Found: A Legendary City that History Forgot
from U.S. News and World Report, December 4, 1995, p. 10 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996 They lived, legend said, more than 4,000 years ago, mining ore and worshiping a god that lived in their fabled capital, Urkesh. Modern history remembered their contemporaries—the Sumerians and the Semites—but it all but forgot the Hurrians…
Read MoreAdventures with Alaskan Dinosaur Bones
by Margaret Helder, Creation Science Dialog, Vol. 21 No. 3 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996 Sponsored by Creation Research Science Education Foundation, five men went to Alaska in July 1994 to collect unfossilized dinosaur bones. They included John Whitmore (Associate Professor of Geology at Cedarville College, Ohio); Mike Liston (outdoor and rescue specialist);…
Read MoreCan Random Events Create Order?
by Michael Talbot, “Mathematical Evidence of the Existence of God,” p. 195 via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996 From Beyond the Quantum: “David Ossekon chided his fellow mathematicians for ever popularizing the issue of monkeys and typewriters. The basic mathematics behind the notion that, given enough time, a group of monkeys would eventually…
Read MoreLife
by Mark M. Chatfield via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996 Ken Ledbetter wrote an excellent article titled “The Emotional Issue of the Origin of Life” for the December 1995 issue of Sentry Magazine. It was thought-provoking and showed the author’s characteristic truth-seeking. It took me a couple of days considering the subject to…
Read MoreComparing Against the Standard
by Bob Dawson via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996 Several men speaking at Annandale (Virginia) have recently made a point in their lessons, warning against straying from the truth, as revealed in God’s word, in our worship of Him. They pointed out that even though we start out following the truth in our…
Read MoreAuthenticating One’s Faith
by James P. Needham via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, 1996 Should young people go through life accepting what parents and teachers have taught them, or should they, through honest questions and serious study, authenticate their own faith, making it their own? Should we encourage questioning, or resent them, feeling that we are being rejected…
Read MoreAre Christians Under the Old Testament?
by Jeff Wilson via InLight Media Has the Old Testament been done away with? Or does it actually still apply to modern-day Christians? If you’ve ever wondered how Christians should read the Old Testament today, this biblical discussion will challenge assumptions, strengthen your faith, and help you see God’s redemptive story with fresh eyes. Watch…
Read MoreEmotion vs. Truth
by Chadwick Brewer One of the greatest challenges that we have in walking according to the Spirit is that we are so accustomed to walking according to our emotions. We have been trained to and constantly instructed to act according to our feelings. “What do you feel in your heart?” “Be true to yourself.” “Speak…
Read MoreGod Goes Before You
by Zeke Flores “Yahweh your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf” (Deuteronomy 1:30). Deuteronomy 1 opens with Moses reminding Israel of their long journey and the moments where fear held them back. One of the most striking lines is God’s reassurance in Deuteronomy 1:30. Israel had seen God’s power, yet…
Read MoreWhat Are Christians to Be Doing in the World?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/What-Are-Christians-to-be-Doing-in-the-World.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreFacing Life’s Challenges
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Facing-Lifes-Challenges.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreAn Angel Saves Peter by Grace Through Faith
by Terry Wane Benton Daily Points of Light from Heaven James was killed by Herod (Acts 12), and Herod thought killing Peter would also appease the Jews. So, what we have here is Peter under wrath and condemnation, chained between two soldiers, guarded to be executed soon. The Lord sent an angel, a messenger of…
Read MoreThe Danger of Dainty Morsels
by Jeremy Hodges Humans are often highly susceptible to gossip, and the Bible’s clear statements about the danger associated with it show how susceptible we really are. (Proverbs 18:8; 20:19; 26:22; Romans 1:29; II Timothy 3:3). The one who is spreading the gossip likes the air of authority and insight it gives them without any…
Read MoreJesus, Truth, and the Word of God
by Hugh DeLong While reading Matthew 15, I took a piece of paper and made some observations. It should be obvious, but such observations do not exhaust our understanding of this text. So here are my scribbles: God commanded and said – (Matthew 15:3-4) There is a God. God has expectations of men. God revealed…
Read MoreDid I judge correctly that my wife committed adultery?
Question: Many years ago, my first wife and I got a divorce. I came home one night after church, and she told me she wanted a divorce. I didn’t want it, and she said it was for irreconcilable differences. So we separated for a bit, then tried reconciliation, which ended up failing. While separated, I…
Read MoreLoving God Leads to Loving Your Neighbor
“Again and again the message of the Old Testament is that if you choose the wrong gods you will end in social decay. Biblical monotheism, far from an abstract creed, affirms that only when God is properly honored will society be just and compassionate. Modern western society, reaping the fruit of two centuries of systematically…
Read MoreJust How Important Is the Body?
by David Gibson The body: present and future In this life, we who are Christians are “at home in the body” (II Corinthians 5:6). At death, our spirit is separated from our body (James 2:26). After death, we are “absent from the body” and are “present with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5:8). When Christ returns,…
Read MoreOf Whom the World Was Not Worthy
by Terry Wane Benton Daily Points of Light from Heaven The Hebrew writer makes a great point when he speaks of the long list of persecuted and rejected servants of God who “escaped the edge of the sword…became valiant in battle… others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They…
Read MoreJesus Gave Them Authority
by Hugh DeLong “Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness” (Matthew 10:1). “These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: ‘Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any…
Read MoreIf Jesus Is God Then to Whom Did He Pray?
by Jon Rowe The Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus is God (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9, etc). So, in an attempt to dismantle that claim, skeptics may ask, “Then to whom did Jesus pray?” While it is true that there is only one God, He exists in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the…
Read MoreHow can marrying a divorced woman be ongoing adultery?
