O for a Faith Such as This!

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/OForAFaithSuchAsThis.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 56  I.         Read the song “O for a Faith That Will Not Shrink” by W. H. Bathhurst (#462) II.        A faith without fear             A.        Most of our fears of our own imagination – Psalm 53:5                         1.         When our dreads are elusive, we make things up, and what we imagine is almost always…

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For Those Who Love God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ForThoseWhoLoveGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 8:28-30   I.         Jesus said that the greatest command is to love God – Matthew 22:37-38             A.        It is the greatest command because it is the foundation for all other commands                         1.         It opposes all idolatry, the complete rejection of God (atheism), and sins directly against God                         2.         But it also demands…

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Archaeology and the New Testament

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ArchaeologyAndTheNewTestament.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 1:1-4   I.         The Bible is a historical book that contains many historical references, but it is not a book of mankind’s history.             A.        But where it mentions historical facts, it has always been proven to be true.                         1.         Arguments against the Bible are based on the lack of supporting evidence…

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Respecting Silence

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/RespectingSilence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Mark 10:46-52   I.         What do you do when witnesses to an event give two different sets of details?             A.        Matthew 28:1-7 mentions an angel rolling away the stone blocking the entrance and sitting upon the stone. The angel talks to the women when they get to the tomb.             B.        Mark 16:1-7…

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Hearing the Spirit

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/HearingTheSpirit.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 30:5-6   I.         Many people are convinced that the Holy Spirit directly speaks to them             A.        Yet, these same people will claim things contrary to the teachings of the Bible             B.        And they rarely agree with each other II.        The Bible is the product of the Spirit             A.        It is not a product…

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Doing Much Harm

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DoingMuchHarm.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 11:1-20   I.         An article by Michael Kruger, written back in February 2018, got me thinking about how some people leave the church             A.        The article focuses on Jen Hatmaker, a Texas author and has a TV show. She has taken public stances contrary to the Southern Baptist denomination…

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Not What They Told You – Gambling

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NotWhatTheyToldYouGambling.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 28:19-22   I.         Gambling is not a new problem             A.        But it has become a big business. Every state in the United States has some form of legal gambling                         1.         Though Nebraska is the least state addicted to gambling, it still exists (the next lowest are Alabama, Kentucky, and Utah). [1]…

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The Importance of Sorrow

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ImportanceOfSorrow.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8   I.         Life doesn’t remain the same – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8             A.        There are different seasons, which brings different needs             B.        No one likes to cry, but life isn’t always going to be rosy. Sorrow has a place in our lives.             C.        The wise know that we need to think about sorrow…

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Sowers of Strife

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SowersOfStrife.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 16:17-20   I.         The contentious hearings leading up to the appointment of Justice Kavanaugh has generated a lot of discussion on ethics and morality             A.        I was reading an article by Paul Prather, published in the Lexington Herald-Leader on October 11, 2018                         1.         His expressed concern was not that people disagreed,…

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What Is Important in a Church?

What is Important to a Church? – Part 1What is Important to a Church? – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 14:1-12   I.         I remember visiting a large congregation many years ago. They had asked me to do some web site work for them.             A.        While I was amazed at the size of the…

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The Difference Between Truth and Lies

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/DifferenceBetweenTruthAndLies.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 18:33-38   I.         Truth is critical             A.        Truth brings stability to a nation – Proverbs 29:14             B.        Truth makes us free – John 8:32             C.        Jesus is the way and the truth – John 14:6             D.        Jesus’ words, which are truth, judges us – John 12:48             E.        What distinguishes truth from lies? Pilate asked…

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Not What They Told You – Pornography

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 4:1-8   I.         Trials come in many forms – James 1:12             A.        We often think of trials as hardships that are imposed on us by life.             B.        But temptation to sin is also a trial that we have to overcome             C.        Temptation doesn’t come from God – James 1:13                         1.         Though God allows…

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Not What They Told You – Opioids

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NotWhatTheyToldYouOpioids.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2:1-8   I.         Opioids are a class of drugs derived from opium             A.        They include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, and many more             B.        These were originally developed because they attach to the opioid receptors in your brain, muffling your perception of pain and increasing your feelings of pleasure.                         1.         “At…

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Nameless

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Nameless.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Kings 13:1-10   I.         This is a story about two men, who remain nameless. One young and another old.             A.        Both are prophets. One is a good man and the other is a liar.             B.        One was selected to carry a message and the other was not.             C.        One dies, but not…

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The Word of the Lord to Jonah

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018Fall8TheWordOfTheLordToJonah.mp3 by Wesley Key The Minor Prophets

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The Burden of Malachi

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018Fall7TheBurdenOfMalachi.mp3 by Wesley Key The Minor Prophets

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Is Obadiah saying that man would live among the stars?

