Posts Tagged ‘Christianity’
Am 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 MoreDisciples of Christ
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2005/08/DisciplesOfChrist.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 28:18-20 I. No one name is used to describe a person. A. A single word cannot encompass all that a person is. I could be called a preacher, but I’m also a father, a husband, a writer, a teacher, a computer scientist, a singer, and many other things. B. Similarly…
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…
Read MoreGod Needs More Foot Soldiers
by Thomas Thornhill At this time our nation is in a conflict taking place mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our uniformed personnel are daily placed in harm’s way, facing an enemy which in many cases is often unseen until they strike. This is of course a physical confrontation in which people use material weaponry to…
Read MoreAre Christians considered to be Israelites?
Question: Are those who are now under the new covenant, Christians, considered to be Israelites now? Are we the part of the nation of Israel? Figuratively speaking, of course. Answer: Christians are not physically Israelites, but we are the spiritual equivalent. “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that…
Read MoreBible Thumpers
by Sam Stinson “And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth'” (I Kings 17:24). Brethren, Jesus rightly said that God’s word is truth (John 17:17). God’s word has the ability to sanctify those who would…
Read MoreHow can birds be an example of God’s care when they can suffer from droughts and famines?
Question: I have been trying to figure out Matthew 6:25-34 for five years now without success, but came across your website, and am quite curious about your perspective. Of particular interest is verse 26. How does God actually feed the birds, and how does such have an application to Christians since we must work for a living? And,…
Read MoreDo Warring Factions Mean Christianity Is False?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 11:17-22 I. You hear all sorts of excuses when you attempt to talk to others about Christianity. A. “Well, I can’t take that Christian stuff seriously. You folk are all suppose to worship the same god, love your neighbor, and things like that, yet look at all the fighting…
Read MoreDo members of the church of Christ believe they are the only ones going to heaven?
Question: Does the church of Christ believe they’re the only ones going to heaven? My brother married someone that goes to a church that’s a hard-core church of Christ. He’s going nuts. He will hardly look at my family and argues all the time about baptism before salvation. He has given up on the family…
Read MoreWhere Do You Live?
I. Where a person spends his time reveals a lot about their character A. Which country or region a person comes from B. The kind of home they select or the people they live with C. But we are interested in spiritual things here. Where can I find your tent, among God’s people or Satan’s followers? D. The Bible…
Read MoreWhat’s in Your Bucket?
by Wendi L. Capehart When I was a young mother of two children in diapers an older lady at church shared the bucket parable with me. The basic idea is that as you go through life, you are carrying a full bucket. And sometimes in your day-to-day life, you get bumped or jostled and this…
Read MoreThe Ten Virgins
by Shawn Daniels Jesus gives this parable of the kingdom of heaven: “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil…
Read MoreHow can you take up a cross and follow Christ today?
Question: Regarding Matthew 10:38: What is it to take a cross and follow Christ today? Answer: We see the cross today as the jagged, wooden instrument used in putting to death Jesus Christ our Savior. Yet before His followers had even a slight idea that Jesus would die by that manner, Jesus spoke of the cross.…
Read MoreJust Your Average Joe
by Steven Harper Joe was born in a small town in the Midwest and was welcomed into the family by his parents, both of whom were committed, believing disciples who had come out of denominationalism and a long family history of following religious beliefs, not in accord with New Testament Christianity. His parents had the…
Read MoreWhat does it mean to be a child of God?
Question: What does it mean to be a child of God? Answer: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17). Jesus told…
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