Podcasts

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This is the second half of my conversation with Ty Clevenger and Reagan McClenny; please check out the first part if you have not done so already. We covered the topic of tolerance in the first part; here we turn to the war climate in our country that is quickly and perhaps inevitably coming to a boil, much like it did a century and a half ago. We will also discuss the downside to a win-at-all-costs mentality, whether it is in board games or in life. Keep up with Ty's work at www.lawflog.com. Listen to Reagan's sermons and subscribe to

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Podcast Nov 2, 2020

A Rising Tide

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! The Excel Still More podcast is heavily invested in self improvement. We want these episodes to help you be disciplined, make great decisions, and reap incredible benefit. But let's be clear, none of this works if I am only concerned with myself and my growth. A much more rewarding goal is to help others around you grow. What if you could make changes that are designed to create an environment for change? As a result, not only do you grow, but you make it possible from every member of you family to grow with you? - How do

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Podcast Nov 2, 2020

POLITICS (part 1): with guests Ty Clevenger and Reagan McClenny

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! This is the first part of my conversation with Ty Clevenger, a New York attorney well known for his political activity; and Reagan McClenny, the pulpit preacher for the Timberland Drive church of Christ. In this segment we discuss tolerance -- whether Democrats and Republicans can coexist in the Lord's church, and how we might go about helping that happen. Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705 Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is t

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Podcast Oct 30, 2020

An Interview with Intimate Covenant (we talk about Christian sex and intimacy)

Send us Fan Mail This week in the podcast, I talk with Matt and Jennifer Schmidt about their podcast, Intimate Covenant. This episode deals frankly but not explicitly with sex in Christian marriage. This is NOT an episode for children, but an important topic which often gets ignored. You can visit their website at: https://intimatecovenant.com Support the show

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Podcast Oct 30, 2020

Episode 83 - "Just Inventing a Metaphor"

Connect with Christ Have you ever asked, “Why did God make me?” This week, we discuss our purpose, our relationships, and the source of all our accomplishments, drawing from this week’s readings in John 14-18. What’s the difference between a servant and a friend, and why does Jesus call his disciples friends? And what kind of friendship with one another does that call us into? Plus, we look at a story where Jesus literally knocks an army down with two words, and we share a few of our Favorite Things about John’s gospel. The Big Idea: Rather than standing at a distance, Jesus reveals himself to

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Podcast Oct 27, 2020

CONFUSION: Charismatic worship. J.D. Tant (4). "Any reasonable person." The Palaces of Cararra.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! God is not the author of confusion, we are told; but His people create a great deal of it on their own in His name. This week we will discuss why modern charismatic worship is unscriptural (and selfish to boot), the crude language we could do with more of, the confusion we use to do what we want instead of doing what He says, and the only game I own that is not in English. Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705 Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetow

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Podcast Oct 27, 2020

Practicing Sound Teaching

In our final episode on Titus, we talk through the text of chapter three and Paul's final encouragement to Titus, especially regarding all Christians' role to apply the gospel to ourselves. We discuss how God's grace is at the center of our lives, not only saving us from our sin but producing the good deeds that should fill our lives. We wrap up with a quick sneak-peak of our next mini-series on Daily Bible Reading. Episode title based on New Testament Books Outlined by Derrel Shaw Intro song - "Faith" by Vibe Tracks Outro song - special thanks to John Tadlock for letting us use "The Starry Ni

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Podcast Oct 26, 2020

Meet The Person

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! The blame game only leads to loses. Everyone wishes some things in their life was different. Maybe for you it is many things. And while it might be easy to blame others for the circumstances, and express how change can't happen because of things outside yourself... it won't help. In fact, that attitude will only hold you back. Today I want you to meet the person responsible for your life. This person is powerful, especially when they are walking by faith in Christ and doing things that please God. This person is why you a

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Podcast Oct 23, 2020

A very personal interview

Send us Fan Mail You'll have to indulge me this week. I'm interviewing my dad, a retired physician from Kentucky. This was the first interview I did for the podcast. It's a little rough around the edges, but it's very sentimental for me. Support the show

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Podcast Oct 22, 2020

Replay — "It's a Trap"

Programming Note: This week, we're replaying one of our favorite episodes from the past. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Believe in Jesus’ Power to Raise the Dead We have big questions on our minds, as death looms over this week’s passages. Questions like: How can we put God in a box, even when we trust him in the big stuff? Does the famously brief verse, “Jesus wept,” display Christ’s humanity or his deity? And Jesus Said he holds the keys to Hades in Revelation 1:17-18, but what does that mean for us? Throughout our seventh “Here’s Your Sign” segment, we consider how the ra

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Podcast Oct 20, 2020

KINDNESS: Silver settings and the extra mile. JD Tant (3). Good vs. right. "Take that!" games.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We all seek to live in a kinder, gentler world. But instead of hoping the world will change when we know it won’t, we need to be working on being kinder people ourselves. This week we will discuss going the extra mile in showing kindness, the problems JD Tant had when he did exactly that, the way you can be part of the solution (or at least less a part of the problem), and how winning the game can be the last thing in the world you want to do. Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705 Hal Hammons serves as pre

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Podcast Oct 20, 2020

Preaching Sound Teaching

In the third installment of our Titus mini-series, we dig into chapter 2 to discover the core of Paul's message in this letter. What does Paul want Titus to teach - and why? What does sound teaching have to do with the gospel? And how does God's grace change us by giving us a "why" for righteous living? Episode title based on New Testament Books Outlined by Derrel Shaw Intro song - "Faith" by Vibe Tracks Outro song - "Computer Bounce" by Geographer Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission

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Podcast Oct 19, 2020

There's No Floor

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Have you ever seen the YouTube videos titled: "The Floor is Lava"? Or how about the new Netflix program of the same name? It's a pretty simple idea - get from one side of the room to the other... with no floor! Instead of a floor to walk on, there is only water that looks like lava. Instead, there are obstacles to be utilized, to overcome, in order to get to the other side and receive the reward. Most don't make it, but those who do feel amazing about their accomplishment! So it is with you and me. Life has many obstacles

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Podcast Oct 16, 2020

Leadership and digital discipleship

Send us Fan Mail This week is a conversation with my close friend Mark McCrary. He's a leader at Douglass Hills church of Christ and one of the decision makers there which help implement the tools of digital discipleship. Pay particular attention to how they use Facebook as an integral part of how they spread Christianity. Support the show

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Podcast Oct 15, 2020

Episode 82 - "Totally Nerded Out!"

