A Work in Progress

by David Gibson “And I am sure of this,” Paul wrote, “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). If we belong to Christ and grow in him, each of us is a work in progress. God is currently at work…

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Patience in Bearing Fruit

by Zeke Flores The parable of the sower and the seed is popular, and for good reason. It’s not hard to see the various attitudes and personalities in the different soils offered in the parable. However, as Luke explains Jesus’s story, it’s the last sentence that is sometimes hardest for me. The reason is that…

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How do I not feel empty and missing my old life?

Question: Hello, I have been a Christian for a while, and I feel sad and depressed sometimes. All the things I used to enjoy doing I can no longer do anymore, like sex, porn, smoking, drinking, and even going out with some friends. I still desire to do these things and sometimes feel empty without…

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God at Work

by David Gibson Christians need encouragement! This is evident from the abundance of Bible passages designed to build up and motivate. Certainly, we need all the commands and all the warnings of the New Testament, but thank God also for all the verses that say, in essence, “Your efforts to do right are well worth…

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Expecting the Impossible

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Expecting-the-Impossible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 19:16-26   I.         With God, all things are possible – Matthew 19:26             A.        Even the saving of a wealthy man, if he desired to be saved.             B.        Yet, we must understand that some things are impossible for even God                         1.         It is impossible for God to lie – Hebrews 6:17-18                         2.         He cannot…

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Spiritual Maturity

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Spiritual-Maturity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 3:8-17   I.         What is your goal in life?             A.        Life is short. You don’t have time to accomplish everything that is available to you, so what do you desire most to obtain?             B.        For Paul it was to be like Christ and obtain heaven – Philippians 3:8-11                         1.         The design of…

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The Seasons of Life

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Seasons-of-Life.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8   I.         Solomon said, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1             A.        Each moment in time, each phase of life, must be treated in a manner appropriate to the events – Ecclesiastes 3:11             B.        So many people create problems for themselves…

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Can we become perfect?

Question: What is perfection? Can we, as Christians, obtain perfection? If so, how do we obtain it? Answer: The Greek word translated as “perfect” is the word teleion. It means something that is complete, perfect, whole, full-grown, ripe, mature, or adult. Thus, becoming perfect is just another way of saying you have matured. In “Yet we…

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Perfected in Unity

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PerfectedInUnity.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 17:13-26   I.         In Jesus’ final prayer to the Father before his arrest, Jesus expressed his desire that his followers be united, just as he and the Father were one – John 17:22-23             A.        That “one” is not numerical, but a unity in purpose and action. II.        Through this unity we…

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Maturity and Marriage

by Bill Walton When we talk about “maturity” there are different ways in which people can be mature and different ways in which they can be immature.  It is possible for a physical giant to be an emotional dwarf.  It is possible for a grown man to be as immature as a 13-year-old boy.  It…

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It’s Time To Grow Up

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/ItsTimeToGrowUp.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:22-2:3   I.         It seems every parent at some point tells their child, “Why don’t you just grow up?”             A.        In one sense, that is what they are doing; but what the parents want is for the child to stop acting so much like a child and more like…

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Marks of Maturity

by Steven Harper Every serious disciple of Jesus Christ desires to attain spiritual maturity, of this there should be no argument. Many faithful disciples spend their entire life striving to reach an ever-higher level of maturity, and even babes in Christ have that fervor that drives them to not remain babes but to somehow find…

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