Posts Tagged ‘confidence’
Can I Know for Sure?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Can-I-Know-For-Sure.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 5 I. Salvation means forgiveness of sins, but it also means a better life on earth and spending eternity with our God in heaven – Luke 18:29-30 A. Such a gift is immeasurably valuable – Matthew 13:44-46 B. We should not be anxious – Philippians 4:6-7 C. See the confidence…
Read MoreBlessed Assurance
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/BlessedAssurance.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 10:19-26 I. If you died at this very moment, would the Lord place you in Heaven or Hell? A. Most would answer, “I hope it would be in Heaven.” B. Yet the answer lacks confidence. They are not certain. C. But why not? Who else would know of your standing before…
Read MoreThe Song “Blessed Assurance”
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. This song declares the praises of our Savior A. What is meant by saying this is my story? B. The foundation of this song is II Corinthians 3:1-6 1. The Christians in Corinth were the living proof of the work of the apostle Paul. 2. They have confidence towards God, not from themselves, but from…
Read MoreThe Difference One Can Make
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Difference-One-Can-Make.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Esther 4 I. In studying Proverbs, I came across one verse that stood out to me – Proverbs 28:2 A. When a country is given over to sin, they tend to go through rulers rapidly 1. Israel exemplifies this. There are periods where the northern kingdom when through four or five…
Read MoreMara or Naomi?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Mara-or-Naomi.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ruth 1:19-21 I. Life has its ups and downs. How do you respond? A. Do you rail at life and God? Do you decide life is a misery? B. Naomi had a hard life. 1. Famine caused her family to move to a foreign country – Ruth 1:1 2. Her husband then died…
Read MoreGod’s Unchanging Hand
by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we,…
Read MoreNo Apologies Needed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/No-Apologies-Needed.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreChariots of Fire
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Chariots-of-Fire.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 6:8-23 I. Ben-hadad, king of Syria, caused much grief for the northern kingdom of Israel A. He made many raids into Israel, but he soon ran into problems B. While his strategies were planned in top-secret, the king of Israel always seemed to know them in advance and had…
Read MoreHow much confidence do I need in God?
Question: Mr. Hamilton I have another question I’d like to ask concerning some scripture I’ve been recently pondering and trying to understand. “But with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into…
Read MoreDoes your confidence in God’s grace grow when you try to be faithful to God?
Question: Jeffrey, This may seem like a silly question. but I was wondering how you might feel about it. I think the more a person tries to be faithful to God, the more his confidence grows in His grace. Is there any specific Scripture that you know of that would support such a thought? Answer:…
Read MoreDoubts
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Doubts.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 17:5-8 I. I had the opportunity to study with a member of the International Church of Christ. A. Many of their core beliefs are similar to our own, but they diverge from the plain teachings of the Scriptures in a number of significant ways. B. While researching their beliefs and…
Read MoreRules for Prosperity and Success
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Rules-for-Prosperity-and-Success.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Joshua 1:1-9 I. Moses had died and Joshua now finds himself the leader of a nation about to conquer a land to claim as their own. A. God appears to Joshua and offers words of encouragement – Joshua 1:7-9 B. The advise was excellent for Joshua, but it is also useful…
Read MorePsalms 100
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Psalms-100.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 100 I. There is a psalm which is specifically titled as one to be used for thanksgiving or during a thank offering, it is Psalms 100 II. What you should do … A. Shout joyfully to the Lord 1. Some things are not meant to be kept in – Psalms 32:11;…
Read MoreIf You Want to Walk on Water, You Must Get Out of the Boat
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/If-You-Want-to-Walk-on-the-Water-You-must-Get-Out-of-the-Boat-1.mp3 by Wilson Adams Faith Over Fear
Read MoreFive Stones in the Hands of a Boy
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Five-Stones-in-the-Hands-of-a-Boy.mp3 Text: I Corinthians 1:26-29 I. The armies of the Philistines and the Israelites faced each other across a valley – I Samuel 17:1-3 A. With both armies camped on mountains, it became a standoff. Whoever attacked the other would be at a disadvantage. B. Thus, the Philistines sent out their champion issue a challenge and break…
Read MoreFaith Over Fear
Lessons presented by Wilson Adams of Nashville, Tennessee September 27-30, 2020 The Verse That Will Change Your Life “Lord, Do You Not Care?” When This Journey Comes to an End … Majesty! Worship His Majesty! Pray BIG! If You Want to Walk on the Water -You Must Get Out of the Boat
Read MoreMeekness
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Meekness.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 4:1-10 I. One aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is meekness – Galatians 5:22-23 A. Few view meekness as a desirable trait 1. Instead, people take assertiveness training 2. We are conditioned to be aggressive, to watch out for our own interests. B. Rudeness is in, consideration for others seems to…
Read MoreHow could the Almighty God accept me?
Question: Mr. Jeffrey, I don’t admit this to many people, but I have an issue in my thinking when it comes to God. I have a fear that no matter what I do and no matter how I try to be righteous and help others get to heaven, that at Judgment Day God will hold…
Read MoreHave Confidence
by Raymond Warfel https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/HaveConfidence.mp3
Read MoreFaithfulness, Not Perfection
by Matthew W. Bassford Over the past few weeks, Shawn and I have spent Sunday mornings explaining how it is that we can know that we are heaven-bound for certain. We’ve seen that we can put our confidence in the powerful sacrifice of Jesus and in the perfect forgiveness of God. However, that doesn’t quiet the…
Read MoreHow can we be confident that God will answer our prayers?
