Not Worth Listening To
by Zeke Flores There are some things that are not worth wasting the time to listen to. For me, that would be rap or any new “pop” song. Or most political drivel. Or false religious teaching. Jesus said, “Take care what you listen to” (Mark 4:24). In Luke’s gospel, He says, “Take care how you listen”…
Read MoreWhy Are Elders Missing in So Many Churches?
by Roger D. Campbell We read about “the elders of the church” in the New Testament (James 5:14). In the Bible, “the elders of the church” refers to those brothers who serve as the overseers of a local flock of God (Acts 20:17, 28). They also are identified as shepherds or pastors (Ephesians 4:11) and…
Read MoreThe Twisted Thinking of Abortion
by Dennis Abernathy The thinking of many in our society is truly twisted. Consider the case where two little boys, who were reported kidnapped in South Carolina. Actually, the mother of those little boys confessed to murdering them. She was involved with a man who wanted her company, but not her children, so she murdered…
Read MoreWhy Death?
by Doy Moyer Why is death a consequence of sin? Because sin is a direct affront to the glory of the God of life. When we reject God, we reject life. Death is what’s left. We cannot turn our backs on life and expect to live. Why did Christ come to die? He died for…
Read MoreHe Got Up and Followed Him
by Doy Moyer Think about this for a moment. Jesus passed by “Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’ And he got up and followed Him” (Mark 2:14). What an impression Jesus must have already made on Levi (Matthew) to cause him to get up…
Read MoreNot Enslaved
by Matthew W. Bassford From time to time, I receive article requests from brethren who want me to address a particular topic. Sadly, my usual response to these requests is to forget that they have been made and never write about them. However, recently someone asked me about my views of “not enslaved” in 1…
Read MoreWill There be a Rapture?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Will-There-Be-a-Rapture.mp3 Text: I Thessalonians 4:13-18 I. People have always been fascinated with the second coming of Christ A. That fascination increased greatly as the 21st century approached. B. A very popular series, called “Left Behind” by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins claims to tell the events of Christ’s return in fictional form. The books were written…
Read MoreIs it fair that I leave her heartbroken?
Question: Praise the Lord to you all. I am writing this to you to find the answer for my situation that is according to the Bible and just, correct, right, and holy in the eyes of our God. I was born into a very respectful Christian family. My grandparents and my parents are all devoted…
Read MoreThe Thousand-Year Reign
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Thousand-Year-Reign.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Revelation 20:4-6 A. Many elaborate theories are based on this 1. Some teach that Christ, at his second coming, sets up a kingdom here on earth. 2. Christians from the early church are raised up to rule with him. 3. After a peaceful, thousand-year reign, the Devil is released 4. A seven-year battle ensues (the…
Read MoreIs the use of a psychedelic drug a gray area?
Question: I ask this unconvinced. My father and mother, about a year ago, began using psilocybin (magic mushrooms), having not dabbled in it since they were teenagers. Both of them claim they underwent a spiritual renewal after tripping. Now they believe they are truly “saved” for the first time and that God used the shrooms…
Read MoreAre we wrong to stream services on Facebook?
Question: Hello! God bless the work you do always utilizing your page to study and to get answers. Great work and God bless you always. Question: Are we in the wrong in continuing to use Facebook Live for worship service on Sundays? Thanks! Answer: Video recordings of worship services are not a replacement for actually…
Read MoreWhy are embellishments wrong?
