Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Tolerance is in short supply these days – especially with the people who are always preaching tolerance. I hope I didn’t just condemn myself there. This week we will discuss the problems tolerance brought to the church in Thyatira back in the day, and that might pop up in our churches today; the crazy beliefs we will accept in our heroes, and whether that’s a good thing; the secret to dealing with selfish people, both on the road and in the pew; and the game I was glad to play once with my daughter, who loves me too much to ask me to p
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Sequels are a mixed bag. Sometimes they celebrate or even improve upon the original. Sometimes they make us wish someone had just left well enough alone. This week we will discuss the purpose of sequels in the Bible and how we can make the most of them; the war we fought because we didn’t fight the previous one well enough; the upcoming Indiana Jones film and why I’m nervous about it; and the board game sequel that improved our gaming experience by robbing me of victories. Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods D
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This week we will discuss how standing in front of an oncoming train is an absolutely idiotic thing to do, but also could actually be necessary; we’ll talk about the most famous train in the world and one of the most famous murders; a song about a train that goes a lot further than you may have realized; and a game that brings out the best in some and the quit in others. All aboard, we’re leaving the station. Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We finish the tribute by talking with Clay Gentry, who preaches for the Jackson Heights church of Christ in Columbia, TN. Until recently, Clay shared a pulpit there with Matt. Clay brings us up to date regarding Matt’s battle with ALS and the example of courage in the face of adversity that Matt and his wife Lauren continue to set. Make sure you stick around to the end for the greatest Matt Bassford story I have ever heard. Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This is the second of three conversations I had recently with friends of Matt. In this part Steve Wolfgang, preacher for the Downers Grove church in the Chicago area, joins to talk about what Matt would likely consider his magnum opus. It’s a book entitled “Worshiping With the Psalms,” and it allows us to easily sing our way through all 150 of the Psalms. A link to the book is provided in the show notes. https://www.amazon.com/Worshiping-Psalms-Matthew-W-Bassford/dp/1584275448 Click here or visit a brotherhood bookstore to pick up a co
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We begin Season 5 with one of the most special episodes I’ve done to date. Matt Bassford is a preacher, a writer, and a dear friend. In my judgment, he has had as much or more of an impact for the cause of Christ as anyone I know. In part 1, I talk to Tim Jennings, preacher at the Castleberry church of Christ in Fort Worth, Texas, about Matt’s contributions to the hymns we sing and how we sing them. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This is the last episode of season 4. Thank you so much for supporting this effort. I did a “favorites” show for episode 100; for this milestone, I thought I would go in the other direction. This week we will discuss the worst part of my preaching; the worst book-reading experience I’ve had recently; yet another rant against the so-called music of the current generation; and the biggest waste of time you can have with a deck of cards. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the h
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Magic is a term we use to describe things that make no sense, things that defy description. Whether it’s “real” or not depends on the sort of magic you’re talking about. And there are several. This week we will discuss the magic we see in every starry sky, and the true power behind it; the two different kinds of magic in Narnia, and which is stronger; the magic being worked on us by the powers that be and who knows who else; and the magic show you can put on in your very own living room. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods Dr
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! “It’s his fault!” “She started it!” “They are a lot worse than us!” Am I describing the squabbling of children? Or am I describing a typical Tuesday afternoon at Walmart? I say, can’t both be true? This week we will discuss Paul’s keys to arguing properly; how starting with love and respect makes the arguments go much better; the queen of arguing and how to avoid becoming her next opponent; and the best way to avoid arguing in the first place. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! If you haven’t checked out the first two segments of my talk with Scott Taylor and Ryan Joy, it would be well worth your while to do so. In this, the final part of our talk, we focus on the help that we try to provide for people who, for whatever reason, seem to be too much trouble. Exactly how much grease do we give the squeaky wheel? Providing service for a needy brother is one thing; but does his burden ever become an unreasonable obligation for me? Ryan preaches for the North church of Christ in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and cohosts the
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! It can be easy to convince ourselves that serving ourselves is tantamount to serving the body of which we are a part. In truth, it can be exactly the opposite. We pursue this idea in the second part of my conversation with Scott Taylor and Ryan Joy. Ryan preaches for the North church of Christ in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and cohosts the Bible Geeks podcast. Scott Taylor is preacher and shepherd for the West Mason church of Christ in the Cincinnati area. He also cohosts the You Are From God podcast. https://www.facebook.com/youarefromgod ht
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Ministry is service, pure and simple. And I have two “ministers” joining me this week to describe how it works. Ryan Joy, co-host of the Bible Geeks podcast, ministers to the church of Christ in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Scott Taylor is preacher and shepherd for the West Mason church of Christ in the Cincinnati area. He cohosts the You Are From God podcast. In part 1 we discuss what ministry looks like in the local church. https://www.facebook.com/youarefromgod https://www.facebook.com/groups/2777943452238844 Hal Hammons is the preacher for
