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How can there be love in heaven when sinners are in hell?
Question: Good Evening, Thank you so much for all the resources included on the La Vista Church of Christ website. My son and I have been using these articles for years. Unfortunately, my son is now a wayward Christian, and he asked me the following questions in a recent Bible study that we did together. Can…
Read MoreI really don’t want to preach
Question: Dear Sir, Firstly, I would like to thank you for all your time and effort to put up all this material. I have been reading your questions and answers for a while now, and it helps a lot. It has come a time now, that I would write to you concerning an issue I…
Read MoreIs it wrong to share a place with a person of the opposite sex?
Question: Hello Jeffrey, I’m always so thankful to have you answering my questions biblically! Here soon I’m thinking about moving to another state. I am in need of some change. I don’t have a whole lot of money. There is a person who has offered to let me stay with him and split the bills.…
Read MoreIsn’t there a textual variation in II Peter 3:10?
Question: Dear Sirs. I have read your Web page critiquing the NWT of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Very interesting. May I just address just one of the scripture places you examined, namely II Peter 3:10? It seems you think the NWT mistranslates it here. But they did not as the verb they translated, which appears in the…
Read MoreWhat if someone has no good qualities?
Question: Hi Jeff, I was looking again over your sermon “Ten Rules for Improving the Church,” and one point states: “Consciously look for the good qualities in every brother or sister in Christ. When you think of a brother or sister, make a mental note of the good points each possesses.” I had an individual…
Read MoreDid you see that Pope Francis told Catholics not to convert nonbelievers?
Question: Did you see that Pope Francis told Catholics not to convert nonbelievers? Answer: I’m not a fan of Roman Catholic beliefs, but I also believe that people’s positions should be accurately presented. The claim that appeared in numerous places, such as the World Net Daily, said, “Pope warns followers of Jesus not to convert…
Read MoreWe feel disconnected from our congregation
Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, Thanks for all your help. A few years ago I first wrote to you about a liberal preacher coming into our congregation and we eventually had to leave. The preacher was eventually dismissed. But we searched out and are attending a sound congregation but do not feel connected. We have tried…
Read MoreHow do we best handle customers bringing alcohol to our restaurant?
Question: We recently inherited a business in Mexico. It’s a hotel and restaurant. We are looking into the possibility of selling it. But our trips to Mexico to tend to the estate of our father have led us to preach in the area and started a congregation. We do not sell or allow alcohol on…
Read MoreDoes God direct our lives?
Question: I have appreciated your website and the answers you share from the truth of God’s word. I thought maybe you could help me with this: A friend is telling me that God reveals things to us about what to do about jobs, health, etc. In the sense that God directs our path, I suppose…
Read MoreDoes it matter who performs a wedding?
Question: Hello, My fiancé and I have planned a destination wedding. The wedding package we purchased has an officiant included. I mention this because the planner stated that they have their preferred vendors meaning we potentially cannot reach out to the local church and ask a minister to marry us. We are members of the…
Read MoreHow can angels eat?
Question: Dear Brother in Christ, Can you please explain Genesis 18:8 where it says Abraham offered them a calf, curds, and milk and they ate. Thanks. Answer: Before Abraham meets the three strangers, we were told that the Lord appeared to Abraham (Genesis 18:1). As the story progresses, one of the men begins to be…
Read MoreShould I marry my fiance, who is not a practicing Christian?
Question: Should I marry my fiancé? My fiancé and I have been dating for 7 years. I was 17 when I met him and living a worldly life (partying, drinking, smoking, cursing) I entered my relationship with my current fiancé because he answered this question: “Are you Christian?” and his answer was “yes.” He grew…
Read MoreWhat is meant by “Christ died for our sins?”
Question: The Bible says that Christ died for our sins. Does this mean that he died for the forgiveness of our sins? Answer: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3). The English word “for” is used…
Read MoreDo you fellowship with someone who left the church?
Question: If someone leaves the church and you try to encourage them to come back, are you to fellowship with them? Answer: Fellowship describes the state of a relationship between two people. It is like the word “friendship.” Friends do things together, but just because you do something with another person, it doesn’t make you…
Read MoreDo I keep fighting for my daughter?
Question: Firstly, thank you for your ministry. Your doctrine is thoroughly biblical, honors God, and gives Him the glory. God is surely using you to help others through His word so may God continue to bless it and you. A brief summary of my situation and then my question. I will attempt to keep this…
Read MoreI’ve been accused of using witchcraft
Question: I have been with my boyfriend for five years. Last Sunday he went to church and the pastor told him that I used witchcraft to bind him to me. He also said that I never loved nor respected my boyfriend. He said that I was using our daughter as a link to bond us…
Read MoreDo these fall under grace or mercy?
Question: First of all, know that your website has been so very helpful in my journey to mature in Christ. I am struggling with recognizing sins that will keep me out of heaven. Below are a few examples: At a counter there is a sign out to take 1 face mask, I take 2 or…
Read MoreWhy is Anna considered a prophetess?
Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, I have a question regarding Luke 2:36-38. I know that as Luke writes his part of the Gospel, Christianity has not started yet. So, there are possible cases of prophets still around. I wanted to know how Anna is considered a prophetess. Answer: “And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter…
Read MoreMy wife refuses to be intimate with me
Question: I have been married for almost 15 years. I love her to the end of the world. She is going through menopause and it’s been two years since entering her. We have had years of good sex that didn’t involve intercourse but all of a sudden she said it’s a sin and I am frustrated.…
Read MoreI don’t feel like a true Christian
Question: I am 27 years old, I’ve gone to church all my life but never felt like a Christian. I made the decision to become one and live right. (I was baptized as well.) Does it take a while to become a true Christian? I don’t feel like one — like a true one –…
Read MoreIs Romans 8:35 about our love for Christ or Christ’s love for us?
