Posts Tagged ‘worship’
Is watching a church service an acceptable way to worship?
Question: Hi Jeffrey, This has become popular with people. Is the video sermon a new way to worship God? I do not like it and don’t understand how it’s right. Do you find scripture to support it because I can’t? Thank you again and always. Answer: “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching…
Read MoreAre responsive readings in worship wrong?
Question: Dear Bro. Hamilton, I live in a rural area and worship at a non-institutional congregation that’s an hour away. This morning I completely failed to prepare properly and ran out of time to make it to Bible study and worship service in time (I won’t be making that mistake again). I stopped to worship…
Read MoreWill Bagels and Coffee Improve Our Worship?
by Ken Weliever “During our years of church planting, we tried to change people’s perceptions about what the Sunday worship would look like,” wrote Michelle Lazurek, in a recent Crosswalk.com article. “We took out pews and replaced them with pub tables and chairs, added lights and a stage and most importantly,” the award-winning author and…
Read MoreIs it a sin not to give each Sunday?
Question: Since giving is an act of worship. Do we sin on the Sundays we do not give? For example, from my understanding, we are to give as we prosper, so if I only get paid twice a month, don’t I only give on the Sunday following when I got paid? I got paid on…
Read MoreIf a woman can say “Amen,” then why can’t she say “I disagree?”
Question: If there is such a thing as a “smell” test, I think the “Amen” at least invokes a whiff. If you accept that a woman can randomly and audibly say “Amen” (meaning “I agree” or “I concur”), why could she not randomly and audibly say “No!” meaning “I don’t agree?” Answer: There is a…
Read MoreIs the silence of women only applied to prophecy?
Question: Hey brother, Just had a quick question: How do you reconcile I Corinthians 14:34-35 applying women to the entire context beginning at I Corinthians 14:26 and not just the direct context of prophecy grammatically? I have been having issues with that. Answer: “What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has…
Read MoreHow do we worship with an autistic child?
Question: Hello. I wrote to you about 5 or 6 years ago for some advice on how to help my severely autistic son during worship. Today he is 8 years old and going to worship never got easier but in fact got extremely hard, to the point where going was nothing but a major distraction…
Read MoreGathering Together
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2005/06/GatheringTogether.mp3 I. When we talk of worshiping God, one aspect of that worship is our gathering together A. Psalm 122:1 1. Is this your attitude, or do you feel dragged here? 2. To worship God requires assembling with fellow Christians B. Hebrews 10:19-27 1. The writer of Hebrews discusses the conversion of a man 2. Jesus consecrated a new and living way…
Read MoreQuestions About Bible Classes
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/QuestionsAboutBibleClass.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2:1-8 I. It is apparent to me that Christians as a whole do not understand the purpose of Bible classes. A. It is not just locally because I have receive similar questions from Christians in other areas. B. I think it would be beneficial for all of us to examine…
Read MoreClapping in Worship
by Gardner Hall Is it wrong? If so, why? The last few years have seen the introduction of handclapping in congregations of the Lord, including a few that have opposed institutionalism. Though motives are often praiseworthy, serious questions are raised by the practice. Is it presumptuous? Is it practiced because God wants it? Or rather,…
Read MoreThe Worship of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WorshipOfGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 5:11-14 I. Why are you here? A. Because it is what you do on Sundays? Because your parents make you come? B. I hope most of us will say we are here to worship. After all, we call this the worship service. C. Yet, most of us have only vague notions…
Read MoreRestoring God’s Religion
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/RestoringGodsReligion.mp3 Text: II Kings 18:1-6 I. Without a doubt our society has slipped in its desire to follow God A. Sin and the acceptance of sinful practice has become prevalent. We have convinced ourselves as a society to be proud of our tolerance of sin. B. Churches are losing members. 1. In their panic, they look for ways…
Read MorePharaoh’s Compromises
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PharaohsCompromises.mp3 Text: II Corinthians 6:14-7:1 I. Most of here, even the little children, can tell the story of Moses and the ten plagues. A. It is exciting to read about the wonders God wrought against the Egyptians B. And even more amazing to see how stubborn a man, Pharaoh, can be despite the overwhelming evidence arrayed against…
Read MoreWhat is Worship?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WhatIsWorship.mp3 Text: John 4:19-24 I. I was asked recently to address a question of what constitutes worship A. Defining terms, such as worship, is interesting because there is a tendency in the religious world towards vagueness. 1. Pentecostal beliefs emphasize the emotional experience (the spirit). Worship is not real unless you can feel it and, on the…
Read MoreHow do we know Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 are speaking about congregational worship?