Find Satisfaction in Salvation Is it ever okay to judge someone? How do rivers of living waters flow from believers’ hearts? And what does Jesus mean when he talks about eating his flesh? This week, we’re taking on some challenging questions from our reading. We also ask how Jesus can honor the Sabbath, yet never take a day off, and why doing God’s will is the food that sustained Jesus — and can sustain us. All of that plus plenty of nerdy talk about the Feast of Booths, Alfred Hitchcock, and how to “soak your roots”! The Big Idea: True satisfaction is found in Christ alone. Weekly Challenge:

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Podcast Oct 13, 2020

MARRIAGE: One flesh. J.D. Tant (2). "God wants me to be happy." Signorie.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Marriage is one of my favorite topics, and one that is in dire need of attention in our world. Today we will discuss the various applications of the “one flesh” principle; we will revisit the J.D. Tant biography and discuss the pros and cons of his philosophy of courtship; we will deal with perhaps the most selfish argument anyone has ever made to excuse sin; and we will marry off our daughters in an effort to become the greatest family in Renaissance Italy. Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705 Hal Hammon

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Podcast Oct 13, 2020

Protecting Sound Teaching

Let's dig deeper into Titus. In this episode, we dive into chapter 1, walking through Paul's message in this first major section. We talk about the surprising importance of Paul's greetings, the main reason Paul wrote this letter to Titus, and the stark contrast between church elders and false teachers. Episode title based on New Testament Books Outlined by Derrel Shaw Intro song - "Faith" by Vibe Tracks Outro song - "Computer Bounce" by Geographer Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission

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Podcast Oct 12, 2020

Only One Returned

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Gratitude is one of life's biggest difference makers. To be grateful is to be happy, content, and humble enough to express that to others. Gratitude isn't looking for me, it is thankful to others for what they have already done or who they are. Level 3 Gratitude is taking appreciation beyond words and into action and will literally change your life. But not everyone has a thankful spirit. In fact, a majority of people, it seems, do not. Is that you? I want to share three stories taught by Ralph Walker, a gospel preacher f

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Podcast Oct 9, 2020

The Appian Media Story: An interview with Craig Dehut and Stuart Peck

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I interview the two founders of Appian Media, Craig Dehut and Stuart Peck. They've put together three YouTube series exploring biblical stories in the Bible lands. Their first series, Following the Messiah, told the story of Jesus's ministry. They also produced a series telling the story of the United Kingdom (the times of Saul, David and Solomon). Their website is at www.appianmedia.org. These are good guys doing good work. Take a look at how they're using digital discipleship to help spread Christianity. Support the show

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Podcast Oct 8, 2020

Episode 81 - "Hold On, Slow Down!"

Be Born … Again What does it mean to be “born again”? This week, as we begin reading the gospel of John, we’re thinking about grace, the new birth, and...well, food. We consider how grace is like a stack of pancakes, how bread crumbs lead us forward, and how the Lord’s wine tastes the best (and what that should tell us about everything else he does!). And we dive into the Bible’s most famous verse, John 3:16, and remember what God wants us to do in the world. The Big Idea: Our transformation is powered by divine grace. Weekly Challenge: Reboot some aspect of your life that needs transformation

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Podcast Oct 6, 2020

Cretans, Christians, and Knuckleheads

It's time to put our Bible study skills into action, so let's dive into Paul's letter to Titus. Short, punchy, and relevant - a perfect book to practice observing, interpreting, and applying. In this episode we show what a flyover view looks like and why this is step is important when you start a new book of the Bible. Resources mentioned in this episode: The Christian Standard Bible Overview: Titus by the Bible Project Intro song - "Faith" by Vibe Tracks Outro song - "Computer Bounce" by Geographer Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright ©

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Podcast Oct 6, 2020

PREACHING (with guests Andy Cantrell and Zeke Flores): Examining our own spirits. JD Tant, Texas Preacher. Chronicles of Crime..

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Zeke Flores may be the best preacher I know. He’s been a good friend for most of this millennium, and has been working with the Eastside church of Christ in Baytown TX for the last 7 years. When I think of local work, I think of Zeke. Andy Cantrell may be the best preacher I don’t know. I do know that his name always features prominently when preachers sing the praises of other preachers. A native of southern California, he has been preaching in Champlin, Minnesota for 14 years. Find more information about Andy Cantrell at https://www.

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Podcast Oct 5, 2020

It's "About Time"

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Are you making the most of each and every day? Maybe we should open with this question instead: how would one go about making every day valuable? What would each day have to include to say it was lived well? Oooh, I've got one more question - what if you could live each day over again? I wonder how many people would often do that. The truth is, today is the day you have been given, to use to the best of your ability. If you have a value system set and attend to it daily, then your life is a success and will lead to greate

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Podcast Oct 2, 2020

Leading with Love: An interview with Darin Gerdes