Citizen of Heaven Hal Hammons

We’ve accidentally stumbled on a bit of a theme this week. Knives are deadly. Poison is deadly. Passion is deadly, too, and I could not be more serious. This week we’ll cover what the Bible says about living a passionate life and why it’s different from the world’s idea; the rivalry that largely defines the state of Texas; what tropical fruit and the cross of Christ have in common; and the attitude of heart that failed to scare me away from board games.Hal Hammons serves as preacher and sheph...

Thinking is the whole reason the “What I’ve Been Reading” segment exists on the podcast. In fact, it’s why I read at all. It’s gratifying to read things that confirm what you already were thinking, and that can be a worthwhile exercise. But usually the “thinking” to which I refer in this list is the tougher kind — getting outside my comfort zone and considering other possibilities. Sometimes I change my mind, sometimes I don’t, and sometimes I just think I need to read another book. In ...

Poison is bad. You should avoid it, generally. That’s my policy, anyway. And as obvious as I may think that approach is, clearly some people disagree.Today we will deal with people who think the poison of the world can’t possibly hurt them; people so distraught they would rather take poison than deal with their day-to-day lives; the possible benefits of poison, when used carefully and with wisdom; and the poison selfish people may use to destroy you, and how you can make yourself immune.Hal H...

When I buy a book, I weigh three considerations: my level of interest, the cost, and the. book’s length (more or less in that order). I will never read a book I don’t want to read. I will rarely pay anywhere remotely close to retail (Hal Hammons, famous tightwad; you know my schtick by now) And I would rather read a short book than a long book; if you saw my To Be Read stack, you’d understand why. My “surprising books” tend to be ones where either my level of interest was pretty low and...

A knife is like most tools – helpful when used properly, dangerous when used by the wrong person or with the wrong training. This week we’ll discuss the strangest knife story in the Bible and what it says about our connection to God; the strangest and most beautiful knife story on my bookshelf; the debate over whether sharp knives are worth the price you pay (and I don’t mean at the store); and an updated version of a kid’s game that will send you running for the first-aid kit.Hal Hammo...

Today we wrap up my conversation with Edwin Crozier and Tyler Sams, from Lutz, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas, respectively; I hope you’ve gotten as much out of it as I did. Links to the great work they do are included in the show notes. Here we discuss the centrality of Jesus in the life and work of a Christian, how we can forget about that from time to time, and how we find our way home when we do. Check out Text Talk at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/text-talk/id14987080...