Education

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Education.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Psalms 78:1-8   I.         Why go to school? What use is all those endless facts?             A.        A question I’m sure more school-aged children ask.             B.        Does an education have value?                         1.         To answer this we must compare the alternative.                                     a.         Solomon did this and concluded wisdom, which is gained by learning, is…

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Thoughts of Spring

by Bobby L. Graham via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 “My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds…

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Platitudes Sound Good But …

by Perry Hall Human platitudes sound good, wholesome, and biblical except when examined by the Bible. For example, “No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once” (Oswald J. Smith). I appreciate the zeal and love for lost souls. However, does this quote match the…

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Bring Back Wisdom

by Chadwick Brewer “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks” (Proverbs 1:20-21). It was once considered that wisdom was honored and valued. There were seats at the gates of every…

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Becoming Fools

by Chadwick Brewer “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise” (I Corinthians 3:18). There is a huge stumbling block that we place before our children and ourselves. We praise one another for their intelligence and…

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Proverbs on the Need for Wisdom

by Terry Wane Benton This book emphasizes the importance of wisdom. The young man is encouraged to pursue wisdom, or else he will set himself up for being a loser in life. The book can be outlined as follows: Obtaining Knowledge and Wisdom. (Proverbs 1-2) Retaining Knowledge and Wisdom Because of Its Correction in Thinking.…

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Gnats and Camels

by Zeke Flores You must admit, some of Jesus’ word pictures are pretty funny. It’s humorous to imagine someone trying to filter out a tiny insect so their food will be clean, but open their mouth wide for a whole camel! But the lesson in that funny image isn’t funny at all. For the Jews…

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What Does Godly Wisdom Require?

by Doy Moyer Living in any given culture and time requires the wisdom and will to be what we should be for the Lord. Serving the Lord is not just about obeying a few commandments. Rather, it is a lifelong commitment to be faithful, loyal, and true to the end (cf. Revelation 2:10). Developing a…

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Knowledge Without Wisdom

by Terry Wane Benton In Colossians 1, we find Paul writing to a group that heard “the word of the truth of the gospel” (Colossians 1:5), and it produced faith, hope, and love (Colossians 1:4-5) in them. Paul was thankful, but he went on to pray that they would be “filled with the knowledge of…

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The Nature of Godly Wisdom

by Ross Ward, Jr. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from…

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Acquiring Wisdom

by Doy Moyer Scripture shows that God’s concerns are not just for what is technically good or bad, right or wrong, allowed or disallowed. We could argue over what is technically sinful or not, but that’s essentially a legalistic approach that misses the essential element of wisdom, especially in matters that are not explicitly given.…

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Learning How to Think

by Doy Moyer Scripture shows that God’s concerns are not just for what is technically good or bad, right or wrong, allowed or disallowed. We could argue over what is technically sinful or not, but that’s essentially a legalistic approach that misses the essential element of wisdom, especially in matters that are not explicitly given.…

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Revealing the Wisdom of God

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in…

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If 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…

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Jamaica Patois Wisdom – Experience

by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…

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Should Do or Allowed to Do?

by Doy Moyer “What should I do or not do?” is a question of wisdom. “What am I allowed to do or not do?” is a question of law. While we have boundaries of what we are allowed or not allowed to do, and these are vital to know, more will be determined by wisdom…

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Wisdom in Learning God’s Commands

by Doy Moyer The ethics of Christians fall under the category of virtue. Virtue ethics is grounded in the attributes and character of God, for all virtue flows from Him. While there is an obligation of following rules (God’s commandments), there is a significant and vital component of learning wisdom. Why? Because, for the most…

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The Wisdom of Abigail

by Matthew W. Bassford The spiritual wisdom of the Bible is usually easy to understand but hard to put into practice. There are few better examples of this than Proverbs 15:1. There are no big words in this verse. The concepts are so simple that a child can understand them. However, even those who have…

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The Wisdom of Prudence

by Doy Moyer “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling” (Proverbs 26:27). “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it” (Proverbs 27:12). “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who…

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To Become Wise

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/To-Become-Wise.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Hope for the Future

by Andy Sochor Throughout the book of Proverbs, a contrast is made between wisdom and foolishness. Since the wisdom described in the book comes from above, those who follow this and live according to its precepts will be righteous. Conversely, those who reject the way of wisdom will inevitably find themselves engaged in wickedness. Despite…

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When Wisdom Calls

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/When-Wisdom-Calls.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Proverbs 1:20-33   I.         Will Rogers once said, “Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing, nobody listens and then everybody disagrees.”             A.        I’m sure those in politics get frustrated when it seems no one listens.             B.        But then we all do. We might not be the deepest…

