Posts Tagged ‘preaching’
Trip Report – 2016 (Bali, Singapore, Malaysia)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/TripReport2016.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 10:17-18 I. My trips to the South Asian islands started in 2013. A. I had been studying with a young man in the National University of Singapore for several years via Skype. He had asked me repeatedly to come hold a meeting in Singapore and things…
Read MoreContext and Exposition
by Gary P. Eubanks The burden of these remarks consists of three points: The value of (immediate) context for Bible interpretation has been overrated. This exaggerated conception of the importance of context has, in turn, been used to justify an over-emphasis on expository preaching. The over-use of expository preaching holds the potential danger of covering…
Read MoreSeeing the White Fields
Seeing the White Fields – Part 1Seeing the White Fields – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 4:5-42 I. Indulge me for a moment and consider the following situations: A. You are talking about what various church have to offer in the area with your neighbor and you take the opportunity to invite him…
Read MoreLaborers in the Vineyard
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/LaborersInTheVineyard.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 20:1-16 I. The context of the parable A. A rich, young ruler had come to Jesus asking how to be saved. – Matthew 19:16-22 1. Jesus told him to follow the law, but the young man wasn’t satisfied with this. He wanted something more. 2. Jesus told him that if he…
Read MoreSound Doctrine Produces Sound Churches Demanding Sound Doctrine
by Edward O. Bragwell via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 12, Dec. 1995. “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering…
Read MoreThe Lost Sheep
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/LostSheep.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 15:1-7 I. When people can’t fault a person, they will sometimes seek to find fault in the way someone does things. A. This is how the Pharisees and Scribes sought to degrade Jesus’ reputation. B. It wasn’t something they would do. In fact, they implied it there was something wrong…
Read MoreWhat Do You Hope to Catch?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/WhatDoYouHopeToCatch.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Mark 6:31-44 I. What you hope to catch determines the type of bait you use A. A worm may land you a fish, but it probably won’t lure a mouse into a trap B. Even in fishing, there are different baits to be used for different fish C. I’ve known young women…
Read MoreTrip Report – 2015 (Bali, Singapore)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TripReport2015.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 10:17-18 I had an opportunity to revisit the two groups I worked with last year. This time my wife, Gaye, agreed to come with me. It was the first time she has been out of the country. The church in La Vista paid my travel…
Read MorePassing the Torch
by Ethan R. Longhenry Almost two thousand years ago the Gospel of Jesus Christ began to be proclaimed: God became Incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth, went about doing good, was crucified and buried, but God raised Him from the dead; He ascended to the Father, received all authority and everlasting dominion, and will return one…
Read MoreThe Gospel of the Circumcision and the Uncircumcision
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GospelOfTheCircumcisionAndTheUncircumcision.mp3 Text: Galatians 2:1-10 I. I suppose a casual reader could read verse 7 from our text and come away with the idea that two different messages were being taught. A. One being taught to the Gentiles and a different message being taught to the Jews. B. Yet the goal of the gospel was to unite Jews…
Read MoreYour articles are not the gospel, they only use the gospel
Question: I was happy to read your statement on your home page and hope to visit you when am in Omaha. What bothers me is “the articles you write and put on the site.” The New Testament church must and should only preach the word of God. Most, or all of the articles are not…
Read MoreHe Preached Jesus to Him
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015Spring4HePreachedJesusToHim.mp3 by Jonathan Perz Spreading the Gospel
Read MoreSpreading the Gospel
by Jonathan Perz Are You Open Minded? Traditions House to House He Preached Jesus to Him Judas Iscariot Imitating God Choices Seven Paradoxes of the Cross
Read MoreThe Teaching of God’s Word
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/TeachingOfGodsWord.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 92 I. Jesus made a comment in Matthew 16:18 that we are all familiar with A. Notice something that many overlook: What does Jesus mean that the “gates of hell will not overcome it?” 1. Many talk about how Satan’s army cannot overcome the church. 2. But read this again. Which…
Read MoreWhen I get busy in school, I lose sight of God. Is that wrong?
Question: Now I’m back in school and it’s getting busy again. But in the classroom, I always get distracted thinking that I am doing something wrong when I’m doing the work. I obviously know that homework is not a sin, but it feels like when I get busy with work I just lose sight of…
Read MoreShould I support people who are shouting fire and brimstone on campus?
Question: I wanted to ask you one more thing though, on my University campus today there is a preacher that stands in an area with heavy foot traffic and preaches to the campus walking by. Many of the students are very annoyed by him, and he is heavily ridiculed, but I don’t know what to…
Read MoreThe Church Ain’t Doing Nothing
by Raymond Elliott How often have we heard that statement from a brother in Christ? And it is to be admitted that we often fail in fulfilling the many obligations that God has given us. But there are some pertinent observations that need to be made relative to this broad statement. First of all, we…
Read MoreHow do I tell people I’m not interested in preaching?
