Seeking a Church

by Jefferson David Tant So, you are moving to a new town, and you have various decisions to make. Where is a nice neighborhood? Are there any houses there that I can afford? Where is the nearest shopping center? How close to my job do I want to live? Is the traffic bad on the…

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How Do I Choose a Church?

by Johnny O. Trail One radio station in Nashville does nothing but talk radio. As an avid talk radio listener, I am always interested in the questions and comments of those who call in. On one show, the host deals exclusively with emails that listeners have sent in. The other day, one that caught my…

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I Don’t Go to Church

by Dan Chaney “I’m a Christian, I just don’t go to church.” Maybe you’ve been burned by religious people. Maybe you have social setting anxiety. Maybe you just prefer other recreational activities on Sunday. Individual motivations really aren’t the focus of this post. “I’m a Christian but I don’t go to church” sounds reasonable, possibly…

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They Went Out from Us

by Terry Wane Benton Sometimes it is a hidden blessing to the local church when we lose some people and numbers. John spoke of some who ceased in heart to be “of us” (I John 2:18f). They “went out” because, in heart, they had been secretly drifting away from the truth being preached and could…

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Working Behind the Scenes

by Bill Fairchild, Jr. “I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience …” (Revelation 2:2). It is said of the early Christians that each determined to do his part in Acts 11:29-30 “…which also they did.” I was engaged in a gospel meeting and had arrived at the building earlier than expected which…

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Can a Good Man Be Saved Outside the Church?

by N. B. Hardeman Excerpts from “The Church- Its Unity,” Hardeman’s Tabernacle Sermons, Volume 2 I regret that there is such a teaching abroad as this – for instance, that a man does not have to become a member of the church in order to be saved; that there are just as good people outside…

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Which congregation should I have my membership at?

Question: Hello Jeffrey, Thank you for your excellent work on the La Vista Church of Christ website. Over the years, I have learned very much from your sermons and the question-and-answer section posed there. I am writing because an elder asked me to choose to be a member of the congregation that meets where is…

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How to Find a Church

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/How-to-Find-a-Church.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Letters of Commendation

by Terry Wane Benton The question is not about coming to Christ and being added to His one universal body. The Lord adds to that church (Acts 2:47). But, the Lord does not add us to a particular local congregation. We have to “join” those local disciples (Acts 9:26). There must be intent and desire…

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Is the Church Important?

by Jefferson David Tant Is God’s church important? Does it have any significant place in our lives, or is it just something concerning which we have a choice — to be a part of it, or do our own thing? It is pretty obvious that many in the “Christian” world today see no real value…

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The Importance of One Another

by Doy Moyer Christians share together a bond in Christ. We often stress the need for personal responsibility and individual accountability, yet we should also see that Christianity is built upon a “one another” model. God did not intend for us to walk alone in our journey of serving the Lord. This is demonstrated through…

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When is it permissible to change congregations locally?

Question: Dear Brother, I’ll get right to the point with my question, and then some brief context. When is it permissible scripturally for a member and or their family to switch local congregations? The context We live in a town with several [perceived] biblically sound congregations, of which my family and I are a part…

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Placing Membership

by Lee Moses Sometimes questions arise as to whether it is scripturally necessary, or even scripturally permissible, to “place membership” with a congregation. A modern brother or sister may raise the objection: “I’m a member of the church of Christ, and that’s good enough for me.” What this person means is: “I am a member…

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A Gouge in a Pew

by Matthew W. Bassford A couple of weeks ago, I attended a friend’s funeral in an unfamiliar church building. I took a seat by an aisle and shortly noticed a gouge in the back of the pew support in front of me. The gouge was at knee height. To the left/exterior, it was narrow and…

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What Are You Doing for the Lord’s Church?

by Terry Wane Benton It is not what the church is doing for you, but rather, what are you doing for the Lord’s church? Jesus died and spilled His blood for the church. She is His bride, and she is special, purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). He expects us to keep her pure,…

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Where does the Bible teach that not belonging to a congregation is a sin?

Question: Hello, I came across your question/answer page online. My question is, where does the Word of God teach that not belonging to a congregation is an unforgivable sin and one will go to hell for not belonging to a congregation? I’ve heard Church of Christ preachers speak as though one will go to hell…

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How do I deal with a member who is in an adulterous marriage?

