entertainment – La Vista Church of Christ

A Few Words about Our Thrill-Seeking Culture

March 22, 2025

by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. In recent years, we have developed a thrill-seeking culture – a culture moved more by emotional stimuli than careful thought – that affects many facets of our lives. I have not been to a movie in years, but I have seen trailers on TV and digital video and heard people…

What is the difference between entertainment and worship?

December 11, 2024

Question: Good day, Minister, My question to you is, can you kindly explain the difference between true worship and Christian concerts using sufficient Bible passages? I have friends in various denominations who attend concerts organized by various so-called Christian bodies, where gospel singers are invited to perform and do all sorts of things. After talking…

Worship Weariness

April 30, 2024

by Dennis Abernathy Malachi said Israel was weary, bored, and tired of worship. (Malachi 1: 13). It was too demanding and had become a grievous chore rather than an exalted privilege, a burden instead of a blessing. Fast forward to today. Many want shorter sermons, with less Scripture and more wit, less identification and exposure…

What Kind of Life Do You Want?

April 12, 2024

by Dennis Abernathy I recently read this observation about today’s society: “Modern society wants entertainment instead of enrichment and a ‘good time’ rather than a ‘good life.'” Sadly, we see this played out in many people’s lives, and none of us are immune to the temptation to want the same. Instead of being spiritually enriched,…

Evaluating Movies and Shows

December 29, 2023

by Doy Moyer While it is difficult to find movies or shows that are worth watching (for various reasons), I do believe Christians need to consider how to evaluate what they watch and hear from the biblical perspective. In recently reading Unraveling Philosophy by Groza and Moreland, I found these questions helpful: What is the…

It is so hard to escape the sin in the world

December 15, 2022

Question: Hello there. I have just gotten back into church again and I have been studying the Bible. Almost everything I watch has cuss words in them. I want to buy a language blocker for all my streaming services. It will block out bad language and nudity. Will that still be wrong? Maybe I’m just…

Should we abstain from the Internet and TV?

December 11, 2022

Question: The congregation where I attend was discussing the book of Joshua the other day. We were talking about the conquest of the promised lands. While the Israelites conquered the land, they did not destroy all like they were told to do. Later these people that were not destroyed about every 20 years came back…

Should I let my children watch Ghostbusters?

February 5, 2022

Question: Jeff, I have kind of maybe a silly question here, but here it goes. One of my kids (a 7-year-old boy) has an interest in the Ghostbusters. I use to watch those movies on TV in the past when I was a kid. They were heavily edited back then, and I didn’t realize some…

Is leisure travel wrong?

November 15, 2021

Question: Dear brother, Do you think there is anything wrong with a Christian traveling for leisure? When traveling it is impossible to be involved in your local congregation’s work. Also, it is very hard to evangelize to anyone when you are never in one place very long and cannot form relationships. I almost feel guilty…

Wounded at the Theatre

January 5, 2021

by John Chrysostom (AD 349-407) If you see a shameless woman in the theater, who treads the stage with uncovered head and bold attitudes dressed in garments adorned with gold, flaunting her soft sensuality, singing immoral songs, throwing her limbs about in the dance, and making shameless speeches … do you still dare to say…

Are virtual choirs wrong?

June 9, 2020

Question: Hi, With the advent of social media, we hear about these virtual choirs. Do Christians have the authority to do virtual choirs and post them on Facebook? Doesn’t this constitute entertainment because they have an audience? Answer: I can play the card game Solitaire and find it entertaining, even though there is no audience.…

Is the Holy Spirit telling not to write about magic?

November 13, 2019

Question: Hi. So I have been struggling whether the Holy Spirit has been telling me to stop doing this or if it is my feelings playing tricks on me. There is this verse that said, “Do not practice magic.” I have you know, I love magic in literature and that I see nothing wrong with…

Is make-believe gambling in a game still wrong?

September 1, 2019

Question: There is one game I like to play which is a completely free game. There is a new feature called lottery where I am guessing you pay with game points for a chance to win something. Is that considered a sin in that case? It is impossible for a person to pay money for…

Is viewing movies with brief nudity a sin?

June 28, 2017

Question: Is viewing movies with brief nudity a sin? The church doesn’t condemn viewing non-sexual movies. However, the Bible does seem to address nudity as shameful, but I don’t believe it condemns it either. I understand that lusting is a sin. Does the Bible say anything about looking at somebody nude? Isaiah did march for…

Can you record your own music with instruments?

April 5, 2017

Question: I am a member of the Lord’s church (Acts 2:41) and am fully aware and fine with the fact that instruments in worship toward God are unauthorized by Scripture (Acts 17:25), and thereby unacceptable (II John 9). However, I read your article Is playing an instrument for a person’s own enjoyment scriptural? and I…

Is entertainment the devil’s substitute for joy?

March 7, 2017

Question: I recently listened to a sermon where the preacher said, if I remember correctly, “Entertainment is the devil’s substitute for joy. The more joy you have in the Lord the less entertainment you need.” Is that so? Before becoming a Christian, I had these habits of reading and consuming culture for selfish reasons, now…

Is it wrong to play a game that has goddesses in it?

