Practicology Podcast

Hospitality means “love of the stranger.” In all likelihood there are people who show up at your church gathering who feel like strangers because of social, ethnic, or cognitive differences. How can we support families who have a child with special needs? Or go beyond perfunctory nods and smiles to the newcomer from another culture? In this practical episode, Vince is back on the show...

Vince Kember joins us again, this time to talk about the practice of showing hospitality. What is hospitality? What does it do, and what does it look like in real life? In a grace-based way, Vince encourages us to start now in showing hospitality. Scriptures Referenced: Gal 6:9-10; Eph 4:3, 28; Titus 1; 1Tim 6; Heb 13:16; 1Pet 4:9; 2Cor 6:11-13; Jam 2:1-6 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more epi...

There is no book like the Bible. Yet admittedly, sometimes the wonder of hearing the living Word of God proclaimed… doesn’t result in anything too wonderful in our hearts. How can I as a listener help the process, so that I profit more from listening to the Bible being taught? Scriptures Referenced: 1Thess 2:13 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Po...

In this final episode on C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, we tackle the pervasiveness, problem, and cure, of Inner Ring idolatry. Tune in to hear how the pull of the Inner Ring is illustrated in the second Inside Out movie, and to learn how to turn cliques in the church inside out. Scriptures Referenced: Luke 10:19-21 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicolo...

One of the great things about the Christian faith is how even simple, physical activities – like eating – have spiritual significance and can be done to the glory of God. But our habits at the table sometimes reveal sins that we often overlook. Let’s take a brief, honest assessment and evaluate whether we are allowing the gospel to meet our dinner plates. Scriptures Referenced: P...

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” C. S. Lewis may not have said those exact words (Mike misattributes the quote to him in this episode), but they certainly express what Lewis taught. In this third episode going through The Screwtape Letters, we explore what true humility is, how one goes about getting it, and how to receive a compliment. Scriptures...

Life is full of ups and downs, and Satan and his emissaries want to seize upon us in our low points to turn us from the pathway of faith. But God is using those same trials to further his good work in us – to make us more like Christ. Scriptures Referenced: Rom 8:17-30 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MandMsPod...

It’s hard for us to believe in the supernatural because our modern world casts the spell on us of “nothing-buttery.” We’re convinced that ordinary and familiar things are nothing but molecules in motion. Tune in to hear of a powerful counterspell that can free us from this evil enchantment. Scriptures Referenced: Mk 6:1-6; Ps 19 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episod...

In this episode we field a question from a child: “What do angels do?” We answer (with a little help from Tim Chester): angels are God’s postal service, police force, and praise choir, for the aid of every believer in Jesus Christ. (Note: We also talk about the upcoming February reading challenge. Remember to get your copy of C. S. Lewis’s “The Screwtape Letters&#8221...

It’s a new year! And it’s a good time to get a refreshed perspectve. It is so easy to get bogged down with the responsibilities and pressures of life that we forget the Lord is coming. The Lord is certainly not ignorant of our struggles in life, but one of the ways He encourages our hope is to remind us again and again of his soon return. But will it actually be soon? Could this really...

In this final episode of Necessary Church we get to see inside the church. What meets our eyes when we do so is a captivating vision of the church. The church is nothing less than God’s people speaking the truth of Christ to one another in love in order to combat the lies of the Evil One. Satan is waging a propaganda war in each of our hearts. But there’s a place where we can win the w...

Everyone wants their life to be meaningful and impactful. What can I join to be part of something big? How can I really make my life count for God? Scripture teaches us that being a full participant in the life of the local church is key. Consecration to God looks like commitment to one another in the church. Local churches are how God intends to accomplish his mission in the world. And being part...

Bread and a cup – it sounds like very simple fare. But the depth and richness of the supper the Lord provides for us has no comparison. Unlike life under the Old Covenant, our New Covenant faith is not full of visible, tangible symbols, but the symbols we do have are precious. We see the gospel visibly portrayed in the Lord’s Supper. We get to taste forgiveness. It is a gift from the L...

