Should Christians purchase dinners from denominational churches?
Question: Should Christians purchase dinners from denominational churches? Answer: Start by reading Should a Christian attend a university operated by a denomination? It covers many of the basic principles we need to discuss. The core question is: Does the purchase show support for the denomination and its teachings? For example, in a number of places,…
Read MoreIs Sincerity Enough?
by Jefferson David Tant A popular idea among many people when questioned about their religious beliefs is that sincerity is the final judge of what is right and wrong. So long as a person believes in Christ, whatever his practices or beliefs may be in regard to that faith, so long as he is sincere,…
Read MoreI’m having trouble resisting fornication
Question: Hi, I have been involved in sexual immorality and fornication in the past, but it is coming back to me. I would like to repent, but it’s tough. I have been messing around with escorts at massage parlors all my life. I really would like to repent. Answer: Resisting temptation is always difficult. “Be…
Read MoreChildren According to the Promise
by Matthew W. Bassford The wisdom and subtlety of God truly are beyond our comprehension. Sometimes, though, we are privileged to get a glimpse of it in the Scriptures. This is the case with the story of Abraham and his descendants in Genesis, which only makes sense in the light of its New-Testament explanation. For…
Read MoreChristians and the Arts
by Doy Moyer Worldviews and faith are expressed in many ways. We express them in the way that we work through our jobs, the way that we show ourselves as neighbors, and even in the way that we recreate. We are not afraid to show that we “serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:24). The challenge…
Read MoreDid Paul bring alms to all Jews or just Christians?
Question: Hello Jeffrey, The Apostle Paul in Acts 24:17 shows that he brought alms, supplied by churches, to his nation. Alms would be mercy benevolence to the poor of that region. The New Testament Greek word for “nation” in this passage is ethnos. Thayer defines this word as a multitude associated or living together. Louw & Nida’s Greek Lexicon…
Read MoreShould I continue a career that might take me where there is no church nearby?
Question: Good afternoon to the Church Of Christ in LaVista, I am a member of the Church of Christ. I thank God for your website and all of its content. Currently, I am in the military serving in the U.S Navy, I have a month before I have to make a decision as to whether…
Read MoreThe material on this website has great relevancy to our generation
Question: Greetings to you, sir, and to the church! The materials and subjects here on this website are of good timing and of great relevancy to our generation and especially to young evangelists like myself, who desire to grow in the knowledge of the truth so as to teach the whole counsel of God’s Word…
Read MoreIs sexual touching a public or private sin?
Question: This is a situation involving a Christian man and a woman. I have several questions. The man is married and his wife is still living. The woman’s husband has passed away. and she is now single. As friends, they became close. At times they have embraced each other. They also have touched each other…
Read MoreWere women forbidden to speak in Corinth because they were prostitutes?
Questions: I was told that women in the church of Corinth were prostitutes and that is why they couldn’t speak in the church. And that does not have anything to do with the other churches. Answer: “I was told” makes a useless source. The most detailed information we have about the church in Corinth comes…
Read MoreThere is too much to do and too little to do at the same time
Question: My wife and I are both fully retired. We moved to this rural community to help watch our grandkids. Life has been great until moving here. Now things are a little testy. The biggest problem, it seems, is that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, to do outside of babysitting. Our center has been the…
Read MoreYour articles shed light on some difficult topics
Question: Good morning, I just want to take a moment to say thank you. I minister at a small congregation. I have often read your articles on the La Vista Church of Christ website, for what I can confidently say is some years. They have been very helpful in shedding scriptural light on sometimes difficult…
Read MoreKnowing God
by Terry Wane Benton Just because one person does not know God, does not mean that nobody really knows God. The atheist and the skeptic do not know God, and they assume nobody can know God, but that is just their assumption based upon their own ignorance. Just because they don’t know God does not…
Read MoreIs it biblical to take a vacation?
Question: Dear Sir, Is it biblical to take a vacation from work? Thank you. Answer: Employment is governed by rules set by governments and the agreement between the employer and the employee. For example, under the Law of Moses, the Israelites were required to not work on Saturdays (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). They also had special religious…
Read MoreHow old is “young” in I Timothy 4:12?
Question: Hello brother, May I know who can be considered as young in the church based on I Timothy 4? Thank you. Answer: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (I Timothy 4:12). The Greek word neotetos simply…
Read MoreThe Freedom of Truth
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The-Freedom-of-Truth.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 8:30-59 I. Many began to believe on Jesus – John 8:30-31 A. Jesus said that if they would live in the words of Jesus, then they would truly be his disciples – John 8:32 1. Obedience to his teaching would cause them to know the truth. 2. Obedience leads to greater…
Read MoreThe Conclusion of the Whole Matter
by David R. Pharr Frank Sinatra was only 54 when he recorded his popular song, “I Did It My Way.” The song may imply his life was nearly over. “And now the end is near, So I face the final curtain.” The lyrics may suggest a full and mostly successful life, with emphasis on it…
Read MoreI Don’t Go There
by Jefferson David Tant People use many devices to mitigate or cancel out plain Bible teaching. This ancient practice can be traced to the Old Testament. Seven hundred years before Christ, Isaiah was dealing with a rebellious people. God told him: “Now go, write it on a tablet before them And inscribe it on a…
Read MoreHow to Stay Positive in a Negative World
by Hugh Fulford Christianity is both positive and negative. There are two gates: the wide and the narrow. To be saved, we must enter the narrow and avoid the wide (Matthew 7:13-14) There are two ways: the broad and the narrow. To be saved, we must walk in the narrow and stay out of the…
Read MoreThe Link Between Depression and Serotonin Questioned
Source: Joanna Moncrieff and Mark Horowitz, “Depression is probably not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain – new study,” The Conversation, 20 July 2022. [I’m posting this to demonstrate that even in areas where people have been certain of the answers, they find that things are not always as they seem to be -…
Read MoreWorshiping like the Psalms
by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, I saw an article by a professor of Old Testament studies in which he compared the content of the book of Psalms to the content of Top 25 Christian contemporary music. He observed that many of the most prominent themes of the Psalms, like God’s help for the…
Read MoreHow far do we help with the wedding of a young man who got a girl pregnant?
