me with. I was married, I believe. Although it was a Christian marriage, it was like we came together and stayed. It has been three years so far in this kind of marriage. As a couple,…
Read MoreTabitha
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tabitha.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 9:32-43 I. In our text we find two stories. A. The great miracle that God performed through Peter to raise a woman who had died. 1. This event brought many to the Lord – Acts 9:42 2. We don’t have access to miracles today; yet, we can learn how to lead…
Read MoreTwo Testimonial Testaments to Jesus
by Terry Wane Benton Paul “reasoned” with the Jews for three Sabbaths (Acts 17:2f) from the Scriptures (their own Scriptures). Thus, he started with what both sides agreed was true. The Scriptures had long been settled as true and authoritative to both sides participating in the discussion. The Scriptures would have to be handled accurately.…
Read MoreWhat’s So Important About the Church?
by Jefferson David Tant The comment is often made, “I don’t have to go to church in order to go to heaven,” or, similarly, “I can be a Christian without going to church.” The question is, “Is that really true, or is that a misunderstanding of what “church” is all about?” What Is the Church?…
Read MoreDiscouraged. Disappointed. Disenchanted. Disconnected. Disillusioned. Disheartened. Disengaged.
by Jonathan Perz When one’s expectations for local churches full of imperfect people drive their faith, they often end up facing one, if not all, of these “D’s” in the title of this article. I talk to so many who have walked away because they are hurt by the church. Yet their greater challenge is…
Read MoreJesus, the Way
by Doy Moyer “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus declared Himself to be “the way,” but the way to what? “To the Father” is the immediate answer. That is, fellowship with God can only be attained through the path…
Read MoreInternational Relationships
by Zeke Flores International hostilities go back a long way. Way, way back. Consider the international relations in Isaiah’s day. Israel’s former enslaver, Egypt, was constantly vying for top-dog status, which they won and lost repeatedly. Assyria was the superpower of Isaiah’s day. Their unofficial mantra was “march and conquer, march and conquer.” The road…
Read MoreDoes Everything Happen for a Reason?
by R. J. Evans Based upon how often we hear the expression “everything happens for a reason,” you would think the answer would be a definite “yes.” Some time back, while watching a professional football player on TV being interviewed and commenting on his team’s loss, I heard him remark, “I know everything happens for…
Read MoreWe can’t afford to get married
Question: I feel awful because I was reading a post from 2010 titled, “Should we marry now or when we are in a better financial situation? I feel the same way. The thing is, we are both 20. My boyfriend doesn’t have much money, and we have been together for over two years. What’s worse…
Read MoreThe Direction of Your Life
The Direction of Your Life – Part 1The Direction of Your Life by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 6:19-24 I. Whenever I taught someone to drive, I was reminded that people have a tendency to go in the direction they are looking. A. When a person first learns to drive, they tend to look at things…
Read MoreI have been blessed much by your teaching
Question: Mr. Hamilton, I have so many questions. May I ask of you? I’ve been trying to understand the Scriptures on my own, but I believe in the blessing and command of the church and teachers. I have been so blessed by many of your letters and teachings, and I long for solid ground. Also, my…
Read MoreIs not taking God’s name in vain just about swearing?
Question: I also would like to ask if you think this commandment refers only to oaths or if it may refer to saying the name of God without purpose, like “God willing…” without God in mind. Thanks in advance! God bless your work. Answer: This particular commandment is focused on men treating God with honor…
Read MoreDid any woman perform a miracle in the Old Testament?
Question: Are there any Bible references to women performing miracles in the Old Testament? Answer: If you include the gift of prophecy, then several women are mentioned in the Old Testament as being prophetesses: Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (II Kings 22:14; II Chronicles 34:22), and Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3). If you are…
Read MoreJesus, the Bread of Life
by Doy Moyer The Passover feast was at hand, and thousands were visiting the area. A large crowd was coming to Jesus and the disciples were concerned about how they could be fed. This led to the great miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand (John 6:1-14). Jesus more than amply provided for the needs…
Read MoreWhat Is Institutionalism?
by Gardner Hall When young disciples ask, “What is institutionalism?” … How should we answer them? A simple definition is that institutionalism is seeing God’s church as a network of congregations with its traditions and organizations. Biblically, God’s church is His saved people whose names are written in heaven (Hebrews 12:23). Only He knows who…
Read MoreReasoning
by Terry Wane Benton The exercise of thought upon ideas to sort the true from the false, the stronger idea from the weaker idea. It is thinking through the available evidence to reach a conclusion. The book of John sets forth a propositional statement that says God came in human flesh, then reasons from one…
Read MoreSpiritual versus Earthly
by Terry Wane Benton Have you noticed that everything in Christ is spiritual or heavenly as opposed to earthly? The old system had an earthly place for Israel (land of Canaan), now we have “the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6). Moses was at an earthly mountain (Sinai) receiving the stone tablets, but we…
Read MoreRepent of Your Sins
by Nana Yaw Aidoo via The Gospel Preceptor, Vol. 7, No. 2, February 2024 Over and over again, the New Testament emphasizes the necessity of repentance in the salvation of humans. The first preacher in the New Testament is John the Baptizer. We are told that he was sent to prepare the way for the…
Read MoreThe Cry of Distress
by Zeke Flores “For the cry of distress has gone around the territory of Moab, its wail goes as far as Eglaim and its wailing even to Beer-elim” (Isaiah 15:8). Reading through the judgment oracles of Israel’s foreign neighbors sometimes seems like a chore. We might hurry through these chapters believing there’s nothing in them…
Read MoreCan Introverts Go to Heaven?
by Gardner Hall It’s an extrovert world! And yet many introverts who feel uncomfortable in certain social situations, still believe in God and want to serve him. Extroverted disciples sometimes make introverts feel that there is little or no hope for them. When they aren’t laughing with others they sometimes hear – “What’s wrong with…
Read More“Religion says DO, Jesus says DONE”?
by Terry Wane Benton People come up with the strangest viewpoints and don’t realize how unbiblical those ideas are. I keep passing a sign that says the above but offers no scripture reference. Because the Bible is the final authority, I would suggest that both Jesus and His religion say, “Do the will of the…
Read MoreComing Clean from Addictions
by Terry Wane Benton Read Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30-31; II Corinthians 7:7ff People mess up their lives so much with drugs and alcohol. Jesus can heal them but there has to be repentance, a full stop of all that landed them in prodigal and wasteful living. Some have gotten in so deep that…
Read MoreI appreciate your post about not drawing attention to ourselves based on the things we own
Question: Hello, Thank you so much for your post “Is it a sin to own a luxury handbag?” I am struggling with what the world says women should do to gain worth or look good vs. what God says. I am still learning. I prayed to God to teach me and searched on Google and…
Read MoreIs it proper for a church to pray together silently?
Question: Good day, brother Jeffery, Thanks for always answering questions. They’ve been helpful to me and the people around me. I want to ask you a question about the orderliness of prayer in the church. Can the church pray such that a time is given during worship, such as 10 to 20 minutes where prayers…
Read MoreI don’t feel good enough to pray
Question: Hi! I got a woman I was dating pregnant. We married a few months later. We now have a son, and we love each other, but the problem is my walk with Christ. I feel spiritually down. I want to be back on my feet, but it’s hard. I love my family. I want…
Read MoreAre the plagues in Revelation literal?
Question: While much is figurative in Revelation, are the plagues that John sees in his visions literal? Did those things actually happen at some point? Answer: A better question is why select the plagues to be literal in a book filled with symbolism and figurative language? What indications are there that these should be treated…
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