Sin versus Grace

by Doy Moyer Sin is much more than just the commission of a bad act here or there. It is a condition in which we reside. Sin is something in which people walk and live (Colossians 3:7). We were dead in sin and were by nature “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3). Sin holds us captive…

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Coddling Sinners

by Ron Daly To “coddle” is to treat indulgently. Coddling sinners not only can be but is disastrous to an individual or congregation. God does not give us any authority to provide an “escape hatch” for sinners, that is, people who sin and do not repent. Obviously, if a person repents of his sins and…

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Bad Influence

by Zeke Flores Some 2400 years ago, God’s people were confronted with their sins yet again. When Ezra the priest heard about how Israel had broken God’s law by marrying foreign women, he tore his robes, prayed, and fasted. When faced with the gravity of disobedience to God, the people committed themselves to faithfulness. And…

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Be Kind to All

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Be-Kind-to-All.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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The Wages of Sin Is Death

by Doy Moyer “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). Why should death have been the penalty for sin? In short, because we have disregarded the Giver of all life and breath and all things. If in our own pride we try to usurp God and take His throne and His glory for…

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What If I Fail Again?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/What-If-I-Fail-Again.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Will breaking government laws keep us out of heaven?

Question: No doubt, a Christian realizes the seriousness of sin. It’s ugly. What do you think about everyday things we get into like speeding, even a mile over, texting while drivings, and not wearing a seatbelt? Do you think these are things that would keep us out of heaven?   Answer: I don’t sit in…

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The Freedom of Truth

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The-Freedom-of-Truth.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 8:30-59   I.         Many began to believe on Jesus – John 8:30-31             A.        Jesus said that if they would live in the words of Jesus, then they would truly be his disciples – John 8:32                         1.         Obedience to his teaching would cause them to know the truth.                         2.         Obedience leads to greater…

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The Sin of Sodom

by Matthew W. Bassford The most famous example of homosexual activity in the entire Bible occurs in the early part of Genesis 19. There, two angels in human form come to the city of Sodom and pretend to be travelers seeking hospitality. The patriarch Lot invites them into his home, but at evening, the men…

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Dead Flies

by Matthew W. Bassford Ecclesiastes was my father’s favorite book of the Old Testament, and his favorite verse in Ecclesiastes was 10:1. At least, I think it was his favorite verse. It certainly was the one that he quoted most to my teenage self. To this day, I have no trouble summoning up, “Dead flies…

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Sin Ruins Everything

by Terry Wane Benton We had Paradise and God, and everything was good, beautiful, and perfect. Then sin entered the world, and we lost a perfect paradise, fellowship with God who is perfect, access to the tree of life, and were left to deal with a world of problems and hardships. Sin spread all over…

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Why Did the Adulterers and Homosexuals at Corinth Change?

by Terry Wane Benton Paul mentions a list of sins which included thieves, drunkards, adulterers, and homosexuals (I Corinthians 6:8-10) and said, “such were some of you”. They were washed from such sins, justified, and sanctified. What was the motivation that moved them to change? They did not argue that they were born this way…

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Where There Is No Law There Is No Sin

by Terry Wane Benton Some brethren are misusing Romand 5:13 and Romans 4:15 to say there is no law, therefore we can do what we want. That is not the point of these two passages nor any other passage. The point in Romans 5:13 is that there was sin even before the Sinai law was…

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If babies are not sinners, then why do some babies die?

Question: Hello, The Bible says for the wages of sin is death. If you claim that babies are not born sinners why do babies die? Thanks Answer: “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting…

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Could you explain Ecclesiastes 2:26?

Question: Could you explain Ecclesiastes 2:24-26? What is meant in verse 26 by “… while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight …”? Answer: The book of Ecclesiastes is exploring the purpose of life. Solomon shows that…

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How could Jesus bear our sins?

Question: I need help answering a question. I know I can always count on you to help me out. “The soul that sins dies. The son does not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father does not bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and…

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Why Do Wars Exist?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Why-Do-Wars-Exist.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 59:1-18   I.         In my youth, the Vietnam War was being fought. It was an unpopular war that generated a lot of protest songs.             A.        One song called “War” by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong exclaimed, “War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!”             B.        So can wars and acts of…

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The Ugly Ways of Life

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/The-Ugly-Ways-of-Life.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Why aren’t churches protesting sin?

