The First and the Last
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/The-First-and-the-Last.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 13:22-30 I. A friend that I correspond with once asked me about Luke 13:30. He wanted to know what Jesus meant by his statement. A. The context shows that some of his audience realized that not everyone would be saved. In fact, relatively few would be saved. – Luke…
Read MoreDoes having a dream involving sin mean we have sinned?
Question: I am a member of the church. Lately, my soul has been in spiritual turmoil, and I could hardly find the strength to do anything but try to pray and study. I recently opened up to my husband about why, and I started to feel better after I opened up to him. However, I…
Read MoreThe Birth of Jesus
by Doy Moyer Talking about the birth of Jesus Christ is needed at any time of year, but it seems especially fitting to do so when people are thinking in that direction. If we are not careful, we may too easily dismiss an opportunity to speak about one of the most important events in this…
Read MoreI Don’t Go to Church
by Dan Chaney “I’m a Christian, I just don’t go to church.” Maybe you’ve been burned by religious people. Maybe you have social setting anxiety. Maybe you just prefer other recreational activities on Sunday. Individual motivations really aren’t the focus of this post. “I’m a Christian but I don’t go to church” sounds reasonable, possibly…
Read MoreAm I Become Your Enemy?
by Robert F. Turner Paul had done some straight talking to the Galatian churches. He had said, “I am afraid of (for) you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain” (Galatians 4:11). Then, in Galatians 4:16, “Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” Paul knew how people often…
Read MoreThe Earliest Manuscripts
by Ferrell Jenkins “In the original Greek, it says…” How many times have you heard that in a Bible class or sermon? The fact is, we have no originals (autograph copies) of any New Testament or Old Testament book. Textual critics, those scholars who work with the available materials to produce Hebrew and Greek texts,…
Read MoreObstacles
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Obstacles.mp3 by PJ Anderson
Read MoreHe Tests the Mind
by Terry Wane Benton “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10). The sum of all our good and bad experiences in this testing ground called life is, in fact, a test of mindset or…
Read MoreHow do I convince my girlfriend that I’m the right person for her?
Question: Good day, I’m in my mid-twenties and my girlfriend is in her early-twenties. We’ve been dating for just over a year and we love each other very deeply. We are committed to each other with the intention of being together long-term. She was having a few doubts because of our religious differences. She’s Christian…
Read MoreOur Country Will One Day Relocate
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Our-Country-Will-One-Day-Relocate.mp3 by Garry Floyd
Read MoreHow do I deal with a clingy one-year-old?
Question: Good morning brother, I read your articles regarding the biblical way of teaching children. I have a one-year-old son and he always insists on being held. He is always crying. Not even a second was left me. He doesn’t give me time to do work. Even if his stomach is full or his need…
Read MoreI’m unsure about a line in the hymn “Count Your Many Blessings”
Question: I’m unsure about the line: “angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journey’s end” in the song “Count Your Many Blessings.” Would it be unscriptural to sing that verse if we don’t exactly know how angels are “sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation,”…
Read MoreHow do I talk to my fiance about my sin?
Question: Good day, pastor, I hope you are doing well. My fiancee and I have been engaged for almost three years now. There was a time when I was going on many business trips. During that period I met a lady and I developed feelings for her but I didn’t tell her about them. She…
Read MoreWhen does grace begin for an individual?
Question: When does grace begin for an individual? Before or after baptism? What about God’s grace before baptism? The grace that gives us a plan of salvation. Just a thought. Thanks. Answer: The difficulty with your question is that there is an assumption that grace is just a single thing. Grace is the giving of…
Read MoreWhat should Christian parents do about itching hysteria?
Question: I hope you can help me regarding some Relentless Itching “Hysteria” that has swept through the local school district. As a church if parents come to the Lord’s church, how do we handle the following news? A wave of hysteria swept through [schools] last week when several learners, primarily girls, began experiencing intense itching sensations and…
Read MoreWhat does “delight yourself in the Lord” mean?
Question: Good evening, I appreciate you! I have a question for you if you don’t mind. Psalm 37:4 says to “delight yourself in the Lord.” Is that the same as “rejoicing in the Lord” or are they different? Thanks. Answer: “Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither…
Read MoreIs my baptism invalid because I did it to avoid going to hell?
