Attendance is not commanded!

Question: Hello, I am a minister and teacher of Christ Jesus. A Christian brother brought to my attention your teaching about attending church and Bible study, so I could comment on it. It is on your page titled “Are you telling me I won’t make it to heaven because I have to work?” I also reviewed…

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Is it Wrong for Churches to Cancel Services?

by Ken Weliever via The Preacher’s Word This question raised today reminds me of the old joke about the politician who was asked by a reporter his position on a particular issue. “Well, there are two ways to look at it,” he responded. Then launched into a lengthy explanation of both views, giving both the…

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What if the church is told not to meet?

Question: If a law is passed that it is unlawful for the church to meet due to this coronavirus problem, would you obey it? Answer: We need to keep in mind that everything currently being discussed are temporary measures enacted in the hopes of keeping our healthcare system from being overloaded. We can’t stop the…

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Does a Christian have to be at his home congregation every Sunday?

Question: Dear brother in Christ: I greet you cordially.  Thanks for the studies I have found on your website, I have been able to translate them into Spanish and they have served both me and the churches that I visit in my area. I have served as a preacher of the gospel for a few years,…

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What do I need to do to return to a congregation?

Question: Dear Sir, I have not been attending church services regularly for about two years. I’m a baptized believer and had been attending a church of Christ. My reasons for not going were due to a lot of different things, but these don’t excuse my absence. I’ve recently started going back but I am confused…

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Should I go where I can’t worship for several months?

Question: Hello! I was curious about your thoughts regarding worship while traveling abroad. I was accepted to study abroad in Valencia, Spain, for one semester (four months). But I can’t find a congregation near Valencia. The one I contacted in the city only has services in Tagalog and the nearest church that uses English according…

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How does God view switching congregations?

Question: Good morning, Mr. Jeffrey! My husband and I have decided to switch our church membership to another local body of believers. God says that He places each member how He sees fit (I Corinthians 12:18), but I cannot find a biblical reference to how God moves people to different churches after they joined their…

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My church is just me in my room

Question: G’day Minister, I just wanted, on impulse, to pay my respects and say what a fantastic premise you operate as a ‘church’. No frills, no nonsense, no pretensions – instead, just good old fashioned and solid focus on Scripture. I am most impressed, as I’m sure the Lord must be as well. And, yes,…

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Gathering Together

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2005/06/GatheringTogether.mp3 I.         When we talk of worshiping God, one aspect of that worship is our gathering together             A.        Psalm 122:1                         1.         Is this your attitude, or do you feel dragged here?                         2.         To worship God requires assembling with fellow Christians             B.        Hebrews 10:19-27                         1.         The writer of Hebrews discusses the conversion of a man                         2.         Jesus consecrated a new and living way…

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How do I get others to see the necessity of attending?

Question: Hey brother Hamilton, I have a concern I know you will be able to help me address. I am a teacher at a local church of Christ. I have been doing my best teaching the congregation starting about a year ago. I am also a teenager who will be graduating this year. My concern…

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Should aid be given to a member who doesn’t attend worship often?

Question: Good day, Would it be scriptural to refuse a widow benevolence because of very poor attendance at the worship services? Answer: Are you talking about benevolence by individuals? Then it would be up to the individual to decide. Individuals are to do good to all people (Galatians 6:9-10). Are you talking about benevolence by…

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Can’t I just worship with different congregations each Sunday?

Question: Good evening Minister, I have been a member of the Lord’s church for over five years. I’ve been a faithful member; however, I had some concerns about some things that were going on in worship. I left my home-based church where I felt like I was ostracized because I’m a single woman. I began…

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Why Do We Church?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/WhyDoWeChurch.mp3 by Garry Floyd

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Is a person allowed to miss services because of their job?

