How to Find a Church
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/How-to-Find-a-Church.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreThe Impenitent
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The-Impenitent.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 26:1-15 I. Jeremiah was told to warn the people of the doom that was approaching them A. God thought there might be chance that the people would change – Jeremiah 26:2-3 B. Did they respond? Yes, but not in the right way – Jeremiah 26:8-9 C. Jeremiah again reminded them that…
Read MoreResponding to Other’s Comments
by Doy Moyer Among the works of the flesh are strife, outbursts of anger, dissensions, and divisions (Galatians 5:20). There seems to be a great deal of this in the world, and that should not surprise us. But there also seems to be much of this among those claiming to follow Christ. I’d like to…
Read MoreHow do I help my niece who is coming out as agnostic and gay?
Question: Today, my niece confided in me about coming out as an agnostic and a gay to her parents. As most coming-out stories are, she was met with disapproval from her parents as they were members of a conservative denominational church. She is distressed by this, causing her to be emotionally and mentally distressed; hence,…
Read MoreFinding a Home
by Joanne Beckley Thinking back on Sunday, worshiping at Tshiredzheni (South Africa), I couldn’t help but reflect on the trend I see in our increasingly desired larger congregations in America, with their well-dressed worshippers in their beautiful buildings — and making comparisons . . . Here I was sitting in a building, being built little…
Read MoreI’m using your illustrations in an adult Bible study
Question: I want to thank you and bless you for posting these Bible illustrations on the internet. I am teaching a class for adults who know next to nothing about the Bible and did not grow up with these wonderful stories of our fathers in the faith. I am using three each of Joseph, Moses,…
Read MoreLifting Up Holy Hands
by Terry Wane Benton Does I Timothy 2:8 enjoin upon men a physical prayer posture? I am not so convinced. While I agree that there are verses in the Old Testament that show this posture was sometimes used, there was no ruling that it was expected, and certainly, no set pattern that this was always…
Read MoreLetters of Commendation
by Terry Wane Benton The question is not about coming to Christ and being added to His one universal body. The Lord adds to that church (Acts 2:47). But, the Lord does not add us to a particular local congregation. We have to “join” those local disciples (Acts 9:26). There must be intent and desire…
Read MoreDo Not Be Lazy
by Joe R. Price “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!’ As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed. The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his…
Read MoreHow can we be of one blood if we have different blood types?
Question: I have a question sir. According to Acts 17:26, He has made us from one blood. But nowadays why are there changes in our blood groups and genotypes? Answer: Each individual has two sets of genes. Depending on the combination of those genes, we have different features, such as the color tone of our…
Read MoreHow do you find so many people to post such in-depth articles daily?
Question: While surfing the net, I discovered your postings. I read them with great interest. Are you affiliated with any particular church denomination? How can you find so many qualified people to post on-target and in-depth articles daily? I doubt they have a full-time job anywhere else. Answer: The church is not part of a…
Read MoreIs having OCD or anxiety a sin?
Question: Hi, I know you write quite a bit about OCD. I have had a diagnosis of it for well over half my life and sometimes it gets pretty bad. My questions are: As it’s anxiety or worry, is it a sin? Even writing this is a result of worry so is it a wilful…
Read MoreManasseh’s Repentance
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Manassehs-Repentance.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 21:1-9 I. There is a simple fact, which so many people have a hard time accepting – Ezekiel 18:20-24 A. Do people really change? B. Can they really be forgiven? C. Oh, you don’t understand, I’ve done such terrible things that God would never forgive me of them. II. Manasseh was…
Read MoreRepentance (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Repentance.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 7:8-11 I. In any pursuit, people develop jargon A. The jargon speeds up communication with people in the same group but can be confusing to outsiders because they don’t know the definition of words B. Christianity is no different. We sometimes forget what it is like for someone who…
Read MoreOn the Open Sea
by Jefferson David Tant It is midnight as I begin writing — midnight on the open sea. Most of the ship’s passengers are asleep as we move quietly through the water. I just stepped outside in the brisk night air and scanned the star-studded heavens. What a clear view of God’s creation — the myriad…
Read MoreThe Deadly Church Mask
by Matthew W. Bassford This is about masking in church, but not the kind you think. I have zero desire to return to the debates from two years ago about covering our faces with bits of paper and cloth! Instead, I am concerned with the invisible masks that we put on to conceal our true…
Read MoreHow do we take every thought captive?
Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, It’s me again. I hope you have been doing well, and thank you by the way for your previous response. There’s a question that’s been on my mind for a while now that I’d like to ask. Does the idea of “taking every thought captive to God”, or “thinking upon things…
Read MoreCan We All See the Bible Alike?
by Jefferson David Tant Religious division exists on every hand. In every city and village, buildings are erected as monuments to religion. Some say this is good, but the bottom line is that this represents confusion and division. There are multiplied thousands of sects or denominations within what is called “Christianity.” This division is confusing…
Read MoreAre we not to support organizations that do good?
Question: Dear Sir: I have been reading your website for a long time and gaining much knowledge from it. I am puzzled though about how we as Christians are to meet the expectations of Matthew 25:31-46. If we are not to support organizations, such as the Salvation Army, is there a recommended method to contribute…
Read MoreTradition, Feeling, and Scripture
by Doy Moyer Tradition is basically what has been handed down for the next generation to believe and practice. There is nothing wrong with that. Teachings and practices are meant to be passed down. Indeed, tradition is necessary and unavoidable, and no one is without traditions of some kind (including any who claim to dislike…
Read MoreThe Other Side of Church History
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/The-Other-Side-of-Church-History.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: I Timothy 4:1-3 I. When we study the history of the church since its beginnings, we tend to follow the paths of the major divisions. A. Thus we see the rise of Catholicism as innovation after innovation is accepted, the splits over those innovations which led to the…
Read MoreAre people with OCD double-minded?