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The Wisdom of a Father

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/WisdomOfAFather.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 1:1-9   I.         The rise of feminism brought about a demotion of fatherhood             A.        In an attempt to prove the worth of woman, many felt the need to “prove” that men were worthless                         1.         We see the impact in society.                         2.         How many television shows show a well-meaning but bungling dad whom…

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What I Would Say To My Children

by Jefferson David Tant Raising children is, I believe, one of the greatest responsibilities God has given us. By God’s design, a man and a woman have created something which will never cease to exist — a spirit that has been made in the image of God. Can you imagine the awesome feeling of responsibility…

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Knowledge (Overby)

by Ben Overby Sentry Magazine, March 2000 The Hebrew writer desired to feed his readers “solid food.” but was prevented by their inability to consume such “food,” (see Hebrews 5:12-6:3). An interesting question arises after reading this passage. What value is there in our pursuit of “solid food,” or those truths which go beyond the…

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Three Aspects of Learning

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Three-Aspects-of-Learning-1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 24:3-6   I.         There are three aspects to learning, whether we talk about school work or Bible study             A.        Proverbs 2:6 – The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding             B.        Proverbs 24:3-4 – Compared to a house                         1.         Knowledge is the comprehension of facts. It fills our minds with pleasant and useful…

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The Wisdom of Winning Souls

by Charles N. Spence, Jr. Sentry Magazine, December 2000 and March 2001 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). How does winning souls demonstrate wisdom? When Christians involve themselves in this task, they understand that they are doing that which the Lord has…

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Jamaica Patois Wisdom

by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…

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Wisdom Learned from the Animals

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Wisdom-Learned-From-The-Animals.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 2:1-6   I.         The Lord God teaches us wisdom             A.        His teaching comes in a variety of forms. We read His words and learn about right and wrong             B.        But God’s teaching doesn’t end there. Even in the world around us, through the creation of God, God is instructing us -…

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Who Is Wise and Understanding?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Who-Is-Wise-and-Understanding.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 3:13-18   I.         The Bible speaks of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom             A.        Knowledge are the many facts about life and the world we live in.             B.        Understanding is the ability to take several facts and combine them to arrive at new information.             C.        Wisdom is knowing when information ought to be applied…

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Will I be judged for not being as smart as another person?

Question: Good evening. I am having trouble understanding intellect. Is intellect a worldly thing or does it come from above? I understand Colossians 3 and how it identifies the things we should be thinking about and the things we need to mortify. It didn’t mention intellect precisely, but I do believe it takes intellect to…

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Serpents and Doves

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Serpents-and-Doves.mp3 by Austin Hausner

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Spiritual Wisdom and the Internet

by Matthew W. Bassford The Internet is one of the most powerful inventions in human history. If we use it to seek the Lord, it can accomplish great things for Him. Without the Internet, I certainly wouldn’t be able to blog, and I probably wouldn’t be able to write hymns. This is to say nothing,…

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James on Trials

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/JamesOnTrials.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 1:1-27   I.         The book of James is written to Jewish Christians who were scattered by persecution – Acts 8:1-4             A.        This is one indication that James is one of the first books written             B.        It is that persecution that sets up the theme for the first part of the book…

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Jamaica Patois Wisdom – Awareness

by Jefferson David Tant The Jamaican Patois dialect is colorful, unique, and humorous. It is my desire to share some of the philosophy shown in this mix of colorful phrases that are witty as well as thought-provoking. I hope the readers both profit and enjoy. In my quarter-century plus of teaching there, I have come…

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Wisdom in Picking a Mate

Text: Genesis 2:18-24   I.         The importance of selecting who you will marry             A.        Marriage is intended by God to be a lifetime commitment – Matthew 19:3-6             B.        God hates divorce – Malachi 2:13-16             C.        God law has marriage lasting the life of the parties involved – Romans 7:2-3             D.        It is God’s intention that the time be spent happily…

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Wisdom from Above

by Jefferson David Tant “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable (easy to be entreated” ASV), full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy” (James 3:17, NASB). Wisdom should be a much-desired quality. We remember when Solomon ascended the throne following his father David, God asked what he would want.…

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Three Roads to Learning

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.            There are three roads to learning, whether we talk about school work or Bible study               A.          Prov. 2:6 – The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding               B.          Prov. 24:3-4 – Compared to a house                             1.           Knowledge is the comprehension of facts. It fills our minds with pleasant and useful things                             2.           Understanding is the reasoning…

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