Question: I have a question that requires me to go outside of the current congregation where I am a member. If there is a member who is in an unscriptural marriage, which I do have personal knowledge of, and who is being allowed to preach and teach in worship service, should I remain a member…

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What If the Lord’s Church Was up to You?

by Terry Wane Benton What if a local church of Christ in your area was totally up to you? What if the Lord was counting on you to make sure there is a sound, biblical and encouraging church that existed and continued to hold up the truth of the gospel? If it weakens or dies,…

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Feeling Wanted and Needed

by Terry Wane Benton We were very young (24) when we first started preaching full time or “living of the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:7-14). God providentially put us in the right place (Berney Points in Birmingham, AL) for this early training ground. We needed to feel wanted and needed in this first attempt, and the…

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U.S. Church Membership Declines to Under 50%

Source: Jeffrey M. Jones, “U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time,” Gallup News, 29 March 2021. “47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.” “The decline in church membership is primarily a function of the increasing number of Americans who express no…

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Two Ways to Keep Members Faithful

by Bill Hall There are two ways to keep members of the church “faithful.” The first way is to be sure everyone is involved. Have a project for each member, and make sure that he feels important in his role. Praise him for the good job he is doing. Make him feel needed; make him…

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Is it scriptural to “join” a church?

Question: I have a question about joining a church. I’m a bit at a loss to know how to go forward. This is all rather new to me as my family left “going to church” decades ago and have since worshiped with other Christians in homes or fellowships. One of the church leaders asked me…

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Isn’t a baptized person a member of the local congregation?

Question: I am a bit confused. My understanding has always been that if an individual were visiting us, and they obeyed the gospel while here, I would direct them to a sound church in their area. They would not be a member of the local church here, although they obeyed the gospel here. If I…

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What do you do if you can’t worship with faithful brethren?

Question: I’ve read everything I could find on your page concerning worship alone. I know already that communion and singing are out of the question. So where does that leave someone who is in prison for life or far away from anyone or group that teaches and holds to sound doctrine? I’m sure you could…

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Can’t I just worship with different congregations each Sunday?

Question: Good evening Minister, I have been a member of the Lord’s church for over five years. I’ve been a faithful member; however, I had some concerns about some things that were going on in worship. I left my home-based church where I felt like I was ostracized because I’m a single woman. I began…

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Should I leave an ineffective, discouraging church?

Question: I was looking through your website and found someone asked questions similar to questions I had at this page: When should I leave a church? But I’m not sure you fully answered some of the questions, so I still wanted to ask them again. If there are multiple sound congregations nearby, must I worship with…

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How do I handle my contributions when I rotate between three congregations?

Question: Greetings, I have a question regarding the weekly contribution (I Corinthians 16:1-2). In my city, there are three local churches of Christ that I attend regularly. Normally I’ll attend one on a certain week, the next on the following week, and the third the week after that. And then I repeat the whole process.…

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Every Member Working Together

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015Fall3EveryMemberWorkingTogether.mp3 by Brace Rutledge 2015 Fall Meeting

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My mother and I are arguing over which church to attend

Question: I tried searching for advice, and I found this. I have a lot of stuff going on in my life right now. My parents are separated. My dad, who was a preacher, no longer really believes in God. My brother has fallen back into the world. My mom wants to go to a different…

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Should we leave our current church because of unbiblical practices?

Question: I am currently attending a church of Christ where I was baptized and continue to worship. I have been studying the Bible through your very informative website and have realized that a lot of things taught on your site are not practiced in our congregation, which has made me a bit worried as I…

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Should I change congregations?

Question: Hi Jeffrey, I am sorry I trouble you with so many questions. It’s not that I am not well studied, I just seem to find myself in situations where I question the actions of others, and I am not sure if I am handling it the way God would have me handle it. I…

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Is it bad that most members in our church were raised in the church?

Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, I’ve been emphasizing how important truth is in the Bible to one of my friends. She has been very receptive to the truths I’ve shown her in God’s Word. I’ve taken her to the church I attend and she enjoys it but she says it’s not her thing. Now I tell…

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