Posts Tagged ‘obedience’
The Issue of Authority
by Randy Robinson John Mellencamp lamented in song over twenty years ago, “I fight authority; authority always wins.” Indeed, authority is a powerful force with which to be reckoned. In the case of this songster, his perspective is easily noted as one who is rebellious against authority, as indicated by his lyrics, “I’ve been doin’…
Read MoreThe Restrictive Nature of Submission
by Zeke Flores Submitting to the authority of God’s will is not only serious business, it’s also very restrictive. Because of its very nature, those who submit to authority can only operate within its bounds. What passes for Christianity in America, and across the world, really isn’t because it goes beyond the authority of Scripture. The…
Read MoreNot My Will
by Doy Moyer Jesus prayed in the garden, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus had no desire to suffer. He desired to save humanity from sin, and this was the necessary path to do so, but He was not enjoying…
Read MoreCommandment Keeping
by Kevin Cauley There are those in the religious world today who ridicule the idea of keeping commandments. They claim that keeping God’s commandments has nothing to do with our salvation today. If someone objects and says that we must keep God’s commandments to be saved, the charge of legalism is leveled against him. Is…
Read MoreHow to Personalize Your Bible
by David Gibson Perhaps you own a Bible with your name engraved in gold on the cover. Or maybe you received your Bible from a relative or friend who wrote a meaningful inscription to you on the flyleaf. Certainly, this makes your Bible more personal than those of the same edition in boxes on the…
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 MoreThen What Shall I Do with Jesus?
by David Gibson The choice he made The governor was in a dilemma, and he was aware of it. As Caesar’s official, it was Pilate’s responsibility to deal with those brought to him for judgment. Never had Pilate dealt with anyone like Him. He knew Jesus was innocent of the charges so vehemently made against…
Read MoreLove, Service, and Obedience
by Doy Moyer We serve what we love, and we obey what we serve. What does that mean? It is possible to be coerced into obedience, but this is not love. However, when we love something or someone, we serve, and in serving, we obey. I believe the word “obey” and its cognates say more…
Read MoreThese You Ought To Have Done
by Heath Rogers “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Luke 11:42). Imagine the time and patience it took to measure the herbs that one had…
Read MoreI Believe the Lord, But …
by Marvin L. Weir Spiritual matters take priority over worldly matters. Many people who profess to be Christians would angrily protest if they were told they did not believe the Lord. A failure to believe Christ is not a new problem. During His earthly ministry, Jesus said to the Jews, “And ye have not his…
Read MoreDo Your Part
by Zeke Flores Every person in Christ’s kingdom has a responsibility to the Lord, His people, and himself. God is building a temple, His own dwelling, so it’s vitally important that each individual block – you and I – stay true to the purpose. We contribute individually when we each recognize our responsibility and assume…
Read MoreFasting and Sabbaths
by Tommy Peeler Isaiah 58 stresses God’s commandments about fasting (Isaiah 58:1-12) and the Sabbath day (Isaiah 58:13-14). Israel was called to humble themselves when fasting (Isaiah 58:3, 5) and to refrain from their pleasures on the Sabbath to do what is pleasing to the Lord (Isaiah 58:13-14). Israel was not listening to God’s commandments…
Read MoreHow Do We Hear the Voice of God?
by Kevin Cauley We all listen to someone’s voice. As humans, this is inescapable. John Donne (1572-1631) wrote, “No man is an island.” We enter this world listening to the voices of our mothers and fathers. As children, we hear the voices of relatives and friends. As we grow older, we listen to teachers, preachers,…
Read MoreFit to Obey
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Fit-to-Obey.mp3 by Zeke Flores Download Audio Fit for the Master’s Use (Series)
Read MoreFit to be Molded
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Fit-to-be-Molded.mp3 by Zeke Flores Download Audio Fit for the Master’s Use (Series)
Read MoreWhy would God have Moses strike the rock one time and not the next?
Question: Dear Brother Jeffrey, I have a question and would appreciate your insights. In Exodus 17, God commanded Moses to smite the rock for water, and then in Numbers 20, He commanded Moses to speak unto the rock for water. We know that Moses smote the rock in Exodus; he did the same in Numbers,…
Read MoreShiphrah and Puah
by Jason Hardin Their names were Shiphrah and Puah. They were Hebrew midwives, living in ancient Egypt during an era when a new Pharaoh was determined to slow the numerical growth of the descendants of Abraham. By any means necessary. Indeed, so intense was his determination to curb the Hebrew population explosion that he ruthlessly…
Read MoreAm I Jonah?
