Posts Tagged ‘obedience’
Reading Past John 3:16
by Perry Hall Do we sometimes miss a powerful point because we stop reading? John 3:16 is so well-known that people stop reading. What happens if we keep reading? Notice these contrasts: “For God loved the world” (John 3:16) vs. “People loved the darkness” (John 3:19). “He gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16)…
Read More“Religion says DO, Jesus says DONE”?
by Terry Wane Benton People come up with the strangest viewpoints and don’t realize how unbiblical those ideas are. I keep passing a sign that says the above but offers no scripture reference. Because the Bible is the final authority, I would suggest that both Jesus and His religion say, “Do the will of the…
Read MoreObeying God in Everything
by Hugh DeLong “Legalist?” “Legalism?” Is it wrong and sinful to attempt to obey God in everything? Is it wrong to attempt to keep all the teachings and doctrines of Jesus? Is it sinful to strive to never sin? Can one strive for such things and yet not rely on them as the basis of…
Read MoreGrace and Faith
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Grace-and-Faith.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreThe Teaching of Grace
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/The-Teaching-of-Grace.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2 I. When you talk to people in the denominations, much is made about the Grace of God A. Emphasis is place on God’s grace – Ephesians 2:8-9 B. To the point that if any mention is made of men needing to accept the offered gift, then strong objections are…
Read MoreWhat does “delight yourself in the Lord” mean?
Question: Good evening, I appreciate you! I have a question for you if you don’t mind. Psalm 37:4 says to “delight yourself in the Lord.” Is that the same as “rejoicing in the Lord” or are they different? Thanks. Answer: “Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither…
Read MoreDying for Jesus
by Matthew W. Bassford These days, it seems like people in our country are increasingly being led astray by a godless, secular mindset. This worldview has a lot of superficial appeal. After all, if there is no God, you don’t have to submit to anybody. You can do whatever you want with whomever you want.…
Read MoreObedient to the Bible
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Obedient-to-the-Bible.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreHow do I deal with all the rules?
Question: First of all, you should know that I am only 12 years old. My main dilemma is this: I love my parents very much, and they love me. But I also love God, and my parents often do things that I don’t think would make God very happy. Don’t worry! It’s nothing illegal. I…
Read MoreClean Hands and a Pure Heart
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Clean-Hands-and-a-Pure-Heart.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 24 I. People want to get to heaven, but it seems many don’t want to put much effort into getting there. A. Jesus warned – Luke 13:3 B. The example of the Jews should be enough – I Corinthians 10:1-12 1. They were God’s chosen people, but they didn’t make it.…
Read MoreThe Joy of Obedience
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Joy-of-Obedience.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:3-9 I. Despite the persecutions Christians faced in the first century, there was joy – I Peter 1:3-9 A. A great joy, an inexpressible joy, was had knowing that they were saved B. That joy overrode all the hardships of life II. This attitude is strange to a number of…
Read MoreShould Do or Allowed to Do?
by Doy Moyer “What should I do or not do?” is a question of wisdom. “What am I allowed to do or not do?” is a question of law. While we have boundaries of what we are allowed or not allowed to do, and these are vital to know, more will be determined by wisdom…
Read MoreWorship by God’s Design
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Worship-by-Gods-Design.mp3 by Joe Greer Lessons to Build Your Faith
Read MoreYour God Reigns
by Doy Moyer “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns” (Isaiah 52:7). This is the passage quoted by Paul in Romans 10, and it shows that the preaching of…
Read MoreFaith Demands Action
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Faith-Demands-Action.mp3 by Joe Greer Lessons to Build Your Faith
Read MoreLessons from Nadab and Abihu
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Lessons-from-Nadab-and-Abihu.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreDo these fall under grace or mercy?
