Posts Tagged ‘listening’
Are We Still Looking for the Wrong Kind of Answers?
by Mike Riley While television has a myriad of programming to watch, the most entertaining offerings are the commercials. A few years back, one of the more amusing ads was the one for Toyota minivans in which Bob, the safety engineer, demonstrates to two young boys how automobiles are crash-tested. By remote control, Bob slams…
Read MoreWhat Are Ears For?
by David Gibson Closed ears One advantage of a hearing aid, they say, is that you can turn it off. But even a person with excellent hearing can easily tune out an unwelcome message. Jesus said, “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they…
Read MoreThe Man Who Would Not Listen
by David Gibson In spite of … King Zedekiah had at least two positive influences in his life that should have prompted him to make wiser choices. His father, Josiah, was one of the most godly kings Judah ever had. And Jeremiah, God’s prophet, tried repeatedly to persuade Zedekiah to obey God. In spite of…
Read MoreIn One Ear … ?
by David Gibson Listening is a significant theme of the book of Proverbs. The book is designed to guide young men in making wise choices while avoiding foolish ones. To achieve this, one must really listen, learn, and live accordingly. Youth must listen to the teaching of godly parents (Proverbs 1:8; 4:1-6; 23:22). They must…
Read MoreThe Voice of Reason
by David Gibson Naaman A story with a happy ending Naaman, a Syrian army officer, had leprosy (II Kings 5). When he arrived at the home of Elisha the prophet, hoping for a cure, he was told to dip seven times in the Jordan River. This was hardly what he expected, and it offended him…
Read MoreNot Put into Practice
by Zeke Flores How many times have we heard a sermon, yawned, and went on our way unchanged? For the Israelites, it’s not like they didn’t hear the words; they just weren’t listening with their hearts. They knew what God expected yet didn’t do anything about it. And they paid a heavy price for it.…
Read MoreListening Better to God
by Jon W. Quinn The Bible is the most widely read book of human history. It is God’s word and ought to be approached with deep respect. We are urged to handle it carefully and diligently. Understanding comes with effort. The Scriptures themselves urge us to be serious about it. “Be diligent to present yourself…
Read MoreA Tender Heart
A Tender Heart (Part 1)A Tender Heart (Part 2) by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 22:14-20 I. The heart of Josiah A. Those were dark days in the kingdom. For 55 years his grandfather had harshly ruled over Judah – a reign of evil and terror – II Kings 21:1-2, 6 1. So terrible were his…
Read MoreBeing a Conversationalist
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Being-a-Conversationalist.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Romans 12:10-18 I. A young lady wrote and asked, “How can you be a good conversationalist? I’m so boring. I don’t know how to strike up an interesting conversation.” A. It is a good question because talking to people is something we just take for granted. II. Start by…
Read MoreRead, Hear, and Heed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Read-Hear-and-Heed.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreMy sister-in-law stopped talking to me and I don’t know why
Question: Hello sir, I have a question about family problems. I have a sister-in-law who cannot stand me for no other reason from what I can gather than jealousy. I’ll try to explain. She deleted me from social media recently and cut off communication between us. I noticed and right away I called her to…
Read MoreIs “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…
Read MoreAn Eloquent Man
by Billy Norris in Gospel Guide, May 1995 Whether in the political arena, the classroom, or the pulpit, eloquent speakers are few in number. In graduate school at the beginning of the year, I attended my first assembly. Deeply impressed by the marvelous eloquence of the visiting speaker, I looked forward to the assembly periods…
Read MoreThey Gladly Received His Word
by Larry Ray Hafley Truth Magazine, Vol. 50, No. 2, Jan. 19, 2006. Larry Lester Roloff said that when they “gladly received the Word” (Acts 2) that meant they were saved because no sinner would do such! I am wondering why we did not think of that. Reply: If the fact that, before they were…
Read MoreHow do I help someone who almost committed suicide?
Question: I have a problem that I have never had to deal with before and pray that I will not experience anything like it again. One of our member’s granddaughter attempted suicide, by an overdose of prescription medication, last night. She is only fifteen years old, a very sweet young girl, but one that is…
Read MoreThe Importance of Listening
by T. Sean Sullivan How significant is listening? Listening is the fullness of hearing. It is possible to hear someone talk and not listen. In order to hear and listen, one must be paying attention. My wife becomes very annoyed with me when she speaks and I do not listen. Perhaps I am distracted by…
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