by Chadwick Brewer “And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,…
Read MoreGrace and Obedience of Faith
by Steve Wolfgang The relationship between grace and the human response through the obedience of faith (see the bookended inclusio of Romans 1:5 and 16:25) has been true even in the Old Testament, often erroneously viewed as a primitive, works-based covenant. But, truly, even the Mosaic law itself, as well as the Abrahamic covenant, were…
Read MoreFit for the Master’s Use (Series)
“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now…
Read MoreSincere Obedience
by Doy Moyer Obedience is not merely an outward act that conforms to a command. It is a bending of the heart, a surrender of the will, to the mind of God. If I regularly ran red lights because I didn’t want to stop, then I am a lawbreaker at heart. If I stopped at…
Read MoreLike a Child
by David Gibson A couple of 7-year-old girls were talking about parents’ rules. One said to the other, “If they didn’t care about you, they’d let you do anything.” Smart girl! She saw rules as evidence of love, and freedom to “do anything” as a disadvantage. A Healthy Perspective Like children, we grown-ups have Someone…
Read MoreThe Greatest Commandment
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Greatest-Commandment.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 22:34-40 I. From among the Pharisees, a lawyer came to Jesus to put him to the test. A. He asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” B. A difficult question, given the large number of commands found in the Old Testament. 1. How do you decide which is greater than…
Read MoreThe Relationship Between Worship and Obedience
by Vance E. Trefethen Have you ever heard someone say that worship and obedience are essentially the same thing or that every act of obedience is an act of worship? I’ve heard these concepts expressed privately by Christians and even taught publicly. A few months ago, I decided to study worship for myself to see…
Read MorePerversion of the Love of God
by Terry Wane Benton Many want to continue a sinful practice so much that they think they can use the love of God to justify it. God does so love the world that He gave His Son to die for sinners. He loved me while I was yet a sinner (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). But…
Read MoreGod’s Servant
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Gods-Servant.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 49:1-9 I. Several passages in the latter part of Isaiah discuss the role that a person, referred to as “My Servant” would accomplish on behalf of God. A. As we read through the passages, we need to keep in mind that Isaiah was written before the Babylonian…
Read MoreBe Ready
by Zeke Flores In Luke 12, Jesus stresses to His disciples their need for readiness in three parables. In the first, He tells of servants who await their master’s return from a wedding feast. The Lord says, “Be like them” (Luke 12:36). In the second, He tells of a homeowner who is watchful for thieves…
Read MoreFollowing the Shepherd
by Zeke Flores Shepherding has changed little over the centuries. While more modern methods are used in the work—even trained dogs are used to direct and round up the sheep—it’s still pretty much a lonely life: just the sheep and their shepherd. In Jesus’ time, the shepherds kept their sheep safe for the night in…
Read MoreGrieving God
by David Gibson How must God feel when He freely offers His great salvation, purchased at such dreadful cost, but the vast majority are not interested, too busy doing their own thing to care? A Recurring Theme “I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your…
Read MoreBalance
by Zeke Flores Now, there’s a concept. The more we need it, the more out of reach it appears. For instance, our political views have become more extreme and polarized. People on one end of the spectrum scream and holler for their side, while those on the other end scream and holler for theirs. And…
Read MoreDoes God Want Me to Be Unhappy?
by Terry Wane Benton It is quite natural to want to be happy, and often, people think that is the whole reason God put us here. They have imagined that God just wants us to be happy no matter what. Is that true? Let’s consider this for a moment. God created us intending to win…
Read MoreBecoming and Doing
by David Gibson Why are we here in this world? To have a good time? To earn a living? To accumulate wealth? To make a name for ourselves? Unless we clearly understand our purpose, we’ll be sure to take a wrong turn and miss the whole point of living, as so many people do, which…
Read MoreTaking God at His Word
by Gregory Alan Tidwell “Whenever a man begins to draw the distinction between believing in Christ, and believing in the Bible, which reveals Christ, he does not believe in the Christ of the Bible or of God. And he who rejects the Bible, rejects the Christ of the Bible. And he is the only Christ…
Read MoreLearning from God
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Habakkuk 2:20 I. If God is the only true God and the Bible is His teachings A. Then truth and error are as distinct as light and dark – I John 1:5; James 1:17-18 B. We will face our God to be judged – Romans 2:6 II. Can we then decide what parts…
Read MoreWho Gets the Most Out of It?
by David Gibson A student joked, “You know, school wouldn’t be half bad if it weren’t for the tests and term papers!” He knows, of course, that such requirements are not just busy work. They are necessary to maximize learning. Easy Does It? If a student chooses to audit a course, he can attend class…
Read MoreDo I not have enough faith?
Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, I have a question in one of your articles titled: Does true faith mean the command to be baptized does not save a person? You said that: “A person who does not obey demonstrates by his actions that he doesn’t really believe.” I have OCD, and I end up doubting Jesus…
Read MoreQuick to Forget
by Zeke Flores How many times have you heard a thing, yet forget what you heard in a matter of minutes? The older we get, the more we are “quick to hear, fast to forget.” Or, as we’ve all heard it, it’s in one ear and out the other. But the malady isn’t merely age-related.…
Read MoreRoles in Salvation
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2003/10/Roles-in-Salvation.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Ephesians 2:1-10 I. There are many misleading claims in the denominations regarding salvation A. Most of the misconceptions come because people only look at some of the verses regarding salvation. B. They find verses which says we are saved by God’s grace and then trumpet that salvation is solely…
Read MoreThe God of Happiness
by Chadwick Brewer “‘Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke’… so I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded” (Ezekiel 24:16,18). It has become common…
Read MoreThings that Hinder Our Performance
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Things-that-Hinder-Our-Performance.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
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