Sermon
Judaizing Teachers
Text: Galatians 5:1-6 I. In the beginnings of the church, Christians first came from the ranks of the Jews A. The Jews had a hard time at first with the gospel being preached to Gentiles – Acts 11:1-3 B. As the gospel spread to the Gentiles, trouble arose as some Jewish Christians began to argue that the…
Read MoreThe Power of God: The Bible
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/PowerOfGodTheBible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 1:8-19 I. The Word of God is precious to believers, an object of desire – Psalm 19:7-11 A. O, how I love your law! – Psalm 119:97-100 B. Longing for God’s law – Psalm 119:40 C. Desire it like a new born babe desires milk – I Peter 2:1-3 II. A popular…
Read MoreWhat If the Jews Had Accepted Jesus?
I. Among premillennialists, those who believe that we live in an age prior to a thousand-year reign of Christ, there is a belief that Jesus’ first appearance on the earth did not accomplish everything that God intended. A. The Jews believed that the Messiah would come to re-establish the throne of David in Israel. The disciples believed…
Read MoreBusiness Meetings
I. In the organization of the church, we read – Eph 4:11 A. There were Apostles and prophets, involved in the establishment of the church. B. There are evangelists (preachers), pastors (elders), and teachers, involved in continuing the work to build up the church. C. Each part, working together, causes the growth of the church – Eph 4:14-16 1. Though…
Read MoreAn Urgent Need to Study
Text: II Timothy 2:8-19 I. It is fascinating to read well crafted prose or poetry. With just a few words, the author can communicate not only a message, but even a mood. A. Individual words are not flat. Even synonyms carry subtle differences in meaning. B. And the idea is not restricted to the English language. Languages…
Read MoreForgiveness (Hamilton)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. We must each face death A. But most of us have already experienced death. B. Death is a separation. 1. Physical death is a separation of the spirit from the body. 2. When our sins separate us from God, this is spiritual death – Isa. 59:1-3 C. Spiritual death is not permanent. To return, we must be…
Read MoreBiblical Fellowship
Text: I John 1:5-2:6 I. Fellowship has often been the center of controversy A. Part because the word has been misused by both denominationalists and Christians. B. But it also has been area of trouble because we don’t always know where to draw the line. II. What is fellowship A. Definitions 1. Sunētheia – A mutual custom or habit, acquaintance,…
Read MoreTen Rules for Improving the Church
I. The bookstore shelves groan under the weight of “self-help” books. The kind that tell you how to improve various aspects of your life. A. I would like to offer a different type of self-help: a way you can improve the church — all by yourself! B. It sounds like a tall order, but it is not. 1. Each…
Read MoreThe Nature of Criticism
Text: Judges 7:19-8:3 I. It is hard to do much of anything without running into someone complaining about it. A. Clem Thurman tells this story: “When I was a young lad on the farm in western Oklahoma, we had a team of mules. It fell my lot to work those mules quite often, and I soon found…
Read MoreSorcery
by Ethan R. Longhenry Introduction Sorcery! When the word is spoken, images of witches and wizards come to mind Harry Potter and his adventures have put sorcery back in the news today Nevertheless, sorcery reckoned as sin in the Bible Galatians 5:19-20 Revelation 9:21, 18:23 So what is sorcery? Why is it sinful? What would…
Read MoreConducting Worship in Song
I. As people come in, have them sit up front in as few pews as possible A. Have them divide by parts: Alto, Tenor, Melody, Bass B. Start with a prayer II. An important aspect of worship is our coming together to offer a united worship A. Colossians 3:14-17 – We were called in one body, we should worship as…
Read MoreWorshiping in Song
Text: Colossians 3:16-17 I. In many congregations, singing is not consider a very important aspect of worship. A. Think about it; when the Lord’s Supper is being served or a prayer is being given, few people would think about leaving the assembly to visit the restrooms, but it commonly happens during the singing. B. If a prayer…
Read MoreReligious Bargain Hunting
Text: II Peter 2:1-3 I. There are few of us who don’t like a good bargain when we can get one. A. There are some here who will look high-and-low for the best deal, whether it be groceries or a used car. B. Of course, some people don’t seem to have a clue as to what truly…
Read MoreDrinking in the Old Testament
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/DrinkingInTheOldTestament2012.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Consistently in the Scriptures, drunkenness is condemned A. I Cor 6:9-10 – A drunkard cannot inherit the kingdom of God B. Rom 13:13 – Carousing and drunkenness is improper behavior C. Few people argue that being down and out drunk is acceptable. We understand that it is wrong. D. The problem is how drunk…