Question: Hello, Why aren’t more churches protesting sin as the Westboro Baptist Church does? Answer: First, you find no command or example that God’s people are expected to lead protests. We teach that sin is wrong. We teach why sin is wrong. But marching around funerals and other places does not accomplish any teaching. “But…

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God never said Judah and Samson actually sinned

Question: I frequent your website. First, I want to say thank you for what you do. Christ bless you and everyone involved. But I want to chime in on this talk in regards to whether Samson and Judah actually sinned (Why wasn’t Judah punished for seeing a prostitute?). The asker made some fantastic points, to…

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Do past sins disqualify us from certain jobs?

Question: Does our sin disqualify us from things? If I were a thief would that mean I can never be a bank teller? If I were a former drug dealer could I never be a lawyer or police officer? I have done bad things in the past in the profession I currently hold but have…

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Prisoners of Hope

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Prisoners-of-Hope.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Zechariah 9:9-12   I.         The book of Zechariah is one of both scoldings and exhortation.             A.        The people after their return from captivity had fallen into complacency and indifference toward their religion.             B.        Zechariah calls them to change through warnings – Zechariah 1:2-6             C.        And he encourages them through visions of the future.…

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Am I obligated to confess mortal sins I didn’t know were wrong?

Question: I have a question about not confessing sins. As a kid, I really only thought mortal sins were things like not killing people, not stealing from people, not cheating on your wife, etc. I didn’t really know about other mortal sins at that time. To be a mortal sin, it is required that you…

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I still struggle with sin

Question: Hi, I came to your website to get answers to hard questions in life, and it is a blessing that you are willing to address the questions of people no matter their background. I have been baptized in the church of Christ so please don’t be so hard on me because I should know…

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The Embarrassment of Sin

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-Embarrassment-of-Sin.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Our Sin

by Ethan R. Longhenry “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him…

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Jamaica Patois Wisdom – Pornography

by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…

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What do you do about an adult child who remains a homosexual?

Question: If a child, who is an adult, wants to live a homosexual life, does not want to listen to God’s word, and does not claim to be a Christian, can a parent still talk to them? Can they visit their parents? Can they have a meal together? The parents are members of the Lord’s…

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A Psalm of Penitence

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/A-Psalm-of-Penitence.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 51:10-17   I.         There are several psalms which deal with sorrow over sin and repentance: Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, and 143.             A.        The context is given at the beginning of Psalm 51             B.        David was a man dedicated to God.                         1.         Though he was told at an early age that…

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Does Sin Trouble Us?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Does-Sin-Trouble-Us.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Hard Sayings

Hard Sayings – Part 1Hard Sayings – Part 2 Text: Hebrews 5:5-14   I.         There are hard sayings in the Bible             A.        When Jesus was followed by a crowd looking for free food, he began explaining that they needed to seek spiritual food that only he could offer – John 6:35                         1.         Eventually Jesus said something hard to…

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Remember Lot’s Wife (Walker)

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Remember-Lots-Wife.mp3 Download Audio by Ralph Walker Was Lot’s wife’s death an unfair result of a simple reflexive action? Preaching the Bloody Bible

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The Living Redeemer

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/The-Living-Redeemer.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 49   I.         When we get ourselves into difficulties, most of us depend on our family to help us out             A.        I Timothy 5:8 – A Christian is to provide for his own.             B.        Proverbs 17:17 – A brother is born for adversity II.        In the days of the Old Law a…

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Resist the Devil

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Resist-the-Devil.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 4:1-10   I.         When we are faced with temptation, it is a struggle to resist             A.        The urge to give in seems overwhelming. Even when we know we should not, too often we do it anyway – Romans 7:14-15                         1.         Since the action goes against what we know and want to…

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Satan’s Devices

by Jefferson David Tant The apostle John wrote some words concerning Satan in Revelation 12:9: “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” We are…

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The Wiles of the Devil

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/The-Wiles-of-the-Devil.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 6:10-18   I.         Satan is a real being             A.        Jesus warned Peter that Satan wanted him – Luke 22:31                         1.         Much like Satan wanted Job – Job 1:6-12             B.        Peter warned us that Satan wants to devour us – I Peter 5:8-9             C.        Thus, we have to know our enemy – II Corinthians…

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Mental Incinerators

by F. Yater Tant The whole world is aware of the accumulating mountains of waste and garbage threatening our planet. Air pollution, water pollution, land pollution are all becoming familiar terms. Every major city seems to be having problems with garbage disposal. We must find some way to handle the garbage, or it will finally…

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My Own Worst Enemy

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/My-Own-Worse-Enemy.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Esther 7   I.         There is a phrase popular in our culture, “I have become my own worst enemy.”             A.        It is the realization that in our struggles against what we perceive as evil or wrong, we end up realizing that we are the source of our greatest problems.             B.        I have…

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