Conspiracy Theories Abound

by Zeke Flores I can’t count all the conspiracy theories I’ve heard in my life. Let’s see, there are the ones about the Illuminati, Opus Dei, the Masons, the grassy knoll in Dallas, whether man landed on the moon, aliens, and many, many more. Conspiracies excite the imagination because folks like to believe in something…

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God Conscious

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/God-Conscious.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 139   I.         A truly godly man lives with a constant realization of God’s divine presence             A.        He is God conscious             B.        When he awakes in the morning, there is God.             C.        As he dresses for work, there is God.             D.        As he goes in to breakfast with his family, as he drives…

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Fear of Truth

by James W. Adams (1914-2013) in Words Fitly Spoken, p. 60 My daughter’s friend expressed great interest in the doctrine of “Premillennialism.” It so happened that I was at that time engaged in a series of studies involving the subject on a television program. My daughter suggested to her friend that she might tune in,…

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Fearful or Cowardly?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Fearful-or-Cowardly.mp3 by Austin Hausner

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The Fearfulness of Saul

by Matthew W. Bassford Saul is one of the great tragic figures of the Old Testament and indeed of the Bible. Because of the connections between his story and the story of David, we know more about him than about any other spiritual failure. It is truly telling that his central problem was fear. Saul’s…

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Solomon: Failure of the World’s Wisest Man

by Max Dawson In my mind, it is one of the most difficult things to reconcile. How did it happen? How could it possibly happen? I am talking about King Solomon. How did the wisest man in the world mess up so badly? How did a man with such a great beginning have such a…

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I’m afraid of being in a relationship

Question: Good day sir, I appreciate all you do to help people. Most importantly you do this only to please God and not man. I am in my 30s and I know I should be married by now. A major factor for being unmarried yet is nuclear family financial responsibilities. The more I try to…

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Christ, Our Shepherd

Text: John 10 We live in a fearful time. Most other people in most other times would think it strange that Americans today are as afraid as they are. After all, we live in the heart of the territory controlled by the greatest military power of all time. There has not been a war here…

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On Drifting Away from the Faith

by Terry Wane Benton If we surveyed churches that declined in attendance because of COVID, we may find an alarming number of brethren who fell or are in process of drifting further away. I remember thinking a long time ago that should persecution arise in our country, and it was viewed as a crime to…

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What should I tell my son who has a fear of death?

Question: What should I tell my son who has a fear of death like me? He is only six but seems to be afraid of the concept of death. Answer: In order for you to help him, you will first have to conquer your own fears. “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me…

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It’s Going to Be OK

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Its-Going-to-Be-OK.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Don’t Live in Fear

by Terry Wane Benton Fear of the virus, Fear of the vaccine, Fear of getting the virus, Fear of spreading the virus, Fear of side effects of the unknown, All are legitimate issues that we must grapple with and approach with caution and discernment. But each person must also be cautious about unreasonable fear and…

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Did Jesus fear?

Question: The Bible teaches that we should not fear. “For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (I John 4:18). We know that Jesus was the only man to live a life without sin. Did Jesus fear as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane? “Father, if you…

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I Have Put My Trust in God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/I-Have-Put-My-Trust-in-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 56 I.         It is far too easy to read the stories in the Bible and not think about the feelings of the people involved.             A.        Joshua was chosen to follow Moses as leader of Israel, but he must have been very nervous – Joshua 1:2,9             B.        We think of the boldness…

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Is it a sin to get vaccinated?

Question: Hello beloved brother! I always give thanks to God concerning you, for your exhortation, correction, encouragement. The worldwide has been overtaken by the coronavirus pandemic, which is responsible for a scary number of deaths daily.  The various religions seek responses to give to the hopeless world, trying to comfort the world. Many theories have been given…

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Whom Do We Fear?

by Doy Moyer Peter wrote to Christians who faced persecution. Along with persecution and threats come the fears and anxieties of what may happen. We face intimidation and are worried about the outcome. Peter knew what that felt like. He denied Christ three times when faced with intimidating circumstances. When he wrote this epistle then,…

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The Weapon of Fear

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-Weapon-of-Fear.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 49   I.         Have you ever wondered why cowardice is the first sin list in Revelation 21:8?             A.        Being afraid is such a common thing that it seems it would be a minor concern             B.        But a major weapon in Satan’s arsenal is fear II.        Fear of the wrong thing can lead…

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Rules 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…

