Posts Tagged ‘authority’
Do All in the Name of the Lord
by Terry Wane Benton “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through…
Read MoreGod’s Authority Is Beautiful
by Doy Moyer via InLight Media Authority in Scripture is more than rules — it’s part of the beautiful tapestry of who God is. Some bristle at the idea of meticulously following what scripture says, demonstrates, and implies, perhaps because they feel that such a practice is legalistic and out of line with the true…
Read MoreIs God in Control?
by Doy Moyer We often hear that “God is in control” when things in this world aren’t going well. With all the violence and evil, we wonder, how can God be in control? Are we saying that God makes bad people do bad things? Are we saying that God creates the violence and evil? It…
Read MoreIs the Jefferson Bible enough?
Question: I recently conversed with someone who is living in a sinful lifestyle, but who I believe is starting to question her life choices. She is in her 70s now and has cancer. She mentioned that she is reading the “Jefferson bible” and wondered if that is “enough.” She asked me to research it since…
Read MoreThe Words of Jesus (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Words-of-Jesus.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: John 12:44-50 I. I continue to be amazed at the lengths people will go to justify a belief. A. Perhaps you have heard the story of Martin Luther’s decision that James 2 did not belong in the sacred text because of one small phrase in James 2:24. 1. It…
Read MoreHow do you know you are in the right church?
Question: Hello there, I am getting on here as I have many questions about God, the church, salvation, and the Bible. I was baptized into Christ just over a year ago, and while I understand that Jesus built one church and when I was baptized the Lord added me to that church, the state of…
Read MoreBeware the Hands of Esau
by William V. Beasley via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 3, September 1993 Rebekah and Jacob conspired to deceive Isaac and, thereby, to obtain the blessing intended for Esau (Genesis 27:1-29). God has never tried to whitewash the character of those who serve Him; He presents the bad along with the good. Both Rebekah and Jacob…
Read MoreBlack Becomes White
by Michael Davis via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 2, June 1993 From time to time, we may express our disapproval of those whose practices or demeanor are different from our own. For example, we may voice (or at least demonstrate) our objections to the conduct of some, or toward their attire, or at times even…
Read MoreChurch Autonomy
by Steve Dewhirst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 2, June 1993 The word autonomy is not a Bible term, but it is certainly a Bible principle. It means independent or self-governing. Universally, the church is under the headship of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:22-23); we are His body and must take directions according to His testament.…
Read MoreCan a Biblical Worldview Work in Modern Times?
by Doy Moyer via InLight Media Criticisms of the traditional biblical worldview seem to be multiplying and intensifying these days. For New Testament Christians, this begs the question: are we crazy? Are we holding onto something that is simply untenable and unworkable in our modern society? Doy Moyer discusses this question with Andy Diestelkamp. He…
Read MoreYou Can’t Tell Me What to Do!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/You-Cant-Tell-Me-What-to-Do.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Colossians 1:3-12 I. It is generally the cry of the unhappy A. “You can’t tell me what to do!” B. I don’t recall ever hearing this in response to something agreed upon. It always comes with a disagreement. II. “I have the right to live my life as I see…
Read MoreIs Truth Essential?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Is-Truth-Essential.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreLoose Cannons
by Kevin Cauley Reading the news today, I came across an article about one of the presidential candidates, in which one of his former military commanders said he was a “loose cannon.” Just the other day, one of our members was telling me about a man who claimed to be a “loose cannon” religiously; we…
Read MoreDo You Believe in Baptizing in the Trinity?
by Terry Wane Benton Just before Jesus went back to heaven, He told His disciples to go “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). What that means is that we baptize people with the full authority of the…
Read MoreSomething Missing in Our Culture
by David V. Hurst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 3, September 1992 None can deny the drastic shift in our culture’s attitude toward God over the last thirty years. This often causes special problems for the Christian and his children. How do we instill in our children and others genuine values concerning God? Our…
Read MoreThe Issue of Authority
by Randy Robinson John Mellencamp lamented in song over twenty years ago, “I fight authority; authority always wins.” Indeed, authority is a powerful force with which to be reckoned. In the case of this songster, his perspective is easily noted as one who is rebellious against authority, as indicated by his lyrics, “I’ve been doin’…
Read MoreRemoving Ancient Landmarks
by Terry Wane Benton “Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set” (Proverbs 22:28 NKJV). “Bring in no new dogmas, nor rites, nor ceremonies, into religion, or the worship of God, that are not clearly laid down in the sacred writings. ‘Stand in the way; and see, and ask for the old…
Read MoreBy What Authority? (Matthews)
by Samuel Matthews “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave…
Read MoreThe Temptations of Jesus
The Temptations of Jesus: Changing Stones into BreadThe Temptations of Jesus (Part 2)The Temptations of Jesus (3) The Pinnacle of the Temple by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 4:1-13 I. We all face temptations – I Corinthians 10:13 A. But Satan’s power to tempt is limited. He only has so many tricks to use. B. Consider the…
Read MoreAre There Gray Areas?
