Conversions from a Funeral Sermon

by Etim Abidiak via For a Better Understanding, Vol. 50, No. 5, September / October 2012 Four weeks ago, I preached at the funeral of a late brother who served the Nigeria Police and was of the rank of Inspector. His name was Mbre Jack. His funeral was attended by many policemen and women such as…

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Some questions about judgments

Question: Please forgive me for taking up your time, but I became so excited when I came across this site! I understand that ignorance is not an excuse, and that transgression of God’s laws is sin. However, this is my question:  What if my brother who was just taught the gospel of Christ a few…

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Any advice for a person aspiring to preach?

Question: What is some advice you have for a person aspiring to be a preacher? Answer: First, study. You can’t preach accurately what you don’t know. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). If you need…

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What Is the Gospel About?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/WhatIsTheGospelAbout.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 49:1-13   I.         There is no end to the people who like to tell preachers how to do their job and what they are allowed to say or not say             A.        For many, they don’t want to hear about things like sin and its consequences, they don’t want to be…

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More Sermon Topic Ideas

by Glenn Hamilton In 1626 a pamphlet was published in London, entitled “A most Delectable, Sweet, Perfumed Nosegay, for God’s Saints to smell at.” About the year 1646 there was published a work entitled “A Pair of Bellows, to blow off the Dust cast upon John Fay;” and another called “The Snuffers for Divine Love.”…

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Higher Learning

by Bryan Matthew Dockens A common question visitors seem to think appropriate of preachers, at least in this writer’s experience, is “Where did you go to school?” But folks just never seem to know how to react when I tell them about my year at Moorpark College, the community college near my hometown. They expect…

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Is God preparing me to be a preachers’ wife?

Question: I have been in the body of Christ for nearly a decade. Struggling through it all, I have learned to deny my own will and go with God’s plans for my life and that has made me successful. I had heard the call that anything I do with my career, I do it for…

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Giving Up on the Little Church

by Robert E. Speer via Think on These Things, April-May-June, 2011, Volume 42, Number 2 Many years ago — Ouch! Has it really been that long? — my family and I responded to a plea from another family to join them in a work they were trying to establish on the southern shores of Lake Superior.…

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What should be done if a visiting speaker starts teaching falsely?

Question: If an elder at a congregation puts a visiting speaker in the pulpit who has no business being there, and you have a lot of visitors in the audience, what should the preacher do or say about that? I might add that the elder’s knowledge is nowhere close to where it should be to…

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Should I quit preaching to find a wife?

Question: I have been a minister now for almost 30 years. My wife left me after nearly 30 years of marriage. However, I need a helpmate. I want to date but all women are scared of dating a preacher. I understand that too. I don’t want to cause a “Black Eye” on the church so…

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Is it appropriate to have PowerPoint presentations during sermons?

Question: Is it appropriate to have PowerPoint presentations during services? Personally, I find it very helpful in keeping up with Bible verses during the sermons, but I wonder if God approves it. I don’t know how the brethren feel. This is something I have been wondering about since I began going to the church. Answer:…

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Do you not know how to treat people?

Question: Do you not know how to treat people? I’ve read many of these answers and you get most of them right, but they all seem so mean! Like I was reading the ones about suicide and you would tell them what they were doing wrong, but you had no love! You didn’t show any care…

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How do I preach the gospel?

Question: How do I preach the gospel? Meaning, where should I do it and what should I say? If I do it at work, I would probably get fired. Do I just go up to complete strangers on the street, in stores, etc? I have severe anxiety, and I’m not articulate, but those are not…

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Being able to read the sermon outlines has helped my studies

Question: I just wanted to say I’ve been looking over the church website from La Vista and it is very helpful to be able to read sermons online. It is also very encouraging and uplifting to be able to read these sermons. Of course, I’ve been doing studies of the Bible outside on my own,…

