Sermon
Parenting Two and Three-Year-Olds: Limits Tested
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ParentingTwoAndThreeYearOldsLimits.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 12:3-14 I. What parent hasn’t been warned about the terrible twos and threes A. The cause of trouble 1. No longer completely dependent on parents 2. Children can efficiently move about — run, climb, manipulate objects — but they haven’t learned safety. 3. They can now express their desires, but they haven’t…
Read MoreUnderstanding Islam
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/UnderstandingIslam.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 9:51-56 I. Defenders of Islam have been quick to announce that terrorist actions have nothing to do with Islam A. The people involved are extremists who misapply the Qur’an to accomplish their own aims. B. Islam is about peace they insist. The militant are confusing literal and symbolic passages. C. People…
Read MoreDrinking in the New Testament
Drinking in the New Testament – Part 1Drinking in the New Testament – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 23:29-33 I. Consistently in the Scriptures, drunkenness is condemned A. I Corinthians 6:9-10 – A drunkard cannot inherit the kingdom of God B. Romans 13:13 – Carousing and drunkenness is improper behavior C. Few people argue that…
Read MoreIs My Baptism Valid?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Periodically, someone will approach me concerning his baptism. A. Doubts have crept into his mind as to whether his baptism was valid – whether he really was a Christian or only pretending to be one. B. Generally those with doubts were baptized young in life. Events have happened that show them they are…
Read MoreParenting Toddlers: Love and Security
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ParentingToddlersLoveAndSecurity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 3:13-26 I. Toddlers A. A wonderful age. 1. Everything is a new and fresh delight 2. Curious about everything a. Often into things forbidden, not because of maliciousness b. But curiosity with what is behind this, with what happens with that? B. Beginnings of communications 1. Relief! You now have clues as to the child’s…
Read MoreParenting Newborns: Learning Patience
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ParentingNewbornsLearningPatience.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 5:6-11 I. Many changes comes to a family when a child is born A. Preparation is made for the coming years B. With a newborn, it is the parents, not the child who have much to learn C. We could speak of love, devotion, but the lesson needed most is…
Read MoreWhen Communication Breaks Down
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/WhenCommunicationBreaksDown.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 11:1-9 I. After the flood, mankind feared to obey God’s command to spread once again across the world. A. They took it into their heads to build a great city and a tower that would make a name for themselves. B. Mankind was united, but they were united in sin.…
Read MoreAmen
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Amen.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Deuteronomy 27:14-26 I. Deuteronomy 27:14-26 A. What did it mean when the people said “Amen?” B. Amen started as a Hebrew word 1. It was transliterated into Greek and then eventually into English 2. Same pronunciation, but with an English spelling 3. It also retained the original meaning. 4. Interestingly, it is nearly a universal…
Read MoreThe Benefits of False Teaching (Sermon)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/BenefitsOfFalseTeaching.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 8:18-39 I. It is said there is a silver lining in every cloud A. Paul tells us that God can turn even wicked events to the advantage of the righteous (Romans 8:18-39) B. But it is hard to imagine any good coming from the work of those who teach against our…
Read MoreIslam and the Bible
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IslamAndTheBible1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 2:3-11 I. I found an article on the editorial page of the newspaper back in 1996 A. It was written in defense of the Islamic religion. 1. Claiming that it is similar to Judaism and Christianity 2. In fact, it is the natural follow-on to the work of Moses and Jesus…
Read MoreA Day of Small Things
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DayOfSmallThings.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Haggai 2:1-9 I. As Israel began to return from seventy years of captivity, there was great excitement A. Zerubbabel lead the first wave of less than 50,000 people back to Jerusalem. 1. There was a lot of work to do because Jerusalem was completely destroyed. 2. But worship restarted immediately – Ezra…
Read MoreThe Book of My Life
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/BookOfMyLife.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 19:23-27 I. Each week the paper publishes its list of top selling books A. Sometimes the books are biographies, fictional stories, or fiction placed in historical settings. B. They hope that others will also purchase the books, if for no other reason than curiosity. C. Many author’s hope their work makes…
Read MoreWhat Made Paul an Apostle?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WhatMadePaulAnApostle.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Galatians 1:11-24 I. Paul was different from the other apostles A. He wasn’t with Jesus when he was on earth B. He was not among the original twelve apostles – Luke 6:12-16 C. He started out as a zealous persecutor of the church D. How is it that Paul claimed to be an…
Read MoreDeath of a Fig Tree
