Practicology Podcast

Why do believers suffer? Why does God chasten his people? Because God loves us! He is not trying to make us bitter, but to make us better, and that the life of Jesus may be displayed in our mortal flesh. Listen in as Matthew’s father, Lloyd, takes us through the crucible of chastening – its reality, our reactions, God’s reasons, and the results of the trials we endure. Scriptures...

Why is there so much anxiety today? Where is it all coming from? To know the cause is often to know the cure (or at least some things that can help). Josh is back to take us through six pieces that contribute to the puzzle of why anxiety is so rampant in our culture. (On the subject of suicide, listeners are encouraged to search the Vine To Branches blog where Josh has a helpful series of articles...

Paul’s heart for the church of God beat in harmony with God’s heart. His passion was to see the church maintain a purity of devotion to Christ – but purity of devotion depended on good teaching. Do we place a proper value on the teaching and beliefs of the local church? Scriptures Referenced: Exo 34:14; 1Cor 4:15; 2Cor 11:1-6 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follo...

Christian counsellor Josh Smith joins us to kick off a series on anxiety. In this first episode we raise awareness about anxiety and expose the stigma that (sadly) accompanies it. It’s OK to be someone who suffers anxiety, and it’s really really OK to ask for help! Josh also gives us practical tips on figuring out who we can go to for help, and he explains what Cognitive Behavioral The...

Just as we expect our own houses to be governed by the values and principles that we hold, so it is with God’s household, the church. The local church is like an outpost for Heaven on the earth, with the privilege and responsibility of upholding the name of Christ and reflecting how awesome our God is. Scriptures Referenced: Gen 28:10-22; Mat 18:15-20; 1Tim 3:14-16 Visit PracticologyPodcast....

Greeting one another and making small talk can be awkward and feel fake at times. But it’s actually a big deal. God himself greets us, and he commands us to greet one another. And when we do so, we’re actually saying far more than we realize. We’re acknowledging the value and worth of another human being in a way that is deeply meaningful. Don’t miss the opportunity to be a...

One of the most beautiful and instructive metaphors of the church is that of the body. It teaches us about unity, diversity, and interdependency. Listen as Mike & Matthew talk about the blessing that commitment and accountability bring to the local church. Scriptures Referenced: 1Cor 12:12-27; Eph 4:3; Php 1:27; Php 2:3-5 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology...

Finding a friend can be one of the greatest joys in life. Not having a friend can be one of life’s greatest sorrows. How do we go about finding a friend? The good news for shy people is this: the best way to go about finding a friend is to do it indirectly. You don’t need to change your personality; you just need to develop personal interests. If your shortage of good friends is a majo...

The structural integrity of any building is largely dependent on its foundation. The local church is no different – its foundation is Jesus Christ. And a church that forgets its foundation is sure to make mistakes in its attempts to add to the building, and to beautify the building. And because this building is so special to God, it also comes with a solemn warning to anyone that destroys it...

Re-join Mike and Seth as they continue their conversation on art. In the previous part, they discussed art in relation to creation. In this episode, the conversation turns to art and redemption, to the beauty of the cross. They also talk briefly about how to guard against the dangers of art, and the importance of encouraging artists, in part because of their ability to incline people to be willing...

God loves gardens. He knows what he’s talking about when he compares the local church to a field that is cultivated – like a farm, or a garden. So how can we make sure that churches remain places of planting and growth – spiritual gardens instead of flesh factories? Scriptures Referenced: 1Cor 3:1-9 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Follow the Practicology Podcast...

Let’s talk about art! What does our love of art tell us about God, the world, and us? What place does art have in the life of the Christian? Can art help move people closer to hearing and believing the Christian gospel? These are the sorts of questions Mike explores in this conversation with Seth Griffin. Scriptures Referenced: Gen 1; Ps 19 Visit PracticologyPodcast.com for more episodes. Fo...

When will COVID be over and done with? We’re not sure, but we do know that the road to recovery will not be easy, and we’ll all need some help along the way. In this episode Mike and Matthew talk about six much-needed tools for the task ahead. Scriptures Referenced: Rom 8:28; Ps 4:4; Lev 19:17-18; Eph 4:26-27; Titus 3:1-8; Matt 18:23-35; 1 Cor 13:7; Phil 3:20-21 Visit PracticologyPodca...