Question: I am now 73 years old and have struggled with severe OCD since I was about 12 years old. I am a member of the church of Christ and have worried about the obsessive/compulsive thoughts that I have from having religious scrupulosity. I have read some of your very helpful advice and have listened…
Read MoreGiven to Change
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Given-to-Change.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 24:21-22 I. For many people, trying out something new is exciting. You don’t know exactly what the result will be, which is part of the fun A. So we try out new restaurants or travel to places we’ve never been before B. Some changes are fun, but not always. For…
Read MoreEvidence for Mark’s Longer Ending
by Perry Hall Should we accept Mark’s longer ending (Mark 16:9-20), or instead concur with a popular scholarly conclusion that verse 8 is the proper ending? Here I will present one argument for why I think the longer ending is fitting to Mark’s gospel. Notice the claim: “the longer ending is fitting to Mark’s gospel”.…
Read MoreEvolution’s Missing Fossils
by Jon Gary Williams The idea of an evolving scale of life has been around for more than two thousand years — from the time of Thales, Anaximander, and Empedocles. Yet it was not until the days of Charles Darwin that the idea began to take on any essence of science. Men such as Jean-Baptiste…
Read MoreFlippancy Toward Reproduction
by Andy Diestelkamp Undoubtedly the invention of the birth control pill fueled “the sexual revolution.” The prospect of sexual experience without “consequences” gave women what some men imagined that they already “enjoyed” – freedom! Freedom from responsibilities and the burdens that come with them. Yet, this stereotypical flippant male mentality which imagines personal freedom from the…
Read MoreEarly Christians Speak Concerning Assembling
by Ron Halbrook The early saints speak to us in both word and deed regarding their assemblies. Their narrative is rich with lessons for us today if only we have hearts to hear. Let us review and reflect upon the record of their meetings in the book of Acts in the first century, and a…
Read MoreThe Black Type in the Red-Letter Edition of the New Testament
by Garry Smalley Of course, it is extremely disturbing to read or hear destructive criticisms toward the Holy Bible as unbelievers state disparaging comments regarding the reliability of the God-breathed writings (II Timothy 3:16; cf. II Peter 1:16-21; I Corinthians 2:12-13). But even among Christians, there are some who seek to diminish the authority of…
Read MoreTraditionalists and Progressives
by Gardner Hall There are two opposite but equally harmful attitudes among churches I know: The Overly Compliant Spirit It’s the spirit that accepts without question whatever leaders or church traditions have historically taught. It declares, “my family has been in this church for years, and whatever they say is what I am going to…
Read MoreTalking with Your Neighbor
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton (Short Talk) Text: Zechariah 8:16-17 I. Undoubtedly there are evil people around us A. There are people who plot the harm of others, even though it disrupts the safety of those around them – Proverbs 3:29 B. This was one of the many problems that led to Israel’s downfall – Micah 2:1-3 C. Typically…
Read MoreGood Neighbors
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Good-Neighbors.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 12:16-21 I. Putting off the old man A. When we become a Christian, we are supposed to become a new person – II Corinthians 5:17 B. We are supposed to have the mind of Christ – Philippians 2:5 C. That isn’t so hard when everything goes well D. But 19th century English…
Read MoreThe Sin of Small Churches
by Mike Thomas It is not uncommon for people to measure a church’s success solely by the numbers it has in attendance. One of the first things I am asked when people learn I am a preacher is how big the church is where I attend. They will then use this as a benchmark for…
Read MoreThe Sin of Self-Righteousness
by Steven Harper Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of the first century, often because they had a too-high view of themselves. When He was at the house of Simon [a Pharisee], a woman who was known to be a sinner came in and began to wash His feet with her tears, wiping them dry with…
Read MoreThe Words of Jesus (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer The recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ is integrally linked to His word as recorded in Scripture: “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:48). The only way we know…
Read MoreThe Contagion of Emotions
by Terry Wane Benton At Ephesus, there was a stirring of emotions causing the idolatrous people to start a long series of chants and emotional outbursts of “Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:34). This constant chant went on for two hours. There was a contagion of emotions, and perhaps the fervor for Diana…
Read MoreJoyful Devotion
by George Slover “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold…
Read MoreIs it normal for an eight-year-old boy to be touching himself?
Question: We have custody of an 8-year-old boy. During the first six years of his life, he was exposed to drugs, sex, filthy language, compulsive lying, and a lot of antisocial behavior from his mother and other adults in his life. He frequently puts his hands down his pants out in the open, and I…
Read MoreI caught my 8-year-old son looking at homosexual porn
Question: Recently I discovered my 8-year-old son had been looking up gay porn. He was very honest when I confronted him. He told me he started looking at these images two years ago. I am devastated that I did not protect him from porn in general but the male search made it ten times harder…
Read MoreChurch Snake Handlers
by Terry Wane Benton I am sorry that a preacher died due to his misunderstanding of the promise of Jesus in Mark 16:15-20. But, the promise was to the apostles who had just been rebuked for “their” unbelief. The miracles that would “follow” those apostles who believed included the promise of protection from taking up…
Read MoreThe Scheme of Redemption
by Bryan Vinson The Scheme of Redemption in Prophecy The Scheme of Redemption in Type The Scheme of Redemption in Preparation The Scheme of Redemption in Perfection and Presentation
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