Inerrancy and Figurative Language
by J. M. Boice via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995 “Some people say, ‘If you believe in inerrancy, you have to take every statement in the Bible literally. (You must believe] that God has a heart, perhaps even that God has wings’ (Ps. 17:8). This is foolish… It is based on the error…
Read MoreModern Churches Don’t Look Like New Testament Churches
by Steve Wolfgang via InLight Media Modern churches often look very different from the churches we read about in the New Testament. From liturgical traditions and denominational structures to megachurches and contemporary worship styles, many Christians wonder: Is this simply a natural development—or have we drifted from the original pattern God intended? In this episode,…
Read MoreDoes a polygamist need to divorce his extra wives?
Question: If you’re married to more than one wife before you became a Christian, can you divorce your second and third wives and be only married to your first wife when you become a Christian? Answer: In God’s teaching, one man is to marry one woman. “And He answered and said, “Have you not read…
Read MoreThe Will of God
by Hugh DeLong Paul stayed only a short time in Thessalonica and thus left a fledgling group of disciples in a very ungodly situation. Thessalonica was a rather typical Roman city, with a very loose moral code, and one very far from God’s. While many things were permitted and practiced in this city (and across…
Read MoreAfflicted for Jesus
by Hugh DeLong Text: I Thessalonians 3 Here in Thessalonians, Paul writes because these new disciples were facing difficult times. Everywhere Paul established disciples, there was pushback from the community! Remember the story in Acts 17, “But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob and set…
Read MoreGod Desires All to Be Saved
by Edwin Crozier Text: I Timothy 2 Paul told Timothy to get his prayer life in order first. By extension, get the congregation praying first. Specifically, they were to pray for kings and those in high positions. By this means, they were to accomplish peace for the church. They were to pray for these rulers…
Read MoreQualities of a Christian Life
by David Gibson For years, I have taught that the balanced Christian life includes these four things: prayer, Bible study, fellowship with Christians, and involvement in the Lord’s work. And for even longer, I have sung the classic hymn “Take Time to Be Holy.” But then it dawned on me that this song includes all…
Read MoreCultivating a Taste for the Spiritual
by David Gibson When my wife Sara first tasted avocado when she was young, she thought it tasted like butter, and it did not appeal to her. But over time, she learned to enjoy it enough to put it in salads. My first memory of eating cheese was its strange, unfamiliar flavor. In time, I…
Read MoreWorks
by Terry Wane Benton In Romans 3-4 We are justified “by faith apart from the deeds of the Law” (Romans 3:28). To be justified by means of the deeds of the law, one would have to be perfect and never sin. Break one law and being justified by the deeds of the law is all…
Read MoreHorns of Destruction
Horns of Destruction (1)Horns of Destruction (2) by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Zechariah 1:18-21 I. Zechariah, at the end of Judah’s captivity, was given a vision of four horns A. Horns are used symbolically to represent power. 1. In particular, the horns represented the power of the nations around Judah (see verse 21) 2. II Kings 18:11-12 -…
Read MorePraying for the Dead: An Error That’s Creeping into the Lord’s Church
by James P. Needham via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995 More and more, we are hearing brethren at funerals pray for the dead. I recently heard a young preacher pray that God would receive the soul of a dead brother into paradise. Later, a sister who attended the funeral asked me about this.…
Read MoreFreedom Indeed
by Cheryl Bryan via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995 The issue of equality between the sexes is not new. As early as 1792, a British paper entitled “A Vindication of the Rights of Women״ challenged the notion that women exist only to please men. The writer proposed that women receive the same treatment…
Read MoreOfficers, But Not Gentlemen
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995 When God had finished his creative work with the fashioning of man, he declared that it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). This was because Satan had not entered the earthly scene to confound man and confuse him. Afterward, when the Devil did appear, man…
Read MoreThe Disease of Sin and Its Cures
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Disease-of-Sin-and-Its-Cure.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ezra 9:5-15 I. Ever since Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, sin has been a big problem for mankind. A. We just can’t seem to get away from it. You could almost look at it as a disease — a spiritual disease of the heart. B. Like any disease,…
Read MoreAre we saved by faith or through faith?
Question: Good day, Is it correct to say we are saved through personal faith and by faith? Thanks. Answer: The problem is that “by” and “through” are similar enough words in English that they are often used interchangeably. In Acts 15:9, Peter said God “made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by…
Read MoreThe Requiste Savior
by Dale Smelser via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995 Realization of what Christ accomplished on earth should increase our reverence and enhance our service. The reason for God’s son coming into the world was more complex than the need for someone innocent to be a sacrifice for the sins of others. It was…
Read MoreCivil Rights or Sinful Rights?
by Ron Nelson via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 The Centerfold is a gay and lesbian newspaper distributed in Central Florida. In the September 1992 edition, the managing editor had this to say in an article entitled, “Moral Breakdown or Value Readjustment, The 1992 Election”: “When the United States politicians speak about ’Family…
Read MoreDon’t Be Confused
by Garreth L. Clair via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 Today, there are approximately 300 different religious groups in the U.S.A. Since there are so many different religious grogps, many people are confused as to which is right and whether all are right, The truth of the matter is that Christ built only…
Read MoreFeeling Special
by Terry Wane Benton Why wouldn’t I, if I am thinking right? I am “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2). God’s elect are “his own special people” (I Peter 2:9). Everyone is not chosen. Many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16). If you are among the elect,…
Read MoreBuy the Truth and Do Not Sell It
by Bill Robinson There Is No Honorable Life Without Truth There is a verse in Proverbs that reads like a command given to a merchant. “Buy the truth, and do not sell it” (Proverbs 23:23). The picture is of a man at a market. He will pay whatever it costs to get the truth into…
Read MoreI refer to the La Vista webpages often
Question: Hello, I am just writing to thank you for your efforts in the vineyard. I refer to La Vista’s webpage often. It has so often answered questions, provided ideas for talks, classes, or sermons, and just provided disciples and those interested with a reliable, sound resource. Thank you very much. Blessings to you. Godspeed.…
Read MoreWas the Law of Moses Abolished?
