Citizen of Heaven

Is bigger always better? That depends on what we’re measuring, and how we are defining “big.” (Wait a minute. Am I talking about context again?) This week we’ll cover the real giant who fought in the valley of Elah; the biggest book I have ever read and whether it was worth the exercise carrying it to Florida; the “Dollar General theory” of churches and whether it has any merit; and the most expensive and frustrating air I’ve ever bought, and why I don’t regret it at all. 

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

What does the next level of development look like in the cause of Christ? How do we know we are getting there and staying there? This is the topic in the last part of my conversation with Adam Shanks and Reagan McClenny. If I do say so myself, I thought their comments were pretty great. Find out more about my guests respectively at edenhollow.com and TimberlandChurch.org. Links are in the show notes.

 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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

 We’re back with more greatness from Adam Shanks and Reagan McClenny. In this segment of our conversation we discuss the book they both urged me to read, how they were right (of course), and how we can create some “atomic habits” in our walk with Jesus that will keep us on course and drive us toward greater success. Find out more about my guests  respectively at edenhollow.com and TimberlandChurch.org. Links are in the show notes. 

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

Are Adam Shanks and Reagan McClenny the greatest preachers I know? Let’s just say they are part of a big logjam at the top. So I brought them back this week to talk about what true greatness is, especially in God’s eyes. In part one of our conversation we discuss the one Jesus singled out for greatness and how he can be a model for us today. Find out more about my guests  respectively at edenhollow.com and TimberlandChurch.org. 

Find out more about Adam Shanks and his work at edenhollow.com.

Find out more about Reagan McClenny and his work at TimberlandChurch.org.

It’s Reading Month here on the podcast, and I’m taking you down to the mailbox this week to see what lessons we might find there.  We’ll discuss the “snail mail” that served the apostles so well in the First Century and that serves us still today – if we read it correctly; a murder scheme that has absolutely nothing to do with the postman or how many times he rings the bell; the blessings and burdens of the envelopes I usually never open at all; and the price I am willing to pay to preach the gospel of board games.

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

We continue Reading Month with one of my least favorite genres. I’ll traverse the galaxy to find a good topic for the podcast if I have to. And this week I have to. We’ll cover what one Bible character did upon seeing a legitimate UFO; C.S. Lewis’s attempt to get us to find Jesus on a different planet; the “proof” of alien life and why no one seems to care very much; and my own “close encounter of the board-gaming kind.”

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

In part 3 of the “Books” episode, which aired earlier this month, I asked my guests, Edwin Crozier and Elizabeth Nowlin, to give me their list of books other than the Bible they would want to take with them if they were going to stay indefinitely on a desert island. If you haven’t checked it out, please do, along with the other two parts of the episode. Now it’s my turn. I shared my list live  with the Heaven Citizens Facebook group, and now I’m sharing it with you. Enjoy.

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

“Reading Month” turns to Satire this week, defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity. And the Bible is full of it. This week we will discuss the fun God’s prophets had at the expense of idolators; a different take (to say the least) on the Pride and Prejudice story; the madcap adventures of my favorite musical satirist; and how you turn dystopian lemons into your faction’s favorite flavor of lemonade.

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

This is part 2 of my conversation with Edwin Crozier and Elizabeth Nowlin. Edwin is the co-host of the Text Talk podcast and preaches for the Livingston Road church in Lutz, Florida. Elizabeth is a member at Livingston with Edwin, and she co-hosts the Book Fare podcast. Links are in the show notes. Here we discuss the character we build and/or reveal through the books we read.

 Books mentioned on this segment of the podcast include:
Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
Little Britches, by Ralph Moody
The Book of the Dun Cow, by Walter Wangerin Jr.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 
Leadership and Self-Deception, by the Arbinger Institute
Profiles in Courage, by John F. Kennedy
What do they Hear?, by Mark Powell
Everything Sad is Untrue, by Daniel Nayeri
The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith

Check out the Book Fare podcast at 
https://open.spotify.com/show/2QeGl8rwtkILHX3MoOgIqO?si=face63efe1e54d17

Check out the Text Talk podcast at 
https://open.spotify.com/show/7p3ELZdBSpvydmDeDDvRHB?si=5ea65dd79caa4915  
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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

This is the first part of my conversation with Edwin Crozier and Elizabeth Nowlin, as we kick off Reading Month. Edwin is the co-host of the Text Talk podcast; Elizabeth co-hosts the Book Fare podcast. They worship together at the Livingston Road church in the Tampa, Florida, area. Here we discuss the value of reading, beginning with the apostle Paul and continuing right to your bedside table.

