How do I deal with someone who makes fun of my beliefs?
Question: Hello brother, I hope you’re doing well. I have some questions for you, and I wanted to know if you can help me. I would like to give you a little bit of context first. I was at work and it was almost time to leave, I was here in a conversation with two…
Read MoreWhat is wrong if a person claims to drive out demons?
Question: Good day, If someone is famous for driving out demons and restoring people by scaring them in such a way that his mere presence and antics might result in this person changing for the better, then what is wrong with doing this? Thanks. Answer: It appears that you accept that the person doesn’t really…
Read MoreCan a person withdraw his gift to the church?
Question: Hello Brother Jeffrey, I trust you have been doing well lately. I want to express my appreciation of your unwavering commitment to the work of God, and all the scriptural answers you’ve provided to solve challenges confronting the Christian faith. During our weekly Bible studies, we happened to talk about the brethren’s contributions to…
Read MoreSalvation in No One Else
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Salvation-in-No-One-Else.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 4:5-12 I. In April, 2011, Time Magazine listed their 100 most influential people, among whom was Rob Bell, a preacher who founded a church called “Mars Hill.” A. It isn’t connected with any denomination. Time reveled in calling Mr. Bell and his church “evangelical,” but it isn’t an accurate…
Read MoreWhy Should I Join Christ?
by Orlando Gonzalez (Revised) Alright, we’re going to look at things from a worldly person’s point of view, but before we can proceed, I would like to begin with this question: What exactly is a worldly person? A worldly person is widely regarded in Christian circles as a non-Christian who (regardless of age, gender, ethnic…
Read MoreIf Jesus Was Not Raised from the Dead
by Terry Wane Benton Text: I Corinthians 15 Paul argues that there are logical consequences that follow if Jesus was not really raised from the dead: We are still in our sins. Animal sacrifices should have continued until we got the One who was coming to take away our sins. We are not dealing with…
Read MoreWould Jesus Do What We Do?
by Jarrod M. Jacobs This question is slightly different from the oft-asked question, “What would Jesus do?” Asking what Jesus might do in a situation is indeed a righteous question to ask. Such a question is consistent with Bible teaching (Colossians 3:17; I Peter 4:11; etc.). However, in this article, let’s put this question in…
Read MoreThe Way (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/The-Way-1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 35 I. At times I will be studying and a verse sticks in my mind. A. In Isaiah 35 is a prophecy. It is obviously talking about the time when Jesus walked on this earth – Isaiah 35:4-6 B. What struck me was the description of a highway – Isaiah…
Read MoreSome Observations on Judging
by George Bosworth Some observations about judging, from I Corinthians 4:3-5: “I (Paul) am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. So don’t judge anything prematurely before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and…
Read MoreOur Immutable God
by Louis Cook Know God Series Immutable: “unchanging in His being, purpose, perfection, and promises.” “For I, the LORD, do not change” (Malachi 3:6). If He changed even in the slightest, He would not be self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal, and He would not be God. He does not grow old or tired, get weaker or grow…
Read MoreThings to Bring to Worship
by Mike Wilson It’s another Sunday morning, and you are fighting to get everything and everyone ready on time. The kids are screaming, and someone is honking the horn. Most families know the feeling. As you come staggering to the car at the last second, did you forget anything? Do you have a checklist of…
Read MoreTwo “Tills”
by Terry Wane Benton Matthew 5:18 has two “tills.” “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). The meaning of Matthew 5:18 in giving us two “tills” is this: “Until heaven and earth pass”…
Read MoreWhy isn’t confession of sin included in the things required for salvation?
Question: Why is the confession of sins not included in the steps to salvation (5 Steps of Salvation)? This question is prompted by verses such as Matthew 3:6, Mark 1:5, Acts 19:18, and James 5:16. Answer: The confession of sin preceded John’s baptism (Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5). While it might set precedence, it cannot be…
Read MoreWas the Lord’s Supper taken only once a year?
Question: Good day. A friend of mine told me that the breaking of bread in Acts 20:7 is not the Lord’s Supper or Passover because it is only a breaking of bread without the grape juice as stated in the context. The breaking of bread is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and not the Lord’s…
Read MoreObeying God in Everything
by Hugh DeLong “Legalist?” “Legalism?” Is it wrong and sinful to attempt to obey God in everything? Is it wrong to attempt to keep all the teachings and doctrines of Jesus? Is it sinful to strive to never sin? Can one strive for such things and yet not rely on them as the basis of…
Read MoreObservations on Worldliness
by George Bosworth We cannot grow spiritually when we cling to worldliness. Nothing new in that statement! But consider I Corinthians 3:3-4: “For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? For whenever one says “I belong to Paul”, and another says “I belong to Apollos”,…
Read MoreLess Than Deserved
by Joe Works “Why do bad things happen to good people?” That is a question that people commonly ask, and it is a fair question that is somewhat difficult to answer to complete satisfaction. But have you ever considered asking … “Why don’t more bad things happen to me than they do?” “And after all…
Read MoreIs an abortion not wrong if it is done early?
