Sermon
What Is God’s Will for Me? Part 2: Is There a Unique Personal Will?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/What-Is-Gods-Will-for-Me-3-Is-There-a-Unique-Personal-Will.mp3 Text: Proverbs 4:1-10 I. What we’ve seen A. There are groups which teach that there are three different wills of God 1. A sovereign will in which God has laid down the course or direction of the universe 2. A moral will in which God has defined what people should and should not do. 3. An individual will…
Read MoreWhat Is God’s Will for Me?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton What Is Being Taught Is There a Unique Personal Will? Making a Decision Dealing with Uncertainty
Read MoreWhat Is God’s Will for Me? Part 1: What Is Being Taught
What Is God’s Will for Me? – 1 – What Is Being TaughtWhat is God’s Will for Me? – 2 – What Is Being Taught by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 1:15-23 I. How do you know what God wants you to do? A. Not in regards to moral decisions, but in regards to choices we…
Read MoreThe Nephilim
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton (Short Talk) Text: Genesis 6:1-4 I. There are three groups mentioned in our reading: A. The Nephilim B. The sons of God C. The daughters of men II. It is frequently claimed that the Nephilim were beings who resulted from fallen angels having sexual relations with humans A. But angels are spiritual beings – Hebrews 1:14…
Read MorePut Forth the Effort
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Put-Forth-the-Effort.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 13:23-30 I. If I asked you to name a famous inventor, the name of Thomas Edison would quickly arise. A. Mr. Edison had a strong influence in our society. 1. He invented the light bulbs which light our auditorium. 2. He invented the method of distributing electricity to homes 3. For you…
Read MoreMetaphors for God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Metaphors-for-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 18:1-19 I. Figures of speech have long been used in communicating ideas. A. Prior to the modern usage of font styles, the content of the text itself called the reader’s attention to what was important. B. Figures of speech grabs your attention because they depart from the usual rules of…
Read MoreIn the Midst of Evil
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/In-The-Midst-Of-Evil.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:3-9 I. Abraham was told that his descendants would be strangers and slaves in a land before being brought back out 400 years later – Genesis 15:13 A. That nation, Egypt, was one of the more wicked places on earth, totally given over to idolatry 1. It became one…
Read MoreHow Satan Divides Brethren
by Larry Rouse The Three Pillars of False Movements I. We should not be surprised at the tactics of Satan. A. When working with other men we must constantly be humbled and because of that be willing to follow the wisdom of God. (James 4:13-18) 1. When we trust God it becomes all about Him and we…
Read MoreAngry Words
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Angry-Words.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 I. The Bible speaks of two types of anger A. The quick, fly-off-the handle, hot tempered anger B. The slow, methodical, vengeful anger C. Both are dangerous for different reasons D. Colossians 3:8 1. Orge (anger) is the slow building type of anger 2. Thumos (wrath) is the passionate hot-tempered type of anger…
Read MoreGod Revealed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/God-Revealed.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 15:1-6 I. In the beginning, Adam and Eve had fellowship with God A. God directly interacted with His creation – Genesis 2:15-22 B. He walked in the garden – Genesis 3:8 C. But they had sinned and that sin – separated them from God – Genesis 3:22-24 D. That has remained true…
Read MoreHold to God’s Unchanging Hand
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Hold-to-Gods-Unchanging-Hand.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 I. The world seems to be constantly changing. A. The one constant seems to be the turmoil B. The change is rarely beneficial C. Early in the last century a blind poetess, Jennie Wilson, wrote a reminder to us that the world changes but God does not II. Men are unreliable…
Read MoreWhen Wisdom Calls
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/When-Wisdom-Calls.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Proverbs 1:20-33 I. Will Rogers once said, “Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing, nobody listens and then everybody disagrees.” A. I’m sure those in politics get frustrated when it seems no one listens. B. But then we all do. We might not be the deepest…
Read MoreFools
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Fools.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 11:37-54 I. We see fools all around us, A. But no one wants to be thought of as a fool 1. (1995) In Wesley Chapel, Florida, Joseph Aaron, 20, While repairing a car, found he needed to bore a hole in the pipe. When he couldn’t find a drill, he…
Read MorePeace, Perfect Peace
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Peace-Perfect-Peace.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 3:13-18 I. Peace is a commodity much desired and rarely found A. As Christians we are told to live in peace – II Corinthians 13:11 B. God is a God of peace – Philippians 4:7 C. So we expect that those following His teachings find peace – Galatians 5:22-23 D. The problem…