June 19, 2016

Question: Jeffrey, I know you’re busy and don’t want to waste much of your time, but I have a question. I have OCD so I think I’m overanalyzing everything. Anyhow, I have always played the Legend of Zelda series from Nintendo since I was a kid growing up. I never really have time to play…

Is it sinful to listen to a song against Christmas?

April 21, 2016

Question: Is it sinful to listen to a song against Christmas? The song does not speak against the true meaning of Christmas (the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ) and rather speaks against Christmas traditions, such as eggnog, Christmas trees, gift-giving, etc. The song also uses some bad language. It also claims Christmas is a horrible…

Should Christians be involved in expensive hobbies?

September 5, 2015

Question: Hello, Thank you for your tireless work towards teaching God’s Word and helping people understand the truth! I can appreciate the amount of hard work necessary to provide the amount of material found here. It truly is a great resource for those of us looking for biblical answers to everyday questions. I was baptized…

Can I be forgiven of my sins?

April 20, 2015

Question: I need advice. I am in my early twenties. I was born in a Christian family. I was a clever child and a good learner under the guidance of my grandparents, who raised me and my siblings after our mother passed away. Around age 14, my life changed. I started drinking alcohol and attempted…

Is it sinful to listen to music with bad language and references to sinful acts?

November 4, 2014

Question: Good afternoon, I was recently in the backseat of my friend’s car when she started playing illicit music on her phone. When I later confronted her about it, she told me that while she doesn’t believe it is recommended, it is not a sin. She said that God may have to reveal something to…

Is it wrong to scold someone? Do I rebuke every bad thing a person does? Does a little bit of immorality make a show bad?

August 10, 2014

Question: Hi Mr. Jeff, I really enjoy your website. Thank you for sharing it with others. I just wanted to ask you about three questions: The first question I had was: As followers of Christ, our speech and conduct is supposed to give grace to those who hear. Sometimes I’m confused as to if what…

What Do You Do For Fun?

May 22, 2014

by Jim McGuiggan in The Irish Papers A young man tried to talk a young lady into sexual intercourse but she wouldn’t hear tell of it. Then he offered her booze she wouldn’t touch. A little later he wanted to share some marijuana with her but she turned that down, too. By this time he was…

How do I deal with immorality in media?

December 10, 2013

Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, I am struggling with a lot right now, but I don’t want to leave you with a massive email. I realize this is still a lot, but, some help would begin to clear things up. I realize a lot of this may just be a matter of personal faith, but any…

Can you read about mythology if you don’t believe in it?

September 11, 2013

Question: Hi, Is reading Greek mythology allowed? For example, the Percy Jackson series? I think there are some verses of the Bible that talk about mythology (I Timothy 1:3-4;4:1-8; and II Timothy 4:2) But can you read about mythology if you don’t believe in it? I’m confused. Thanks! Answer: The myths condemned in the Bible…

Are music videos with half-naked women not sinful because they are so common?

August 12, 2013

Question: Most music videos have half-nude women. They are aired almost non-stop every day, and we can’t escape such, at least not when in a public place. Are they sinful in themselves? Answer: There is a marvelous gizmo on devices called a “power button.” Press it and you don’t have to watch what is on…

Is competitiveness wrong?

June 25, 2013

Question: Dear sir, I found your article on videos, TV, etc. a most interesting, excellent work. I am troubled by my own shortcomings in all these areas. My questions are: Do most video games and movies not draw on the same need of excitement or exhilaration that people get from sports, hunting, or chess? In this…

I’m having trouble not doing things I am unsure about

March 30, 2013

Question: I am having trouble not doing things that I am unsure about whether or not they are sinful, such as drinking soda, eating sweets, masturbation, and whether or not I should be playing certain card and video games. On the soda and sweets, I am wondering if I am harming my body by doing…

Should my objection to clapping during singing be respected as a weaker brother?

March 18, 2013

Question: I recently came across your web site and have done some reading in your Question and Answer section which I have found most interesting. I attend a church of Christ of considerable size. Several, maybe 10-25 members clap in our song service to “upbeat” songs, but not all songs. There are are also a…

Is it wrong for a child to correct his parents?

January 2, 2013

Question: Hi. Your website has been very helpful and I hope that you keep it up. Thank you for putting all the time into it as well. I am a 16-year-old male (I am saying this so you understand how I am thinking) and of late I have been taking Christianity much more seriously. As…

Is it wrong to read books like Fifty Shades of Grey?

November 7, 2012

Question: Hello. I have a question about books like Fifty Shades of Grey. Though I have no interest in reading them, I have a few friends and family members who do. I was wondering if reading things like that would be wrong? and if so how could I tell them that it is wrong? Are…

Some questions about judgments

October 25, 2012

Question: Please forgive me for taking up your time, but I became so excited when I came across this site! I understand that ignorance is not an excuse, and that transgression of God’s laws is sin. However, this is my question: What if my brother who was just taught the gospel of Christ a few…