The Dreaded Task

by Richard Massey The Dreaded Task Margaret E. Brown I found the task that I had dreaded so, Was not so difficult when once begun; It was the dread itself that was the foe, And dread once conquered means a victory won. How true is the above statement. The first time brethren asked me to teach…

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How can I improve in giving presentations?

Question: I am a trainer. I will be giving a presentation soon, but I am not confident. I am tense and get scared thinking about it. How can I improve? Answer: Fears exist because of unknown things. You aren’t certain about your abilities or the audience’s reception, so you imagine all the possible ways it…

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Self-Inflicted Wounds

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SelfInflictedWounds.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 7:1-5   I.         I’ve mentioned to several people an interesting book by Gregory Koukl called Tactics.             A.        It discuss how Christians can discuss the gospel with others, especially those who might be hostile to the ideas of Christianity.                         1.         It is about not only presenting points, but getting the other person…

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How do I preach the gospel?

Question: How do I preach the gospel? Meaning, where should I do it and what should I say? If I do it at work, I would probably get fired. Do I just go up to complete strangers on the street, in stores, etc? I have severe anxiety, and I’m not articulate, but those are not…

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How do I bring up that homosexuality is wrong to someone I’m teaching?

Question: I was wondering if there is a tactful way to speak to someone about their homosexuality. I’ve made a dear friend in the last year and we have had numerous conversations about Christianity and faith. I’ve covered quite a lot of ground with her, definitely more than I have with any other person. She’s…

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The Value of Souls

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ValueOfSouls.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 15:1-10   I.         It is far too easy to lose sight of the goal             A.        We look at the sin in the world around us, knowing that we are not to get caught up in it – Romans 6:1-2             B.        We don’t want to be influenced by the world – I…

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Should I confront my friend’s pastor?

Question: I’ve been arguing with a girl at school. She calls herself a Christian. She recently invited me and my friend to go to her church. So my friend asked her if there’s a female preacher there, she said yes. She asked if women speak there, she said yes. Later that day, they were arguing if…

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Your website has helped me a lot in putting together lessons

Question: I felt compelled to write and thank you and any others that may be contributing material to your website.  Your sermon outlines and lessons have been very helpful to me these last several months.  You see, my brother-in-law, who preached for the small congregation that meets here passed away recently, and as the congregation…

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What Can be Known Can be Shown

by Tim Nichols All rational students of the Bible want to be told, by teachers and preachers, not just what to believe, but also why those things are to be believed.  Every faithful teacher of the Bible is prepared to deliver both in clear terms.  Bible doctrines are all taught by specific Bible passages and…

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I’m scared to make a public presentation. What do I do?

Question: I need an advice: My group is going to present a project in school. She’s going to choose a student randomly so only one of us will present it. The problem is: I’m afraid to speak in public because my hands shake and I forget some things. I get afraid of what people will…

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What do you say to someone who leaves the church for a denomination?

Question: What is the best approach to talk with bothers or sisters in Christ who have decided to worship at a denomination?  One of the main comments I get from these brothers and sisters is “the church they now worship at teaches the same thing as the church does only it doesn’t say the Church…

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Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2011Spring4JesusHealsTheManBornBlind.mp3 by Taylor Ladd Influence and Evangelism

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The Purpose of Our Calling

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2011Spring3ThePurposeOfOurCalling.mp3 by Taylor Ladd Influence and Evangelism

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Learning to See Souls

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2011Spring2LearningToSeeSouls.mp3 by Taylor Ladd Influence and Evangelism

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God’s Captivated Captives

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2011Spring1GodsCaptivatedCaptives.mp3 by Taylor Ladd Influence and Evangelism

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Influence and Evangelism

by Taylor Ladd April 17-20, 2011 God’s Captivated Captives Learning to See Souls The Purpose of Our Calling Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind Tactics for Defending Our Faith

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How do I make decisions?

Question: I’m 20 years old. I really like the La Vista Church web site. I found a lot of useful information! I have a question: I’ve had problems when trying to see my objective in life. The first time I passed an exam at my university, I really didn’t know if the course I applied…

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Why can’t one teach someone of the opposite gender?

Question: Where did the thought process of men teaching men and women teaching women come into play? Did Jesus ever discern a difference? Shouldn’t the need be met regardless of the person’s gender? I have never understood it when other Christians tell others that they shouldn’t study with someone of the opposite sex (understand you…

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How do you prepare for missionary work?

