Posts Tagged ‘trials’
Making the Most of One String
by Mike Riley The story is told of Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), who, as he played a challenging piece of music before a large audience, a string on his violin snapped — yet he continued to play, improvising beautifully. Then, without warning, two more strings broke, and he continued the composition playing with only…
Read MoreDisappointments in Life
by Zeke Flores Frustration, disappointment, and sorrow are a part of life. But knowing that hardly softens the discouragement and dissatisfaction they bring, nor the feelings of failure and heartache. Things, no matter how good the warranty, will frustrate you. People, even those you love and admire, will let you down. Circumstances will disappoint you.…
Read MoreIn Times of Trouble
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/In-Times-of-Trouble.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreLife’s Challenges
by Zeke Flores Paul’s honesty in his telling of the “thorn in the flesh” that caused him such distress is relatable (II Corinthians 12:7-10). Whatever it was that caused Paul such pain, we’ve all been there. After all, who hasn’t struggled with some circumstance, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, that hasn’t driven us to our…
Read MoreAdventure
by Zeke Flores Perhaps the most effective employment ad was also one of the most bizarre and unlikely. It reportedly read, “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger. Safe return doubtful.” You wouldn’t think there would be men lining up for that job, but the employer…
Read MoreLife Isn’t that Way
by Zeke Flores You might wish you had never had any trouble. No doubt, life would be a lot easier without any distress, affliction, or sorrow. But life isn’t that way. Because we often make dumb decisions, because many circumstances are unforeseeable, and because people are, well, people, there are bound to be uncomfortable situations,…
Read MoreThe Need for Courage
by Zeke Flores C. S. Lewis said, “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” When Jesus called out to His disciples on a stormy sea and said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27), He may have been alluding to…
Read MoreIs It So Hard?
by David Gibson Does the Christian life at times seem more than you can bear? May these thoughts from Hebrews chapter 12 encourage you! Others Have Overcome “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [the heroes of faith in chapter 11], let us also lay aside every weight, and sin…
Read MoreBeyond Our Strength
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Beyond-Our-Strength.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Corinthians 1:3-11 I. After Gideon crushed the Midian and captured two of its kings: Zebah and Zalmunna – Judges 8:12 A. After admitting that they were involved in the killing of the men of Tabor, Gideon reveals that they had killed his brothers, and then orders their execution -…
Read MoreRunning with the Horses
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Running-with-the-Horses.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 11:1-17 I. Proverbs 14:10 A. Each of us carry burdens in this life – problems which are difficult to bear. 1. They cause us anxiety and disturb our sleep if we dwell on them. 2. We try to put them out of our mind, but suddenly a seemingly unrelated event will…
Read MoreAre all Christians persecuted?
Question: I have a question about a verse that tells us that all godly Christians shall suffer persecution. II Timothy 3:12 states: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” This verse concerns me because I’ve been a Christian since I was 12 (I’m now in my fifties), and I…
Read MoreSifted
by Terry Wane Benton The Lord told Peter that Satan would sift him like wheat. He sifts through our character and principles to find that vulnerable spot that he can use to bring us down. With David, it was lust; with others, it is alcohol or chemical addiction. The weak spot in some is the…
Read MoreHope in the Place of Despair
by David Gibson “For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like…
Read MoreBut It Hurts!
by David Gibson Why we suffer may be the most troubling of all questions. Atheists’ strongest argument is: How could a good God permit suffering? It is important to know what the Bible says about this so we won’t lose faith or grow bitter. Suffering is a complex issue. It has no single cause. Sometimes…
Read MoreThe Test of Love
by Terry Wane Benton The Lord allows the false teachers to test your heart. Have you ever thought about it that way? Maybe you are supposed to love the Lord your God enough to check behind every teacher and preacher to see if they are telling the truth, and your job is to have enough…
Read MoreWho Moved the Stones?
by David Gibson Only Matthew tells us that “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it” (Matthew 28:2 NASB). But when Jesus came to Lazarus’ tomb, He said, “Remove the stone” (John 11:39). It would have been easy for Jesus to move the stone…
Read MoreWhy didn’t God rescue my friend?
Question: I am a member of the Lord’s church and trying to help a coworker and friend. She has become dear to me, and we’ve studied the Bible a little. I hope to have more studies with her. She has somewhat stumped me with a tough question. She was sexually abused as a child by…
Read MoreThe Master Craftsman
by Chadwick Brewer “And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God’” (Zechariah 13:9).…
Read MoreWhere Was God?
by Chadwick Brewer The Book of Esther stands out as unique among the Old Testament books because it is the only book that does not mention God at all. Compared to other Old Testament stories, God’s absence in the story of Esther can seem rather profound. To this end, we want to ask, “Where was…
Read MoreBe Not Dismayed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Be-Not-Dismayed.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Jeremiah came in the worse days of Judah’s history A. Corruption was everywhere – Jeremiah 6:13-15 B. Jeremiah was told from his youth to preach the truth – Jeremiah 1:4-8 C. But that didn’t make it easy. Jeremiah was opposed most of his life 1. After a prophecy in the Temple…
Read MoreTrusting God Through the Storms
by Doy Moyer Storms can be frightening. Lightning and thunder can be a bit terrifying when it gets close. Flood waters can overwhelm, winds can level, and human beings can only run and hide. We sometimes wonder why, but we are reminded that we are not the ones who control nature. We are humbled as…
Read MoreWill Life Ever Be Good Again?