Question: How do we know that Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19, in regards to singing, are dealing with a congregational worship assembly? Answer: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand…
Read MoreShould my friend leave her husband so she can worship the Christ?
Question: Dear Brother, Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. This question is regarding my colleague. She was born in a Hindu family but accepted Jesus in her youth. Her parents did not allow her to marry a Christian, so she married a Hindu, concealing the fact that she was a Christian. Her husband did…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between praise and worship?
Question: I need a lesson from you about the difference between praise and worship. What is it that we mean when we say “let’s praise the Lord” and when we say “let’s worship the Lord”? Please help me in that area. Answer: Praise “And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time…
Read MoreWas the collection in I Corinthians 16:1-2 really worship?
Question: The church I attend teaches that the collection in I Corinthians 16:1-2 is not part of the worship service. They say Paul commanded that to help the church in Jerusalem, not to worship by giving. What is your comment about that? Answer: The same giving is discussed in II Corinthians 8 and 9, where…
Read MoreWere only Levites allowed to use instruments in worship?
Question: Dear sir, Please help me resolve a question regarding the use of instrumental music in worship by Christians. Although it is not prohibited specifically, the fact that God specified singing ought to warrant its prohibition through the principle of “silence of the Scriptures” as indicated by Hebrews 7:14. The problem is that, under the…
Read MoreWhat do you do if you can’t worship with faithful brethren?
Question: I’ve read everything I could find on your page concerning worship alone. I know already that communion and singing are out of the question. So where does that leave someone who is in prison for life or far away from anyone or group that teaches and holds to sound doctrine? I’m sure you could…
Read MoreCan’t I just worship with different congregations each Sunday?
Question: Good evening Minister, I have been a member of the Lord’s church for over five years. I’ve been a faithful member; however, I had some concerns about some things that were going on in worship. I left my home-based church where I felt like I was ostracized because I’m a single woman. I began…
Read MoreWhy did the Israelites add an extra week to the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
Question: Hello, I’m from a church of Christ. I, of course, believe in worshiping after the pattern in the New Testament. How would you harmonize II Chronicles 30:23 with this? This text appears to show the Israelites adding seven additional days to the Feast of Unleavened Bread with God accepting it. There is no apparent…
Read MoreWhat Is Idolatry?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WhatIsIdolatry.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 44:9-20 I. I got into a discussion with a teenager about what exactly is idolatry A. He had the impression that anything you really liked was an idol, whether it was sports, cars, or girls B. “What is an idol? Well, it is the thing. It is the thing loved…
Read MoreWhy Do We Church?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/WhyDoWeChurch.mp3 by Garry Floyd
Read MoreIs Everything We Do Worship?
by Harold Hancock A Christian should try to please God in everything he does, but everything a Christian does is not worship. For instance, a Christian may travel, work, rest, and sleep with God’s approval, but he is not worshipping God when he does these things In the New Testament, the Greek word Proskuneo is…
Read MoreIs it a sin to not offer an invitation at the end of a sermon?
Question: I understand there is a sin of omission, James 4:17. I attend a congregation where the preacher never preaches the gospel, hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized for the remission of sins. He preaches the truth and is very scriptural in all of his lessons; however, he very rarely, if ever, extends an…
Read MoreWhy Worship?
by Matthew W. Bassford via His Excellent Word There has literally never been a time in my life when I wasn’t regularly attending worship services with the Lord’s people. Even when I was a little kid, even when my parents were members of a little congregation in New Jersey that was lucky if it broke 20…
Read MoreShould someone who says he is gay lead singing in a congregation?
