suffering – La Vista Church of Christ

Worshiping like the Psalms

July 19, 2022

by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, I saw an article by a professor of Old Testament studies in which he compared the content of the book of Psalms to the content of Top 25 Christian contemporary music. He observed that many of the most prominent themes of the Psalms, like God’s help for the…

Thoughts and Prayers

July 6, 2022

by Matthew W. Bassford People in our society say lots of dumb things. Surely among the most foolish, though, are the denials of the power of prayer. This usually comes up after mass shootings, when conservatives send “thoughts and prayers” on behalf of the victims’ families. In reply, progressives sneer that thoughts and prayers aren’t…

God Has an Answer

May 2, 2022

by Matthew W. Bassford The contrast between Revelation 13 and Revelation 14 is one of the most striking between any two chapters in the Bible. In Revelation 13, all the news is bad. Even though the dragon has been defeated in heaven, a new ally for him, the beast, emerges from the sea. Another evil…

In the Midst of Evil

May 1, 2022

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/In-The-Midst-Of-Evil.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:3-9 I. Abraham was told that his descendants would be strangers and slaves in a land before being brought back out 400 years later – Genesis 15:13 A. That nation, Egypt, was one of the more wicked places on earth, totally given over to idolatry 1. It became one…

Unashamed of the Shame

March 9, 2022

by Doy Moyer “Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name” (I Peter 4:15-16). There are many reasons why people suffer, but they are not all equal.…

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

February 19, 2022

by Jefferson David Tant One of the frequent questions I get, often from young people, is “If there is a God, why is there so much evil in the world? Why do we have children starving in Africa? Why are women raped and murdered by marauding men? Why are innocent people mowed down by a…

Never Alone

February 14, 2022

by Barbara Foster In 1993 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Over the course of a year, I became increasingly disabled. Through it all, I was never alone. When I was temporarily blind, Christ led me through the darkness. When I was unable to walk, God took away the fear. When my world was turned…

The evil in this world makes me want to be a Buddhist

February 14, 2022

Question: I read your response to the person asking questions about theodicy. I don’t feel you did a good job answering: Inasmuch as I can understand God “letting” a bad person hang themselves, it makes no sense that innocent, good, sincere people should suffer as a result. A young couple on their second date in…

Do non-Christians get chastened by God?

February 12, 2022

Question: “But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8). I’m struggling with this verse just a bit. Do non-Christians get chastened (disciplined)? I’m not sure, because of the second phrase “of which all have become partakers”. Is the “all” just Christians, or…

A Man Is Judged by His Strength

February 10, 2022

by Matthew W. Bassford This article originally appeared in Pressing On. In Judges 8:12, during the aftermath of his crushing victory over the Midianites, the Israelite leader Gideon captures two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. Because they played hardball in those days, in Judges 8:20, Gideon commands his son, Jether, to execute the captives. Jether,…