Citizen of Heaven

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about submitting. Any Christian can form an opinion based on the Bible; it takes a special breed to know when to let it go. I’ve been reading …Fallen Founder, by Nancy Isenberg. Maybe there really is another side to the Aaron Burr story, but a book like this one isn’t likely to convince me. I’ve been hearing … there’s...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about wasted grace. Hezekiah is a great example of faith, but he’s also an example of how we can squander the greatest gift we could ever receive. I’ve been reading …ICR.org. If you want information about harmonizing Biblical teaching with actual scientific data, this is a great website to visit. I’ve been hearing … a...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! For this special episode of Citizen of Heaven, I am pleased to share with you my conversation with my friends Kris Emerson and Reagan McClenny.   Kris preaches for the Lindale church of Christ in Lindale, Texas. He is the host of the popular Excel Still More podcast. Subscribe at https://excelstillmore.life/. Reagan preaches for the Timber...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the evolution of Christians. Christians beget Christians after their kind, just like dogs and cats. But there is a limit to the diversity this process will allow. I’ve been reading … How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge, by Clay Scroggins. It’s difficult to command when you’re not at the head of the table, but...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about Asa, king of Judah. Is it possible to be blessed too much? There’s every reason to think the answer is yes, and that we should take warning. I’ve been reading … Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Jonathan Edwards is often cast as believing in a God searching for opportunities to destroy us. The truth, and Edw...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about intoxication. Proverbs 23 describes two kinds of drunkenness, literal and figurative — and they both start before the first sip. I’ve been reading … Jonathan Edwards, by Iain H. Murphy. I’m no Calvinist, but I dare say Edwards could have taught some of my brethren some things about the sovereignty of God. I’ve b...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the one thing. If you could ask God for only one thing, what would it be? You might be surprised what David asked for. I’ve been reading … How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, by Michael J. Gelb. Again. Becoming a genius sounds like a lot of work. Maybe I’ll pass. I’ve been hearing … Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge wil...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about faith in adversity. The key is not finding a kinder, better life; it’s finding the strength to cope with the life you have — and finding it in God. I’ve been reading … How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci, by Michael J. Gelb. I would love to be as good at one thing as Leonardo seems to have been at absolutely eve...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about God’s plan for you. Psalm 114 is a great reminder of the extremes to which God will go to glorify you. It would be a shame to get in His way. I’ve been reading … Start With Why, by Simon Sinek. And I’m more convinced than ever that a large number of Christians have no idea what it really means to be a Christian....

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about being perfect — how it’s possible, and how it’s impossible, and how that isn’t a contradiction. I’ve been reading … The Sushi Economy, by Sasha Issenberg. Japanese wholesalers are willing to spend $100,000 for a single fish — and that’s not even the crazy part of this story. I’ve been hearing … Dr. Martin Luther...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Paul has been preaching … about the blind man in John 9. Just like Jesus brought light to the eyes of this man, so also He brings light to the world — if the world will open its eyes to Him. Paul has been reading … Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift. Exactly how advanced is human society? It depends on how honest we are willing to be wi...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I have been preaching … about making plans. If you can plan for a family vacation or a comfy retirement, why not also plan to grow your faith? I have been reading … Psalm 88, arguably the saddest chapter in the Bible. But even though the psalm doesn’t say so, there is a reason for your suffering. In fact, there may be several. I have been...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I have been preaching … about Jesus’ anger, and about how the things that angered Him typically have very little in common with what angers us. I have been reading … The Contemporary English Version, or CEV, and all things being equal, I’d rather be reading the Bible. I have been hearing … Transgender athletes keep entering and winning you...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I have been preaching … about wrestling with God — in a good way, like Jacob did, as though your faith depends on it, which it does. I have been reading … different versions of the Bible, and it’s reminding me of what distinguishes one translation from another, and which distinctions are more important than others. I have been hearing … Vi...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I've been preaching ... about mountains and valleys, and how God rules in both despite what we sometimes think.  I've been reading ... Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, and as amazingly effective as the Lewis and Clark expedition was, it seems they underutilized one of their greatest resources.  I've been hearing ... nur...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I've been preaching ... about the natural man, and how serving Jesus the way we would choose on our own is certainly wrong.  I've been reading The Corporate Coach, by James Miller, which emphasizes service in the corporate world -- which both resembles and differs from service in the Lord's kingdom.  I've been hearing a...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I've been preaching ... about rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's.  I've been reading ... America's Prophet, by Bruce Feiler.  I've been hearing ... people want to build a wall to keep the bad people away. I've been playing ... No Thanks, a game far more e...

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I've been preaching ... about how living in fear can make you fearless. I've been reading ... Plain Talk, and learning how to be a mentor. I've been hearing ... preachers are using new techniques to improve. I've been playing ... games that don't depend entirely on luck. Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.yout...