Read MoreGambling
Text: Colossians 3:1-10 I. Gambling is now rampant in our nation A. Not too long ago, the only gambling available were raffle tickets, bingo games at the Catholic Church, and casinos in La Vegas, Nevada. B. No longer! Gambling is everywhere: at the gas station, at the corner market, even at my doorstep. 1. A young man interrupted…
Read MoreIs the New World Translation Accurate?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 8:19-22 I. Members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have become excited in recent times. An author with a Ph.D. after his name has written a book saying the New World Translation and the New American Bible (a Catholic translation) are the most accurate translations. A. He compared nine translations: 1. King James…
Read MorePerfect Love Casts Out Fear
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/PerfectLoveCastsOutFear.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 4:17-21 I. Fear is an instinctive emotion A. It arises from a need to preserve ourselves, to keep us protected. 1. Fears of job loss, serious illness, difficult problems may each cause us to fear. 2. We don’t fear when we don’t perceive a danger II. Fear of the Unknown A. It…
Read MoreThe Name of God
Text: Exodus 3:10-17 I. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have gone out into the world declaring that God’s name is “Jehovah.” A. A reader of our website wrote to ask why this claim is made since he was only able to find less than ten instances of the name “Jehovah” in his Bible. 1. The KJV uses this name…
Read MoreLegalizing Drugs
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/LegalizingDrugs.mp3 by Jeffrey W, Hamilton Text: James 5:13-18 I. I heard yet another radio program where the host was arguing for the legalization of drugs. A. His main argument was one of many that I have heard: “We losing the war on drugs” B. The idea is that we can’t win, so let’s stop the fight of…
Read MoreThe Prison Letters
Text: Colossians 4:7-18 I. Near the end of Paul’s third journey, he visited churches to gather funds to relieve the famine stricken brethren in Judea. – I Corinthians 16:1-9 A. Several of the churches sent representatives to travel with Paul – II Corinthians 8:16-24 B. Several of these men are named in Acts 20:1-4. Take special note…
Read MoreThe Harmony of the Scriptures
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 30:2-9 I. The denominational world has long debated the relationship of faith, works, and grace in man’s salvation. A. Some argue that salvation is by faith alone while others argue the necessity of works. Some turn their attention to grace and argue that grace alone saves men. B. The problem has…
Read MoreThe Christian and Psychology
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Psychology is the science of behavior A. It dates back to the late 1800s B. Since it’s founding, it has grown to influence both the Christian and non-Christian. C. There are many disorders that have physical origins 1. Injuries, diseases (such as tumors), drugs, aging 2. These can be treated medically D. But others are not organic…
Read MoreMarriage and Divorce: The Good News and the Bad
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 50 I. An article came out in the paper in April of 2007 trumpeting the news that divorce rates are falling A. Divorce rates rose rapidly in the 1960s through the 1980’s with the adoption of no-fault divorce laws in the United States. 1. At its peak in 1981 there were…
Read MoreMarriages
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/Marriages.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 2:18-24 I. A statement in a newspaper article stood out A. Even though the number of marriages ending in divorce has stabilized after many years of rapid rise, the rate of people entering marriage has drastically declined! B. In other words, one of the reasons the divorce rate is not…
Read MoreDepending on the Situation
Depending on the Situation – Part 1Depending on the Situation – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 5:18-6:2 I. Dinner time conversation was lively the other night. A few caught Dennis Prager’s Ultimate Issues Hour. A. Now I like Mr. Prager’s show for the most part. You don’t usually find commentators willing to address…
Read MoreThou Shalt Not …
Text: Romans 13:8-10 I. In continuing our series on understanding the Ten Commandments, I would like for us to focus our attention on the commands which begin “You shall not …” – Exodus 20:13-17 A. The repeating of a phrase, in this case “you shall not”, causes one to pay attention to the words. It sets…
Read MoreThe Lost Who Never Heard the Gospel
Text: II Thessalonians 1:3-10 Suggested Invitation: “What Can Wash Away My Sin?” (454) I. In any game, we want an equal chance of winning, otherwise the game would not be fun. A. To that end, we want the rules of the game spelled out clearly at the beginning. Nothing is more irritating than to have someone…
