Posts Tagged ‘church’
Conservative or Sound?
by Steve Dewhirst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 3, September 1993 All humans are forced to communicate by the medium of words. Words convey ideas and concepts; they are tools for expressing our thoughts to others. But words are frequently imprecise, and we are sometimes careless in saying exactly what we mean. Frequently, we assume…
Read MoreBy Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them?
by Jeff Kingrey via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 3, September 1993 “Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good treecannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can…
Read MoreMaintenance
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Maintenance.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Ecclesiastes 10:16-20 I. Come the beginning of the year people begin thinking of weight-loss programs and exercise regimens. A. It could be that with a new year, people want to get a new start in being healthier, but I suspect that all the overeating from Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas,…
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 MoreSome Signs a Congregation May Be in Trouble
by Rufus Clifford III via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 Parents are constantly warned to be aware of signs that their child may be on drugs, alcohol, or depressed. Society spends thousands of dollars informing parents on how to detect these signs in their children. Have you ever considered whether it’s possible to…
Read MoreThe Church of Christ in the U.S. Is Dying!
by Gary Calton via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 Not too long back, a friend of mine was attempting to secure a place to preach. During that effort, he visited a congregation that had a large sum of money in the treasury. As he and I discussed the lack of interest some churches…
Read MoreHow do you identify the true church?
Question: Dear Sir, Thank you for your response to various questions. I have learned so much from the La Vista Church of Christ’s website, and I want to let you know. I really want to join a true church of Christ. I have two questions: How do you identify a true church? Is Christ coming…
Read MoreWhen Would I Split a Church?
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993 There are a few things that God hates. One of them is “he that soweth discord among the brethren” (Proverbs 6:19). That should be a sobering thought. Being responsible for a division is a terrible thing. On the other hand, what God desires for…
Read MoreThe Kingdom Came
by Terry Wane Benton In Daniel 2:44f, the kingdom of heaven was coming. But four earthly kingdoms were on the docket to come before this very special kingdom. Daniel explained to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, that his kingdom would be left to the Medes and Persians (the second kingdom on earth before the heavenly…
Read MoreThe Nature of the Kingdom of God
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of…
Read MoreThe “Hidden” Parts of the Body
by Heath Rogers The prophet Elijah was at a low point in his life. He had abandoned his post and run away from Israel. When asked by God why he was away from Israel, the prophet said that the children of Israel had forsaken God’s covenant, torn down His altars, and killed His prophets. “I…
Read MoreLet the Church be the Church
by George DeHoff via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 The business of the church is to preach the gospel of Christ. It exists for this purpose. Without the gospel, men are lost. The gospel is God’s power unto salvation (Romans 1:16). There is nothing else that the church does that some other organization…
Read MoreWhy Are You a Member of the Church of Christ?
by Vance E. Trefethen via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 3, September 1992 A full-page ad for the book “Why I Am a Member of the Church of Christ” recently caught my eye, with its bold headline: “Now Is the Time to Act.” Much of the message carried in this conservative journal was true—and quite disturbing.…
Read MoreThe Growth of the Church
by Hugh DeLong It is difficult for us to read the events in John 12 and feel the same excitement that gripped the people in Jesus’ day. The city is filling up with people who have come to celebrate and observe the Passover. “Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up…
Read MoreThe Backbone of the Church
by Micky Galloway In referring to the backbone of the church, I have in mind the firmness, the moral courage, the stand for truth, the spine of the church itself. There are certain “straws” that we should be alarmed about because they are breaking the church’s back. What are some of these “straws”? Sin is…
Read MoreGod’s Kingdom and the Nations
by Doy Moyer The United States, for all the good (and bad) that is found therein, is not the Kingdom of God. When we act like it is, we will almost surely misuse Scripture. I saw a post trying to parallel Israel’s covenant law against a foreigner ruling over them with leaders in the US…
Read MoreDoes It Cost Too Much?
by David Gibson The parable is only one verse long, but what a lesson is packed in those few words! “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew…
Read MoreI Want a Church that Meets My Needs
by William Woodson The statement made in the title is not only the desire of many in the religious world, but it is also becoming the philosophy of many Christians, as many of us are seeking a religion that “meets our needs.” The phrase itself has virtually become a new religious term. Many persons praise…
Read MoreWe Must Have the Church
by Adam Faughn In our world, we sometimes hear people who speak of how they want a relationship with Jesus, but they do not want much (if anything) to do with the church. This is not new; in fact, some of you will remember the days when the saying, “give me the Man, but not…
Read MoreShould we merge with a nearby congregation?
