Posts Tagged ‘Christianity’
Professional Christians
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ProfessionalChristian.mp3 by Andrew Long
Read MoreLessons for Our Time
by Lance Blackburn of Sharpsburg, Georgia March 3-8, 2013 Giving and Taking a Rebuke (outline only) Zealous or Lukewarm? I Saw, I Desired, and I Took Doesn’t God Want Me To Be Happy? Is It Convenient? Internet Dangers Will We Do Right by Him? What Hinders Me from Being Baptized?
Read MoreAre Christians only allowed to talk to Christians?
Question: Hello, Does the Bible say that we’re not allowed to talk to anyone who’s not a Christian? If so, what happens if a Christian does talk to someone who’s not a Christian? Thanks! Answer: I’m scratching my head trying to figure out where such an idea could possibly come from. It would be impossible…
Read MoreThe Prudent Person
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PrudentPerson.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 5:1-10 I. The Hebrew word arum refers to a clever or crafty person. A. In a negative way it refers to a person who deceives or tricks another person, such as the serpent in the Garden – Genesis 3:1 B. But it can also refer to the person to…
Read MoreWhat are Christians not allowed to drink?
Question: Are Christians allowed to drink coffee? Are Christians allowed to drink tea? I now know what Christians are allowed or not allowed to eat, but what are Christians not allowed to drink? Answer: There is nothing known to be harmful about coffee. The Bible doesn’t talk about coffee. Where it is generally applied is…
Read MoreThe Importance of a Biblical Worldview
by Allan Turner All of us see ourselves and our world through a particular set of beliefs, attitudes, and values. These operate as a filter or grid through which we process all information. For the Christian, this filter or grid is shaped by the truths taught in the Bible. The Bible, of course, has a…
Read MoreBefore You Click “Forward”
by Bryan Matthew Dockens Before forwarding that next e-mail, consider the following: Is It Morally Correct? Inasmuch as “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance” (Proverbs 15:13), it is nice to send and receive jokes and humorous stories, but care must be exercised in doing so. The Scriptures describe “coarse jesting” as behavior that should…
Read MoreAm I My Brother’s Keeper?
by Steven Harper You may be familiar with the story in which the title for today’s article was spoken, and probably just as familiar with its popular usage today. In the Bible story, Cain had killed his brother Abel and God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” (Genesis 4:9). Cain’s reply was this familiar statement and question: “I…
Read MoreMust I shun my worldly family and friends?
Question: Hello, I was reading one of your Q&A’s and a question came to mind about I Corinthians 5:9-11, “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or…
Read MoreAre Christians individually married to Christ?
Question: Does the Bible talk about individuals being a bride of God or a bride of Christ? It is my understanding that the church as a whole is the bride of Christ, and I think it is not accurate to say things “I am married to God” or “Christ is my husband.” I know it…
Read MoreThanks for “In the World but Not of the World”
Question: I have read your sermon “In the World But Not of the World.” Thanks for the message. Answer: Thank you for taking the time to be encouraging. I appreciate it.
Read MoreWho Is Responsible?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/WhoIsResponsible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Galatians 6:1-10 I. One of the issues that has divided brethren is that of doing good. A. The question is who is responsible? B. One side argues that it doesn’t matter, so long as the good is done. The other side argues that you cannot give away a responsibility God has…
Read MoreAre You Weary of God?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/AreYouWearyOfGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Micah 6:1-3 I. Being a Christian is a commitment for life. A. Matthew 7:13-14 – Few make it. B. Few made it from Israel – Romans 9:27 C. People will want in, but don’t put in the effort until too late – Luke 13:23-30 II. It isn’t that God is trying to keep…
Read MoreAm I a real Christian?
Question: Lately, something’s been really bothering me and it’s been growing and growing and I’m afraid of where it might lead. Basically, I’ve been wondering if I’m a “real or true” Christian or not. This thought has been driving me nuts, leaving me depressed, and confused. From reading online and other sources about what being…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between Islam and Christianity?
