Quoting Scripture as Evangelism

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/QuotingScriptureAsEvangelism.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 1:3-11   I.         It is difficult to read the New Testament and not notice the number of times Jesus and the apostles make their points by directing the person to the Old Testament by means of a quote.             A.        Regarding eating grain plucked on the Sabbath – Matthew 12:3-5…

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Is it right to offer food when teaching the gospel?

Question: Hi Jeff, The minister in my congregation proposed something in the area of evangelism to the church which i don’t think is scriptural. He said we should go with some food items to give to those we meet whenever we go for house-to-house evangelism. His belief is that it will boast or make the…

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How do I convince my Pentecostal parents of God’s truth?

Question: Dear Minister, My father and mother are pastors of a Pentecostal church. I do not agree with what they believe — relying on experience and emotions rather than being fully grounded on the Word of God. I do not want them to stay in that belief forever. I want them to be brought into…

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Your article contained the answers I was looking for

Question: Hello, I am going through some trouble right now. I have been dating my girlfriend for a year now and have been trying to ease her into the church. She has not been grounded in any denominational doctrine, but she still has some trouble accepting the truth. Recently, she had asked me to visit…

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Trip Report – 2016 (Bali, Singapore, Malaysia)

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/TripReport2016.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 10:17-18   I.         My trips to the South Asian islands started in 2013.             A.        I had been studying with a young man in the National University of Singapore for several years via Skype. He had asked me repeatedly to come hold a meeting in Singapore and things…

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Foundations

Foundations – Part 1Foundations – Part 2Foundations – Part 3Foundations – Part 4 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 61   I.         When we are teaching others, it is important not to just address the issues raised, but to think about why a person has come to the wrong conclusions.             A.        When a person claims to be…

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How can I possibly warn everyone about all the sins they are doing?

Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, Currently, I am struggling with how to deal with other believers and their sins. Specifically, at my place of work, there are coworkers who claim to be Christian and others to be Catholic. While I understand that you should warn people of their sin, and if you do not warn them,…

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Love Finds a Way

by Sewell Hall All Christians want to bring the lost to Christ. But each of us has some handicap that causes us to feel limited in our ability to do so. It may be a weakness of knowledge or difficulty in expressing ourselves. Perhaps it is a personality deficiency or even a lack of transportation.…

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Seeing the White Fields

Seeing the White Fields – Part 1Seeing the White Fields – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 4:5-42   I.         Indulge me for a moment and consider the following situations:             A.        You are talking about what various church have to offer in the area with your neighbor and you take the opportunity to invite him…

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Is it wrong to say “God bless you” to a group that includes non-Christians?

Question: Hi, Thanks very much for your insightful teachings and encouragement through this website. I attended a recent gospel meeting and the preacher ended it with ‘God bless you’ and ‘Godspeed’ to the audience. I remember one Bible class teacher mentioned that Christians must use the term ‘God bless you’ appropriately; ie. to Christians only,…

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Laborers in the Vineyard

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/LaborersInTheVineyard.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 20:1-16   I.         The context of the parable             A.        A rich, young ruler had come to Jesus asking how to be saved. – Matthew 19:16-22                         1.         Jesus told him to follow the law, but the young man wasn’t satisfied with this. He wanted something more.                         2.         Jesus told him that if he…

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Fishing or Sleeping?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/FishingOrSleeping.mp3 by Alan Feaster

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The Lost Sheep

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/LostSheep.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 15:1-7   I.         When people can’t fault a person, they will sometimes seek to find fault in the way someone does things.             A.        This is how the Pharisees and Scribes sought to degrade Jesus’ reputation.             B.        It wasn’t something they would do. In fact, they implied it there was something wrong…

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What Do You Hope to Catch?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/WhatDoYouHopeToCatch.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Mark 6:31-44   I.         What you hope to catch determines the type of bait you use             A.        A worm may land you a fish, but it probably won’t lure a mouse into a trap             B.        Even in fishing, there are different baits to be used for different fish             C.        I’ve known young women…

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Counting Time or Making Your Time Count?

by Bill Robinson I have a much-loved friend and brother in the Lord who has been in jail for over 15 months. He is a recovering crack addict. We have been very close. For a year he spent every Sunday with me. I would go get him from rehab bring him to worship services and…

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Fishers of Men: Sharing Your Story

by Domenick Basolo There are many people in this world who, unfortunately, don’t have God in their lives; however, God waits patiently for them to hear His message and share in His love. People have many pretenses as to why they don’t accept God in their lives, such as their negative image of Christians. Sometimes Christians…

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Should Christians support a man teaching on the Internet?

