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Satan Loses
by Hugh DeLong Chapter 12 of Revelation is like one of the old ‘Up Close and Personal’ segments on the sports show. We are given a historical overview of Satan as the adversary of God’s people. Again, remember that this is written in symbolic language, so it is hard to tell whether these events have…
Read MoreSomewhat Scientific Thoughts on the Origin and the Age of the Earth and on Evolution
by Hans Waetjen via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 There is an immense difference between the biblical record of creation and man’s current understanding of evolution. In today’s society, few people accept the biblical explanation for creation. Furthermore, current public school teaching on the origin of life and on the age and origin…
Read MoreChristians, Taxes, Honesty, and Managing Money
(or, Why Do You Think They Call It “Mastercard”?) by Mark Chatfield via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 “The credit card bill came in the mail today.” “Oh, no! It has all last month’s gifts on it.” “Yes, and the trip to Mom’s place.” “What are we going to do? $2,100.” “I don’t…
Read MoreDragons: Myth or Reality?
by Floyd Chapallear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 “…4. any imaginary…thing spoken of as though existing” [Webster’s New Twentieth Century Unabridged Dictionary]. “Dragon, 1. A mythical monster, usually represented as a sort of winged reptile, with fiery eyes, crested head, and enormous claws, breathing out fire and smoke” [Ibid]. There you have…
Read MoreThe Positive About the Negative
by Lee Moses Many a faithful Gospel preacher has been chided for being “too negative” in his preaching. True, a preacher can certainly be overly negative, robbing Christians of the joy that is rightfully theirs by blasting the congregation from the pulpit every Lord’s Day, condemning them for sins they are not guilty of, and…
Read MoreEnthusiasm
by Tom Wacaster Ralph Waldo Emerson has been credited with saying, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Our English word is more of a transliteration from the Greek than it is a translation of the word. The Greek, “enthousiasmos” (hear the similarity?), means “possessed or inspired of God.” While the word “enthusiasm” does not…
Read MoreProgramming Children
by Michael R. Baggett “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Whether we like it or not, our children are being programmed to believe and behave in some fashion. Programming comes from the idea of programming a computer. A…
Read MoreAccording to the Rules
by Terry Wane Benton Paul said that in athletics no one is crowned unless they “compete according to the rules” (II Timothy 2:5). Being “strong in the grace” that is in Christ (II Timothy 2:1) means we are diligent to operate our lives of faith “according to the rules” unless we don’t care if we…
Read MoreThe Two Evils
by David Gibson Isn’t it sad? The way people seek after what proves counterproductive, totally illogical, and ultimately defeating. “Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate,…
Read MoreConduct That Is Worthy of the Gospel
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Conduct-That-Is-Worthy-of-the-Gospel.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Philippians 1:25-30 I. The church at Philippi had long had a close relationship with Paul. A. This is where Lydia and the Philippian jailor had been converted (Acts 16) B. Philippi had frequently supported Paul, even when others did not – Philippians 4:15-17 C. Paul wrote to them about his…
Read MoreI Attend Bible Classes Because…
by Eldred Stevens It is a delightful way to obey a scriptural command (II Timothy 2:15; II Peter 1:5; 3:18; I Timothy 4:13; John 5:39). I have a great desire to emulate first-century Christianity (Acts 2:41-47; 4:23,24; 12:12; 17:11). I have three children (Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:7; Ephesians 6:4). I like to be with…
Read MoreThe Proper Explanation of John 3:16
by Carl O. Cooper The fact is, John 3:16, when taken in its proper context, teaches that salvation is by works of obedience when accompanied by proper faith. It’s true! This verse, read in its proper context, does not teach “saved by faith alone.“ In reality, the context of this verse teaches just the opposite.…
Read MoreFor Want of a Nail
by Stephen Harper There is an old nursery rhyme that we may remember: For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider, the message was lost. For want of a message, the…
Read MoreApostasy Can Happen Quickly
by Doy Moyer Among the many lessons we learn from studying the children of Israel is that apostasy can happen within a single generation. Proximity close to the original is no guarantee of holding to the truth. This pattern happened quickly and more than once. The first generation that came out of Egypt under Moses…
Read MoreWhy Jesus Taught in Parables
by Roger D. Campbell No one ever taught as Jesus did (John 7:46)! When He taught people, He often employed parables. By doing so, He fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Psalm 78:2; 49:4). Jesus was neither the first nor last person in history to teach via parables, but He used them in an unparalleled, masterful way.…
Read MoreHow Did God Create Our World?
