The History of the La Vista Church of Christ
The La Vista Church of Christ was established in September of 1971. There were two families living in the area and they met for a time in the home of Ken and Rita Hirshey and their children. The other family was Wally and Nellie Bates and their children. Ken worked in a government position and Wally…
Read MoreThe “Come as You Are” Method of Church Growth
by Mike Johnson Churches want to grow in number, but, sadly, many improper methods are used by churches today to increase their membership. One of these is the “Come as You Are” method. This method of growth is prevalent today in denominationalism. Slogans such as “God loves you no matter what” or “We don’t judge…
Read MoreHow do I keep my virginity without him cheating on me?
Question: Good evening, I am a new member. Please, I am 20 years old and a virgin. I have a fiance who promised to marry me, He is always asking me to come to his place. Is it advisable? Answer: When I teach young people about sexual matters, I give extra emphasis to the young…
Read MoreWould God bless our marriage after living together?
Question: Hello! Thank you for answering so many important questions. My boyfriend and I have been together for 2 years, and we weren’t Christians when we started dating. In the last few months, our faith has shifted and we are trying to clean our lives up. We are not married, but we are living together…
Read MoreUnconditional Love?
by Terry Benton in Answering Religious Error, April 15, 2015 That God’s love is “unconditional” means one thing to one person and a different thing to someone else. The Bible does not use the expression “unconditional love” but does imply it. God “so loved” the world (John 3:16). That would mean that love is what…
Read MoreIf There Be Any Virtue
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/If-There-Be-Any-Virtue.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 7:14-25 I. One of the educational fads is “values clarification” A. Government run schools have a problem. 1. It is good for society to have morally good citizens, but the whole concept of morality assumes a standard of right and wrong that is greater than mankind. 2. How do you teach…
Read MorePersecution in Europe
Source: Joy Pullman, “In Case With Global Implications, Finland Puts Christians On Trial For Their Faith,” The Federalist, 23 November 2021. “Rasanen’s alleged crimes in a country that claims to guarantee freedom of speech and religion include tweeting a picture of a Bible verse. Potential penalties if they are convicted include fines and up to two years…
Read MoreProgressive Christians
Source: Trevin Wax, “3 Surprises from New Research on ‘Progressive’ and ‘Conservative’ Christians,” The Gospel Coalition, 9 November 2021. “In defining conservative and progressive Christians, the authors use theological rather than political criteria. Individuals who believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and say Jesus is the only path to salvation are conservative Christians.…
Read MoreNow Thank We All Our God
by Cloyce Sutton II The “Thirty Years’ War” (1618-1648) was a devastating European conflict centered in what’s now Germany. It began as a power struggle between Protestant and Catholic forces within the Holy Roman Empire but spread among various factions throughout Europe, eventually drawing in much of Central Europe, including Spanish, Swedish, French, Dutch, Croatian,…
Read MoreHigh Priest Before AD 70
by Terry Wane Benton Our AD 70 Hyper Preterists claim that the kingdom came in AD 70 and that Jesus did not begin His reign until that point in time when the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem in AD 70. Further, they have two laws and two systems operating from AD 30-70. They have both…
Read MoreI know God has been keeping me with my boyfriend, so am I wrong to stay?
Question: Praise the Lord, I’m an 18 years old Christian girl and am dating a Muslim boy who’s 22 years old now. We have been in a relationship for two years now. We are deeply in love and are planning to get married after two years when I am done with my college. About my…
Read MoreDifficult Times and Difficult People
by Doy Moyer Predators prey on gullible people when they think they spot an opportunity. This is one of the points of II Timothy 3:1-9. The difficult times in this context, though spoken of as future, included the time in which Paul was writing (note the present tense in II Timothy 3:6). These difficult times…
Read MoreChariots of Fire
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Chariots-of-Fire.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 6:8-23 I. Ben-hadad, king of Syria, caused much grief for the northern kingdom of Israel A. He made many raids into Israel, but he soon ran into problems B. While his strategies were planned in top-secret, the king of Israel always seemed to know them in advance and had…
Read MoreCan violence and wars end?
Question: We usually hear of killings, fighting, and wars, each and every day these days. All of us would love it if these would end. The question is: Can these acts of violence and wars end? Answer: “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage…
Read MoreMy Conscience
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/My-Conscience.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 4:1-5 I. Defining your conscience A. A part of every human is an awareness of what he should do in various situations B. Your conscience does not determine what is right or wrong 1. That is what judgment is for. 2. Righteous judgment is done by God’s wisdom – Proverb 8:12-17…
Read MoreWhat do you do about an adult child who remains a homosexual?
Question: If a child, who is an adult, wants to live a homosexual life, does not want to listen to God’s word, and does not claim to be a Christian, can a parent still talk to them? Can they visit their parents? Can they have a meal together? The parents are members of the Lord’s…
Read MoreI don’t want to be sorry for the wrong reasons
Question: I was raised Catholic and have not been baptized yet as an adult. For repentance do we need to go back and set everything right before being forgiven? Must we confess every lie we ever told to every person? Or is asking God to forgive us enough? And to move on from our past.…
Read MoreExamining the Great Commission
by Jefferson David Tant Among the most familiar Bible passages that are known and memorized, are the words Christ spoke to his disciples before he returned to his home that he left 33 years before. There is more to the passage than memorized words, and we want to give some thought to what Christ said.…
Read MoreRecent Evidence Shows?
by Warren E. Berkley Several years ago scientists (especially in the behavior field) formed a research team. The simple question to be studied was: What can be done for people who are depressed? Not severe depression that has some physiological cause. Just people who visit a therapist and they present symptoms of depression; functional but…
Read MoreAre surrogacy and invitro-fertilization sinful?