Question: In Matthew 19:9, “commits adultery” is used twice in this verse. The first time, concerning the husband, it is in the present tense. Now, the present tense does not always mean ongoing action. The context must determine that. The second time, concerning the wife, it is in the aorist tense. Aorist tense never is ongoing.…
Read MoreIntegrity
by Zeke Flores “If a man makes a vow to Yahweh … he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:2). Numbers 30 emphasizes integrity. When someone made a vow, God expected them to keep it. Their words mattered. Their commitments reflected their character. We…
Read MoreOf Speaking Donkeys
by Terry Wane Benton Daily Points of Light from Heaven Critics of the Bible say: “The story of Balaam’s donkey speaking to him is considered a miraculous event rather than a scientifically plausible occurrence”. We know such cannot happen, and therefore the Bible contains myth, not verifiable truth. Response: Again, the Creator of the donkey…
Read MoreI Am With You
by David Gibson Comforting assurance By using a Bible computer program, you can type in the words, “I am with you,” and in just moments the screen displays every passage where this phrase is found. If you count all references to “I am with you” plus “I will be with you,” you will discover more…
Read MoreEasier to Say
by Hugh DeLong Jesus asked a simple question: “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?”(Matthew 9:5). Of course, the answer is that it is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, for how does one prove or disprove that such took place? However, if one says…
Read MoreA Model of Good Works
by Edwin Crozier Not only is Titus to teach what accords with healthy teaching, but he is also to be a model of good works. That is, he should model self-control, sober-mindedness, dignity, soundness in faith, love, and steadfastness. He is to demonstrate purity. He is to place special emphasis on being a model in…
Read MoreHealthy Teaching
by Edwin Crozier Though there are some teachers who need to be silenced, as Paul explained at the end of Titus 1, teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach, upsetting whole families, Titus needs to teach what accords with sound or healthy doctrine. I have no doubt all true doctrine falls under…
Read MoreFor My Sake
by David Gibson Three of Jesus’ Promises “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven . . .” (Matthew 5:11-12). “He that findeth his life shall lose it:…
Read MoreJesus and Miracles
by Hugh DeLong Text: Matthew 8-9 When Jesus finished preaching his now-famous Sermon on the Mount, the people were astonished. Now Matthew collects a series of events in the life of Jesus that included various miracles. In these chapters, Matthew shows the demonstration of Jesus’ authority – the right to command and control. Such was…
Read MoreYour Accent Betrays You
by Bill Robinson A word to those of us who wear the Name A servant girl looked at Peter across a courtyard fire and said what everyone standing there already knew. Your accent betrays you (Matthew 26:73). He was a Galilean. He could deny it all night, and his vowels would keep telling the truth.…
Read MoreFear and Love: Two God-Given Motivations
by Chadwick Brewer Many in the religious world have become uncomfortable with the biblical command to fear God. They redefine “fear” to mean little more than respect, and some even argue that obeying God out of fear is somehow inferior to obeying Him out of love. Scripture takes the opposite approach. It repeatedly commands us…
Read MoreShould Christians not talk to non-Christians?
Question: Hello Pastor, and peace be with you this Lord’s Day. I have been studying the book of Romans today and have two questions: Question 1: When I sincerely turned to God, I found myself in a certain situation: I became willing to befriend and communicate only with Christians, while deleting or blocking non-believers. I…
Read MoreThe Sea of Galilee
by Bill Boyd The headwaters of the Sea of Galilee are up in the snows of Mount Hermon. The peaks of Hermon are over 9,200 feet above sea level. When waters from those peaks reach the Sea of Galilee, they will have dropped about 10,000 feet, because the surface of that inland lake is 700…
Read MoreWhat Is Truth?
by David Gibson How we view truth One of the characteristics of our culture is the belief that truth is relative—what’s true for you may not be true for me. If that’s the case, then neither you nor I have the right to say what anyone else should believe or do. Certainly there are some…
Read MoreThe Existence of God
by Samuel A. Matthews “If someone does not believe in God, He cannot please God, because the person who comes to God must believe that He lives (exists). That person must also believe that God will give rewards to the people who are searching for him” (Hebrews 11:6 Simple English Bible). Loved ones, whether God…
Read MoreResponding to the Evils Around Us
by David Gibson All around us are all kinds of bizarre behavior, sinful lifestyles, and strange ideas that currently trouble our land. How shall we respond? Wrong Reaction: Acceptance Some Christians, sad to say, gaze at the evil and are drawn into it. How easy it is to find our resistance gradually being lowered by…
Read MoreHow do we deal with my son who decided to live with a woman?
Question: Greetings in Christ, beloved brother, By God’s grace, my family and I are doing well, striving to persevere as Christians. I hope you, your family, and the saints around you are generally doing well in the Kingdom there in your area. Our efforts in the Lord’s work are gradually bearing some fruit, and we…
Read MoreTransformation in Matthew 7
by Hugh DeLong What will you do with Jesus and His teaching? Reading the Sermon on the Mount (again – how many times? Many!), I am yet again struck by its personal demands. Believe in Jesus? What does that mean to you? Just the mental assent to certain facts about Jesus? Of course, those facts…
Read MoreMarvelous Light
by Terry Wane Benton Peter was writing his first general letter; it is believed to have been written between 58 and 62 AD, and from the book and knowledge of the time, there was growing persecution against Christians. Persecution gets tiring and wears one down. Peter reminded these Christians that God “called you out of…
Read MoreWhen does jealousy go too far?
Question: In your sermon on jealousy, point C, you said that jealousy between a husband and wife can go too far. I was wondering if you could give me an example of righteous jealousy between a husband and wife and an example of jealousy that has gone too far. Answer: Jealousy can be used in…
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