Posts Tagged ‘purpose’
Congregational and Individual Goals
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Congregational-and-Individual-Goals.mp3 by Raymond Warfel
Read MoreWhat Christianity Is All About
Text: Ephesians 1 https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/What-Christianity-Is-All-About.mp3 by Don Bunting One (or Two) Chapter Lessons
Read MoreDoes Everything Happen for a Reason?
by R. J. Evans Based upon how often we hear the expression “everything happens for a reason,” you would think the answer would be a definite “yes.” Some time back, while watching a professional football player on TV being interviewed and commenting on his team’s loss, he remarked: “I know everything happens for a reason.”…
Read More45th Birthday
by Matthew W. Bassford Today is my 45th birthday, a time for reflection if ever there was one. From an earthly perspective, this is a grim milestone indeed. It is almost certainly the last birthday I will ever celebrate. When I was in elementary school, I learned about Huntingdon’s chorea, what they call Huntingdon’s disease…
Read MoreIs There Meaning to My Life?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Is-There-Meaning-to-My-Life.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Job 14 I. What will have changed because you have lived? A. People have longed wondered what the meaning of life is, but I think it more important to consider what meaning there is in your life. II. What is your life? A. Perhaps a strange beginning to the question. B. Your life…
Read MoreThe Whole Duty of Man
by Matthew W. Bassford The opening chapters of Ecclesiastes are surely among the gloomiest in the entire Bible. In them, Solomon examines life under the sun and concludes that all of the usual human pursuits are futile and vain. Wealth doesn’t bring lasting satisfaction. The pursuit of pleasure proves to be pointless. The accumulation of…
Read MoreWhat is God’s purpose in creating us?
Question: Good evening, I, lately, have been struggling with the whole idea of creation. I feel terrible for saying this, as I’m a Christian, but wouldn’t God be selfish for creating us? I just don’t see the purpose. I was never asked to be born or be created. Honestly, if I had the option and…
Read MorePearls from Proverbs: Where There Is No Vision
by Irvin Himmel Guardian of Truth XXXI: 5, p. 134 March 5, 1987 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18). The first part of this proverb is quoted frequently and pretty generally misapplied. Vision The “vision” under consideration is not an object of imaginative…
Read MoreFocus on Your Goal
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Focus-on-Your-Goal.mp3 Text: Colossians 3:1-4 I. In the fantasy, Alice in Wonderland, Alice came to a junction that led in different directions. The Cheshire Cat was nearby, so Alice asked for advice. “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” The cat said, “That depends a good deal on where you…
Read MoreWhat Is Your Future?
by Jefferson David Tant There is something that I believe comes into the minds of every living being from time to time. And that “something” is “What is in the future for me — tomorrow, next week, next year, ten years?” Some seeking to know, go to fortune tellers who are good at guessing. Then…
Read MoreSo That
by Doy Moyer Have you noticed how often the purpose of something is stated? This is often done by using the term ἵνα in the New Testament (often translated as “that” or “so that”), which is meant to denote purpose. It’s used quite a lot, and I believe we ought to pay attention to it…
Read MoreDo What You Are Able to Do
by Andy Sochor Those who are conscientious Christians will have a desire to do all that they can in service to God. And as we see the needs that exist around us, it is natural for us to want to provide help for all that we can. However, the reality is that we cannot provide…
Read MoreThe Conclusion of the Whole Matter
by David R. Pharr Frank Sinatra was only 54 when he recorded his popular song, “I Did It My Way.” The song may imply his life was nearly over. “And now the end is near, So I face the final curtain.” The lyrics may suggest a full and mostly successful life, with emphasis on it…
Read MoreCreated for a Purpose
by Matthew W. Bassford One of the greatest apparent advantages of a godless way of life is the freedom that it allows. No longer must the unbeliever be concerned with the law of God and whether it permits him to do what he wants to. Instead, he is free to do whatever he thinks is…
Read MoreWhat Is Your Purpose?