Question: Hello, I have a question regarding prayer, one which I have submitted to numerous places. I’ve tried to present it in the most concise and intellectually understandable language I can think of but have received in response almost an outright refusal to acknowledge what it is I am asking. Whether it is deliberate or…
Read MoreWhose Word I Praise!
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton David was on the run. The king of Israel, Saul, was determined to see him dead. His best friend, Saul’s son, confirmed that Saul would not be deterred. The threat was so severe that David decided to flee into Philistine territory. The Philistines were no friends to Israel, and David had…
Read MoreCan you achieve anything by just believing in yourself?
Question: Hi Jeff, I am a young man who is inexperienced in life but want to explore. I hear a lot of “you can do anything if you just believe in yourself.” But when I consider that there is a lot to learn, but our life span is short, I get scared. So I ask:…
Read MoreOverconfidence and Doubt
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/OverconfidenceAndDoubt.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 14:22-23 I. Several correspondence that I have had contained similar questions: A. A woman who engaged in acts in the past that she knew were wrong said, “I have asked God for forgiveness and am trying to further my relationship with him, but I don’t feel I deserve to…
Read MoreDealing with Doubt
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DealingWithDoubt.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 20:19-31 I. Is it wrong to have doubts? When those moments come when you wonder if God really exists or you run across an idea that makes you wonder if you really understood the Bible correctly, have you sinned? A. Look at characters in the Old Testament and we…
Read MoreMisplaced Confidence
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/MisplacedConfidence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text Jeremiah 7:1-15 I. I regularly read in the papers about people who died in some natural disaster. A. Many times the death was needless. People knew the disaster was coming, but refused to heed the warnings. Though authorities told them to leave, there is always a few who decide to…
Read MoreI am so afraid of losing my salvation that everything is going wrong
Question: Hello, Thank you for the opportunity to write you. I like your site because some of the information is really good and helped me to find out that I have a little bit of religious OCD. Even if my situation was worse, I found out that I am mentally ill. What a great start.…
Read MoreHow does someone know if they have the Holy Spirit?
Question: I always wondered this, but how does someone know if they have the Holy Spirit or they don’t? Answer: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in…
Read MoreKnow with Certainty
by Doy Moyer “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience”…
Read MoreWhat can I do for my daughter who fears she might have done something wrong?
Question: My daughter was recently baptized. Since then, she has been sad and crying every day, feeling so guilty and questioning her every decision or thought or word out of her mouth as to whether it is sin. She knows even just one small sin, even a little lie, can keep her from heaven if…
Read MoreI’ve been baptized three times, but I’m not certain I’m saved
Question: Hi, I am a male in my thirties. For about fifteen years I have been struggling with thoughts about my baptism. Thoughts go through my head practically every day. I have questions constantly running through my mind that cause me to feel anxious and fearful of God’s judgment, all because I keep questioning if my…
Read MoreCould you explain Hebrews 10:26-28?
Question: Could you explain Hebrews 10:26-28? Answer: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,…
Read MoreSpina Absentia
by Jefferson David Tant According to my 9th Grade Revised Latin, the title means “no backbone.” Physically, this devastates the body, making it impossible to function. This is tragic. But more tragic is spiritual “spina absentia.” This “spinelessness” is too common in the Lord’s body, and we need the “Great Physician” to stiffen the backbone…
Read MoreHow can I build up my confidence?
Question: Hi there, At a young age, I did not care what people said about me. In fact, I did not even take note of it. However, it feels as if I put other people’s opinions about myself over my own opinions. I think this started when I started to take rude remarks seriously. Right…
Read MoreOn Thinking We Are Right
by Doy Moyer One of the consequences of postmodern thinking is that we can think whatever we want, but we aren’t allowed to think that we are actually right. In other words, there is no capital T in “truth.” To think we are right is to commit one of the gravest mistakes of our day,…
Read MoreHow can I be 100% sure?
Question: I am starting to build more faith but I am still not 100% sure that God exists. I go to church and everything and I feel terrible to admit this. How can I be 100% sure? Are you 100% sure? Will I ever get there? I’m just scared that I never will be able…
Read MoreDealing with Hostility
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DealingWithHostility.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 16:16-40 I. You know you ought to say something, but you also know it isn’t going to go over well. A. They just won’t understand, so they will turn on you – I Peter 4:4 B. They are going to hate you for standing for righteousness – Psalms 69:4 C. Instead…
Read MoreHow do we know if we have God’s approval?
Question: We should seek the approval of God and not man. I absolutely agree with this. My question, however, is how do we know if we have God’s approval? Since I became a Christian, I have developed a fear of dying. I fear I’m going to Hades and then hell because I feel I’m not…
Read MoreI’m afraid I’m going to fail
Question: My question is how do you be obedient? It’s like I want to do the right thing and I’m aware of what I’m doing wrong and have done wrong in the past, but I’m scared that I’m going to fail in doing the right thing in the future. I also feel like a failure…
Read MoreHow do I know if I have fallen from grace?
Question: What does it mean to fall from the grace? I’ve doubted Jesus so many times, I’m scared I’ve fallen. I pray to God to forgive me and ask Him to never let me go, never let me take my eyes off Christ or I’ll be lost. How do I know I haven’t fallen? Answer:…
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