On the morning of October 7th, Hamas militants launched a land, sea, and assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip. This assault caught Israel off guard and resulted in the deadliest day for the Jews since the Holocaust. Israel retaliated strongly. Their response has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinians. This conflict […]…

“Good enough for government work.” This statement has become synonymous with mediocrity and doing enough to get by. Should disciples have this mindset when it comes to kingdom work? The Apostle Paul says, “No.” Instead of settling for mediocrity and a mindset of “good enough,” disciples are to strive for excellence in their service to […]…

The song “Make Me a Servant” is an appeal. It is a prayer and petition to God to make us like Jesus. Jesus was a servant, and He has called us to be servants (Mark 10:42-45). The path to greatness in the kingdom of God is not being a Lord, CEO, or sitting at the […]Monte Vista church of Christ

What do you do when you have ascended to the top? What do you do when you have achieved nearly all there is to achieve? King David chose to do something that positively impacted the lives of others. In 2 Samuel 9, we read about a side of David that isn’t discussed enough. After ascending […]Monte Vista church of Christ

While weddings are beautiful and inspiring events, they are often followed by tragedy. For many couples, what begins with happiness and optimism ends with separation and divorce. Divorce is viewed by many as an easy way out of marriage. They go into a marriage thinking, “We will try it, and if it doesn’t work, we […]…

We will begin reading the book of the Philippians this week. After being forbidden to travel to Bithynia, The Spirit led Paul to Philippi in Macedonia (Acts 16:9-15). While there wasn’t a synagogue, Paul found a group of women assembled for worship. Paul preached the gospel to the women, and among those converted was Lydia […]…

Monte Vista church of Christ

Monte Vista church of Christ

Monte Vista church of Christ

Many people in the Bible faced disappointments. Joseph was sold into slavery and put in jail for a crime he did not commit (Genesis 37-41). Paul was not allowed to travel to Bithynia (Acts 16:7). Barsabbas was not chosen to replace Judas as an apostle (Acts 1:23-26). David also faced a moment of disappointment. After […]…

Monte Vista church of Christ

Monte Vista church of Christ

Monte Vista church of Christ

Monte Vista church of Christ

Monte Vista church of Christ

Not long before being betrayed in Gethsemane and crucified in Golgotha, Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure (John 14-16). He describes His relationship with them in a powerful way (John 15:1-11). He is the true Vine, the Father is the Vinedresser, and disciples are the branches. As branches, we are responsible for being useful […]…

Monte Vista church of Christ

Monte Vista church of Christ

Buyer beware — our supermarkets are full of foods that pretend to be something they’re not. Tofurkey, Beyond Burgers, and vegan cheese aren’t usually the crave-able options we’d hoped for. These imitation foods don’t leave a good taste in your mouth, but what about being an imitation follower of Jesus? We want to think we’re […]…

This week, we will begin reading the book of Galatians. Galatians is a powerful and interesting book. Scholars have struggled with dating it. Does he write it before or after the Thessalonian letters? Does he write it shortly after the Jerusalem conference in Acts 15? Could this be the first inspired letter penned by Paul? […]…

Avoid the Trap of Excessive Living Shopping online, practicing a hobby, or just sitting down at a restaurant, do you ever feel tempted to go to the extreme? Maybe the call to buy everything, collect everything, and eat everything in sight is real for you. If so, this lesson is for you (and me). Going […]…

Learn God’s Pattern for Healthy Relationships When looking at passages like Matt. 5:31-32, Matt. 19:1-9, or 1 Corinthians 7:11-12, why did God put the rules in place regarding adultery and divorce in the way he did? God created the institution of marriage from the beginning with Adam and Eve. He designed it in the most […]…

Preaching about hell is unpopular. It is often resisted and avoided in pulpits. What about you? Are you like those who want to avoid hearing sermons about hell? Or do you want to hear the whole counsel of God? Last Sunday, I presented a sermon about heaven. I answered four questions that people ask about […]…

The book of Jude is small but extremely important. It packs a powerful punch and leaves a lasting impression. While it is often neglected, it does contain a relevant message for any generation of Christians. Jude describes himself first as a bondservant of Jesus (Jude 1). He also was the brother of James. This was […]…

During intense suffering, Job began contemplating the afterlife (Job 19:25-29). This is something that many ponder about in our time. Most of the questions I receive are about our existence beyond this life. I especially receive many questions about heaven. Let’s consider four things that people really want to know about heaven. Why should we […]…

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The word “love” is used constantly in our culture. It is thrown around all the time. It is one of those words that everyone seems to know what it means until you ask them to define it. Can you define love? Can you define Peter’s use of it in 2 Peter 1:7? The love Peter […]Monte Vista church of Christ

“How did I get here?” This is a question that David may have asked himself while living among the enemy of God’s people. Due to his jealousy, paranoia, and hard heart, Saul drove David out of Israel (1 Samuel 27). David found refuge among the Philistines. He lived among them for nearly a year and […]…