Read MoreWhy Do Wars Exist?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Why-Do-Wars-Exist.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 59:1-18 I. In my youth, the Vietnam War was being fought. It was an unpopular war that generated a lot of protest songs. A. One song called “War” by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong exclaimed, “War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!” B. So can wars and acts of…
Read MoreA Trustworthy Statement
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/A-Trustworthy-Statement.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton II Timothy 2:8-13 I. If we died with him A. Related to Romans 6:3-7 1. In baptism we share in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus 2. Death leads to life a. New (different) life here on earth – Romans 6:4 b. A life after physical death – Romans 6:5 c. The latter is what…
Read MoreUnconditional Love
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/Unconditional-Love.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 136:1-26 I. I was reading a book that began to speak of the love of God. A. As many denominational writers do, he referred to the unconditional love of God. B. By this, he and others believe that God loves all people, no matter how they behave. 1. Often a parallel…
Read MoreHonor Your Father and Mother
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Honor-Your-Father-and-Mother.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 6:1-3 I. One of the Ten Commandments of the Old Law is brought to the New Law intact. It is the commandment to honor our parents A. The word “honor” in this passage means to fix a value on something, to consider it a prized possession. B. The original Hebrew…
Read MoreNo Other Gods
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/No-Other-Gods.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 40:12-26 I. The Ten Commandments formed the prologue to the Law of Moses A. They were the foundation of the Old Law B. Even though the Law of Moses ended, nine of those ten commandments are still in effect today. C. Understanding these basic laws can help us understand the New…
Read MoreLove and Respect
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Love-and-Respect.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 5:25-33 I. There are some topics that are joined such that you cannot have one without the other. A. Faith and obedience are two sides the same subject. 1. You can’t really have faith without obedience – James 2:14-18 2. And you can’t really have obedience without faith – Romans 4:2-5…
Read MoreReverence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Reverence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 89:1-16 I. Hebrews 12:28-29 – Offer service to God with reverence and godly fear A. Reverence means 1. “A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love; veneration.” 2. The word literally means “with downcast eyes” or bashfulness. B. Psalms 2:11 – Serve God with fear, rejoice with trembling C. Psalms 89:5-15…
Read MoreBoredom
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Boredom.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. The child has a room full of action figures, video games, cable TV, VCR, a huge collection of video tapes, every piece of sports equipment known to man, his own telephone, a fully loaded computer with Internet access — but he doesn’t have anything to do. He’s bored. A. Boredom is…
Read MoreDenying Oneself
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Denying-Oneself.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2:11-14 I. Self-improvement books abound. People constantly look for means wherein they can make themselves better. A. “Better,” in most people’s books, means happiness. B. But to many people there are limits to betterment C. Ingrid Law captured the idea when she wrote, “You can’t get rid of a part that…
Read MorePrisoners of Hope
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Prisoners-of-Hope.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Zechariah 9:9-12 I. The book of Zechariah is one of both scoldings and exhortation. A. The people after their return from captivity had fallen into complacency and indifference toward their religion. B. Zechariah calls them to change through warnings – Zechariah 1:2-6 C. And he encourages them through visions of the future.…
Read MoreThe Hope of Eternal Life
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-Hope-of-Life-Eternal.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 15:12-19 I. It is no secret that many ministers in the denominational world lack faith in the Bible. A. Methodists: 51%, Episcopalians: 35%, American Baptist: 33%, Presbyterians 30%, American Lutherans: 13% doubt Jesus’ physical resurrection [Jeffrey Hadden, results of a survey of 7,441 Protestant ministers published in PrayerNet…
Read MoreYet Not with a Whole Heart
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Yet-Not-with-a-Whole-Heart.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Chronicles 25:1-16 I. Amaziah was the son of Joash. A. His father started reigning at an extremely young age because his grandmother had killed all the heirs to the throne of David, except him. – II Chronicle 22:10-12 1. She was eventually killed and Joash was placed on the throne.…
Read MoreFruitful Christians
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Fruitful-Christians.mp3 by Jeffery W. Hamilton Text John 15:1-8 I. We know that Jesus’ words in John 15 concerning the vine and branches are dealing with individual Christians and not denominations. A. Jesus is the vine, each one of us are branches off that vine, and God is the vinedresser. B. But don’t get so caught up in…