by Bob Prichard With just a few words, the first verse of Genesis, which is literally “the book of beginning,” introduces the idea of creation: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). This tells us clearly that the Creator is God. Scientists recognize five components, which make up our world,…
Read MoreWays to Motivate Members of the Church to Do Personal Work
by Wesley Simons How many times have you heard someone say, “I just cannot get motivated to do this or that.” Many members of the church find it hard to motivate themselves to study their Bibles, pray, attend services regularly, do personal evangelism, etc. So, they turn to the elders or the preacher and ask…
Read MoreScientists Who Reject the Theory of Evolution
by Terry Wane Benton Many scientists have opposed evolution, responding that it is a false theory without evidence. Among them are: David Berlinski, a mathematician, molecular biologist, and philosopher, is one of the most famous critics of evolution. He sees it as something promoted among people under the name of science and fact, while in…
Read MoreNot Faith Only
by Terry Wane Benton When they say Romans speaks of salvation “by faith only”, they have a different Bible than I have ever seen. Romans speaks of “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5), but never puts “faith” and “only” together anywhere. It speaks of people who “knew God” but “they did not glorify Him as God”…
Read MoreOur Sure Hope
by Gary Henry “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope” (I Timothy 1:1). Jesus Christ is “our hope,” as Paul wrote to Timothy. To the brothers and sisters in Colossae, he said that the good news of the gospel is “Christ in…
Read MoreLessons from the “Limited Commission”
by Samuel Matthews “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease… These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into…
Read MoreRemember Who You Are and Whose You Are
by Donna Faughn I’m thinking back to a time several years ago when our children were still living at home with us but were old enough to go out with friends or attend a church activity without us. I can still remember, to this day, what was said to them almost (if not every time)…
Read MoreThe “Hidden” Parts of the Body
by Heath Rogers The prophet Elijah was at a low point in his life. He had abandoned his post and run away from Israel. When asked by God why he was away from Israel, the prophet said that the children of Israel had forsaken God’s covenant, torn down His altars, and killed His prophets. “I…
Read MoreGod or the Deities
by Hugh DeLong As we begin the letters to the churches of Asia, again I share a couple of brief quotes from DeSilva’s ‘Unholy Alliances’ (pgs. 11-12). Concerning Ephesus, he wrote: “Another prominent facet of the life of their cities, and indeed the corollary of the first, involved the many cult sites of the traditional…
Read MoreJesus Was Born in a House, Not a Barn
Reexamining Luke’s Birth Narrative by Clay Gentry The birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, is one of the most remarkable events in human history. It was the moment that the eternal “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Yet, paradoxically, the historical moment of the Incarnation happened in some of…
Read MoreUnregulated Desires
by Chadwick Brewer “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (I John 2:16). Our desires come from God. He created desire between a husband and wife. He created beauty in this world for us to…
Read MoreAnxiety
by Terry Wane Benton When your nerves are frayed, and you are afraid of what is going to happen in view of what you just lost, it can consume you with stress, worry, and anxiety. I believe that God helps us through things even when we cannot see any hope at the moment. I’ve been…
Read MoreWho Are the “Sons of God” Who Married the Daughters of Men?
by Mike Johnson via Seeking Things Above Genesis 6:1-4 says: “Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. …
Read MoreConfusion and Transgression
by Sewell Hall via Seeking Things Above Have you ever heard anyone say, as an explanation for some sinful action, “I have become so confused I don’t know what is right anymore”? As a rule, the person who says such a thing has had clear convictions but has acted, or is about to act, contrary…
Read MoreListening to Children
by Naomi Works In the last few years, God has blessed me with the opportunity to spend a lot of time with children of all ages in all kinds of settings (Bible studies, homeschool co-op classes, crafting sessions, everyday life, etc.). I can’t even begin to express how many lessons I’ve learned through all these…
Read MoreChanging Preaching Content
by Gardner Hall In his book Reviving the Ancient Faith, historian Richard Hughes documents a noticeable shift in the content of preaching among “mainstream” churches of Christ in the 1960s and 1970s. The early 1950s featured speakers on the nationwide “church” program, “Herald of Truth,” who emphasized compliance with “the plan of salvation,” adherence to…
Read More“Once Saved, Always Saved” Refuted: Can a Christian Fall Away?
by Terry Wane Benton Christians (those truly “saved to begin with”) can: Depart from the faith (I Timothy 4:1) Wander away from the faith (I Timothy 6:10) Swerve from the faith (I Timothy 6:21) Abandon our faith (I Timothy 5:12) Make a shipwreck of our faith (I Timothy 1:19) Fall from grace (Galatians 5:4) Desert…
Read MoreWhat Jesus Sacrificed
by Doy Moyer Jesus Sacrificed His Body The sacrifice of Jesus is vital to salvation (Ephesians 1:7). Yet it was not just the death of Jesus that saves us; the resurrection was necessary to defeat death and thereby offer us the hope of eternal life (I Peter 1:3-5). To be sure, Jesus sacrificed His body.…
Read MoreGod Gives Before They Come?
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me” (John 6:37). The Calvinist takes this to mean that God arbitrarily chooses a person and programs them with the ability and determination to “come to Jesus” at some point, so that they are “eternally saved.” I heard a Calvinist…
Read MoreFor No Reason
by Terry Wane Benton In Psalm 69:4, David was disturbed that people hated him “without a cause.” Why do people act this way? Why do people reject and hate others when there is no call for it? He could understand it from some people if he had hurt them in some way, but feeling snubbed…
Read MoreComing Up to Our Potential
by Morris Norman via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 Every normal child born has a potential that needs to be tapped and pointed in the right direction. God determined before the foundation of the world to have a people that are holy and without blame. In Christ, we can reach that potential. Jesus…
Read MoreInventors of Dragons
by Jefferson David Tant via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 In the days of yore, when fierce dragons wandered to and fro on the face of the earth, there was often great fear in the land, as the dragons were wont to capture fair maidens and make them a delicious dessert. But these…
Read MoreLet the Church be the Church
by George DeHoff via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 The business of the church is to preach the gospel of Christ. It exists for this purpose. Without the gospel, men are lost. The gospel is God’s power unto salvation (Romans 1:16). There is nothing else that the church does that some other organization…
Read MoreStraight Ahead Lies Yesterday
by R. L. Craig via The Expository Review, January 1982 The title above is a book written several years ago by Harry Rimmer. As I remember (I first saw the book in 1945), Rimmer’s theme was that almost everything repeats itself. Indeed, this has been the truth concerning nations. Look at Israel. God appointed a judge…
Read MoreDivision in a Local Church
by Robert L. McDonald via Expository Review, November 1984 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.…
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