Looking for community? Trying to find your people? We long for community because God made us that way. Unfortunately, sin and our culture’s devotion to personal autonomy keep us from enjoying the life-in-community God intended. But there’s a solution. Through the gospel, God has created a new community, the church. And, through the gospel, we can break free from our addiction to person...

A cup of tea, a warm fire, a comfy chair, a quiet time, and my Bible. Beautiful. We treasure those times. But let’s also be mindful of treasuring the times the church gathers to hear the Word preached. It is also a precious privilege and another vital reason that God’s path for the Christian includes the fellowship of the local church. Scriptures Referenced: 1Tim 4:13-16; 2Tim 4:1-2; R...

What if the biggest obstacle keeping you from church is actually the biggest opportunity? We shy away from the local church because we love our freedom. But if freedom is what you’re after, then the church is the place to be. To see why people’s number one strike against the church is one of the greatest things going for it, you need to (1) hear a story, (2) run a science experiment, a...

Our sixth edition of Cloak, Books, and Parchments gives you ample time to purchase wisely this Christmas. In this episode we discuss the following books. Please update your wish list accordingly. – The February 2025 reading challenge book: Screwtape Letters. C. S. Lewis – Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. Cal Newport (Portfolio) – Finding My Vocat...

It’s easy for us to pick up the wrong messaging about sex. That’s why we need Scripture to fix our mistaken thinking about sex and wash our defiled views. Building on episode 177, Helen and Mike bring our sexual detox series to a close, tackling commonplace distortions in the culture (“It doesn’t matter who I sleep with”) and in the church (“Sexual sin is the wo...

The LGBT2Q+ movement has been successful in convincing a lot of people that God may bless same-sex unions, and that Scripture doesn’t really speak to modern gay and lesbian relationships. Mike and Matthew address this from a Biblical perspective and also provide some helpful guidance on the issue of Christians who experience same-sex attraction. Scriptures Referenced: Lev 20:13; Mat 19:12; R...

In this episode, Mike is joined by his wife, Helen, for a conversation on the topic of “sexual detox.” They explore the concept of purging wrong ideas about sex that society, culture, and even the church can instill. The couple emphasizes how distorted views on sex—gathered from media, jokes, music, and even certain religious teachings—need to be realigned with biblical truth. This det...

When we are struggling, the Lord doesn’t break us – he heals us. He has no pile of discarded disciples with whom he wants nothing more to do. In today’s episode, we see the Lord Jesus as the fulfiller of prophecy and the restorer of our souls. Scriptures Referenced: Isaiah 42: 1-4; Matthew 12:15-21 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast o...

To many people, marriage is just a piece of paper. Who needs a license to love? In this follow-up episode to PP173, we discuss why such thinking is wrong. Wedding vows and the marriage covenant are not obstacles to passionate love, but the fertile ground in which it can survive and thrive. And even if we’ve strayed from God’s design for romantic relationship, there’s still hope,...

Once we hit our teens, and certainly in our twenties, we like to think we’ve left childhood far behind. But what if there were important lessons from our childhood that we should revisit? What if children can teach us about receiving the grace of the gospel? Scriptures Referenced: Isaiah 55:8-9; Matthew 18:2-4 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast o...

The Song of Songs depicts love in marriage as an unquenchable fire. But where can we find such love? Today’s relationship advice often leads to short-lived flames. We need an older wisdom to guide us. We need the ancient wisdom of Scripture. Already married and wanting to keep the fire blazing? Unmarried, but hoping to enjoy such lasting love some day? Our Bible passage gives us four surpris...

No doubt you’re doing cartwheels and backflips over your excitement to be back in the classroom… or is that just your stomach flip flopping out of anxiety for the changes that this new school year will bring? We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future, and as the Lord taught Joshua, so we can take courage from God’s presence and his promises in...