Not Worth Listening To

by Zeke Flores There are some things that are not worth wasting the time to listen to. For me, that would be rap or any new “pop” song. Or most political drivel. Or false religious teaching. Jesus said, “Take care what you listen to” (Mark 4:24). In Luke’s gospel, He says, “Take care how you listen”…

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Rash Words

by Doy Moyer “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). Here’s one thought about our need to be careful with our words. What we say publicly reflects upon our spouses and loved ones. If we are constantly complaining about how bad things…

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Talking with Your Neighbor

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton (Short Talk) Text: Zechariah 8:16-17   I.         Undoubtedly there are evil people around us             A.        There are people who plot the harm of others, even though it disrupts the safety of those around them – Proverbs 3:29             B.        This was one of the many problems that led to Israel’s downfall – Micah 2:1-3             C.        Typically…

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Does God direct our lives?

Question: I have appreciated your website and the answers you share from the truth of God’s word.  I thought maybe you could help me with this: A friend is telling me that God reveals things to us about what to do about jobs, health, etc. In the sense that God directs our path, I suppose…

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Before We Post

by Doy Moyer Before we post, before we respond, before we engage, before we meme, before we act… Let this passage sink in: “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should…

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The Wise Teacher Guards His Tongue

by Jefferson David Tant “He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding” (Proverbs 17:27). Those who preach and teach are people of words. That’s obvious, as that’s how we proclaim the message. But how we use our tongue can have a great influence on…

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The Words We Speak

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/The-Words-We-Speak.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 4:17-24   I.         There is a Proverb that stands out in my mind – Proverbs 26:18-19             A.        You cannot cover up lies with a claim that you were making a joke.             B.        We are judged by what we say, even the casual things said without much thought – Matthew 12:35-37                         1.         Why?…

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The Heavens Declare the Glory of God (Psalms 19)

by Mike Johnson Psalm 19 is beautifully written and has been revered by many people over the years. From it, many conclude that there is a God who created the universe, and He has revealed Himself to mankind through the Scriptures. From Psalms 19:12-14, the awesomeness of these concepts should cause introspection on the part…

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The Basics of Communication: Tell, Show, Imply

by Doy Moyer We need to get past the constant criticism of CENI (Command, Example, Necessary Inference). The problem with CENI is not that it is a failed hermeneutic. The problem is that we have clouded the terminology so much that we have forgotten what basic communication is all about. CENI is fancy talk for…

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How do you handle inappropriate talk in a youth Bible study?

Question: I just graduated from high school and started hanging out with my sister’s friends who are the college-age people in our church. Most of them are on our youth staff. They meet together in what they call a Bible study, but we did not touch a Bible once. It seemed like the whole time…

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The Christian and Social Media

by David Maxson “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding” (Proverbs 17:27). Like it or not, social media is here to stay. While we shouldn’t overreact to the dangers of this new media, we must not ignore them either. There needs to be more…

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When Communication Breaks Down

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/WhenCommunicationBreaksDown.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 11:1-9   I.         After the flood, mankind feared to obey God’s command to spread once again across the world.             A.        They took it into their heads to build a great city and a tower that would make a name for themselves.             B.        Mankind was united, but they were united in sin.…

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My husband doesn’t tell me anything until the last moment

Question: I was searching for questions and answers regarding marriage online, and I found your site very interesting. I am a Christian too, and I have a question. My husband and I have been married for over ten years. My husband is good in so many aspects, but in communication with me, he is not…

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How do you handle misunderstandings?

Question: Is there anything in the Bible that a person can apply to their lives as to how to best deal directly with misunderstandings and confusion? I notice this is can be a weakness with a lot of people. When they encounter something they don’t at first understand, and it’s still taking longer than ‘usual’…

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Is “indirect communications” wrong?

Question: I have a question about communication. What does God say about indirect communication? I recognize that some cultures in the world speak to each other indirectly and they sometimes or often may not tell a straight forward answer to a question asked by a direct communicator. It can seem as if the indirect person…

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Studying Prayers

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2010Fall6StudyingPrayer.mp3 by Skip Sebree Communication Between God and Man

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Improving Our Prayers

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2010Fall5ImprovingOurPrayer.mp3 by Skip Sebree Communication Between God and Man

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Understanding the Word

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2010Fall4UnderstandingTheWord.mp3 by Skip Sebree Communication Between God and Man

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The Learning Triangle

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2010Fall3TheLearningTriangle.mp3 by Skip Sebree Communication Between God and Man

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Becoming Better Readers

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2010Fall1BecomingBetterReaders.mp3 by Skip Sebree Communication Between God and Man

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Becoming Careful Readers

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2010Fall2BecomingCarefulReaders.mp3 by Skip Sebree Communication Between God and Man

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Communication Between God and Man

by Skip Sebree, Fall Gospel Meeting, 2010 God Speaking to Us Becoming Better Readers Becoming Careful Readers The Learning Triangle Understanding the Word Our Speaking to God Improving Our Prayers Studying Prayers

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What is an “idle” word?

Question: In Matthew 12:36, what does Christ mean when he says, “For every idle word … [man] shall give an account”?  What is an “idle word”?  Does “give an account” mean “suffer punishment” or “be required to explain”? Answer: “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance…

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The Ten Commandments on How to Get Along with Each Other

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TenCommandmentsOnHowToGetAlong1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.         Introduction             A.        No man is an island                         1.         We cannot exist alone. We are in constant need of contact with other people.                         2.         In order to get along in this world, we must get along with others.             B.        As Christians, our main purpose should be to bring more souls to Christ                         1.         How can we…

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Worshiping in Song

Text: Colossians 3:16-17   I.         In many congregations, singing is not consider a very important aspect of worship.             A.        Think about it; when the Lord’s Supper is being served or a prayer is being given, few people would think about leaving the assembly to visit the restrooms, but it commonly happens during the singing.             B.        If a prayer…

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Questions about James 3

Question: James 3 seems to be talking about keeping our mouth under control and not to boast about everything we can do. What is it that comes from your mouth and corrupts the whole body? To speak good things and bad things is wrong. It has to be one way. It also compares the earthly wisdom (which…

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