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Are 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 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 MoreI think I have OCD
Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, I want to thank you so much for all the help and time you’ve given up for us. Thank you for always using God’s word with your answers. I believe I have OCD. I think I have scrupulosity. I feel I have to do things a certain way or in order.…
Read MoreWhat if you are traveling somewhere where there is no church?
Question: Hello, I wanted to say thank you for the way the website is set up. This has been great to look at a topic from many points of view using the question and answers. My question is regarding attending services when you are away from the local church you’re a member of. I know…
Read MoreWhat should children learn at different ages?
Question: Dear brother Jeffrey, I appreciate so very much your love for the Lord through the years and your faithfulness to Him! How you have labored with His people providing resources to encourage in God’s Word, as well as striving to explain the gospel to those who are seeking. I’m so very thankful for how…
Read MoreHow do you be around someone who has done evil?
Question: Hi, I’ve been reading through your website and have found your work interesting. I was wondering if you have some advice for me in a situation relating to my boyfriend and his family. Recently my boyfriend’s stepmother filed for divorce against his father. Scripturally, both parties are in the wrong in different aspects. His…
Read MoreHow should the end of Acts 20:28 read?
Question: Dear Jeffrey, I re-visited the La Vista Church web page on the accuracy of the New World Translation and read the following: J. Acts 20:28 1. “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of…
Read MoreShould I stop my fellowship with family members who are not members of the church?
Question: I am a member of the church of Christ. I have had many discussions with my family who are not members of the church. Most of them are Baptists and a few are Nazarenes. Most debates are over baptism. The last one ended with raised angry voices. Should I no longer have fellowship with…
Read MoreIs it wrong to observe All Souls Day?
Question: Good day, brother Jeff. I want to know what are your thoughts about the observation of All Saints Day or All Souls Day that is done by many brethren here in the Philippines. One elderly lady asked me about this, and I promised to give her an answer by the time we meet. She…
Read MoreDo you think committees are necessary when there are no elders or deacons?
Question: Hi! Thanks for the enlightening content on your site. I read the answer you gave to a question that was about creating committees to carry out tasks for a congregation. You said it was wrong because when the need arose in the early church, deacons were appointed and elders also have their roles. How…
Read MoreWould God punish someone with a life of singleness?
Question: Do you think God would punish someone to a life of singleness? I know it’s a silly question, but sometimes I get intrusive thoughts that tell me that I’m bound to be single. These thoughts make me feel very sad and uncomfortable. After I got baptized I started having OCD thoughts because I was…
Read MoreDo the Dead Sea Scrolls show that the Bible was modified over time?
Question: Hi, You have answered my questions before (thanks for that), and I hope you won’t mind doing so again. I was researching the Dead Sea Scrolls and came across the following: How close is the Bible to the Dead Sea Scrolls? 6 Myths About the Dead Sea Scrolls The Quora answer (if you click…
Read MoreHow do I refute the claim that the Bible is a product of the era it was written in?
Question: How should I refute the claims in the following meme? I would love to hear from you, brother. “The Bible makes perfect sense as soon as you realize it was written at a time when women were the property of men, slavery was commonplace, and death was the penalty for minor offenses. A time…
Read MoreHow 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…
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