The period of judges was a dark time for the people of Israel (Judges 21:25). It was when a cycle of chaos and rebellion repeated itself. Shockingly, a beautiful story also unfolded during this period. The main character of this story is Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite woman whom God would use to do some […]…

See the Passing Pleasure of Sin If you’ve ever poured sour milk on your cereal in the morning, you probably paid much more attention to expiration dates next time you went shopping. Most food has a shelf-life, but have you ever considered that our worldly pleasures have a shelf-life too? “For all that is in […]…

Luke records three instances when Jesus was invited to eat in the home of a Pharisee. One of those is found in Luke 7:36-50. Simon (a Pharisee) invited Jesus into his home for supper. We are not told what Simon’s intentions were, but Jesus accepted His invitation. Jesus and Simon were not the only people […]…

How excited are you about the giving portion of worship? Do you wake up on Sunday zealous and passionate about giving? Is that something you eagerly look forward to in the car ride to church? Giving is likely the least celebrated aspect of our worship. Maybe that is because many view it as a spiritual […]…

Monte Vista church of Christ

Monte Vista church of Christ

Have you ever heard the expression “friendly fire?” Soldiers are hit with “friendly fire” when accidentally wounded (and in some cases even killed) in combat by an ally. Sadly, this same thing also occurs among soldiers in the army of God. Christians are often hit by “friendly fire.” They experience fellow Christians being rude, ugly, […]…

During Israel’s time in the wilderness, more than 250 rebels came against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:1-3). These men were fed up and felt that Moses was a poor leader, and they were just as qualified to lead the nation (Numbers 16:12-14). Many felt that Moses was power-hungry and had arbitrarily set himself and Aaron […]…

The church in Antioch is often overlooked. It is largely unknown and discussed. That could be because no letter is written to it in the New Testament. We don’t find an inspired writer praising or telling us about problems in this church. And yet, this is one of the most important churches in the Bible. […]…

Without question, our attention is in high demand today. Advertisers and content creators pay good money to ensure you see and think about their products. With the storm of distraction around us, have you ever felt overwhelmed by it all? Sorry to pile on, but Jesus demands your attention too. And more than just a […]…

Do you remember the day when you first became a Christian? Do you remember what year it was? Do you remember who baptized you and who witnessed your baptism? Do you remember your initial feelings once you came up from the waters of baptism? Do you remember what drove you to become a Christian? It […]…

It is time for our kids to go back to school. This time of the year can be stressful for parents, teachers, and students. Parents must buy school clothes and supplies. They must get into the routine of dropping their kids off at school and picking them up. They also must start preparing to help […]Monte Vista church of Christ

In 1 Peter 5:2, Peter charges leaders of local churches to “shepherd the flock of God.” What does that involve? How do leaders shepherd God’s flock? The Holy Spirit uses a variety of terms to describe these leaders. Overseer – this is a manager and superintendent. This term is synonymous with “bishop” (1 Timothy 3:1). […]…

Monte Vista church of Christ

Appointing shepherds is one of the most important things a church can do. While it can be a time of joy, optimism, and promise, it can also be a dangerous time. It can be a time when factions can form, gossip can spread, people can get their feelings hurt, become envious, and make the process […]Monte Vista church of Christ

In 1 Samuel 28, we read about a disturbing episode in the life of King Saul. Saul started with a lot of potential and promise, but due to constant disobedience, he was fired by God as king. Saul has reached the lowest point of his life. He is desperate, defies God, and seeks to know […]Monte Vista church of Christ

Among the ingredients for spiritual growth is “godliness” (2 Peter 1:7). What is godliness? What value does godliness have in a Christian’s life? Let’s continue our monthly series of lessons from 2 Peter 1:5-11 by discussing the most misunderstood ingredient for growth. Godliness Defined The words “godliness” or “godly” appear around 30 times in th…

After years of bloody battles, it’s time to head home. You start to settle in, but before you do, you see your former soldiers standing at your gate, ready to fight — you?! What should be a time for peace has turned into a civil dispute. But it started with a whisper, someone telling someone […]Monte Vista church of Christ

Many churches give a lot of attention to the spiritual training of the youth. There are VBS’s, youth weekends, youth devotionals, and many other kinds of studies offered to them. These venues provide wonderful opportunities for the youth to be built up and encouraged in the service of God. What about the senior saints? What […]…

It’s that time of year again — ant season! The past few days, we’ve been finding trails of ants marching their way into our home, crawling on us, our countertops, and into our food. So, this morning we decided to take action to eradicate them, putting cotton balls with peppermint oil in strategic locations. Trying […]…

In Acts 5:1-11, we find a terrifying and disturbing story. God strikes dead Ananias and Sapphira! Why does God kill them? He doesn’t kill David after he commits adultery and murder. He doesn’t kill Cain after he murders Abel. He doesn’t kill Peter after he denies the Lord. Consider four lessons we learn about God […]…

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