Question: Hello brother, I have a question for you about the topic of “The Christian and Social Media” there is a statement: “Never lie (Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9-10; Revelation 21:8). And embellishment is the same as lying.” What does “embellishment” mean and what do you mean by it? Can you give me more explanation about…
Read MoreI pray for your continued work
Question: I just wanted someone to know how much I appreciate being able to get online and study with your site. Thank you for your sermons, outlines, and audios. They have been a part of my everyday studies over the past year. I pray for your continued mission of evangelical work. God bless. Answer: I’m…
Read MoreIt Takes Only One Time
by David Weaks Children used to be taught by their parents that sex is reserved for marriage (Hebrew 13:4; I Corinthians 7:1-9), but this doctrine is no longer universally respected. Abstinence is ridiculed by society as archaic and unreasonable. The error of this new attitude cannot be overstated. It is just plain old foolish and…
Read MoreMy Friend, A. W. Dicus
by Rick Lanning It was August, 1971. My parents were with me that Sunday morning as we entered the Temple Terrace church building across the street from Florida College. I was entering my freshman year the very next day. I saw my dad start talking to someone he obviously knew from his past. He soon…
Read MoreDying for Jesus
by Matthew W. Bassford These days, it seems like people in our country are increasingly being led astray by a godless, secular mindset. This worldview has a lot of superficial appeal. After all, if there is no God, you don’t have to submit to anybody. You can do whatever you want with whomever you want.…
Read MoreReincarnation
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2005/07/Reincarnation.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 14:1-15 I. Death is an event that puzzles many people. A. We know it is a step that we all must take – Ecclesiastes 8:8 B. It is an appointment that we must keep – Hebrews 9:27 C. Not that people don’t try. The finality of death is too final. II. Reincarnation…
Read MoreDo You Swallow Anything?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Do-You-Swallow-Anything.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 14:10-16 I. Sharks are notorious for swallowing just about anything. A. People have found books, bottles, tablecloths, and nails inside sharks B. Clearly sharks have large appetites and indiscriminate tastes C. There is a small fish known as the Sea Hedgehog or Urchin Fish. 1. This small fish has spikes all around…
Read MoreReflecting on “Hoods in My Hymnal”
by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, Steve Wolfgang sent me a link to this article, “Hoods in My Hymnal.” In it, the author points out that James D. Vaughan, founding father of the Southern gospel genre of hymnody (though not the author of “Love Lifted Me”, despite what the article implies) was a leading…
Read MoreDoes God want me to lose everything?
Question: Dear Pastor Hamilton: Thank you for always answering emails throughout the many years. I’m writing you to say that I lost my job. I thought it was God’s will for me to be at this job because it was only a block away from my home, it matched my job skills, and it gave…
Read MoreWhat if my husband becomes a non-believer?
Question: Hello Brother Jeffrey, I hope all has been well. The situation I face now is this: My husband and I are currently separated for several reasons (him mostly not wanting the marriage at the time). My husband was a baptized Christian in the church when we married. He was raised in the church. We got…
Read MoreThe Acts 17 Approach to God
by Doy Moyer Acts 17 provides a framework for some basic understanding of God. Think especially about the phrase in verse 25: “as though He needed anything.” In that phrase is found the essence of who God is. God needs nothing more to be complete or to function with the highest possible reason and power.…
Read MoreMy Father’s Hands
by Fanning Yater Tant (1908-1988) written in the 1970s Not God. I am thinking of my own natural father, Jefferson Davis Tant. It is June 4, 1941. A few scores of us are gathered in the old auditorium of the Central Church of Christ, Cleburne, Texas. My father’s body lies in the casket before us.…
Read MoreWhat is the Gift of the Holy Spirit?
by Bill Boyd My preacher friends do not agree on the meaning of “the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is frustrating because this expression is at the end of the oft-quoted Acts 2:38. The passage is clear that baptism is “for the remission of sins,” but what does the baptized person receive? Whatever it…
Read MoreA Crisis of Faith?