Question: Recently I’ve really been wanting to die to self and my dream desire is to live in a really poor area, hopefully in China — not the U.S. It’s hard to be an evangelizing Christian in the U.S. where it’s so wealthy and most people already know Christ. However, I don’t know how to…

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How do I object to homosexuality without getting fired?

Question: Currently at my place of work I have homosexual couples doing things that really disturb me.  Is there not something wrong with homosexual couples adopting children, or female homosexual couples being able to get in-vitro fertilization to have children?  I really desire to voice my opinion but I know that I will be the…

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Why do some people accept the gospel but others reject it?

Question: My son had a question I am not sure how to answer.  The question is: Why is it that some people respond to the hearing of the gospel by accepting the gospel, and others respond by rejecting it?” It is the same Holy Spirit that will convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment; so why does…

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How do I reach an elderly friend who is a Roman Catholic?

Question: I was wanting some advice on how to go about witnessing to a Catholic lady whom I know. I am 25 and she is about 75 years old, and we have been friends for about a year now. I was working as a nanny down the street from her and use to go and…

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Is teaching in prisons and rehab centers worth it?

Question: Our church has been working with a prison ministry. It began many years ago by a lady who would travel many miles to the women’s prison. In that time I only know of one woman who came to be baptized, and, if my memory serves me right, when she was released she returned to…

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When Our Loved Ones Lose Their Moral Compass

by Matt Adams Have you ever tried to use a compass or navigated using a map? With technology advancing as it has, most of us now wouldn’t choose artifacts such as a compass or a map as our primary tool for navigation. However, a compass is a very simple tool and requires that you know…

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Have you been able to convert people from liberal churches?

Question: I was wondering, have you had any luck converting those who use their buildings for recreation? I have a lot of friends who attend liberal churches of christ and I just wondered if you had any advice on how to correct. Thanks. Answer: Several of the current members at La Vista came out of…

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What can be done about women who speak out of turn in Bible class?

Question: My wife and I have been to the congregation there in La Vista.  We really enjoyed it and found it to be a true church.  We have been having a problem locally with the verse in I Timothy 2 about the women being silent.  I read your article on that subject.  We are experiencing…

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Jesus Shows Us How to Evangelize

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010Spring3JesusShowsUsHowToEvangelize.mp3 by Frank Walton Christ, the Only Way

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How do I teach my girlfriend the truth?

Question: You have helped me in the past, and I’m very happy to be asking you a question on much better and different terms. I am a Christian and attend a church of Christ. I believe in what the Bible teaches and like to think the church I worship at does as well. I have been…

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There Is a Difference

by Billy Moore “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways my ways, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8), so, there is a difference! There is a difference between Serving God and Serving Sin, between Walking by Faith and Walking by Sight, and between God’s Ways and Our Ways. And this difference must make a…

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What can I do to grow?

Question: How should I be confessing Jesus with my mouth? What kind of works can I do to please God? Right now, I feel like the guy who is given one talent in the parable of the talents. What can I do to increase that what God has given me? I was baptized last year,…

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Go Unto All the World

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/GoUntoAllTheWorld.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

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She Changed My Life

by Marlon Ruck as told to Wilson Adams via Biblical Insights, Volume 9, Number 6, June 2009 Marlon was a twenty-four-year-old Catholic, home from the military, and living in Toledo, Ohio; Delores was eighteen, beautiful, and a member of the Lord’s church. “I was crazy about her from the beginning and asked her to marry me…

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Model or Mission?

by Jefferson David Tant The assembly of people that began on the Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection serves as a model for us, even in the 21st Century. We follow the patterns that were set up by the early church in that we respect the way they understood the authority that governed them. We observe how…

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How can I teach my Roman Catholic friends?

Question: I have a couple of Catholic friends that I have tried for some time now to convert to Christianity. They have refused to be my friends and shunned the truth of the Word of God. I am 14 years of age but have been a Christian for three years. I need help with the…

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How to Teach Your Father or Mother the Truth

Adapted from an article by Edward Good via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 29, July 19, 2009. What a difficult thing it can be to teach your father and mother the truth of the gospel! There are so many Christians whose heart’s desire and prayer to God is for their father and mother. They either…

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What would you use for handouts in a community?

Question: Thank you so much for your willingness to answer questions!! We have a congregation (about 40 – 50) and we are wanting to conduct a campaign of the local area.  We counted about 830 houses within a three-mile radius of the building (it’s a rural area).  In our packet that we want to hand…

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