Posts Tagged ‘decisions’
At the Crossroads
by Doy Moyer Scripture warns against those who “walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.” Paul writes, “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19). Elsewhere Paul writes that those who cause divisions “do not serve our Lord Christ,…
Read MoreHow Long Will You Hesitate Between Two Opinions?
by David Gibson “Decision,” wrote Gordon Graham, “is a sharp knife that cuts clean and straight; indecision is a dull one that hacks and tears and leaves ragged edges behind it” [Bits & Pieces]. Israel could not seem to make up their minds whether they would serve the Lord or Baal. The Conflict Then King…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Choice?
by David Gibson Many are avid baseball fans, but others care nothing about it. Some love to sit in a fishing boat hour after hour; this bores others stiff. Opera has its devotees; others can’t stand it. Probably most would agree that baseball, fishing, and opera are not matters of life and death. If you…
Read MoreThe Freedom to Choose
by Jefferson David Tant The freedom to choose is among the many blessings we have in this world. That freedom is found only in living beings, whether animals or humans. I have an automobile that is very useful to me, but it is a robot. It can only do what I choose, such as turning…
Read MoreShould We Follow the Majority?
by Jefferson David Tant The title presents an interesting question. Following the majority is a common practice in our everyday lives. When elections are held, whether for the President of the United States or for our High School Student Body President, the “majority” always wins. In a presidential election, I may vote for the losing…
Read MoreWould Jesus Do What We Do?
by Jarrod M. Jacobs This question is slightly different from the oft-asked question, “What would Jesus do?” Asking what Jesus might do in a situation is indeed a righteous question to ask. Such a question is consistent with Bible teaching (Colossians 3:17; I Peter 4:11; etc.). However, in this article, let’s put this question in…
Read MoreShould Do or Allowed to Do?
by Doy Moyer “What should I do or not do?” is a question of wisdom. “What am I allowed to do or not do?” is a question of law. While we have boundaries of what we are allowed or not allowed to do, and these are vital to know, more will be determined by wisdom…
Read MoreThe Calm Between Major Events
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Events happen in our lives that you could call defining moments A. It is when we must make a hard choice. Ultimately, the choice defines who we are. B. A moment of courage, when someone is saved. C. A moment of conviction when we stand up for God and truth D. The challenges we face…
Read MoreJamaica Patois Wisdom – Path
by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…
Read MoreFor This Is God’s Will
by Ethan R. Longhenry “For this is God’s will: that you become holy” (I Thessalonians 4:3) Many people agonize over this question: what is God’s will for my life? They imagine God has a specific intention for them to live in a specific place, be with a specific person, have a specific career or job,…
Read MoreYour Past Choices Don’t Determine Your Present and Future Choices
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Your-Past-Choices-Dont-Determine-Your-Present-and-Future-Choices.mp3 by Austin Hausner
Read MoreHappiness Without Faith
by Doy Moyer “Since I’ve given up my faith, I’m now happy and at peace.” This is a common type of statement we see from those who walk away from the Lord. It seems counter to the idea that true happiness and peace are found in Christ. I do not doubt that one who leaves…
Read MoreWhat God Has Done to Keep You Out of Hell
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/What-God-Has-Done-to-Keep-Us-Out-of-Hell.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MorePlanning Your Life
by P.D. Wilmeth These seven teenage years are a great adventure in experiences, with all the risks and hazards of unknown paths. They are tremendously important years this is a journey that we make only once. There is no roundtrip ticket, most of us according to the calendar will be on this road for about…
Read MoreOur Part Is to Try and Trust
by Gary Henry Reaching Forward 31 October 2012 “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). One of life’s great discouragements is the thought that it “won’t…
Read MoreJesus, the Stone of Stumbling
by Doy Moyer “But the LORD (Yahweh) of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants…
Read MoreI Wish Someone Had Told Me
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/I-Wish-Someone-Had-Told-Me.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 5:7-14 I. I ran across an article by Chuck Lawless about “Ten Conversations I Wish Someone Had with Me as a Teenager.” A. Hindsight generally reveals that mistakes could have been avoided B. I constantly get told: “I wish someone had told me just how bad this could get” C. And…
Read MoreA Good Mate
A Good Mate – Part 1A Good Mate – Part 2A Good Mate – Part 3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 3:1-7 I. Introduction A. Many, if not most people, spend a fair chunk of their life trying to reach a decision regarding who they will marry B. Sadly, most leave this important choice to…
Read MoreWhat is God’s Will for Me? Part 3: Making a Decision
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/What-Is-Gods-Will-for-Me-4-Making-a-Decision.mp3 Text: Deuteronomy 10:12-14 I. Numerous people are convinced through repeated teachings that there is a specific plan that God has for each person’s life A. You would think that would make life easier. If God has laid out the perfect life for me, then I just have to conform my life to God’s will and follow…
Read MoreWhat Is God’s Will for Me? Part 2: Is There a Unique Personal Will?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/What-Is-Gods-Will-for-Me-3-Is-There-a-Unique-Personal-Will.mp3 Text: Proverbs 4:1-10 I. What we’ve seen A. There are groups which teach that there are three different wills of God 1. A sovereign will in which God has laid down the course or direction of the universe 2. A moral will in which God has defined what people should and should not do. 3. An individual will…
Read MoreWhat Is God’s Will for Me?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton What Is Being Taught Is There a Unique Personal Will? Making a Decision Dealing with Uncertainty
Read MoreWhat Is God’s Will for Me? Part 1: What Is Being Taught
What Is God’s Will for Me? – 1 – What Is Being TaughtWhat is God’s Will for Me? – 2 – What Is Being Taught by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 1:15-23 I. How do you know what God wants you to do? A. Not in regards to moral decisions, but in regards to choices we…
Read MoreWhat if the man I want to marry turns out to be a polygamist?