Books cited in the first segment include: 
Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
1984, by George Orwell
What do they Hear? By Mark Allan Powell

Check out the Book Fare podcast at 
https://open.spotify.com/show/2QeGl8rwtkILHX3MoOgIqO?si=face63efe1e54d17

Check out the Text Talk podcast at 
https://open.spotify.com/show/7p3ELZdBSpvydmDeDDvRHB?si=5ea65dd79caa4915

Are robots taking over? Probably. Are you in imminent danger? Probably not. How bad will it get? That remains to be seen. This week we will discuss how much of your life you should turn over to a machine; how just following directions poses problems for both robots and humans; whether you should trust a TV spokesperson to sell you robot insurance; and how to put tech to work fixing up your underwater habitat and/or your real life.
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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

Recently I shared with the Heaven Citizens Facebook group my list of ten games I recommend if you are thinking about starting a game collection. Whether you’ve never played a game in your life, or if you think entertainment begins and ends with checkers, I think you’ll find some information that might make your days in Satan’s world a bit more manageable.

The list includes:
(extra) The Mind
10. Love Letter
9.  No Thanks
8. Werewords
7. Sushi Go!
6. Just One
5. Kingdomino
4. Machi Koro 2
3. Azul
2. New York Slice
1. Ticket to Ride

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I. Hate. Zombies. Don’t bring up the Walking Dead with me. Don’t tell me how the zombies in your show or movie are different. I don’t care. This week we will discuss the “walking dead” among the Lord’s apostles; the global impact (or lack thereof) in one particular zombie apocalypse; the zombies you face every Monday at the water cooler; and how to choose between dying and living to fight another day against the hordes of evil.

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

The story of the werewolf is a metaphor for the battle of good and evil within all of us. Are you human, or are you an animal? You get to choose.

This week we will discuss the closest thing to a werewolf the Bible has to offer; the original werewolf and his modern kinfolk; my own checkered history with Halloween and trick-or-treating; and a dark, stormy night full of werewolves that brought a smile to the face of all the Hammonses.

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

Vampires are evil beings that find their sustenance by sucking the life force out of their unsuspecting victims. They are not fictitious. They are all too real.

This week we will discuss the bloodsucking parasites that afflict us daily; the three sorts of victims vampires seek out and how you can avoid being two of them; vampiric preachers and the havoc they wreak on local churches; and a game I’ve never played that promotes an ethic I always promote.

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

This is the third and final installment of my conversation with Jared Bollman and Brian Haynes. Jared preaches for the Fifth Street church of Christ in Beaverton, Oregon, and hosts the Man Up podcast and the Biblically Speaking YouTube channel. Brian preaches for the Cornelius church of Christ in Hillsboro, Oregon. Together they host the Biblically Speaking podcast. Check ’em out. Today we focus on cartoony versions of evil things and how dangerous they are or are not. 

 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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

Today we have more from my conversation with Jared Bollman and Brian Haynes from the Biblically Speaking podcast. Both men preach in western Oregon, the land of my birth — Jared in Beaverton, Brian in Hillsboro — so there’s an extra connection there. Here we discuss Frankenstein and the implications it has for people today who would try to build a bigger, better human according to their own plan instead of trusting in God’s plan.

 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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

We begin Monster Month on the podcast with a conversation about the fears that Satan’s world brings out in us, the sort of treatment we can expect from Satan and from God along the way, and how we can find faith to survive and thrive. My guests are the cohosts of the Biblically Speaking podcast, Jared Bollman and Brian Haynes. Make sure to check them out, as well as the Biblically Speaking YouTube channel.

 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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook. 

Today I’m sharing with you my list of my favorite bad guys from the Bible. I shared the list with my Facebook group, Heaven Citizens, and now I’m sharing it with you. Feel free to agree or disagree as you like. Enjoy.

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 Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.