Personal Sacrifice and Service

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Personal-Sacrifice-and-Service.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 2:17-18   I.         Paul often discussed the topic of unity in his letters to the various churches.             A.        Unity based having the same goals and the same standards – Romans 15:5; I Corinthians 1:10; II Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:1-3; I Thessalonians 5:11-15             B.        Paul’s letter to the Philippians is…

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Be Not Dismayed

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Be-Not-Dismayed.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton   I.         Jeremiah came in the worse days of Judah’s history             A.        Corruption was everywhere – Jeremiah 6:13-15             B.        Jeremiah was told from his youth to preach the truth – Jeremiah 1:4-8             C.        But that didn’t make it easy. Jeremiah was opposed most of his life                         1.         After a prophecy in the Temple…

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Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Stand-Up-Stand-Up-for-Jesus.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 10:32-39   I.         Allen Webster tells the following story,             A.        “The municipal auditorium was full. The speech by the noted atheist was powerful. After a bombardment of the Bible, there came a moment of choice. If you still believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, stand…

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Meditation

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Meditation.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 119:145-152   I.         It is one of those minor points brought out by the Bible; a seemingly incidental detail that you almost overlook – Genesis 24:63             A.        Isaac took a stroll in the evening in a field to meditate.                         1.         We are given a hint as to why in…

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They’re Out to Get You!

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Theyre-Out-to-Get-You.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 8:9-15   I.         A while ago, when popular opinion was shifting against the then current president, the president’s wife blamed the shift on the presence of “a vast right-wing conspiracy.”             A.        The world is filled with people who fear that secret societies or groups are colluding to manipulate…

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Controlling Our Emotions

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Controlling-Our-Emotions.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Mark 7:18-23   I.         From the heart comes the emotions which affect all aspects of our life – Proverbs 4:23             A.        We can poison the well with evil thoughts – Mark 7:20-23             B.        We can sweeten it with righteous ideals – Philippians 4:4-9             C.        It affects our outlook on life – Proverbs 15:13…

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Reasons That the Local Church Assembles

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Reasons-that-the-Local-Church-Assembles.mp3 Download Audio by David Bunting Understanding Christ’s Church

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The Purpose of the Universal Church

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Purpose-of-the-Universal-Church.mp3 Download Audio by David Bunting Understanding Christ’s Church

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The Biblical Meaning of Church

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Biblical-Meaning-of-Church.mp3 Download Audio by David Bunting Understanding Christ’s Church

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Uncleanness

Uncleanness (Part 1)Uncleanness – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 5:1-8   I.         Under the Old Testament, there are a series of rules dealing with unclean things             A.        I am finding that people are condemning as unclean things that God never mentioned.             B.        The rules confuse people, mostly because they do not understand what uncleanness was…

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Why Blood?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Why-Blood.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Hebrews 9:15-22   I.         Let’s look at Hebrews 9:22             A.        Have you considered, “Why blood?”                         1.         If I wanted to clean something, blood is not the first thing that I would think of using. Blood stains are often difficult to remove.             B.        How is it that remission of sin requires the…

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A Relationship with God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/A-Relationship-with-God.mp3 by Garry Floyd Download Audio

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Cleansing the Soul

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Cleansing-the-Soul.mp3 by Garry Floyd Download Audio

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Understanding Christ’s Church

by David Bunting September 26-29, 2026 Thursday (September 26) to Saturday (September 28) at 7 pm Sunday (September 29)  at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, and 5:00 pm The Biblical Meaning of Church A Biblical View of the Local and Universal Church The Purpose of the Universal Church The Purpose of the Local Church – Financial…

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God’s Remedy for Sin

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Gods-Remedy-for-Sin.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Isaiah 58:1-11   I.         In our Scripture reading, God has Isaiah loudly proclaim the sins of His people.             A.        A fact that surprises the Israelites.                         1.         They delight in knowing God. They consider themselves righteous and followers of God’s Word.                         2.         They delight in the nearest of God, but God doesn’t…

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Why Israel Fell

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Why-Israel-Fell.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Isaiah 9:1-7   I.         The prophet Isaiah told the people that the Messiah was coming.             A.        He would bring righteousness to all the nations and remove the burdens of sin             B.        He would establish a new government, one that would last forever             C.        The people of Israel foolishly thought that the…