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DeathOfAFigTree.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Matthew 21:18-22 A. I get uncomfortable reading this passage. 1. Here is a fig tree, that happens to lack figs when Jesus walks by. 2. Then Jesus kills it B. The disciples are caught up in amazement that by simply speaking, Jesus killed a fig tree. 1. But why destroy a tree to make this…
Read MoreHas Becoming a Christian Changed You?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/HasBecomingAChristianChangedYou.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 12:1-8 I. The Barna Group has done several surveys on the impact Christianity has on people’s lives. A. In May, 2006, a survey showed that 51% said that they had been greatly transformed by their faith. 1. I found that interesting because of what Jesus said – Matthew 7:15-20 2. An…
Read MoreThe Path I Choose
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/PathIChoose.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Galatians 5:19-23 I. In the book of Galatians, Paul has severely chastised the brethren for attempting to bind the Old Law on Christians A. It was a different gospel, not what they were taught – Galatians 1:6-9 B. Paul has stood opposed to such trends – Galatians 2:11-14 C. To live under…
Read MoreA Lesson from History
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/LessonFromHistory.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:1-9 I. The year — A.D. 64 A. A major fire breaks out in the city of Rome. Coincidently, the fire centered in the poorer sections of the city. B. Many suspected Nero of ordering the burning to clear space for improvements and to remove untoward elements. However, Nero…
Read MoreThe Real Issue Regarding Kitchens and Fellowship Halls
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RealIssueRegardingKitchensAndFellowshipHalls.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Colossians 3:12-18 I. Over the years Christians have experienced disagreements that have led to divisions A. In the late 1800’s it was disagreements over missionary societies and instrumental music in worship. It lead to the formation of the Christian Church and the Disciples of Christ. B. In the 1940’s and 1950’s…
Read MoreProphetic Proof
Prophetic Proof – Part 1Prophetic Proof Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Deuteronomy 18:18-22 I. Throughout history there have been people claiming to know what others do not A. They claim to know mind of God and the future B. If you hint at questioning the truth of their claim, they get upset. C. Yet, Moses told…
Read MoreWhen the Good Die Young
Text: I Kings 14:1-18 I. It is a sad occasion when a young person meets with death A. We think about the potential that was suddenly cut short. B. The older people think about the experiences they enjoyed that this person didn’t have an opportunity to experience first hand C. We realize we will miss their companionship, especially…
Read MoreFinding Liberty in Silence (Sermon)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/FindingLibertyInSilence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. It was one of those interesting coincidences. I received two correspondences dealing with separate issues, but both seeking justification in the same manner. A. In attempting to justify the use of instrumental music, Gary Mattingly, a preacher for the Christian Church wrote: “First and foremost, we must see that there…
Read MoreFuzzy Doctrine
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/FuzzyDoctrine.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 28:16-20 I. God did not author confusion – I Corinthians 14:33 A. But there are people running around today insisting that He did B. In July, 2012, the Episcopals approved transgender clergy and members, along with a service for blessing unions of homosexuals. 1. “We are entering into a time of…
Read MoreBeware!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Beware.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Peter 2:1-3 I. As the children were growing up, I felt that I was constantly reminding them to watch where they were going. A. They just assumed that most things around them were safe and rarely gave thought to the fact that it was people around them who were…
Read MoreWhat Do You Expect from Your Bible?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/WhatDoYouExpectFromYourBible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:1-8 I. When you open your Bible, what do you expect from it? II. Some Expect a Rule Book A. Just the other day I was asked “Where do I find a list of God’s laws in the Bible?” B. The Bible is not a reference book where you can look…
Read MoreAll in a Name
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2004/03/AllInAName.mp3 Text: Acts 4:5-14 I. Saved in a name A. Acts 4:8-12 – Only in the name of Jesus can we be saved II. What does “in his name” mean? A. With that one’s authority or with his approval 1. This was Peter’s answer to “by what authority” (Acts 4:7); he answered, “in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:10)…
Read MoreThe Bible, Science, and Skepticism
Text: Psalm 33:4-11 I. A literal reading of the Bible tells us that God created the world, that the universe was created in six days, and the world is about 6,000 years old. A. Yet the literal reading is often rejected, not on the basis of Scriptural teachings, but because it does seem “scientific.” B. So, they…
Read MoreSalome’s Request
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/SalomesRequest.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 20:17-28 I. We don’t know much about Salome, other than that she was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of the apostles James and John. A. She made a request of Jesus that he turned down – Matthew 20:20-22 B. Jesus later tells the disciples that they can ask…
Read MoreThe International Church of Christ – From Man or God?