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The Value of Souls

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ValueOfSouls.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 15:1-10   I.         It is far too easy to lose sight of the goal             A.        We look at the sin in the world around us, knowing that we are not to get caught up in it – Romans 6:1-2             B.        We don’t want to be influenced by the world – I…

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Your website has helped me a lot in putting together lessons

Question: I felt compelled to write and thank you and any others that may be contributing material to your website.  Your sermon outlines and lessons have been very helpful to me these last several months.  You see, my brother-in-law, who preached for the small congregation that meets here passed away recently, and as the congregation…

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Evangelism

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Evangelism.mp3 by PJ Anderson

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Two Preachers: Amos and Amaziah

by Mark White The Old Testament prophet Amos was a shepherd turned preacher. The crowd to whom he preached was the upper class of Israel, including the King himself. He was not their choice of a preacher, however. They did not choose him — God chose Amos for them. His oratory was not refined eloquence.…

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Should we just preach the gospel?

Question: Recently one of our members complained to me that one of the men I have been teaching and giving tips on how to present a sermon, often mentions in the Bible classes he teaches and sermons that he preaches, the ungodliness and immorality that a lot of our political leaders are guilty of as well as many…

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The Purpose of Our Calling

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2011Spring3ThePurposeOfOurCalling.mp3 by Taylor Ladd Influence and Evangelism

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Learning to See Souls

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2011Spring2LearningToSeeSouls.mp3 by Taylor Ladd Influence and Evangelism

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God’s Captivated Captives

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2011Spring1GodsCaptivatedCaptives.mp3 by Taylor Ladd Influence and Evangelism

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Influence and Evangelism

by Taylor Ladd April 17-20, 2011 God’s Captivated Captives Learning to See Souls The Purpose of Our Calling Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind Tactics for Defending Our Faith

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Paul’s Tentmaking

by James Shewmaker I have come to the conclusion that a lot of people have a misunderstanding of Paul’s tentmaking. When Paul left Berea due to an “invasion” by Thessalonican enemies, his companions stayed behind. Those brethren who escorted him to Achaia returned home, leaving Paul all alone. At the time that Paul met Aquila…

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How do you prepare for missionary work?

Question: Recently I’ve really been wanting to die to self and my dream desire is to live in a really poor area, hopefully in China — not the U.S. It’s hard to be an evangelizing Christian in the U.S. where it’s so wealthy and most people already know Christ. However, I don’t know how to…

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If I Don’t Preach on Hell

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IfIDontPreachOnHell1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 9:16-23   I.         It won’t take you long to find out that the topic of Hell is not popular among the denominations of the world             A.        The Jehovah’s Witnesses declare that it doesn’t exist. Nor do the Episcopals, Methodists, and some Baptists want to discuss the matter.             B.        A survey…

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Why do you feel the need to say that other religions are wrong?

Question: Hi, I’m just wondering why do you feel the need to tell everyone else that their religions are wrong? How are you so sure yours is right? You don’t have any more proof then other religions do. I just think it’s ridiculous that you and other people feel it’s up to them to change…

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Why do some people accept the gospel but others reject it?

Question: My son had a question I am not sure how to answer.  The question is: Why is it that some people respond to the hearing of the gospel by accepting the gospel, and others respond by rejecting it?” It is the same Holy Spirit that will convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment; so why does…

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We Preach Christ Crucified

by Joe R. Price The Apostle Paul II Timothy 4:6-13 “We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness” (I Corinthians 1:23). Let there be no mistake: Preaching “Christ crucified” is gospel preaching. The “word of the cross” is the power of God to save the lost (I Corinthians…

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Is teaching in prisons and rehab centers worth it?

Question: Our church has been working with a prison ministry. It began many years ago by a lady who would travel many miles to the women’s prison. In that time I only know of one woman who came to be baptized, and, if my memory serves me right, when she was released she returned to…

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Jesus Shows Us How to Evangelize

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010Spring3JesusShowsUsHowToEvangelize.mp3 by Frank Walton Christ, the Only Way

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Go Unto All the World

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/GoUntoAllTheWorld.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

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