by Jefferson David Tant Do you ever wonder: What is my purpose? Something remarkable happened in Fremont, California. Karen Cheng, age 17, received a perfect 1,000 on both sections of the S.A.T., and a perfect 8,000 on the tough University of California acceptance index. This had never happened before. She was a straight-A student, and…
Read MoreUnderstanding Your Purpose
by Doy Moyer “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (I Peter 2:21). We have been called to a purpose, but unless we understand Christ’s purpose, we will not understand our purpose. When Jesus asked the disciples…
Read MoreThe Meaning of Life: Where Are You Going?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Meaning-of-Life-Where-Are-You-Going.mp3 Text: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 I. Having a goal in mind gives direction to the choices that you must make. A. The meaning of life is more than what you are doing with your life right now. It is also where you are letting life take you. B. One thing is certain, you are going to die -…
Read MoreThe Meaning of Life
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Photo by Anthony Tori on Unsplash Where Did You Come From? Why Are You Here? Where Are You Going?
Read MoreThe Meaning of Life: Why Are You Here?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Meaning-of-Life-Why-Are-You-Here.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 6:6-21 I. What is it that you are looking for out of life? What are you expecting? A. So many people never find contentment with their lives because they are expecting things that life cannot deliver. B. They decide they can’t be happy with life unless something changes 1. I’m…
Read MoreThe Meaning of Life: Where Did You Come From?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Meaning-of-Life-Where-Did-You-Come-From.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 11:25-36 I. The age-old question: Why are we here? A. To answer the question well, we first need to consider how did we get to “here.” B. To do so begins to answer why we are “here.” II. The prevalent answer today is to claim that it just happened A. Life is…
Read MoreSometimes we lose focus regarding our primary mission
Question: Dear Brother Hamilton, Thank you for all of the good Bible lessons you and others have written and put on your website. It seems that every time I am searching online for Bible study materials, I always end up on your website and find something I like. I have sent links to your website…
Read MoreIf God knew we would sin, why did God create us?
Question: God bless you. My heart has been troubled lately with a question that I can’t seem to answer I’ve been praying about it but no answer yet. Why did God create us? If he knew that Satan would rebel against him and that Adam and Eve would fall into sin why did he create…
Read MoreIs the point of life seeing the fruit of your labors?
Question: For a while, I was going through King Solomon’s view of realizing how pointless life is. I was struggling with that for a couple of weeks. But I am doing better now. Just really meditated on it and what Solomon said and a realization of life in itself. It is kind of interesting but…
Read MoreMaking My Life Matter
The Amazing Results of Serving Others https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2009Fall6MakingMyLifeMatter.mp3 by Oscar Miles The Pursuit of Happiness
Read MoreWhy create humans if God knew most would live sinfully?
Question: So, God controls everything that will ultimately happen, but not the choices we make in order to get to that final event, correct? I’m almost positive that that’s what all of those articles were pointing to. So then, does that mean that He meant for humans to ultimately be sentenced to live in a world of…
Read MoreWhat is the purpose of life?
Question: What is the purpose of life? Answer: Please read “The Meaning of Life” and “Our Purpose in Life.”
Read MoreOur Purpose in Life
by Kent Heaton In October of 2005, C. D. Moore of Bell, Florida offered a prayer at a gathering of saints at the Cherry Sink Church of Christ. In the course of the prayer he offered, he made the following statement: “Lord, help us to remember what our purpose in life is – the privilege to serve the…
Read MoreThe Meaning of Life
by Daniel Bailey originally published in Gospel Power, Volume 13, Number 15, April 9, 2006 What is the meaning of life? That’s a tough question. Millions of people all through the centuries have spent their lives pondering and searching to produce an answer to this fundamental question of human existence. Many philosophies, religions, schools, cults, and…
Read MoreRoles in Salvation
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton 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 by God’s grace.…
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