Question: First of all, know that your website has been so very helpful in my journey to mature in Christ. I am struggling with recognizing sins that will keep me out of heaven. Below are a few examples: At a counter there is a sign out to take 1 face mask, I take 2 or…
Read MoreExpecting 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…
Read MoreLearning from Noah
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Learning-from-Noah.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreCan Obedience be Partial?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Can-Obedience-be-Partial.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreDoing Our Duty
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/DoingOurDuty.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 17:1-10 I. Many denominations today struggle with the concept of obeying God. A. Oh, they give lip service to the concept, but they find it appalling that anything we do affects our salvation B. Most claim that all that is needed is faith and God does the rest. C. Some realize…
Read MoreSaved Through Water
by Matthew W. Bassford Genesis 7:11-24 tells the story of the greatest cataclysm ever to overtake the earth. Because the wickedness of man was great on the earth, God sent a flood to cleanse it by destroying everything that lived on the land. In this flood, every human being died except for eight. The patriarch…
Read MoreA Robust View of Faith
by Doy Moyer We need a robust view of faith. The world thinks that faith is trite and involves merely believing something. No action is needed. This makes faith workless—a nice thing to say perhaps, but it amounts to saying, in the minds of many, “I’m just going to sit here and believe. I don’t…
Read MoreChrist, 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…
Read MoreObedience Is Necessary
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Obedience-Is-Necessary.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton
Read MoreJericho and our Salvation
by Jefferson David Tant After reading the title, some might wonder what the battle of Jericho has to do with our salvation today. The battle when Israel conquered Jericho was about 1410 B.C., over 3,400 years ago. Thus the question might be, “What in the world would some event over three thousand years ago have…
Read MoreWhat Does God Expect After Becoming a Christian?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/What-Does-God-Expect-After-Becoming-a-Christian.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreNo Other Gods
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/No-Other-Gods.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 40:12-26 I. The Ten Commandments formed the prologue to the Law of Moses A. They were the foundation of the Old Law B. Even though the Law of Moses ended, nine of those ten commandments are still in effect today. C. Understanding these basic laws can help us understand the New…
Read MoreYet Not with a Whole Heart
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Yet-Not-with-a-Whole-Heart.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Chronicles 25:1-16 I. Amaziah was the son of Joash. A. His father started reigning at an extremely young age because his grandmother had killed all the heirs to the throne of David, except him. – II Chronicle 22:10-12 1. She was eventually killed and Joash was placed on the throne.…
Read More“If” or “Nevertheless”?
by Jefferson David Tant “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to…
Read MoreThose “Strange People”
by Robert F. Turner Years ago I shared a seat on the train with a “missionary” returning from work in Alaska. He told me he met some “strange people” up there who thought they could work out their own salvation. I said, “With fear and trembling; Philippians 2:12.” “No, No!” he said. “I mean they…
Read MoreUnconditional Love?
by Terry Benton in Answering Religious Error, April 15, 2015 That God’s love is “unconditional” means one thing to one person and a different thing to someone else. The Bible does not use the expression “unconditional love” but does imply it. God “so loved” the world (John 3:16). That would mean that love is what…
Read MoreHow much confidence do I need in God?
Question: Mr. Hamilton I have another question I’d like to ask concerning some scripture I’ve been recently pondering and trying to understand. “But with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into…
Read MoreBut It’s a Good Work
by Jefferson David Tant From time to time, when discussing the mission and work of the church, questions are raised about certain practices that some will claim are not authorized in Scripture. The response often given is “But it’s a good work.” This has been a standard thought when discussions arise about orphan homes, “Christian”…
Read MoreRemember Lot’s Wife (Walker)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Remember-Lots-Wife.mp3 Download Audio by Ralph Walker Was Lot’s wife’s death an unfair result of a simple reflexive action? Preaching the Bloody Bible
Read MoreObligations of Grace
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Obligations-of-Grace.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 18:21-35 I. Every person is important! A. “Well, of course!” You might be thinking. “I’m glad someone sees my worth.” B. But Jesus told a parable – Matthew 18:12-14 1. When one person gets himself into trouble, it is God’s will that he be rescued, if possible. 2. And that will mean…
Read MoreUzzah and the Ark
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Uzzah-and-the-Ark.mp3 Download Audio by Ralph Walker Was Uzzah really executed for an involuntary reflexive action? Preaching the Bloody Bible
Read MoreDoes your confidence in God’s grace grow when you try to be faithful to God?
Question: Jeffrey, This may seem like a silly question. but I was wondering how you might feel about it. I think the more a person tries to be faithful to God, the more his confidence grows in His grace. Is there any specific Scripture that you know of that would support such a thought? Answer:…
Read MoreThe Blessings of Following Christ
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/The-Blessings-of-Following-Christ.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreAnd Moses Fled
by Edward Smith My dog, Scout, and I had a sudden encounter with a snake yesterday. We were quietly going through our routine while he was taking care of his business when he suddenly jumped back. I heard a rather distinct rattle and saw a snake aggressively swaying back and forth and flexing its jaw,…
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