Question: Good afternoon sir, I’m in a relationship with a guy who comes from a polygamous family I love him and want to marry him but I’m scared of the future. His mother is harsh, and although I’ve been praying about it, I am worried about the future. What if he turns out to be…
Read MoreHow do you plan for the future without borrowing trouble from the future?
Question: How does one balance planning for the future without borrowing troubles from the future? Matthew 6:34 says to not worry about tomorrow because it will worry about itself, and today has its own trouble. One must be responsible about planning for the future within reason without imagining all that could possibly go wrong and…
Read MoreChoices
by Ken Weliever The other day Norma Jean and I discovered a quaint little breakfast spot on North Redington Beach, The Sweet Sage Café. It’s a combination café, gift shop, and boutique with a beautiful outdoor garden. After a delicious breakfast, we began browsing through the gift shop reading some of the clever plaques. Many…
Read MoreDoes God want me to give up everything and preach the Gospel?
Question: Hello Minister, I’ve recently been dealing with a lot of internal conflict concerning God’s individual will for my life. I’ve been in deep thought as to whether I should give up all the things that I enjoy, as well as my current life at home with my parents, in order to serve Christ and…
Read MoreRash Decisions
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Rash-Decisions.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 19:23-41 I. Our text illustrates the making of a riot A. Certain men feared that Christianity would impact their income. – Acts 19:24-27 1. They stirred up the masses with fear of lost income and fear of a lost way of life. 2. The fear spread through the city, even when…
Read MoreIs it wrong to change your mind?
Question: Hey Jeffrey, I was reading Psalms 15, I noticed it speaks of a man who walks in integrity, and he “changes not his mind.” Does that mean it is wrong to change plans or reschedule with a friend or change one’s mind about doing something? My friend and I were supposed to go to…
Read MoreHow do I make good choices when I am bipolar?
Question: Hi, I do try to be a Christian, but I slip up a lot. My fellow brothers and sisters know I’ve been battling alcohol for a while and battling bipolar too. I don’t want to sin, but I slip up drinking, thinking it would help me with my bipolar. I get tired of my…
Read MoreCan God tell you not to marry the person whom you are dating without a reason?
Question: Can God tell you not to marry the person whom you are dating without a reason? Answer: Underlying this question is an assumption that God directly communicates with people today. But that very assumption contradicts what God said He is doing. See: God is Speaking to You and Does God Speak Directly to Mankind Today? God has…
Read MoreEmotional Decision Making
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/EmotionalDecisionMaking.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Genesis 37:32-35 I. Repeatedly I find people making decisions based on their feelings. A. Usually I get contacted because those choices have gone wrong and the person wants to know why. B. But I can’t help but notice that this isn’t just a problem in moral choices. The news is filled with…
Read MoreWhat If?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/WhatIf.mp3 by Alan Feaster
Read MoreIs it proper to ask for non-miraculous signs?
Question: Hi, I had a question regarding asking God for a sign in the Bible. I was reading an article on your site about it (Should we ask for signs like Gideon did?). I’m curious about signs of a non-miraculous nature. Does God communicate with people like Jonathan in I Samuel 14:6-12? Thanks! Answer: “Then…
Read MoreThe Right to Choose
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/RightToChoose.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreThe Impact of Our Choices
by Dennis Stackhouse Just prior to his physical death, Joshua tried to encourage the people of Israel with these familiar words: “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods…
Read MoreJamaica Patois Wisdom – Awareness
by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…
Read MorePearls from Proverbs: A Seemingly Right Course
by Irvin Himmel “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). So important is the thought of this verse that it is repeated in Proverbs 16:25. Things are not Always What They Seem To an infant, a pair of scissors may seem…
Read MoreFor or Against
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ForOrAgainst.mp3 by Clint Crosier
Read MoreChoices
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015Spring7Choices.mp3 by Jonathan Perz 2015 Spring Meeting
Read MoreMy mother won’t let me change churches
Question: I am 16 years old and I don’t want to attend the same church as my family does. For a long time, I’ve wanted to change churches for my own personal reasons, but after going to this camp, I feel like God wants me to go to this certain church. Honestly, I would like…
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