Question: When I got baptized, I was being baptized not necessarily wanting forgiveness but more about keeping myself from going to Hell. I was sincere in my commitment to God giving Him my life, but I was baptized out of fear of going to hell. This burdens my conscience every day and I don’t know…
Read MoreGod’s Plan for Israel
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gods-Plans-for-Israel.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MorePhysical Israel and the Spiritual Church
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Physical-Israel-and-the-Spiritual-Church.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreFear of Truth
by James W. Adams (1914-2013) in Words Fitly Spoken, p. 60 My daughter’s friend expressed great interest in the doctrine of “Premillennialism.” It so happened that I was at that time engaged in a series of studies involving the subject on a television program. My daughter suggested to her friend that she might tune in,…
Read MoreMy Mom’s Legacy
by Jeremy Dehut I’ve been reflecting on Mom’s legacy. God has used her and Dad in incredible ways. Both of my parents came from broken homes where sin, abuse, alcohol, and other addiction was common. When mom was five her father died in a car accident he caused from drinking. My grandmother met her next…
Read MoreThe Good Life (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer Ask people if they want a good, happy life and they will say, “Yes. Of course.” No one wants a terrible, miserable life. Yet, while we all want the good life, many will think that this is not attainable. Or, if it is attainable, it is to be on our own terms,…
Read MoreThe Sabbath Was Saturday, Not Sunday
by Terry Wane Benton The 7th day of the week is the old Sabbath commanded of the Israelites (Exodus 20:8-11). Are we to keep it? No! We are not under the law of Moses (Romans 7:6). The inspired apostle Paul said that the ordinances of the law were “abolished” in His flesh (Ephesians 2:15). Jeremiah…
Read MoreGod’s Existence Doesn’t Depend on Me
by Perry Hall In Megan Rappinoe’s last game, she injured herself by tearing her Achilles tendon. She is the women’s soccer team captain and outspoken advocate for LGBTQT+. She immediately said afterward, “I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a god, like, this is proof that there isn’t”. Let’s examine her…
Read MoreThey Went Out from Us
by Terry Wane Benton Sometimes it is a hidden blessing to the local church when we lose some people and numbers. John spoke of some who ceased in heart to be “of us” (I John 2:18f). They “went out” because, in heart, they had been secretly drifting away from the truth being preached and could…
Read MoreThe Saving of Israel
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/The-Saving-of-Israel.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 2:17-29 I. In these days of troubled times in the middle East, those who believe that physical Israel is central to God’s plans for the future have come to the forefront. A. “Readers of the Bible know that the Book of Revelation tells of a time when Messiah himself…
Read MoreWere the Ten Tribes of Israel Really Lost?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Were-the-Ten-Tribes-Really-Lost.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ezekiel 37:15-28 I. Hurlbut’s Story of the Bible: “As in their own land, the children of Israel had forsaken the Lord and had worshiped idols, so after they were taken to these distant lands, they sought the gods of the people of those lands and ceased to be Israelites;…
Read MoreThe Christian’s Attributes
by Jefferson David Tant “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities…
Read MoreMy job requires lying and embarrassing people to get them to pay their loans
Question: Hi Jeff, Hope you’re doing well. I’m in a dilemma and in need of some guidance and counsel. I work in a loan company for close to 2 years. I’m a loan officer there but the job is affecting my spiritual life. The job requires I give people loans and collect the money back. The…
Read MoreMy husband hasn’t been the nicest to me lately
Question: Hello there, I just want to start off by saying I enjoy your website. Thank you for providing that for us. I am a Christian (member of the Church of Christ). My husband however is not. He started off as one and, well, just went back to his worldly ways. He is a good…
Read MoreSaved from the Wrath of God
by Doy Moyer To be saved from the wrath of God is generally equated in Scripture with being saved from judgment. It is set opposite of eternal life. For example, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God…
Read MoreIs the Modern Nation of Israel Important?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2005/06/Is-the-Modern-Nation-of-Israel-Important.mp3 Text: Hebrews 6:13-20 I. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the nation of Israel holds importance in the eyes of many people in America A. Jerry Falwell: “God has raised up America in these last days for the cause of world evangelism and for the protection of His people, the Jews. I don’t…
Read MoreAre All Men Created Equal?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Are-All-Men-Created-Equal.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 17:21-31 I. Many people are familiar with the stirring words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty…
Read MoreJamaica Patois Wisdom – Experience
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 MoreAll Must Revere Him
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AllMustRevereHim.mp3 by Eric Hamilton
Read MoreOne Last Verse
by Matthew W. Bassford Throughout my life, there was a series of verses that I identified as “my verse”. These were verses that, in some way, exemplified me or what I needed to become. I kept II Timothy 2:24-25 on my bathroom mirror for years because I needed the reminder. Later, I took great encouragement…
Read MoreThis Is Amazing!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/This-Is-Amazing.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreRunning Away and Running To
by Perry Hall James 4:7-8 is taking on a more powerful meaning to me. Here’s the text: “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:7-8 CSB). Why…
Read MoreWhy is the Bible ordered as it is?
Question: I want to and I am trying to understand the Bible completely. After reading your answers to my former questions, I realized I have to read the books you mentioned as references so that I will have the context of the verses and why they are written the way they are written. So, do…
Read MoreIs the Seed Still in the Barn?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Is-the-Seed-Still-in-the-Barn.mp3 Text: Haggai 2:10-19 I. After the people returned from captivity, work began in rebuilding Israel. A. The people quickly laid the foundation of the temple, but the work stagnated. B. The people were distracted with rebuilding their own homes and efforts to produce a living. C. Over time they became apathetic. For 16 years nothing happened. D. The…
Read More