by Larry Rouse I. Introduction: The term religious cult is one that generates much emotion, but often is not defined. One said it is the church down the street. A. Even if we disagree with the term, I want to examine the teachings and practices of a religious movement that began in churches of Christ. 1. The…
Read MoreWhat Is the Gospel About?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/WhatIsTheGospelAbout.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 49:1-13 I. There is no end to the people who like to tell preachers how to do their job and what they are allowed to say or not say A. For many, they don’t want to hear about things like sin and its consequences, they don’t want to be…
Read MoreEstablishing Good Habits
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EstablishingGoodHabits.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Peter 1:2-12 I. We spend a lot of time and money on education A. We learn fundamental skills and search for information that makes us stand out in the job market B. We teach our children, even when they whine and moan about school work, so that they are prepared…
Read MoreThe Other Side of Truth
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/OtherSideOfTruth.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Thessalonians 1:3-10 I. People tend to focus one aspect, one characteristic when they deal with another person A. We have a tendency to categorize people, to pick out a dominate trait B. When people talk about God or Jesus, they will focus on the love of God. 1. God is love,…
Read MoreApostolic Succession (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ApostolicSuccession.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Acts 20:17-36 I. How do you prove that your brand of Christianity is real? A. For some, the argument is based on who was around the longest. 1. A religion that just recently started is declared to be suspect. If the church has been around for 2,000 years, then…
Read MoreSamson
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Samson.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 11:32-40 I. Heb 11:32-34 A. Many wonder why Samson is listed among these greats. B. True, his great strength was a wonder, but his life was not one many of us would want to imitate. C. How is it that Samson, with his many sins, has come to be listed with greats…
Read MoreYou Should Have Known
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/YouShouldHaveKnown.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 1:1-4 I. The writer of Hebrews addresses the Jewish people concerning why God changed His worship and laws A. He does so by citing passages from the Old Testament to prove points that if you just thought about it for a while you realize it must be so II. The…
Read MoreAuthority
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Authority.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Suppose you were studying with someone about the gospel of Christ A. We will assume that the person believes in God and that the Bible is God’s Word B. There are many who fit this description; yet, they do not obey the teachings in the Scriptures C. How do you show such a…
Read MoreDoers of the Word
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Doers-of-the-Word.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: James 1:22-27 I. Suppose we took a vote on the practices we are to preform. How would it go? A. Obviously, the commandments of our Lord and Savior cannot be voted upon. We are required to follow them. But what if we did vote on them? How would…
Read MoreDealing with Hostility
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DealingWithHostility.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 16:16-40 I. You know you ought to say something, but you also know it isn’t going to go over well. A. They just won’t understand, so they will turn on you – I Peter 4:4 B. They are going to hate you for standing for righteousness – Psalms 69:4 C. Instead…
Read MoreCuring a Headache
Curing a Headache – Part 1Curing a Headache – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 1:21-27 I. When you see a problem, how do you solve it? A. If you have a headache, how do you get rid of it? 1. I suppose one could get a guillotine. After all no head, no headache 2. Instead,…
Read MorePremillennial Theories
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2005/08/PremillennialTheories.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. There are a lot of ideas floating about concerning the Second Coming of Christ A. Most of them are strange fantasies that have little to do with the teachings in the Bible. B. Many of the myths are repeated over and over so many times that many people accept them as truth…
Read MoreMighty Men
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/MightyMen.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 10:8-9 I. What makes a man stand out among his peers? A. What makes him noteworthy? B. What is the source of his strength? II. Men mighty in wickedness A. Genesis 6:4-6 1. When the righteous intermarried with the wicked, the results were mighty men, not in stature, but in wickedness. 2. Every thought…
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