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This is an encore episode. The original "Piano" episode appeared first in Season 5, Episode 256, on February 27, 2024.

The piano, perhaps more than any other instrument, changed the way music is played. As with a lot of things I tried as a child, I’d be a better person now if I had worked harder at it. Today we’ll discuss where the piano got its name and what it has in common with God; the challenge for an American trying to buy a piano in Paris; the pressure that comes from playing the toughest music in the world, and how to overcome it; and a game that won’t fit in my house but that I would gladly play – especially with Tom Hanks.  

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

This is an encore episode. The original first appeared in Season 5 as Episode 230 on August 29, 2023.

This week we will discuss the short and winding road, and how San Franciscans have turned it into a blessing instead of a problem; the disaster of 1906 and how humans’ best efforts made it far, far worse; Norton I, emperor of the United States, and his relationship with his subjects; and the bigger business you can build by sinking your existing business into San Francisco Bay. 

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

This is an encore episode. The original "Werewolves" aired as Episode 237 on October 26, 2023. 

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.

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

This is an encore episode. It originally debuted on July 6, 2023, as part 3 of Episode 222.

This is the final part of my conversation with Reagan McClenny and Adam Shanks. Reagan preaches for the Timberland Drive church of Christ in Lufkin, TX; Adam preaches for the Edwards Lake church of Christ in Birmingham, AL, and his podcast, Preach Impediments, will soon return from hiatus. Today we look at the struggles we often face in seeing our walk with Christ as a lifelong process rather than individual steps, especially when those steps don’t go so great.

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

This is an encore episode. It originally appeared as part of Episode 222 on July 5, 2023. 

Adam Shanks, host of the Preach Impediments podcast, is also the author of In God We Trust, an excellent book on money management. You can find it at Adam’s website, Edenhollow.com. In this segment, Adam and Reagan McClenny, who preaches for the church of Christ in Lufkin, TX, discuss with me the importance of properly managing our money, and what our failure to do so says about our faith.

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

This is an encore episode. The original, Episode 222, debuted July 24, 2023. The month of March will feature episodes from at least two years ago. Season 8 begins April 2026, Lord willing.

This week I am joined by Reagan McClenny and Adam Shanks, both of whom are participating in this month’s Balancing the Christian Life Conference. Find out more at balancingthechristianlife.com. Check out Reagan’s work through the podcast of the Timberland Drive church of Christ. Adam’s work can be found at his website, edenhollow.com.

In our first segment, we discuss the demons we try to cast out of our hearts (i.e., bad habits) and the struggles we face in replacing them with something better.

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

We’re ending Season 7 by talking about things crumbling over time. Let’s hope it’s not too meta. This week we’ll discuss how we can develop a taste for things that don’t go bad (it’s not as obvious a choice as you might think); how a national landmark fell apart because of its genius builder’s personal failures; how our tiny underground neighbors can show us the upside of rot; and how rust accumulates in your gameplay and your service to Jesus, but only when you let it.

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

Everyone knows about “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” That’s what God gives, and I hope and trust it’s what I’m giving about Him and His word. We’ll discuss the role the Ten Commandments played in ancient Israel, up to and after the time they lost them; a former U.S. president whose message was just too spectacular to be true; the assurances we can take from God’s word simply because it is, in fact, God’s word; and the best place to go for advice I have learned to routinely ignore.

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

Each and every one of us has a reputation. Whether yours is for good or ill, or whether you want to keep it or change it, that’s up to you. This week we’ll cover Solomon’s thoughts about pursuing a good reputation vs. chasing a big bank account; the world’s most famous gunfighter and how he both lived and died for his reputation; the future apostle Paul and how he built confidence in people he previously wanted to kill; and the two different reputations we chase in games and in the church, and how we can make them compatible.

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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. 

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!

Here we conclude my discussion with Noah Diestelkamp and BJ Sipe on the topic of honor; I hope you’ve benefitted from it half as much as I have. We wrap up by talking about the honor God says is waiting for us at the end, how we build confidence in His promises, and how we sustain ourselves along the way while He waits to give it to us. If you’re thinking we may not quite be done talking about the book of Philippians, prepare to not be disappointed.

Noah Diestelkamp, husband and father of three, works with the Cedar Park church of Christ in the Austin area. He and Paul White host the Stand Strong Podcast. Check it out at https://standstrong.buzzsprout.com/

BJ Sipe, also a husband and father of three, is with the church of Christ in Danville, Kentucky. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl3Ug77n1gc for links to simulcasts from the work at Danville and to https://setyourmindabove.buzzsprout.com/ to find the Set Your Mind Above podcast.

Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705

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.