Posts Tagged ‘priorities’
Leaving the Church
by Perry Hall Meditate on this thought: “What I believe about God’s word is more important than how people treat me.” Many people will leave churches where they are mistreated and start worshiping with a friendly church that practices and teaches things contrary to what they believe. Whether they want to admit it or not,…
Read MoreLife’s Necessary Thing
by Jon W. Quinn Jesus had three friends who lived in Bethany. He would occasionally stay in their home when He was in Judea. Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were brothers and sisters. They lived together in the same house. Bethany was located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives on the road linking…
Read MoreThe Direction of This Country
by Andy Diestelkamp “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” [John Adams, October 11, 1798]. Are you concerned about the direction of this country? Then, be concerned about the direction of your family. Too many patriots are more concerned about their…
Read MoreThe Direction of Your Life
The Direction of Your Life – Part 1The Direction of Your Life by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 6:19-24 I. Whenever I taught someone to drive, I was reminded that people have a tendency to go in the direction they are looking. A. When a person first learns to drive, they tend to look at things…
Read MoreIs it wrong to love anything man-made or belonging to this world?
Question: Hi, Sorry for the numerous questions I’m about to ask, but they all revolve around the subjects of secular entertainment and materialism so it made sense to me to ask them together. I grew up with a love of playing video games, watching movies, reading comic books, etc. About a year ago I began…
Read MoreSeek First the Kingdom
by Keith Sharp Billy was 6 years old. It was springtime close to summer vacation. When school was out, he and his mom, a widow who was remarrying, were moving. He came home from school and informed his mom he wouldn’t be going back to baseball. When she asked why, he replied, “The rest of…
Read MoreHow do I attend services when my atheist father threatens to kick me out of the house?
Question: Hello, I became a Christian a year and a half ago. I am an 18-year-old male high school senior. I have a father who is an extremely stubborn atheist. He lived most of his life in Iran (and so did I) which is an Islamic theocracy and my father has come to hate all…
Read MoreStaying Faithful in College: Three Things to Consider
by Forest Antemesaris Sometimes, the combination of freedom and stress can lead to a lackluster faith. With less accountability and more deadlines, it can become easy to forget about God, worship, and Jesus’ call to live a holy life. College is supposed to be fun, and challenging, but it’s not worth turning your back on…
Read MoreChrist First! Last! and Always!
by Jefferson David Tant “I beseech you … brethren … to present your bodies a living sacrifice … And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2). We all know the words. Do we really know what they mean? “All to Jesus I surrender,…
Read MoreParental Abdication
by Jefferson David Tant There are many things that tend to discourage and dishearten those who are striving to teach others, but few things can do the job more effectively than when members allow their children to put school activities and/or selfish desires first in their lives. We wonder if it is possible that some…
Read MoreWhy are some leaving the worship service early?
Question: Jeff, I have seen several brethren and different congregations who attended morning bible class and took the Lord’s Supper and afterward left without hearing the preaching, claiming that they had a plane to catch or some other excuse. Yesterday, a lady was visiting us from out of town and said that she had to…
Read MoreIs God no longer a priority if I visit other congregations to look for a wife?
Question: God must always come first and our mission in life must be Jesus’ mission, but how do I deal with the underlying problem of being alone? In the most humble way, I make mention of, yes, He is with us until the end of the age; yes, we will not be forsaken; yes, we…
Read MoreLiving on Borrowed Time
by Jefferson David Tant “The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalms 90:10). Having reached that milestone of threescore and ten a few years ago. I feel…
Read MoreSeeing What Is Really Important
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SeeingWhatIsReallyImportant.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreToo Busy Doing the Wrong Things
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/TooBusyDoingTheWrongThings.mp3 I. Some of us are careful shoppers. Especially when it comes to expensive items, such as our cars A. You could buy the cheapest thing on the lot. It will run, but we understand that it won’t last long. It is not worth the investment. B. Rather, most of us understand that it is better to save…
Read MoreWhat If the World Would End on Tuesday?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/WhatIfTheWorldWouldEndOnTuesday.mp3 by PJ Anderson
Read MoreRedeeming the Time
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/RedeemingTheTime.mp3 by Alan Feaster Text: Ephesians 5:1-21 Definition of redeemed Vines Pertaining to Salvation: λυτρόω lytroō “to release on receipt of ransom” (akin to lutron, “a ransom”), is used in the Middle Voice, signifying “to release by paying a ransom price, to redeem” (Deuteronomy 15:15; 24:18) God Redeemed Israel. (Titus 2:14; I Peter 1:17-19) Christ has…
Read MoreI need some advice on time management
Question: I’d like some advice, if you will, on time management. School has gotten be really stressful at times due to the high amounts of work I receive. I know that school is important and when I get on my computer for schoolwork, the majority of times I get side-tracked to your website probably for…
Read MoreWhich is more important: secular studies or Bible class?
Question: When brethren choose to attend secular classes or because of their secular studies schedule are unable to attend Bible study on evenings, do you think it’s fair to them to say that secular studies are more important? Answer: The secular world is always less important than the spiritual world. “The world is passing away,…
Read MoreHow do I say no?
Question: I am having this difficulty with saying no sometimes to things like sex, partying, spending money, too much work, overwhelming myself in a way. What is the right way to say N-O to a man I am in love with without hurting his feelings? Answer: “Do not think that I came to bring peace…
Read MoreHow do I put God first in my life?
Question: Okay, what do I have to do to “put God first in my life?” What does this mean? I was thinking about this today. Some of my family have been telling me that I’m different: I get irritated easily, I lose my patience with them easily. For example, I was going to eat lunch,…
Read MoreWhy did Jesus say to let the dead bury the dead?
Question: When I read Matthew 8:21-22, I felt quite confused. It says ” And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” What does this mean? I think “honor your parents” is…
Read MoreIt’s Time To Grow Up
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/ItsTimeToGrowUp.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:22-2:3 I. It seems every parent at some point tells their child, “Why don’t you just grow up?” A. In one sense, that is what they are doing; but what the parents want is for the child to stop acting so much like a child and more like…
Read MoreHow do you seek first the kingdom of God?
Question: How do you seek first the kingdom of God? Answer: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of…
Read MoreSurviving the Financial Crisis
by Kent Heaton A financial crisis occurs when the crisis of a man’s soul is dependent upon the financial condition of his heart. Samuel Johnson said, “The love of money has been in all ages, one of the passions that have given great disturbances to the tranquility of the world” (Rambler, October 6, 1750). How…
Read MoreHow can I get the heart and desire to go out of my way to worship God?
Question: Why do the churches of Christ have two worship services on Sundays? Is it required and is it scriptural? If so, how can I get the heart and desire to go out of my own way to worship God whenever the church meets, as Hebrews talks about not giving up meeting together? I find…
Read MoreHow do you keep focused in life?
Question: The advice you give is very encouraging and as a young man, it is helpful. My question is that being a young Christian man, it is very challenging to walk the Christian life. Having friends in the world and being associated with a female in a denomination, it is difficult to keep focused. I…
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