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Our life in Jesus is about changing from one thing into another – from sinner to saint, from rebellious to obedient. It’s not easy, and it doesn’t always work. But when it does, it’s a wonder to behold. This week we will discuss the blessings of God’s fiery ordeals; the ancients’ efforts to cheat death, and whether that would be a good thing; the diet that will save your soul, as opposed to the diet that will just delay the inevitable; and why we get bad results when we tweak God’s recipes. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Poverty is the rule, not the exception. We have become prosperous enough in modern-day America that “poor” people write Yelp reviews on their smart phones about how expensive their sushi was. Actual poor people do exist, though. They always have and always will. This week we will discuss Jesus’ apparent indifference to poverty; a young man’s trip from hopelessness to Congress; the origin story of Hal Hammons, Famous Tightwad; and how my wife stopped the Federal Reserve from invading our board game table. Hal Hammons is the preacher for
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Walking is how we get from here to there. From a baby’s first steps to a bride’s walk down the aisle to the day our six best friends carry us away, walking symbolizes the way we progress through this life and on into the next. This week we will discuss the two paths we have to choose from; how Nik Wallenda conquers fear in a life with no safety net; my own mediocre efforts at exercise and whether I should be concerned; and the Irish pedestrian who threatens to ruin one of our favorite board games. Check out Hal on YouTube at https://ww
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We should be going to school every day. Life is full of lessons waiting to be learned. And that’s especially the case with spiritual instruction. Believe me, you don’t want to be a dropout. This week we will discuss a couple of schools in the Bible and how God’s people handled the influences they found there; the one school where attendance is absolutely mandatory; the school you run in your own home, whether you realize it or not; and the schools that are provided by churches and sabotaged by teachers. Hal Hammons is the preacher for
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! All good things must end, and that includes my discussion with Kenny Embry, Adam Shanks and Jacob Hudgins on the topic of friendship. In this episode, we discuss “hate drafting” and the implications it has regarding brotherly love. What happens when my welfare seems to be at odds with the welfare of others? And what are the implications for the local church when self-serving Christians are the rule instead of the exception? Check out Kenny's podcast at www.balancingtheChristianlife.com. Check out Adam's podcast at https://preach-impedi
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This is more of my conversation with Kenny Embry, Adam Shanks and Jacob Hudgins on the topic of friendship. In this episode, we wrap up a month of conversation centered around Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life. How healthy are our friendships? Should we be serving them at the expense of our own welfare? And when if ever is it appropriate to cut someone out of our lives completely — even a brother or sister in Christ? In part 1 we discuss exactly what sort of friend we have in Jesus. Check out Kenny's podcast at www.balancingtheChrist
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! For a very special episode 200, I invited three friends of the podcast — Dr. Kenny Embry is the host of the:Balancing the Christian Life podcast; Adam Shanks preaches for the Edwards Lake church of Christ in Birmingham, and the host of the Preach Impediments podcast; Jacob Hudgins preaches for the Twin City church of Christ in my adopted hometown of College Station, Texas. In part 1 we discuss exactly what sort of friend we have in Jesus. Check out Kenny's podcast at www.balancingtheChristianlife.com. Check out Adam's podcast at https:
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! A challenge is at the same time a barrier and a gateway. The burden is on us to make the most of our circumstances and find a way to use them for our own good and the good of the gospel. This week we will discuss challenges that can destroy the brotherhood, that will save the next generation (if we get out of the way), that may or may not be extending and improving my life, and that have kept a great game off my table for more than two years. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I won’t lie to you; I’m not a fan of cats. They make me cry – literally cry, and not in a good way. But even the dog-lover in me has to admit, they are pretty cool. This week we will discuss how lions and tigers and Russian blues all managed to be represented on Noah’s ark; how Jordan Peterson has almost convinced me to pet stray cats; how to tell the difference between a leopard and a leper, spiritually speaking; and how my pettiness interferes with my pursuit of board gaming happiness. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods Dr
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Lying is bad. Everyone knows that. And yet most of us do it. Is that just the way things are? Or can we hold ourselves to a higher standard? This week we will discuss how the Bible makes heroes out of liars and yet condemns all liars to hell; Jordan Peterson’s thoughts on the lies we tell others and ourselves; the liars we elect and re-elect, and how we can be part of the solution — or at least stop being part of the problem; and whether getting the win by lying makes the lying better or worse. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakew
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Josh Creel and Dr. Kenny Embry are back again. You can catch them on Upward Calling, their joint podcast that is produced in conjunction with their work with the University church of Christ in Tampa, Florida. Of course, you likely already know Kenny through his own podcast, Balancing the Christian Life. Links are in the show notes. We finish with a centuries-old parlor game and how playing it properly can enhance your marriage, your church experience, and your life in general. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1856634 Click here to find the U
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This is the second of three parts of my conversation with Josh Creel and Dr. Kenny Embry. This segment introduces 12 Rules for Life by Dr. Jordan Peterson, a book we will be referencing throughout the month. No, we won’t be covering all 12 rules. But we will touch on several of them. We get the ball rolling this week by talking about the value of listening — especially when the person talking is, in our minds, downright wrong. Hal Hammons is the preacher for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of t
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve brought back Dr. Kenny Embry this week; he’s a professor of communication at St. Leo University. With him is Josh Creel, who preaches for the University church of Christ in Tampa, Florida, where Kenny attends. They cooperate on the Upward Calling podcast. A link is in the show notes, along with a link to Balancing the Christian Life, Kenny’s other podcast. The first part of our conversation is about finding a way to share the gospel with people who have no idea what we’re talking about or why they should care. https://www.buzzspro