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, 31 December 1991 Searching the Scriptures is a quality gospel journal with consistently thought-provoking and edifying articles. The issue for November 1991 is no different. Among the headings was “Musings” by J. Wiley Adams (p. 9), which will certainly stand on its own merits. In fact,…
Read MoreThe Apostles and the Will of Christ
by Jon W. Quinn Somebody once came up with a good idea that has proven helpful to me. Someone decided to print a series of Bibles that would use red ink to record the words of Jesus. Since that time, many others have followed, and now it is common. It is helpful to me when…
Read MoreThe Silence of the Scriptures
by Trent Sherwin If we were to take a trip to our favorite drive-through fast-food restaurant and order a #1 with cheese, fries, and a Coke, and then, when we pulled up to the pay window, discovered the total was $43.59, would we have a problem with that? The obvious answer is, “Yes, of course!”…
Read MoreI Used to Be Just Like You
by Gary W. Summers One of our members had a brief discussion with a man whom he seldom sees. In the course of the conversation, the man effusively praised “speaking in tongues.” When told that he did not practice such, the man told him, “I used to be just like you.” Of course, the obvious…
Read MoreBy What Authority? (Bowman)
by Russ Bowman From my Daily Bible Writing, for you to chew on… “Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, ‘Tell us, by what…
Read MoreLet’s Not Be Narrow
by Roy E. Cogdill via Gospel Guardian, June 9, 1955 One of the most dreadful things many people can imagine is that they will be accused of “narrow-mindedness” in religion. That scares them to death; the very thought that they might be considered narrow drives them completely away from the truth. Yet it should not.…
Read MoreThe Burden of Proof
by Terry Wane Benton We sometimes hear someone say “prove it is a sin,” with the idea that unless the Bible says “this is a sin,” it is acceptable to the Lord. But, the criteria is that for something to be acceptable to the Lord, one must “prove it is acceptable” (Romans 12:1-4). If you…
Read MoreIs There a Standard for Our Worship?
by Dave Hart How shall we decide what should and should not be a part of our worship? A quick look at the religious world reveals many distinct worship practices and customs. Some hold that the activity of worship is not as important as the attitude of worship. Others maintain that activity and attitude are…
Read MoreWomen, the Bible, and Necessary Inference
by Perry Hall When it comes to religion, people throw out common sense. That is one of my observations regarding hermeneutics, the way we interpret Scripture. For example, women use necessary inference as one of their main methods of communication. And yet, when interpreting the Bible – and someone mentions necessary inference – a common…
Read MoreThe Head of the Church
by Terry Wane Benton The church is described as the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head of that body. Thus, the church is a group of people so connected to Christ that the body does not act without a proper signal (authority) from the head. If the church acts without authority, the church…
Read MoreNarrow-Minded Beliefs
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Narrow-Minded-Beliefs.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Micah 6:1-8 I. At times when I study with someone, I’m told that taking a firm stance on certain matters is legalism. People believe that religion is supposed to be about accepting other people, no matter what they believe (well, within reason). A. When you insist that only one way…
Read MoreStandards (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer Standards are common. The term can refer to a commonly accepted value, a recognized authoritative model, or something acceptable though not top quality (dictionary). In all these cases, there is a recognition that expectations of some kind are to be met and accepted by more than just an individual who might arbitrarily…
Read MoreIt is Written
by David Gibson My dad kept a small notebook in his pocket for writing reminders of appointments and things to do. Why do we write notes to ourselves? Because we all know how fallible human memory is. When Israel was at Sinai, Moses would climb the mountain to receive God’s instructions, then come down and…
Read MorePagan Ways Transferred to Christians: Looking for Signs
by Terry Wane Benton On the Isle of Malta, Paul found some friendly natives. When a viper bit Paul, these people read that as a sign. They were wrong, and people who try to read events as signs today are borrowing from paganism. In Acts 28:1-4, the natives read the viper event as a sign…
Read MoreThe Divine Pattern
by Homer Hailey The divine wisdom has provided a divine pattern in all his ways. The doctrine men obey is a “form” or pattern, a mold, such as metal, which is poured into which life is fashioned. (Romans 6:17.) This pattern of doctrine was from God by Christ, who did and taught as the Father…
Read MoreTwo Necessary Things in Christian Parenting
by Jen Venuso Whether or not you make New Year’s resolutions (I’ve been both), you’re likely reflecting on the past and looking forward to the next year. Right now, I’m heavily in the throes of parenting, so much of my reflection settles there. As a bio/foster/adoptive mom to seven kids (plus a few short-term kids),…
Read MoreTimothy Had an Authoritative Standard
by Terry Wane Benton Timothy was given the same standard as the apostles delivered to the first church on Pentecost of Acts 2. There, they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). Because some were teaching more teaching than the apostles taught, different things than the apostles taught, it was time to warn all…
Read MoreSpecific Beliefs Either Matter or They Don’t
by Terry Wane Benton Nobody has all the answers to every question of the Bible, but get specific; some are right, and some are wrong on certain topics. For example, unbelieving Jews are not wrong about everything, but they are wrong about Jesus. Among those who claim to believe in Jesus, some were right, and…
Read MoreSimplifying the Thief on the Cross
by Perry Hall Forget for now that the thief lived and died under the Mosaical Law, and Jesus’s Covenant didn’t become effective until after He died (Hebrews 9:16-28). Forget for now that we don’t know if the thief had been previously baptized by either John or Jesus’s apostles before he was captured and condemned. Many…
Read MoreRevisiting Bible Authority
by Andy Sochor via Plain Bible Teaching It is good and necessary to revisit certain topics from time to time. We do not want to “drift away” from what we have previously learned (Hebrews 2:1). Some topics are so foundational that they affect what we believe, teach, and practice – individually and collectively. One of…
Read MoreTaking God at His Word
by Gregory Alan Tidwell “Whenever a man begins to draw the distinction between believing in Christ, and believing in the Bible, which reveals Christ, he does not believe in the Christ of the Bible or of God. And he who rejects the Bible, rejects the Christ of the Bible. And he is the only Christ…
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