Question: What is the difference between Islam and Christianity? If Jesus is God, what about the prophet Moses (Torah), or the prophet David (Injil)? The holy book Torah had been given to the prophet Moses and the holy book Injil had been given to the prophet David. Likewise, the holy book had been given to…
Read MoreGrowth — The Good and the Bad
by Gilbert Alexander The growth of true New Testament Christianity is good, even vital, because it means that souls are being saved from eternal condemnation, and lives of promise and hope are being embraced. What makes one a Christian makes him free from guilt and condemnation for his past sins (Romans 6:17,18), makes him a…
Read MoreBack To Basics: Covenants
by Frank Jamerson When brethren make such statements as: “Jesus did not come to establish a covenant which was different from any previous arrangements,” and “Jesus is the covenant victim, not a covenant maker or law-maker,” it indicates a dire need to get back to basics. When men are confused about the difference between the…
Read MoreWhy I Don’t Forward Religious Stories
based upon a letter written by Darrell Hamilton A note was forwarded to me that went like this: After living a “decent” life my time on earth came to an end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a courthouse. The doors…
Read MoreThey Think It Strange
by Terry W. Benton For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles– when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking…
Read MoreIt’s Your Life, You Know
by Dee Bowman via The Jackson Drive Reporter, Nov. 8, 2009. Life is filled with perplexities and puzzlements of various sorts. It has odd turns: seemingly insignificant things sometimes turn out to be terribly significant; things that aren’t supposed to work out, but sometimes do; and things that seemingly should work out, but don’t. Life is…
Read MoreEmpty Faith
by Carey Scott “My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you?” (James 2:14, CEV). There are a lot of people going around and calling themselves a Christians. Yet their actions do not…
Read MoreBe a Better Person
by Carey Scott Don’t we all wish that everyone would be a better person? Do we not hope that some bad people would turn their lives around and start doing good? Do we wish our neighbors would treat us better than before? Do we hope that the people we meet each day would show us…
Read MoreYou Are Beloved
by Kent Heaton To be a child of God is to enjoy the immeasurable blessings of a heavenly Father who grants gifts of mercy and grace to His children daily. Because of the sacrifice of the “only begotten Son,” (John 3:16) Christians embrace the warm relationship of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. The…
Read MoreThe Advantages of Christianity
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/AdvantagesOfChristianity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 16:22-35 I. There are a lot of religions to choose from in the world, if one was inclined to go shopping for a belief, from a claim that “there is no God“ to “everyone is right – at least in some fashion.” A. So why be a Christian? What…
Read MoreThe Christian’s Reign
Text: Psalm 2 I. Paul makes an interesting statement – II Timothy 2:11-12 A. We often talk about being with Christ after our death, but Paul talks about our reigning with Christ. B. He’s not the only one to make this point. John also mentions it – Revelation 3:21 C. It is a reign that will last through all…
Read MoreThe Myth
by Shane Williams via The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 9, Nos. 4,5, Aug/Sept. 2008. Once we decide to obey God completely, it’s easy to assume that the rest of our life will run smoothly. If it does, we think this proves that we’re doing God’s Will. If we run into obstacles, however, we’re quick to conclude…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Having Your Faith Shipwrecked
by Steven Braman Let me tell you about my evening. I was eating dinner in Shanghai. I picked a little restaurant near the hotel called Johnny Moo. It is a knockoff of Johnny Rockets. Basically a ’50s-style burger joint. I had a cheeseburger, fries, and a banana milkshake. I had just settled in with my…
Read MoreLessons in Christianity
by Whit Sasser of Appleton, Wisconsin April 4-6, 2008 How God Communicates His Will to Us in the Bible God’s Marvelous Mercy Stop Complaining Foreseeing Evil and Avoiding It Get Your Faith Out Of The Church Building
Read MoreMust everything we do be in God’s name and a benefit to His kingdom?
Question: I’m really grateful to you for leading me so far. There’s just a really big problem in my life right now and I know you already answered many aspects of it. It just seems like it’s crushing me with its weight. When I work in school, it stills feels like I’m going further away…
Read MoreMarks of Maturity
by Steven Harper Every serious disciple of Jesus Christ desires to attain spiritual maturity, of this there should be no argument. Many faithful disciples spend their entire life striving to reach an ever-higher level of maturity, and even babes in Christ have that fervor that drives them to not remain babes but to somehow find…
Read MoreIs life not meant to be enjoyed?
Question: I still have some things troubling my mind. I always wanted to try my best and enjoy life as much as I can, obviously with God. But lately, in church and from reading the Bible, some things really confuse me. For example like how Jesus told us that if we wanted to be perfect…
Read MoreI think I’m getting too caught up in the “doing” parts of being a Christian. How can I improve?
Question: Since I have been baptized, I have really been trying to stay involved with church, tithing, and do all the things required of a believer. I have reached out to people and I think for the most part stayed away from sin. My struggles are probably the same for others but different, of course. …
Read MoreDisciple or Dabbler?
by Jim Ward via Lost River Bulletin, Vol. 57, No. 3, October 2007 In his book, Basic Christianity, John Stott wrote, “The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict half-built towers. The ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. Thousands of people still ignore Christ’s warning and undertake…
Read MoreDad’s Nine Rules for Living
by Frank Walton Upon the occasion of his daughter’s high school graduation. via Biblical Insights, Vol. 7, No. 8, Aug. 2007. 1. Put God First We exist for His glory and then to enjoy Him forever (I John 17:3). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One…
Read MoreThe Brotherhood
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via The Reflector, December 07. “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king” (I Peter 2:17). The word “brotherhood” here is translated from adelphotes. It appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in I Peter (2:17; 5:9). The King James renders it “brethren” in I Peter 5:9,…
Read MoreYour home page took me aback
Question: I don’t remember the circumstances why I stumbled upon your web page. Upon reading the focus statement on your home page, I decided I would pass something by you for your consumption. It is rather refreshing for a congregation to unabashedly profess that the true nature of Christ’s Body and its purpose is to evangelize.…
Read MoreWhat Do You See?
by Jim Mickells The Bible is often referred to as the “mirror of the soul.” I suppose that it is called such because of what James said in his epistle when writing to the twelve tribes scattered abroad. There he said, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if…
Read MoreHow do you make an interesting conversation?
Question: I would like to ask some help on how to be a good conversationalist. You see, I have a problem when it comes to communicating with people. I’m quite a boring type of person and I cannot produce an interesting conversation. Can you help me with this? I also need advice on how to…
Read MoreDo you have advice for a young Christian going into military service?
Question: I have two nephews who have enlisted. One in the Marines, and one in the Navy. The one who is going to the Navy has struggled as a Christian for a very long time. He is easily swayed; he is a follower and gives in easily to peer pressure. I am very concerned about…
Read MoreInsufficient Evidence
by Allen Dvorak Perpetua and Felicitas were two young women who were martyred in A.D. 203 at Carthage, victims of the Roman persecution of the church. When they were condemned to die in the arena, Perpetua was a woman of 22 years with a young child and Felicitas was pregnant. Tertullian is believed by some to…
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