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Church and State: Rituals

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Church-and-State-Rituals.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Mark 7:1-8   I.         In a world where being born in a region determined your religious faith, the Christian approach was novel             A.        Christians taught a message from God to bring people into the church – Mark 16:20                         1.         It wasn’t just taking people at their word. It was confirmed…

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Fault Finding

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Fault-Finding.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 5:11-18   I.         The golden rule – Romans 13:9-10             A.        Much of our life is involved in relating to other people.                         1.         We need the cooperation of others in so many ways.                         2.         And so many people are just plain hard to get along with.             B.        God’s laws are easily summed up…

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Feeling Guilt

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Feeling-Guilt.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio

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My Sin Is Always Before Me

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/My-Sin-Is-Always-Before-Me.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ezra 9   I.         God is Holy, but we fall short             A.        Sin is a not a part of the nature of God – I John 1:5             B.        To be in fellowship with God, we also must without sin – I John 1:6-7                         1.         But notice that God is not expecting…

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Church and State: Worldliness

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Church-and-State-Worldliness.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Colossians 3:1-11   I.         When people blended the church and the state, the ramifications are broad             A.        The belief was that society cannot hold together without everyone being bound together by a common religion             B.        When it is expected that everyone living in a nation belongs to the church, what…

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Trustworthy Sayings

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Trustworthy-Sayings.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Church and State: Civil Enforcement of Religion

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Church-and-State-Civil-Enforcement-of-Religion.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 110   I.         By merging the church and state, the state received a “weapon” to promote loyalty int its citizens             A.        But the church also began using the state as a “weapon” to enforce its teachings             B.        Psalms 110 is a prophecy about Christ conquering the nations. I’m sure the Catholic…

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Count Your Blessings

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Count-Your-Blessings.mp3 Download Audio by Raymond Warfel

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The Rock of Israel

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Rock-of-Israel.mp3 Download Audio by Raymond Warfel

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Church and State: The Problem

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Church-and-State-The-Problem.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 2:13-17   I.         It is easy to forget that the relationship between church and state that we have today did not exist when Christ entered the world             A.        Most societies in the past were held together by a common religious loyalty             B.        The Babylonians expected everyone in their…

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Mistakes in Religion

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mistakes-in-Religion.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 7:13-29   I.         How do you find the truth?             A.        People use numerous ways, but usually they revolve around avoiding effort II.        Following the Majority – Matthew 7:13-14             A.        You see this in many areas of life.                         1.         If most people say something, then it is assumed to be true             B.        Religion…

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Amazing Grace

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Amazing-Grace.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 2:1-10   I.         John Newton was born in England in 1725             A.        Before he reached the age of seven, his mother died.             B.        His father remarried and John was sent off to a boarding school             C.        At the age of 11, John left school to become a sailor on his…

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The Wrath of God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-Wrath-of-God.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 10:26-31   I.         Romans 1:18 warn of the wrath of God being revealed. How is His wrath revealed? II.        God directly takes action             A.        God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in His wrath – Deuteronomy 29:23             B.        When people grumbled against Moses, God sent a plague – Numbers 16:42-46 III.       God allows…

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Cults

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cults.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Timothy 3:1-9   I.         Cults periodically make the news.             A.        It is unfortunate that gullible people exist, willing to believe anything that will bring them contentment within themselves. Some people are willing to suspend all reason to have some hope.                         1.         John 8:44 – Satan leads many away with…

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The Purpose of the Church

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/The-Purpose-of-the-Church.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 3:14-16   I.         Have you paused to consider why the church exists?             A.        It appears to me that many of the problems faced by congregations stem from a lack of understanding the purpose of the church             B.        I looked at material from various denominations.                         1.         One, after getting a…

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Names for God’s People

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Names-for-Gods-People.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 62:1-5   I.             Names hold a particular significance in the Bible                 A.           When a child is born in this country, parents agonize on picking out just the right name.                                  1.             Often the name is selected because it has a nice “ring” to it                                  2.             Because a favorite relative has the…

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Wrong Concepts of the Church

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Wrong-Concepts-of-the-Church.mp3 Download Audio by Raymond Warfel

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