Question: Hi, I have a few questions about two churches of Christ merging. I’m a member of a church of Christ. Around five years ago, we had around 50 members, including two elders and three deacons. I was one of the deacons. Things changed a few years ago. The two elders moved outside of the…
Read MoreIs It Possible to Identify the Church Found in the New Testament?
by Todd Clippard With so many forms of “Christianity” today, one may ask, “How can I know I’ve found the church of the New Testament?” With recent estimates showing over 2000 individual religious groups all claiming to be a form of Christianity, this is a valid question, and we can see why one would be…
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 MoreRestoring the Spirit of the Early Church
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. Members of the churches of Christ today generally recognize that they are beneficiaries of “the restoration movement” that began in this country in the late 1700s. While we recognize that our faith and practice must not be rooted in that movement, but in the New Testament, we are grateful to…
Read MoreYou Need a Church
by Jarred McCrary Available data indicate a decline in church attendance nationwide — a trend that has accelerated significantly in recent years. One writer described the rate of attendance as dropping like a cannonball in a pie filling. In case you’re wondering, that’s not a good thing. People need church, and by “people” I mean…
Read MoreGrowing Tired of the Congregation Where You Worship?
by Steve Waller Be careful before you answer the above question! Occasionally, one may be heard saying something like, “I’m so tired of the congregation where I worship. I want to find someplace else to go!” It’s not that there is anything wrong with the local church from a doctrinal standpoint, or that there is…
Read MoreFamily (Brewer)
by Chadwick Brewer “If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15). I believe that there is an innate desire and need for family, to have a place where you…
Read MoreLove One Another
by Luke Bower The other day, I overheard someone talking about how they enjoy buying things online. They even observed that as soon as the drone delivery system is perfected, they won’t have to interact with the UPS person. It seems that more and more stores are moving in this direction. Have you noticed that…
Read MoreCan We Get Along Just as Well Without It?
by David Gibson What if God gave us a choice of plans of salvation? Option A is the church plan. Option B is the non-church plan. In other words, if you want to be a part of the church, fine, but if you’d rather get to heaven without the church, that’s OK too! So what…
Read MoreEmotional Needs
by Zeke Flores Too often, we can let our emotionally perceived needs dictate what we do rather than what we should do. In a local church, a member may feel his needs are not being met, and so he moves on to another congregation or falls away altogether. In this way, “what I want for…
Read MoreThe Silver Thermometer (Hamilton)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Silver-Thermometer.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hosea 6:4-11 I. When we want to know whether it is hot or cold outside, we check a thermometer to see the temperature. A. Today we have digital devices, but before that we had very fine glass tubes with either red-tinted alcohol or silver mercury in them. Mercury is a…
Read MoreTrue Israel
by Terry Wane Benton “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:43). Here, Jesus was speaking to physical Israelites, people who claimed physical lineage to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, that physical nation was only a temporary…
Read MoreOne Another
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/One-Another.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Romans 12:9-13 I. We are an individualistic society, but we recognize the need to work together to achieve goals. A. We form companies to manufacture goods B. We have governments to coordinate society C. There are aspects of Christianity that I am responsible for as an individual, but it is…
Read MoreA Crutch for the Weak
by Zeke Flores “Christianity is a crutch for the weak!” some say. I agree. God’s way is a comfort for the afflicted (II Corinthians 1:3-5), a help for the persecuted (Hebrews 10:32-39), and strength for the downtrodden (Romans 8:31, 36-39). The reason we need this “crutch” is because we are unable to navigate life solely…
Read MoreThe Way (Benton)
by Terry Wayne Benton Saul was looking for Christians, followers of Christ, to capture and prosecute, but Luke commented that they were “of the Way” (Acts 9:2). In Acts 8:3, he stated that Saul made “havoc of the church.” The church is comprised of people who have united with Jesus and are in His way of…
Read MoreIf the Kingdom of God Has Come … and It Has
by Zeke Flores If the kingdom of God has come — and the Bible emphatically states that it has — then the theory of premillennialism is heretical King Jesus isn’t coming back to establish His kingdom; He’s already done it. His sacrifice has provided a once-for-all remedy for sin, and the Spirit has provided and…
Read MoreWhat Am I Worth to the Church?
Author Unknown Many passages of Scripture discuss the quality of character that is supposed to be possessed by those who follow Christ. Most of the epistles of the New Testament are directed to that end. While there is a desire among brethren to enlarge the numbers of people who profess to be members of the…
Read MoreBlueprint of a Biblical Church
by Gregory Alan Tidwell It’s a warm Sunday evening, and a few guys are gathered on a friend’s back porch, talking about church. One friend admits, “Sometimes I wonder if church even matters. Can’t I just follow Jesus on my own?” Heads nod quietly. Many young Christians have felt this. Burned by hypocrisy or bored…
Read MoreThe Mountain
by Terry Wane Benton Christians have come “to the mountain that may not be touched” (Hebrews 12:18-25). It is a spiritual mountain. It is “in Christ” in “the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). Our mountain is “exalted above the hills” (Isaiah 2:1-4). Our mountain is Mount Zion, and it is “the city of the living God, the…
Read MoreThe Growth of the Church in Jerusalem
by Dudley R. Spears via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 4, December 31, 1990 No period in the history of the Lord’s church records a greater numerical growth than the first century. There are repeated references to the reason why such phenomenal growth occurred. Men of faith claim the reason was the preaching of the apostles.…
Read More“I’m Not Included”
by Rickie Jenkins “I am just not included at church; I am given no part.” If true, that is sad. That’s not God’s intent. God designed a local church to depend on one another. He expects all to contribute to the good of the whole (Ephesians 4:16). Thus, in God’s design “every part may grow…
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