by Samuel Matthews Loved ones, a great deal of confusion exists in the religious world concerning what spiritual law man is under today. Some say the old law still is binding—all of it. Others say that most of it has been abolished, but some of it is still in effect. Many simply pick and choose…
Read MorePersistent Awareness
by Zeke Flores “Command the sons of Israel that they bring you clear oil … to make a lamp burn continually” (Leviticus 24:2). The lamp in the tabernacle was to burn continually. It symbolized God’s presence and Israel’s ongoing worship. The people supplied the oil, and the priests kept the flame alive. There’s a picture…
Read MoreMy Burden Is Light
by Terry Wane Benton When Jesus said His burden is “light”, He did not mean that all of His commands were easier in nature than those under the Law of Moses, but that His are “light” because you are first “yoked” as a team and now you can “do all things through Christ who strengthens”…
Read MoreAppointed Times
by Zeke Flores “Yahweh’s appointed times … these are My appointed times” (Leviticus 23:2). Leviticus 23 outlines Israel’s festivals. These weren’t random holidays; they were God-designed rhythms that reminded the people of His goodness, His provision, and His presence. God built celebration, rest, and remembrance into their calendar. We need rhythms like that, too. Life…
Read MoreHow to Handle Romans 14
by Hugh DeLong In studying this chapter, the tendency that appears to me is to drag all disagreements among disciples into this context, including things specifically condemned by the scriptures. Yet, there are plain declarations in other scriptures that put boundaries on our understanding of the limits, at least some of them, on the application of Paul’s teaching here.…
Read MoreSovereignty and Predestination
by Terry Wane Benton The sovereignty of God would mean He controls what happens, but it does not mean He is always causing everything to happen. If God causes (directly) everything to happen a certain way: He causes us to think and do evil, sinful things. God denies this (James 1:13). We are not creatures…
Read MoreI Wonder About a Lot of Things
by Bill D. Hallstead via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 adapted from The Christian Chronicle, August 1994 I wonder why people who punish a child for lying will tell the same child, “Just say I’m not home.” I wonder why people who can get to work by 7:00 or 8:00 can’t get to church…
Read MoreConsecrated
by Zeke Flores “You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you, for I Yahweh, who sanctifies you, am holy” (Leviticus 21:8). Leviticus 21 focuses on the priests and the standards God set for them. These weren’t rules meant to crush them; they were reminders…
Read MoreThe God Who Does No Wrong
People have been railing at their Creator and Provider since Bible times. Accusing God “You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ By saying, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.’ Or by asking, ‘Where is the…
Read MoreLive Differently
by Zeke Flores “You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am Yahweh your God” (Leviticus 20:7). Leviticus 20 is intense. It lists serious sins and their consequences. But the heart behind it is God calling His people to live differently. Not because He wanted to scare them, but because He wanted to…
Read MoreThe Morman Church
by Samuel Matthews “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto…
Read MoreTherefore According to Romans 12
by Hugh DeLong “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what…
Read MoreThe Pulpit Belongs to the Gospel
by Bill Robinson A pulpit is a small piece of furniture that carries a large responsibility. It is not a stage for personal taste, not a platform for political conviction, not a podium for the latest cultural trend, and not a chair from which to dispense opinions about romance, relationships, or any of the thousand…
Read MoreBaptismal Regeneration?
by Terry Wane Benton I have been accused from time to time in believing in “baptismal regeneration” because I believe baptism is the moment of salvation (Mark 16:16; Colossians 2:12-13), remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16), and regeneration (Acts 2:38,41; Titus 3:5). But like many topics there is a misunderstanding because people have their own…
Read MoreCan One Work Toward His Salvation?
by Charles Spence via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). One of the most misunderstood teachings of the Bible is grace through faith. People have often cited Ephesians 2:8-9, excluding verse 10. The text is used to prove that man…
Read MoreIs the body in Ephesians the same as the church started in Acts 2?
Question: Good day, When Ephesians 3:6 says, “… gentiles are fellow heirs of the same body, does “same body” refer to the church that was started in Acts 2? I’m debating a millennialist who insists on using the KJV. The NIV puts it differently, and I agree with it. Answer: “And He put all things…
Read MoreOverconfidence and Doubt
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Overconfidence-And-Doubt.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Romans 14:22-23 I. Several correspondence that I have had contained similar questions: A. A woman who engaged in acts in the past that she knew were wrong said, “I have asked God for forgiveness and am trying to further my relationship with him, but I don’t feel I…
Read MoreGod Never Asked You to Hide Your Pain
by Nathan Ward via InLight Media What do you do with your sadness, grief, disappointment, anger, or confusion before God? Many Christians have been taught—explicitly or implicitly—to hide their negative emotions, put on a brave face, and “just have faith.” But when we open the pages of Scripture, we find something surprising: God’s people didn’t hide…
Read MoreHis People
by Hugh DeLong “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about…
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