Question: Dear Minister, I have a friend who is unmarried and recently found out she is expecting a child. The couple is quite scared and overwhelmed by the situation and so far I’m the only person they have shared the information with but they asked me to keep it confidential (They agreed I can reach…
Read MoreWhy Am I Having So Much Trouble?
by Zeke Flores I’m a faithful child of God! So why am I having so much trouble? Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media Hezekiah may have been asking himself the same thing when the Assyrian king Sennacherib threatened to overrun Judah. Though Hezekiah made many good religious reforms during his rule, God still allowed him to…
Read MoreTwo Views
by Terry Wane Benton The Biblical View God created us and gets to make the rules. He made two genders: male and female and expects us to act like men if we are men and women if we are women. God does not approve of us changing the natural genders and gender roles as it…
Read MoreJesus Heals the Hurting
by Doy Moyer The world in which we live is filled with heartache and pain. This is part of the corruption experienced by humanity due to the problem of sin (Genesis 3). Things in this world are not as they were initially created to be, and we know things need to be made right. Our…
Read MoreGrandmother’s Bible
by John Shafer One day, a mother told her daughter that she would be spending time at her grandmother’s house. The little girl told her mother how excited she was, because of how great grandmother’s Bible was. “Why is it so great?” her mother asked. The little girl told her all the stories and people…
Read MoreA Line in the Sand
by Zeke Flores “This came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God” (II Kings 17:7). “The line in the sand.” by Bernard Spragg, NZ, via Flickr A line in the sand has a universal meaning: Don’t cross it. II Kings 17 tells of the end of the northern kingdom of…
Read MoreJesus, the Ruler Over the Kings of the Earth
by Terry Wane Benton “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5). Jesus is “the Ruler over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5) and…
Read MoreThree Gods or One God in Three Persons?
by Dudley Ross Spears via Unmasking Sophistry, Jan-Mar 2024, vol. 4, no. 1 Originally published in Gospel Truths, Vol. IV, Number 6, June 1993, pp.13-14 The Bible teaches there is only one God. “Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother,…
Read MoreThe Revelation of Jesus Christ
by Terry Wane Benton “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (Revelation 1:1 NKJV). Since this book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, it seems clear that it is revealing all…
Read MoreJesus, the Firstborn from the Dead
by Terry Wane Benton “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5 NKJV). “Firstborn” is a term that can point to the one that was…
Read MoreYour website is helpful on so many topics
Question: Hello, I just wanted to thank you for your website. It is so helpful on so many topics. I use it often. Thanks again. Answer: I’m glad to hear that the efforts here are being put to use.
Read MoreJesus, the Faithful Witness
by Terry Wane Benton “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5 NKJV). Jesus is the faithful, dependable witness! No man has seen God at any…
Read MoreIrresistible Grace
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Irresistible-Grace.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 23:34-39 I. John Calvin and his followers believe that God is so totally sovereign in His will that no one can change His creation. He is all powerful and irresistible A. The Westminster Confession of Faith states, “God from all eternity, did … unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.”…
Read MoreDealing with Temptation
by Jefferson David Tant One of my early morning activities is reading the daily newspaper. Not only do I learn what’s going on in the world, but sometimes I get a smile when there is a misprint or misspelled word. I read about one in a weather report. It read “Fair weather tomorrow with no…
Read MoreShould this elder step down?
Question: We have a very difficult situation on our hands. I was hoping to get some advice on this. My husband and I attend the church of Christ and we have two elders at our church. One of them has an adult daughter who left the church. She was married and got divorced (not because…
Read MoreEvaluating Movies and Shows
by Doy Moyer While it is difficult to find movies or shows that are worth watching (for various reasons), I do believe Christians need to consider how to evaluate what they watch and hear from the biblical perspective. In recently reading Unraveling Philosophy by Groza and Moreland, I found these questions helpful: What is the…
Read MoreThe Wrong Definition of Growth
by Paul K. Williams (deceased) John Cripps asked an elder in the United States why the church where he was a member was growing. He replied, “When we stopped pounding the pulpit on the issues we started to grow.” The elder also said that the elders were divided on the subject of divorce and remarriage,…
Read MoreIt’s in the Greek
by Greg Gwin As we study and discuss the New Testament there is sometimes a reference made to things that are contained in the original language. Someone will mention that “the Greek says” this or that. It’s not a bad thing to try to understand something about the meaning of words as used by the…
Read MoreGossipers
by W. C. Hinton After denouncing tattlers and gossipers, the apostle immediately defines what he means by a “busybody.” He says that they speak “things which they ought not.” In other words, they misuse their tongues! (See I Timothy 5:13). Do you ever gossip about others? Be honest now! It’s a very common sin. Many…
Read MoreLegalism … Again … and Again … and Again …
by Jonathan Perz Ugh. (Yes, I just started a post off with the word “ugh.”) I realize that many of my brethren have grave concerns about the idea of “legalism.” It has become quite paramount in the thinking of some. The way some speak, there is nothing worse in Scripture than being a “legalist” and…
Read MoreEstimating Jesus’ Birth
by Chas D. Mayfield To understand when Jesus was born, we have to go back about 18 months to the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Add up the weeks 2 (for the Passover and Pentecost weeks) + 8 (Zachariah served the 8th division of Abijah) + 1 (Luke 1:23 Elizabeth conceived immediately?) + 40…
Read MoreBefore Jesus Was Born
by Doy Moyer The Gospels of Matthew and Luke both speak to various details concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Mark says nothing about these details but rather jumps right into the work of John and then immediately to the baptism, temptations, and beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The Gospel of John…
Read MoreYour First Love
by Terry Wane Benton “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4). The first love was the focused and enthusiastic love they had at the early stages of their conversion. As John in his epistle stated, “We love Him because He first loved us” (I John 4:19) and…
Read More