Question: Hello, Hope you can answer a question of mine that I need a biblical answer to. What to say to people who come up to you and ask you, “Why don’t you preach?” I tell them not everyone is meant to be a teacher, and like it says in Bible not everyone is meant…
Read MoreYour sermon outlines are very helpful to me as I prepare sermons
Question: Thank you and your congregation for your web site. Your sermon outlines are very helpful to me as I prepare sermons. I wanted to make sure your efforts are appreciated. Answer: Why thank you very much. I’m glad the information is being put to good use.
Read MoreI have a good-paying secular job, but what I really want to do is preach
Question: Hello, I am a recent college graduate, and I currently have a secular job with a high salary. I don’t know, but I always feel sad whenever I’m going to work, thinking that this is not the world I wanted to be in, this is not the job I wanted to do. In short,…
Read MoreThe Work of an Evangelist
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. I got to thinking about evangelists and evangelism in general. An evangelist (Gr. euaggelistes) is a preacher of good news (the gospel – Gr. euaggelion) and evangelism is what an evangelist does – preaches that good news. An evangelist preaches the gospel to the world to save it from sin. Philip was…
Read MoreTrip Report – 2014 (Singapore, Bali)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/TripReport2014.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton
Read MoreIs 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…
Read MoreWhat authority do you have to teach on the Internet?
Question: If every example of preaching in the first century was done in person by mouth to those that could hear, and the direct command was to go and preach, where is your Bible authority to preach on the Internet? Answer: Here is an example of artificially restricting a command. Communicating by writing is a form of…
Read MoreYou’re right. Christians need a healthy fear of hell
Question: During the five years I attended a church in my area, I never heard the preacher once mention Hell or God’s wrath, or the fact that Christians need a holy fear of God. Your “If I Don’t Preach on Hell” summary was excellent. Is a church that doesn’t preach the full counsel of God…
Read MoreIs missionary work scriptural?
Question: Mr. Hamilton, What is “missionary work” and is that scriptural? Does God call us to a particular occupation, such as God has “called me” to this career or that career? Is all this scripturally sound? Thank you. Answer: Missionary work has come to mean going to foreign countries to teach the gospel. Sometimes it…
Read MoreAre you saying that it is OK for a preacher to tell jokes behind the pulpit if they are of a clean sort?
Question: So in regards to Ephesians 5:4, joking and jesting. Are you saying that it is OK for a preacher to tell jokes behind the pulpit if they are of a clean sort? Answer: “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish…
Read MoreShould I speak at a denominational church?
Question: Hi brother Jeff, I was discussing the Bible with a man who happens to be a member of a denomination. He also occupies a high position in their church. After reasoning with him from the Scripture, he asked me to come and preach in their church. I told him to give me time to…
Read MoreIf I aim to preach or teach, what do I need to learn?
Question: It would seem that not many are even aiming to try and follow the truth, and as such, I would like to someday be a preacher and or teacher in hopes that some might be won over to Christ and the truth. I appreciate that you seem to do that as well. It seems…
Read MoreProfessional Preachers
by Edward O. Bragwell via Biblical Insights, Vol. 13, No. 1, January 2013 The trend toward developing a “professional clergy” among churches of Christ has been in the making for some time now. More and more, both churches and preachers, have come to view gospel preachers as professionals much like the professions of this world. Churches…
Read MoreWhat made you want to preach?
Question: What made you decide to become a preacher? Some people talk about feeling called when they discovered that they wanted to preach, and some people just decide to do it. What made you want to preach? Answer: The decision to preach is one I arrived at when I was 16. It was born out…
Read MoreConversions 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…
Read MoreSome 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…
Read MoreAny 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…
Read MoreI just realized that the church I grew up in is getting old. Is there something I can do?
Question: Hi Brother Hamilton, I’ve been thinking a lot about moving back home to try to build my home congregation back up. I’m currently going to school, not in the area, and this summer break has really been a wake-up call. My congregation is scantly populated by mostly grey-haired people. I love everyone with grey…
Read MoreWhat 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…
Read MoreYou should be offering a forgiving hand to sinners instead of just throwing Scripture at them
Question: Regarding your website, especially your article, really upset me. You are no greater than I. I am not greater than you. We are both servants who should be humbled by the grace of God not acting like the mighty priests who exalt themselves in the Old Testament. You should be offering a forgiving hand…
Read MoreMy son is interested in online studies and mission work. Where can he find good studies?
Question: One more question if you don’t mind. My son is interested in online studies and mission work. I only know of the “AIM” program. We have an individual from our congregation that is in the program now, but our church is pretty small, so they can only support one person at a time in that…
Read MoreI think you spend too much time going over questions of conscience and opinion and never get to the preaching of the Gospel
Question: I really think you brothers spend too much time going back and forth over questions concerning conscience and opinion and never get to the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. I think that this only keeps those who are sinners from wanting anything to do with the church those things can’t save. What do…
Read MoreMore 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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