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The Rule of Fear

by Matthew W. Bassford I suspect that the longer a preacher works with a congregation, the more the congregation gets used to the preacher and can identify his particular hobbyhorses. That being the case, I’m sure that some of you, at least, have figured out that I’m particularly interested in fear. In my time, I’ve…

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Lord, Do You Not Care?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lord-Do-You-Not-Care.mp3 by Wilson Adams Faith Over Fear

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Faith 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

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Fear

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Fear.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 6:8-23   I.         The prevalence of fear             A.        Watch a horror movie                         1.         The scenes start out idyllic. But in the background there are hints that something isn’t quite right.                         2.         The music builds with intensity. You know something is about to happen, but not what or when                         3.         Your heart races…

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Fighting Sinking when We Are Hit by Sorrow upon Sorrow

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Fighting-Sinking-when-We-Are-Hit-by-Sorrow-upon-Sorrow.mp3 by Wayne Fancher Philippians 2:27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Being Hit By Sorrow Matthew 14:10-12 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head…

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Is it wrong to be a Christian and still fear death?

Question: Is it wrong to be a Christian and still fear death? I truly feel like I live my life fully for the Lord, but I think about death often and it scares me. I try to think of how beautiful and wonderful heaven will be, but I still find myself struggling to grasp it…

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The Purpose of Fear

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/The-Purpose-of-Fear.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Lamentations 3:39-66   I.         It started out as an observation in Bible class: “Temptation comes because fear is removed.”             A.        How true that is!             B.        God had warned that death would come if the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was eaten – Genesis 2:16-17                         1.         But Satan…

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How can I overcome the fear of death?

Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton, Is there a way to become unafraid of death? I have been terrified of dying since I was very young and sometimes it consumes my thoughts. I fear the concept of being put in a box in the ground unable to move, think, feel or talk to anyone for who knows…

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The Worship of God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WorshipOfGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 5:11-14   I.         Why are you here?             A.        Because it is what you do on Sundays? Because your parents make you come?             B.        I hope most of us will say we are here to worship. After all, we call this the worship service.             C.        Yet, most of us have only vague notions…

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Can I treat promises I fear as void and non-binding?

Question: Hello again! I’ve been wondering: since I suffer from OCD, then are all my promises, which I’m struggling to avoid, nullified the very moment I make them? The problem is that I’m having trouble knowing when my OCD mind is playing games with me or when it’s really me making these promises. I’ve read…

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What is Malachi 3:16-18 saying?

Question: Hey Jeffrey, Can you please help me understand what’s going on in Malachi 3:16-18? Is this text saying God is pleased with those who think about Him and meditate about Him? Is it saying He rewards those who do so and fear Him? Answer: “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another,…

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Fear or Faithfulness?

by Matthew W. Bassford From an earthly perspective, many of the prophets of the Old Testament got a raw deal. On this list, we certainly must include Jeremiah. He was forbidden to marry and have a family, he couldn’t attend parties or funerals, and he prophesied in a time that was utterly hostile to his…

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Whose 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…

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If you fear God, how can you trust Him?

Question: I have conflicting thoughts about Cornelius (Acts 10).  It says he feared God and was always praying to Him. If he feared God, how could Cornelius trust in God? Answer: I think you may be using the wrong definition of fear.  Fearing God has always been a requirement for men to follow God.  Abraham…

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Am I bad because I wasn’t with my mother when she died?

Question: I am a 22-year-old woman who is having a crisis. I have spoken and confessed to God my transgressions for my sins against Him and others; and yet, fear still takes hold of me. How can I cleanse both my mind, heart, and soul of this taint? I still feel guilt over what happened…

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The Fallacy of the “Phobia” Charge

by Doy Moyer Typically, by its very nature, a phobia is an irrational fear. Phobiasource tells us that real phobias are emotional or anxiety disorders causing one to experience intense irrational fear. The person’s reaction is automatic (uncontrollable), and may result in a rapid heartbeat, shaking and trembling, the feeling of need to flee, shortness…

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There Is No Fear of God Before Their Eyes

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ThereIsNoFearOfGodBeforeTheirEyes.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 3:10-18   I.         Most of us have been burnt one time or another.             A.        The memory of the sharp pain makes a lasting impression. As a result, we hold a healthy respect for fire and other hot things. The fear of what fire could do generates a respect for fire.…

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I’ve been having a lot of nightmares this week

Question: I’ve been having nightmares a lot this week. Just last night I had a nightmare about a horrible dark creature behind me and looking at me. I woke up screaming! And I didn’t sleep very well after that because I had another nightmare. I guess that’s why I am kind of tired. It wasn’t…

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