257 | Follow God with Your Whole Heart Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the ultimate Old Testament face-off! In this corner: Joshua, the iconic leader who brought down the walls of Jericho. And in this corner: Caleb, the rugged warrior who waited 45 years to claim his mountain. These two titans of faith were the only spies who believed God's promise, but their paths were very different. Is it harder to be Joshua, the "front of house" leader stepping into Moses's massive sandals, or Caleb, the "back of house" mountain man who had to patiently wait 40 years in the wilderness? Join our friendly
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This wraps up a terrific conversation with Josh Collier and Steven McCrary; if you haven’t checked out the first two sections, please do yourself a favor and give those a listen. Here we conclude by discussing the beast that hides from the mirror, and how he looks a lot like us on our bad days. How should we respond when God tries to lift us out of the mess we’ve made of ourselves? Let’s find out. Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We are back with part 2 of my talk with Josh Collier and Steven McCrary — two “beasts” in the absolute best sense of the word. Josh preaches for the church of Christ in Joliet, Illinois; Steven for the Golden Springs church in Aniston, Alabama. The talking beasts in the Narnia books start the conversation going on the topic of rising above our base nature. For fun, try to keep track of all the fantasy franchises these three geeks sub-reference in a single conversation. Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We kick off Animal Month on the podcast by talking about beasts and beastliness. Here to help are Josh Collier, who preaches for the church of Christ in Joliet, Illinois; and Steven McCrary, who preaches for the Golden Springs church in Aniston, Alabama. In the first of three segments of our conversation, we talk about the beasts in Revelation 13 and the horror they strike in our hearts even today. Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of
Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to raise boys and how is that different than raising girls. In this conversation, I talk to two fathers of sons and what they've learned about raising sons which help their children grow, and themselves. Support the show
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
Send us Fan Mail So why would anyone willingly choose to do something difficult? My friend Josh Creel and I talk about this idea and why the hard thing might often be the preferred one. Support the show
Send us Fan Mail Are you going to heaven? In this episode we talk about having certainty in your salvation. And we find out why the reason most are not certain has to do with the difference between devotion and perfection. Support the show
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This episode represents the final section of my conversation with Josh Everett, professor of British literature at Central Texas College, and Edwin Crozier, preacher and co-host of the Text Talk podcast. If you have not checked out the first two installments, please do so. Here we discuss the literary legacy J.R.R. Tolkien has left for us, and the legacy of faith we inherit from those who came before and leave to those who come up afterward. “Generic fantasy” is a term boardgamers often use to describe the sort of quasi-human creatures
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This week I am sharing my conversation with two Christians who know Tolkien far better than I. Josh Everett is a professor of English literature at Central Texas College in Killeen; Edwin Crozier is an evangelist with the Livingston church of Christ in Lutz, Florida, and the co-host of the popular Text Talk podcast. Thank you for coming back for part two of my conversation with Josh Everett and Edwin Crozier. We discussed the existence of evil in the first segment; please check that out if you have not done so already. In this segment,
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! J.R.R. Tolkien has to be considered one of the most influential authors of the 20th Century — especially by Christians. His stories speak directly to great spiritual and moral truths for those inclined to listen. This week I am sharing my conversation with two Christians who know Tolkien far better than I. Josh Everett is a professor of English literature at Central Texas College in Killeen; Edwin Crozier is an evangelist with the Livingston church of Christ in Lutz, Florida, and the co-host of the popular Text Talk podcast. In part 1,
How do Joshua, Judges, and Ruth fit into the whole story of the Bible? How do they point to God's plan for saving man? In this episode we break down their major themes that teach important lessons about Israel's stubborn unfaithfulness and God's gracious faithfulness. You'll also hear how the book of Judges is the "toilet bowl of the Bible" and how the story of Ruth points us to Jesus. Intro song - "Faith" by Vibe Tracks Outro song - special thanks to John Tadlock for letting us use "The Starry Night" from his brand new album The Sight of the Stars
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching about heroes. The Bible is full of them, and we’ve never needed heroes more than we do today. What are some of the issues confronting the people of God today, and what Biblical heroes can we emulate while trying to address them? I’ve been reading biographies — some focusing on spiritual activity, some not. One of the most satisfying things about the experience is finding a way to connect with individuals from the past and learn from their experiences. The trouble is, I sometimes think I’m just reinforcing the ideas