Question: Hello brother, how are you? I have a question for you, but first, let me give you some context. I am a Spanish-speaking minister who works with an English-speaking church that meets in the same building. There is a sister in the church who has always come to church. She has a son that used…
Read MoreWhat is “cowardly”?
Question: Hi Jeff, Can you tell me what the “cowardly” is referring to in Revelation 21:8? Thank you! Answer: The Greek word deilos refers to someone who is fearful or timid. It is the type of fear caused by a lack of faith. “He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?'” (Matthew…
Read MoreFreedom in Christ (Floyd)
Freedom in Christ (Part 1)Freedom in Christ (Part 2) by Garry Floyd
Read MoreDoing Our Duty
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/DoingOurDuty.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 17:1-10 I. Many denominations today struggle with the concept of obeying God. A. Oh, they give lip service to the concept, but they find it appalling that anything we do affects our salvation B. Most claim that all that is needed is faith and God does the rest. C. Some realize…
Read MoreThe Importance of One Another
by Doy Moyer Christians share together a bond in Christ. We often stress the need for personal responsibility and individual accountability, yet we should also see that Christianity is built upon a “one another” model. God did not intend for us to walk alone in our journey of serving the Lord. This is demonstrated through…
Read MoreAnchor Points
by Doy Moyer With so many reports of people losing their faith, we might wonder if there is anything to hold onto to anchor us down when we have doubts, questions, and deep concerns. We must not be dismissive of concerns, but allow the questions to be asked, never thinking that they are to be…
Read MoreI think you misused some verses in “Careful What You Say”
Question: This is something I think can be especially difficult among the churches of Christ just because of our tradition. There is a very popular way of reading the Bible in the churches of Christ that goes way back to our roots and the reasoning is that a belief or practice can only be authorized…
Read MoreWhat is consecration?
Question: Hello brother Jeffrey, I have a question for you. Biblically speaking what is consecration? I noticed that this word had multiple definitions. Answer: The Hebrew word qadhash means “to be holy.” Thus, it refers to things or people dedicated to God or set apart for use in service to God. “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first…
Read MoreIs this appropriate clothing for worship?
Question: Good morning, Can you come to worship dressed like this? Over here it happens, but we are not in Africa. We are in Europe. This person has been a member of the congregation for decades and has his citizenship here in this country. His African tribal costume leaves a part of his chest completely…
Read MoreHagar and Exclusion
by Matthew W. Bassford This became apparent last week when we studied the use of the story of Lot by Jesus and Peter. Today, gospel preachers like to bag on Lot. They condemn him for “pitching his tent towards Sodom” and point to the corruption of his family with grim satisfaction. By contrast, the New…
Read MoreA Lifelong Process
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A-Lifelong-Process.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreWhat It Means to be a Child of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/What-It-Means-to-be-a-Child-of-God.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreShould I marry a man who is less educated than I am?
Question: Good evening, I need counsel. I am a 28-year-old African lady, a Christian with a degree in Nursing Science, and currently working as a Registered Nurse in my country. I have deliberately mentioned my African origin, education, and professional qualification because my concern is around this aspect. I was raised in a Christian home with…
Read MoreThe Bible Is Right
by Terry Wane Benton It is right because it not only claims to be the word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17) but because it proves to be the word of God. How? It is the only book that was written over a 1500-year period by 40 different writers of various backgrounds, but who wrote about…
Read MoreThoughts and Prayers
by Matthew W. Bassford People in our society say lots of dumb things. Surely among the most foolish, though, are the denials of the power of prayer. This usually comes up after mass shootings, when conservatives send “thoughts and prayers” on behalf of the victims’ families. In reply, progressives sneer that thoughts and prayers aren’t…
Read MoreThe Sin of Sodom
by Matthew W. Bassford The most famous example of homosexual activity in the entire Bible occurs in the early part of Genesis 19. There, two angels in human form come to the city of Sodom and pretend to be travelers seeking hospitality. The patriarch Lot invites them into his home, but at evening, the men…
Read MoreTent-Making Preachers
by Andy Sochor God’s design is that those who dedicate their lives to preaching the gospel receive full support for that work. Paul told the church in Corinth, “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:14). However, one who preaches may not always…
Read MoreYou should have trained counselors to answer questions about abuse
Question: [The original question was left unedited since the author feels qualified to comment on other people’s educational background.] I think the way you handled a question by someone who was abused who asked if they were still a virgin was awful. You need to train or have Christian counsellors answer those questions as no…
Read MoreA Good Mate
A Good Mate – Part 1A Good Mate – Part 2A Good Mate – Part 3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 3:1-7 I. Introduction A. Many, if not most people, spend a fair chunk of their life trying to reach a decision regarding who they will marry B. Sadly, most leave this important choice to…
Read More