Question: Hello, I am going over some studies on the Perseverance of the Saints. I came across one site that stated Romans 8:35 was talking of our love for God and not His love for us. Do you have any insights on this? Answer: In the Greek text, “from the love of Christ” (apo…
Read MoreAre surgically based contraceptives wrong?
Question: Is it OK for Christians to use contraceptives and birth control methods such as ligation and vasectomy? There are some people in the church who have second thoughts on the usage of birth control, specifically ones that are surgical. The argument is that surgery such as ligation and vasectomy alter the body and we are…
Read MoreIf adultery dissolves a marriage, why can’t the guilty party remarry?
Question: Good afternoon, I have a question that has been on my mind for some time. I’m hoping that you can shed some light, with scripture, to help me better understand. I know where I used to stand on this subject, but then I changed my mind. I still look back and wonder, so I…
Read MoreGood points made!
Question: I found a sermon on the site entitled “Ten Rules for Improving the Church”. I just wanted to let you know that I found it to be very helpful, and have passed it along to others. You had really good points in there! Answer: I am glad to hear that you found it useful.
Read MoreIt seems impossible to abstain from all evil
Question: I think about the verse ‘Abstain from all evil.’ I feel it’s impossible, and I can’t even try to be perfect. Does it sound like I don’t have enough faith? Answer: What frequently happens is that people hear a verse but subtly change it in their memory. I Thessalonians 5:21-22 says, “But examine everything…
Read MoreIt is so hard to escape the sin in the world
Question: Hello there. I have just gotten back into church again and I have been studying the Bible. Almost everything I watch has cuss words in them. I want to buy a language blocker for all my streaming services. It will block out bad language and nudity. Will that still be wrong? Maybe I’m just…
Read MoreI want to apologize for using your lessons without giving credit
Question: Good morning, I have used some of your sermon outlines and it was pointed out to me that I was not giving the authors of the sermons credit. I sometimes tweak them and sometimes have just followed the outline. I have been accused of plagiarism for doing this. That was not my intention. I…
Read MoreShould we abstain from the Internet and TV?
Question: The congregation where I attend was discussing the book of Joshua the other day. We were talking about the conquest of the promised lands. While the Israelites conquered the land, they did not destroy all like they were told to do. Later these people that were not destroyed about every 20 years came back…
Read MoreIsn’t renting facilities for worship a necessary inference?
Question: Regarding “Necessary Inference,” I am amused at the simplicity of learning that necessary inference promotes. Necessary inference doesn’t add anything to the equation but simply brings together all of the elements whether in the stated equation or the equation as a whole. For example Lydia. If it had stated some of the people within…
Read MoreDoes “Setting Boundaries” apply to marriages?
Question: Good morning, I read “Setting Boundaries” and noticed how it’s applied to children. What if, and I say this will all do respect as I can as a wife, but what if I have a husband who acts like this? Do these principles still apply to a husband? This has to be the most…
Read MoreIf you knew Hebrew, you would see more than what is stated in the translations
Question: In reference to Is “Christian” supposed to be “natsarim”? “Your friend likes to think of himself as superior because he knows a little bit of Hebrew. As you noted, the Bible proves his various positions wrong. Knowledge of God’s teaching does not require knowing Hebrew or Greek. You can understand what God said by reading…
Read MoreHow does copyright work with translated songs?
Question: I would like to seek your guidance, brother, regarding the translation of English hymns into another language. Here in the local congregation where I belong, we are working on a project to create a new hymnal (words only) where the text is in a local dialect. All of my work (written or translated) are…
Read MoreWhy would God give a law that had to be taken away?
Question: You shared this verse: “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:24-26). After the tutor…
Read MoreWhen does discipline become abuse?
Question: When does discipline cross the line and become abuse? My cousin hit her son in the chest with a closed fist as a form of discipline. It was her non-dominant hand and not with full force. Admittedly, her son has behavior issues and didn’t seem too fazed by my cousin’s actions aside from holding…
Read MoreYou are one of my most visited sites when I am studying for my classes
Question: Hello, I just wanted to thank you again for your website. I loved the articles, especially the answers on the Sabbath day. You are one of my most visited sites when I am studying for my classes. I would love it if you had a return arrow to get back to the main page. You…
Read MoreIs the Lord’s Supper cannibalism?
Question: How can I change someone’s mind on how she views the Lord’s Supper? I have a relative who said she believes taking the Lord’s Supper looks like cannibalism. How can I change her mind about that? Answer: I don’t know if I can help. In order to have a discussion with anyone, there must…
Read MoreShould we pray directly to the Holy Spirit?
Question: Good day, brothers in Christ. I heard a few Christians who would lead public prayers and at the end of their prayers, they would include the Holy Spirit (e.g “Father, all these things we pray in the mighty name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen”). Is this acceptable? Also, I’m…
Read MoreIt seems impossible to perfectly control your thoughts!
Question: I suffer from OCD, anxiety, and Asperger’s (on the autism spectrum), basically it’s a high-functioning autism. I have been struggling with this issue for years. As soon as I read the verse about the unpardonable sin, I became obsessed with it. There have been times when this obsession is not as strong as it…
Read MoreIs the Bible not recommended for mental health?
Question: Greetings, I was told by a psychologist the Word of God (the Bible) is not recommended for mental health. If this is not true, may I please have some biblical evidence please? Answer: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according…
Read MoreWould kissing in a play be considered fornication?
Question: You guys do a great job with your answers to some very open, graphic, and very personal questions. Keep up the great job! I’ve been a Christian for almost 40 years and I have never heard this question before, but a couple of weeks ago someone asked this in Bible study: if a married…
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