Thorns

by Doy Moyer “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). Paul had a weakness, a “thorn in the flesh” that he thought was keeping him from being as productive as he could have been without it. He prayed to the Lord three times to have…

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Do 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…

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Service or Power

by Doy Moyer “I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, does not receive our authority” (III John 9). Refusing the authority of the apostles and seeking to take first place among others, like Diotrephes, is a fundamental betrayal of the fellowship among believers. It is a…

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To Live Is Christ; to Die Is Gain

by Matthew W. Bassford Among its other effects, a terminal diagnosis will lead you to read the Scriptures with very different eyes. All sorts of passages that you thought you understood take on new depth and meaning. For me, the chief of these is Philippians 1:21-24. Years ago, I read this passage as Paul being…

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A Steward of God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/A-Steward-of-God.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 25:14-30   I.         Consider Psalm 24:1-2             A.        What does it mean that everything belongs to God?                         1.         God made it, so therefore He has the right of ownership – Deuteronomy 10:14                         2.         Even we belong to God – Ezekiel 18:4                         3.         God doesn’t owe anyone because He pre-existed all things – Job 41:11…

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For God so Loved the World

by Matthew W. Bassford John 3:16 is surely the most well-known verse in the Bible, with even Matthew 7:1 running a close second. Most Christians are aware that the world’s understanding of the latter is dramatically off-base, but I think that even when it comes to the former, we miss the point a little bit.…

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Blooming Where You Are Planted

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/BloomingWhereYourePlanted.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 3:1-6   I.         I was reading an article by Hiram Kemp titled, “Six Ways to Thrive in a Weak Church”             A.        The points were good, but it also had me thinking about the difficulties we face in this region.                         1.         There are not many faithful churches and most struggle.                         2.         Some are…

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The Worship of God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WorshipOfGod.mp3 Text: Revelation 5:11-14   I.         Why are you here?             A.        Because it is what you do on Sundays? Because your parents make you come?             B.        I hope most of us will say we are here to worship. After all, we call this the worship service.             C.        Yet, most of us have only vague notions what is worship.                         1.         Think…

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What is Worship?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WhatIsWorship.mp3 Text: John 4:19-24   I.         I was asked recently to address a question of what constitutes worship             A.        Defining terms, such as worship, is interesting because there is a tendency in the religious world towards vagueness.                         1.         Pentecostal beliefs emphasize the emotional experience (the spirit). Worship is not real unless you can feel it and, on the…

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