Read MoreThe Lineage of Jesus
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 7:1-17 I. Those who refuse to believe the truth of the Bible often seek ways to discredit its statements. A. One objection is the statement that Jesus was of the tribe of Judah – Hebrews 7:13-14 B. The argument is that since Jesus had no earthly father, then he did not…
Read MoreThe Baptism of Cornelius
Text: Acts 10:34-48 I. Groups who believe in the direct operation of the Holy Spirit in their lives today will cite the conversion of Cornelius and his household as proof A. Some will go so far as to state that a person is not really saved unless they experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. B. It…
Read MoreWomen in the Church
I. Through the ages, it has always been the men who lead the worship of God A. In the patriarchal age, it was the fathers (hence patriarch) who performed the sacrifices to God. B. Under the Old Law, the priests were restricted to males from the tribe of Levi. C. The question is what role can women participate in…
Read MoreMixed Marriages
Text: Nehemiah 13:23-29 I. While Israel was in captivity because of their many sins, the people had lived among the foreign nations for so long that they had become lax in following God’s commands A. A major cause of this problem stemmed from mixed marriages where the foreign spouse brought their religion into the union. 1. It…
Read MoreWhy Was Jesus Lost?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 2:42-46 I. Jesus was lost because of negligence A. Not that Mary and Joseph were wicked or did not care. They simply neglected to check on Jesus before they lost him. B. It was not intentional. It was an accident, an unfortunate oversight. C. Today so many will be lost due to…
Read MoreWhat Makes a Good Ruler?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Daniel 4:8-27 I. Accepting the idea that Christians should vote when their government gives them the opportunity to do so, the question then turns to whom should we vote? A. Far too often we are presented with choices where it appears we must choose between the lesser of two evils B. I might…
Read MoreThose with Positive Self-Esteem
Text: Romans 12:1-5 I. The concern for a person’s self-esteem continues to permeate the thoughts of our society. A. It is not unusual for a concept to be argued for or against based on its supposed impact on a person’s self-esteem. 1. Spanking, giving grades, or even keeping score during a game is considered bad for the…
Read MoreRedemption in Prophecy
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 24:44-48 I. The primary purpose of a prophet was to teach God’s word to people A. Without a revelation of God’s intention, mankind would be lost, for God doesn’t see the world the way man does – Isaiah 55:8-9 B. Thus, God explained His actions, His goals, and His requirements to…
Read MoreThe Apocrypha
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. When addressing what books are accepted into the Old Testament canon, you will run into a set of writings known as the Apocrypha A. “Apocrypha” means “doubtful writings” B. There are 15 books or writings which fall under this heading C. The Roman Catholic church accepts 12 of these books and calls them “deutero-canonical”…
Read MoreThe Canon of the Old Testament – Part 2
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/CanonOfTheOldTestament2.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. In our prior lesson, we established the acceptance of the writings of Moses by a large number of people over a wide range of history. A. The writings were not accepted because of some decree or because the documents were old, but because they were recognized as the works of Moses…
Read MorePersecution
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Justice Scalia made headlines a short while ago by attending a “prayer breakfast” and speaking about being a Christian A. I doubt Justice Scalia and I would agree about some aspects of what constitutes living a Christian life, but he did make some interesting comments. II. As Christians, we have had too easy…
Read MoreTranscendental Meditation
Text: Philippians 4:6-9 I. Many people have heard of transcendental meditation even though they may not know what it is exactly. A. It is actually a trademarked name by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1958. B. He made it into a large business with a Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, in the southeastern part of the…
Read MoreWhich Translation Should I Use?
Text: John 17 I. A question that I’m asked repeatedly is which translation is best? A. It is a good question because in English alone, one brother made a list of 128 different translations. The majority of them have been compiled in the last 100 years. B. Part of the reason for the wide variety is the…
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