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, it may seem like nothing will ever be right in your life again. You might look back to happier times and wonder how things could so completely fall apart. Beaten down by circumstances, maybe even the consequences of your own bad decision, you become overwhelmed with despair. Will life ever be…
Read MoreThis Will Turn Out
by Terry Wane Benton “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:19). He had a mob of angry Jews trying to kill him in Jerusalem and in route to Caesarea, was kept in prison at Caesarea for two…
Read MoreIf Any of You Lacks Wisdom
by Terry Wane Benton James speaks of the wisdom to see our trials as opportunities to perfect our faith and develop durability, endurance, or patience. We can choose to count it all joy, see how to grow deeper in faith, or we can let the trials beat us down and dishearten us to the point…
Read MoreGod’s Glory in Concealed Things
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Gods-Glory-in-Concealed-Things.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 97 I. When men wish for the glory of other men, they highlight the things that they do A. When we want a promotion or a pay raise, we present to our bosses lists of how we benefitted the company. We make sure the boss notices the good things…
Read MoreLive Joyfully!
by Paul Earnhart via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No 2, February 2015 Text: Ecclesiates 9:1-12 The Preacher concluded the eighth chapter with another of his oft-repeated observations that God’s ways are inscrutable to men, however wise (Ecclesiastes 8:17). Job, in his misery, twice asks plaintively: “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of…
Read MoreLet this Cup Pass from Me
by Terry Wane Benton What did Jesus mean when He prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane to “Let this cup pass from me?” (Matthew 26:39). It is a metaphor for having to experience something very dreadful. When we experience something bitter and horrible to our senses, we could metaphorically say that we have…
Read MoreWhen Tragedy Strikes
by Doy Moyer What exactly does one say to another when tragedy strikes? We all wish that we had the perfect words that would appropriately capture what everyone is feeling, words that would comfort and encourage even the most downtrodden. We want to come up with profound statements about how “this is life” and “here…
Read MoreLess Than Deserved
by Joe Works “Why do bad things happen to good people?” That is a question that people commonly ask, and it is a fair question that is somewhat difficult to answer to complete satisfaction. But have you ever considered asking … “Why don’t more bad things happen to me than they do?” “And after all…
Read MoreWhy Am I Having So Much Trouble?
by Zeke Flores I’m a faithful child of God! So why am I having so much trouble? Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media Hezekiah may have been asking himself the same thing when the Assyrian king Sennacherib threatened to overrun Judah. Though Hezekiah made many good religious reforms during his rule, God still allowed him to…
Read MoreJesus Heals the Hurting
by Doy Moyer The world in which we live is filled with heartache and pain. This is part of the corruption experienced by humanity due to the problem of sin (Genesis 3). Things in this world are not as they were initially created to be, and we know things need to be made right. Our…
Read MoreWhy Me?
by Doy Moyer If the blind man of John 9 asked, “Why me?” the answer would be “that the works of God might be displayed in you.” If the paralytic from Mark 2 asked, “Why me?” the answer would be “that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive…
Read MoreNearer, my God, to Thee
by Doy Moyer Songs are magnificent. There is a reason God wants us to teach by singing, and I was reminded of this powerfully one night recently after I preached a lesson in a meeting. My lesson was called “Come to Bethel,” and I discussed Genesis 28, Jacob’s leaving the land, the sun going down…
Read MoreThorns
by Doy Moyer “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). Paul had a weakness, a “thorn in the flesh” that he thought was keeping him from being as productive as he could have been without it. He prayed to the Lord three times to have…
Read MoreDoes God want me to lose everything?
Question: Dear Pastor Hamilton: Thank you for always answering emails throughout the many years. I’m writing you to say that I lost my job. I thought it was God’s will for me to be at this job because it was only a block away from my home, it matched my job skills, and it gave…
Read MoreGrace Is Sufficient
by Doy Moyer Paul describes certain visions and revelations that were beyond his understanding (II Corinthians 12). He then spoke of what he calls a “thorn in the flesh,” given to him to keep him from becoming conceited. He implored the Lord three times that this thorn would be removed from him. Whatever it was,…
Read MoreTempted and Tried
by Perry Hall “For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:49-50). “Salted with fire” (Mark 9:49) is a notoriously hard saying of Jesus. Context can help.…
Read MoreShut In
by Matthew W. Bassford Last Sunday morning was the last time I will ever attempt to assemble with the saints. I say “attempt” because I did not succeed in assembling. It was a debacle. About midway through the debacle, I resolved that I wasn’t going to put myself or my wife through such misery anymore.…
Read MoreCount It All Joy
by Terry Wane Benton It’s not what happens to you that matters so much as what you do with what happens to you. Who would have thought that Helen Keller would have mattered so much with all the handicaps she was dealt in life? Great people of great faith learn to turn trials into stepping…
Read MoreBurdens
by Johnathan Perz Struggles, infirmities, and adversities are a part of life. We all face them. Paul describes a struggle he brought before God on three occasions, seeking that God remove it from him. Instead of removing the burden, God let Paul bear it, admonishing him with the words, “My grace is sufficient for you,…
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