A Thought Exercise on John 3:8

by Perry Hall John 3 is commonly known for teaching about being born again. One segment has always baffled me, so we have this Thought Exercise: That segment is John 3:8, “The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.…

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When are people’s spirits created?

Question: Some people believe, which was also me until now, that God made man’s spirit and not his physical body. Only in Genesis 2:7 had God put man’s spirit in a body. Is this wrong? Also, when God created man on the sixth day, did God just create Adam and Eve? As some also believe…

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What does ‘the inner man’ refer to in scripture?

Question: II Corinthians 4:16 and some other scriptures refer to ‘the inner man’. What does ‘the inner man’ mean? Answer: Let us look at all the verses concerning the “inner man” to help shed some light on your question. “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner…

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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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What is meant by the dividing asunder of soul and spirit?

Question: Can you explain Hebrews 4:12, especially the phrase: “the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow”? Answer: “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and…

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I discovered your site looking for whether animals have souls or spirits

Question: Hi, I just discovered your website when looking for whether animals have souls or spirits. Friends were visiting our home, and we got on the topic. I said to the gentleman that animals have souls but not spirits. He questioned this statement. Now I wanted to try and find it in the Bible to show…

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Let Us Make Man in Our Image: Genesis 1:26-27

by Doy Moyer via Gospel Guide; Nov., 1995; Vol. 27, No. 10. Man, which includes male and female, was created “in the image of God.” This makes man unique among all creation. Man is not just another animal. He is a being specially created after God’s own image. This is why animal life is not…

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How do we know what is in our spirit?

Question: I have a sort of complicated question, and really would like any logical answer you can give to help. Any advice you can give, based on Scripture, that helps to establish the truth as to what is the best way for a person to know themselves inside? For instance, I know the Scriptures teach…

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Do animals have a soul or spirit?

Question: I have a question regarding animals and souls.  Does the Bible state definitively whether animals have a soul or a spirit?  I was raised in the church of Christ and had always been told that animals (companion dogs specifically) do not have a soul.  However, no one has been able to show me that…

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When Jesus died, what spirit returned to God?

Question: When Jesus died on the cross he said: “Father into thy hands I give my spirit”. So what is this spirit which Jesus gave to Father? Surely Jesus body was in the grave. Answer: The verse you quote states the answer. “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46). Paul indicates that humans…

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Can you have an out of body experience or be reincarnated?

Question: How can I, or is there a way to, have some kind of contact with a loved one. I hear many things about out of body practices. Is this true? Is there a way where I can leave my body for a while to seek my loved family member? I once asked you a…

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Soul and Spirit

Soul and Spirit – Part 1Soul and Spirit – Part 2Soul and Spirit – Part 3 Text: I Thessalonians 5:11-23   I.         Man is composed of three elements: body, soul, and spirit – I Thessalonians 5:23             A.        The body is easy to define.                         1.         It has a physical dimension to it – Job 19:25-27                         2.         We understand that it…

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Is the spirit of man immortal?

Question: Where do I go when I die? Does my body go to the grave and my spirit or soul go immediately to heaven? What is Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 talking about? Are souls immortal? Answer: A portion of your questions was previously answered in “What happens to you when you die?” Rather than repeating the material here, I…

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