Question: We have a brother who is out of work because of a permanent injury and he is asking for monthly contributions to support a website he has created to spread the gospel.  He feels that because he is committing his time fully to spreading the gospel he can make a living at it. However,…

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Talking with a Muslim about Religion

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/TalkingWithAMuslimAboutReligion.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 1:10-16   I.         How do you talk with someone about religion when there is little common ground?             A.        A good way to start is to find something in that religion that is true and that can be used as a basis of discussion.                         1.         In a false religion, not everything is…

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What is the best way to lovingly tell someone they are wrong?

Question: In your opinion what is the best way to tell someone that they are wrong but loved? If someone is a homosexual, how can you tell them that their actions are wrong in a loving way? It seems like you need to strike a delicate balance there. Answer: “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes,…

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Trip Report – 2015 (Bali, Singapore)

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TripReport2015.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 10:17-18 I had an opportunity to revisit the two groups I worked with last year. This time my wife, Gaye, agreed to come with me. It was the first time she has been out of the country. The church in La Vista paid my travel…

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Passing the Torch

by Ethan R. Longhenry Almost two thousand years ago the Gospel of Jesus Christ began to be proclaimed: God became Incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth, went about doing good, was crucified and buried, but God raised Him from the dead; He ascended to the Father, received all authority and everlasting dominion, and will return one…

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The Necessity of Bearing Fruit

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015Fall6TheNecessityOfBearingFruit.mp3 by Brace Rutledge 2015 Fall Meeting

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Should we only teach people who will join the local congregation?

Question: Hello, I am writing for some advice.  I live in a city and worship just outside the city in a small town.  I have a passion for sharing the Gospel with the lost.  While at a congregation in the city, I was blessed to share with people who often ended up being members of…

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The Gospel of the Circumcision and the Uncircumcision

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GospelOfTheCircumcisionAndTheUncircumcision.mp3 Text: Galatians 2:1-10   I.         I suppose a casual reader could read verse 7 from our text and come away with the idea that two different messages were being taught.             A.        One being taught to the Gentiles and a different message being taught to the Jews.             B.        Yet the goal of the gospel was to unite Jews…

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I have no friends and I’m depressed

Question: I’m 18. I don’t have a girlfriend or any friends. My parents are not religious. Should I tell them about the Bible? Is it fair that you have a great family who are Christians? What did I do to deserve this living hell? I’m depressed. How do I solve this issue about an existential…

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My efforts to help a person is going so slowly!

Question: Thank you for your time. I just found this site and have been blessed by it! I recently moved and met a woman who needed someone to talk with. Her husband had just tried to murder her (he is now in prison) and she was looking for a place to live. My husband and…

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Your articles are not the gospel, they only use the gospel

Question: I was happy to read your statement on your home page and hope to visit you when am in Omaha. What bothers me is “the articles you write and put on the site.” The New Testament church must and should only preach the word of God. Most, or all of the articles are not…

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He Preached Jesus to Him

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015Spring4HePreachedJesusToHim.mp3 by Jonathan Perz Spreading the Gospel

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Spreading the Gospel

by Jonathan Perz Are You Open Minded? Traditions House to House He Preached Jesus to Him Judas Iscariot Imitating God Choices Seven Paradoxes of the Cross

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Is rebuking a sinner once enough?

Question: Hi, I was reading your article How do I tell someone they are sinning? and I wanted to ask a question concerning Galatians 6:1. When correcting another Christian about a sin, does one have to continue until they stop or try and leave the rest up to God? Answer: It would be a rare case…

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Children and the Bible

by Doy Moyer Somewhere along the line, it seems to me, there has been an assumption that all the stories in the Bible have to be something for children. If some account is disturbing, then there is a problem with the Bible — as if the Bible was written just for the sake of kids.…

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The Teaching of God’s Word

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/TeachingOfGodsWord.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 92   I.         Jesus made a comment in Matthew 16:18 that we are all familiar with             A.        Notice something that many overlook: What does Jesus mean that the “gates of hell will not overcome it?”                         1.         Many talk about how Satan’s army cannot overcome the church.                         2.         But read this again. Which…

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When I get busy in school, I lose sight of God. Is that wrong?

Question: Now I’m back in school and it’s getting busy again. But in the classroom, I always get distracted thinking that I am doing something wrong when I’m doing the work. I obviously know that homework is not a sin, but it feels like when I get busy with work I just lose sight of…

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The Church Ain’t Doing Nothing

by Raymond Elliott How often have we heard that statement from a brother in Christ? And it is to be admitted that we often fail in fulfilling the many obligations that God has given us. But there are some pertinent observations that need to be made relative to this broad statement. First of all, we…

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How do I tell people I’m not interested in preaching?

Question: Hello, Hope you can answer a question of mine that I need a biblical answer to. What to say to people who come up to you and ask you, “Why don’t you preach?” I tell them not everyone is meant to be a teacher, and like it says in Bible not everyone is meant…

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