Hell is a horrible reality, and yet Christians are not to be embarrassed by it. God’s salvation is amazingly complete; after saving us from hell, he then forces hell to serve the believer’s wellbeing and joy. In this episode we discuss how Christ has pressed hell into his service, causing it to save us from six things: hopelessness, vengefulness, joylessness…Tune in to hear the r...

God calls us to be holy, but we can’t make ourselves holy. What’s the answer to this conundrum? The gospel! God is justified in commanding us to be holy, because He first calls us saints. Understanding our identity in Christ is key to becoming holy, because sanctification isn’t a self-help program, but a work of God within us. Scriptures Referenced: Neh 8:10; Joh 15:5; Rom 6:19;...

What does it mean to repent? And is living by faith something that only full-time missionaries without salaries do? In this episode Mike and Matthew talk about how repentance and faith are closely linked, and how the Christian life is an ongoing turning from self to the Son of God and his saving love. Scriptures Referenced: Acts 20:21; 2Cor 7; Matt. 21:28-32; Luke 18:9-14; Gal. 2:20 Visit Practico...

Everyone loves a story of sweet redemption, but there is no redemption story like that of the Christian gospel. The helpless are rescued. The bankrupt have their debt paid. Slaves are set free. Gospel freedom is the best kind of freedom, and not only has the gospel set us free from guilt through the blood of Christ, it also guarantees us a future redemption when our Redeemer returns. Scriptures Re...

Don’t let one more day go by without understanding the life-altering truth of justification by faith! It is a doctrine that is culturally relevant and personally relevant because it means we can live life out of a place of acceptance. Its many benefits include (1) peace with God, (2) living in a town called grace, (3) and the certain hope of a glorious future. Scriptures Referenced: Rom. 1-5...

A boy visits Loch Ness. Instead of catching something, something catches him. He gives the rest of his life to the search for a mythical monster. We’re all looking for a cause big enough to devote our lives to. When we encounter God in his holiness we discover a beauty captivating enough to hold our attention forever and a cause large enough to be worthy of all our devotion. God’s holi...

The Bible doesn’t just give us a theology of giving, it also gives us some how to. The Apostle Paul taught us the law of the harvest that we reap what we sow. In this episode we also learn about our Lord’s principles of giving in his Sermon on the Mount, and touch on matters such as debt, and giving privately instead of publicly. Scriptures Referenced: 2Cor 8-9; Gal. 6 Visit Practicolo...

Our Lord Jesus taught that it is more happy to give than to receive, and he should know. God is the happy God who gives with great generosity and joy. When we worship him we become joyfully generous too. And not only does worship produce giving, but our giving is part of our worship. Learn all this and more from special guest Justin Pratt, and see if it doesn’t spread a smile on your face! S...

Prayer can be hard work, and we need all the help we can get. One thing that helps is understanding how prayer relates to two other activities: reading the Bible and meditating. In this episode we go through a little poem that explains how it works: Before I read I pray / Before I pray I read / If in between I meditate / My heart knows what to say. Scriptures Referenced: Jude 20-21; John 15:5; Mat...

Are you part of a local church, following the example of the early Christians in the Book of the Acts? Churches meet together. Many of the spiritual disciplines are private exercises, but the public activity of gathering together with the church is also a habit of grace. It is how we express our unity in Christ and is also for our own spiritual blessing. We shouldn’t attend the meetings of t...

One of the ways we can grow in enjoying and experiencing God’s love is through learning theology. And one of the ways we learn theology is through reading Scripture and books about Scripture. This is the first in a short series of episodes on the spiritual disciplines, what David Mathis calls habits of grace. If your daily quiet time is lacking some sizzle, discover how replacing your devoti...

According to God’s definition of success, the setbacks you’ve experienced over the last two years aren’t steps back but steps forward. Learn how the Christian definition of success helps us reflect on the disappointments of the past and face the uncertainties of the future. At the end, Mike and Matthew outline the next two months at Practicology. Lord willing, January’s epi...