by Orlando B. Gonzalez Perhaps you wonder whether we, as members of the “Churches of Christ”, are turning others away from Jesus by how we discuss people in other denominations, and how we talk about our practices as if they are the only right way to do things, thereby condemning those who do them differently.…
Read MoreFaith, Works, and Grace in Romans
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 1:1-17 I. In understanding biblical writings, it is important to remember that God is the author A. II Timothy 3:16 – All the written writings are breathed from the mouth of God B. This was Paul’s point in I Corinthians 14:33 when discussing roles and organization of the worship service. 1. God…
Read MoreI find myself lusting and I fear I lack self-control
Question: Hello sir, I have sinned. I lusted after a sister and it progressed so much that we kissed. Right now I am so broken. I have asked God for forgiveness but it seems I can’t forgive myself. I have had this dream of being a gospel teacher and an elder. I’ve been consciously building…
Read MoreThe Obsession for Notoriety in the Modern Era
by Orlando B. Gonzalez Verse: John 12:43 (NASB 2020)- “…for they loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.” As a young man, it’s unsurprising to say that I carry many great desires that I want to do in my lifetime. My current main goals include becoming a professional writer, a…
Read MoreThe Sponsoring Church Arrangement (Jennings)
by Ethan Jennings Not long after World War 2, members of the Lord’s church decided they wanted to take the gospel overseas to the countries with whom we had been at war. This was a good attitude to have. Especially since we are supposed to spread the gospel to everyone. Paul wrote to commend the…
Read MoreIs there an explanation for a lack of sexual desire in the Bible?
Question: Good evening, I was reading many of your answers about homosexuality and was wondering if there was any explanation for a lack of sexual attraction in the Bible. This is related to homosexuals having a lack of interest in the opposite gender and people having no attraction to anyone at all. I am a…
Read MoreOn Being Holy
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/On-Being-Holy.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:13-16 I. When you are in a competition, you are told “Do your best.” A. It means we strive hard to achieve. B. Yet, at the same time I know there are going to be times when I don’t do my best. 1. I might be tired that day. I…
Read MoreDoes John the Baptist Prove that Fetuses Know Good and Evil?
by Terry Wane Benton While it is true that John the Baptist, while yet unborn (what people call the fetus stage), leaped in his mother’s womb when Mary came and greeted Elizabeth (Luke 1:41), it is not true that this means that all infants are aware of sin or aware of Jesus, Mary, and what…
Read MoreI didn’t give permission for my statements to be used!
Question: I noticed you posted something written by Terry on your website. This was shared publicly by Terry from a private group and was a casual conversation. I would appreciate it being taken down since it was shared publicly without permission by Terry and also done without my permission. If that won’t be done I’d…
Read MoreI Have Found the Book of the Law
by Terry Wane Benton “Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, ‘I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it'” (II Kings 22:8) How did the book become lost? The whole service should have centered around honoring…
Read MoreOn Infant Baptism
by Terry Wane Benton An Orthodox Church member writes: “Infant baptism is the new circumcision. We find its parallel to circumcision in the Old Covenant. Infants were circumcised as a sign of being part of the Old Covenant so infants should be baptized as a sign of being part of the New Covenant.” In the…
Read MoreWhy would God let me be born with same-sex attraction?
Question: Why would God let me be born with same-sex attraction? Answer: Before answering your question, we need to come to an understanding regarding terms. Proponents of various sins like to play word games in order to disguise their intentions. “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not…
Read MoreOnce for All Delivered
by Terry Wane Benton “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). This last phrase means the faith, the teaching we are…
Read MoreThe Signs of an Apostle
by Terry Wane Benton The apostles of Jesus were eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus (Acts 1:13f). They had to have personally seen Jesus alive from the dead. Nobody today meets that criterion. But those Jesus chose to be sent out by Him as His personal eyewitnesses were also equipped by the Holy Spirit with miraculous…
Read MorePrivate Conversations First?
by Matthew W. Bassford Recently, I posted a critique of John Mark Hicks’s book Searching for the Pattern. This generated a number of interesting responses, one of which came in a private message from a good-hearted brother. He asked me if I had gone to Hicks privately with my objections before raising them publicly. He…
Read MoreObedient to the Bible
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Obedient-to-the-Bible.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
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