Question: Is there any proof in the Bible that forsaking the assembly of the saints is acceptable if one’s job requires him to work? I think self-employed people sometimes use this as an excuse which is wrong. But what about companies, or police, or fire, and nurses? I know the head of the family, the…

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All By Myself

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/AllByMyself.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Colossians 3:12-17   I.         Why do I have to go to church?             A.        After all, I can worship God all by myself.             B.        After all, all Christians are priests – I Peter 2:9             C.        I can read my Bible and I don’t need anyone else – Ephesians 3:3-4             D.        I can pray all by…

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Elders and Church Decline

by Matthew W. Bassford   Recently, there’s been a lot of chatter on my Facebook feed about a survey of churches of Christ conducted by an organization called 21st Century Christian.  According to this survey, attendance in such churches has declined by about 10 percent since 1990. I have no idea how valid their data…

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I plan to go to his church if we get married. Isn’t this enough?

Question: Hi! My boyfriend and I have been dating for several months now. The problem we are having is that according to his beliefs, he doesn’t practice ritual ceremonies and doesn’t believe in ancestor worship. On my side, I believe in these things, but that is not an issue for me because I know if…

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The Demise of Sunday Night

by Kent Heaton It is with great trepidation that I step into the spiritual coliseum of tradition and practice but a mist rolls over the hills of today that threaten the roots of the Lord’s church in America. We have long-held traditions that were created to facilitate a need in allowing folk to worship as…

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I want to go to a biblical church, but my parents won’t let me

Question: Hello, I wanted to ask how will I be able to go to a biblical church? My parents have always gone to a Catholic church, which doesn’t follow the biblical teachings (infant baptism, the worship of Mary and saints, saying that good works are the way to be saved, etc.). When I bring this…

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Commands in Conflict

by Andrew Hamilton “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will…

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Should I not go to church if I have not confessed my sins to others?

Question: Does Matthew 5:23-24 mean I should not go to church if I have not confessed to men my sins against men? Answer: “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled…

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Do we withdraw from members who are attending another congregation for months?

Question: I read brother Hamilton’s article on Cross Congregational Fellowship with keen interest and have this question: Can fellowship be withdrawn from members who have absented themselves from their local congregation for months, but who have gone to another congregation to worship without first advising their local congregation that they will be worshipping elsewhere? Answer: Anyone not…

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Is it scriptural to go to church via the Internet?

Question: I have a friend who “goes to church” via the Internet. Is that a scriptural way of worshiping and meeting? Thank you as always. I am very appreciative of the work you’ve been doing for so long! Answer: No, it is not a scriptural way to worship. In doing so he cannot: Assemble: “And…

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I was forced to start working evenings. Am I lost in this situation?

Question: I was forced to start working evenings at my job. It resulted in me losing my Wednesday night worship. I asked for a night shift and was rejected for it. I am currently looking for new employment. I want to keep the commands of Christ, but in my situation would I be lost? Answer:…

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Is the “day” in Hebrews 10:25 Sunday or the day Jesus returns?

Question: Is the “day” in Hebrews 10:25 Sunday or the day Jesus returns? Answer: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the…

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Can you choose the wrong church to attend as a Christian?

Question: Dear sirs, I thank you for your site. It has been a great source of information as a new believer. Although I always considered myself a Christian, I never truly understood its true meaning until starting and completing, cover-to-cover for the first time, the Bible last year culminating in accepting Christ as my Savior…

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Should I visit congregations that are changing how things are done?

Question: My question concerns the Sunday order of service and slightly different services. I was added to the body about two years ago. Sometimes I like to visit the services of other churches of Christ. After one such visit, I mentioned to someone that the church I visited had communion after Bible class. I felt…

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The Willful Sin

by Foy E. Wallace, Jr. via Number One Gospel Sermons, pages 133-134. From a sermon, “The Meaning of Faith,” preached for the Nashville Road church, February 1967, brother Wallace was giving a synopsis of the book of Hebrews when he said… [Billy Moore] The following chapters of eight, nine, and ten are new covenant chapters. The…

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Should a divisive non-member be told not to come to worship?

Question: I am a member of a church where there is a split of our church family. This revolves around a man (who is not a member) who has attended this church as a visitor for many years. He stirs up discord within the church habitually. There was a recent incident of this, and the pastor of…

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My new job interferes with going to Bible study. What do I do?

Question: I just started a new job at school where I work the second shift Monday through Friday. The local assembly where I worship meets for Bible study on Wednesday evenings. My question is: according to Hebrews 10:25 is it considered forsaking or neglecting if I miss Wednesday Bible study? Answer: The reason for attending…

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