Question: Good morning sir, I want to ask about the biblical principle on surrogacy and IVF. To me, since it involves the termination of an embryo, it seems wrong and more like a scientific abortion. I’ll be glad if you can shed more light on this, sir. Thank you. Answer: Like many things, surrogacy and…
Read MoreIs the second coming the last promise to be fulfilled?
Question: Is the second coming of Christ the last prophecy to be fulfilled? Answer: The judgment comes after the second coming. Heaven or hell awaits after the judgment (II Peter 3:13; I John 2:25). Thus, there are other promises that happen after the second coming.
Read MoreDid the vows I made in my head marry me to someone else?
Question: Hi! Before I married the love of my life, I would read stories online where the reader would marry either a character or a real person in the stories. I cannot remember if any of these stories included vows that I may have read and given in my head as I read. I struggled…
Read MoreSpiritual Thoughts, Spiritual Words
by Matthew W. Bassford The fundamental question of our faith is whether the Bible is the inspired word of God. If it is, we can rely on its contents. If it isn’t, everything we believe in, from the creation to the resurrection, is built on a foundation of sand instead of rock. Not surprisingly, then,…
Read MoreLet’s Be Reasonable
by Ken Green “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5 ESV). “Let’s be reasonable, shall we?” We don’t usually say (or hear) those words till we’re in a conflict that has escalated well beyond reasoning. Paul says we should be known for being reasonable. It starts with rejecting…
Read MoreWhat are some practical ways to spread the gospel?
Question: Good morning Brother Hamilton, I’d like to design a flyer to distribute in my hometown to inform people about our congregation. We live in a rural area that has numerous churches, and many of the churches of Christ are institutional. The few non-institutional congregations are small and shrinking. Your website’s home page is a…
Read MoreHow much confidence do I need in God?
Question: Mr. Hamilton I have another question I’d like to ask concerning some scripture I’ve been recently pondering and trying to understand. “But with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into…
Read MoreIs leisure travel wrong?
Question: Dear brother, Do you think there is anything wrong with a Christian traveling for leisure? When traveling it is impossible to be involved in your local congregation’s work. Also, it is very hard to evangelize to anyone when you are never in one place very long and cannot form relationships. I almost feel guilty…
Read MoreA Psalm of Penitence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/A-Psalm-of-Penitence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 51:10-17 I. There are several psalms which deal with sorrow over sin and repentance: Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, and 143. A. The context is given at the beginning of Psalm 51 B. David was a man dedicated to God. 1. Though he was told at an early age that…
Read MoreLessons from the Reign of Asa
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Lessons-from-the-Reign-of-Asa-1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Kings 15:8-24 I. Asa’s reign was the third in Judah since the great division of Israel during the reign of Rehoboam A. His father, Abijam, only reigned three years. 1. Abijam was not a good king as the Lord counts goodness – I Kings 15:3 2. In fact, the most notable…
Read MoreBefore We Post
by Doy Moyer Before we post, before we respond, before we engage, before we meme, before we act… Let this passage sink in: “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should…
Read MoreMy preacher oversees several congregations. What do I do?
Question: God bless you for your detailed explanation of congregational cooperation. However, I’m still confused. My preacher is an overseer of many local congregations in our community. He appoints the preachers of such congregations, takes their offerings, sets up their church buildings, and makes decisions and policies for them. Unfortunately, we don’t have elders in…
Read MoreAre good works the result of salvation?
Question: Are good works the result of salvation? I was in a discussion earlier with someone of the Baptist faith who used Ephesians 2:10 to say that good works are the result of salvation and not required for salvation since Paul is referring to us being saved in Ephesians 2:8-9, then immediately talks about how…
Read MoreAm I teaching my own doctrine?
Question: Jeffrey, I had a recent conversation with a Baptist about the plan of salvation. He was of the once saved always saved group. I suppose they are somewhat different than the Freewill Baptists? Anyhow, in teaching baptism for the remission of sins to this fellow, along with the truth that a Christian can fall…
Read MoreI am a Christian
By Cecil May, Dean Emeritus, Faulkner University College of Biblical Studies, in the October 2019 Gospel Advocate I am a disciple of Christ; I seek to learn from Him and follow Him…but I am not a Disciple of Christ. I am a methodist; I try to follow the biblical method…but I am not a Methodist.…
Read MoreCalvinism in Romans 9
by Matthew W. Bassford If there is any passage in the Bible that Calvinists love, it is Romans 9:6-24. Upon a casual reading, it seems to confirm the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. It talks at great length about God’s mercy and God’s choice being the deciding factors in human existence, and in the context, Paul…
Read MoreAre there different gospels?
Question: Hello, I have been seeing more and more about the Kingdom Gospel vs the Gospel of Grace. Dispensationalism is becoming very popular on YouTube, and people are actually turning toward this teaching. I have seen comments that the churches of Christ intertwine the kingdom gospel and the grace gospel. Basically, they are saying that…
Read MoreCan I borrow your material?
Question: Brother Hamilton, I hope this note finds you well. I am a minister and also serve as an elder in the church. I really appreciate your web page very much as it is very encouraging to me. Thank you for your efforts. I have a question. Are you OK with my borrowing from your…
Read MoreThe Harvest Is Past
by Jarrod Jacobs “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20 KJV). In context, these words were spoken by people desperate for someone to deliver them from the consequences of their decisions. Some Bible versions even use phrases like “we have not been delivered,” “rescued,” and “we have…
Read MoreEncouragement
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Encouragement.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreDoes Sin Trouble Us?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Does-Sin-Trouble-Us.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
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