Question: On your website is a question about “What does the Bible say about man inhabiting space?” Wouldn’t that include man living on other planets and their moons? I think Obadiah 1:4 in the New King James Version says it all: “‘Though you ascend as high as the eagle, And though you set your nest…

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The Burden of Habakkuk

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018Fall5TheBurdenOfHabakkuk.mp3 by Wesley Key The Minor Prophets

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The Word of the Lord to Joel

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018Fall4TheWordOfTheLordToJoel.mp3 by Wesley Key The Minor Prophets

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The Word of Hosea

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018Fall1TheWordOfHosea.mp3 by Wesley Key The Minor Prophets

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Lessons in the Minor Prophets

by Wesley Key 2018 Fall Meeting Series The Word of Hosea The Word of the Lord by Haggai The Vision of Nahum The Word of the Lord to Joel The Burden of Habakkuk The Burden of Malachi The Word of the Lord to Jonah

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The Vision of Nahum

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018Fall3TheVisionOfNahum.mp3 by Wesley Key The Minor Prophets

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The Word of the Lord by Haggai

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018Fall2TheWordOfTheLordByHaggai.mp3 by Wesley Key The Minor Prophets

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Following the Lord Fully

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/FollowingTheLordFully.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Joshua 14:6-14   I.         God describes for us the character of various men by referring to them by certain phrases             A.        Abraham was called a friend of God – James 2:23                         1.         Because that is how God referred to him – II Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8                         2.         Perhaps that gives greater weight to…

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Not What They Told You – Marijuana

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NotWhatTheyToldYouMarijuana.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 5:21-31   I.         It sounds noble             A.        We need to legalize medical marijuana!                         1.         But instead of controlled studies where the effectiveness of a derivative drug is analyzed for its benefits versus its harm, the door is thrown wide open.                         2.         There is an oil extract from marijuana that does appear to…

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The Nature of Law (Sermon)

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NatureOfLaw.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 7:1-14   I.         Laws can be irritating at times.             A.        Do this, don’t do that.             B.        Of course, we never get it right.             C.        Why do we need laws? II.        Law defines right and wrong – Romans 7:7-13             A.        The law does not make things right or wrong, it simply states what exists.                         1.         We…

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Not What They Told You

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Society often justifies sin by not portraying the complete facts and, thus, making dangerous things appear to be minorly harmful or even beneficial. Not What They Told You – Alcohol Not What They Told You – Marijuana Not What They Told You – Opioids Not What They Told You – Pornography

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Not What They Told You – Alcohol

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NotWhatTheyToldYouAlcohol.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Galatians 5:16-24   I.         There are many factors that led to the downfall of Israel, but one reoccurring theme was the greed of its leaders.             A.        They were in it for the money – Isaiah 56:11             B.        They dealt falsely for money – Jeremiah 6:13             C.        Everyone was after money – Jeremiah 8:10…

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And Then There Were None

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AndThenThereWereNone.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Amos 6:3-11   I.         One of my favorite mystery writers was Agatha Christie. She would write books where you tried to figure out who did it before the end of the book, but in the process you were distracted by so many possibilities.             A.        One of my favorites was based on…

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Our Basis of Faith

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/OurBasisOfFaith1.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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The Dwelling Place of God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DwellingPlaceOfGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Kings 8:22-30   I.         When the world was first created, mankind had direct access to God, but then sin entered the picture – Genesis 3:8             A.        Sin becomes a barrier between us and God – Isaiah 59:1-3 II.        God is everywhere – Psalms 139             A.        There is no place we could hide…

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The Law and the Commandments

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/LawAndTheCommandments.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Deuteronomy 30:6-16   I.         Seventh-Day Adventists insist that the only acceptable day of worship is the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath day.             A.        To get to that belief, they insist that the Ten Commandments are separate from the rest of the Law of Moses.             B.        While the “ceremonial laws” were…

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A Limited Sphere

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/LimitedSphere.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 10:7-18   I.          Without a doubt unity is important to God and His people – John 17:17-21              A.         It is something to strive for – Ephesians 4:1-3              B.         Division is condemned – I Corinthians 1:10-13              C.         Paul, when he entered Jerusalem wanted to join with other Christians – Acts 9:26-28 II.         All…

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The Unity

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/TheUnity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 4:1-6   I.         Our Lord’s desire was that his followers would be united – John 17:20-23             A.        In the intervening years, the world has accepted lies.             B.        They believe that as long as we agree on something, then there is unity II.        The attitude of unity – Ephesians 4:1-3             A.        Lowliness – humbleness…

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What Would God Have Us Do?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/WhatWouldGodHaveUsDo2.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 2:1-12   I.         I was talking with a young man the other day. He wasn’t certain what God wanted him to do in regards to school and career.             A.        I finally realized that he wanted someone else (God) to make his decisions for him.                         1.         The idea that God left…

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