Question: Yesterday my husband was disheartened to hear that one of our song leaders at our church of Christ is a confessed gay man who came out on social media and declared he has tried all kinds of treatment but just can’t feel differently. We both wish the best for all people in seeking their…
Read MoreHow Man Is to Approach God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/HowManIsToApproachGod.mp3 by Gary Wells
Read MoreHow do you deal with a woman who brings her dog to worship?
Question: We have a lady who has been attending worship with us for over a month. She has since placed her membership with our congregation. This morning when she entered the building she had a little Chihuahua dog in her arms. She stated that it was her service dog and he did not have any…
Read MoreHow should prayers be offered in worship?
Question: Where I need help is with prayers. Is it scriptural to pray saying “In Jesus’ name” several times in between the prayer before concluding? Does it not count as vain repetitions? Is it scriptural to raise prayer points while everyone prays until the person leading will ask everyone to round up and stop eventually?…
Read MoreEveryone worships differently, but does it matter if we are all worshiping Christ?
Question: I have one question that concerns me: There are many Christian denominations or groups such as Orthodox, Protestantism, Catholic, Baptist, etc. Each one of those denominations or churches has its own practices and symbols. Ones who have the cross without Jesus, ones who have the cross with Jesus, ones who believe in Saints, ones…
Read MoreCan a non-Christian lead the congregation?
Question: I’m in charge of scheduling the worship leaders for a small church of Christ. Recently I was approached by an unsaved regular attendee, who wished to participate in leading our body in different aspects of our Sunday morning worship service — prayer, reading, communion, etc. I approached our elders for guidance, as it just…
Read MoreCan non-Christians worship God?
Question: Should a Christian invite his neighbor (who is not a Christan) to “come and worship with us”? I believe I can and should invite him to come and attend with us, but a person who is not a Christian can not worship God as the Bible commands. A person must first obey the Gospel…
Read MorePraise the Lord!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/PraiseTheLord.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 113 I. What, exactly, is meant when someone says, “Praise the Lord!”? A. Do you go around saying “Praise the Lord!” once in a while? B. When something nice happens to a friend, do you respond with “Praise the Lord!”? C. Often words and phrases are used with little thought as…
Read MoreHow do we praise God?
Question: Mr. Hamilton, I hear a lot of people talking about what they do to praise God, so my question is: How do we praise the Father according to His word? Thank you. Answer: In the Old Testament, one common word that is translated as “praise” is tehillah, which literally means “to cause to shine.”…
Read MoreCan women help in serving the Lord’s Supper?
Question: I recently worshiped at a congregation where they allowed women to assist in serving the communion. The women stood alongside the men in front of the congregation while one man read Scriptures and prayed, then the women helped to serve communion with the men. Is this in violation of I Timothy 2:12 or any…
Read MoreCan a brother committing fornication be used in church worship?
Question: Good day, Brother Jeffrey, I need your help on this. There is a brother committing fornication. He stopped worshiping. The reason why he doesn’t want to wed is that his sister, who is living abroad promised him to help him work abroad. If he gets married, he may not have a chance to work…
Read MoreIs having members quote memory verses during worship proper?
Question: Good day, Brother Jeff, During our worship on Sunday, we sing (Ephesians 5:19); we have teachings from the Bible (or a Bible study part), since we have not allotted a day for our Bible study but only on Sunday; we pray; we have the “collection of the saints” (I Corinthians 16:1-2); and the Lord’s…
Read MoreIs it scriptural to go to church via the Internet?
Question: I have a friend who “goes to church” via the Internet. Is that a scriptural way of worshiping and meeting? Thank you as always. I am very appreciative of the work you’ve been doing for so long! Answer: No, it is not a scriptural way to worship. In doing so he cannot: Assemble: “And…
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