Read MoreDeath
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Death.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 14:1-15 I. Death is first mentioned in Genesis 2:17 as a consequence for partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil A. In the punishment of Adam, death is mentioned – Genesis 3:19 B. Yet, Adam lived 930 years before dying – Genesis 5:5…
Read MoreOur Home
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Our-Home.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 5:1-9 I. God has promised us a place of rest – Hebrews 4:1-3 A. There are days when I turn over in bed and start to think about all the things I need to get done today. 1. Even though it is earlier than I need to get up,…
Read MoreYesterday
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Yesterday.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 90 I. Yesterday only exists in fading memories, worn out photographs, and history books A. It is a collection of, often times, imperfect records kept in imperfect medium II. Yet, it is also one of the finest learning centers available, if we are willing to go there to learn A. Paul…
Read MoreUnleavened Bread
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Unleavened-Bread.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Exodus 12:14-20 I. Sometimes you can’t wait A. When Lot invited men to spend the night at his home, he didn’t have time wait for bread dough to rise, so his feast was served with unleavened bread – Genesis 19:3 B. When it was time for Israel to leave Egypt, the…
Read MoreMary’s House
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Marys-House.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 12:12-17 I. In Acts 12 we learn that the persecution of the church intensified in Judea. A. Herod had the apostle James killed – Acts 12:1-2 B. It was a popular act, and so he planned to repeat it by having Peter killed – Acts 12:3-4 C. But Peter did not…
Read MoreHospitality
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Hospitality.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: III John 3-8 I. Sometimes you are so familiar with a term that you never stop to examine whether your use of the term is actually correct A. Years ago, I was studying about hospitality. There are several passages in the New Testament that tells us to be hospitable 1. Romans…
Read MoreMore Noble Minded
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/More-Noble-Minded.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 17:1-12 I. Paul came to Thessalonica, a city on the coast in Macedonia, to preach the gospel A. He started out in the synagogues as was his custom. 1. After three weeks of effort he convinced a few of the Jews, but large number of Greeks who had worshiped with…
Read MoreGive Us Our Daily Bread
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Give-Us-Our-Daily-Bread.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 6:9-13 I. When God created man, he was placed in a garden that provided his needs – Genesis 2:8-9 A. But man sinned and was driven from the Garden – Genesis 3:17-19 B. The basics of sustenance was no longer provided. It had to be worked for – II Thessalonians…
Read MoreIf There Be Any Virtue
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/If-There-Be-Any-Virtue.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 7:14-25 I. One of the educational fads is “values clarification” A. Government run schools have a problem. 1. It is good for society to have morally good citizens, but the whole concept of morality assumes a standard of right and wrong that is greater than mankind. 2. How do you teach…
Read MoreChariots of Fire
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Chariots-of-Fire.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 6:8-23 I. Ben-hadad, king of Syria, caused much grief for the northern kingdom of Israel A. He made many raids into Israel, but he soon ran into problems B. While his strategies were planned in top-secret, the king of Israel always seemed to know them in advance and had…
Read MoreMy Conscience
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/My-Conscience.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 4:1-5 I. Defining your conscience A. A part of every human is an awareness of what he should do in various situations B. Your conscience does not determine what is right or wrong 1. That is what judgment is for. 2. Righteous judgment is done by God’s wisdom – Proverb 8:12-17…
Read MoreA Psalm of Penitence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/A-Psalm-of-Penitence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 51:10-17 I. There are several psalms which deal with sorrow over sin and repentance: Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, and 143. A. The context is given at the beginning of Psalm 51 B. David was a man dedicated to God. 1. Though he was told at an early age that…
Read MoreLessons from the Reign of Asa
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Lessons-from-the-Reign-of-Asa-1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Kings 15:8-24 I. Asa’s reign was the third in Judah since the great division of Israel during the reign of Rehoboam A. His father, Abijam, only reigned three years. 1. Abijam was not a good king as the Lord counts goodness – I Kings 15:3 2. In fact, the most notable…
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