Practical Faith Academy Podcast

Goodness is goodness, right? Well, no. There is negative goodness and positive goodness. Negative goodness is when we are content in staying away from trouble and considering it good (for example, not murdering, stealing, committing adultery). Positive goodness is what Jesus calls us to be and do: Bringing light into the world, going beyond negative goodness to do good deeds for others, proactivel...

During the last few weeks, we have seen the world flood Ukranians with kindness. What we're seeing actually follows a three-step model for kindness that I call the Three A's of Kindness. Listen to this podcast to understand a method to more frequently and intentionally be kind to others.

Gentleness doesn't seem to be valued in the world. Aggression is valued. Yet the Bible calls us to gentleness. Getting instant results is valued. Yet gentle Jesus enters Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. In this episode, Cecil discusses the disparity between the world's values and Christian values, highlights the Biblical call to gentleness, and shares three practical faith ideas on how to employ gen...

Joy is a paradox, because it is different from happiness. You can feel joyful even when things are going wrong. In this Joy podcast, Cecil concludes that Joy stems from the presence of God in our lives and holds up Jesus’ mother Mary as an example of Joy. He also suggests two models for feeling more joyful, based on the 8 Pillars from The Book of Joy, as well as the model Paul suggests in Philippi...

Inner peace is our goal, but our peace is disrupted by three factors: worry, guilt and anger. Cecil discusses these factors and their common denominator of fear, and how we can replace fear with peace. Cecil shares Bible verses that teach us about the unexplainable peace that God offers us in every circumstance of life.

If it was easy to love, Jesus probably wouldn't have emphasized it so much! Love can be difficult and messy. People can be unlovable. Cecil explores how we can love others better, starting with the biblical basis for love, and expanding on these three principles for loving others: Love is a choice, not a feeling. Honor others. Love God, and let God love others through you.

God is faithful to us, but are we faithful to God and to others? Cecil Taylor suggests three ideas for us to become more faithful: Say and show our faithfulness; make sacrificial choices; and take an active interest. Then Cecil delves into one of the cherished stories of the Bible to show how the characters exhibit these methods of faithfulness.

Why is patience possibly the hardest fruit of the Spirit to consistently implement in our lives? Cecil Taylor says it's because we don't properly manage expectations, discussing how we can become patient in the way we think and talk. But it doesn't mean that we should never become impatient. Cecil points to God as the role model for when and how to be patient and to be impatient.

This is the first of a series on the Fruits of the Spirit. Cecil describes the Battle Lines of Self-Control, Guidelines of Self-Control, and Power Lines of Self-Control. Battle Lines explain our battle to control ourselves. Guidelines give us ideas on how to achieve Self-Control. Power Lines are the ways in which the Holy Trinity helps us as we struggle with Self-Control.

Some people struggle with the idea of God being their father, and a perfect one at that. Cecil describes the characteristics of a perfect father and shows how God checks every box. Cecil also tells why we should trust that God is the perfect father and what He can do as our father.

Negative goodness is a "do no harm" approach that leads to inaction and prevents change. Positive goodness is a "do unto others" approach that is pro-active and leads to change. Cecil describes how to apply Jesus' Sermon on the Mount message of positive goodness to the issue of racial justice, all in the name of obediently fulfilling Jesus' vision of how we are to treat others and bring God's king...

Cecil examines the Bible's definition of justice and advice on how to implement justice. He concludes that we have failed to follow the Bible, creating a crisis of the spirit that leads to the crises of today. Content: Biblical definitions of justice and righteousness The key element of justice The Bible's explanation of how to implement justice How these passages apply to our situation in the U.S...